Posted by: thepinetree on 12/01/2008 07:13 PM
Updated by: thepinetree on 12/01/2008 07:14 PM
Expires: 01/01/2013 12:00 AM
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New Melones Lake Fishing Report for December 1, 2008~By Glory Hole Sports
Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,123,012 acre-feet of water. Water level held steady this week, and is at 958 ft. above sea level and 130 ft. from full capacity. Water in the main lake is approximately 61-63 degrees. The lake has turned over. Water is slightly stained to clear in the main lake.....
Fees are now being charged at New Melones lake: You can pay at the entrance stations if a ranger is there- at this time booths are not manned at all times. If there is no ranger at the booth, you need to go to the Glory Hole boat ramp (upper parking lot- look for the yellow posts) and put money in the Iron Ranger, and put your receipt in your vehicle window in plain view. Fees are $6 for day use, or $8 for day use and boat launch. Annual passes are available at the Visitors Center or the adjacent Rangers Station, or at the entrance booths when they are staffed. Prices are $40 for an annual day-use pass, and $60 for a day use with boat launch pass (two names on one pass, and you can move your pass from vehicle to vehicle). Discounted annual passes are available for seniors and disabled. Call the New Melones Visitors Center for further details (209) 536-9094. Money from the entrance fees will be used at New Melones Lake for improvements, so we can look forward to having a lot of new amenities in the future.
Trout: Red hot! The Department of Fish and Game has been planting heavily the last few weeks, so bank anglers are finding easy limits. The DFG has weekly plants scheduled for Melones through December. Glory Hole Point, Angels Cove, and under the Highway 49 Stevenot Bridge are the bankie hot spots this week. Tie on some rainbow glitter Power Bait or a marshmallow/crawler combo. Be sure your bait is floating off the bottom and not in the silt. Anglers throwing Kastmasters or Roostertails from shore also caught fish this week. Jerry, Peggy, Clayton, and Madison Boling and Tyler Grover of Ceres have been limiting out on rainbows on Melones this week. They fished under the Stevenot Bridge and caught 5 limits in three hours on rainbow Power Bait. Daniel U. of Valley Springs threw a silver/green Kastmaster from the bank near the marina to land 4 rainbows. Peter York of Valley Springs picked up a limit on Kastmasters, Power Bait, and salmon eggs while fishing in Angels Cove. Robert and Sean Moore of Ripon had luck in the same area with crawlers. Trolling has been slow, but is picking up. Trollers should target the mouths of major coves on into the cove areas, or upriver between the two bridges. Troll surface to 30 feet deep. Use ball-troll flashers on your downrigger, or no flashers at all. Use shad patterned lures or a firetiger pattern, or a crawler or Power Bait behind an Uncle Larrys Spinner. Rolling shad is a good way to target big brown trout. Night fishing under a submersible light is legal on New Melones Lake, and is a great way to target bigger rainbows. Use a crawler/Power Bait combo, or minnows.
Kokanee: Done for the season, although you may see some up in the creek arms, attempting to spawn. Occasionally, trollers will pick up some of next years fish. These kokanee are small (10-12), but still good eating. If you want to try for kokanee, fish deep- 60-80 feet, in the main lake.
Bass: The bass bite seems to have improved, and we are hearing reports from anglers who say they are catching and releasing lots of spotted bass in the 1-2 pound range, as well as catching some nicer 4-5 pounders. Fish are being found anywhere from 5-50 feet deep in creek arms. Drag a Carolina-rigged or split-shot rigged crawdad-colored worm or green pumpkin Zoom Baby Brush Hog for the most action. Biggest fish are coming on swimbaits. Spoons and jigs, and topwater baits at dawn and dusk are all good lures to try right now. The bite is soft, so pay attention to your line. Six-year-old Madison Boling and Julianne Grover caught a 10-pound, 12-ounce largemouth bass on a Roostertail while bank fishing for trout near Tuttletown. Please gently release any bass that you catch. Remember- the Department of Fish and Game does not plant bass, so it is up to us to maintain our bass fishery.
Catfish: We are still seeing big cats every week. Use anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, 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. Be sure to use a sliding sinker weight. McCoys McStoppers are great for keeping the sinker off the bait without messing around with a swivel, or splitshot that can damage your line. Tuttletown, Glory Hole Point, and near the Visitors Center are all good places to bank-fish for big cats.
Crappie and bluegill: slow. Night fishing under a light is best. Crappie can be found hanging out in submerged trees, about 20-30 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. Use a small piece of crawler or a cricket under a large bobber fished tight to structure in the backs of coves to target bluegill.
Melanie
Glory Hole Sports
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(209) 736-4333
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