The 2006 season is just about in the books, I will be finishing up this year and starting 2007 at Lake Almanor. Thank you to everyone who fished with me this year it was a good one. I look forward to seeing you all again. Don't forget to stop in and say hi at the Sacramento ISE show. (January 18-21 at Cal Expo) I have the same booth I have had for the last several years (#3436) in the sport fishing hall.

Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

The last trip of the 2006 season. We departed the South marina at 7am, and dropped gear right out of the jetty heading west for Christie. After several passes resulting in only two take-downs and one small fish we headed North to Miners Point. Seconds after getting the gear in the water we hooked and landed a nice fish. I kept the boat headed North past the Youth Camp and around the tip of Pelican Point. Every time I would think about turning the boat to go back for another pass a rod would pop. These fish were all healthy, running in the high 3 lb to low 4 lb class. The best baits for us were 3 inch grubs in brown and in orange. We started off catching fish right on the surface, however with the water being like glass and the sun getting higher it wasn't long before the shallow rods shut down and the 10 - 12 foot rods picked up. It was a great way to end the 2006 season. I'm already looking forward to opening day 2007.

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It was two days fly fishing on Eagle Lake. We started out the 28th on Troxel Point and really didn't need to leave. The group landed good numbers of nice fish from the first cast of the morning. The hot fly of the day was a size 8 rust colored bugger. Three of us started out with floating lines while Phil decided to run an intermediate line. I believe it was about the time Phil landed his third fish that the rest of us decided to change out our floating lines. We explored several other spots in an effort to get out of what turned out to be a strong wind but other than a couple of strikes they didn't produce. While it was pretty cold on the 28th the temperature really dropped over night to less than 10 degrees and with very little wind a good ice sheet formed in the Spaulding marina extending a quarter mile out into the lake. We eased the boat through the ice and headed back to Troxel Point only to find it was starting to form ice as well. We decided to head South in search of warmer water. Chatter on the radio indicated that a lot of people who had done well the day before were now struggling to get fish. We dropped in and fished a number of points and ledges in the South basin but could not get on the fish. We finally found one off of Miners Point. Despite the cold temps it turned out to be two beautiful days of fly fishing Eagle Lake. I know I'm already looking forward to this trip next year.

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Today we decided to change up the scenery a little bit. I backed off the dock of Mariners Resort at 6am and headed South. We were just off the end of Troxel Point when it became obvious that to get to the South end of the we would be in heavy fog. I decided to stop at Troxel Point and give it one pass. The plan was to run 4 rods, 2 on the Cannons and 2 on the side planers. We dropped a combination of several different colored orange grubs 150 feet behind the boat with one of the planers getting an Uncle Larry's Spinner in Black Perch with a brown grub "pony tailed" on the hook. All the baits were treated with a healthy dose of Pro-Cure's Freshwater Shrimp Oil. I tucked the boat into 6 feet of water and trolled South along the rocks. In a matter of seconds we were hooked up with what would be the biggest fish of the day a 4.5 pound hen, and after several more hook ups the decision was made to stay put and forget about the South end. We continued to work the area with excellent results, only a couple of the fish we landed were under 3.5 pounds.

The good fishing continued for us at the South end of the lake. We heard chatter on the radio about fish being caught near the Youth Camp but  when every fish you hook is over 3.5 pounds it is hard to want to go anywhere else. We continued to work the rocky points with a combination of orange grubs on the downriggers at 4 to 12 feet and Uncle Larry Spinners in Black Perch with brown and orange grubs "pony tailed" up on the side planers. The bite was diffidently best in the morning, however we were able to catch fish right until we were coming off the water around noon with the fish going deeper as the sun got higher. Water temps were running in the mid to high 40's in the South basin and 2 to 5 degrees cooler as you went north. The fish we boated ran from 3.5 to 4.5 pounds with a couple of shakers that were released. The 18th presented an interesting challenge as the lake was covered in "pea soup" fog so it took us a while to carefully navigate from the Spalding launch to the South end of the lake. My two GPS systems told me exactly where I was on the lake however there were a number of boats already on the water some choosing not to run their lights. The fog hung with us until around 11am, and with the low light the fish stayed right at the surface all morning. If you plan to fish Eagle Lake between now and the end of the season please use caution as the weather can rapidly change and the roads are a little slick in the mornings. I'm currently scheduled to be guiding the lake through December 3rd and have a few dates left available, don't miss your chance to get in on some of this phenomenal light tackle trout fishing.

Well you knew the great fishing in the north basin had to end at some point and for me it was the 10th. I went back to the well again fishing the Troxel Point and castle areas, while we did manage to land some fish the size and the number were both down from the weeks before. I moved into the area in front of the airstrip at Spalding and we found good numbers of quality fish. We continued fishing as we had over the past couple of weeks running orange grubs 150 feet behind the boat and 4 to 6 feet down over 10 to 12 feet of water. The bite held solid for two days but on the 12th we were getting a lot of short strikes and lost fish. I have, over the last several weeks, wanted to make a run down to the South end and fish some rocky points we had done very well at for the last 2 years, and Sunday was my chance. We moved on to some rocky areas between Eagle Lake Marina and Christie Camp. The bite was not red hot but solid and all of the fish were quality, running 3.5 pounds and up. We fished this area much in the same way with the orange grubs 7 to 9 feet down in 11 to 35 feet of water. My plan was to target fish in tight to the rocky points then make my turns out over the deeper water, however we managed to hook just as many fish in the deep water as we did in the shallows. All in all a productive run to the South end of the lake. The day was capped off by the last fish of the day being landed by 12 year old Travis Lewman. The fish put up one of the most spectacular fights of the day, jumping numerous times, each time completely clearing the surface of the water. Good job Travis! The action should continue strong as the fish feed up for winter. If you want to get in on the great fishing Eagle Lake has to offer there are still a few dates available this season.

The weather said it was more like Summer but the fishing was all Fall. I spent the last 3 days continuing to work the northern basin with great results. Most of our time was spent near the castle and Troxel Point trolling in 6 - 8 feet of water. The hot ticket has been orange grubs in 2 and 3 inch sizes, sometimes one size would out perform the other and a times it didn't seem to matter. Due to the shallow water we kept these baits 150 feet (and some times further) behind the boat and fished them 4 to 6 feet down on the downriggers. There was a small amount of grass on the surface but not enough to make these areas un-fishable, but each day it is up to the wind as to where the grass will end up. The surface temp has been running in the mid 40's but the water clarity has been a little dim. (probably why the bright colors have been best) Most of our fish for the three days were over 3.5 lbs with a number of them over 4 lbs and none of them came to the boat easy. Someday the weather will turn and it will feel like late Fall at Eagle Lake so be prepared.

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The weather at Eagle Lake really couldn't be beat. Chilly in the mornings ant t-shirts in the afternoons with a slight breeze depending on where you were fishing. We started out fishing along 139 where we had been quite successful in previous weeks. The pattern has changed a little, there are still fish holding on the grass beds along 139 but more fish have moved in on the West side of the North basin. We landed several fish and then moved to an area North West of Troxel point and had good results there. In 8-9 feet of water we ran a combination of brown and orange grubs from 5-7 feet down on the Cannon downriggers and a pair of Uncle Larry's Spinners in "Black Perch" with brown grubs "pony tailed" on the side planers. With the water conditions being clear and flat we extended our set back sometimes as much as 200 feet from the boat. The water temp is running from 45 to 47 degrees and there is some grass on the surface but it certainly was fishable. The fish we landed were averaging just over 3 pounds and were putting up tough battles. Look for the bite to improve especially as the conditions become more seasonable.

Tuesday the 10th the weather was unsettled with plenty of wind and clouds but no rain, and by Thursday the weather was perfect, well except for the thick layer of smoke that hung on the lake thanks to a "prescribed" burn west of Spaulding. The smoke resembled thick fog and in places there was extremely low visibility. We spent most of our time in the mornings fishing the grass beds in the northern basin well off shore from Hwy. 139, however due to boat pressure and sunlight the bite would slow around 10am. In the late mornings we moved and fished several locations including Buck Point, Pelican Point and the narrows near Troxel Point. In the mornings on the grass beds a combination of brown and orange grubs seemed to be the hot ticket. Due to water depth (5-8 feet) and good water clarity we trolled these rigs more than 150 feet behind the boat from the surface to 6 feet down. On Thursday we found that an Uncle Larry's Spinner in "Black Perch" with a brown grub "pony tail" fished on a Seps planer board really produced, in fact it accounted for more than half our fish. These rigs continued to work later in the day as we fished the other areas mentioned above, but in these spots we ran the gear slightly deeper at 6-10 feet. I would not rate the bite as red hot but it certainly is good and the quality of fish is excellent with only a few of our fish being under 3 pounds and most running in the high 3 pound range and several over 4 pounds.

Despite a full moon and an un-settled weather pattern the bite at Eagle Lake was relatively solid. The northern basin (Hwy 139, Stones Landing) is loaded with fish. We concentrated our fishing about half way between Stones Landing and Stones Ranch on the Hwy 139 side of the basin, with our best action being while we were out 1/4 to 1/2 mile off of the tulies over the grass beds. The fish are feeding heavily on just about everything right now and while cleaning fish for clients I found evidence of snails, Daphnia, scuds, leaches, and chubs. We did have several light take downs but for the most part these fish are not afraid to really smack your baits, and then follow that up with a great battle. On the light Rogue Rods (K763c-2) these fish were a handful with most of them making multiple attempts to get under the boat and motors. The top producing baits were 2 and 3 inch grubs in brown and olive slow trolled 4 to 6 feet down in 6 to 8 feet of water. With the shallow depth and good water clarity we ran these baits at least 150 feet behind the boat and in some cases as far as 200 feet back. The fish are some what scattered throughout the bay and the more water you are able to cover the better off you will be. We landed fish to 4 pounds with most of them falling in the mid 3 pound class. If you have not fished the fall bite at Eagle Lake, what are you waiting for? Now is the time, and it should remain good for the next several months as the fish feed up for Winter.

Note: The water level in the lake is much better than this time last year but Eagle, being a natural lake, has many hazards marked and un-marked and it won't be long until the rest of the buoys are pulled for Winter. Please use caution while on the lake.

Well I guess you could say we have been spoiled by good weather the last several years on opening weekend at Eagle Lake. The 2006 opener looked more like a typical November day with wind and snow showers. I awoke to several inches of snow at Stones Landing on the North end of the lake. I called down to the South end only to find out my friends were dealing with close to 6 inches of heavy wet snow. We launched and headed South to a spot near Pelican Point. We almost instantly were on fish. Did I mention I had the full canopy and curtains up with the heater keeping the clients toasty. We continued to land fish on almost everything we put in the water. Brown, orange, and olive grubs, and Uncle Larry's in "black perch" were the best with no clear pattern. We ran these rigs from the surface to 10 feet. The result was fish from 2.5 to 3.5 lbs and while they weren't the biggest in the lake their fights were incredible. Day two brought much calmer weather conditions and an even better bite. We worked the same area catching and releasing a number of the smaller fish while boxing the larger ones. The same baits we fished opening day and were working, however most of our fish were hooking up at 8 to 10 feet probably due to the sunny flat conditions. I will be fishing Bucks Lake for the summer targeting trout, Kokanee and trophy Mackinaw but of course will return to Eagle for the fall beginning at the end of September and running until mid December. If you are thinking about a trip don't hesitate to call. Dates fill up fast for this popular fall fishery but openings are still available.