Montana Fish Report

New Melones Reservoir Fish Report

by Nor Cal Fish Reports
9-28-2011

The lake is 29 feet from full. Levels will continue to drop, as room needs to be made to accommodate upcoming winter rains. Water temperature is cooling, and is currently about 75-77 degrees. Water is slightly stained, with mudlines forming in the afternoon. There is an abundance of shad and other baitfish. Watch for unmarked island tops. The trout bite is on! Action at Melones has been better this week than we have seen in years. Trollers have been having great luck picking up easy limits of 1-3 pound, 16-17" rainbows. Trout are feeding heavily on shad- use your graph to locate shad balls- the rainbows will be there, too. o target rainbows and browns, troll 20-50 feet near mouths of coves and creek arms such as Carson or Coyote Creek. Remember- now that the trout are moving shallower, it is important to leave plenty of line out behind your boat, so your lure is away from your boat chop. The hot lure right now is a Cop Car Needlefish, but anything resembling a shad will work. Fish are moving into deeper waters and pulling off shore due to falling water levels, and bite has really slowed down. Shad imitations are your best bet, as fish are feeding heavily on shad right now. Tie on a split shot rig with 6" Roboworm Hologram shad or Prism Shad. Try topwater baits such as Pop-Rs, Spooks, and Gunfish in the early morning and late evening hours, d. Catfish are in coves and in shallower water. A sliding sinker rig, and a ball of crawlers or a piece of anchovy or sardine is your best bait. Leave your bail open so the cats can't feel the line if still-fishing. Successful catfish anglers move their bait often, even dragging it along the bottom and bouncing it into rocky nooks and crannies, rather than letting it sit still. Another good technique is a weightless rig. Use enough bait on your hook, so that you can make a good cast without using any lead. Let your bait sink slowly to the bottom and drift naturally with the current. Fishing for cats is usually best at night, but plenty of anglers catch them during the day as well.

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