There’s a meme of a pie graph going around titled “Fishing With Kids.” It basically shows 99 percent of the time fishing is spent untangling lines. My advice to anyone taking a kid fishing is to forget about fishing yourself. As frustrating as it can be, it’s all part of the learning process. Fishing is one of those things that takes practice. To the outsider, it looks pretty easy, until you try it yourself. I’ve fished all of my life, and still have difficulty casting at certain angles. There’s a lot that goes into making the perfect cast, working a bait, detecting the bite, setting the hook, having the right knot, and knowing how to fight the fish. The best advice that I can give anyone who’s taking someone out fishing for the first time is to keep it simple. A bobber and a worm have been catching fish for as long as I can remember. Right now, is a great time to take a first timer fishing. There are plenty of fish up shallow in the lakes and delta. They might not be the biggest fish, but they’re willing to bite, which is what you want when taking kids fishing.

Delta:

Water temperatures are now in the high seventies/low eighties making fishing tough for a lot of fishermen. Bass have been biting lately for those fishing top water and flipping shade pockets. Wind is important right now as the wind is starting to generate a good Chatter bait bite. Some smaller bass can be found feeding on schools of bait in Mildred Island. No reports of any striper action lately but many anglers are reporting of a good catfish bite on clams and anchovies. Plenty of bluegill have made their way shallow and can be caught easily on small worms.

New Melones Lake:

Fishing for kokanee and trout has been tough on the lake. Not many reports of either fish being caught recently. The lack of being able to catch a kokanee or trout has anglers wondering if it’s because of the water that’s being released from the lake? Bass fishing is good for numbers, there is an excellent top water bite early in the morning and late in the day. Anglers are targeting main lake points with small jigs and plastics as well as isolated islands. Fishing the deeper side of the islands seems to be the best right now as the fish can be found bunched up. Bluegill and crappie continue to bite once found. Many anglers are choosing to target them at night under submersible lights. For crappie anglers are using live minnows or crappie jigs, for bluegill anglers are using small worms like red worms or wax worms.

Lake Don Pedro:

Bass fishing is pretty steady right now. There are a lot of fish still being caught on topwater baits in the morning and evening hours. Once the sun gets up anglers are switching to smaller bottom baits for bites. The bass have been suspending during the day making them a little tougher to catch so anglers are using baits like tubes and wacky rigged Senko’s because of their slower fall rate. Trout and kokanee have been tough to pattern this summer. There is a good king salmon bite happening on the lake. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing has been catching king salmon upwards of seven pounds while trolling his custom-made spoons.

New Hogan:

Fishing is good right now on the lake for anglers targeting bass. Recently while visiting the lake I saw schools of striped bass exploding on the surface around the launch ramp cove during the evening hours. Reports are that anglers are catching their fair share of striped bass while trolling rolled shad or sardines. A secret of many of the locals has been trolling an umbrella rig through schools of striped bass.

Featured Product:

After breaking one of my favorite fishing rods several years ago, I went out and purchased two new rods made by a company called iROD. At the time, they were a little more than $100 each. I liked the rods so much, that I now have eight of them. The rods are very light and comfortable and I’ve yet to have one break. If you’re in the market for a new fishing rod, these rods are worth checking out. They currently have them in stock at Fisherman’s Warehouse and can also be purchased through Tackle Warehouse.