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There is a low pressure off the coast that is moderating our temps this week. This will decrease the Sierra thunder shower activity.
The best report I've received in the last week came from Brett Brady (www.fishbarebones.com). Brett guided a party on Jackson Meadows Reservoir last Tuesday. He was not on the water until 7 a.m. yet had a very good day trolling for rainbows.
He picked up his clients in the Pass Creek Campground that had quite a few empty spaces. This was midweek which may not have much bearing on weekend site availability. Jackson Meadows has had plentiful trout plants this season.
Brady had consistent action trolling “Uncle Larry's Spinners” with a crawler added as well as trolling flies in orange. The key to good action was the 25 to 35 foot depth. The majority of the trout were at this depth range even after the sun was high in the sky. The only other boat on the lake was long line trolling higher in the water column. The other boat did take a few fish, but they had far fewer fish to hand than Brett did using down riggers.
Brady noted that the most productive structure was points dropping off to deep water. That is where the fastest action came. All of the fish taken were rainbows. The common denominator in their stomachs was minnows in the 2 to 3 inch length. Of the 30 fish landed during the trip, the largest went 3 pounds, three were in the 15 to 17 inch class and the rest were cookie cutter planters running about a foot long. The water temp was 71 degrees by midday.
At Stampede Reservoir outside Truckee, the kokanee bite is tough. Keith Kerrigan of Sierra Anglers Guide Service has been guiding there recently. He recommends fishing the far side of the island at first light. The area beyond the island is a large flooded plain with a deeper trench running through it. The best kokanee fishing is over and in the deep-water channel before the light is on the water. By midmorning, Keith recommends fishing the deeper water between the island and the boat launch ramp or over toward the dam.
There has been no consistent lure color that has been a standout producer. Starting with pink is a safe bet, but continue to change colors if you are in the fish and not getting bit. Water surface temps are in the 72 to 73 degree range.
Over in the Oroville area there are a couple of fishing opportunities. There is a decent catfish bite on the lake. The most productive water is the upper ends of the river arms where there is current. The catfish have moved into the current to feed. They are being caught in the daytime but the night time hours are the most productive.
The flows coming out of Lake Oroville and down the Feather River are now at 6,000 cubic feet per second. As always when you add water you will get fish. An angler fishing roe caught and released a pair of native steelhead from a deep hole in the high flow section yesterday.
I spent Sunday afternoon on Bullard's Bar. My preconceived plan was to fish for spotted bass but I had not thought it through. Currently the lake is host to a lot of skiers and recreational boaters. The boat traffic and the resulting wave action have turned the Dark Day arm of the lake a shade of light brown.
I was expecting a mud line along the shore but the turbidity extends out into deep water. The water temperature is in the mid 80s. We spent the day swimming and hanging out on the lake. I did not get up the North Yuba arm. I think it is the skier's turn on the water on weekends.
There was not a recent update on the Red Bluff salmon counts at the time of this writing.
Denis Peirce writes a weekly fishing column for The Union and is host of “The KNCO Fishing & Outdoor Report,” which airs 6-7 p.m. Fridays and 5-6 a.m. Saturdays on 830-AM radio. Contact him via e-mail at dpeirce@theunion.com.
The best report I've received in the last week came from Brett Brady (www.fishbarebones.com). Brett guided a party on Jackson Meadows Reservoir last Tuesday. He was not on the water until 7 a.m. yet had a very good day trolling for rainbows.
He picked up his clients in the Pass Creek Campground that had quite a few empty spaces. This was midweek which may not have much bearing on weekend site availability. Jackson Meadows has had plentiful trout plants this season.
Brady had consistent action trolling “Uncle Larry's Spinners” with a crawler added as well as trolling flies in orange. The key to good action was the 25 to 35 foot depth. The majority of the trout were at this depth range even after the sun was high in the sky. The only other boat on the lake was long line trolling higher in the water column. The other boat did take a few fish, but they had far fewer fish to hand than Brett did using down riggers.
Brady noted that the most productive structure was points dropping off to deep water. That is where the fastest action came. All of the fish taken were rainbows. The common denominator in their stomachs was minnows in the 2 to 3 inch length. Of the 30 fish landed during the trip, the largest went 3 pounds, three were in the 15 to 17 inch class and the rest were cookie cutter planters running about a foot long. The water temp was 71 degrees by midday.
At Stampede Reservoir outside Truckee, the kokanee bite is tough. Keith Kerrigan of Sierra Anglers Guide Service has been guiding there recently. He recommends fishing the far side of the island at first light. The area beyond the island is a large flooded plain with a deeper trench running through it. The best kokanee fishing is over and in the deep-water channel before the light is on the water. By midmorning, Keith recommends fishing the deeper water between the island and the boat launch ramp or over toward the dam.
There has been no consistent lure color that has been a standout producer. Starting with pink is a safe bet, but continue to change colors if you are in the fish and not getting bit. Water surface temps are in the 72 to 73 degree range.
Over in the Oroville area there are a couple of fishing opportunities. There is a decent catfish bite on the lake. The most productive water is the upper ends of the river arms where there is current. The catfish have moved into the current to feed. They are being caught in the daytime but the night time hours are the most productive.
The flows coming out of Lake Oroville and down the Feather River are now at 6,000 cubic feet per second. As always when you add water you will get fish. An angler fishing roe caught and released a pair of native steelhead from a deep hole in the high flow section yesterday.
I spent Sunday afternoon on Bullard's Bar. My preconceived plan was to fish for spotted bass but I had not thought it through. Currently the lake is host to a lot of skiers and recreational boaters. The boat traffic and the resulting wave action have turned the Dark Day arm of the lake a shade of light brown.
I was expecting a mud line along the shore but the turbidity extends out into deep water. The water temperature is in the mid 80s. We spent the day swimming and hanging out on the lake. I did not get up the North Yuba arm. I think it is the skier's turn on the water on weekends.
There was not a recent update on the Red Bluff salmon counts at the time of this writing.
Denis Peirce writes a weekly fishing column for The Union and is host of “The KNCO Fishing & Outdoor Report,” which airs 6-7 p.m. Fridays and 5-6 a.m. Saturdays on 830-AM radio. Contact him via e-mail at dpeirce@theunion.com.
