Water temp 59-61
Water clarity 5-10’
Melones lake has been fishing tuff for bass the last few months. There are definitely still fish to be caught but the overall numbers we are used to seeing this time of year just haven’t been there. Not sure if it’s due to water levels and unusually warm weather but it’s definitely affecting the fish.
Most of the big fish we’ve been coming across have been shallow falling for big 6-8” Swimbaits and football jigs. There have been a few small windows across the lake to find shallow schooling fish typically in the mornings but they are far and few. For the schooling fish a rigs, top water, spy baits, and crank baits have been our best productivity.
For numbers we’ve been having to go deep, really deep for this time of year. Using my electronics to find active schools of fish chasing bait is key. Then flipping around to catch a few. Most of the time you either get bit right away or they don’t want to play, most schools will only cough up 5-10 fish before they shut down. Once the shut down I move on to find a new school. The best baits for these deep fish have been spoons, drop shot, a rigs, and small swimbaits. If your looking to learn more about deep spooning now is a great time to book a trip!
New Melones new lake record I caught while spooning for bass. 3.47lbs
Josh Parris guide service ~ (209) 217-7368