Dropping water temperatures made bass anglers work a little harder this week on Lake Oroville, reported Fil Torres at Oroville Outdoors. "The reaction bite slowed down in response to the cooler water", noted Torres. "The water running into the lake may be muddy and dirty, but it needs to be checked out because it is frequently warmer than the lake itself."

"I have been seeing a lot of three and four pound spotted bass in the bags, and it has usually taken 12 or 13 pounds [for five bass] to win the weekend tournaments."

"Best lures have been Lucky Craft Staysee and Pointer 100DD's in chartreuse shad and ghost minnow colors. Throw those crankbaits on lighter eight-pound test line to let them get down deeper. Some good fish are also biting on five-inch swimbaits."

"If we get sunshine, the fish move up in the water column quickly. It's not a bad idea to try down at 40 feet shaking a worm or dragging a jig if the fish are deep."

"We haven't had any reports on the coho fishing in the lake this week, but some nice bass were caught in the Thermalito Afterbay on swimbaits in the wake of the small steelhead being stocked in there. What's left of the steelhead I don't know."