The 2018 California B.A.S.S. Nation schedule has been set. The dates and locations give anglers an opportunity to test their skills fishing both challenging and rewarding bodies of water.
The season will start off March 17th & 18th at Castaic. The 320,000 acre⋅ft (390,000,000 m3) lake with a surface elevation of approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) above sea level is the terminus of the West Branch California Aqueduct, though some comes from the 154 square miles (400 km2) Castaic Creek watershed above the dam. Castaic Lake is bisected by the Elderberry Forebay Dam, which creates the adjacent Elderberry Forebay. The aqueduct water comes from Pyramid Lake through the Angeles Tunnel and is used to power Castaic Power Plant, a pumped-storage hydroelectric facility on the northern end of the forebay. Water is mostly powering the turbines, rather than being pumped by them. Castaic Lake is part of the Castaic Lake State Recreation Area. Primary access is via Interstate 5 at exits 176A and 176B at the town of Castaic. Fish found in Castaic are Rainbow trout, Striped bass, Largemouth bass, Bluegill and Channel catfish.
The second stop will be April 21st & 22nd at New Melones Reservoir. New Melones Lake is a reservoir on the Stanislaus River in the central Sierra Nevada foothills, within Calaveras County and Tuolumne County, California.
The New Melones Dam and reservoir are a water collection and transfer unit of the Central Valley Project. New Melones Lake provides irrigation water, hydroelectric power, flood control, and wildlife habitat. Recreation uses include fishing, camping, and boating within the Glory Hole Recreation Area and Tuttletown Recreation Area. The reservoir is impounded by the New Melones Dam, and has a 2,400,000 acre⋅ft (3.0 km3) capacity with a surface area of 12,500 acres (5,100 ha). When full, the shoreline is more than 100 miles (160 km) long. The reservoir and dam are located west of Jamestown and Sonora, and south of Angels Camp. The Archie Stevenot Bridge, completed in 1976, carries Hwy 49 across the lake and border between Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties.
Next up will be July 14th & 15th on the California Delta. The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, or California Delta, is an expansive inland river delta and estuary in Northern California. The Delta is formed at the western edge of the Central Valley by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and lies just east of where the rivers enter Suisun Bay. The Delta is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy. The city of Stockton is located on the San Joaquin River on the eastern edge of the delta. The total area of the Delta, including both land and water, is about 1,100 square miles (2,800 km2).
The Delta was formed by the raising of sea level following glaciation, leading to the accumulation of Sacramento and San Joaquin River sediments behind the Carquinez Strait, the sole outlet from the Central Valley to San Pablo and San Francisco Bays and the Pacific Ocean. The narrowness of the Carquinez Strait coupled with tidal action has caused the sediment to pile up, forming expansive islands. Geologically, the Delta has existed for about 10,000 years, since the end of the last Ice Age. In its natural state, the Delta was a large freshwater marsh, consisting of many shallow channels and sloughs surrounding low islands of peat and tule.
Since the mid-19th century, most of the region has been gradually claimed for agriculture. Wind erosion and oxidation have led to widespread subsidence on the Central Delta islands; much of the Delta region today sits below sea level, behind levees earning it the nickname “California’s Holland”. Much of the water supply for central and southern California is also derived from here via pumps located at the southern end of the Delta, which deliver water for irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley and municipal water supply for southern California.
The fourth stop will be September 15th & 16th at New Hogan Lake. New Hogan Lake is an artificial lake in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Calaveras County, California, about 30 miles (48.3 km) northeast of Stockton. It is formed by New Hogan Dam on the Calaveras River, whose North and South forks combine just upstream of the lake, and has a capacity of 317,000 acre⋅ft (391,000,000 m3). The earth-fill dam, completed in 1963, is 210 feet (64.0 m) high from the crest of the dam to the original streambed. The reservoir was first filled in 1965. There is a small hydroelectric plant at its base. It is owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and provides flood protection, drinking water, electricity and water for irrigation. There is also recreation available, such as boating, fishing, water skiing and camping. New Hogan Lake and New Hogan Dam are the successors of the original Hogan Lake and Hogan Dam. The dam was constructed as a response to flooding of the Calaveras River which caused problems for the City of Stockton, California. It was and is still the only dam on the Calaveras River. The original Hogan dam was deemed ineffective when floods reoccurred in the 1950s. These problems with flooding led to the construction of the New Hogan Dam and New Hogan Lake by the Army Corps of Engineers who manage the lake for flood control and recreational purposes. The new Lake and Dam were built between 1960 and 1963 and now supply irrigation and drinking water to the Calaveras County Water District and Stockton East Water District, in addition to serving as a recreational area. The New Hogan Dam also backs up supplies necessary for the New Hogan Powerhouse generation facilities, a 3.15 MW capacity facility operating under Federal Energy Regulation Commission project license number 2903.
The last event will be held November 10th & 11th at Lake Nacimiento. Lake Nacimiento is an 18-mile (29 km) long lake on the Nacimiento River in northern San Luis Obispo County, California. The lake contains many arms including Snake Creek and Dip Creek, nearer the dam, and the central Las Tablas and Franklin Creeks. Because of the dragon-like shape created by the positions of these arms, it is sometimes referred to as Dragon Lake. The lake can fill quickly in the winter from river surges resulting from downpours upstream in the Santa Lucia Range so the level is not usually allowed to capacity until May 1 of each year.
The lake is unique among California reservoirs in that it contains, among other species, introduced white bass, which thrive in the lake and spawn in the river and inflowing creeks in spring. In fact, the world fly fishing record for a white bass was broken in 1981 at Lake Nacimiento. The fish was caught by Cory Wells, a member of the world famous musical group, Three Dog Night. The record stood for over 27 years. Lake Nacimiento can also produce power from a turbine at the base of the dam. Lake Nacimiento is also a haven for watersport enthusiasts. The lake provides ample room for waterskiing, wakeboarding, jetskiing, wakesurfing, and other water-related activities.
The lake was originally designed for irrigation water and flood control as well as recreation. Nacimiento Dam, a 210-foot (64 m) earthfill dam, forms the lake. The dam was built by the Monterey County Water Authority under Monterey County District Engineer Loran Bunte Jr, which completed construction in 1956. Lake Nacimiento has a capacity of 377,000 acre feet (465,000,000 m3). The lake is near the city of Paso Robles. The lake is also the home of two residential housing developments, which lie on the lake’s shore; Heritage Ranch and Oak Shores. There are several smaller (10-40 house) private subdivisions on the south west side of the lake. These houses were affected by the Chimney Fire in August 2016. Except for the resort area near the dam, most of the property around the lake is private. Overnight camping on the lake, outside of the resort, is not allowed. Also, you are considered trespassing if you set up or venture on land above the high water mark.
2018 Schedule:
March 17-18: Castaic
April 21-22: New Melones
July 14-15: Delta
September 15-16: New Hogan
November 10-11: Nacimiento