The CURRENT FISHING REPORT

Basshole Bar and Grill/Tackle and Bait Shop Fishing report I've been so busy, but thanks to all of your emails I'm finally putting out a report! Ben(Fish'in Comfort: 530-238-9789 or cell# 530-949-4303) reports that the Rainbow bite is on! He's fishing at 65 feet using blue and shad color lures in water around Water's Gulch and Toupee Island. Limits with weight up to 3.5# is not uncommon! I'm worming and using grubs and tossing them to the bank and into 45 feet of water. We're catching limits with nice Bass up to 19". This is unusual for this time of year, but we had a late shad hatch and the lake is full of small shad! At 87 feet down from the crest we still have over 225 MILES of shoreline, and boat ramps are open! Hope to see you soon! David

Fishing Report Basshole Bar and Grill, www.bassholebarandgrill.com, Wow! The Shasta Lake Classic was a huge success! We had over 300 Anglers (Ben and I managed to finish 24th) great fishing, great weather and, most importantly, a ton of FUN! The shad hatch was just over a month ago, so as a result, the fishing is fantastic and will continue so through June! To get on the big Spotted Bass, get out of the coves and fish the big water. I'm using spinner baits, my Zoom grubs and worming with brown colors. The hot set-up for the Brown and Rainbow Trout is trolling using Apex 45 feet down in water at least 100 feet deep. Keep looking for shad balls. The weather is in the low 80's with some cloud cover so this is a perfect time to hit the lake! Stop by and say Hi! David

Fishing Report - Bassshole Bait and Tackle- www.bassholebarandgrill.com The hot bite is the Spotted Bass! Use grubs on a leadhead, crankbait, and white spinner bait and you'll limit out! The chances on hooking up the 4.5# to 7.0# Spots are excellent! By working primary and secondary points, you'll be successful! Finally, the Brown and Rainbow Trout are on the prowl. Ben(Fish'in Comfort 530-238-9789 or Cell# 530-949-4303) and I picked up some nice Rainbow, 2.5-3.5#, by Camel Creek on the McCloud. A couple of days ago a skilled angler nailed a 4.5# Brown just outside of Sugarloaf Inlet(Sacramento Arm) See picture. The Lake is coming up 1/2 foot a day. Other than Bailey Cove, all ramps are open. Water Temperature is rising slowly (50-52 degrees). NOW is the time to plan your Fishing Trips for April and May. You'll be happy that you did! Stop and say "Hi" and check out our Bait Shop! Dave

Fishing Report, Basshole Bar and Grill/ Bait and Tackle Shop On Thursday, Ben Raimondi(Fish'in Comfort: Phone # 530-238-9789, Cell # 530-949-4303), Don Bass and I launched at Hirtz Bay and trolled up the McCloud Arm. We fished hard and when 10:30 rolled around and not a bite, we decided to head for Packers Bay. We weren't trolling for more than 5 minutes and Don hooked into a nice 3.3# Brown Trout trolling with a watermelon pattern lure at 22 feet. Wow! After another couple of hours we hooked into a 2# Rainbow Trout and called it a day. It's going to be a couple more weeks before we figure out a plan of attack. Right now the Bass bite is really starting to pick up, fishing in 5-40 feet of water. You can jig, drop-shot or use my favorite method- grubs on a lead-head! If you are fishing from shore, one of the hot spots is Old Man's Camp, using minnows. We're going Salmon fishing in Dry Creek next week and I'll let you know how we did! See you out there! David

FIshing Report, Basshole Bait and Tackle Shop By David Dulon Last week Ben,(Fish 'in Comfort- 530-238-9789, Cell# 530-949-4303)worked the water around Hirtz Bay on the McCloud Arm. They hooked into two Browns up to 4# and four nice Rainbow Trout to 2.5#. They were fishing from 5 feet to 20 feet using shad imitation lures. All the fish were caught at 5 feet beneath the surface! I also talked to Jeff Michaels after the recent Bass Deby and he picked up some money by concentrating on the Upper Sacramento Arm. Right now it's raining and chilly which should improve the bite. I'm going to start fishing weekly now that the bite has picked up! See you out there. Dave

Basshole Bar and Grill/Tackle and Bait Shop Lakehead, CA www.bassholebarandgrill.com by Dave Dulon The 7th Annual Shasta Lake Trout Derby was held last weekend(13th & 14th-check out www.shastalaketroutderby.com). My buddy Harold Jones(Sugarloaf Cottages), his wife Arlene, my wife Cheryl and I were commenting on what a huge success it was and how enthusiastic everyone was. The fishing was good, the weather fantastic and everyone had a GREAT time! Greg Graham went home with a $2500 check, 9.58# of Rainbow Trout and $500 cash(biggest fish on Saturday's side pot!) DO NOT miss this Derby next year doing what you love to do plus getting a chance to win money! The Rainbow and Brown Trout were caught top-lining in the morning and then fishing deeper(30 Feet) as the day went along. The Spotted Bass are also on the bite with top water lures in the early morning then switching to drop-shotting and dragging the trusty grubs on a leadhead. Here is the list of weights for the Derby: See you out there! Dave PLACE NAME CITY STATE WEIGHT 1 Greg Graham Gold Hills, OR 9.58 2 Gene Mollenbauch CA 8.96 3 Rick Pietrewich Santa Rosa CA 8.86 4 Sambo Lange Concord CA 8.74 5 Al Millan Daly City CA 8.33 6 Mike Trip Oroville CA 8.2 7 Khanh Tran Fremont CA 8.19 8 George Barberick Livermore CA 8.12 9 Sean Vinson Shasta Lake CA 8.12 10 Vincent Costa Mt Ranch CA 8.08 11 Warren Worthington Modesto CA 8.03 12 Glen Polini Santa Clara CA 7.92 13 Alan Traynor Hayward CA 7.88 14 Doug Reiser Redding CA 7.81 15 John Price Redding CA 7.7 16 Ed Cavallero Redding CA 7.58 17 Gary Coe Folsom CA 7.49 18 Kevin Smith San Mateo CA 7.49 19 Bruce Wicks Folsom CA 7.49 20 Butch Jacobson Livermore CA 7.39 21 Gary Edminster Somerset CA 7.37 22 Robert Clements Dayton NV 7.36 23 Adam Wheelen Redding CA 7.29 24 Terry Kassahnn Redding CA 7.03 25 Mitch Bicandi San Jose CA 6.99

Fishing Report Basshole Bar and Grill/Tackle and Bait Shop www.bassholebarandgrill.com Lakehead, CA The temperatures at night are in the low 40's and day temperatures in the mid 70's. As a result, the lake will probably turn over in the next 8 weeks. Ben(Fish'in Comfort 530-238-9789 or Cell#530-949-4303) and I are targeting our nice catch of Rainbows at 30-40 feet rather than 65 feet. Shad pattern and green/orange lures are the ticket. The Spotted Bass are lurking in 40 feet to the surface and I'm using grubs(Fat Albert) and top-water lures. The Catfish are on a hot bite right now using livers and nightcrawlers. The next 7 weeks will produce limits and even bigger fish as they eat in preparation for the winter. I hope to meet all of you at the Trout Derby! Please register in the next 10 days at www.shastalaketroutderby.com. The Derby is October 13 and 14 and should be great! Dave

Basshole Bait and Tackle, www.bassholebarandgrill.com, Fishing Report This trip was fun, productive, and RELAXING! Ben (Fish'in Comfort- 530-238-9789 or Cell# 530-949-4303), Robert (good fisherman and buddy) and I launched at Sugarloaf Public Ramp at 6:30AM and started fishing in Gooseneck. No luck, so after 1/2 hour we headed to Toupee Island. The set-up was 50-65 feet using watermelon & shad Apex and E-chips. There's a lot of shad balled up, so you find the shad, troll through them and you'll have multiple hook-ups like we had all day! We caught over 25 Rainbow and Salmon and kept 10 for our "surprise" Fish Fry at the Basshole! The Spotted Bass are also on the bite with good top water action. While trolling for Trout we hooked and released 5 Spots up to 2 1/2 #. Weather is in the 80's during the day and 50's at night. Water temperature is 75 degrees. Launch Ramps- Sugarloaf, Jones Valley and Bridge Bay. There is over 2 million area feet of water to enjoy! In the next 2 months the fishing is going to be down-right fantastic with these conditions! Please don't wait-sign up now for the Shasta Lake Trout Derby (October 13 and 14) Register at www.shastalaketroutderby.com today! Let's have some fun! Dave

Fishing Report Basshole Bait & Tackle Lakehead Ca I look forward to the Fall fishing. The weather is nice and cool in the mornings and warms up to the 80's in the afternoon. The lake level is the same as 2004 which enhances finding the big Rainbows and the occasional Browns. The recreational boating activity really slows down which just leaves us lucky fishermen out there with the eagles and osprey! Ben(Fish'in Comfort 530-238-9789, Cell# 530-949-4303) is taking clients to the Pitt River bridge and South of Toupee Island and limiting out within 4-5 hours. Just troll in the depth of 75 feet using shad patterns and you'll nail them! I'm re-stocking all top water(Pop-R, Spooks, etc) lures in anticipation of the Bass chasing all the shad. We get huge shad-balls and the Bass push them to the surface and up against the shoreline. NOW is the time to get your entry form in for the Annual Shasta Lake Trout Derby,held on October 13 and 14! Go to www.shastalaketroutderby.com for all the details. Do NOT miss this great Derby and remember that there is a maximum of 250 anglers! Stop by and say Hi! David

Fishing Report Basshole Bait & Tackle Shop www.bassholebarandgrill.com David Dulon Contrary to what Fishing Reports that you've read in various papers, magazines, on the Internet have said, we've been absolutely nailing the Rainbow Trout! You can catch 15-20 nice Trout in a 1/2 day by trolling 70 feet of water using shad pattern lures. Back to the Lewis Carroll-(Alice in Wonderland author) like fishing reports. A lot of these reports are generated by people that maybe fish this lake twice a year or are trying to sell their tackle, it's a real shame. But YOU WILL ALWAYS GET THE REAL DEAL in this report! Bass fishing has slowed down because of the recreational boat activity, but I'm still catching 2# Spots in the A.M. using my favorite grubs. Only a few Catfish are being weighed in not because they're not biting but there are not a lot of people fishing for them. Please email me on your thoughts about these SO-CALLED experts. See you out there on Wednesday! David

Fishing Report Basshole Bait and Tackle Shop David Dulon www.bassholebarandgrill.com The Trout and Salmon fishing has flip-flopped a bit. So, on Wednesday, Ben(Fish'in Comfort: 530-238-9789, Cell#530-949-4303)Daughter Michelle, Grandchildren Mirabel and Miles and my beautiful Wife Cheryl and I concentrated on Salmon around the Dry Creek area. Ben was using Shasta Tackle's plastic Matrix and I was using our trusty shad pattern lures. My grandchildren were reeling in some nice Rainbow Trout. Then Miles picked out a blue, orange, and red pattern lure and I dropped down from 70 feet to 125 feet deep. We caught some nice Salmon and one 3.5# Rainbow. Ben and his clients the day before scored with a nice 4.5# Salmon! Also, this week new friends (Scott and his family) stopped by the Basshole and I hooked them up with the Zoom grubs and he nailed the Spotted Bass and took a picture of his nice 5.2# Spot! Catfish are finally biting HARD! Here it is mid-July and the overall fishing is still "off the hook"! Stop by and I'll help set you up! David

Fish Report Basshole Bait & Tackle Shop by David Dulon I didn't fish on Wednesday the 4th of July, but I got the low-down on the trout bite from Ben(Fish'in Comfort: 530-238-9789, Cell# 530-949-4303) He's been out almost every day and has done very well with the Trout at 70 feet and especially the Salmon up to 4.5# in 120 feet at Dry Creek. The Bass bite has slowed down a little, but working into 40 feet of water with grubs and spinner bait is still producing a lot of nice Spots. We're seeing more Catfish being brought in, with weights averaging 3#. It's important to fish early morning as the heat and boating activity picks up around 10:30. Stop by and say HI! David

Fishing Report Basshole Bait and Tackle Shop www.bassholebarandgrill.com Ben(Fish'in Comfort: phone-(530)238-9789 or Cell#(530)949-4303), Logan(his grandson) and I launched at 6AM at Packer's Bay. We set the downrigger at 65 feet using shad and rainbow-patterned lures. We caught a couple nice 2.5# Rainbows, then right at 7:30, as the sunlight came over the mountains, Logan landed a beautiful 3.75# Rainbow Trout. Logan added a 3.25# and a 2.5# Rainbow to finish out his family's dinner! We caught and released another 12 Rainbows and then took a well-deserved swim break! What a morning! The Spotted Bass are biting in 40 feet of water. It's not uncommon to catch 25-30 Bass on the morning bite. Catfish bite is steady. Stop by and check out the bait shop! David

Fish Report Basshole Bar & Grill/Bait & Tackle Shop Phone: 530-238-2170 My Friend George and his buddies were on a houseboat trip this past week. They were fishing up by Hirtz Bay and they caught 2 German Browns just over 5#. Shad and light pink lures at 45 feet were the ticket! Bass fishing is still very good. I'm using a shad rap in early morning and at dusk and my grubs in between. Catfish is still iffy but the water is warming up so the bite should improve. Wednesday, Ben(Fish'in Comfort- 530-238-9789 or Cell# 530-949-4303) and I are targeting Browns so I'll let you know how we did. David www.bassholebarandgrill.com

Fishing Report Basshole Bar and Grill/Bait and Tackle Shop This week we launched at Packers Bay and after 1 1/2 hours we only had 1 Trout(Ouch!) So we trolled out past No Name Island and all of a sudden the bite was on! From 8AM - 11:30AM we caught 1 Salmon(4#) and 12 Rainbow up to 3#. All the fish were caught on silver & black lures between 50 and 65 feet deep. My buddy Ben(Fish'in Comfort: 530-238-9789 or Cell# 530-949-4303) is pretty busy but still has days open this month, so pick up the phone and plan your trip. Also, bring your swimsuit because we stopped and swam in the 74 degree crystal-clear water to cool off! I weighed in a nice 7.3# Largemouth Bass on Saturday night at the Basshole. I'm back to using the silver & black grubs and just knocking them dead. A few Catfish are starting to come in. Hope you are able to get on the Lake and enjoy this great fishery! David

Fishing Report Basshole Bar & Grill/ Bait & Tackle Shop wwww.bassholebarandgrill.com Ben(Fish 'in Comfort: 530-238-9789 or Cell# 530-949-4303) and I launched at Packers' Bay at 6:30AM. We rigged up our downriggers and trolled various colors between 30-45 feet deep. I caught three nice Rainbows at 45 feet using shad color lures. We both switched over to the shad and had six Trout before we got out of the small bay. That's when we decided to move across to the South shore because we didn't want to limit out by 8:30AM. What a blast! We had caught our 16 fish and kept 10 for our "Trout Bake" at the Basshole. Bass fishing is still very good with 20-30 Spots caught per trip. Crankbait, worms and grubs are the ticket! We sold a lot of Catfish bait this week so a few nice ones are being caught! We're going out again Wednesday with "Nature Boy" George so it promises to be great fun. Stop by and say hello! David

Fishing Report Basshole Bar & Grill/Tackle & Bait Shop For a very enjoyable day of fishing, start fishing around 6AM on the Upper McCloud Arm. You have an excellent chance of catching a couple of German Brown Trout by 8:30AM. Then pick up and head for the Sacramento Arm fishing from the Pitt River Bridge to the Dam for some nice fat Rainbows. I'm trolling a little deeper (45-50 feet) using shad patterns. The Bass fishing is from daylight to about 10:30AM and then again from 6:30PM till dusk. They will continue to bite hard for at least another 3 weeks. Fishing for Catfish will start to heat up in the next couple of weeks and I'll keep you informed. David

Fishing Report, Basshole Bait Shop, Lakehead, CA The Kokanee Power Shasta Lake Trout & Salmon Team Classic was a huge success. The weather co-operated and the fish did also. At the end of the report I've included the results. I've been extolling the superb fishing in these reports since February. Well, the "proof is in the pudding" as numerous German Browns over 5# were caught on the McCloud and the Sacramento Arm! Also, lots of big Rainbows and Salmon were caught fishing against a FULL MOON! It's not too late to get into this action! My buddy Jeff Micheals won the Forest Service Bass Derby two weeks ago using his famous swimbaits. The fish have spawned and there's one heck of a bite going on! My fishing buddy Ben (Fish'in Comfort: 530-238-9789, Cell#530-949-4303) has a lot of happy clients as they've been catching a bunch of fish and enjoying the beautiful 80 degree weather. Stop by and say hi- David

FIsh Report: Basshole Bait & Tackle, 530-238-2170 On Thursday, Ben(Fish'in Comfort- 530-238-9789, Cell#530-949-4303) and I decided to try fishing new areas and leave our favorite waters alone. That night was also the Basshole Fish Bake, so we're going to keep 10 fish. Well, our friends and wives didn't go hungry because we caught over 20 Rainbows and kept one 4# German Brown and 9 Rainbow over 2 1/2#! My friend Jeff Micheals (Master Stren Series Winner) was out the same day and caught a 7 1/2# Spotted Bass. You need to get out early and you'll be rewarded with 30-40 Bass by lunch. Salmon in Dry Creek and Big Backbone are also biting, but you need to go deeper , 65-90 feet as the morning rolls along! Stop by the Basshole and say "Hi"! David

Basshole Bait & Tackle Shop 530-238-2170 Fish Report The unsettled weather that we had slowed down the Trout bite. They weren't biting hard and there was not a lot of boats out there. This coming week will be spectacular with temperatures up to 80 degrees. Between the Club Bass Tournaments and the die-hard fishermen, several 2- 2 1/2# Spotted Bass were caught! Favorite technique is drop-shotting, worming and grubs on lead-heads. Next week I have two trips planned: Wed- Trout fishing with Ben(Fish'in Comfort- 530-238-9789, Cell# 530-949-4303 ) and Thursday- Bass fishing. I'm excited about targeting some BIG FISH! If you're thinking about fishing the Derby, act now because it's almost filled! The Shasta Lake Classic Team Tourney will be May 5th and 6th(Trout and Salmon Tournament, Lakehead, CA) Contact Gary Coe, Derby Chairperson, at 916-985-4943 or email: garycoe@kokaneepower.org. See you all in a couple of weeks. David

Basshole Bar and Grill/ Tackle and Bait Shop Lakehead, CA www.bassholebarandgrill.com Because of the last 10 days of fishing, my elbow and wrists are sore from reeling in all the big fish. Ben(Fish'in Comfort- Home Phone 530-238-9789, Cell#530-949-4303), George(friend and avid outdoorsman), and I on three trips have just been bowled over by the quality and quantity of the Brown and Rainbow Trout that we've caught. This fishing rampage is going to continue for at least another month! We troll the McCloud and Sacramento Arms using shad, rainbow and watermelon colors at 25-35 feet. (We stack our downriggers using Shasta Tackle Shuttlehawks.) Harold(Sugarloaf Cottages- 530-238-2448) also reports the crappie bite is still on and the Pen Project fish are real healthy and about to be released. The pre-spawn Bass are also on a torrid bite! I'm using a silver and black Fat Albert grub on a darthead hook! It's not uncommon to catch 30-40 1 1/2 to 3# Spotted Bass! The Salmon bite in Dry Creek and also in Big Backbone is very good fishing at a depth of 45-90 feet deep. Shasta is and will continue producing some of the best fishing you"ll ever experience! Grab your fishing poles and high-tail it to the lake now! David P.S. There are a few spots still available for the Shasta Lake Classic Team Tourney (Lakehead- May 5 & 6)This is a Trout and Salmon Tournament with payouts to 25th place-1st prize is $3,000!) Register by mail(garycoe@kokaneepower.org) or contact Harold Jones at Sugarloaf Cotttages( 1-800-953-4432).Limited to 250 entries so sign up today!

Gooseneck(on the Sacramento Arm) and the Upper McCloud are still producing some nice 2 1/2-4# Browns and Rainbow Trout. The depth is still 25-30 feet and, of course, the color of the lure continues to change day to day. The Spotted Bass are full of spawn and biting hard. From shore, use live minnows and from a boat or raft you can use plastics. A few Salmon are being caught but they are some nice big ones- 3-4#, especially in the Upper Arms of the lake. The fishing is awesome! David

We had another Kodak moment! Ben and "Net Boy"(me) hit the McCloud at 7:00AM trolling watermelon, yellow & orange, and silver & black lures at 25-35 feet. Ben hooked up within 5 minutes and Net Boy landed a 4# Brown Trout! It was in 25 feet of water in a deep pool, 20 yards off the rock walls. Within two hours, my buddy caught another Brown at 3 1/4#, a 2.5# Salmon and some nice 2# Rainbow. My claim to fame was a 3.5# Rainbow. This Wednesday I'm switching over to the watermelon color immediately! Bass fishing using leadhead with worms and grubs (yellow & orange, silver & black and blue) is yielding 25-30 Spots a trip! The Salmon bite in Dry Creek has cooled off somewhat. I just seen the stringer of Crappie up to 2 1/2# tonight. Three fishermen staying at Sugarloaf Cottages caught them on the Upper Sacramento Arm(North of Antlers Campground)! I can't believe the action so early. The months of April and May are going to be out of this fishing world! Wow! See you at the Basshole. David **Don't forget to get your entries in for the Shasta Lake Classic Team Tourney, sponsored by Kokanee Power. The tournament will take place on May 5th and 6th in Lakehead. Contact Harold Jones at Sugarloaf Cottages for more info (1-800-953-4432) or Gary Coe(Derby Chairperson) at 916-985-4943. You can also check out pictures from past derbies and events at www.kokaneepower.org.

Wednesday Ben(Fish'in Comfort: 530-949-4303), Keith and I decided to try fishing in some different areas. We started trolling right at 7AM in Gooseneck Cove on the Sacramento Arm. The hot color was orange and yellow at 20-25 feet. After a couple of hours and 8 nice Rainbow, we wanted to check out Toupee Island, Digger Bay and the Dam. Not only did we NOT catch fish, but we didn't mark them either! Next Wednesday we're going to target Big Browns(10-18#) Another boat caught a nice 7# Brown(pictures also) and a couple of limits of Rainbows also in Gooseneck. The Browns and Rainbows are just about jumping in the boat on the Upper McCloud Arm! Tossing grubs and worms on a leadhead hook is producing 30-40 bass per trip. Yesterday the anglers fishing on the Pit Arm were catching a ton of Spotted Bass up to 5#. They're biting on all the Arms right now and some are just busting with eggs. The water temperature is 53 degrees in the main body of the lake and 59 degrees in the small coves. Grab your fishing buddies and head for the lake as soon as possible for an awesome time! Drop by the Basshole and I'll hook you up with the colors and locations. Mark your calendars for the Shasta Lake Classic Team Tourney(Salmon and Trout) on May 5th and 6th. Weigh-ins will be at the Basshole. 1st Prize- $3,000, 2nd Prize- $2,000, 3rd Prize- $1,000. Payouts will be given to the Top 25 teams! Contact Harold Jones(Sugarloaf Cottages) at 1-800-953-4432.

We got snowed out last week, but this week the temperature was 65 degrees!The distance from the crest is 25.33 feet. This beautiful weather is going to continue(highs of 80's!) into next week so get on the lake for some great fishing. Mooching for Salmon using anchovies and shad you can easily limit out with some nice 2# and an occasional 3.5#-4#. The Rainbows are still 25-35 feet down and again you can limit out in 3-4 hours. We're coming off a full moon so next week Ben and I will be targeting big Browns! We'll need to be fishing at 6:30AM in 30-40 feet of water. Fishing for Bass off points in 25-40 feet of water is producing 25-30 fish a day. If this weather holds, the big Bass will start biting big time in a couple of weeks! Hope to see you soon! David

Congratulations to my buddy Jeff Michels who won 1ST PLACE at Lake Mead fishing in the FLW Stren Series! Ben (Fish'in Comfort- 530-949-4303),"Good Luck" Chuck, and I hit the McCloud Arm on a cool, rainy Tuesday morning. Using black and silver lures and trolling at 25-40 feet, we limited out on a couple of Salmon and the rest on nice Rainbow Trout. We couldn't get the Brown Trout to bite, but we'll go after them when the weather breaks up a little bit(right now it's 40 degrees and raining hard) Mooching for Salmon by the Dam and in Dry Creek is still HOT! Bass fishing is steady in between storms. Mark this on your calendar: Shasta Lake Classic Team Tourney May 5th & 6th Salmon & Trout Tournament Weigh-ins at the Basshole 1st Prize- $3,000 2nd Prize- $2,000 3rd Prize- $1,000 Payouts to Top 25 Teams!!! Contact: Harold Jones Sugarloaf Cottages (A Great Place to Stay!) 1-800-953-4432 Stop by the Basshole Bar and Grill/Tackle and Bait Shop and say Hi! David

When I wrote last week's report, I indicated that Ben and I were going to target Brown Trout on Wednesday. Well, it turned out to be a very successful day! We were on the McCloud Arm trolling at 25-36 feet deep and Ben caught the first fish- a 3# Salmon. By 8:00A.M., 1/2 hour later, I caught a 3 1/2# Brown. Boy, were we excited! As the morning went along we caught 6 nice Rainbow up to 2 1/2#s. Then, all of a sudden, Ben hooked into a 4 1/2# Brown and as he was taking out the hook, his other rod bent down. He landed another 3# Salmon and smiling, he looked over to me and said, "This is why we bring out TWO nets! Pictures will be on our Web Site in about 10 days! Because of the mud line not only are the Trout and Salmon on the bite, but the Spotted Bass move up into shallow water. It's hard to believe, but the fishing is going to get EVEN BETTER! WOW- what a Spring this is going to be! Get your buddies together and call Steve at Holiday Harbor- book your houseboat, tie up your fishing boats and start right on the McCloud Arm. March, April, May are going to be fantastic! See you out there. David

As I write this report it's raining cats and dogs outside. The lake is raising slowly, but for us fishermen, this rain will cloudy up the water which in turn will bring on a huge bite! The HOT bite on the lake right now is salmon in Dry Creek area. Simply mooch with frozen shad or anchovies in 60-90 feet of water. Ben, Jason(my son) and I had a great day last Wednesday with a limit of salmon up to 3 1/2#. This Wednesday with the forecast of a few showers, we're going after the BIG German Brown Trout! I'll be writing this report weekly so you'll know how we did! Bass fishing is good and fisherman Joe and his buddy did great with plastic worms on the Pitt near Arbuckle Flats in about 25 feet of water. Now is the time to throw on the rain gear, grab the rods and hit the lake for some GREAT fishing! Stop by the Basshole and I'll let you know depth and colors and take pictures of your catch afterwards. See you out there! David

Hello Everyone! Looks like it may take more time to get together the 2006 Derby photos and results on the shastalaketroutderby.com web site so I will post the results here.
Place Name City State Weight
1st - John Howard - Novato - CA - 10.59
2nd - Sambo Lage - Concord - CA - 10.46
3rd - Randy Doyle - Redding CA - 9.42
4th - Melissa Lenard - Redding - CA - 8.52
5th - Rick Pietrewich - Santa Rosa- CA - 8.33
6th - Mitch Bicandi - San Jose - CA - 7.55
7th - Robert Davies - Lakehead - CA - 7.29
8th - Robert Carrell - Redding - CA - 7.06
9th - Robert Jackson - Redding - CA - 6.94
10th - Ed Cavellero - Redding - CA - 6.94
11th - Sue Brown - San Andreas - CA - 6.91
12th - Al Millan - Daly City - CA - 6.9
13th - Jack Schultz - Pleasanton - CA - 6.78
14th - Mike Roy - Sacramento - CA - 6.63
15th - Howard Darney - Cold Springs - NV - 6.55
16th - Paul Kneeland - Colfax - CA - 6.5
17th - Elwood Mellow III - Livermore - CA - 6.33
18th - Ray Link - Hayward - CA - 6.22
19th - Nathaniel Fisher - Martinez - CA - 6.05
20th - Al Carson - Paradise - CA - 5.88
21st - Gary Edminster - Sumerset - CA - 5.85
22nd - Matt Parr - Dayton - NV - 5.7
23rd - Dan Caroza - Yuba City - CA - 5.7
24th - Steve Rahn - Penn Valley - CA - 5.55
25th - Sandy Drake - Lakehead - CA - 5.41

First of all I want to congratulate John Howard for winning the Shasta Lake Trout Derby with a weight of 10.59# (4 fish-2 per day), and Champion's Jacket with a $2500 check! John and his friend Joe plotted the lake map for quite a few hours while sipping the cold, frothy Basshole Ale! Their strategy paid off! The anglers were top-lining with cripplelures, humdingers and needlefish, working the points. Shad patterns and black and white were the colors- especially on Sunday when it was overcast. The Derby was a huge success with good fishing and great anglers. These men and women are class acts! Bass are really on the bite supported by the fact that the Derby Anglers kept hooking up with them. The bass are from the surface to 20 feet. We just weighed another 20# Catfish last week! You just need chicken livers or nightcrawlers! My next report will be in a month because my wife(Cheryl) and I are heading back to Minnesota and Wisconsin to fish for Walleyes and Northern Pike. I really enjoyed visiting with all of you at the Trout Derby. Check shastalaketroutderby.com for results of the Derby. David

Tuesday, I had a guy come in the Tackle Shop to buy 20# test line because a fish kept breaking his old line. Wednesday, he came back to weigh his 20# Catfish! Talk about persistence! You can get limits of Bass but not a lot of fish over 2 pounds. We were on the Pitt today and the Bass were just attacking the shad. The water temp is 68 degrees and dropping, so as a result, the shad have moved from the surface to 30 feet. We were trolling at 40 feet and 25 feet for the bigger fish. Remember, the Trout Derby is October 14 and 15 so sign up ASAP! Check out shastalaketroutderby.com for more info and to get an entry form. Hope to see you soon. David

The Rainbow Trout went from 40 feet down to 65 feet. They keep following the shad which the lake has an abundance of. Secret color is yellow with tint of orange! Next week Ben and I are going to mooch for Salmon. We had so much fun last time. We're going to use larger hooks(#2) and again use frozen shad. I'm still using "Big Bite" shad grubs and top water lures fishing for those hungry spotted Bass. The nights are dropping down into the 50's and the fishing just gets better! Don't forget to sign up for our Trout Derby coming up.(October 14 & 15) This will be our 6th Annual and we are expanding the entries from 200 to 250 anglers. Check out all the details at shastalaketroutderby.com. Get your family and/or buddies together and get on the lake! David

Ben (Fish'in Comfort, Phone# 530-238-9789 or Cell # 530-949-4303) and I started out of Packers Bay at 7AM. Looking at the fish finder we saw the shad balls around 40 feet. Last week we were fishing at the depth of 60 feet, but today we moved up to 40. Within 15 minutes I caught a nice 3.5# Rainbow on a yellow/orange apex. Between my color and Ben's watermelon color we kept 3 Rainbow Trout between 3-3.5# and released 20 more between 2-4#. We ended our trip at 10:30AM and decided to get an early lunch at the Basshole(Ribs and Fries-yum-yum!) The evenings are starting to cool down so as a result the Bass fishing is getting better. Best times are sun-up till 9AM and 6PM to sunset. What's great is you can use top-water lures! We're still weighing in Catfish, but there's not a lot of fishermen after them. Maybe they go to bed early like I do?! Entries for the Trout Derby on October 14 and 15 are starting to fly in so send yours in ASAP! For details check out www.shastalaketroutderby.com. I hope all you anglers stop by and say Hi! David

Cheryl and I just got back from San Diego. As a result, I didn't get a chance to fish, but I called my good friend Gary Miralles(Shasta Tackle Company, Phone # 530-275 CAST) and talked to Ben Raimondi(Fish'in Comfort, Phone # 530-238-9789 or Cell # 530-949-4303). They both reported limits of Rainbow caught at the depth of 60-75 feet. Troll humdingers(various colors) and E-chips between Packers Bay and the Pitt River Bridge, also around Toupee Island. There are tons of shad so these fish are on a feeding frenzy. The Spotted Bass are biting early morning and right at sundown:. use grubs and slow working worms. I'll try top-water this week! We're weighing in more Catfish( Hoffa our chef actually skinned a few for some guys) every week. Shore fishing is good for both Catfish(chicken livers) and Spotted Bass(live bait). Remember the Trout Derby is coming up. Check out www.shastalaketroutderby.com for all the details. Keep your line wet! Dave

"We need to mooch for Salmon, We need to mooch for Salmon"..... That's all Ben Raimondi (Fish'in Comfort: Phone: 530-238-9789 or Cell# 530-949-4303) talked about for a week! So we headed down to Dry Creek at 6AM, broke out the frozen shad and anchovies, weights, and size four hooks. I caught a nice 2.5 # Rainbow right away in 45 feet of water. Then Ben and I caught 4 small Salmon before the wind picked up. We checked out the Dam and couldn't find shad so we headed up to Packers Bay. Ben began trolling with shad at 75 feet and caught 4 Salmon in half an hour. I was using a silver apex and dropped it from 60 to 80 feet. I immediately hooked and landed a nice 3.5# Rainbow. It was a lot of fun to both mooch and troll in one morning. We're definitely doing the same thing next week! Cheryl and I are still using the "Big Bite" clear silver and black grub. Working into 25-35 feet of water produced two nice limits. Next week we're going to try topwater. We'll let you know how we did! The Catfish bite continues to heat up using flavored liver. It will really take off in a couple of weeks. Stop by the Basshole and say Hi! Dave

The Sixth Annual Shasta Lake Trout Derby is coming up - October 14th & 15th. In the past, only 200 anglers could experience this fantastic event so this year we're expanding the entries to 250. Get your entries in early! For more info check out www.shastalaketroutderby.com , call David at the Bassole Bar and Grill (530-238-2170) or Harold at Sugarloaf Cottages (800-953-4432). On Wednesday, Ben and I were nailing the Rainbow Trout down by the Dam. About 10:00AM I got a strike that bent the pole almost into the water. Ben turned the boat into the fish and I reeled in as fast as I could, but I couldn't feel the fish. I thought I lost it and was pretty upset, then all of a sudden, it ran PAST the boat! In all the years of fishing neither Ben nor I had ever seen a Rainbow Trout do this! Then the fish turned and headed back under the boat towards the kicker motor! I tightened up the drag and pulled it back, and then the fish swam over to Ben's downrigger cable and wrapped around it. So I let out slack and Ben raised up the cable and wouldn't you know it, we netted a beautiful 4.65 pound Rainbow! We just had to release this warrior! Wow! Experiences like that make it easier to get your butt out of bed at 4:00AM! The Bass fishing is still slow but steady working in shady areas with structure. Fishing for catfish is starting to heat up using anchovies and flavored chiken livers. Have fun! David

Wednesday, July 26, Ben (Fish'in Comfort- (530)238-9789 or (530)949-4303) and I launched at Packers Bay early(6AM). We started trolling on our way out and made sure we hit the last point on the left. We found shad on the fish finder between 20 and 40 feet so we stacked our downriggers at 25 and 45 feet. We caught three small Rainbow (1.5#). After an hour we headed to Toupee Island and got skunked after trolling for another hour. Finally we headed over to the Dam and found shad between 25-50 feet. So we dropped our lures to 45-60 feet. (Remember that the big trout are under the shad.) Bam! We caught and released 12 Rainbows up to 4 pounds in less than 2 hours! Color of the day was black and silver!.Again the trout are schooled up and the fishing is hot! My wife, Cheryl, and I went Bass fishing on Tuesday. We used Big Bite silver and black grubs and caught a few nice Bass 14-17". We looked for shade and dragged the grub from shore into 40 feet of water. The surface temperature is 83 degrees, as a result, they bite in water between 25-40 feet. The catfish bite is starting to come on pretty good for shoreline anglers. Fish at night using anchovies and flavored chicken livers. Stop by the Basshole Bar and Grill/Tackle and and Bait Shop and say Hi! David

July 22, 2006 The waiting is over! The trout have finally schooled up and are attacking the shad. Ben and I went out last Wed. and we caught and released 15 nice Rainbow (2#-3#) by 10:30 AM. Some hot spots are the Pitt River Bridge, Packers Bay, Toupee Island, Digger Bay and Big Backbone. The weather is warm and they're going deeper into cooler water, so start fishing at about 65 feet for the bigger trout. We're starting by using Crippelures and E-chips in various colors to find the right combination and then switching all the lures to the "hot" set-up. Bass fishing has really slowed down after a terrific bite. Try using grubs, or drop shotting in about 40 feet of water. Catfish are on a real good bite using scented bait. Look for loamy shoreline and kick back and enjoy the beautiful starlit evenings on the lake. Stop by the Basshole and I'll get you a map and steer you onto some great fishing! David

On Saturday, February 25, Bill Kizer((Born-2-Boogie Sport Fishing:530-713-3198)) and I went Bass fishing. Ben Raimondi(Fish'in Comfort:530-238-9789) Bob, and Mikey went after King Salmon. Bill and I started fishing at Halfway Cove on the Sacramento Arm. He was drop-shotting with a brown-chartreuse worm in 30 feet of water and I was using my silver & black grub on a darthead retrieving from shore to boat. We caught a few Spots but the wind picked up and we picked up and headed up to the O'Brien Inlet. In the next hour and 1/2 we caught lots of Spots up to l5" and called it a day at 10:30AM. Bill is a great fisherman and a lot of fun! He still owes me on our three bets! Ben, Bob and Mikey headed off to Dry Creek for the Kings. Trolling Koke-a-nuts and Wee-tads in 40-60 feet of water they hooked up immediately and landed a nice 3 1/2 pound Salmon. Over the next 3 hours they limited out with Kings from 2 pounds to 3 1/2 pounds.The surface temp of the lake is 49 degrees and 29 feet from the top. The Trout, Salmon and Bass fishing is only GOING to get BETTER!! It is not too early to sign up for the Third Annual Shasta Lake Trout & Salmon Derby held on May 6 and 7. For info, contact Gary Coe at 916-985-4943 or check out www.kokaneepowershastalakederby.com. Stop by and say Hi! David

2/08/06 Ben,Casey and I started fishing at Goosneneck Cove at 7AM on a sunny, crispy morning. We targeted the elusive Brown Trout. But after a couple of hours and no bites we decided to head off to Dry Creek and try fishing for Salmon. Within a half hour we were trolling with Wee-tads, Koke-a-nuts and Apexes in 35 to 50 feet of water. Over the next two hours we caught five Salmon ranging from 2-3 pounds. Rainbow Trout are biting at Hirtz Bay and Ski Island in 20-35 feet of water using Cripplures and Apexes. You can catch limits of Spotted Bass in a few hours using worms, grubs or swim bait into 40 feet of water. The kicker of the story is that yesterday I weighed in a 6 1/2 pound Rainbow caught FROM SHORE using minnows on the Salt Creek Arm. The fishing is only going to get better in the coming season, so get here YESTERDAY, stop and get your bait and tackle, have lunch and say "Hi"! Hope to see you soon! David