Melones Res bank fishing Help!

[ZZ170]

NEED SUGGESTION FOR BANK FISHING HERE,NEAR TUTTLE TOWN,HAVE GOTTEN A FEW 2-3 POUNDERS WITH CHICHEN LIVERS,BUT THERE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN,ANY IDEAS? :confused:

[Whistler]

Welcome to the BOC ZZ!! Someone will be along to help you out soon. You'll find that if you don't use the caps that people will respond a lot better. Caps makes it "look" as though you're yelling, though I'm sure you're not. Thanks and don't worry, you'll probably get lot's of good info here soon.

[Deltalover]

Welcome to the B.O.C. ZZ! It's always nice to have another Calif member. I have not fished Melones for quite awhile. I am sure there are other members who have and will be glad to share information with you! When the bite is on, I may head that way myself!

[vini]

I'll start fishing there in the spring maybe even sooner since my Dad now has a cabin up above sonora, i'll look around and see what i can gather up info wise.

[vini]

New Melones camping reservations: (877) 444-6777 or www.reserveusa.com- You must ask for the campsite you want to stay at, instead of New Melones Lake (for instance, ask for Glory Hole Recreation Area, Tuttletown Recreation Area, Big Oak or Ironhorse).
New Melones Lake Fishing Report

January 2, 2006



Don't forget to purchase a 2006 fishing license before going fishing!!

Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 2,030,915 acre-feet of water, and is at 84% capacity. The lake is full and beautiful. The recent storms have dumped lots of water into the lake, and the lake level has risen about three feet this week, and is now at 1,055 ft. above sea level and only 33 ft. from full capacity. Surface water temperatures are approximately 54 degrees. Water is fairly clear.



Ramp update: All ramps are open.



Gate closure: shorter winter hours! Gates at New Melones Lake will open at 4 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.. Some day use and campsite areas will be periodically closed throughout the winter for maintenance.



Trout: The heavy rains kept most anglers home this weekend. Nevertheless, we have seen some beautiful fish caught by those few who braved the weather. Rainbows are big, red, and hook-jawed, weighting 3-to-5 pound on average. Trout can be seen swirling and chasing shad all over the lake, especially in major coves. Trollers and bank anglers are having success, but bank anglers are more likely to find a limit. Most anglers are catching 1-3 quality fish. This has been by far the best fishing we have seen in years. Trout are moving to the surface, and most trollers are catching fish in the top 15-20 feet of water. It is important when trout are near the surface to have plenty of line out while trolling (your lure should be 100 ft. behind your boat). Your boat chop will spook the fish from the water’s surface, and you want to give them time to come back up and see your lure. Most successful trollers are targeting the mouths of major creek arms and coves or upriver between the two bridges. With all of the recent rains, trout are feeding on worms that wash into the lake. This means that it is time to tie on a crawler or crawler/spinner combo. Shad-patterned lures continue to produce many excellent fish. Try a broken-back or Countdown Rapala, a Cop Car or threadfin shad Needlefish, or an Excel lure. Most trollers are not using dodgers or flashers. Lucky trollers this week include Howard Thielbar, who trolled a shad-patterned Excel lure 20’ deep by the dam to catch a 4.3-pounder, Sandra Viss, who caught 10 nice rainbows up to 3.5-pounds on a shad-pattern Excel trolled 10’ deep between the two bridges. Richard Brazil trolled a firetiger Needlefish on the surface and caught a few rainbows, as well as a beautiful 6-pound brown trout, that he took a picture of and then safely released. Some bank anglers are throwing spoons and others are using rainbow or chartreuse Power Bait or nightcrawler/marshmallow combinations. The Tuttletown and Glory Hole boat ramps, and Angels Cove are best spots. Most anglers report catching fish very close to shore. 10-year-old Cal Johnson of Columbia fished from the bank off of Tuttletown with a worm/marshmallow combo to catch a huge 6.5-pound rainbow, as well as a 5.1-pounder. He wins The Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest for trout. Anglers who caught nice bank fish include 13-year-old Crystal and 11-year-old Jessica Fong, who caught 8 nice fish weighing up to 3.6-pounds on Power Bait and eggs, Steve Snoe, who caught a4.3-pounder in Glory Hole Cove on Power Bait, and Ron Broyles, Who fished off Tuttletown to land a3.1-pounder with a crawler/marshmallow combo.

Kokanee: Done for the season, although trollers are picking up a few 8” fish.

Bass: fair for 1-3-pound fish. Many bass that are caught have been full of sculpin (a small, brownish yellowish, blackish bottom-dwelling fish), which means they are feeding off the bottom. Others are full of shad. Fish are holding in 30-40 feet of water. Some anglers report catching shallow fish during overcast or rainy weather. Target the mouths of creek arms and submerged islands, and up into the deeper creek arms. Wind the wind comes up, fish the banks and points that the wind blows into- the fish will move shallow to chase the bait that the wind is blowing into the shore. Drop-shot rigs with shad-patterned or crawdad-colored worms are going to produce the most fish, but bigger fish will be caught with brown jigs or swim baits. Jigging a spoon over submerged islands, 30-40 feet deep, is another good choice for winter bass fishing.

Catfish: slow. Tuttletown, Angels Cove, Glory Hole Point, or under the 49 Stevenot Bridge are all good spots to try for big cats. Use mackerel, anchovies, or sardines, a sliding sinker, leave your bail open, and be sure your hooks are sharp. Night fishing is always best for catfish. Bob Pile of Angels Camp landed a 4-pounder while fishing for trout with Power Bait in Angels Cove. He wins The Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest for catfish.

Crappie and bluegill: Slow. Try fishing live minnows or trying to entice them with jigs in red/white or purple/white. Best spots on the lake are the south side of the lake near Bear Cove, the back of Coyote Creek, Black Bart Cove, and in cuts upriver near the Parrotts Ferry Bridge that have a lot of stand-up trees in them. Target 30-40 ft. depths. As always, fish tight to structure.

[vini]

We always take a little of everything anchovie, liver, worms, stink baits and set up our rigs with 2 hooks and put different baits on the hooks just remember what you have on each hook ;) you might even try using live minnows.

[Deltalover]

Nice report! I will have to give it a try this spring!

[Mutt]

at tuttle town shore fishing right by the dock is good but if you go to the right of the ramps when faceing the water right over in there is some good ones but if you take the road down to the lake just off to the right before you cross the lake on 49 park down at the bottom then walk along the bank till your under the bridge cast out as far as you can let it drop use anchovies liver clams big night crawlers getting up to 10 pounds aint uncommen. the wife and i catch 3 to 5 pound trout under the bridge all the time when we are trolling caught a few nice 7 to 9 pound kittys there too. i fish malones a lot. and if you to angels cove its real good. on a boat i can show you lots of nice places for cats too.

[daystarchis]

Thats what I heard Mutt.... There are some really nice honey holes via boat. Been meaning to fish that lake last year. Some one even talked about a gathering there several yaers ago.

[Mutt]

i am hoping that if the weather stays good for a while going to malones in feb and go nail me some trout and kittys i can take a person about 7 miles up the lake and show them some nole cat holes there water aint even to bad for depth around 150 hooked a monster there but broke my line.

[ZZ170]

NEED SUGGESTION FOR BANK FISHING HERE,NEAR TUTTLE TOWN,HAVE GOTTEN A FEW 2-3 POUNDERS WITH CHICHEN LIVERS,BUT THERE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN,ANY IDEAS? :confused:

Sorry didn`t mean to yell ! I forget the cap locks sometimes.
Thanks for the quick response, Glad i found this web site. I live about ten minutes away from tuttletown and i sure want to improve my luck there!

Thanks again !

[ZZ170]

Doz anyone have a preference on stink baits ?
have not tried them in a long time !

[daystarchis]

My opinion is Sonny's blood and Danny King Punch bait. These are my favorites.

[centralcalcat]

My opinion is Sonny's blood and Danny King Punch bait. These are my favorites.


I second that Robb

[vini]

Both Excellent Baits

[shania]

:0a25: to the B.O.C. ZZ170,

The people on the B.O.C. are "Catfishing Best :thumbsup: "

With "information & tips that are second to none"!

Take it easy,
Bert :cool:

[Mutt]

i myself couldnt advise you on a stink bait there because ive never used one there but there is a lot of baits that work good there last fall man they were getting big ones. infact if things go right i will be out there next weekend!!!!! go for some trout and maybe some panfish thinking maybe some kittys too all depends. but trout is on the list first thing. :p

[shania]

As far as stink-baits: Check out "Wicked Stickey" by Cattracker. You'll like it. :0a23:
"G & S" , "Rustys" & "D K" are good baits also.

Take It Easy,
Bert :cool:

[ZZ170]

Thanks for the help guys !! :0a31:

[vini]

i myself couldnt advise you on a stink bait there because ive never used one there but there is a lot of baits that work good there last fall man they were getting big ones. infact if things go right i will be out there next weekend!!!!! go for some trout and maybe some panfish thinking maybe some kittys too all depends. but trout is on the list first thing. :p

Let us know how you do mutt is the foot doing better bro?


ALONG time ago 10 years ago or better my Moms boyfriend caught some crappie up in new melones and they were 2-3 & a 4 pounders they were big.

[Mutt]

yea foot is doing good thanks. yea i am so looking forward to next weekend. go get some fresh trout and see if i can entice some panfish into jumping on my line :rolleyes: then if all else fails well then its dig out the cat rigs and do some kitty fishing but sink or :0a20: i will catch me a fish or two if not then ill just have had fun :0a22: hehe

[Lil Hooker]

last time we went camping out there we seen some decent size cats come out of there around 15-20 pounders. Not sure what part of the lake we where at. It'st he one nearest the glory hole store.

[Mutt]

tuttletown ramp is south of gloryhole sports.

[Lil Hooker]

that's it tuttletown right down there is a cove with some nice big fish that was in september when we saw those big cats pulled out.

[ZZ170]

that's it tuttletown right down there is a cove with some nice big fish that was in september when we saw those big cats pulled out.

Where at Tuttle town ? By the boat ramp ?Or over by the visitors center ?

Thanks for everyones input ! It`s appreciated !!!

Hav`nt been able to go fishin yet this year, Been out of work for three months now,Can`t afford the licence yet ! Maybe soon I hope !!

[Lil Hooker]

not sure where the visitor center is but I could see the boat ramp from where we where at. There where a few trees in the cove I'll try finding a map of the lake to see if I can remember. There is some good kokanne fishing there also.

[ZZ170]

Was it a cement ramp or the gravel ramp? Theres a cove near the cement ramp on the other side of the parking lot! Only cove i can think of!

Thanks !!!

[Lil Hooker]

that's it the cement one then there is a road heading west I think to the ramp.

[ZZ170]

I think i know the cove your talking about! Never tried for catfish there! Have to give it a try ! Thanks !!

[Lil Hooker]

No problem good luck and let us know how it goes. Try fishing near the trees in that cove if I remember correctly there are 2 trees either on is a good spot.

[ZZ170]

I`ll give it a try !! Thanks!!

[Mutt]

well maybe now it will be the next weekend ill get up there. with the weather what is is going to be this weekend and a ton of other things so maybe a week from this saturday ill get up there to fish

[ZZ170]

Heading over to Tuttletown this afternoon will let you all know how it go`s !!

[vini]

Good luck ZZ hope you hammer some fish

[ZZ170]

:sad: Got skunked !! Not even a bite ! Fished under the 49 bridge for an hour or so, Its pretty deep there 40-50 feet,Then moved over by the visitors center , nothin.There were three guys trout fishing when i got down there but they hadn`t has any luck ether! I only stayed three hours,I was using the Hog wild bait {only one I could find} Will try again sat or sunday over at the cove LIL HOOKER was talkin about! Will let you know what happens!

[vini]

The hunt is on keep going you'll trackum down eventually;)

[Mutt]

another place to try is the old parrots ferry road. drive down to the water and fish off of there.

[Deltalover]

ZZ, try mixing that hog wild with G.S. or one of the others! I had no luck with hog wild by itself but when I mixed it with G.S., I tore um up! Good luck!

[ZZ170]

They closed that road a couple years ago! Locked the gate,too much garbage being dumped there! I live off parrotts ferry road.use to be a nice place to go when the waters low,when the waters really low you could fish off the old two lane bridge,Its under a couple hundred feet of water right now!

[ZZ170]

ZZ, try mixing that hog wild with G.S. or one of the others! I had no luck with hog wild by itself but when I mixed it with G.S., I tore um up! Good luck!

Good idea !:) Hog wild was all walmart had!That and another blood bait i remember using in the 70s

[Mutt]

oh ok i am always on a boat so i didnt know they gated it. i used to camp on the river bank when i was a kid lol just up river from the bridge on the north side. sure do miss that area. id love for once to see it down far enough so i could show my wife the bridge. sometime when i am going up there we should hook up and go fishing going to hook up with deltalover one day and go fishing too. need to find some other fishing areas around the delta lol.

[daystarchis]

[QUOTE=ZZ170]:I was using the Hog wild bait {only one I could find} QUOTE]

ZZ, Hog wild is a lil on the thick side, so take some chicken liver blood and poor in it. Mix it up real real and this will help tremendously with that dip bait. Let us know how you do bro.

[ZZ170]

:cursing: Skunked again! Skunks 2 / ZZ 0, Raining too hard to fish the cove!
also tryed some anchovies i had in the freezer . no good ,If its not raining tomorrow i`ll try the cove !