Lake Almanor Fishing Report | July 7

The Junior Optimizer is a large, precision-stamped trolling spoon engineered for high-speed presentations that cover serious water and produce rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, and king salmon when standard hardware can't keep up. Its wide profile pushes through the water with a consistent wobble-and-flash at fast trolling speeds without spinning or rolling out, giving it reliable action across mixed-speed spreads from inside lines to outside leads. Built to cover long distances behind the boat, it stays in the strike zone from the flat line all the way back to the third rod, making it one of the most versatile spoons in the lineup for any multi-rod trolling spread. The 24K gold and chrome base finishes maximize reflectivity, and the full 28-color library covers the attractor and imitative patterns that produce across varying light conditions and fisheries.

Brown trout are one of the most challenging fish in freshwater: spooky, selective, and quick to reject anything that doesn’t feel or smell exactly right. I developed Brown Town specifically to give you an edge on browns, using a premium fish attractant formula that matches the forage profile brown trout key on in California’s high-elevation lakes and reservoirs. Apply it to flies, soft baits, or bait and you’ll notice fish committing faster and holding longer. The difference between a fish that follows and a fish that bites. If browns are your target, Brown Town belongs in your kit.

The Mini and Micro Trix Grubs are designed for finesse trout presentations where a standard 3-inch grub is too large for the fish’s current feeding behavior. Their scaled-down profile matches the tiny invertebrates and micro-forage that rainbow trout and kokanee target during selective feeding periods, triggering strikes when full-size baits are getting ignored. The ribbed body still produces the vibration and swimming action that defines the Trix Grub series, just in a more subtle profile. Available in 7 colors including glow and bright patterns for low-light conditions.

The Trix Grub is a 3-inch soft bait built to produce where standard baits fall flat. Its ribbed body creates intense vibration and a natural swimming action that mimics the small forage rainbow trout key in on throughout the season. The soft, lifelike compound generates a realistic feel that keeps trout holding longer, giving you the extra split-second needed to set the hook clean. Fish it behind a dodger, on a Trix Rigging Kit, or as a drop shot bait for a versatile trout presentation that works at multiple depths throughout the season.

Garlic has been a proven fish attractant for generations, and Goomba Garlic takes that classic ingredient and builds a premium formula around it that works on kokanee, rainbow trout, and landlocked salmon. I developed this formula based on what I’ve seen work consistently on Lake Almanor, one of Northern California’s most demanding trout fisheries. The garlic base is enhanced with amino acids and feeding stimulants that amplify the strike trigger beyond what plain garlic provides. Apply it to soft baits, flies, or dodgers and you’ll put more fish in the boat.