Old School Basic Fishing
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Another week gone by and the fishing has turned around for the better. Kokanee limits are common at New Melones and I limited on koks at Lake Pardee by 9:30. Striper boil action is slowly increasing but the boils are not lasting that long yet. As the shad numbers increase the boils should begin to intensify and remain longer. Even the striper trolling has improved this week for many of the shad and anchovie rollers. Need fishing/related info? Call 772-3822
Wishin' I Was Fishin'
By William "Bill Will" Heinselman
Author of Old School Basic Fishing
E-mail: wheinselman@sbcglobal.net
SPECIAL! Stream and River
Good day folks. Another stream opener is upon us. With it comes the excitement of driving to the mountains, walking thru the woods, and hearing the sounds of the river or stream in the distance. So many times I can remember those memories from my past. What a way to get the adrenaline going! High steep rocks just above a white water area that feeds a deep calm
pool; absolutely a perfect place for a lunker German Brown or Rainbow trout! Wow! This is what it's all about my friends. The anglers; meal providers for their family, and the trout; the bounty.
Let us take a look at some key points to a safe and successful opening day on your stream or river. The first to consider: where you are going. Do you know the area? Are you familiar with what lies ahead? If you are new to a certain stream or river, take some time to hike in the week
before and become familiar with the strategies of getting around safely. This way you can cover more good fishing holes with less stress on your body. There is nothing worse than coming to a dead end; an area where you have to hike straight up to get around and back to the water. Especially when the early hours are so good for fishing! Use a telescoping pole for hands free hiking in tough terrain.
The second key point to catching more fish: arrive dark and early. Things are quite and undisturbed at this hour, making it easier to fool the fish with your bait, lure, or fly. Getting up at such early hours is hard for many but the reward is putting more fish, maybe a limit, in your ice
chest. Plan ahead; have your pole set up the night before plus all your stuff packed, loaded and ready. Again, know the area you are going to fish. Important also is to have a second plan if your spot is already taken. This will save you time.
The third key to more fish is definitely what you use for bait and lures. When fishing natural streams and rivers use natural baits for the native fish and salmon eggs or Power Bait products for the plants.Natural baits are worms, grubs, larve, crickets, grasshoppers, and hellgrammites.
Use small hooks with short shanks to keep your baits more natural looking. Do not overweight your offerings as this doesn't look natural and causes more snag ups. Lures that I suggest with a high catch ratio are the spinners: Panther Martin, Kastmaster, Super Duper, Roostertail, Mepps, and Blue Fox for some.
Now that we have the three main points discussed, let's talk about ways to further improve your fishing day. Shush! Be very quiet. Walk softly and don.t snap twigs or roll rocks with you feet.Fish are aware of their surroundings so don't tip them off. Sneek to calm pools by staying low and fish upstream if you can. Wear soft colors and remove anything that is bright or reflects light. I like to use a rod that is flat colored and without shinny glare.
Cast your bait into the current and let it drift into white water. This will position the bait naturally into pockets under the white water or into pools just below. Again, little or no weight is a key factor in fooling the native trout. Keep it natural looking! Cast lures slightly upstream and work them through the currents and across the pools. Change angles often to give the fish new looks.
Let your lure skip the bottom in some spots. Fishing ledges and cuts under the banks are favorites for some big natives!
Wear a creel to carry the fish. Keep the fish moist with a towel, grass, or moss. Put your catch on ice as soon as your can to preserve freshness.
Wash your hands throughly before fishing. Fish have a keen sense of smell. Perfume, aftershave, petrolium products, and cigarette smoke will lower your strike potential.
Bring a pair of polarized glasses. These glasses give better vison into the water to see the fish and underwater structures. Polarized glasses cut glare with vertically oriented lenses.
Make sure- before fishing- to do maintainance on your reel for smooth operation. Keep a full spool of line on your reel for easy casts and line breaking snags.
Last but not least, fish with a friend if possible. Be aware of when and where you plan to meet if you split up. When fishing alone, tell one or more people your exact plans so early help is possible.
NEW REPORT AS OF July 6, 2008
NEW MELONES by Melanie Lewis/Glory Hole Sports
Trout: Bank fishing over at the lake for the most part. Trollers trying for rainbows are picking up kokanee instead. Trool any shad pattern lure or a crawler/spinner combo. Use ball-troll flashers on your downrigger ball. Night fishing under a submersible light is a great way to catch summer rainbows.
Kokanee: Limits are easy right now with asmaller fish being dominate. To catch the larger kokanee you need to fish the south side of the dam at 70-80 feet. All colors are working with the turn on. Use nickle green dodgers and pro-cure scent on your lures.
Bass: Good. Spinnerbaits, Zara Spooks, Senkos, and deep diving crankbaits are all working. Fish shallow early in the morning and deeper later in the day. Top water lures will be good early and late day hours.
Catfish: These hot days mean good cat fishing. Use mackerel, chicken liver, or anchovie.
Crappie: Only fair. Night fish for the best chance and use minnows under a submersible light.
LAKE CAMANCHE by Eldon Porray
Trout: Trolling finds the fish at 35-45 feet. Try Apex, Ex-Cels, and Uncle Larry's spinners. Eight fish came to the net at Hat Island and each weighed up to four pounds. another fine trout at 5lbs came from the Narrows on a Apex lure. Dike 3 is the place to bait fish using Power Bait products. Anchor in 35-40 feet depths.
Bass: A Keeper 1050 worm on a darthead produced 15 bass up to 5lbs near the dam in the rocky areas. THANKS to all who helped with the Florida Strain largemouth bass annual plant.
Catfish: Thirteen catfish to 13 pounds reported by a threesome fishing the upper lake in the rocky areas. They were using mackerel and chicken livers. Their total weigh: 66 pounds!
LAKE PARDEE by Kerry Couper-
Trolling: The bite remains good but not great. Depths are still changing and the areas remain the same. Try the river Mouth, Dam South Buoy Line, Rock Wall, and river channel to IndianRock. Hootchies and midge Warblers in reds and pinks behind a dodger are doing well. Drop your downrigger weights between 15-50 feet. Bait fishing while anchored is productive in the coves and dam area.
Bank fishing continues in the recreation behind the E.B.M.U.D. boat house, Rainbow Point, Stoney Point Landing, and the Woodpile. Power Bait products and nightcrawlers are doing well.
Bass are biting at Copper Cove with some nice fish reported.
Catfish are biting on chicken liver as two anglers caught ten for a total weight of 30.02lbs.
LAKE HOGAN by William Heinselman/oldschoolbasicfishing.com-
Striper: The bite is back and going strong. One boater reported 11 strikes and eight fish in the net. Rolling anchovies continues to be the favorite for most trollers. Striper are stacked now so trolling depths range from 8-30 feet. When bank fishing chose a spot near deep areas and cast anchovie baits shallow and deep to find the bite. Boils continue to become more frequent but are still mostly brief. Cast your lures into the boils and work your magic touch! Fish are average four pounds.
Bass: Largemouth and spotted bass action has been good. Plastic frogs used top and submerged are taking fish. Jigs, grubs, and plastic worms in greens are working at 12-18 feet. Top water action continues to be good early mornings and later afternoons. Bass are feeding on tiny shad.
Catfish: Lots of catfish action. Plenty of bait in the lake so the cats will be everywhere. I caught a four pounder today while trolling anchovie in thirty feet of water.
HWY 4 CORRIDOR- No Report
