The hot Kokanee bite at Bucks continues! This will go down as one of the best Kokanee seasons of all time for the lake. Limits, and then some, have been the rule, made up of fish running up to 16+ inches with most running a fat 14 to 15 inches. On recent trips we have been very selective only keeping the largest fish and still coming off the water by 11am with 3 to 4 heavy sacks. My best results have come at various points along the Bucks Creek channel between the Marinas and the Dam. While quality fish are being caught as shallow as 35 feet my best action has come from 50 to 60 feet down on the Cannon Downriggers. I have basically been sticking to a couple of setups, both running behind Crystal Basin Wild Thing dodgers in silver with fish scale tape. One features a prototype color Uncle Larry Spinner, that based on its results this year will, I'm sure, be available to the general public soon. This spinner has been the hot ticket from day one for me, and has preformed well above average for several other people who have been testing it at a variety of other lakes. The second rig that has been scoring fish is a pink Wiggle Hoochie from Shasta Tackle. One day one seems to out do the other and some days they both spank fish. (Those days are really fun!) I'm tipping the rigs with corn treated with Pro-Cure's Kokanee Wizard. The fish, for the most part are in good shape with some starting to turn but the meat is still beautiful. In addition to the killer Kokanee action the 'Bows and Brookies have also been on a good bite The Bucks and Mill Creek arms have been the place for the trout action right on the bottom. A variety of classic trolling spoons have been getting the action including frog pattern Needlefish and UV Cripplures. The Mack bite has been pretty quiet, but I really haven't spent any time looking for them. Both of these bites don't show any signs of slowing and the pressure (what little there is) will all be gone after this holiday weekend.

I will continue running trips at Bucks till the end of September when I move the boat up to Eagle Lake for the Fall action. Despite all the negative press out there about Eagle and it's water level there is still plenty of water to fish and plenty of fish to be caught.

Well it has been some time since I have been able to update this report. Lets dispel all the rumors that I am no longer fishing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Spring time is a very busy time for me and the bottom line is I haven't had time to sit down and put together a report for you. To bring you up to date I switched from Lake Almanor to Bucks Lake during the first week of May. Access to Bucks was a little iffy due to all the heavy snow. FYI there is still a large amount of snow at the lake and it seems about every week we get a little winter blast that puts down several additional inches. The recent warmer temperatures will help melt of the white stuff at a quicker pace now. The fishing at the lake has been pretty solid over all. They say a picture is worth 1000 words so here goes......

Brian set the mark at 14 pounds 6 ounces
	Jeanette doing battle with the monster....	...the reward and new leader at 20 pounds
			Josh's 25 pound 6 ounce Bull Mac

...20,000 words of great battles, high fives, fist bumps. New this year on the boat is "The Big Mac Challenge" witch is a $5 buy in pot with the biggest (heaviest) Mac of the year being the winner. Brian was in the lead with his 14 pound 6 ounce fish until Jeanette hoisted her 20 pounder to the boat. There have been quite a few fish that looked like the might challenge the 20 for the money, but they all fell short in the high 18 to 19 pound class. That is until Josh successfully battled his 25 pound 6 ounce bull to the boat. Josh currently leads the challenge but the next big fish is only one strike away. This is a trophy fishery and all these fish were released to fight another day. To date the boat has caught and released 408 pounds of Trophy Mackinaw this season. In addition to the Mackinaw fishing we have been catching some nice Browns in the shallows as well as Bows in the open water. The Kokanee look really good this year with some fish already up to 13 and 13.5 inches. Bucks has always had a good population of the spunky salmon but they tended to run on the small side. Look for these fish to get even bigger as the year goes on.

The lake sure has a different look to it after being hit with the recent storms. The clarity is a bit stirred up, and the lake level took a big jump. The rain, snow and wind also drove the water temps back down to the low 40's. What did it do to the fish? Well from what I have seen the fish seemed to be more scattered. My clients, this time of year, have one thing on their minds, BROWNS. I have continued to work the water all along the east shore concentrating on rocky points and outcroppings, we are just having to cover alot more water during the course of the day. So the storms kind of hit the reset button and put us back to what the conditions were like in early March. The big smallies we had been catching pretty much put their fir coats back on and went into hiding. Look for them to get active again as the water warms. The top bait this week was still the black and silver Rapala with a good showing from black and gold as well as the Tui Chub Trophy Stick. I have continued to run the baits covered with Pro-Cure Trophy Trout Scent. The Browns have been running 3 to 5 pounds. Most of the fish I have cleaned have been full of new born smelt indicating the Pond Smelt spawn is on. Look for the bite to continue as we keep trucking through Spring.

Let me say a few words to sum up the fishing. Browns, Browns, Browns, Oh it's a big Bow, Browns, Browns, That's looks like a good fish! SNAP!!! What do you mean he came off? You can't be hung up it's a fish. WOW!! Monster Smallmouth, and Browns. Get the idea? Overall the Brown bite has been pretty solid, don't get me wrong it hasn't been without a few challenging days, but all in all pretty good. On recent trips I have been fishing a variety of locations on the east as well as the west shore. No new tricks here, the top producers have still been black and silver Rapalas and Trophy Sticks in the Tui Chub pattern. Put them way back with plenty of Pro-Cure's Trophy Trout Sauce and cover some water. The browns have been running 3 to 6 pounds with several larger ones that have been hooked but not landed so at this point they are just fish stories. Water temp is running in the low to mid 40's depending on location and the lake level is on the rise. Looking back over the past month I would have to say we have had some pretty darn good fishing, and the conditions are primed for this bite to carry on in to April. Click on the pictures for a larger view.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Don't forget to wear your green and enjoy the corned beef. It has been some time since I have been able to update you here on the site. When the weather gets nice things get busy. The fishing at Lake Almanor has been overall pretty good. The big bite we had been on by the dam in the mornings has tapered off. The fish are still feeding on the smelt but the bite seems to shut down once the sun hits the water. On days when you have some fog or clouds, the bite will hold a little longer but not much. All of the pond smelt imitations mentioned below in the Feb. 15th report are still working. I have spent more time chasing the lakes Brown Trout population and we have been scoring some pretty good fish to 5 pounds so far but it is only a matter of time till we tap into a big one. This bite has diffidently had a few ups and downs but overall has been solid. I have been working most of the rocky points along the east shore in the shallows with rip baits. The Browns are in there eating the smelt which are using the rocks for cover. I have been running black and silver Rapalas and Trophy Sticks in the Tui Chub pattern and both have been hooking up. The water temp has been starting in the low 40's warming to the mid to upper 40's in the afternoons depending on location. The sunny days and light winds should keep this trend going. There is still snow around the lake and it has been pretty chilly in the mornings but the ramps and roads are dry and open.

The winter trout bite at Lake Almanor is Wide Open! Over the last several days of fishing we have been connecting with fish on a morning bite that features double and even triple hook ups. The hot action has been near the dam and along the east shore with tons of fish rolling at the surface, stacking up on the sonar and chasing pond smelt from the depths to the surface. The fish are a mix of Browns and Bows ranging from 2 to 4.5 pounds they are fat and feisty. Early limits have been the rule, in addition we have been doing a lot of catch and release fishing just adding up the numbers and enjoying some great fights. There are 3 basic rigs that have been producing for us including Arctic Fox tube flies in the Pond Smelt pattern rigged with an action disc. The "Mad Cow" Uncle Larry's Spinner rigged with a pony tail of white or black and white. Finally a black and white spoon similar to a Needlefish. The common theme here is they all resemble a Pond Smelt. "Match the Hatch" doesn't only apply to fly fishing. I have been giving all the rigs a healthy dose of Pro Cure's Trophy Trout Sauce for scent which in addition to the vibration helps the fish locate the bait. While there is a ton of surface action our best bite has been down from 9 to 11 feet on the Cannon Downriggers with the shallower lines at 4 and 6 picking up there share including some of the bigger Browns. The recent mild  weather has kept the area roads in good shape and the boat ramp at Canyon Dam is perfect, with both lanes clear and useable. We are in a fairly stable weather pattern for the next week or so and this bite should hold out strong for the time being. I do have several days over the next week still available, don't miss your chance to get in on the fantastic winter bite. Call today! Tight Lines

Welcome to 2010 and what I'm sure will be another great year of fishing here in Northeastern California. We are currently getting hit by a heavy line of storm that are bringing much needed rain and snow. I have been out for several trips on Lake Almanor finding good action by the dam along the east shore as well as up north along the west shore. It will no doubt take a while to clear this weather and then it's back to the water. I'm currently getting ready to attend the Sacramento ISE show. This show is really the best one in Northern California. This year I will be in the same location booth number 3434. If you are planning to attend the show be sure to stop by. Show specials on trip bookings, see pictures and video of the 2009 Bucks Lake Mack Attack, register for the Captains Club and much more. The winner of the 09 Captains Club Fishing Trip is Ron Bagwell of Davis CA. Congratulations Ron contact me for details or pick up your certificate at the ISE show. If you have not registered for the Captains Club click the tile on the left side of the page and sign up. If you have previously registered you are automatically entered for the 2010 drawing. I look forward to seeing you and fishing with you in 2010.

Happy Thanksgiving!! It has been a while since I have had time to update my reports, so let me give you an overview of what has been going on as well as some current conditions. Our bite over the last several weeks has been pretty solid both on the troll as well as on the fly rods. I have fished areas like Troxel Point, Bucks Point and the north side of Pelican Point on the troll following the fish, as they move following food and warmer water temperatures. When the water temps in the north basin of the lake drop below 40 degrees most of the fish will head south. That said, you can still find a few fish up there but the bulk of them have moved out. The end of Bucks Point is a good spot to intercept these fish as they pass through the narrows, and we took heavy advantage of it posting some great days with solid limits as well as a good number of smaller fish released. Next the bite near the airport and the north side of Pelican heated up.*** Viewer Warning*** All of the buoys have been removed with the exception of the lighted ones on the ends of the points. There is a hell of alot of stuff to hit  on the north side of Pelican Point be very careful fishing the shallows. There are several spots that go from 5 feet to prop damage in no time flat. I concentrated on water from 5 to 7 feet in depth running the gear from 2 to 4 feet down. I stretched the lines from 150 to 175 feet in back of the boat due to the shallow nature of the area. A variety of gear was getting hit but I settled in on 2 inch orange grubs scented with Pro-Cures Freshwater Shrimp Oil. That has been my best producer for the last several weeks no matter where we fished. This bite is still going on right now.

I have also spent several days in the water with groups fly fishing. For the most part we have seen pretty good grabs, however things did get tough at times due to what I would call unseasonably nice weather. It is pretty hard to catch fish in 2 to 3 feet of water when the sun is high and the lake is glass. These conditions got us several times with solid action first thing in the morning followed by a slow bite under calm conditions. If we were lucky enough to get a breeze in the afternoon the bite would pick right back up. Despite the cold water conditions we had solid grabs each morning up at Troxel Point but once the sun would hit the water the fish would move back out. We picked up fish at Little Troxel, north Pelican Point and north Youth Camp. I did make one trip as far south as Shrimp Island (or Mount Shrimpus as I am now calling it due to low water conditions) looking for fish on the deep drop offs during one period of flat glassy water. It did yield a fish but the bite never panned out. The usual flies in olive and rust patterns have been the hot ticket on the fly rods. Olive had been hands down my best but in recent days the rust colored wiggle tails have definitely had the advantage.

Some current conditions you should be aware of; there has been a fair amount of ice forming in the Spaulding boat launch basin. The ice has been extending out, some mornings, quite a ways and has been staying on the water in the bay all day. Boats are still launching and getting out, but are having to break some ice. For the most part the ramp itself has remained open and useable with only several instances of chains being required to launch following snow storms. There is no way to predict how much longer this ramp will be useable. As always when fishing these remote mountain destinations this time of year be prepared for all types of weather and road conditions. And above all be safe.

This run of trips got off to a pretty good start with some famous Eagle Lake fly fishing. We started our morning up at Troxel Point and found a pretty good bite on some quality fish. For the most part we were working floating lines with our best patterns being the rust and olive colors. A few fish also fell to a black leach pattern. The morning conditions offered partly cloudy skies along with a pretty stiff breeze out of the north (not good for Ray and I the right handers). In the late morning the sun came out and the lake went flat as glass, not a good for the bite. While on the move we fished some rock piles on the east side with out success. Soup 30 came and went, we were re-energized by hot minestrone and headed off the Pelican Point. The lake surface was still flat and the sun high, and it had been some time since we had seen a fish on our rods or on the boats fishing near us. We slid into a shallow slot on the north side of the point and found the conditions to be about the same. Early afternoon saw the wind pick up along with the chop. The bite was back on with the guys taking fish in the shallows for a nice run of fish to finish the day.

Over the last couple days I was back on the troll with groups fishing the waters of the middle basin from the tip of Pelican Point to north of the airstrip. Most of our time was spent in 5 to 6 feet of water running the gear down 2 to 4 feet. The two top colors of grubs were black and brown. We experienced the same problem as I did with my fly group, when the lake surface went flat the bite was dead. I saw a lot of people getting frustrated and heading for the docks, only to find out the bite came on as soon as the chop picked up again. We returned to the docks each day with nice limits made up of fish in the 3 plus pound range, as well as releasing a good number fish while out on the water. We also we lucky enough not to get into any of the recent planters. Big fish honors go to Chuck S. from Willits with his 5 pound 2 oz fish, It was the first fish of the morning and a hell of a way to start things off.

Thank you to those who participated in the first "Singles Slam" we had some good fishing and made some new friends and fishing buddies. (The "Singles Slam" is a program offered to Captain's Club Members. Several days each month will be offered via email for single seat bookings.) If you are not a member of the Captain's Club and would like to join and receive emails about hot bites, discounts, and special dates, click the icon on the left and sign up.

The dredging operation of the Spalding boat ramp still continues. There have been several set backs, but my sources tell me that solutions have been found. 1) The water recovery pond has filled much quicker than anticipated and due to regulations this water has to be removed by trucks and transported off site. 2) The silt curtain broke free from its anchors and drifted into the RV park's dock and needs to be re-located and re attached before work can continue. The current schedule has it closed until November 6th.

Remember: The best way to get in touch with me is via the phone. While at the lake I do not have access to the internet and will not get your emails until I return to my office.

The water temps have held in the low 50's up in the northern waters of Eagle Lake despite a cold burst of weather the hit the lake today bringing light rain, a few snow flakes and cold winds. I have continued to fish from Bucks Point to well past Troxel Point with the bite ranging from solid to wide open! I have had the boat in water from 3 to 8 feet fishing from the surface down to 6 feet and have caught fish at all depths. The most productive bait for us has been a 2 inch brown grub with other fish falling to a slightly smaller motor oil colored grub. There seems to be a fair amount of fish pushing through these areas right now and the average weight of the fish is a bit better than other locations on the lake.  In recent days we had fish on the boat as big a 4.5 pounds with most running between 3 and 3.5 pounds as well as several other larger fish we were unable to land but the fight was fun. Grass really hasn't been a problem, as it some times can be in these areas, light winds have kept the open water fairly clean. Look for this bite to keep on going as the waters continue to cool. If you haven't booked your trip for this fall and you are interested in one contact me as soon as possible there are still some dates available.

Thanks to Tom R. of Reno who chartered one of the October special days offered by The Captain's Club. We had a phenomenal morning of fishing!! If you are not a member and would like to join and receive periodic email notices about hot bites special rates and more click the icon on the left side of the page and sign up.

The dredging operation of the Spalding boat ramp has begun. A long reach excavator began work this morning after the silt curtain was placed across the mouth of the basin. Hopefully the work will go smoothly and the ramp will become functional again soon. The current schedule has it closed until November 6th.

If you try to contact me via email and don't get a reply please follow up with a phone call. Most of the time while at the lake I don't have access to the internet and will not get your emails until I return to the office.

The water temps have actually gone up just a bit into the low 50's due to a stretch of mild weather. I made the first runs of the year into the north basin over the last several days and it really paid off. We still saw an occasional fish in the 2 pound class but for the most part the fish were all over 3 pounds, a nice bump for the average. I concentrated on the Troxel Point area fishing well off shore in water that ranged from 6 to 8 feet. Trolled grubs were the baits with a 3 inch brown being tops followed by a small 2 inch green grub that I rigged with an action disc. For scent I was running both the Trophy Trout Sauce and Freshwater Shrimp Oil both from Pro-Cure. I found our most productive depth to be 3 to 4 feet deep. Just about all of the fish we filled the limits with were loaded with shrimp. The bite seemed to be pretty solid providing us with an opportunity to do some catch and release and return to the dock with nice limits. The best action we experienced was in the morning, followed by consistent hook ups as we moved into late morning and early afternoon. That said on Sunday the bite did get pretty tough around 11:30. The moral; don't miss the early morning bite. Look for this bite to keep on going. If you haven't booked your trip for this fall and you are interested in one contact me as soon as possible there are still some dates available.

Cool over night temperatures have the waters of Eagle Lake on the decline, and the fish moving north into the shallows. The afternoons have been very pleasant and the winds light, which can actually make the shallow water bite a little tough. Our best action in the first few hours of the morning has been right on the surface with the bite going deeper as the sun gets higher with the flat surface. I have concentrated on the open water north of Pelican Point working the 6 to 12 foot water with a variety of soft plastic grubs. The best producers have been 3 inch models in brown and motor oil color run 150 feet behind the boat. The rigs have been getting healthy doses of Pro Cures Trophy Trout Sauce. The fish have been running 2 to 3.5 pounds. Look for more fish to flood north and the average size to increase as we move further into the fall bite. As you have probably heard the lake is lower this year than last, which means you need to use caution while navigating the lake. The ramp info as I know it today; launching is available at  Eagle Lake Marina on the south end of the lake. The slot to come in past the jetty to the dock is very narrow but is doable. I have witnessed boats from 12 to 20 feet use this access with the larger ones being jets. The Spalding ramp is currently being used by boats but has just over a foot of water as you leave the basin. Larger boats are getting out on their kicker motors or electric trolling motors. The ramp is set to be closed beginning 10/19/09 through 11/7/09 for a dredging project that should provide us with additional clearance to safely get out of the harbor. As I get new information I will bring it to you.

The weather is beginning to feel more like early Fall every day. Nights have been cool with mild afternoon temperatures and on and off winds. The lake level is going down but is still relatively high with plenty of water for easy launching. The water temps at the surface are running in the mid 60's, sometimes a bit warmer depending on day time temps and wind. The trout bite here at Bucks has remained strong under light pressure. The top two spots continue to be the Bucks Creek Area and Mill Creek. We are still getting plenty of fish mostly Rainbows fishing near the bottom in 25 to 45 feet of water. Over the last few weeks I haven't changed much, (why fix what isn't broken) still fishing a variety of small spoons, mostly needlefish, with frog and bikini patterns being the best producers. We have been picking up a few of the nicer Kokanee, up to 14 inches,  on the trout gear but have not been targeting them. Most of the Kokanee are turning and seem to be packed up in larger schools especially in front of the tributaries or at channel intersections out in the lake. The Trophy Mackinaw bite has been pretty quiet with a fish here and there but no solid pattern, however there are plenty of smaller 1 to 4 pounders being caught. These are the trophies of the future. As the weather and water continue to cool look for the bite to remain solid and the trout to start moving into their fall patterns. Eagle Lake's Fall bite is coming soon. Dates are beginning to fill up, don't wait and miss out on some of the most exciting trout fishing Northern California has to offer.

The trout fishing at Bucks Lake has continued to hold out strong here in the month of August. Recent trips have produced 25 to 45 fish per day with the majority being Rainbows but with Browns, Brookies as well as some Kokanee mixed in. This time of year I spend most of my time in the Bucks Creek or Mill Creek arms targeting these fish, of the two Bucks Creek has steadily out produced Mill Creek. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of fish over at Mill but they seem on average to be much smaller. We have been doing most of our damage on either side of the main channel of Bucks Creek fishing water in the 20 to 40 foot range, keeping the gear with in five feet of the bottom. I have been running the gear on a 40 to 50 foot set back off of the Cannon Downriggers and coating it with Trophy Trout Sauce from Pro-Cure. The best producers for the trout have been small spoons in Bikini and Red Dot Frog patterns, although other colors have also produced. The Mackinaw bite has been a little on the slow side lake wide with only a few reports of fish. I plan to spend some time in the coming weeks looking to boat a couple more for this 2009 season. PG and E is releasing water but the lake level is still up and in good shape with surface temps running in the low 70's. I look for the trout bite to continue strong as we move into September and transition into fall. This year, as usual, I will be moving to Eagle Lake towards the end of September for the fall. Don't miss your chance at this exciting Rainbow fishing, book early to secure your dates.

It has been a little time since the last update, my apologies. This summer has been extremely busy and extra time has been short. Over the course of the last month the fishing at Bucks Lake has been nothing short of phenomenal. The summer trout bite has held solid and looks to do so for a while. Both the Bucks Creek and Mill Creek arms of the lake have been giving up boat loads of Rainbows, Brookies and a few Browns. The trout have been hitting a variety of offerings trolled close to the bottom. My best producers have been the red dot frog or chrome bikini Needlefish. The fish have been running 12 to 17 inches. In addition to the trout we have seen some nice Kokanee on the same gear. This year Bucks has been producing fat 12 to 13 inch Kokes with some fish pushing the 14 inch mark. Now for the Mackinaw report. I haven't fished for them in the last 10 days however we certainly had some good results during mid July. On several trips we netted fish from 2 to 13 pounds, including a double hook up that produced a 7 and 12 pounder for Bob and Ron of Yuba City. All of the July Macks have been hooked on Pro Troll's Sting fish in chrome and green from 35 to 45 feet down. The latest fish have brought the boat's Mackinaw total to an unbelievable 593 pounds for the year! Almost all of these fish have been released unharmed to fight another day. I look for the trout bite to continue strong as we move into August and wind up the summer. This year, as usual, I will be moving to Eagle Lake towards the end of September for the fall. Don't miss your chance at this exciting Rainbow fishing, book early to secure your dates. ***Note Bob B. I received your message however you didn't leave me your email so that I may reply to you. Please give me a call at (530) 283-4103 or email me direct at bryan@bigdaddyfishing.com so we can chat.***

The Mackinaw bite is still holding on although the fish are more scattered, making them a little tougher to find and stay on. In recent trips we have managed to boat Macks from 4 to 15 pounds scoring 2 to 7 fish per trip including an 8 pounder caught while bottom trolling for trout on one of the Rogue 792 ultra light Kokanee rods. Talk about a big bend and an exciting battle. The Pro Troll Stingfish have been the tops with several patterns all featuring chartreuse being the most productive. The nice thing about Bucks Lake is we are still catching fish down only 35 to 50 feet. The addition of the latest fish has brought the boat's total to whopping 549 pounds for the season! My most productive area has been the south side of the Bucks Creek channel. There has also been some pretty good action for Browns and Bows to 18 inches both in the Mill Creek arm as well as the Bucks Creek side. The fish have been hitting a variety of spoons trolled near the bottom with copper and red as well as red dot frog getting the most action. The Kokanee seem to have grown a bit this year with a good number of 12 inch fish being caught along with a few 13 inchers and it's only June. My favorite combo of a watermelon dodger in front of an Uncle Larry's Pink Tiger has been working well from 25 to 35 feet down. The lake is still maxed out full and the surface temps are in the upper 60's. I will try to get some pictures up asap.

The Mackinaw bite just keeps on going. One advantage to the cooler weather and rain is that the water temp has actually dropped as much as 6 degrees into the lower 60's, that in conjunction with a full lake I think is really helping the bite. The fish seem to be up and still actively feeding on the lake's Kokanee population. This week the Stingfish from Pro-Troll have been hooking all the fish with several different patterns, all with green in them, have been getting the action. The fish have seemed to be on the move so finding them and staying on them has been a little bit of a challenge. The schools I have been working have ranges from 30 to 55 feet over 40 to 75 feet of water. In addition to the Mackinaw trips I have run some other trout and Kokanee trips with pretty good success. Most of our action on the Bows, Browns, and Brookies has come from either the Mill Creek or Bucks Creek channels. I have been fishing a variety of spoons close to the bottom and connecting with trout to 17 inches. The best Kokanee action has been over the open water of the Bucks Creek channel. I have found most of the schools holding from 25 to 35 feet with our best action occurring at 26 to 30 feet. The best set up for me has been the Watermelon Wild Thing with an Uncle Larry's Pink Tiger tipped with corn. The Kokanee are generally running 10 to 11 inches however there are also fish in the 12 to 12.5 inch range which are starting to put on a little weight. Congratulations to Mike Madsen of Eagle Mountain Utah who landed the biggest Mackinaw so far this season a fat 23 pound fish which was quickly released after the picture.

		Mike's 23 Pounder

The Mackinaw bite has continued to hold pretty solid with a few ups and downs. I have been concentrating on two areas of the lake, the back side of Rainbow Point and the edge of the Bucks Creek channel near the marinas. The fish have been hammering the Stingfish from Pro Troll with the green and chrome being the most popular with a few fish coming on the blue and chrome. This week we have had multiple 15 pound fish with a few 12's, 10's and 8's as well as a over eager 1 pounder who thought he could make a meal out of the plug. After a few quick pictures all of the fish were released. In addition to the Macks, we caught Rainbows and Browns to 16 inches and a few Kokanee in the Mill Creek and Bucks Creek arms. The best baits were Red Dot Frog Needlefish fished near the bottom starting in 10 to 12 feet of water in the morning and dropping down to 20 to 26 feet later in the day. The best Kokanee action was out in front of the marinas from 25 to 35 feet down. They have been stacked up pretty heavy in these areas and if your gear is in them you are going to get bit. Our best set up was a Watermelon Wild thing Dodger followed by a Pink Tiger Uncle Larry's Spinner. The Kokanee are running 10 to 11 inches. Surface temps are running in the upper 60's and the weather has been just about picture perfect in the mornings with a few thunder clouds forming in the afternoon.

Happy Birthday
2nd Time's A Charm	Big Bendo!!

Back on the water looking for more big fish. The first day was by most standards pretty good. We started on the Mill Creek side of the lake and after several passes the first rod went off. Greg was on it and following a good fight (and a little huffing and puffing) I netted a 15 pound class fish. The fish hit the chrome and green Stingfish at 39 feet and following a quick picture we released the fish. After a few more passes and a hook up that we lost I decided to move around the corner to the Bucks Creek side of the lake. We dropped the gear and began working the south side of the channel for 4 more Mackinaw from 2 to 8 pounds with a couple other hook ups with most of the fish coming on the chrome and blue Stingfish. The next day was a different day all together. A fleet of boats was on the water looking to tackle these fish. The bite had definitely slowed, in my opinion due to the pressure. Instead of working the fleet I tried to find other fish away from the crowds. We worked hard for only 2 hookups landing an 8.5 pound fish. Very few fish were landed that day across all the boats that were out. The addition of the last couple of days has brought the total weight of Mackinaw landed by my clients to 335 pounds so far this season.  The rest of my trips this weekend were focused on Rainbows and Browns. Most of our time was spent in the Bucks and Mill Creek areas. A size one Needlefish in red dot frog worked the best for us. We fished the rigs at 10 to 12 feet in the mornings along the shorelines and dropped down to 21 to 26 later in the day, keeping the rigs a few feet off the bottom. We landed Browns and Bows to 15 inches and a hand full of 10 to 11 inch Kokanee. Look for the Mack bite to pick back up after the fish have had a few days to rest up and the trout bite should only get better as we go along. The lake is basically full with surface temps running in the low to mid 60's.

Greg's 15#

Due to a camera malfunction, mine, I was unable to provide pictures from our 106 pound day on May 9th. Thanks to my clients Rick and Brian for sending along the shots off of their cameras for your enjoyment.

Back to the hunt for big fish and the MACK ATTACK CONTINUES!! We dropped the gear in the same areas I have been fishing in the days past. I again was able to find some active fish on the sonar and it wasn't long, in fact about 15 minuets until the chrome and green Stingfish got hammered. Dustin grabbed the rod while Leon and I cleared the other rods and downrigger cables. Following what was a great fight the large Mackinaw appeared from under the boat and was in the net. Not a bad way to start the morning, 17 pounds and a good shot of adrenaline. Dustin owns a cabin on the lake and has been at bucks for 60 years but this was his first Mackinaw. We continued to work the school of fish coming up with more double digit fish including a 10, 12 and 13 pounder along with a pair of 7 pound class fish and several other missed opportunities. It was definitely a plug bite today with the chrome and green being the best. (See the picture below with the Stingfish visible in the fish's mouth) At the end of the day we were 6 for 10 with a total of 67 pounds of Mackinaw being boated!

The next day found the fish scattered and holding in a variety of other areas. After some searching I found what looked like an active school in the Bucks Creek channel. I adjusted the gear down to 40 feet and the number 2 rod got hit and hooked up but the fish came unbuttoned. I turned around for another pass this time the hooks stuck and Jeanette worked a 4 pound fish to the boat. We whipped around for another pass, this time it was Steve's turn. The number one rod went off, and it was fish on. Chalk up another on for the Artic Fox Tandem Trolling Fly this time a 12 pound class fish that we quickly released. I continued to work this group of fish for several more hookups including a 10 pounder for Jeanette. The 10 and 12 pound fish were both personal best Mackinaw for the couple. They already have their 2010 Bucks Lake Mackinaw trip planned in hopes of landing yet bigger fish. Today's fish bring the total weight of Mackinaw landed by my clients to a whopping 293 pounds so far this season with more sure to come. I still have some days available if you want to get in on the hot  Mackinaw action. Contact me today to set up your trip.

Dustin's 17#	Another Mack To The Boat	Steve's	Jeanette's

Davis has always been the traditional fishing hole for the Greco Roman Fishing Trip so we had to do one day up there. It was hard to leave the big fish biting at Bucks but we headed out in search of Rainbows. We found a "lights out" bite on the Bows with the action almost being non stop. By the end of the day we had hooked somewhere near 40 fish. The problem was most of the fish were 11 to 12 inches with some as small as 8 inches. We fished the open water north of the island all the way to Lightning Tree as well as the shallows on the west side of the lake. Finally in the afternoon we found a group of larger fish in the 14 to 18 inch class that were concentrated just north of Camp 5 in 12 feet of water. We made several passes and ended up coming off the lake with 12 fish, most of which were decent trout. The best action came on Dic Nites copper red heads and copper Sockeye Slammers run from 4 to 10 feet deep.

Back on the water at Bucks Lake looking for trophy Mackinaw. I moved us into position on the east side of the Mill Creek channel behind Rainbow Point. As we started our run I began marking fish in the same spots we had caught them just days earlier. I was running 3 rods, two of them with Pro-Troll Stingfish, and one with a new rig I was testing, a Tandem Trolling Fly from Artic Fox in Kokanee color. I have been running the baits with a healthy dose of Pro-Cure's Rainbow Trout Sauce. We stayed in this general area working fish at around 40 feet hooking 6 fish but only landing 3, a 10, 13 and a 15 pounder caught by Tony Thomas that was the big fish leading the Greco Roman Fishing Trip's private tournament.  All of these fish were weighed and released. The exciting thing was that the fly was getting hammered.

The next day I was back on station with another group. Same area same rigs same depth. With only a couple hours to fish I was under a little pressure to get at least one fish for each of the four anglers. We hit one on the Stingfisgh in the first few minuets, a 5 pounder. Nick backed that one up with a 13 pounder on the fly on the very next pass. Then it was Rick's turn, he had come all the way from St. Charles MO and wasn't disappointed as the rod went off and he was tied into a 10 pound Bucks Lake Mackinaw. A good bite to say the least. I needed one more fish for my friend Munir. When the fly got hooked up this time we knew we had a good one. Munir was on the rod doing battle with a powerful fish, that at one point had us wondering if he had the fish or if the fish had him. Following a great fight I slid the net under a 16 + pound fish. This would be the private tournament's winning fish. The fish had inhaled the fly mortally wounding himself in the gills. All of the other fish were released to fight another day.

Tony's Mack	Lonnie with another	Uncle Nick's	Munir's Winning Fish

Brian Shontz and Rick Kennedy of Davis California returned this year to again do a combo trip, fishing Almanor one day and Bucks Lake the next. We had a couple good days in 2008 with the high light being Brian's 20 pound Mackinaw caught on the last pass of the day at Bucks. I picked up the duo on the docks at Wilson's Camp Prattville on Friday morning and in short order we had lines in the water heading south along Almanor's west shore. The water temp on the surface was in the low 50's and there had been a decent number of Browns holding in the shallows. It didn't take long for the first Brown to grab the black and silver Rapala on Rick's rod. We were running the baits 180 feet back and covered with Trophy Trout Sauce from Pro-Cure. We continued working the same area for several other hookups including a short fat 3.5 pound Brown and another hookup that gave Rick a great fight but was ultimately released. The weather was absolutely beautiful with bright sun and a flat glassy lake surface, not ideal for fishing the shallows so I moved us to a location near Dorado on the east shore and swung out the Cannon Downriggers. There were fish holding at the 20 foot mark, according to the sonar and the bouncing rod tips confirmed they were willing to bite. We failed to convert on several takedowns when the number 4 'rigger got hammered. It was a bikini colored Needlefish at 10 feet. Brian, to the rod in his usual speedy manor, was tied up with a hot Almanor Rainbow that gave him one heck of a fight. Another move put us along the west shore near Almanor West heading south to our starting location. Again the bikini Needlefish at 10 feet did its trick and Brian was doing battle with another Bow this time in the 4 pound class. What a fight and what a fish! Our last fish of the day came just as we got back in front of Wilson's, another Bow that was released.  Day two of our combo trip found us at Bucks Lake looking for some trophy Macks. I had some big shoes to fill after last years previously mentioned trip. We decided to work the area near Rainbow Point. I rigged my favorite Mack weapons, Stingfish from Pro-Troll, and began sinking lines to a variety of depths between 25 and 35 feet. The sonar was lit up with a pile of large returns that were diffidently Mackinaw. Rod two went down and it was fish on!! Following a powerful fight I slid the net under a 13 pounder for Rick. Brian was next, and on the very next pass, nearly in the same spot, rod 3 started pumping. Brian was on it. Another good battle and a 15.5 pounder was in the net. This would already be a good day of Mackinaw fishing at Bucks Lake, but what was to follow can only be described as a Mack Attack! Virtually every pass resulted in a hookup, we didn't get'em all, in fact we lost 3 fish including a hit that took the rod tip to the surface of the water and never let it up. I sure would have liked to see that one. The other fish we landed included a 7, 10, 16 and 3 other 15 pound class fish for a total of 8 fish landed, and a total weight of 106 pounds!!!!! We were able to release all but 2 fish, which inhaled the plug past their gills. What a day of fishing. As you might imagine these guys are already booked for the Friday and Saturday of Mothers Day Weekend in 2010, and I'm looking forward to it. I will get pictures up ASAP.

My apologies for the delay in reports, things have been busy up here in the mountains. Almanor is still kicking out some beautiful fish. The waters have warmed and bug hatches are popping all over the lake. The surface temps in the mornings have been running near 50 degrees and shooting up to 57 in the afternoons under sunny skies and light wind. Several low pressure systems have seemed to scatter the fish. The east shore has still been giving up some nice chunky Browns to 4 pounds. The fish are full of smelt or bugs and sometimes both. The west shore Brown fishing has picked up for us also with the warming waters. Black and silver Rapalas ripped in  the shallows have stuck fish on both sides of the lake. Late mornings and early afternoons I have been moving up to the flats on the north west side of the lake to find some hot Rainbows to 3 pounds. Pond smelt imitations and flies have been producing the fish for us. The weather forecast looks pretty good which should stabilize things and only improve the bite. Now for a little Bucks Lake update. The summit road has been plowed from Quincy up to the lake and the ramp at Lakeshore Resort is open. I made a quick scouting run with some very positive results. We hit the water about 11am and started with a quick top line run on the back side of the lake. It only took seconds before the first brown was hooked up. We landed 4 Browns to 3 pounds before switching to the Mackinaw gear and moving out into the open water of the lake. With time running short I really wasn't getting excited with what I was seeing on the sonar. Fifteen minuets into the troll I spotter a school of Macs suspended at 35 feet which was right in line with where we had placed the gear on the Cannon Downriggers. A few seconds later Jeff grabbed a rod out of the holder and it was fish on. Following a good fight I slipped the net under a 12 pound Mackinaw. We quickly released the fish and headed off to the ramp to put the boat back on the trailer. The lake looked to be about 10 to 12 feet down and on the rise with a fair amount of snow still waiting to melt into the lake. Looks like it will be a better year as far a lake levels go, and good water means good fishing.

First 09 Mackinaw	Brad's Bow	He always catches fish at Almanor

The conditions here at Lake Almanor have been a little up and a little down. The skies for the most part have been clear but some pressure gradients moving in and out created a fair amount of wind this week. The fishing is still hanging on and we are managing to put some nice fish in the boat. My main focus has still been the lake's Brown Trout population. The east shore action that had been fairly solid for a while now started to slow down but areas on the south side of the peninsula picked up the slack and started kicking out some beautiful Browns. Our fish have been averaging around 3 pounds with a few smaller fish in the 2 pound class and a few in the 4-4.5 pound range. As mentioned in previous reports the black and silver Rapalas, that do such a good job of imitating the Pond Smelt in the lake, have continued to work their magic in the shallows. I'm still running these baits 150 to 200 feet behind the boat with a healthy dose of Pro-Cure's Trophy Trout Sauce. The fish are feeding heavily on the Pond Smelt in the lake, and the "I ate to much but still want more" award goes to a 17 inch Brown that inhaled our 4.5 inch bait. When I cleaned that fish later in the day we discovered 2 dozen 3 inch smelt in his gut. The water level is still slowly on the rise and visibility in the areas I have been fishing is good at 5 to 7 feet. The surface temps have been running from 45 in the mornings to as high as 47 in the afternoons. The forecast is calling for some unsettled weather this week, once it clears look for the fishing to get right back on track. Congrats to Art Montiel of Redwood City who, during his first fishing experience ever, set the bar pretty high when he landed a 4 plus pound beautifully colored Almanor Brown.

Another Brown To The Boat	Art's First Brown

The days are sure starting to feel like spring here at Lake Almanor. The mornings have been flat and glassy with just a little wind in the afternoons for the most part. We have gotten a little more wind from time to time as low pressure systems have moved by stirring up some gusty conditions out of the north. The fishing is what I would call ok right now, with the numbers going up and down, but ready to explode at any second. All of the conditions on the lake are present to open it up into a full blown red hot spring bite. The water, due to a slightly better winter is on the rise,  surface temps have been starting out about 42 degrees in the mornings and warming to 48 under the sunny skies. There is a huge volume of Pond Smelt scattered all along the east shore as well as some up the west side. These little fish are a valuable food source for the sport fish in the lake, when their numbers are big the trout respond by being even fatter and more feisty than normal. Large groups of the Pond smelt can be seen all along the east shore in the mornings pushed to the surface by fish and being drilled from the air by the birds, later in the day they seem to be a little deeper with the only evidence of the maylay being scattered dead smelt floating on the surface and an occasional small group of injured disoriented fish. The Browns and Bows are both keying in on them and all the fish we have been landing have been stuffed full. One Brown, in the 3 pound class, spit up 13 on the floor of my boat while I was removing the hook. Others have had 25 to 30 visible smelt in their guts when I cleaned them. Like I said the fishing is doing ok right now and ready to only get better. I have been concentrating on the east shore trolling Rapalas in black and silver, and black and gold. We have been running these baits 200 feet behind the boat and coating them with Pro-Cure's Trophy Trout Sauce. This is a fun and exciting technique because the Rogue Rods are in your hands and when the fish light them up they do it in a big way, and due to the shallow water they usually make several acrobatic jumps. Our catch has been made up of exclusively Browns weighing 2 to 3.5 pounds with the larges ones going up to 4.5 pounds. In fact it has been quite a few trips since I have seen a Rainbow on board. I have made a few runs over to the west shore just to check on things, and today we did hook a couple fish just south of Prattville using the same techniques.  Again, all the conditions are primed and ready to bust wide open, you don't want to miss this spring bite at Almanor.

Well how about an update from Lake Almanor. It looks like my rain dancing has accomplished a couple things; first the positive, we have been the recipient of a fair amount of precipitation in the form of both snow and rain. (More is still needed) The negative is that the rising  snow level brought  very heavy rain to the Almanor Basin resulting in a huge rush of water hitting the lake.  This heavy snow melt churned the waters of Almanor to the point that in some places it looked more like chocolate milk, while also dropping the water temp some 4 to 5 degrees in places in a matter of 4 days. Needless to say all this had a negative effect on the fishing. We have now seen almost a week of fair weather with warm spring days and very little wind. This has really helped water clarity as well as the temperature. In places over the last couple days I have been able to see my downrigger releases as deep as 8 feet and the water temp on the surface has been starting in the low 40's and topping out around 48 in the early afternoon. The pond smelt have come up out of the deep water and have concentrated all along the east shore and the browns have followed. We have been concentrating on the rocky shorelines at various points along the east shore in the shallows for aggressively feeding browns. Working the shallows with black and silver Rapalas coated with Pro-Cure's Trophy Trout Sauce has produced brown from 2 to 4.5 pounds with the average fish going over 3 pounds. While many of these fish have been released, the fish I have cleaned for clients have been stuffed with 3 inch pond smelt. The fish are fat and healthy putting up great battles on the light tackle. This bite has been fairly solid from the early morning until 10 or 11 and then shuts off due to pressure and clear conditions. We have been able to move out over deeper water in the later mornings and catch Rainbows from 4 to 10 feet down on the downriggers. Our best baits for the Bows have been The Naked Nightcrawler and Artic Fox Tube Flies in a Pond Smelt pattern. Looks like we have a couple days of storms ahead, following that I expect the fishing to pick up right where it left off and only continue to get better as we move along into spring. The "Captain's Club" up and running. This is a way for me to better stay in touch with you. As a member you will be eligible for special reports featuring hot bites, open days, discounted rates, and special offers. You will also be entered into a yearly drawing for a free fishing trip. For more information and to register CLICK HERE . Until then.

Danny's Brown

The quality of fishing has been steadily on the increase over the last couple of weeks. Water temps are in the high 30's to low 40's depending on time of day and your location on the lake. I have run just a few trips in the last couple weeks, and have continued to work the east shore in a variety of locations. With every trip the number and size of the Browns have improved. The largest so far has been a 4.5 pounder caught by S.F. Johnson of Magalia CA. The weapons of choice have been Rapalas in a variety of colors but my old stand-by black and silver has been producing the best. We are fishing these baits in 7 to 10 feet of water and nearly 200 feet behind the boat. I also have been making heavy use of Pro-Cure's Trophy Trout scent. We have experienced several days of much needed rain and are now looking at several days of snow. This precipitation is a good thing (Trust me we need it bad). Despite the inclement weather the access at the Canyon Dam Boat Launch is good. Once these next series of storms clear I will be back out after them. The "Captain's Club" up and running. This is a way for me to better stay in touch with you. As a member you will be eligible for special reports featuring hot bites, open days, discounted rates, and special offers. You will also be entered into a yearly drawing for a free fishing trip. For more information and to register CLICK HERE . Until then.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who stopped by the booth at the Sacramento ISE Show. It was good to see some of my old friends and to meet some new ones. As I probably mentioned to you at the show, we are currently watching the ice situation at Lake Almanor. The ice has been rapidly building from the north and quickly swallowing up the open water. There are several storm fronts on the way which will help to break up the high pressure overhead and free up more fishable water. As soon as I get back on the water in search of those trophy Browns (Hopefully later this week.) you will know about it.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" or so the song goes. Winter has finally decided to show up dropping snow to low levels in the Sierras. We have close to a foot of snow here in Quincy even after a full day of rain yesterday. It is probably no surprise to most of you that I have been doing secret rain and snow dances after dealing with low lake levels all year. While we did end up with quite a season at Eagle Lake, producing both good numbers and quality size, launching was a bit challenging due to the shallow water. A good rush of water this spring following a good winter will certainly help. The summer trout bite was unbelievable at Bucks Lake. The quality 'Bows went on a tear through most of July and August as we caught and released some days more than 40 fish per morning. Almanor certainly lived up to its reputation producing a killer spring Brown bite. We were held off the water by a persistent ice pack until the first part of March, but once it opened up at the Canyon Dam boat ramp we were rewarded with an spectacular bite for quality Browns along the east shore. I'm looking forward to another great year in '09. I'm taking a little bit of time while the weather is here to accomplish some routine maintenance on both boats to have them ready to go when the roads and skies clear. Weather and ice permitting I will be doing some trips on Almanor from now through January until the big Sacramento International Sportsmen's Expo at Cal Expo January 15th to the 18th. I'd like to invite all of you to the show and to stop by and say hi. This year as in years past I will be in booth number 3436 in the Sportfishing Hall. Here is wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.