Collins Lake High Water Update: Bait Fishing Beats Slow Trolling | The Fish Sniffer

Collins Lake High Water Update: Bait Fishing Beats Slow Trolling

Developed in paid partnership with Tom Mailey
Collins Lake High Water Update: Bait Fishing Beats Slow Trolling

The lake level is all the way up but the water is still pretty stained and the trout seem to be hunkering down. Bait fishing seems to be quite a bit better than trolling- which I can speak firsthand to. Last Wednesday we hit two trout before 10am anchored up in the cove across from the marina and soaking PowerBait in about 2 feet of water (casting right up to the shoreline). Same thing on Saturday, same area and, interestingly, same time frame. Trolling both days was slow, although on Saturday we lost a good-sized lightning trout in front of Elmer's Cove after 4 hours of not a single takedown. Surface temperatures are 49 first thing, warming to about 52 later in the day. Hopefully as the lake continues to clear the trolling bite will pick back up

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Tom Mailey

Tom Mailey

Get The Net Fishing Guide Service

Tom Mailey is a Northern California fishing guide with deep Puget Sound roots and more than 30 years of chasing salmon and trout on local waters. He launched Get The Net in 2020 while still working as the "Tom" on the Pat, Tom and Cody Show for 32 years, but he retired from radio in May 2025 to guide full-time on lakes like Folsom, Collins, Amador, and others across NorCal. Fully licensed, bonded, insured, and holding a USCG OUPV certification, he specializes in trout and landlocked salmon trips that suit beginners and experienced anglers alike. Expect hands-on instruction, access to the best spots, and plenty of stories from a lifetime on the water.

Book a trip with Tom, call 916-521-4641

Volume 45 Issue 2 Out Now!

Volume 45 Issue 2 Out Now!