Late fall is a great time be at Lake Almanor, according to Doug Neal at Almanor Fishing Adventures. The big brown trout are getting active and ready to spawn, with very little fishing pressure. Larger rainbows are lurking nearby to feed off the spawn. Salmon eggs with a small split-shot worked slowly back to your boat or shoreline is a good method. Also white jigs bouncing around a nest will probably get an aggression hit from a male or nesting female.
Female browns need to be released; males too. The meat is not that great during the spawn. The big rainbows are great to eat, and they will be around all spawn activity. Trolling has still been very effective, but the fish are on the small side. Most have been in the 10 to 15-inch range, and a few over two pounds. Silver Needlefish, red/gold Speedy shiners and red/gold Seps Pro Secrets should be trolled eight to 10 feet down at 2.4 mph.
Fil Torres at Oroville Outdoors also advised that construction work will be done in late November at the Canyon Dam and Almanor Boat Launches.
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The annual "King of the Cats" tournament at Irvine Lake bestowed a new title over the weekend, as Elaine Dickerhoof of Artesia became the "Queen of the Cats" with her 17-0 blue catfish. "The catfish bite has been good, with lots of bigger fish", observed Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The fish are moving deeper, and were mostly caught at 20 to 25 feet at the flats and the west shore." Getty tipped, "Bonito was the best bait......
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The traditional best month of the year for Irvine Lake's blue catfish population kept up with its reputation this week. Plenty of channel cats from 2 to 6-pounds are filling the stringers, but the bigger blues are definitely active as autumn arrives, and October is prime time for the monster-size blues to over 80 pounds that inhabit Irvine's depths. Best baits are mackerel, bonito, and skipjack, with Santiago Flats getting the lion's share of attention, although channel cats can......
