Fishing Report: Brian Thomas-New Melones

Fishing Report: Brian Thomas-New Melones

Catch America – Fishing Report

Location & Conditions

Body of Water: New Melones

City / Region: Not specified in report

Date of Report: May 19, 2025

Weather Conditions: Flat calm, light winds — great boating conditions

Water Temperature: 67°F

Water Clarity: Crystal clear

Water Level / Flow: Not specified, but conditions are stable


Fishing Overview

Overall Fishing Rating (1–5): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Target Species: Trout (based on fish size, tactics, and spoon/hoochie combo)

Most Active Depth Range: Not specified, but likely upper 20–40 ft based on presentation and time of year

Most Effective Presentation:

  • Morning: Trolling near structure
  • Afternoon: Drift fishing


Best Time of Day: Morning for trolling; afternoon for drift bite

Successful Lures or Baits Used:

  • UV-enhanced spoons
  • Mini hoochies in natural patterns

Other Techniques That Worked:

  • Using longer fluorocarbon leaders in clear water

Notable Catches:

  • Fish in the 15–17" range, consistently healthy and abundant
  • Daily limits nearly guaranteed

Guide’s Tips & Notes

Advice for This Week:

  • Use long fluorocarbon leaders to stay stealthy in clear water
  • Focus on structure early in the day and shift to a drift bite as the sun climbs

Changes You’re Seeing:

  • Conditions have stabilized with calmer winds, improving catch consistency
  • Fish are uniformly healthy, with strong average size

Predictions for Next Week:

  • Expect continued strong limits if the clear water and calm conditions hold
  • Early birds will continue to do best trolling near structure

⚠️ New Regulations Alert:

Gate Hours:

  • Fri–Sun: 6:30 AM – 8:30 PM
  • Mon–Thurs: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Plan accordingly — these weekday hours can sneak up on you!

Related Posts

Fishing Report: Big Nate - Lake Berryessa

Fishing Report: Big Nate - Lake Berryessa

Catch America – Fishing Report Location & Conditions Body of Water: Lake Berryessa City / Region: Napa County, CA Date of Report: May 19, 2025 Weather Conditions: Not specified (assumed stable; clear from fishing success) Water Temperature: Not specified Water Clarity: Not specified Water Level / Flow: Not specified Fishing OverviewOverall Fishing Rating (1–5): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Target Species: Kokanee Salmon (primary), Rainbow Trout (incidental) Most Active Depth Range: 40–70 feet Most Effective Presentation: Trolling Best Time of Day: Not specified, but steady bite throughout trip Successful Lures or Baits Used: Chrome Killer corn with tuna oil and Pautzke’s dye Trinidad Tackle Dodgers (straight gold, pink, moon jelly) Uncle Larry’s Tackle Texas Tackle gear Other Techniques That Worked: Staying away from boat clusters to locate active fish Mixing in gear styles but keeping baits in the right depth zone Notable Catches: Double limits of kokanee on the first targeted trip of the season Numerous rainbow trout caught and released Kokanee described as “donkeys” and “massive” Guide’s Tips & Notes Advice for This Week: If you’re chasing kokanee, stay off the beaten path—don’t follow the crowd or other boats. Be precise with your depth. These fish were stacked from 40–70 feet. Run gear like Chrome Killer corn combos and bright dodgers for best results. Changes You’re Seeing: This is the start of kokanee season, and the bite is already hot. Trout are still around and active but were not the main focus—expect a few hookups as bycatch. Predictions for Next Week: With kokanee already putting on weight, the next month or two could be epic. Expect increased size and even better action as we roll into summer. Look for continued success mixing in trout and even the occasional king salmon if targeting deeper water.

Learn more
Fishing Report: Cal Kellogg - Collins Lake

Fishing Report: Cal Kellogg - Collins Lake

Catch America – Fishing Report Location & Conditions Body of Water: Collins Lake City / Region: Browns Valley, CA Date of Report: May 19, 2025 Weather Conditions: Windy with stable temperatures; earlier in the week had calm, warmer conditions Water Temperature: 67–68°F Water Clarity: Not specified Water Level / Flow: Not specified Fishing Overview Overall Fishing Rating (1–5): ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Fair to Good) Target Species: Rainbow Trout, Lightning Trout Most Active Depth Range: 17–25 ft, with some fish marked at 40–50 ft Most Effective Presentation: Trolling Best Time of Day: Not specified Successful Lures or Baits Used: #1 Bait: Pink Bubblegum Trout Tricks Minnow with Trigger scent Spoons starting to produce: Orange Trigger Spoon Junior Trinidad Tackle Popped Eye Spoons Other Techniques That Worked: Trolling at 1.8–2.3 mph (ideal speed: 2.0 mph) Using a variety of divers and recently added downriggers Notable Catches: One standout Lightning Trout caught at 20 ft, weighing 4.5–5 lbs Guide’s Tips & Notes Advice for This Week: Fish are present but not super active—focus on trolling with scented baits to trigger bites. Spoons are starting to produce, so it’s worth giving them some run time in your spread. Keep your trolling speed dialed in around 2.0 mph for the best action. Changes You’re Seeing: Trout activity is sluggish despite good numbers in the lake. Presence of immature threadfin shad may be influencing feeding behavior, although none found in stomachs yet. Water temperatures are beginning to rise, and fish are gradually moving deeper. Predictions for Next Week: Expect the deeper bite to improve as the water warms up—downriggers will become more essential. Spoon bite likely to get stronger, so be ready to swap out baits and experiment with colors.

Learn more

Fishing Report: Bryan Roccucci - Lake Almanor

Catch America – Fishing Report Location & Conditions Body of Water: Lake Almanor City / Region: Chester, CA – Northern Sierra Nevada Date of Report: May 19, 2025 Weather Conditions: Highly variable – calm, windy, cloudy, rainy (often all in one day) Water Temperature: Low to mid-50s°F Water Clarity: Improving – nice green color Water Level / Flow: Near full (only 2 feet below max pool) Fishing Overview Overall Fishing Rating (1–5): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Target Species: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout Most Active Depth Range: 15–30 ft (some fish down to 35 ft) Most Effective Presentation: Fast approach: Trolling 3+ mph with hardware Slow approach: Finesse plastics with nightcrawlers Best Time of Day: Not specified Successful Lures or Baits Used: Optimizer Juniors (scented) Trigger Spoons (scented) Soft plastics tipped with nightcrawlers Brown Town scent effective on soft plastics Other Techniques That Worked: Matching aquatic insect hatches Varying trolling speed and presentations depending on the conditions Notable Catches: A beautiful 27" Brown Trout released after smashing a soft plastic soaked in Brown Town scent Guide’s Tips & Notes Advice for This Week: Be cautious—water temps are still cold, and safety should be a priority, especially on boats. Get on the water early before the afternoon winds pick up. Changes You’re Seeing: Hexfly larvae are starting to show up in stomachs—a key sign the spring bite is ramping up. Fish are responding to both fast and slow presentations, depending on weather shifts. Bug hatches are triggering short-lived surface feeding events. Predictions for Next Week: Expect improving action as the spring bite continues to build. Look for even more consistent brown trout appearances, especially with aquatic bug life ramping up. Keep working that 15–30 ft zone—adjust depth as temps continue to stabilize.

Learn more