2007 Fishing Reports

Feb 6^th, 2007 - The first fly fishing angler of the year fished Kelsey today. He only spent a few hours at the lake but did manage to hook 5 black bass, 1 to 2 lbs.

Feb 17^th, 2007 - It was my first visit to the Kelsey Bass Ranch of the year. Could not have picked a better day to go, temp around 70 d, with no wind! The visibility is around 3’ due to the recent rain. Lake level is still down several feet but should improve with each passing storm. Surface temperature is 60 degrees, slightly warmer along the shoreline. Good black bass fishing using sink-tip lines and black bunny leech patterns in 4 to 9 feet of water. I'm sure that your favorite subsurface pattern will be just as effective!

March 4th, 2007 - Surface Temp 61 to 63 degrees, visibility around 4 feet, recent rains have raised the lake level but still not completely full. A few more spring rains should top it off. Black bass have moved from the deeper parts of the lake into 4 to 5 foot of water. It’s going to take a week or more of warmer weather before the vegetation starts to sprout. A few fish were observed along the shoreline. Still the best fly pattern is something dark either heavily weighted or used with a sink tip fly line. To avoid a lot of frustration, make sure that your flies are weedless. Fishing was fair to good in the main body of the lake. The creek arm, where the water temperatures are slightly warmer, produced a fair amount of black bass. Top Water, it’s just a matter of time.

March 9, 2007 - Daytime High 64 degrees, surface temperature 60 degrees, wind 7 to 13 mph, cloudy, lake visibility 6+ feet. Today was the first day that I could see that the bass were starting to move on their beds. Bass are also migrating to move the weedy shoreline and heavy cover. Vegetation still below water surface but starting to green up. Jay caught the first bass of the year on a popper. Warmer weather over the next week should really improve the top water action and shoreline fishing can also be just effective during those windy days.

March 12, 2007 - Daytime High 80 degrees, water temperature; main body of the lake 61 degrees, creek arm 63 degrees warming to 71 degrees late afternoon, wind 3 to 9 mph, visibility 6+ feet. You can definitely observe the bass on their nests from the shoreline to a depth of 4 feet. We did see a few bass chasing dragonflies and did raise 4 black bass to poppers the rest of the bass were caught on subsurface flies. Warmer weather will increase the insect activity and produce better top water action.

CAUTION: The black bass are on their nests and spawning is taking place from the shoreline to a depth of 4 feet.
Although walking the shoreline can be just as effective during those windy days, Please Limit Your Wading.

March 16, 2007 - High Temperature 83 degrees, surface temperature 66 degrees, wind 0 to 2 MPH, visibility 6+ feet. Experience some Excellent Top Water action mid-morning and late afternoon into the evening. Several bass caught were over 4 lbs. Black bass activity attacking dragonflies. The first sign of damsel flies on the water in the evening. Vegetation just starting to break the surface of the water. Lots of bass on the nests from the shoreline to the vegetation and on the outside edge of the vegetation in open water. Best options; For shore anglers, you do not need to wade everything is reachable with a good cast using weedless poppers or deer hair poppers. For those on the water, concentrate on the outside edge of the vegetation first before casting over the vegetation to the shoreline. If you can not bring them up, then switch to a sink tip with a clouser or minnow type pattern or a floating line with a dragonfly nymph and cast to the edge of the vegetation, let sink and Hang On!

March 22, 2007 – Anglers Steve Von Berg and Argus Smith reported 40+ fish per rod and black bass to 6+ lbs. on top water and sub-surface flies.

March 23, 2007 - Angler Dave Harris report excellent fishing (50+) on sub-surface flies during the day and a very good top water bite in the evening.

March 26, 2007 - Daytime High 73 degrees, water temperature; main body 63 degrees, creek arm 64 degrees, wind 0 to 30+ mph, visibility 4+ feet. The lake has filled from the recent spring storm and the water temperature dropped a few degrees from last week. Jay Murakoshi reported a good mid-morning top water bite around the tree stump area and Ken Hanley was successful on a damsel nymph from the shoreline. The fishing was very good until the cold weather front moved in at 4:30 pm and blew us off the water.

March 27, 2007 – The north wind gusted to 30 mph late in the afternoon forcing seven anglers off the lake. Despite the difficult conditions, they did manage to have a fair day catching black bass by walking and wading from the shoreline.

March 30, 2007 – Daytime High 78 degrees, wind 3 to 8 mph, water temperature 62 degrees warming to 67 degrees, visibility 4+ feet. When the water temperature warmed to 65 degrees most anglers enjoyed an excellent top water bite on black bass to 4+ lbs. Comments from a few of the anglers:
Landed over 50 last Friday. Essentially all on top water flies. My thumb is raw! Willie George

It was great running into you on Friday. What a nice day it was--it was actually my birthday and I can't think of few better ways of celebrating it. I arrived about 7:00 AM and was in the water about 7:30. I started with a popper hoping the fish would be looking up but action was pretty slow until I switched to a #8 Hare's Ear nymph. That seemed to be the ticket and I started picking up fish consistently plus a huge bluegill. The temperature was about 65 degrees a few inches beneath the surface at about 10:30AM. As you predicted, damsel and dragonfly activity picked up shortly after noon so I switched back to poppers and the fish were ready for the top water this time--still not as hot as the nymphs but enough to keep things interesting. Water temp was about 70 degrees in early afternoon. I had been up since about 3 AM and had told my wife I would be home before dark so I left about 4:30 PM but couldn't help think about the evening action I would be missing. All-in-all, I probably landed about 35 fish. I had taken the float tube after reading your warning about avoiding the spawning beds but I was wading on pretty thick grass and weeds almost of the time so I think they were OK so I left the tube in truck. Anyway, thanks again--I'm looking forward to the next Kelsey trip hopefully soon--wife, work, and God willing. Dwight Hendrix

Since the majority of the black bass have spawned, we are removing the wading restriction. For the next week or two, if you do come upon any clean spawning nests please avoid.

What a difference a year makes: In 2006, it rained almost everyday during the month of March, in 2007 no rain in March and the top water action was excellent. April 2006, the top water action really turned on, but this year, cold weather with periods of wind and rain have slowed that action. But for those who have hit the right weather conditions, the top water bite is still very good. With warmer weather anticipated in May look for the top water action to be even better than March.

Week of April 1^st – A series of cold weather fronts accompanied with wind and rain have slowed the excellent top water action that we had in March. For those anglers that were at the lake on a calm warm day they had excellent success. Report from Bob Meyer; Your advice turned out to be perfect. I caught many bass on top water all day. Many were 4-5 pounds, but two pigs must have gone close to 7 or even a bit more. Definitely the largest I have caught on a fly rod. I certainly want to return soon.

Week of April 8^th – Periods of wind and rain most of the week but the anglers that braved the conditions caught many, many bass on top water and sub surface flies. Andy Burk, Reno Fly Shop, although the conditions were horrible during our two day trip, we caught so many bass it just didn’t matter. One of these days we’ll hit the weather right but hey, that’s spring bass fishing.

New Orleans Redfish Report posted on Past Trips Page, check it out!! Send me an email if you need additional information or are interested in make the trip this fall.

Week of April 15^th – On and off again wind and rain most of the week, slowing the top water action. The “Kelsey Lizard Gurglar” still the best top water attractor. Balls of bass fry are visible along the weedy shoreline. NCCFFB group had miserable fishing conditions but still caught lots of bass.

I had a great time at Ken Hanley's seminar last Friday. I can't tell you how much it opened my eyes to new ways to fish Kelsey and other bass waters. Ken is a master and I would highly recommend his on-the-water sessions to even experienced anglers. In fact, those of us that think they are starting to know the lake, probably have the most to gain. It really did take me to a new level. Willie George

April 24^th - Was at Kelsey yesterday. Very different. Lots of fish boiling (I assume of damsel nymphs) and jumping clear out of the water for hovering dragon flies. However, when I cast to the boil or jump, not one fish grabbed either the Gurgler or Umpqua frog like often does happen. Did hook one on the Gurgler we just tied. However, when I switched to a Jay Fair Wiggle nymph I got takes right away. Ended up with about 19-20 up to 4.5-5#. Water temp. was 70 degrees. Air in low 70’s. Light to moderate wind. Dean Rhodes was wading in one spot all day and landed about 17. Len fished from the bank and I gave him a Wiggle nymph after lunch which brought him 4. Bill King

April 28^th & 29^th – Wilderness Fly Fishers - Fishing was good, but nothing like last year. There was very little top water action. The best fly was a blue gummy minnow. On Sunday evening after everyone left, I had some wonderful action on the Umpqua swimming frog casting across the weeds to shore and dragging it out over the weeds to open pockets and got two very nice 4 pounders. The rest of the fishing for most people was slow, people caught a range of 6-15 each day. The trip was fabulous. Book us for next year. I loved the camping and being there-the fishing was excellent but without the numbers. Some did well on the damsel nymph, but I did really well with the gummy minnow and shared them with others. There was zero dragon fly activity. Al, please tell the Kelsey people this is my favorite California spot (but don't let them get a big head and raise the rates!). I marinated two leg of lambs deboned and they were phenomenal on the grill. Dr George Patterson

May 7^th - the weather was great on Monday. The wind was down all day and the temp topped out at about 89 degrees. Very pleasant! The water was pretty clear...visibility was around 6 feet and the morning water temp was cool. The bass were spooky if they saw you. High rod was about 22 fish. We left before dark, but a couple of our group caught some fish on top at the end of the day. Most people caught around 15-20. No big fish, but several in the 2-3 pound class. Mike Parrish

May 10^th & 11^th - Windy, but fishable. Stayed with the top water flies, caught quite a few right in the weeds crawling the bug on top. For a short time, I went to an intermediate line and streamer setup and nailed a few.

Friday 5/11 - More windy but found some wind protected areas with a few willing eaters. Conventional tackle fishers were much more productive. All in all, everyone had a great time. It's the one time during the year where all of us are able to get together, hang out in an awesome setting, and have good top water fishing. Doesn't get any better than that. Byran Tanaka

May 19^th - DVFF members attended the second annual Kelsey Bass Ranch outing. Aside from a strong wind, conditions (clarity, weed growth and damsel activity) were conducive for some great bass fishing. Most anglers were catching a good number of bass ranging up to four plus pounds. In spite of the wind, top water action was very acceptable. The ever productive Umpqua Swimming Frog was the top producer. The subsurface producers where various damsel patterns and an assortment of crystal buggers and wooly worms. We fired up the BBQ pit so members could cook an assortment of goodies, including Oysters and Abalone. If you are interested in a great day of trophy bass fishing plan to sign up for 2008. Bill King

May 22^nd – Kathy and I thought that it would be good for us to go down and see just what is happening at the lake. Arrived 10:30 am and departed at 2:30 pm, Very Windy with gusts up to 17 mph and a steady NW wind of 7 mph, water temperature in the 70’s, visibility about 6 feet. A fair amount of damselfly and dragonfly activity, even in the wind the bass were jumping out of the water trying to catch them in mid-flight. Walked the shoreline, NE flat and creek arm and SW bank along the roadway, landed 18 bass and missed quite a few others. I was using deer hair poppers. The lake is full and in excellent shape. For those of you that are considering a trip down next month, the top water action should continue well into June this year.

May 26 & 27 - Everyone had a great time. It was the best bass fishing day for more than one angler with both high numbers, but also large fish. Two guys fished McClure Friday and they reported good numbers there, but they said the quality of fish was better at Kelsey. You can book us for next Memorial Day now. Kaweah Fly Fishers

June 1^st - We fished Kelsey on Friday. I would rate the fishing as fair. We arrived at the lake around 7:00 am and got into a few fish right away. Nothing big...from 1 to 3 pounds. The top water bite was not happening; we took all but one of our fish underneath. As the sun rose, the action became slower. Around noon, we went to sinking lines and worked the deeper water offshore to get a few fish. We left around 3:00 so I can't report on the evening bite. The action was picking up as we were getting ready to leave, however. I probably landed about 25 fish for the day. It was a lot of fun.

June 1^st SHAD REPORT - We have made many pre-trips over the past few weeks on the American and Yuba Rivers in search of shad. Nothing is happening on the Yuba and it doubtful if it will have any shad. The flows have been reduced to 800 cfs, I don't think my drift boat will even make it down the river. The shad finally starting showing up on the American River. Not it great numbers but enough to have fun and enjoy. Check the web calendar we still have a few open dates. Get on board while the fishing is good.

June 2^nd, 2007 - I missed the early morning top water bite, but I was told it was wide open by my fishing partner. Once the sun was on the water, the bite slowed way down. I landed 40+(after about 5 PM I have a hard time keeping track) fish on a popper and subsurface flies. Many fish were missed on the evening bite. Fishing was a bit slow during the day, but I consistently picked up fish on dark bugger patterns. In the evening, a popper along the weed line was the ticket. Water temps were in the high 60s, to low 70s. Wind was gusting though out the day. Brian Sasaki

June 22^nd, 2007 - Joe, Vic and I finished our shad fishing for the year. All in all it was a fun time on the American River. I'll be posting a full report on the fishing conditions, under the "2007 Past Trips Reports" page. Even have a few pictures of some of the anglers that were with us this year.

June 23^rd , 2007 - I fished the early morning surface bite. Bite was wide open, with a bunch of boils and blowups. Midday was spotty, but I fished hard to find some willing fish. Evening bite was even better than the morning one. The thicker weeds along the edge, made for a lot of lost fish. I'm guessing 50+ fish, with a lot more LDRs thrown in. Wind was gusting all day as a cooling trend blew in. Water temps were in the mid 70s. No really big fish on either trip, with the biggest fish coming in around 4+ lbs. Always a great trip. I'll be back. Brian Sasaki

June 27^th , 2007 – Fished the lake today with Ken and Jay. Found the top water action to be even better and more consistent that what we have seen this spring. Recommend that you get down there RIGHT NOW!! The bass are in heavy cover so weedless poppers and hair bugs are a must. The lake is in excellent shape, the water is clear and about one foot below the high water mark.

June 28^th, 2007 - After a long discussion with the owner of Kelsey Bass Ranch, the decision was made to raise the daily fishing rate to $100 per day, effective January 1^st, 2008. For groups and fly fishing clubs we will be lowering the number of anglers to comply with the "Closed" lake rule. We want to thank all of you for your continued support and hope that the increase does not deter you from fishing Kelsey as often as before. Al Smatsky

August 18^th, 2007 - I didn't have a very good day on Saturday August 18th. Things were real slow all day and even in the evening. But it's been like that all summer for me even on my home waters. Strange year. I was flyrodding top water poppers and only caught a couple to 18 inches. I guess I could have done better sub-surface but I am a die-hard top water guy even when it's not the smartest thing. But I really enjoy being on the lake and I did have a big boy break my line. That was fun for a while.

August 25^th, 2007 - Early morning top water bite was a bit slower than before, but still good. Morning sub surface was good too, but a lot of work with all the weed and algae. I caught fish on the weed edges, and open water. After a lunch break, I dedicated the afternoon to top water, working the heavy weed and algae mats. I only landed a handful of fish, but 2 were in the 5-7 lb range. Evening top water was dead, with no fish coming up to my popper. Total numbers were around 30-40 fish landed. Water temps were 77-78 degrees. I'm told the lake is down 3'. Weeds have taken over much of the coves, but there is plenty of open water. Brian Sasaki

Sept 22^nd – 3^rd Annual Kelsey Invitational – With rain all around the valley, it looked like it was going to be a wet day, boy were we surprised. It turned out to be an excellent day with little wind and only one shower in the morning, when I lit the barbeque. We certainly did not have the normal Indian Summer that we are accustom too and the top water action was all but vacant. All of the 18 anglers that were at the event did catch black bass, some have more success that others using subsurface flies and fishing deep. All in all everyone had a good time and Kathy and I enjoyed meeting anglers that we only know by email or phone calls. Excellent Adventures will host the event again next year.

Oct 8^th – To better serve our clients, Excellent Adventures is now selling traveling insurance. It happens to everyone at some point, at the last minute you need to cancel that fly fishing vacation, cruise or family vacation. You paid for the trip months ago and will probably not quality for a refund. For a small fee you can protect your investment with travel insurance. Links to Sportsman’s Travel Insurance are on the web site, where you can complete the insurance policy forms online or give us a call.

Kelsey Fall Fishing Recap - To say the fishing was very slow this year would be an understatement. What happen to the top water action or any action is anyone's guess. Can't wait for spring to arrive and get back into some good angling on for bass.

Nov 24^th - Trinity and Klamath fishing reports posted on "Past Trips" page.