Grasses are growing with the hum of lawn mowers going everywhere, trees are in bloom, and gardens wait the new plantings.

But this last weekend with some hefty winds and rains throughout the valley and fresh snow in the high country, it was obvious that Mother Nature still wants to throw some wintertime conditions our way. But why does it have to be on a weekend?

Many lakes and reservoirs throughout the north state look considerably better today than anybody anticipated a few months ago. Full? Not hardly. A recent drive up into the high country actually revealed a lot of bare ground where a good snow pack should still exist.

How all the north state’s lakes and reservoirs fare throughout the summer will wholly depend on how the water is managed. Folsom is expected to be “boatable” throughout the summer. It’s over 100-percent today, but that is based on its wintertime level. With water usages and releases, the lake will still not be full this summer.

But today and for the weeks to come, there is some downright good fishing to be found near and far.

Bay Area: Live bait is not yet available but it soon will be. The big nets will be dropped and the netted anchovy will be delivered to places like the Berkeley Marina waiting for your live bait tank. Some are already out trying for halibut and the early bite is on. If you want live bait for the butts, you can go to the Loch Lomond bait shop and pick up live shiners, a great bait for halibut. Otherwise, you’ll have to troll or drift frozen anchovy, and I’ve done well with frozen bait. There are halibut being found throughout the Berkeley flats to Paradise Cove.

Sacramento River: Sturgeon, sturgeon and more sturgeon. The river is totally fishable and the diamondbacks are grabbing just about anything being tossed their way. The river around Grimes is seeing some of the top action but Knight’s Landing and around the Tisdale Weir is kicking out big fish. Put a big glob of pile worms on the hook or mix and match with some ghost shrimp.

Folsom Lake: The air is warming and the bass are trying to move into the shallows and becoming more active. Plastics and spinners are working. Some limited rainbow action still being seen in the Granite Bay region for those casting from shore and waiting for the school to cruise by.

Camp Far West: The lake has a good crappie population but they’re still not schooling up or biting yet. Bass, however, are on a strong bite and you can get up to three-pounders tossing cranks and plastics. Most of the action is being found in the Rock Creek arm right now but as the water warms, the bass will be found throughout the shoreline regions.

Lake Amador: A couple of weeks ago, bass were way deep. Today, they’re moving in closer to shore. With a lot of water washing into the lake, so is a great deal of grub, so you’ll need to deal with the natural foodstuffs. Trout catching has slowed but an early crappie bite is being seen around the docks and boathouse.

Lake Oroville: It’s a popular fishing lake for both bass and salmon. With all ramps back in the water, usage has skyrocketed. Bass are still down as much as 30 feet but prespawn is getting closer and bass are becoming more active. Soak a minnow and you’ll score or toss jigs, tubes and Roboworms, mostly in a crawdad pattern, and you’ll get bit. Most of the coho salmon action is being found in the North Fork for those drifting minnows.

Scotts Flat: It’s a lake the DFG can no longer stock, but the lake has a good natural population of both rainbows and brown trout. Other than launching, there aren’t a whole of services open there. Get on the water and head for the upper part of the lake. Trolling, you can do well.

Any questions, comments or concerns, contact George directly at GeorgesColumn@AOL.COM