 |
 |
SHASTA LAKE RAINBOWS & BROWNS ...
Trout fishing at Lake Shasta is slowly improving despite the fact that the water temperature remains below normal for this stage of the season. Browns are hitting in the McCloud Arm, rainbows are patrolling near the dam and a solid salmon bite has developed in the Dry Creek Arm. On the bass fishing front things are going very well as the lake’s spots prepare to spawn.
“The trout fishing is getting pretty good particularly for browns,” reported Gary Miralles of the Shasta Tackle Company. “The McCloud Arm and Bridge Bay have both been producing browns up to 5 pounds. Cripplures have been getting most of the browns for me, but I’ve hooked some on blue Matrix Paddle Tails rigged behind large Sling Blades too. I’ve been putting Pro-Cure Super Gel in the garlic and shad scents on my lures when targeting browns.”
“Salmon fishing has been good in the Dry Creek Arm. The last time I went after salmon we ended up with several fish up to 21 inches in length. The salmon are holding from 100 to 150 feet deep. Matrix Paddle Tails rigged behind Sling Blades have been working well as have glow in the dark Cripplures. In the deep water it is also a good idea to go with a glow in the dark dodger,” added Miralles.
Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sportfishing has begun working the dam area and the Dry Creek Arm for land locked kings with good results. Portocarrero is trolling a variety of shad pattern lures for his fish.
“Bass are really on a good bite, but when a cold front moves through things tend to slow down a little,” related Arnold Fancelli at Phil’s Propellers. “The water is cool so the bass have not moved into the coves yet. Look for them to be holding off main lake points from the bank to 25 feet deep. Mother’s finest plastic worms in Mojave and Ox Blood rigged on darter heads are working well as are tubes and hula grubs. Anglers are rigging their hula grubs on 3/8 ounce football heads.”
“The dam area is booting out rainbows for anglers pulling a variety of different lures in 70 feet of water. Moochers are getting salmon in both Dry Creek and in Digger Bay,” continued Fancelli.
Lake Shasta is currently 60 feet from maximum pool.
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service has been doing some construction on his property so he has not been out on Whiskeytown, but he expects to try for kokanee next week. “I think the kokanee will be up near the surface since the water is still pretty cold in the lake. When they are up near the top they tend to spook pretty easily, so at this time of the year it really pays to troll your baits off side planers,” tipped Huber.
This area offers a wide variety of fishing. Among the more popular fishing spots are the McCloud River and the upper Sacramento River. These two rivers feature native trout and are favorites of fly fishermen. Shasta and Claire Engle lakes are man-made, large, and populated by largemouth and smallmouth bass, trout, and the usual assortment of sunfish and cats. These lakes are great for camping. Boat traffic can be a little heavy during peak season. Whiskeytown Lake has the coldest lake water in the area and the smallmouth and trout fishing can be excellent. There are alpine lakes, many almost unfished because they are in wilderness areas. Some, however, are only a short walk from the trailhead. You can find brook, cutthroat, and rainbows in these lakes. Fish and Game has had a program for about 10 years stocking some lakes in the Trinity, Russian, and Marble Mountain Wilderness areas with golden trout. These alpine fish are on the small side but there are a lot of them. Kangaroo Lake near Callahan has a handicapped campground and concrete sidewalks on one side of the lake for wheelchair fishing. There are some 4 pound rainbows to be caught there. The upper Klamath River around Yreka boasts fantastic trout fishing in late spring and summer months. The fall run of salmon can provide nonstop action for fish in the 10 to 12 pound class. There is also a healthy steelhead run. Because the fish are smaller than other rivers in the area, the run doesn't get as much attention or fishing pressure as other Northern California rivers. |
||||||||||
|
Copyright © 1997 - 2008 The Fish Sniffer. All rights reserved. R & D Web Dynamic Website Design...Problems, Comments: E-mail us please ... Privacy Statement
|
