By: The Fish Sniffer Staff July 30, 2005 Last Issue Gear, check. Lunch, check. 17.75 pound bass on a fly rod, check. While on an excursion on the delta in search of striped bass, the first and biggest fish of the day turned out to be an unverified record large mouth bass taken on a fly rod. As we neared our first destination of the morning, the man at the helm, Mike Thompson, was eager with anticipation. Mike had been out the day before and I had a successful striper conquest. Although he wouldn't tell me point blank that he had a good day previously, as not to jinx us, confidence was high. Mike immediately missed a spook fish that sounded like a toilet flushing as it swirled on his lure. As I stripped line of my fly reel I had no idea what the first (maybe second) cast of the day was to bring. As I set up on the heavy fish I had visions of a 10 pound striper giving me a tussle. When the green tail broke the surface, the vibe in the boat went from jovial to controlled chaos. The old girl didn't have any spectacular leaps in her but she bulldogged me for a while. Mike thought out loud 'that's a 10 or 12 pounder'. The boga grip told a different story. Just under 18 pounds with a girth that rivals my own. A look down her gaping bucket mouth revealed the tail of a catfish that wasn't paying attention. After a quick photo shoot and a high five she was returned to her haunts. Although the fishing remained good for the rest of the day there wasn't much that compared to her. Joe Shelby was the angler and the fly was a flash tail whistler

TRINITY LAKE
Trinity Lake is most renowned for its hefty smallmouth bass, but it also produces huge largemouths every year.

This year is no exception, as evidenced by the 8.89 lb. largemouth that Troy McCoy of Trinity Center nailed in late July. He was fishing a nightcrawler in the north end when put the big bass in his boat, according to Henning Behrens of the Wyntoon Resort.

"Bass fishing is steady for anglers fishing crickets or plastic worms around the dredger piles," said Henning. "A mixture of largemouth and smallmouth bass in the 3 to 5 pound range are being hooked."

SHASTA
"Big numbers of bass are being caught by anglers right now," reported Yogi Demblon at Phil's Propellers. "Most of the bass are small keepers running up to 2 pounds, but we have gotten reports of a few bass up to 7 pounds recently. The top water bite is good in the early morning and evening."

When the sun is on the water, plastics are the best option, but they will draw a lot of attention from the little guys. After dark, black spinnerbaits are working well.

"When you're out there at night, you've got to use caution," Demblon advised. "Just remember to go slow and stick to familiar areas."

ALMANOR
Smallmouth bass fishing is tough. Boaters are finding the best success bait fishing with crickets or split shotting with plastic worms in Christmas Tree and Halloween patterns.

"Target the dam and rocky shoal areas," Bruzza advised.

OROVILLE
Spotted bass are in their summer pattern at Lake Oroville. That means you should expect to catch and release a lot of small fish in the 10 to 15 inch during a day of fishing, according to Larry Hemphill, fishing guide.

"My three clients - David, Bruce and Aaron Osuni of Yuba City - and I caught and released between 35 and 40 fish during a recent seven hour trip to Oroville," said Hemphill. "The fish ranged from 10 to 15 inches long, with the majority in the 12 to 14 inch range."

They found the top action throwing Camanche Jacks early dawn and morning dawn worms from 2 to 25 feet deep in the south and middle forks. Hemphill also hooked two bass while tossing out a Chug Bug (surface lure).

On the next day, a half-day trip by Hemphill produced 25 bass, but the quality of the fish was poorer than the previous day. "We caught a lot of 8 to 11 fish and a couple of 13 to 14 inchers," he noted.

"Plastics are about the only thing working for bass during the day at Oroville," added Jim Spradlin at Oroville Outdoors, "although there is a little top water action early and late in the day. The hot weather has slowed down fishing not only for bass, but catfish, crappie and other species."

Oroville is 888 feet in elevation, 12 feet from maximum pool, and the lake is holding 3,355,300 acre feet of water. The surface temperature has risen to a very toasty 84 degrees.

CLEAR LAKE
The bass bite at Clear Lake has rebounded to the spectacular levels seen last summer, according to Bob Higgins of Limit Out Gift and Tackle.

"The crankbait bite is spectacular," Higgins said. "The fish are all over the place right now; rockpiles, points, docks, everywhere."

Higgins recommended using shad colored Lucky Craft or Norman crankbaits anywhere from five to 15 feet. The average fish has been around the two pound range, with a few larger fish being taken. Most anglers are getting from 20 to 35 fish a day.

Larry Hemphill, Clear Lake guide, reported top-notch fishing on his latest guided trip with three anglers. "Sam Carnatz and his business partner, Charles deLimur, and his son, Andre, caught 17 keeper bass up to five pounds in 4-1/2 hours of fishing," noted Hemphill. "Mr. DeLimur caught the largest bass of the day, while 10-year-old Andre took his biggest bass to date, a 4.8-pound largemouth."

Hemphill said they used Yamamoto Kreature baits and Reaction Innovations Sweet Beavers to fool their fish.

SONOMA
The largemouth bass bite at Sonoma is good early and late in the day and at night, reported Justin Kelly of Outdoor Pro Shop.

"We are seeing some decent fish taken on Super Spooks and buzzbaits," Kelly said. "Fish to eight pounds have been reported."

Kelly also said that turning to the outside timberline with drop shots and jigs should produce bass. The average fish will be in the one and a half to two pound class, with the occasional larger fish thrown in.

The nighttime bass bite is decent as well. Kelly said that using jigs or Carolina-rigged Brush Hogs has been successful, as well as Texas-rigged 10-inch Power Worms or Reaction Innovations Big Units.

FOLSOM LAKE
The bass bite at Folsom Lake is still fair to good for fish to 3 pounds depending on the day," related Don Paganelli of Paganelli's Bass Fishing Experience.

"The best fishing is taking place in the main body of the lake. I've been doing well at Beal's Point fishing near trees and submerged boulders. Early in the morning top water action is pretty good on Zara Spooks and small poppers like Pop-R's. When the sun gets up drop shot rigs and rip baits are both taking fish," reported Paganelli.

"When ripping at this time of the season, you've got to use a deep diving bait, such as a Lucky Craft Stacy in the Ghost Minnow finish, and you've got to fish the bait slow. Once you reel the bait down give it a hard rip and then let it set for 10 to 15 seconds before moving it again," tipped Paganelli.

LAKE CAMANCHE
Beautiful bass are still being caught all around Lake Camanche. Tossing top water baits is especially fun very early and late in the day in the Camanche Arm, Causeway Cove and Lancha Plana. The Narrows has been very productive lately for boaters using green plastic lizards and 4 inch worms and leeches.

"The submerged islands and rock piles in the Lancha Plana area are also very good with plastics now, as well as the submerged islands near Dikes 1 and 2," said Chris Cantwell. "During the day bass are suspending near ledges and sharp drop-offs; work your baits parallel to the rock or cliffs or around big boulders."

SANTA CLARA VALLEY LAKES
The black bass bite in the Santa Clara Valley lakes is decent, with each of the lakes offering anglers a chance at some decent action with drop shot rigs and Roboworms, according to Dave Meza at Coyote Bait and Tackle

"Coyote is the best chance at quality largemouth," Meza said. "After the morning topwater bite, turn to frogs on the grass mats and try Snag Proof Frogs, Sizmic Toads and Horny Toads to draw the best bites."

Meza also said that a jig and pig on main lake points would draw some strikes. The average largemouth out of Coyote will be in the two to four pound class with an occasional strike from a five to six pounder not uncommon, expect for to six bites a day.

Calero is featuring a decent topwater bite in the low light conditions of the early morning and late evening hours. Meza suggested that anglers use buzzbaits or Super Spooks to attract largemouth in the two to four pound category.

He also said that deep cranking with a Norman DD 14 or DD22 in and around the 15-foot range is worth a shot. In addition, a frog bite has begun around shallow grass mats.

Aside from producing small bass for anglers drop shotting and split shotting plastic worms, Anderson Reservoir is putting out crappie. "I would expect that anglers could get eight to ten fish a day by using mini jigs or small minnows," Meza reported.

"Chesbro bass anglers can catch a few largemouth by using jigs and crawfish imitations at the 12 to 15 foot depth," added Meza. "While anglers at Uvas report a few topwater fish in the morning, the fish tend to run smaller."

"Bass fishing is good at Lexington Reservoir," reported Glen Fukomoto at Fisherman's Warehouse in Cupertino. "Your best bets are to fish top water lures and buzzbaits in the morning or to split shot with plastic worms during the day."

MILLERTON LAKE
Black bass fishing at Millerton is slow, due to warming water temperatures, added James Mize of Valley Rod and Gun.

"There is still a brief topwater bite in the morning," Mize said. "However, the fish are small and the best anglers continue to catch only a few 13-inch fish on Rico's or small Hula Poppers." Mize reported that an occasional quality fish will hit a Zara Spook, but that those bites will be few and far between.

The striper bite has all but died down, with only a few fish being taken upriver near the headwaters, but that the bite is extremely sporadic.

PINE FLAT LAKE
Bass anglers who frequent Pine Flat are finding tough overall fishing, with only an early or late topwater bite producing fish because of the sizzling summer temperatures, according to James Mize of Valley Rod and Gun.

"Super Spooks and Rico's are the best baits right now," said Mize. "Carolina rigs and drop shot rigs seem to be producing the best after the sun comes up."

Mize recommends that anglers use Zoom Baby Brush Hogs on the Carolina Rig and shad colored plastics on main lake humps. He said that most anglers would catch fish in the one to two pound range, but an occasional three to four pounder is showing up.