SoCal Reports

Dixon will receive its first catfish stock of the season on July 12th, with night fishing kicking off the same day (5:45pm - 11:45pm). Catfish anglers are still hooking the occasional holdover from last season, and they've been big.

The bass action has been hit and miss, and extremely hot temperatures this week won't help much. The early morning bite has been best on flukes, some topwater, and bluegill-colored reaction baits.

At Casitas, as with many California lakes right now, the shad are on full display. Baitfish are everywhere and recently are moving into the shallows... with bass following. This bodes well for anglers throwing swimbaits, flukes, or any other shad imitation lures in 3-10 feet of water. Not a lot of size; most fish averaging just over a pound.

The warming water has sparked an outstanding bite for both bluegill and crappie. Small Rapalas, crappie jigs, and red worms are getting crushed by quality fish.

Another stock in the second week of June has kept trout action going into early summer. However, with the warming water, they are pushing to the deepest areas of the lake. Powerbait and Micetails have been getting bites. Mostly CDFW stockers, but a few quality Calaveras trout are being caught as well.

The warm water species bite at Gregory has been fair. A few anglers are targeting catfish in the mornings and evenings. A 5+ lb largemouth was caught last month.

After a strong bite for good-sized largemouth chasing shad in late-May/early-June, the action has slowed. Anglers are still finding strikes, but there is no day-to-day consistency. Early morning topwater or reaction baits can be hot one day and trigger nothing the next. Rattletraps and crankbaits are getting some action in deep water, while finesse worms and creature baits are working in shallow areas at times. Trial and error is currently the name of the game. No crappie reports.

Vaqueros is seeing a lot of striper action across the lake. A 10+-pounder was reportedly caught last week on the south end. Boaters are throwing jerkbaits, while shore-casters are soaking anchovies. Trout anglers are still finding action even though the last stock was almost 2 months ago. Target the deepest water possible with spoons or PowerBait. If fishing shallow, aim for early morning. Largemouth reports are minimal, but a few have been caught by anglers trolling for stripers.

Another late-season trout stock the week of June 9th has reinvigorated the trout bite. However, due to warming water and significant algae growth, these fish are seeking the deepest water possible. Bass action has reportedly been decent, with most bites coming on small soft-plastics and swimbaits.

For both trout and bass, the key has been locating areas with minimal algae. While algae levels are improving, a warning remains in effect. Folks are advised to avoid all water contact.