Surface temperature reading this week was 41.2 degrees, highest surface temp. this year to date. Water clarity is 10 feet.

Best bite has been early at first light, and drops off about 7:00 am, and comes back on again about 11:00 am. We have been fishing the top 20 feet of water early and most of the hits came off the 14 foot deep offerings.

Lots of positive fishing chatter on the Marine Band channel 69.

Good reports coming out of the Prattville area and the West side of the Peninsula from Rec. 2, north toward Baily Creek inlet. (Bailey creek is not running yet). Every boat reported  a few fish in the box, best fish reported was a four-pound  brown and rainbows up to 3.5 pounds. All were trolling lead core or down rigged fast action lures. We checked out the A-frame yesterday with baits. Zilch. The Hamilton Branch power house is running brown water down from Walker Lake, forget about that area for now. Once we got south of the Branch clarity improved back to 10 feet. We rigged a couple of Speedy Shiners and trolled south toward to the Dorado, got four small rainbows in the 16” range. Trolled Rec 1 and I got about 100 yds. into the troll and the first rod went off, another Rainbow, this on about 18” a little bigger!

As I released this fish I noticed the other rod was snagged on the bottom. No snag. After an 18 minute tug-o-war, a 7 pound brown hit the deck.

I have been using these Strike Master Dodgers (SMD) in dark, deeper water, successfully fishing for rainbows and browns.

The big browns that we usually catch bait fishing, we are now catching more often trolling SMD.

Doug Neal (530) 258-6732 http://www.almanorfishingadventures.com