Matthew and Morgan with their trout stringer for the morning on Shasta Lake!
Shasta Lake has been a consistent producer of trout this winter season. I've had some really good days, especially when targeting rainbow trout in the 14"-16" range. The bigger fish days are intentional and we do catch fewer fish, but the quality is exceptional right now. We're seeing a lot of browns returning to the lake after spawning and some have already filled out very nicely.
Shasta Lake browns are making a move back into the main arms of the lake and we're catching them consistently.
I've been trolling all over and can say most of my bigger fish are coming early and right on top. If you want to get the big browns to come up for your baits, bump up your trolling speeds in the early hours of the day. When the sun comes up and covers the lake, I slow down a bit and drop the baits down 10'-20', especially if the surface is glassed over. If its windy, its not as important to go down for the trout.
This fly is a hot one for Shasta Lake rainbows and browns, and so is its equal in white. See www.trollingflies.com to order!
For fun fishing and catching good numbers of rainbows, try trolling some Arctic Fox Trolling flies with action discs 0"-6" in front of them, like the one pictured above. Troll at around 2 mph and you should get bites. For you bait fishermen out there, add a piece of nightcrawler to your presentations for more bites. 5'-15' feet is a good depth to start at in the morning, but just like I said earlier, drop your presentations down when the sun comes up and covers the lake surface. If you happen to see some good fish marks on the sonar in the 20'-40' range, drop down and go after them. Those fish will bite if they like what swims by.
This rig has been deadly lately. Try a Mack's Lure Smile Blade in front of the small hoochie as well as I really like them. Try different color Mack's Lure 4" dodgers, especially in the UV colors for great results.
Conditions are always changing and the fish are moving around the lake following food and comfortable water temps. With that being said, if you find some good fishing spots, don't leave fish to find fish. You're better off staying in one area. Those trout are there for a reason. If they leave after you've caught a few, work the shoreline. The fish will move near shore when they get disturbed. These trout will bite a lot of presentations so if a bait isn't working, try something new. Sometimes it really pays off. I have openings in March if you'd like a first hand lesson, or if you just want to have a fun day on the lake catching trout, give me a call or send me a message to set something up!
Do you want to share the pure joy of catching a fish with friends or family? We can help make that happen. The smiles on the faces of family and loved ones are priceless. I've never seen a frown on the face of someone fighting a fish to the net!
