We have fished in this stretch 3 time in the last 2 weeks and fishing for?ĮWild Rainbows is solid. On the first trip we pulled #50 HotShots and hooked?Įup over 20 fish, landing 10+ fish. The next 2 trips were Flyfishing trips?Įand the ratio was basically the same. Small flies(16-22) is the ticket. ?ĮCaddis patterns and Midge patterns got most of the takes. Most fish were?Įin the faster riffles, however, we did get some in the slower water. Fish?Įaverage 12-13 inches. Biggest went 17 inches. If you have never fished?Įthis part of the Sac, try it. Most likely you'll be back. This area is the?Įbest bet right now and we will be fishing it thru the middle of May. Then?ĮShad season should be firing up on the American.

Water Conditions:?? New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,888,529 acre-feet of water.?? The lake dropped about 2 feet again this week, and is currently 1042 ft. above sea level and 46 ft. from full capacity.?? Surface water temperature is now 65-68 degrees.?? Water is fairly clear with around 15 ft. visibility with mudline forming due to falling water levels.?? We are still at the high-water ramps.??

Trout:?? Bank anglers are having a tough time finding trout now, since the rainbows have moved out into deeper water.?? The local creeks and rivers (such as Angels Creek) have received trout plantings from DFG, so bank anglers can head to the creeks for good luck.?? Berkley Power Bait or Power Eggs, or Pautski's Salmon Eggs are your best bet.

Trollers are having better luck as the trout move deeper.?? Troll 30-50 feet deep- deeper when the sun is out, and shallower in overcast/rainy weather.?? Apex, Uncle Larry's Spinners or any other spinners, Wedding rings, or Cripplures, are all catching fish.?? Bright colors seem to be working well- firetiger has been a popular choice.?? It's time to tie on an additional attractors, such as flashers or dodgers.?? Rolling shad will get you a rainbow or a big, beautiful brown trout.?? Remember to troll slowly- 1.5-2.0 m.p.h. for most lures.?? Joe Hallett of Murphys wins the Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest (salmonids) and a free deli lunch with his 4-pound, 6-ounce rainbow trout, caught on a red and white spinner trolled 55' deep in the main lake.?? Lee Fitzgerald caught a nice 3-pound, 4-ounce rainbow while trolling a Wedding Ring 30' deep between the two bridges.

Kokanee:?? Picking up, and the coming warm weather will further improve the kokanee bite.?? Fish are 13-14 inches, and weigh 1-to- 1-?? pounds.?? Kokanee are being picked up 20-30 feet deep off of Glory Hole Point and up into the mouth of Angels Creek, or in the main lake by the spillway.?? Small spinners or lures are working best right now- firetiger is a good color choice.?? Use a dodger for lots of wiggle- kokanee are attracted to movement and bright colors.?? Tip all lures with Shoepeg corn soaked in ProCure scent- Freshwater Shrimp or Carp Spit are two good choices right now. It's best to scent your corn the night before, and refrigerate it.???? We have fresh pre-scented corn available at Glory Hole Sports.?? Greg Branson caught a limit of kokanee while trolling a yellow Hootchie behind a Sling Blade 30' deep in the main lake.?? John Zeman caught a limit using Apex lures and UV Hootchies.??

Bass:?? red-hot!?? Bass are spawning and some are in post-spawn.?? The backs of coves, cuts and creek arms that hold a lot of lay-down wood or rocks are holding big bass.?? Any lure that stays in the strike zone is a good choice.?? Senkos and Zoom Trick Worms, crawdad imitations and jigs, and Zoom Lizards and Brush Hogs are all working great.?? Now is the time when a brighter color is a good choice.?? Top-water baits such as a Zara Spooks are a good choice for the early morning or evening bite, when the sun is off the water.???? Mike Harmon caught a 2-pound, 9-ounce spotted bass on a purple ghost worm, while fishing between the spillway/dam.?? Dan Routh caught and released several nice bass while fishing near Mormon Cove.?? Remember to practice catch-and-release, especially now, during the spawn.?? Removing a big bass out of the lake not only kills that fish, but all of her future offspring as well. The Department of Fish and Game does not plant bass, so it is up to us to maintain the bass fishery!??

Catfish:?? Use anchovies, sardines, or a ball of nightcrawlers.?? Leave your bail open so the cats can pick the bait up and swim with it- you will be more likely to hook them that way. Also, be sure to use a sliding sinker weight.??

Crappie and bluegill:?? We have had the best crappie bite Melones has seen in years.?? Limits are common, and crappie are huge!?? Crappie can be found hanging out in submerged trees, especially near running water or adjacent to spawning areas (flat areas with lots of fall-down wood or gravelly bottoms), about 5-15 feet deep.?? Bear Creek, Mormon Creek and Carson Creek are all good bets.?? For crappie, try fishing live small or medium minnows, or crappie jigs with jigs in red/white, black/chartreuse or purple/white.?? Remember- 25 is the limit for crappie.??

Turkey news:?? Brent Johnson of Sonora and Paul Freitas of Benicia bagged two nice turkeys while hunting near Angels Creek.?? The biggest was 17-pounds, 7-ounces with a 9" beard,.?? Much of the area surrounding New Melones is open to hunting.?? Contact the New Melones Visitors' Center at (209) 536-906-94 for more information.