• NEW MELONES RESERVOIR — Big news was the lake-record brown trout taken by Michael Oliveira of Hilmar while bass fishing near the dam with a shad-patterned crankbait. He didn't realize what a trophy he had landed until he got back to the boat launch and friends told him to take the fish to Glory Hole Sporting Goods. The fish checked in at 13.25 pounds and 26.5 inches, with a girth of 20.5 inches. It might have topped 14 pounds at the time of the catch since she was dropping eggs "like crazy." Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole said trout fishing remains very good with bank anglers scoring on Power Bait or Power Eggs in rainbow or chartreuse with a garlic scent. It's the perfect time to target brown trout, and large lures such as a Rapala J9, Sebile Magic Swimmer, or River2Sea SWaver swimbait trolled fast along structure create the possibility for a trophy.
Blake Kuehl landed a 4.5-pound brown while trolling a shad-patterned broken back Rapala at 100 feet. Lewis said "right now is a great time to take your kids fishing" because there's so much action they won't get bored." Trollers are pulling Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of night crawler behind a dodger or spoons such as Needlefish, ExCels, or Vance's Slim Fins in natural shad, chrome or Cop Car. Lewis said bright colors (chartreuse, flame orange, copper/gold) will work usually, and she advised anglers to add a trolling grub, hootchie skirt, or piece of crawler to catch the fish's attention. Lewis reported decent action for bass as the fish focus on shad — which makes shad-patterned plastics an excellent bait. Larger fish are hitting Zoom Craws or tubes or rainbow trout patterned swim baits. Call: (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586 2383; Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.
• McSWAIN RESERVOIR — With the anticipation of trout plants starting again in mid-January, action has slowed for trollers and bank fishermen. A few limits have been taken up the river arm from the bank with green or orange Power Bait, with the best trolling action on Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of crawler behind a dodger, blade/crawler combinations, or small spoons from the floating restrooms to Gilligan's Island. Call: (209) 378-2534 // no ads
• McCLURE RESERVOIR — Live bait — large minnows or live crawdads — is producing spotted bass to 5 pounds. Hunter's Valley Point, Arnold Bay, Cottonwood Creek, and Barrett's Cove have been consistent locations for crawdads. Brendan and Emily Comerford landed a 20-inch, 5-pounder. Bass also have been taken with the 082 Keeper worm on the drop-shot. Crappie are starting to show up, and Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling reported selling a lot of small minnows for crappie. One angler landed 10 crappie on medium minnows and chartreuse mini-jigs after sunset in Barrett's Cove. Trout fishing is good for trollers up the river arm, in Cottonwood, or near the dam at 15 feet with ExCels in Popsicle or rainbow trout, Needlefish in Cop Car or rainbow trout, or blade/crawler combinations. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505; Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.
• LAKE DON PEDRO — Trollers and bank fishermen both are finding the trout fishing excellent. Guide Gary Vella has been targeting large fish at 30 feet in Mexican Gulch with shad-patterned ExCels and was rewarded with three rainbows over 2.5 pounds. Guide Monte Smith took out Cal Kellogg, editor of Fishsniffer Magazine, on a midweek trip, and they fast-trolled spoons in the 53-degree water for quality rainbows. Smith advised looking for swooping birds or bait schools on the meter; the trout will be in the same area. Smith said the spoon bite will remain good until water dips below 50 degrees where blade/crawler combinations will be more effective. Guide Danny Layne said the heavy plants from the Moccasin Fish Hatchery mean plenty of planters are feeding at 10-20 feet in Mexican Gulch and off the Fleming Marina into Fleming Bay; catch them on small spinners, ExCels, Needlefish or Triple Teasers. King salmon can be found in Fleming Bay over the main river channel into Middle Bay at 150-180 feet with rolled shad. Bass fishing has slowed. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Bait Barn (209) 874-3011