Fish Report for 4-18-2013

Water clarity at Lake Chabot is changing, which is causing trout fishing to be on & off

4-18-2013
Lake Chabot Marina

GENERAL CONDITIONS
The water is going back and forth between murky and clearing up. Unfortunately, it's causing trout fishing to do the same thing. The bite has been off and on for a few weeks now and there's no saying whether it'll stay that way. When it is on, bites have been caught from the shore and trolling. The last few plants we've had have been in the tube right next to the marina and we've planted more than 13,000 lbs of trout. We usually get a plant ranging from 500 to 1,000 lbs every Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon. Our last recorded plant was on March 29th with 700 lbs from Mt. Lassen.

When you bring in a fish of 5 lbs or more, we will take your picture and give you a "Lake Chabot Whopper Club" button. If you catch a whopper over 8 lbs (trout), 10 lbs (catfish) or 5 lbs (bass), you will also receive a Lake Chabot Whopper mug. For beginning anglers, if you have any questions on what to use or where to go, please come down to the Marina and one of our friendly staff members will be more than happy to help you get set up on your fishing adventure. Be wary of the wind in the afternoons though if you plan on taking out an electric, row or kayak!

We've revamped our food menu here at the Lake Chabot Marina Café! We've got all new food for breakfast, lunch and even for kids! Come check it out and have a taste.

With summer time right around the corner, we are starting to hire here at the lake! If you know anyone or you think that you would make a good fit to the Lake Chabot Fishing Outfitters team either as a dock worker or a café employee, come into the lake and pick up an application or visit this link to print out an application.

This past Wednesday, we had our Annual Let's Go Fishing Day (see photo above) here at the lake. There were about 1,800 people here and we had multiple events. The event is planned for special needs children and adults, getting them out into the wilderness to learn about nature, fishing and boating. In our fishing section, we had about 90 fish caught by our visitors and volunteers and in the boating section; we had a line all the way around the café to experience the tours!

It's now April! We are now open later for our summer hours, we'll be closing at 6:00 pm and boat rentals will stop at 5:00 pm.

TROUT
Trout fishing is a bit slow right now but hopefully it will pick back up shortly and water clarity is starting to improve as long as the weather stays sunny. For now, make sure to use bait that is bright to lure the fish in and if you're going to be trolling, the best lures to use are Firetiger Rapalas, Kastmasters and Mirashads. When they do start to pick up, chartreuse and rainbow Powerbait will be the best baits to catch trout! When trolling, make sure to let out about a hundred feet of line and let the motor do all the work but also be wary of other anglers on the shoreline so your lines don't get caught!

BASS
Bass fishing has been slowing down as we enter into trout season. If you are fishing for bass, they are hitting mostly in the early mornings and evenings on plastics, jigs and hula grubs. A good spot to fish for bass would be near the island, or the tulles by Raccoon Point. Most of the anglers are throwing Senkos, drop shots and Brush hogs to get the fish to come out from their deep, off-shoreline structure. Livewells can be provided upon request thanks to Walton's Pond. Please practice catch and release for bass, as they are not stocked in the lake and their population depends on you!

CATFISH
Catfishing is slow this time due to the water temperature. Look for better catfishing conditions when the water warms back up. Typically around this time, catfish are going to be located by Raccoon point, but they have also been around the Half Moon Bay area, behind the island, and Coot's Landing. Anglers are using mackerel, anchovies and chicken liver for bait, as well as night crawlers. We are done planting catfish for the year, so grab your most stinky bait and come on out before all the catfish swim back down to the bottom of the lake! With the heat picking up here and there, catfish might start picking up but there's no guarantee!

SPECIALS
HALF OFF ALL BOAT RENTALS (including Patio Boats!)
Tuesday -- Thursday (non-holidays)

HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday -- Sunday: Boat rentals are from 6:00am - 5:00pm.
Boats are due in by 6:00pm.
Hours subject to change based on weather conditions and light levels.


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4-11-2013
GENERAL CONDITIONS The water is going back and forth between murky and clearing up. Unfortunately, it's causing trout fishing to do the same thing. The bite has been off and on for a few weeks now and there's no saying whether it'll stay that way. When it is on, bites have been caught from the shore and trolling. The last few plants we've had have been in the tube right next to the marina and we've planted more than 13,000 lbs...... Read More

4-3-2013
GENERAL CONDITIONS The water is going back and forth between murky and clearing up. Unfortunately, it's causing trout fishing to do the same thing. The bite has been off and on for a few weeks now and there's no saying whether it'll stay that way. When it is on, bites have been caught from the shore and trolling. The last few plants we've had have been in the tube right next to the marina and we've planted more than 13,000 lbs...... Read More