AUSTIN JOHNSON LANDS A 12 LB. RAINBOW TROUT !

*SUMMER HOURS : MON-SATURDAY. 6:00-6:30 SUNDAY 6:00-5:00

New Melones Anglers and Guide Reports
06/04/2018

by Gene Hildebrand, Glory Hole Sports

New Melones Lake level has dropped 9.50 ft. since May 1. currently at 1048.15 ft. and 39.85 ft. from full. Water temperature across the lake is 69-73 degrees. Water clarity is clear. The water level is not falling super fast, but be aware of submerged hilltops coming up just below the surface. Anglers may think their fish finder is on the fritz when you come up on the huge schools of shad, some reported to be 30 x 50 yards wide.

We like to promote catch and release on New Melones. If you do so, provide us a picture and bring it in for a copy or email it to us at gloryholesports@yahoo.com so we can put it on the board or in the newsletter.

Anglers FYI: For anyone with a potential lake record please call us at the store and hopefully we can send someone to weigh, photograph and measure the catch at the lake. GHS is the unofficial recorder of lake records for New Melones, and we understand there is sometimes conflicting interest in the welfare of the catch, whether or not to release the potential record, sacrificing your place as a record holder for the lake.
We do promote catch and release. For potential lake records, record the statistics of the fish... length, girth, weight and photographed at the lake before releasing her. If indeed we can verify the information that is provided, such as a witness, comparing the scale used with ours, a photograph with the fish hanging from the scale and can see the scale weight, etc...then we can accept this as proof. If your catch has expired than indeed bring it in to GHS so we can record it here, and you can have it mounted!

TROUT
The last week a Glory Hole Sports has seen an abundant of beautiful rainbow and brown trout anglers have landed while out on New Melones Lake. From 3 lb.6 oz. to 9 lb.10 oz. brown, the bite here continues to improve weekly with a couple limits being landed this week. Main lake has produced much of the trout, near the dam, as well as fishing the 49 bridge. Put your time in on the water and you will be successful. Some of the hot baits on the lake for trout have been trolling hoochies in different colors along with dodger or flasher, rolling shad with a dodger, or Apex lure in a rainbow trout.

KOKANEE
Kokanee are starting to show in small numbers with anglers bring in the landlocked salmon with hoochies trailing a dodger or flashers. Koks are averaging 12"-13". Most setups are including a Procure scent on the dodger/flasher, and tipping the hook with Kokanee corn, or night crawler. New product in Glory Hole Sports for the Kokanee angler that is very successful in the Sierra Foothill lakes is tackle from Paulina Peak. Some of their packaged gear comes with a hoochie, and a similar colored matching dodger, making a great color combo choice. Come check out the selection.

BASS
The bass on Melones are there but may be on the move with the fluctuating water levels which are unpredictable. Top water in River2Sea whopper ploppers are getting hammered early morning along with LuckyCraft Gunfish. Tube jigs for your finesse fishing, Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver in an Oxblood.

CATFISH
More anglers are targeting the Catfish on the lake and are bring to the table some nice cats as David Rocha landed this lunker weighing in at 11 lbs.12 oz.

CRAPPIE
It's Crappie frenzie time. The crappie bite has been very strong on Melones for the last month ago and still going strong. The best action has been close to the traveling shad bait in the lake, and by the marina also has been productive, but the fish are showing everywhere. 25-fish limits with crappie up to 12 inches. Crappie jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles or with live minnows is the bait there looking for.

LOCAL GUIDE REPORT

Take it To The Limits Guide Service
New Melones, the bows are big and everyday is different on the lake, some days your luck is just not there and the next day you take it to the Limit.
The month of May we caught 3 browns, 8 Kokanee and 44 rainbows not a bad month, but we put long days in to get the fish.
We are seeing more Kokanee this year than last, with the biggest going 13".
Koks and the bows are down 37' down to 55' with 42' being the best, Kokanee gear spinners in green and pink topped off with garlic corn and dodgers towing nightcrawler worked the best for us this week.
The 49 bridge and the main lake around the dam to the north side of the lake worked for us but as I said before you have to put the hours on the water to put fish in your boat the bite is different every day.
See Ya On The Water
Gary Burns
Take it to the Limit Guide Service
209-559-3349

Xperience Fishing Guide Service

The bass bite continues to be good on New Melones. The lake level is starting to drop and the fish are repositioning themselves daily. Each morning we have been starting with topwater poppers and prop baits and then switching to subsurface reaction baits as the sun comes up. The fish are keying on shad, baby bass and small sunfish making these lure color selections most productive. When the bite does seem to become a bit slow we will use finesse techniques to coax a few more bites. We have been seeing a lot of healthy bass and the future of the lake looks bright.

Xperience Fishing Guide Service
www.xperiencefishing.net
xperiencefishing@yahoo.com
John Liechty (209)743-9932