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Collins Lake Fishing Report | February 17, 2025

Report by Capt. Cal Kellogg
Cal Kellogg is a veteran Northern California trout and salmon guide and a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop Cal Kellogg's tackle.
What is working right now

Trolling is back on at Collins Lake. Cal Kellogg put three trout in the box in the first 20 minutes slow-trolling a pink 6 inch Dodger and a threaded worm with a garlic power egg, at 1.7 mph and just 6 feet down. Slather it with Trigger Scent. Water is 47 degrees and rising after the storms. Bait fishing still edges trolling, so keep PowerBait in 15 feet or less.

Can you troll for trout at Collins Lake right now?

Yes. Cal Kellogg got three trout to the boat in about 20 minutes on the troll, a sign conditions are improving in the wake of the big storms. It is not huge fish yet, but it is productive action, and trolling and bait fishing should soon produce equally.

What is Cal's best trolling setup?

A bright pink 6 inch Dodger trailing a threaded Nightcrawler about 16 inches back, teamed with a pink garlic power egg. He slow-trolls it at 1.5 to 2 mph, only about 6 feet deep, and adds Trigger Scent for maximum scent, flash, and vibration. Bites are soft, so give the fish time with the worm.

How deep and how fast at Collins Lake?

Shallow and slow. Cal ran his Dodger-and-worm about 6 feet down at 1.5 to 2 mph. For bait, keep your PowerBait in 15 feet of water or less whether you fish from a boat or the bank.

What is the best bait setup?

Rainbow or green garlic PowerBait, often tipped with a floating garlic Gulp worm, and always dosed with Power Powder to add amino acids and bite stimulants. Add Trigger Scent for extra scent.

Cal's outlook for Collins Lake

The lake is full and spilling, water quality is improving, and the surface temperature is climbing toward the 50s. Cal is marking big arches everywhere. Once the water warms a little more, it is going to be game on for trollers and bait anglers alike, and thanks to the high water, downrigger fishing should last into midsummer.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Cal Kellogg): That fish came on a pretty basic combo for this time of year, bright pink 6 inch Dodger trailing a threaded worm teamed with a pink garlic power egg, and that worm is probably 16 inches behind the blade, just close enough for the blade to impart a little bit of action. Speed 1.7 miles an hour, depth about 6 feet. The water is stained, it's not muddy, it's stained, I got about 2 feet of visibility here, 47 degrees and going up.

Collins Lake February 17, 2025 FAQ

Can you troll at Collins Lake in mid February?

Yes, trolling is producing again. Cal boated three trout in about 20 minutes, though bait fishing still edges it out.

What is the best trolling setup at Collins Lake?

A pink 6 inch Dodger and a threaded Nightcrawler with a garlic power egg, slow-trolled at 1.5 to 2 mph about 6 feet down, scented with Trigger Scent.

What is the best bait at Collins Lake right now?

Rainbow or green garlic PowerBait tipped with a garlic Gulp worm, dosed with Power Powder by Cal Kellogg.

How deep should I keep my bait at Collins Lake?

Keep PowerBait in 15 feet of water or less, from a boat or the bank.

What is the water temperature at Collins Lake?

About 47 degrees and rising as the lake spills clean water and the sun warms the surface.

Who guides Collins Lake for Catch America?

Capt. Cal Kellogg, who books Collins Lake trips into spring and summer.

Tags: Collins Lake fishing report rainbow trout
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Sacramento River Fishing Report | August 1, 2026

Report by Capt. Jeff Goodwin Jeff Goodwin runs Jeff Goodwin Guide Service on the upper Sacramento River and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Reach him at (530) 510-2925 to book a trip. Shop Jeff Goodwin's tackle. What is working right now The upper Sacramento River king salmon season opened August 1, 2026 at the world-famous Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. It was a slow opener with under a dozen fish caught, but Capt. Jeff Goodwin says prime fishing is only 2 to 3 weeks out. His go-to is back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on 10 ounce weights, double-wrapped with fresh sardine and wild prawn. What is biting on the upper Sacramento River right now?King salmon are the target at the Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. August 1, 2026 was the official opener, and Capt. Jeff Goodwin called it a light, slow opener with fewer than a dozen fish caught. His daughter Gracie boxed the first fish. More salmon are arriving as the run builds. What technique is working for Sacramento River king salmon?Back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on the bottom. Jeff runs 10 ounces of weight to reach bottom in the deep water, with 12 to 18 inch droppers and about a 48 inch leader. The lead gets the plugs down where the fish hold since they will not dive that deep alone. How do you wrap plugs for Sacramento River salmon?Double-wrap the plug with fresh sardine and a piece of wild-caught prawn. Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. Start with a loose wrap that keeps the hooks free so you do not tie them to the plug body, then add a couple of wraps on top. More bait draws more bites as long as it does not kill the action. How do you tune a Brad's KillerFish plug?Wrapping bait shifts the center of gravity, so a plug that ran straight can start leaning one way. The fix is the eye: if the plug swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. Test it beside the boat until it dives straight and dances side to side. Out of tune plugs will not get bit. What does massaging the plug mean?It means keeping continuous action on the plug so it never sits dead on the bottom. Pull up on the rod to make the plug dart to one side, then drop the tip so it flutters back. Salmon often hit on that flutter, so be ready for a hard, full-on strike that takes line right away. What is the guide's outlook for the Barge Hole?Jeff says the area is about 2 to 3 weeks out from really good fishing. August, September, and October are the prime months, and a late fall run from November through the end of December produces some of the biggest fish of the season. Eggs, boondogging, and hover fishing come later in the run. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Jeff Goodwin): One of the favorite techniques for fishing out here in the Barge Hole is to back-bounce Brad's Killerfish. Today, we're using 15s and 16s as far as the size goes. We're running 12 to 18-inch droppers, and then about a 48-inch leader. We're using 10 ounces of weight today because we've got quite a bit of water, and we let out enough line to get down to the bottom. Sacramento River August 1, 2026 FAQ When did the upper Sacramento River salmon season open in 2026?The Barge Hole area opened August 1, 2026. Jeff notes his openers have always been July 16th and August 1st, though an open river does not mean the fishing is great yet. Where is the Barge Hole?On the upper Sacramento River near Anderson and Cottonwood, California, just below where Battle Creek dumps in. Salmon stack here and hold until the first October rains, then turn up Battle Creek to Coleman National Fish Hatchery. What weight do you use to back-bounce at the Barge Hole?Jeff ran 10 ounces of weight on opening day because there was quite a bit of water, letting out enough line to stay on the bottom. What leader and dropper lengths does Jeff Goodwin use?About 12 to 18 inch droppers and roughly a 48 inch leader, sometimes into the 50s. What baits do you wrap on Brad's KillerFish plugs?Fresh sardine and wild-caught prawn are the go-to, and Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. How do you know a plug is tuned correctly?Pull it up toward the bow of the boat. If it stays alongside the boat and dances side to side while diving straight, it is tuned. If it swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. When is the best salmon fishing on the upper Sacramento River?August, September, and October are prime, and a late fall run from November through the end of December brings some of the biggest fish. The opener itself was slow, about 2 to 3 weeks from really good fishing. Who guides the upper Sacramento River Barge Hole?Capt. Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin Guide Service. Call or text (530) 510-2925 to book. Shop the Tackle Brad's KillerFish KF15 Brad's KillerFish KF16 Shop Capt. Jeff Goodwin's Tackle Shop River Salmon Gear

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San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | July 27, 2026

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