Water Conditions: New Melones Lake is currently holding 503,798 acre-feet of water. The lake level dropped just over a foot this week and is currently at 858 ft. above sea level and 218 ft. from full. The water clarity is stained in some areas, and clear in others. The water temperature continues to cool with the average being 65-69 degrees. Tuttletown launch is closed. Glory Hole Point boat launch is the road leading off the end of the point. It is a dirt launch without courtesy docks and 4wd is recommended.


Trout: Okay. Cooler nights have moved the trout into shallow water and some trolling anglers are starting to bring limits of fish to the boat. It would not be a bad idea to use leadcore line or try top-lining. The large rainbows will feed heavily on shad. There is an abundance of smaller one to two inch shad that the fish are spitting up. Trolling anglers try top-lining a Rapala JSR plug. Let out plenty of line to ensure your lure is clear of the boat wake. Spoons are working well too. Needlefish and Excel spoons in shad patterns are always a good choice for fall fishing. The erratic wobble of a spoon will look like a wounded or fleeing shad and will trigger strikes from nearby fish. Bank fishing anglers are starting to catch a few fish but it has been pretty slow. It would not be a bad idea to fan cast a ?? oz Kastmaster for roaming fish. Also, try floating a ball of rainbow or chartreuse Power Bait with a long leader off of the bottom.


Kokanee: Done. The fish have entered spawn mode and will soon start dying off. We have not seen or heard of any in shallow water.


Bass: Good. Once you locate the bait fish you will be able to catch a bunch of bass. Spooning and drop-shotting are two great methods that can be used to catch fish that are keying on balls of shad. Mack's Sonic Baitfish, Kastmasters and Duh Spoons are good choices when selecting spoons. Smaller spoons have been working best. Roboworms and Berkley Minnows have been producing fish on a drop shot rig. The shad are moving from deep water toward shallow cuts and pockets, the bass are hunting them in wolf packs. There are a lot of fish that are suspended in 35-55' of water. The jig bite continues to be productive. C.R.L. makes some awesome colors that are tied specifically for our Mother Lode lakes. Crawdad browns and greens work best for dragging the bottom and shad patterns work well swimming off of the bottom. Be sure to add shad scent to shad patterns and crawdad scent to crawdad patterns. The scent will help fish locate the bait and once they bite they will hold on. Try fishing cuts, bluffs and points near major creek channels and the main river channel. Please practice catch and release. Take photos and carefully release the fish back into to the lake to maintain a healthy fish population for generations to come.


Catfish: Very Good. -SIGN UP FOR OUR NOVEMBER CATFISH CONTEST- This is a great time of year to target the large cats. With winter right around the corner they are going to feed heavily in preparation of the colder winter months. They will move shallow throughout the day and night to feed primarily on other fish and crawdads. Frozen fish baits like shad, sardines, mackerel and anchovies will work well. Try dragging/moving your bait a few times on each cast, this movement will often get the attention of nearby cruisers. Also, bring some crawlers and chicken liver. These two baits have been fooling the cats for years. Stink baits and Power Bait are often overlooked but will sometimes attract cats that don't want to mess with larger offerings. Another trick that has been working to catch more fish is, instead of using a swivel, use an Oregon Tackle Scent Chamber. This will replace your swivel and can be filled with Pro Cure scent that will slowly leak out and cover the area with scent.