May 12
21
The Hall family could not have asked for a better weekend to celebrate the 30th Jim Hall Memorial May Trout Classic and its founder Jim Hall. The top nine started with a 7.39 lb. trout for ninth followed by 7 trout all in the eight pound class with first place going to Dan Marshall of Sugarloaf, CA who took the top spot for the third time with a whopping 11.07 lb beautiful bow. Look for the lake to give up a bunch of big bows in the days to come, thanks to the May Trout Classic.
Conditions on the lake are becoming more like summer than spring at this time. Water temperautres are five degrees higher than a year ago. Water clarity is at about 11 feet and the oxygen levels have dropped off at 33 feet near the dam, Papoose Bay and west ramp to 23 feet off the observatory and Juniper Pt. Trout are still showing in good numbers from the observatory and west, while the east end is producing more summer time species. Due to the warmer than usual water, crappie, bluegill and smallmouth bass have become active. Largemouth bass are going into their spawn mode, gathering on nesting beds along the shore of the lake.
Trout are being landed by just about any means known. Trollers going 3 to 4 colors down with just about any spoon in tow are getting their limits. Surface action can be good early and late in the day. Bait anglers using a slip bobber rigged to about 20 feet or drifting from a boat are producing good counts, while shore anglers have a lesser chance if they fish off the bottom.
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