Plumas County
Fishing Report

1/4/2012

Lake Almanor Fishing Report and Lake Status: Courtesy of Almanor Fishing Adventures: (530) 258-6732

Great fishing weather, that's really the story.

Surface temps @ 38.5 degrees, warming to 40.5 afternoon.
Clarity 6 ft. west basin, 7.5 ft. east basin.
Lake levels @ 4485.98, ft. elevation, = 932,978 acre ft. storage.
December 2011 was the driest month here in a decade.
0.32 inch of total precipitation was recorded at the automated site in Prattville.


Average Precip. totals for December is closer to 5 inches.
Cold in the morning, 26 degrees is a average morning start. The cold clear nights reveal the moon phase is building. The bite will start earlier as the full moon approaches. Excellent sunshine with spring like conditions have anglers hitting the shores and trolling lanes.

Fish are scattered all over the lake chasing smelt, and casually feeding all morning. Trolling has been a great way to enjoy the weather, and get hooked up. Water clarity is still a bit of a issue here, most of the action has been in the top 20 ft. of water. Producing a mix of Browns, Bows with a few salmon caught.

It's been so nice here that some insect hatch's have been popping off. Several fish we checked were holding bug larva, 2 different fish actually had a hex larva inside. Even the bugs think its spring.
Lake Cove has been the best trolling area for my boat, and that's also the spot where we caught fish that were holding bugs. Bait fishing is still about the same as last weeks report. Except the bite has been very early, especially in Geritol Cove at Canyon Dam, where they recently put in some planters.
A couple boats that were there at 6:00 am in total darkness, were coming out at 8:30 am with limits, and frost bite.

Rec. #2, Browns and Rainbows are still just outside the log boom. The Brown Trout spawn is finished.
Roe or Salmon eggs right on the bottom, leave the bail open and just wait for them to pick it up. Or suspend crawlers about 3 to 5 ft. up off the bottom. add Pro-Cure Garlic scent.
The Prattville Towers, Hamilton Branch, A-Frame, and Big Springs, are also providing reports of big fish using baits close the bottom. Feeding Rainbows and Browns have forced larger schools of bait fish all over the east shore. Some days they are in close and later they are in the middle of the lake.
We passed over giant clouds of smelt, one after another, and never in the same place very long.
Every boat we talked to had fish, most boats averaged 5 to 6 fish and everyone had a least one fish over 3 lbs. The 1/6 oz. nickel Speedy Shiners W/hammer finish, and the red and gold Speedy Shiner got plenty of action, so I never had to change set ups. Add a healthy application of Pro-Cure "Trophy Trout Super Gel" on what ever your trolling. Fish are feeding on smelt. Smelt falls into the TUI CHUB classification of bait fish. "Trophy Trout" is ground up TUI CHUB...don't leave home without it!
Stay thirsty my friends.

Canyon Dam Public Ramp is open with dock.
USFS ramp open, no dock.
Plumas Pines, Knotty Pine ramps closed for the season.
Hamilton Branch private ramp open, no dock.
LACC Rec. area # 1 and # 2, open with docks.

Fishing Related News;
The "International Sportsman's Expo" (ISE) is coming to Sacramento Ca. Jan. 19th to 22nd.

I will be doing 2 Seminars, Thursday @ 4:00 pm. and Friday 12:00
"Trolling and Still fishing Techniques for Lake Almanor and Beyond"
Covering in detail "The injured Minnow Rig", Anchovy tails for big Kings, Targeting Rainbows, and Tactic for Browns, and all the little tricks of the trade we have developed that you can try here, or at your favorite lake. Or stop by the SEPS Booth @ ISE and say hi!
till then "Just fish Baby"

1/2/2012

Frenchman Lake Fishing Report: Courtesy of Wiggin's Trading Post (530) 993-4683

There have been reports of the lake being frozen over, 5 to 7 inches of ice at the dam, some open water, but that is out past the ice. The weather has been warm during the daytime, so the ice may be thinning. Fishing has been good at the dam, and near Frenchman's boat landing. Most fishermen are using nightcrawlers and marshmallows.

The road around the lake is in good shape, there may be a little ice on the road on the way up to the dam, and in some shaded areas of the road, but all roads are passable. No boats can be put into the water at this time, the ice around the edges is too far out.

Call ahead for current updates.

11/28/2011

Lake Almanor Fishing Report and Lake Status: Courtesy of Almanor Fishing Adventures: (530) 258-673

Water clarity reduced to about 9 ft...which is still pretty good. Surface temps continue to drift down and are currently at 48.5 degrees about mid day.

Wonderful fall weather makes me wonder "Where did everybody go?"

Yes it's cold early, like 30 degrees, but once that sun gets up, it warms up to about 50 plus degrees, been like that all week.

The 10-day forecast for the Almanor Basin is sunny with highs in the upper 40s. and that's good for the November Angler. Roads are dry and clear... but always check the forecast prior to making a run up here.

Fishing pressure has been light with a spike of activity during the weekend. With water clarity reduced the last couple weeks we have been running Seps mini micro flashers, as attention getters, with a threaded crawler about 2 ft. behind micros. @ 1.6 mph. These mini micros are just the ticket these days, producing clean Rainbows to 3.6 lbs., Browns were all just under 2 lbs.. and a few small Salmon.
The East Shore: The Lake Cove area got all the action yesterday, so we never left...we did not mark a lot of fish deep, they were there and closer to the surface.. We never went deeper than 16 ft. and all the fish came down rigged between 8 and 14ft. I did work the bottom for awhile but never got whacked.

Geritol Cove :@ Canyon Dam was packed! with shore and boat anglers as I trolled up toward the Dam..I went over and took a look..Apparently a recent stocking of Rainbows had guys getting a lot of action ...but they were 8 inch dinks. There could be some huge Browns following those plants.. I would have tried a big trout swim bait..if I had one with me.

Prior to the plants at Canyon Dam there has lots of great action working eggs or roe along the bottom.. but that got disturbed with all the guys after those plants.

A- Frame: Has fish rolling in the morning, mostly Browns, smelt breaking the surface...time to work that jig..and we did, releasing 4 fish in about a hour.. all around 2 lbs..
Big Springs: Rainbows stacking in the back of the cove where 2 springs flow into the lake..Its shallow in there and the fish are easily spooked, go in quite and work "Balls O Fire" salmon eggs slowly back in along the bottom..
Trolling the Big Springs area has been a problem all month...Salmon lots of them...all small 8.5 inch planters from last October. They have been really feeding, and have gotten about 2 " bigger, but they are just too small, and I don't want to waste my morning releasing dinks.
Hamilton Branch: Trolling around right in front, make a few big circles and if nothing happens run up the east shore toward the Dorado and into lake Cove.

Rec. area #2:, A good place to Jig, or suspend baits off the bottom. Expect Browns and Rainbows..no small Salmon will bother you here...Also it's a good place to start your troll head north along the peninsula, bird, mostly gulls have been hitting the surface indicating aggressive feeding below, when you see that happening get your smelt patterns out. NeedleFish or Speedy Shiners are always a good bet..However My injured minnow rig has been the best when fish are feeding aggressively.

I will be doing two seminars on "Trolling and Still fishing Techniques for Lake Almanor and Beyond"at the"International Sportsman's Expo" in Sacramento Jan 19-22. At the "California Sportsman Theater", located in the main fishing pavilion..Come early for a seat..last year they were standing 3 deep.

My seminars are, Thursday, Jan. 19th at 4:00 pm, and again Friday Jan. 20th at 12:00 noon. Check all show information at www.sacramentosportsexpos.com

Or if you're coming Saturday or Sunday? Stop by the Seps Pro Fishing Booth and look me up, and bring any questions you may have...