Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,027,728 acre-feet of water. The lake level rose very little this week and is currently at 946 ft. above sea level and 140 ft. from full. The water is fairly clear in some areas and slightly stained in others. The water temperature will be cooling a bit each week until the lake turns over. The lake has cooled some and is 60-66 degrees depending on what part of the lake you are fishing. The docks have been moved on Glory Hole Point. This makes for an easy launch and very short walk to and from the parking lot.

Pictured Above: Bob James caught a beautiful rainbow on Power Bait. He and Gary Burns used the boat to find a good bank fishing area.

Trout: Good. The trout bite has been getting better each week as the water temperature continues to drop. There are more fish showing up near the surface making them easier to catch for both trolling anglers and bank anglers. The trout are targeting balls of very small shad. The trout will push the bait from deep to shallow water. Try finding shallow water areas with deep water access. Trolling anglers should try top lining small shad patterned baits. A Rapala Jointed Shad Rap or Floating Minnow would be a perfect match to best resemble the bait fish. Also, Needlefish, Excel, and Speedy Shiner spoons are working as well. Another good way to pick up a few fish while top lining, is to troll a threaded crawler behind a tear drop dodger. The dodger will give the crawler more action and draw fish from a distance. Bank anglers have a catching more and more fish each week. Most anglers are targeting fish that are feeding near the bottom. Try using a sliding sinker with an 18-24" leader and a light wire hook. With this set up you will be able to use Power Bait Dough, Power Eggs, marsh mallows, crawlers, or a combination. The key is to use a light wire hook, and before you make a cast, check to see if your bait is floating. There are also quite a few fish feeding and cruising near the surface. The best way to target these fish is with a bubble/crawler, or a bubble/fly rig. Also, casting and retrieving and Kastmaster, is a great way to cover water and find feeding fish.

Photo #1: Glory Hole Sports Big Fish Week goes to 9-year old, Charles Smith. He landed a massive 3-pound, 12-ounce rainbow trout while bank fishing near Glory Hole Point. Charles, Isaac, and Keylee caught their fish using chartreuse Power Bait.

Photo #2: Jerry Brown of Angels Camp caught 4 very nice rainbows while fishing with Power Bait from the bank.

Kokanee: Done for the season. The kokanee are upriver doing their annual spawn and die.

Bass: Fair. The lake is in transition from summer to fall. The fish seem to be spread out from deep to shallow water. American Bass held their season opener on Saturday November 9th. 18 teams showed up to fish the event and at the end of the day it was team Pierson/Pierson at the top of the leader board. They had an impressive 5 fish limit that weighed 19.12-pounds. They reported catching their fish from the river channel to the main lake on 6" worms fished on a darthead and a drop shot. 2nd place went to team Niapas/Harvey with a 17.08-pound limit. They reported catching all their fish on C.R.L. jigs from 5-50' of water. 3rd place went to team Grier/Nieto with a 13.85-pound limit. Most teams weighed in a five fish limit, with 10-pounds being an average bag. The bite has been a little on the tough side for most, but should pick up once we get some weather.

Photo #3: Alex Niapas with a couple nice 4-pound spotted bass caught on C.R.L. jigs.

If you do keep a bass, please keep the small spotted bass and release the big female (largemouth) black bass. Glory Hole Sports can teach you the difference, so you can practice good conservation of the species.

Catfish: Good. The catfish are still in fairly shallow water and feeding heavily. At this time of the year we generally see some really large cats being caught, especially if we get a little rain. They will move into feeder creeks and feed on whatever washes into the lake. Try using a variety of different baits until the fish tell you what they want to feed on. Night crawlers, liver, shad, and anchovies seem to produce the majority of fish. It is very important to use a sliding sinker or no weight at all. The fish will drop the bait if they feel any weight. It is a good idea to leave your bail open while waiting for them to bite. Let the fish run with the bait for a few seconds then set the hook. For bigger cats try using a whole mackerel or sardine fished on a double hook rig. Many catfish will roam flats, points, and humps to feed. When choosing a location to fish focus on flat dirt/rock areas near deep water.

Crappie/Bluegill: Very slow. The crappie will chase shad much like the bass and trout do at this time of the year. Try using small Kastmasters and Beatle Spins to target them. The crappie will hold tight to wood and standing timber. The lake is low and the main channel has plenty of exposed trees to fish.