FISHING FORECAST spawn 2023
Bass fishing report and fishing forecast on New Melones!! And other surrounding Mother Lode lakes.
Here’s what too look for in the upcoming months.
During the middle of the spring months, the bass will push into shallow waters to spawn. This is a great time of the year to be fishing. All of the largest fish will be near shallow water at some point during this annual reproduction cycle. The small buck bass will make beds and the larger females will be just outside of them waiting for the optimal time to drop eggs.
TECHNIQUES
With changing water levels each year, we are faced with different conditions. This year the water is rising each day making sight fishing much more difficult. Many of the fish will make beds shallow and then the water will rise. The beds will still be active, however they will be out of angler sight. Using baits that will draw them into sight is a great way to catch some of these out of sight spawning fish.
The first one on the list is going to be a fluke. This bait can be fish on both spinning and casting gear. The erratic twitching and pausing will surely attract any nearby bass.
Number two on the list is a small paddle tail swimbait. This bait can be fished just under the surface around spawning areas and the fish will hunt it down. Bass will bite to feed and also to protect their offspring. So a little tail kicking intruder is a great option.
A third is the ultimate enemy for a spawning bass. That is the bluegill! Bluegill will move into spawning areas after the bass to spawn as well. But, during this process they will eat bass eggs and fry. Spawning bass will not let a bluegill swim safely into there homes. They will eat them and chase them off once spotted. This makes the bluegill bait an absolute go-to at this time of the year.
Now these are all great baits to find and catch some of these springtime spawning fish. Some of the biggest fish of the year will fall for these offerings. However, oftentimes they will be tempted, but refuse to commit (followers). This is just as good as catching them because now we have located them. If a big fish rises to the bait and won’t commit make a note of the location. You can go right back with your favorite finesse technique and often catch them.
*IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PRACTICE CATCH, PHOTO AND RELEASE AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR*. Any unnecessary trauma to the fish could disrupt their process. This equates to lower survival rate for their offspring and fewer fish to catch in the future.
The most current fishing report is a day on the water.
To learn more about all these techniques, what, when, where, why, and how? Book a trip with us.
Xperience Fishing Guide Service
SPAWN CATCHES OF 2023 and CATCHES FROM THE PAST
FISHING FORECAST late winter/pre-spawn 2023
Bass fishing report and fishing forecast on New Melones!! And other surrounding Mother Lode lakes.
Here’s what too look for in the upcoming months.
The winter months have been producing an incredible amount of precipitation. The lake has been on a constant rise and will continue to do so throughout the spring. The biggest bass in the lake will reach maximum weight as the spawn approaches. This is hands down the best time of the year to target MAGNUM bass. I will once again focus my efforts on larger lures and swimbaits. However, for those who don’t want to toss big there are some of methods that will tempt larger bites. And, with the rising water there are select rigging options that will out perform others.
TECHNIQUES
Generally with an influx of water we will also have add debris and flooded vegetation. This lends well to lures and rigging methods that are weedless. Here are three weedless options that will help you sack bigger bass under these conditions. Without having to toss oversized swimbaits.
The first one on the list is going to be a Senko. The bulkiness of the bait has been proven to attract larger fish. It also has a very unthreatening aspect that will convince bass that it is an easy meal. Fished on a shakey head or a tiny child rig it is sure to get bites and not snag all the cover.
The second option would be a Brush Hog. The added appendages and creature-like profile makes this selection a go-to for targeting larger bites. My preferred rigging is a brass and glass(Texas rig with bead and bullet weight). The ticking of the bead and the weight will call bass from a distance. Also it is a great option for stained water.
Last but not least is a spinnerbait. During the colder water temperatures a spinnerbait is a great lure that can be used to cover water at slower speeds. My preferred blade combination is a single Colorado. The thumping of the blade will allow the bass to hone in on it's location and the at slower speed it will allow them to easily strike. Also fishing it on the bottom bumping into structure and cover is a great way to trigger a non-responsive fish.
These three methods are great for locating late winter and pre-spawn bass. They can be used at various depths and fished slow enough to coax a bite. Be sure to look in shallow waters for bass that are moving up to nest or warm their eggs.
The most current fishing report is a day on the water.
To learn more about all these techniques, what, when, where, why, and how? Book a trip with us.
Xperience Fishing Guide Service
LATE WINTER/PRE-SPAWN CATCHES OF 2023 and CATCHES FROM THE PAST
FISHING FORECAST winter 2022/2023
Bass fishing report and fishing forecast on New Melones!! And other surrounding Mother Lode lakes.
Here’s what too look for in the upcoming months.
The winter months are here and I couldn’t be happier. This is arguably my favorite season for bass fishing and for good reasons. First off the boating traffic and fishing pressure is extremely low. This offers the fish some relief and they become very comfortable. And, a comfortable fish will be eager to bite. However, the main reason I love this season is the GIANT bass start showing up again. They will feed heavily throughout the winter in preparation for the spawn. Also, the lake turns over, with colder water temperatures on the surface. This will bring the trout up, offering the bass the most perfect high protein meal.
TECHNIQUES
If the giant bass are targeting trout, I will be tossing a variety of large trout patterned swimbaits try to coax that big bite. With the best opportunity to catch a Double Digit bass, I will spend my hours on the water trophy hunting.
For me a Small Glidebait is 6” or 7”. This size is great for fishing tight pockets and getting your lure into hard to reach spots. The cast ability is far greater than the larger sizes. And, you are still offering the fish a sizable meal.
As far as larger Glidebaits are concerned. I will opt for a 9” to 12” presentation. Generally sticking with trout patterns to try and tempt the largest fish in the lake.
Then it’s on to soft swimmers. These baits are extremely versatile and can be fished from the surface down to the bottom. I prefer 8”, 9” and will toss 12” baits as well.
Choosing between glides and soft bodies is based on the water conditions. Clear calm days favor the soft subtle swimmers. And, windy and darker days are ideal for the zigzagging motion of the Glidebait.
With the swimbaits being my personal first choice, there are other great techniques that will shine during these colder months. To take a break from the big chucking or to just have a fun day of catching chunkers. I will use a variety of finesse techniques and jigs to get a tug on the line. The bass seem to forage heavily on crawdads during these months. Using crawdad patterns fished on the bottom is always a good option. And, one last tip, bring your float-n-fly setup.
The most current fishing report is a day on the water.
To learn more about all these techniques, what, when, where, why, and how? Book a trip with us.
Xperience Fishing Guide Service
CURRENT CATCH OF 2022 and CATCHES FROM THE PAST
FISHING FORECAST fall 2022
Bass fishing report and fishing forecast on New Melones!! And other surrounding Mother Lode lakes.
Here’s what too look for in the upcoming months.
With the cool weather around coming and the beautiful fall season among us. We can anticipate some of the best and most comfortable fishing conditions of the year. The water temperatures will fluctuate in the 70’s until some cold nights. At that point the lake will drop into the 60’s and the fall/winter turnover will begin. This usually takes place around Thanksgiving. The dropping water will stabilize and the fish begin to feed up before the cold months of winter. During all these transitions we begin to see an abundance of schooling shad. With the lake covered in shad-eating birds we keep our eyes peeled for the biggest schools of activity.
TECHNIQUES
Now there are many presentations that produce during this season, my mind instantly goes to spoons, spoons and more spoons!!
There are three spoon styles that I rotate through, depending on conditions. All of them can be fished vertically and on a cast and jigging approach.
The traditional spoons are my go-to chunks of lead. Usually 1/2oz to 1-oz in weight. These are best when fished vertically around schools of feeding fish. But, they can also be used on a cast and retrieve presentation as well.
Flutter spoons are a great tool to cover water and can be productive incorporating a long cast. The fluttering action on the fall is what triggers strikes. So, a rip and fall retrieve works best. Fished off the bottom or along side structure for suspended bass, these are a must have for the fall bass bite.
And finally, bladed spoons. These baits have a vibrating action on a steady retrieve or when lifting. There are times the bass will not respond well to fall bait, but a bladed spoon coming from the bottom up will get smoked.
With spoons being our main staple there are plenty of other options that I will keep on deck. As long as the water temperatures (60-degrees and above) dictate topwater I’m going to be tossing it. These are our last few months to get some blowups!!
The jig bite can get really good and will be a mainstay for the cold months to come. And, last but definitely not least, I’m also looking for those big trout-eaters throwing those big swimbaits at them.
The most current fishing report is a day on the water.
To learn more about all these techniques, what, when, where, why, and how? Book a trip with us.
Xperience Fishing Guide Service
FALL CATCHES OF 2022 and CATCHES FROM THE PAST
FISHING FORECAST late summer 2022
Bass fishing report and fishing forecast on New Melones!! And other surrounding Mother Lode lakes.
Here’s what too look for in the upcoming months.
As the heat of summer finally begins to ease up, we can look forward to full days of fishing with cooling air and water temperatures. The water temperature will begin to drop back into the 70’s mainly because of cooler nights. The recreational boating will become much less after Labor Day weekend, and fish will begin to settle into a more stable feeding pattern. Shad will begin to school up, and we can look forward to a few really fun bites. The water level will continue to drop until approximately the first week of October.
TECHNIQUES
Focusing on the schooling of shad our best approach is to match the hatch with shad patterned presentations. A very effective way to break down the water columns, is by implementing the TMB strategy. What is TMB? Top, middle and bottom.
Top:
Obviously this is going to be all our favorite surface plugs. I will lean heavily on baits that can be fished erratically, but also work effectively on the pause. My favorites are walking baits and poppers.
Middle:
This is probably one of the most difficult columns to dissect. It is a much more broad spectrum and we are focusing on catching suspended fish. I prefer to use lures that can target a specific depth and accurately maintain that depth. To achieve this a small swimbait, an A-rig and a spybait are great choices for this style of fishing.
A ball-head, darthead, underspin or swimbait head can be used with a 2.8, 3.3, or 3.8 soft plastic swimbait to target mid-column bass. Experiment with different weights to vary the sink rate. A steady retrieve will give the bait a natural swimming motion and changing speeds slightly is a great way to coax a bass into biting.
The A-rig is a bigger and more flashy version of the rig mentioned above as it is the same rig, just many more. This setup resembles an entire school and has an extreme amount of drawing appeal. Once again a steady retrieve works best. Incorporate an occasional pumping action with the rod or reel to make the school of shad look frantic or fleeing.
And lastly the spybait. This is a more subtle presentation, however it triggers some excellent strikes. With a blade at the nose and in the rear, the bait has a soft purr and will create a trail of small bubbles. Count it down to the depth the fish are holding and reel extremely slow with just enough tension to keep the bait moving and not sinking.
Bottom:
Once again we are going to focus on shad patterns. My go-to during this season is a shad pattern on a dropshot. The other two to keep on the deck would be a tube and a Ned rig.
Now these are all cast and retrieve techniques. But, don’t forget about fishing vertically. Spoons are always a great choice. There are plenty of other techniques to use, but this is a solid plan to catch some quality bass in the upcoming month or so.
The most current fishing report is a day on the water.
To learn more about all these techniques, what, when, where, why, and how? Book a trip with us.
Xperience Fishing Guide Service
LATE SUMMER CATCHES OF 2022 and CATCHES FROM THE PAST
FISHING FORECAST mid-summer 2022
Bass fishing report and fishing forecast on New Melones!! And other surrounding Mother Lode lakes.
Here’s what too look for in the upcoming months.
As the full heat of summer sets, we find ourselves fishing early mornings or afternoon/evening trips. The water temperature will reach a scorching low 80’s and the lake level will be on a steady decent. With far more recreational boaters than anglers we ask ourselves “is it worth being out here”? The answer is 100-percent!! We have had some incredible fishing during the summer season and landed some great quality fish and some true GIANTS!!
TECHNIQUES
We are still going to lean heavily on topwater, as it is the greatest way to catch fish. The baits we discussed in the previous forecast are still going to be the selection of choice.
However, our main staple is going to be subsurface reaction baits. Lures that will trigger bites and pull fish out of cover. Also, with a dingy tint to the water we need to utilize sight, sound and vibration to help the bass locate our presentation. Here are three of the our favorite fish-catching reaction baits, the fluke, crankbait and spinnerbait.
Fluke are extremely weedless and can be fish around wood and through the stickiest areas. An erratic twitching action will draw fish from a distance and can produce some great visual strikes. A fluke can be fished just below the surface and breaking the surface occasionally, or down a little deeper incorporating longer pauses.
Crankbaits are another good option from triggering reaction strikes. The side-to-side wobble creates vibration and deflecting off targets will truly aggravated the bass into biting. Experiment with different bills to reach a desired depth, but a shallow diving square-bill is a good option for the bass that are up shallow feeding.
And finally the spinnerbait. This is a tried and true lure that has been getting it done for years. The blades create flash and vibration making this an excellent choice for fishing mudlines in the heat of the summer.
The final approach to consider is finesse. Often times slow moving soft plastic offerings will be the best option. Here we go with three forage types in our color selection. Bluegill, shad and crawdad. The sky is the limit on rigging options, dropshot, shakeyhead, darthead, NED rig etc…… pick your favorite. And, while we are talking bottom fishing, don’t forget about a jig. Some of the best days of fishing during the heat of the summer are jig days.
And finally for those trophy hunters out there. A big bait will catch big fish 365-days a year. Lean towards the natural forage, bluegill and baby bass. Glidebaits, wakebaits, and soft-bodied swimmers all have a time and place.
The most current fishing report is a day on the water.
To learn more about all these techniques, what, when, where, why, and how? Book a trip with us.
Xperience Fishing Guide Service
MID-SUMMER CATCHES OF 2022 and CATCHES FROM THE PAST
FISHING FORECAST post-spawn/early summer 2022
Bass fishing report and fishing forecast on New Melones!! And other surrounding Mother Lode lakes.
Here’s what too look for in the upcoming months.
As spring comes to an end we can gear up for some warmer weather fishing. The water level will drop as the water temperatures gradually climb through the 70’s and top out in the low 80’s at the peak of the summer. This heated surface temperature will drive the plankton to the surface and draw all the small plankton eaters with them. Bass fry, sunfish(bluegill), and shad will all be up in the shallows. The bigger bass will follow and feed on them at the most optimal times of the day. Bluegill and shad will also spawn giving them another reason to be up. Keep your eyes peeled for surface activity and birds that are fish-eaters. One small clue could lead you to an amazing school of fleeing bait and busting bass.
TECHNIQUES
Topwater time!!! Each year we cycle through various surface techniques to determine what will trigger the most and biggest bites. I tend to keep things simple we three basic topwater styles. Popping, walking and plopping baits are all go-to techniques.
Poppers work best when the surface is calm. A simple twitch, pause, twitch, twitch, pause approach will sure to get strikes.
Walk-the-dog baits are extremely versatile. Some days a slow and steady is the ticket and other days a fast burst and settle approach is best. Just be sure to vary your cadence and try to replicate a feeding or fleeing prey fish.
Ploppers are also very versatile and typically work best with a little chop on the surface. They are also best if it is windy with heavy surface disturbance. With many sizes to choose the best option is to match the surroundings. When is calm go with a small prop and when it is choppy go with a larger prop.
When choosing a color to use with these three topwater baits, remember it is best replicate the natural forage. Shad, bluegill and baby bass are all great selections.
If the fish begin to shy away from the surface bite I will go subsurface, but continue with a cover-water approach. There are many reaction baits to choose from. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, ripbaits and flukes are some of the most productive. Pay close attention to all the subtle changes in conditions.
Often times slow moving soft plastic offerings will be the best option. Here we stick with matching the three forage types in our color selection. Bluegill, shad and crawdad. The sky is the limit on rigging options, dropshot, shakeyhead, darthead, NED rig etc.…… pick your favorite. And, while we are talking bottom fishing, don’t forget about a jig. Some of the best days of fishing during the post-spawn and beggining of summer are jig days. 1/2-ounce football, with a twin tail grub and GO!
And, last but definitely not least! For those trophy hunters out there. A big bait will catch big fish 365-days a year. Once again, lean towards the natural forage, bluegill and baby bass. Glidebaits, wakebaits, and soft-bodied swimmers all have a time and place.
The most current fishing report is a day on the water.
To learn more about all these techniques, what, when, where, why, and how? Book a trip with us.
Xperience Fishing Guide Service
POST-SPAWN/EARLY SUMMER CATCHES OF 2022 and CATCHES FROM THE PAST
MELONES FISHING REPORT 2021 RECAP
After an incredible 2021 year of fishing, we must take a look at the highlights of the year, and one last fishing report.
New Melones is one of the premiere California lakes for bass fishing!
Our guides reached a new high and continued to find some incredible catches for themselves and their clients. They were also able to reach achievements in all the Mother Lode lakes, solidifying their rank as some of the best in the west.
Landing Big Fish honors in any tournament is a BIG accomplishment. We were able to bring down two of them. Big Fish on Tulloch weighing 8.63-pounds helped us reach a total bag weigh over 20-pounds and solidifying the win. Then there was the absolute GIANT 12.14-pound bass caught on McClure with the addition of two other big ones. Gave us the clear victory with 27.74-pounds. And I believe that was the largest tournament bag weighed in the Mother Lode out of every event. And on McClure!!! Solid fish style and balance of trophy hunting and finesse led us to a great season taking top honors in our region.
With four Double-Digits brought to the boat it makes this my most successful trophy year yet!
2nd 12-pound bass of the year.
Guided 10.60-pound bass! Angler Fahad Baser of Baitsanity Swimbaits!
And ending the season with a fall giant, weighing in at 10.80-pounds.
There were many other incredible catches and fishing Xperience's. Multiple Personal Best bass were achieved, some night fishing monsters and just a crazy amount of quality fish and fun! From finesse to swimbait and everything in-between we flat catch bass. Check out these photos of the years https://xperiencefishing.net/photo-gallery/
A special thanks to all our clients who continue to support our endeavors time and time again.