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Submit fishing photos, stats and stories by e-mail to jreece@ledger-dispatch.com or mail to Sports Editor, Jim Reece, P.O. Box 1328, Jackson, CA 95642. Call in info to (209) 223-1767, ext. 211. Fax to (209) 257-0542.

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Oro Madre Bass Anglers change meeting place

The Oro Madre Bass Anglers meets the first Thursday of the month at First American Title Company 12180 Industry Blvd., Ste 53, Jackson, in the Safeway Shopping Center close to Guaranty Bank. For information, contact OMBA President Art Budd at 296-3830. Online, see www.oromadre.org for the club's newsletter, tournament schedules, results and other information.

For Kids By Kids fishing tournament

It's time again for the For Kids By Kids fishing tournament. This was a free tournament for kids put on by Anthony Estrada and Michael Merzlak, both age 11. This year's sponsors (so far) are JB's Awards and Engravings, Mother Lode Market, Fat Freddy's, Antiques On Main, Amador Fireside Center and TSPN, advertising sponsor. The tournament starts 10 a.m. Saturday, July 19 at the walking bridge by Jackson Creek. To sign up, call 304-2717.

Pardee Lake

July 5

Mild winds pushed most of the smoke out last week. Skies were mostly clear up to the July 4 weekend with a little trace of smoke and fire smell left in the area. The air still cools a little in the evening and early morning hours.

Fred Dorman of Pardee Lake Recreation Inc. reported that the lake level seems to have stabilized and remains about 8 feet below spill. Water at surface measured 78 degrees and 72 at the 20 foot mark again. Clarity is still good to 17 feet.

The trolling bite remains good but not great. Expect to work at putting fish in the box again this week. Fish are still moving around, changing depths rather than concentrating in one area. The starting locations remain unchanged, the River Mouth, Rock Wall and all along the River Arm up to Indian Rock with the Dam and the Narrows as alternates. Some hook ups along the barrel line in the South End but the majority of folks are heading up the River Arm where the water is cooler. Uncle Larry's, Sep's and the fluorescent red Midge Warbler in reds, tiger and greens along with Hoochies are working well. Hoochie colors are fluorescent reds, greens and pink. Most are adding dodgers to the mix also. Some boaters are tying up to the Dam and some of the Coves, still fishing and doing quite well. Trollers report downrigger depths from 15 to 50 feet, sounds like fish are moving around looking for the cooler layers of water.

Bank fishing produced continued activity behind the East Bay Municipal Utility District boat house, the Woodpile, Rainbow Point and for the few that are willing to hike over to Stony Point Landing shortly after the plant before the fish figure the way out to the Lake proper. The high water level has made the hike to the water line shorter and the shade structures much closer to the action. Power bait balls, maggots and night crawlers get the nod from the more successful bank anglers. Hanging down from a surface bobber or floating up from the bottom on a sliding sinker, both are working well. Chartreuse, white and rainbow are the preferred power bait colors. Look for catfish in the coves and behind the Marina now that the weather has warmed up, stinky chicken livers are irresistible.

Dorman reported there had been some nice bass caught in Copper Cove, the northeast point right before the River Mouth entrance.

Lou Carson and Mac Mc Farline caught catfish totaling 30.02 pounds during the week in the coves along the eastern shore using chicken livers.

As of July 5, the California Department of Fish and Game had planted 3,000 pounds of trout at Pardee Lake, where PLR Inc. to that date had planted 41,600 pounds of trout, with more plants scheduled.

For Information or reservations, call (209)772-1472. Also, call the Pardee marina at (209)772-8108 or the Cafe at (209)772-8107.

Camanche Lake

July 6

Lake Camanche's elevation Sunday was 193.44 feet above sea level, down .72 feet this week, with no water flowing in and water flowing out at 255 cubic feet per second. The surface water temperature at the marina is 78 degrees.

Trout trollers continue to find quality fish down between 35-45 feet deep, especially near Hat Island and the front of the dam. Local resident, Ron Kessenich, caught a fine limit of trout while trolling a dodger/nightcrawler combination near the dam. He was fishing about 40 feet deep. He had several fish in the 2 1⁄2-3 pound range and lost one about 7 pounds right at his boat.

Bill Curran, from Camanche, also caught some nice trout while trolling near the dam with Needlefish in the bikini pattern. ,He was fishing about 35 feet deep and caught fish up to 3 pounds.

Another camper from San Francisco caught some beautiful trout while trolling Needlefish at the dam. His big fish was 5.92 pounds and his total weight for 5 fish was 11.4 pounds.

Bait fishermen continue to catch nice trout at Dike 3. Power Bait and Power Eggs are the favorite bait of most who fish that area and anchoring in 35-45 feet of water and fishing bait right off the bottom is the key.

Local resident Bill Sullivan caught and released several limits of bass recently while fishing in the main lake. He caught mostly Spotted bass, in rocky areas near Dikes 1 & 2 and had his best success with Robo Worms in blue/silver. Fish were 10-15 feet deep.

Local resident, young Jesse Kelly, caught a beautiful 5 pound bass while fishing from shore near the North Shore harbor. He was using Senko worms and caught his big bass in about 6 feet of water.

Catfishing has been very good this last week. A young man named Thomas caught an 8 pound catfish while fishing with anchovies at Chevron Point at South Shore.

Ken Garcia, from San Jose, caught a 4.6 pound "cat" while fishing with nightcrawlwers in Camanche Arm.

Mike Brazelton, from Fremont, caught a 4 pound catfish in the South Shore trout pond. He was fishing with chicken liver.

Visit the Urban Park Concessionaire's fishing Web site for more details on Lake Camanche at: www.norcalfishing.com. E-mail Porray with information, comments, questions and fish stories or for updated reports at eporray@camancherecreation.com.

Contact the North Shore store at 763-5166 and the South Shore store at 763-5915. Both stores open at 7 a.m. weekdays, the North Shore Store opens at 6 a.m. on weekends and the South Shore store opens at 6:30 a.m. on weekends.

Boat inspections for mussels

Due to the growing presence of the invasive Zebra and Quagga mussel in California, officials will be conducting mandatory boater interviews and vessel inspections prior to entry. At this time, East Bay Municipal Utility District had taken several steps to manage this issue at Lake Camanche, Lake Pardee and San Pablo Reservoir:

- Vessels from Santa Clara and San Benito Counties, Southern California and outside of California will not be allowed on Lake Camanche, Lake Pardee, or San Pablo Reservoir.

- All vessels from approved counties will be inspected prior to launch. These inspections should take no more than five minutes per vessel.

In order to speed up this process, we require that your vessel's water reservoirs (live wells and bilges) be totally dry and that the boat hull be clean. We do not anticipate that these procedures will take more than five minutes per vessel but we do strongly encourage you to arrive early to make sure you get on the water as early as possible.

New Melones Lake Fishing Report

July 7, 2008

New Melones Lake on Monday held 1.287 million acre-feet of water. The water level dropped two feet last week and was at 977 feet above sea level, 111 feet from full. Water in the main lake was 78 degrees. Water was gin clear in the main lake, with a strong mud line forming at shore.

Angels Boat Ramp will come out of the water and be unusable (which historically often happens in the summer) when the water level drops below 975 ft. above sea level, so we will be losing it soon. Water levels have not dropped low enough to render it unusable since 2004. The ramp at Tuttletown becomes unusable if water drops below 900 ft. The Glory Hole ramp is usable until water gets below 860 ft. and then there is another unimproved ramp available below that.

"Quickly dropping water levels are exposing many islands that are not marked," said Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sports bait shops. "Sometimes there will be a tree-covered and rock-covered hump just under the surface, even in the middle of the lake. Keep an eye out for changes in water color or pattern of waves- there may be a jagged rock lurking just under the water surface. Now is not the time to buzz across the lake. Please slow down and be careful.

Bank fishing is over at the lake. Best bank-fishing luck can be found in local rivers and creeks such as Angels Creek or Murphys Creek, which have been receiving regular plantings of catchable rainbows. Power Bait, Pautzke's Eggs, or small spinners such as Rooster Tails or Mepp's are all good choices for local stream fishing. Trollers are catching mostly kokanee instead. Troll 60-80 feet deep in the main lake, using any shad-patterned lure, or a crawler/spinner combo. Use ball-troll flashers on your downrigger. Glory Hole Sports Big Fish of the Week Contest and a free deli lunch was won by Alex Needham of Manteca, who caught a beautiful 9-pound brown trout on a Shasta Tackle glow shad Cripplure behind a Sling Blade. He was also using ball troll flashers. He trolled 80 feet deep near the dam to catch his trophy fish. Come in and collect your free lunch, Alex! Night fishing under a submersible light is legal on New Melones Lake and is a great way to target bigger rainbows in the summer. Glory Hole Sports has a good selection of fishing lights.

Kokanee limits were easy to come by now. Most anglers reported that double hook-ups are common, with small fish outnumbering bigger fish. Bigger fish in the 2+ pound range seem to be hugging the bottom near wind-blown banks. Target the main lake, 70-90 feet deep. Anglers who caught kokanee this week include Stan and Bob Kirkwood (with Gary Burns of Take It To the Limit Guide Service), John Darroch and Alex Needham and Ron Kassner. Most anglers report pink lures working best in the morning and green or firetiger lures working better in the afternoon. Danny Layne of Fish 'n' Dan's Guide Service reports just the opposite, but one thing is for sure- green and chartreuse are getting lots of action this summer. Be sure to take an Uncle Larry's Mad Irishman Spinner and a green nickel Vance's dodger with you. Nickel, nickel green, nickel chartreuse, or watermelon dodgers or Shasta Tackle Sling Blades were the most popular attractors. For hootchies, try pink, chartreuse, firetiger or frog-patterned hootchies by R & K Spinners, Rocky Mountain Tackle, Glitterbugs, or Radical Glow. Use spinners or Apex in the same colors. Always use shoepeg corn to tip your lures. Use ProCure UV garlic, Kokanee Special, anise plus, or freshwater shrimp. Some anglers are adding a drop or two of vanilla to their corn. Remember- scent is very important when fishing for kokanee. Be sure to wash your hands before handling lures, dodgers or line. The smell of cigarettes, sunscreen, or human-scent from your hands will slow your chances of catching the kokes.

Bass fishing was good, despite falling water levels. Fish main lake points. There is a hot topwater bite happening right now. Zara Spooks are working great, especially at dawn and dusk. Spinnerbaits are another good choice. Green pumpkin or watermelon Zoom Baby Brush Hogs, or weightless Senkos are also good choices. Try deep-diving crankbaits retrieved from longs casts over main lake points in the heat of the day. Shaded areas and mud lines are also good sports to target when the sun is high in the sky. Please remember to gently release any bass that you catch. Remember- the Department of Fish and Game does not plant bass, so it is up to us to maintain our bass fishery.

Catfish bites were picking up with the heat. Use anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, or a ball of nightcrawlers. Leave your bail open so the cats can pick the bait up and swim with it- you will be more likely to hook them that way. Also, be sure to use a sliding sinker weight. Night fishing is always best for cats, when they are most actively feeding. Mike Swart and Pat Martin of Ione win this week's Glory Hole Sports Big Catfish of the Week Contest. They caught 20 catfish (and one nice bass) while soaking anchovies in various coves. Their biggest weighed 6-pounds, 12 ounces.

Crappie and bluegill fishing was fair. Night fishing under a light is best, although anglers are catching crappie during the day, too. Crappie can be found hanging out in submerged trees, about 10'-20' feet deep. Bear Creek, Mormon Creek and Carson Creek are all good bets. For crappie, try fishing live small or medium minnows, or crappie jigs with jigs in red/white, black/chartreuse or purple/white. Remember- 25 is the limit for crappie. Bluegill are starting to become more active and they are great fun for the kids to catch. A small piece of crawler or a cricket under a large bobber fished tight to structure in the backs of coves will provide lots of fun and entertainment for children.

Glory Hole Sports is at 2892 Highway 49, Angels Camp, 95222. E-mail ghs@goldrush.com. Check out our web site at www.gloryholesports.com. For New Melones camping reservations, call (877) 444-6777 or online, see www.reserveusa.com. For information, call Melanie Lewis at Glory Hole Sports at 736-4333.

Send fish photots and fish stories to jreece@ledger-dispatch.com or mail to Sports Editor, Jim Reece, P.O. Box 1328, Jackson, CA 95642.

Fish'n Dan

New Melones, this impoundment on the Stanislaus Watershed, continues to be Northern California's premier Kokanee destination, said Danny Lane of Fish'n Dan's Guide Service of Twain Harte.

"We are talking big kokanee here on Melones with fish over two-plus pounds," he said. "Kokes are found throughout the main body of water with Carson Cove, the spillway and area around the dam the top producers for big fish at depths of 75 to 90 feet."

Effective setups this week were Pee Wee Hootchies, Sockeye Slammers, GlitterBug Spinners and Kokanee Killer lures in tandem with either a Shasta U/V SlingBlade or Vance's 4/0 gold dodger. Here is my tip for this week, fish these lures in Chartreuse until the Sun covers the water around 8:00 a.m. then switch these lures to pink as the Sun climbs higher in the sky. Most effective scents this past week were plain Shoepeg corn, Garlic, Vanilla and corn treated with Pautzke's Fire Power Krill. An occasional Rainbow or Brown will be found at these depths. At

Don Pedro, as with Melones, Kokanee are dominating the scene here. Graveyard Bay, Copper Mountain, Oat Hill and off Hatch Creek were your best bet this past week. Most productive setups where Sockeye Slammers, Scorpion Spinners and Fire Tiger Kokanee Killers in tandem with a Vance's 4/0 dodger or medium size U/V SlingBlade from 55' to 90'. Hot scent, Pautzke's Fire Power Krill scented Shoepeg corn followed closely with plain, garlic or Vanilla flavored corn. Rainbow trout are abundant at 40' and King Salmon can be found from 90' to 140' on rolled shad or Sting King 4" glow lures.

Call Danny Layne at (209) 586 2383 or online see www.fishndans.com.

Sierra Sportfishing

Bruce Hamby of Sierra Sportfishing reported that at New Melones Lake, kokanee fishing remained very good for 17- to18-inch-plus fish. The large kokes are holding on structure 70 to 90 feet deep in the main lake near the dam. Later in the morning, they are moving in the deep waters to cool. The big males are starting to change and are becoming very aggressive. Green, watermelon and firetiger Apex's, Uncle Larry's green spinners and R&K hoochies, with Vance's green and nickel dodger has proven to be very successful. Pro-Cure UV Freshwater Shrimp laced in corn will help trigger good strike action.

At Don Pedro Lake, there is good action for kokanee in the 14- to 16-inch class. The kokes are holding on structure 60 to 70 feet deep. Best areas has been Jenkins Hill, grave yard, willow bay, Copper Mtn and the mouth of Hatch Creek. A variety of lures are working. Silver and watermelon Apex's, Uncle Larry's pink spinners and R&K pink hoochies behind Vance's Rainbow trout, or copper dodgers. Pro-Cure Freshwater Shrimp and Garlic Plus Herring combo has been our corn scent.

King salmon bite has been fair.The warm weather and heavy boat traffic has driven the kings very deep. Its not uncommon to find them 120 to 160 feet deep in the same areas the kokanee and are very scattered. Vance's shad pattern Slim Fin, Apex's, Ex-Cels silver blue and nickel Sockeye Slammers, with Vance's ball trolls has produced Kings to 2.5lbs. Where using Pro-Cure Anchovy and Herring Jell.

Contact Bruce Hamby of Sierra Sportfishing at www.SierraSportfishing.com or call (209) 599-2023.

Ten July 4 boating safety tips

ALEXANDRIA, VA, June 25, 2008 -- With American's busiest boating holiday, July 4th, upon us, the waterways will soon be brimming boaters. The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water says that making a few extra preparations ahead of time will go a long way towards increasing your family's and friend's safety and fun on the water.

Here are ten tips that will help you stay safe this July 4th holiday weekend:

- Put safety into your weekend plan: The Foundation's free Online Boating "Toolbox" at http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/Guide has helpful information on trip planning and preparation, boating equipment, emergency preparation, navigation and quizzes to test your knowledge. The Foundation also offers a free NASBLA-approved online boating safety course for residents of more than 30 states at http://www.BoatUS.org/Onlinecourse

- "Little" guests need life jackets: Everyone wants to be on the boat this holiday weekend, but do you have the right-sized life jacket aboard for any visiting kids? The BoatU.S. Foundation loans children's life jackets for free at over 350 marinas, fuel docks and other waterfront businesses and boat clubs. To find a location near you go to http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/LJLP

- Take your time to get home: July 4 is the one time a year many fair-weather boaters - who may rarely navigate in the dark - venture out after the sun goes down. The most reported type of boating accident is a collision with another vessel so it's a good idea to keep your speed down, post an extra lookout and ensure all your navigation lights work. A spotlight is a must and ensure all safety gear is readily available and life jackets are worn. Be extra vigilant about not running over anchor lines in crowded fireworks viewing areas and don't take shortcuts in the dark.

- Wear life jackets: Almost three-quarters of all fatal boating accident victims drowned and of those, 87% were not wearing a life jacket. Accidents can happen very quickly, sometimes leaving no time to don a life jacket.

- Don't overload your boat: Resist the urge to invite more friends or family to the fireworks show than what your boat was designed to carry. Heavily loaded small boats and those with little freeboard such as bass boats, are more susceptible to swamping from weather or wake action associated with heavy July 4th boating traffic.

- It's a long day: A full day in the sun will increase alcohol's effects on the body, so it's better to wait until you're safely back at the dock or home before breaking out the libations. Also bring lots of water, a VHF radio and check the weather reports to avoid storms.

- Know how to get back in the boat: A fall overboard can turn into a life-threatening situation pretty quickly, especially for small boats without built-in boarding ladders. The BoatU.S. Foundation recently tested a range of portable boarding ladders and you may be surprised what they found. To view video of these ladders in our boarding tests, or learn which ladder may be best for you, see the Foundation Findings #44 at http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation

- Never run the engine when swimmers are in the water: Raft-ups, or groups of boats tied together in a protected anchorage, is a great way to spend the holiday with fellow boating friends. But you should never run an engine, or a generator for that matter, with swimmers in the water near exhaust ports or props. Even though the boat's transmission may not be in gear, propellers can still rotate and odorless, colorless carbon monoxide can quickly overcome swimmers.

- Take a local boating safety class: The Foundation has most complete list of boating safety courses taught in communities across the country. To find one near you, go to http://www.BoatUS.com/Courseline

- Cruising offshore? An emergency position indicating rescue beacon (EPIRB) from the BoatU.S. Foundation's EPIRB rental program will give you the margin of safety you need during an offshore passage. These $750 beacons rent for just $40 per week (plus shipping). Go to http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/Epirb

Founded in 1981, the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit education and research organization primarily funded by the voluntary contributions of the 650,000 members of BoatU.S. It excels in providing safe, smart and clean boating resources for boat owners nationwide.