VALLEY
• NEW MELONES RESERVOIR — Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp says the lake appears to have turned over because trout fishing has become "great" this week. The Department of Fish and Game is planting Melones every week, and there are some beautiful 2- to 3-pound holdovers. Trout are feeding heavily on schools of small shad with the best bite in the morning. Bank anglers have been catching limits in the shallow water in the backs of Angels and Glory Hole coves. Kastmasters and Krocodiles in chrome/blue, firetiger or rainbow-trout patterns, and Power Bait and Power Eggs fished on a sliding sinker rig and a 24-inch leader are the two best set-ups from the banks. Trollers also are scoring in coves and creek arms close to shore on the same kinds of baits. Bass fishing is only fair as the fish are moving deeper, even down to 60 feet. The brighter the sun, the tougher the bite, said Lewis. Though no large catfish weighed in this week, Lewis said the majority of big cats are caught from November to January. Try coves and shallower water using a sliding sinker rig with a ball of crawlers or a piece of anchovy. Drag the bait along the bottom and bounce it into rocky nooks and crannies. Best action is at night. Call: (209) 736-4333, Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne (209) 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.
• SAN LUIS RESERVOIR / O'NEILL FOREBAY — Striped bass action has slowed a bit, but Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill says "it hasn't been this good for this long for several years." Stripers to 10 pounds have been caught on Lucky Craft Pointer 78s in ghost minnow along the first cove north of the rockwall as the fish are pushing the bait into the coves. The bite has varied day to day. Most fishermen are targeting the big lake, but a few trollers are working the Forebay with Yozuris for a smaller grade of striper. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644.
• McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Stephanie Powell at the Marina said there is little fog and fishing remained "very good during Thanksgiving week." Trollers were scoring from Exchequer Dam to Gilligan's Island with blade/crawler combinations, Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of crawler, or Needlefish. Shore action has been best from the handicapped docks near the swimming area with Power Bait in white, rainbow, or chartreuse. A trout plant from the Department of Fish and Game is scheduled this week. Call: (209) 378-2534
• McCLURE RESERVOIR — Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling touted trout action from boats and the banks. The top 10 feet of the surface has been best for trollers, with blade/crawler combinations, Wedding Rings tipped with a night crawler, or chrome/blue Kastmasters working best. She said McClure Point, the dam and Cottonwood Creek up to the island have been best. The upper river near Horseshoe Bend is also producing. From the banks, Power Bait and night crawlers are working off McClure Point and in Barretts Cove. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford suggested tossing big swimbaits such as the 8-inch Huddleston for largemouths in the 8- to 12-pound range. The top-water bite with the 6-inch Lunker Punker in rainbow trout is good, and swimbaits such as the River2Sea S Waver in light or regular trout are also effective. Heavy trout plants have turned on the swimbait bite. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505, Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.
• LAKE DON PEDRO — Heavy trout plants have are producing plenty of bites for top-water and swimbaits. Manny Basi said the 8-inch Huddleston, the 6-inch Lunker Punker in rainbow trout are good, and the River2Sea S Waver in light or regular trout with the swimbaits used "like a jig" are working. The shad schools are orienting toward structure and warmer water, and trout action is best near the banks at 20 to 40 feet. Bank fishing for trout is good on Power Bait, night crawlers or Kastmasters around Fleming Meadows or Blue Oaks. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne (209) 586-2383, Bait Barn (209) 874-301.
• DELTA — The sturgeon bite took off over the weekend with the large tides. Guide Mark Delnero of Pittsburg put clients onto a fat 64-inch/63-pound diamondback in addition to two limits of striped bass at Big Cut. Big tides washed away a little of the bit, but it's still good. Bullheads, grass shrimp, mud suckers and pile worms were all working. Jay Sorensen, founder of the California Striped Bass Association, got limits to 29 inches on the incoming tide in Horseshoe Bend using fresh shad. "We hooked fish on every cast on Saturday," said Sorensen. A 42-inch, 29-pound striper came out of Steamboat Slough while Shag Slough kicked out a few sturgeon. Alan Fong of the Fishermen's Warehouse in Sacramento recommended Big Break on the San Joaquin River. The water is a nearly ideal 53 degrees. Guide Randy Pringle has been searching for striped bass in the weed-saturated San Joaquin, without much luck. Meanwhile, largemouth bass are biting hard. Pringle has been scoring with the ima Flit in Olive Herring or shad-patterns. The key is to work the lure through moving water where the fish are waiting for the bait to come to them. Pringle landed three fish on his first two casts Monday as two bass were hooked on a single lure. Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Stan Koenigsberger (925)570-530, Mark Wilson (916) 682-1630, Gary Vella (209) 652-7550.
OCEAN
• SAN FRANCISCO BAY — Rockfish-crab combination trips are "lights out," with all the party boats working either the Marin coast or the Farallons to get easy limits of both. Capt. Jim Smith of the Happy Hooker in Berkeley retooled his boat with crab hauling gear, and put 28 passengers onto limits of rockfish and jumbo Dungeness on Saturday. Chris Smith on the California Dawn had limits of rockfish and crab to go with 7 lings, several over 10 pounds. On Sunday, got 25 limits of rockfish and crab to go with 11 lings. Also out of the Gate, the New Seeker and New Huck Finn from Emeryville have been heading to the Farallons for limits of rockfish before pulling crab pots on their way back to the harbor. They put in 51 limits with 7 ling cod to 9 pounds Saturday then 64 limits of both Sunday.
• HALF MOON BAY — Rockfish/crab combination trips have been a big hit and even tourists looking for crab have gotten in on the action. "We haven't had to measure a crab all season long," said Capt. Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete. Party boat captains are reporting 15 legal crab per pot, down from 25 at the start of the season. Further north, Sheryl Jimno of the Rusty Hook said the pier remains crowded with crabbers, and snatchers are working best in the big swell conditions. Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Huck Finn Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133, Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040.
• MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ — Sonny Arcoleo at Chris's Landing said crabbing and rockfishing was "wide open" throughout the weekend. The Checkmate is his boat for combo trips, and they put in 30 limits Sunday in great weather. The Caroline took a charter to Carmel Bay on Saturday for 18 limits of rockfish and 10 lingcod. One angler landed 6 legal lings. The Star of Monterey went to Point Sur for sacks of big vermilions Saturday. Crab combo trips are already booked for Saturday. Call: Chris' Landing (831) 375-5951, Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173, usafishing.