Pardee and New Melones Reservoirs

Yesterday morning I went to the DFG website and noticed that Pardee Reservoir was scheduled for planting this week. Well, it being Wednesday and the middle of the week, I thought there might be a good chance they had already planted. So I packed up my gear and drove over there. Twenty miles to Jackson and another fifteen or so to the lake. Closed. I looked at several websites and none mention that the reservoir is closed until February 6th.

So I decided to drive out to New Melones Reservoir and try there. The fishing report on the aforementioned local news paper report dated 1/8/09 said: "Trout: Easy limits bank Anglers". I figured, OK let's see. I went to the marina and got a copy of the fishing report. Note that it was dated 1/5/09. and it also says: "Trout: Easy limits for bank anglers". I found the news paper report to be almost word for word the same as the fishing report I picked up at the marina. This morning I went to the New Melones website and low and behold the same report with a few minor changes is now dated 1/12/09.

Bank anglers are finding easy limits of planter trout in the one-to-two pound range. Glory Hole Point, Angels Cove, Tuttletown, and under the Highway 49 Stevenot Bridge are all good places to fish. Tie on some rainbow or chartreuse glitter Power Bait or a marshmallow/crawler combo (be sure your bait is floating off the bottom and not in the silt), or throw a gold or shad-patterned Kastmaster or a yellow or rainbow-trout Roostertail- we are seeing plenty of ‘bows caught on lures, too.

Copied and pasted from their website. I fished Angels Cove yesterday. I used rainbow and chartreuse glitter power bait (Berkley Gulp Trout Dough in Chunky Chartreuse, Rainbow Candy, and Orange Pulp) Nada. I used Kastmasters in Gold, Silver, Silver/Blue, and Orange. Nada. I tried Panther Martin's in both gold and silver. Nada. I tried Little Cleo in gold/burgandy. Nada. I even tried a Tasmanian Devil in a German Brown color. Nada. If bank anglers are finding easy limits, I didn't find any. Twice I've fished New Melones and been skunked both times. Either I'm not in the right place, or I just don't have a handle on this lake yet.

The one good thing I did find though, was a good Cardio Workout walking up from the marina and from the lake. It's a long way down to the water and a long ways back up.

That's my report for yesterday. Till next time, remember: "A bad day fishing is better than any day at work".

Shoreman