This beast pulled hard and we knew it was big. More: Learn to catch crappie with these simple fishing techniques and tips and also find which spots rate as the Best Crappie Fishing Lakes in California. Lunker Punkers, trout patterned wake-baits and glides near the surface made for some bone-crushing bites. Some of the best days of fishing during the post-spawn and beggining of summer are jig days. Don Pedro Reservoir is located about an hour or a little more east of Stockton and Modesto. Boost your odds with our fishing tips and techniques for catching bluegill and other sunfish. Fish near bottom, and use natural baits likechicken livers, anchovies, night crawlers or sardines that appeal to catfishs strong senses of taste and smell.
Big baits=Big fish!! The water temperature started to climb (slightly), and many more fish could be found closer to the shoreline. This whopping 10-pound, 7-ounce largemouth crushed the "gill pattern" right at the boat. However, some fish are keying on crawdads and a football jig fished on steep banks, points and humps has been getting some quality bites. Most who come here come for the fishing, the scenery, or both, not to dip their toes into the chilly water. My Dad has been guiding more frequently for the business and had the pleasure of taking Scott and his boys out for an unforgettable trip. We were able to bring down two of them. Avoiding finesse tactics (because reaction fishing is so much fun) we used spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, spybaits, jerkbaits (hard and soft), swimbaits, glide baits and all sorts of topwater lures to just smash the fish. Bluegill and other sunfish also are common in Don Pedro Reservoir. Thanks to ample stocking from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Don Pedro Reservoir harbors substantial kokanee, Chinook salmon and rainbow trout populations as well. You have permission to edit this article. Some consider fall to be the best time for kokanee fishing becauseeven though their numbers are fewer, the remaining fish will have grown substantially since they were stocked the previous spring. Steep, rocky points like Moccasin Point are great places to find smallmouths. Angler Walt had a great day fishing on Don Pedro. Don Pedro Reservoir is managed as part of Don Pedro Recreation Area, which surrounds thelake and includes several boat launch and fishing access sites, as well as campgrounds and day use areas. Lures that create sound and vibration will attract fish when fishing in stained water. Catfish: The catfish bite during the winter months is generally pretty slow. Rainbowsare usually in 20 feet or water or less from fall through spring, and may even strike surface lures at times. Once the reaction fishing action slowed down it was time for finesse.
Hefty holdover rainbows weighing over 5 pounds are sometimes caught, but a trout limit is much more likely to include more typical size trout. Bass fishing in the Mother Lode began to pick up in the month of February. This magnum spotted bass fell just shy of 5-pounds. Finding large schools of fish is the most important part.
On day two maybe 40-casts in he stuck into a giant on a 9" swimmer and landed it. Thank you for reading! Was on the water at 11:30am and had this monster in the boat before noon. These fish grow fat on Don Pedros abundant threadfin shad, and at times even feed on small kokanee salmon. Just be sure to vary your cadence and try to replicate a feeding or fleeing prey fish. Kokes tend to hold at depths around 80 feet this time of year, and theMiddle Bay and Jenkins Hill areas are good places to start. Chinook salmonalso called king salmonare routinely stocked by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Find these fish and understanding how to target them made for some extremely successful guide trips. He caught 18-fish on his own, mostly on a fluke twitched near the surface. Once we were satisfied with a handful of catches, we focused our efforts on trophy hunting with big swimbaits. There is also a full-service marina, ample shore access, a fish cleaning station and a campground with tent and RV sites. Catch rates suggest that the largemouths outnumber smallmouths by about least five to one. We have also incorporated a variety of bottom-bouncing presentations. We are catching a fair amount of fish on each outing and finding some respectable size along the way. Originally created with a dam on the Tuolumne River in 1923 (the dam was rebuilt in the 1960s), Don Pedro spans 13,000 acres at full pool. And, while we are talking bottom fishing, dont forget about a jig. It is very important to keep a close eye on your depth finder and GPS maps when navigating the lake. The topwater bite in the morning proved to be the best way to catch bigger fish. And, last but not least. Kokanee: The kokanee generally will not start to bite until spring. Owner of Baitsanity Swimbaits Fahad Baseer landed his personal best bass on a prototype lure. The jig bite can be really productive and produce a better-quality fish and other finesse options will get plenty of action as well. Weekly, in your inbox. Also commonly called Don Pedro Lake, the reservoir is a popular spot for bass fishing tournaments. Each year we cycle through various surface techniques to determine what will trigger the most and biggest bites. Berah with a solid 5-pound largemouth! Chinooks prefer cold water, which for the most part means they stay deep and far from shore. A wide range of shad-imitating spoons and plugs can draw strikes from hungry king salmon. Bass: Bass fishing has remained steady, even with the water temperatures being fairly cold. Landlocked salmon have become one of the biggest attractions at Don Pedro Reservoir. Either way, trolling is the tactic of choice. There are very few if any I haven't devoted hours of time to figure out the nuances.
Big Fish on Tulloch weighing 8.63-pounds helped us reach a total bag weigh over 20-pounds and solidifying the win. They love flooded brush and vegetation. In the morning hours it was a bit chilly, the fish could be found in 35 to 55 of water. This hefty largemouth smoked the popper right next to the boat in the early morning. 1/2-ounce football, with a twin tail grub and GO! Plus, the air temperatures change, water temperatures drop and there are usually a few days of (much needed) rain. Had good friend and client Nate on the boat for some summer bass fishing. Then came bed fishing season, with Arjuna and his brother Matt on the boat we began our search. What else was left to do? If the fish begin to shy away from the surface bite I will go subsurface, but continue with a cover-water approach. Pay close attention to all the subtle changes in conditions. Search baits play a large roll in locating fish, along with electronics. An assortment of techniques are producing. The lake level is rising each week and anglers will have to search for new locations and areas to fish. I will always refer to my motto "the best time to go fishing is any time you can". You might find success using classics like blue-and-black jigs and Carolina-rigged plastic worms. They work extremely well for locating schools of fish. Together we have caught a crazy amount of quality bass along with a couple of giants on these baits. Are you up-to-date on local news? https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryDaily?s=NML. I literally had three others on one cast bite and I shook them of until this one finally inhaled it. As spring comes to an end we can gear up for some warmer weather fishing. Areas that have been dry for years are now well under water. For those who prefer to troll, Rapalas, Kastmaster spoons and Needlefish are popular lures. https://xperiencefishing.net/photo-gallery/. The fish can be found scattered throughout the lake, some shallow and some deep. Don Pedro Reservoir is an often-overlooked trout fishery that offers some exciting possibilities for catching big rainbow trout. Book a trip with us.
After a few stops and a couple good ones in the boat we settled on another big one. We started on a obvious double-digit, but conditions didnt set up and we had to move on. He caught a ton of suspended fish on his own and landed the biggest one of the trip. There arent many Northern California lakes where youre more likely to catch a 10-pound largemouth, but you often need to put in some real work to catch a limit here. The bite has varied from walking baits to plopping baits with a few days with poppers as well. Try using small spinners or mini jigs to locate crappie. With just a couple of headlamps we were stoked when we saw this 8-pound, 10-ounce beauty fall into the net. Expect to catch some very nice rainbow trout in the 14- to 20-inch range along with the typical smaller trout. Often times slow moving soft plastic offerings will be the best option. Unfortunately, theres reason to believe that margin may be getting even wider, especially if the reports of spotted bass being caught here are true. The grass that was down deep is starting to break up and float to the surface. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. This will make dragging the bottom a little easier. Guided 10.60-pound bass! The dam area is a great year-round spot for rainbows. A special thanks to all our clients who continue to support our endeavors time and time again. Prior to this catch we learned some new finesse tactics and finished an EPIC day with a few solid A-rig fish! A special thanks to all my clients and friends that keep coming back for more amazing experiences on New Melones. It was the first time my daughter has been on a bass boat and she LOVED IT!! We also incorporated a fluke when the water was calm or the fish were bite the surface baits half-heartedly. Success! Smallmouth bass are a bit more picky about habitat than largemouths, so focus on rocks. As the lake level on New Melones began to stabilize, the fish also found comfort. They used primarily finesse techniques and land many fish and some real quality ones too. Watching the fish exploded on the bait was super exciting for him, his dad and myself. The spotted bass are feeding regularly and the largemouth bass are taking advantage of the flooded vegetation that is lining the lake. If that bite fades, we have been going subsurface with reaction lures, with crankbaits and spinnerbaits holding their spot at the top of the list. There was an error processing your request. Abundant catfish populations are available in Don Pedro Reservoir. Towards the end of the month we found ourselves fishing more fall patterns as the weather cooled and the fish migrated. With many sizes to choose the best option is to match the surroundings. Other promising spots to catch Don Pedro trout include the Jenkins Hill area and Middle Bay. Tip the hook with a kernel of sweet corn to give it some extra attraction. Ploppers are also very versatile and typically work best with a little chop on the surface. Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. Crappie are excellent to eat and often a favorite for a fish fry. If the fish stopped showing themselves we would use a spybait and target specific depths to continue to load the boat. There will be small critters that are trapped during these conditions and the catfish will often take advantage. Putting down the magnum trout patterns and fishing some of the medium sized swimmers is a great way to coax some fish-eaters, and trophy-sized bass. The incredible month of March started with an absolute bang! Brook and brown trout occasionally turn up in anglers catches as well, but rainbows offer the only consistent trout fishing. The water level can affect the quality of the fishing as well, but often in more long-term ways.
On one guided trip we landed 72-fish. Then there was the tournament of the month which we claimed victory on lake Tulloch. While Don Pedro Reservoir offers great big-bass potential, it can also be challenging.
After a couple flips with a jig Arjuna hauled in this beast! The two species tend to inhabit the same areas, with kokanee being a bit closer to the surface than the deep-dwelling Chinooks. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come. The April spawn brings big largemouths from all over the lake into predictable, shallow areas in coves and inlets, and theres no better time for anglers to load up. Including some respectable 3 to 4-pound fish. A long leader with a light wire hook is recommended. A glimmer of springtime weather became present on many days. There is also a campground at Fleming Meadows with more than 250 campsites, ranging from rustic tent sites to full-hookup RV sites. These fish arent stocked every year, and since their population is verydependent on stocking, the kokanee fishing rises and falls accordingly. The most encouraging thing that we began to noticed is the shad started to ball up and move toward creek channels as they will each fall. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Shad, bluegill and baby bass are all great selections. A small shad pattern could be fish up near the shoreline and back to the boat. Most of the shoreline of Don Pedro Reservoir is undeveloped, and countless unofficial shore fishing access sites can be found by driving around the lake and exploring various pull-offs. And on some occasions, we tossed them till noon with success. Bass fry, sunfish(bluegill), and shad will all be up in the shallows. Keep an open mind, watch for birds and you are bound to find the bite. Every technique mentioned was applied and we were on fire multiple times each day. They bite readily, and offer a great opportunity to introduce kids to fishing. Landing Big Fish honors in any tournament is a BIG accomplishment. Red worms under a bobber are a timeless and always-effective way to get them to bite, but small jigs and flies are excellent too. From finesse to swimbait and everything in-between we flat catch bass. We found a mega-school of bass and just caught one after another. Many anglers have found trout swimming near the shoreline in these nutrient-rich waters. Then there was the absolute GIANT 12.14-pound bass caught on McClure with the addition of two other big ones. The Woods Creek and Tuolumne River arms are home to rainbow trout as well. Its part of a region known as Gold Country, or Mother Lode Country, that gets its name from the gold rush that transformed California in the mid-19th century. Smaller kokanee salmon are often stocked as well. Topwater was the first lure of choice and almost always is. If you ever wanted to learn a new technique? These days, Don Pedro Reservoir attracts prospectors of a different kind, and the prizes fished from beneath its surface are trophy bass, salmon and trout. A little scent will also help the fish locate your bait. Once again, lean towards the natural forage, bluegill and baby bass.
On the west side of the dam, the Blue Oaks Recreation Area offers an additional boat launch ramp and campground, with tent and RV sites as well as a fish cleaning station and hiking trails. Early morning and evenings continue to offer the best success with windows of opportunity coming about throughout the day as well. Throughout much of the rest of the year, crappies are a lot harder to find, but you can often track them down around the first major drop-off near a shallow cove. Find more fish: Here are all the best landlocked Chinook salmon lakes in California. And, on some trips we just started with the "go big or go home" mentality, and were not disappointed. Throughout most of the year, youll find them in 60to 80feet of water, but when the lake heats up in summer they may be 150 feet down. Try rigging them on a weighted belly hook or an underspin to produce flash and vibration. However, once a giant school of fish and shad were located we busted out the spoons and dropshot and began to work on them. Needless to say the month of March 2021 was an incredible time of fishing. Backcountry camping along undeveloped parts of the lakeshore is also permitted. As air temperatures declined, the water outflow went from a foot a day to a foot every three days and the water temperature fell almost 10-degrees from the beginning of the month to the end. Don Pedro largemouths also seem to have a taste for some decidedly old-fashioned presentations. Steep, rocky banks leading up into shallow spawning sites are key, especially leading up to the spawn. To get bit and catch decent sized spotted bass and largemouth, a 3/16oz shakeyhead was hard to beat. Ive had these two on the boat for three times now, and each trip just keeps getting better.
