Central Valley fishing spots ranked this week; Fresno-area lakes, Pismo, coast
Best bets
Delta stripers and sturgeon hitting, Alan Fong said. Don Pedro bass and trout biting, Aaron Jones reported. McSwain trout limits steady, Dave Hurley said. Bass lake trout action good, Chris Counts reported. Shaver lake kicking out mixed limits, Dick Nichols said. Kings River trout on a solid bite, Jayden Moua reported.
Rankings key below: 4: Fish are jumping in the boat. 3: Good fishing. 2: Decent fishing. 1: Poor fishing. 0: Don’t bother. Unless noted, area code is 559
Valley/Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported the best action in the northern section of the California Aqueduct has been from the banks at the Clifton Court Forebay with pile worms, blood worms, or live mudsuckers for striped bass over 18 inches. Smaller undersized stripers are biting cut baits. In the southern section of the aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported fair to good striped bass action with sardines, anchovies, jumbo live minnows, or lugworms while white jerkbaits or Flukes on jig heads are working for lure tosses.
Steady numbers of undersized striped bass are requiring release at the normal locations. Catfishing is best with on sardines, anchovies, or Triple S dip bait. Largemouth action is fair, with the most success on plastics on a drop-shot or shakey head along with squarebilled crankbaits in the slower water in the eddies and bends.
A map of the 16 designated fishing locations on the California Aqueduct can be accessed through this link: https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DsWR-Website/Web-Pages/What-We-Do/Recreation/Files/230424_SWP-Fishing-Guildines-Locations_Online_FINAL.pdf.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; Cope’s Tackle and Rod, Bakersfield – (661) 679-6351
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
At Eastman, Jayden Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported overall slow action for largemouth bass with the best fishing on the bottom with Margarita Mutilator or similarly colored plastics on a drop-shot. The recent trout bite should spur on the big bait bite. The water temperature remains in the low 60’s with the algae remaining on the surface in some areas of the lake. Most bass are holding deep around the saddles between the island tops and rock piles, but the trout should get the bass chasing in the shallows. Crappie are in small schools, and small swimbaits or crappie jigs are picking a few slabs.
At Hensley, the best action is for catfish or carp. Eastman rose nearly two feet to 476.50 feet in elevation and 11 percent with Hensley rising 2.5 feet to 459.27 feet in elevation and 10%. No bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of December. At both lakes, shore anglers are soaking Power Bait or nightcrawlers from the banks for limited success after the recent trout plants.
Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 3 Trout 3 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait in Modesto reported Pedro is fishing good as the creek arms are getting schooled up with numbers of the suspended fish, but the main lake has been slower. Jones said, “Topwater is still producing at the right place and right time as there are some shad are still getting chased to the surface. Spoons, flukes, or jerkbaits are best for suspended fish depending on the depth while jigs and plastics on the drop-shot are effective at depths around 40 feet. Covering water with a deep crankbait has been producing, and the big bait bite is creeping in with the recent trout plants.”
Trout trolling remains solid as the rainbows are coming closer to moving into the coves and shallow water. The lake traditionally turns over within the next few weeks, bringing the rainbows toward the surface and in the coves. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake rose 2 feet to 789.44 feet in elevation and 77%. There are seven bass tournaments scheduled through the end of December. A self-inspection is required for launching.
Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass 3 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The lake rose nearly a foot to 2562.64 feet in elevation and 32% of capacity. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported the bass bite continues to be strong, with several fish over 5 pounds reported in the past couple of weeks. Texas-rigged worms, crankbaits, jigs, or swimbaits are all producing quality bass with the best action coming from Rocky Point, Piney Point, and the flume in 15 to 25 feet of water. The crappie bite is fair, but it has slowed overall and anglers are having to work harder for consistent action. The best locations remain around Red’s or French Gulch marinas on mini jigs and small shiners. Catfishing has slowed down with the cooler water temperatures, but SSS dip bait, frozen shad, or cut mackerel continue to produce. The recent trout plant has spurred on action throughout the lake with nightcrawlers or trout jigs.
In the upper Kern, Cope’s reported steady trout action on salmon eggs, jigs, pinched crawlers, or live crickets. The upper Kern is due for another stocking this week in Sections 4, 5, and 6. In the lower Kern, trout fishing is around Keysville on salmon eggs, trout jigs, or spinners. The largemouth and smallmouth bass bite has slowed although a few fish are still being picked up on small reaction baits and compact jigs. The 13th Annual Bakersfield Firefighter Trout Derby at the River Walk provided great interest this past Saturday with anglers lining up as early as 4:00 am to stand shoulder to shoulder with others. Nearly every tagged fish was caught including prizes at $1000, $500, and $250. i
Kern River dropped from 812 to 437 cfs at Kernville while water releases out of the lake rose from 326 to 400 cfs at First Point.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351;
Lake Kaweah
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 3
The lake rose nearly 6 feet to 609.31 feet in elevation and 14%. Cope’s reported fair bass fishing with plastics on the drop-shot, small jigs, or spoons at depths from 15 to 40 feet as the bass are holding deep over rocky structure. Kastmasters, tailspins, and blade baits triggered strikes after persistent pounding with iron. Bank anglers are targeting the recently planted rainbows with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or spoons. The Kaweah River dropped from 506 to 437 cfs at Three Rivers. No bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of the year. Trout plants are scheduled this week at the local ponds of Del Lago and Murry Park.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351;
Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake rose 4 feet to 604.28 feet in elevation and 18%. Cope’s reported fair action overall as the largemouth bass are holding deeper on the rocky structure and around the trees in Gill Cove. Hula grubs, drop shot rigs, or crankbaits are drawing the most attention with several bass running on the larger side. The bite is inconsistent, but when it turns on, it is fast and furious.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351;
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 2 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait in Modesto said, “McClure is still producing peanuts for most with either jigs or plastics on the drop-shot around 40 feet in depth. The suspended fish scattered and hardly cooperative, but fluke/minnow style baits are working best. A few big fish have been caught on big baits due to the recent heavy trout plant at McClure Point”. The lake rose 4 feet to 800.49 feet in elevation and 61%. The lake is hosting 5 club tournaments in December.
Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake McSwain
Trout 3
The lake dropped to 78%, and the launch ramp is out of the water. Boaters should contact the McSwain Marina prior to trailering up a vessel. The banks remain busy with anglers scoring up to limits on Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters from the normal locations of Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, or the peninsula between the Marina. With the heavy fishing pressure after the recent plants, limits are not guaranteed.
Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Jayden Moua reported continued slow bass fishing as the fish are holding at depths to 60 feet with jigs, spoons, or plastics on the drop-shot. The main lake has been slow overall, and the grade of fish remains small. Kayak anglers are targeting crappie by using Live Scope to locate the slabs over submerged structure. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant have risen slightly to 457 cfs. Sycamore Island is open every day from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm. A trout plant took place at Sycamore a few weeks back. The lake rose nearly 5 feet to 518.97 feet in elevation and 53%. There is one bass tournament scheduled in December. A trout plant is scheduled at Woodward this week.
Call: Fresno 559 Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Sport Fishing reported a fair trout troll bite, saying, “It’s steady, but it’s not red hot. We were able to put 12 rainbows and a brown in the box along with releasing several bass at 40 feet in depth with Speedy Shiners or Little Cleo’s. I switched over to the 1/4th-ounce Cleo’s, and they outproduced the Speedy Shiners.” As the water continues to cool, the rainbow trout are moving out of open water toward the shorelines in the major creek channels.
Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported an improved bass bite with a variety of techniques. With last week’s trout plant, and the rainbows moving into the shorelines, the big bait bite is just now starting to take off, and Hayden Lee caught and released a 12.5-pound largemouth this week. Big bait specialist, Alex Niapas of Catching California Guide Service, has also been out finding good action with Hawg Hunter swimbaits.
All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated at the New Melones Marina. Downstream Lake Tulloch established the 30-day quarantine process to allow boating for inspected boats after the quarantine period is completed, but bass fishing is reported to be strong. The lake rose 1.5 feet to 1017.36 feet in elevation and 68% with downstream Tulloch rising to 88%. November and December are peak times for trout trollers at Tulloch.
Call: Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 3 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Jayden Moua reported a decent bass bite for small fish with plastics on the shakey head, Texas-rig, or drop-shot along with jigs or flutter spoons. It’s a matter of locating the fish, and they are oriented toward the shad schools. Moua’s father, Tas, was out throwing big trout-patterned Huddleston swimbaits, and he had a few strikes on the bigger baits. In the lower Kings River, Jayden Moua was out this week, and he reported excellent fishing with spoons, Power Bait, crappie jigs below the dam and around Winton Park.
The banks in the easily accessed locations have been crowded, particularly on the weekends. The flows have dropped from 1402 to 708 cfs at Trimmer. The catch-and-release section is located below the Alta Weir (also known as Cobbles Weir) extending downstream to the Highway 180 bridge. This area is considered a zero limit, catch-and-release zone where only artificial lures with barbless hooks are allowed. The lake rose nearly 10 feet within the week to 792.93 feet in elevation and 29%.
A trout plant of the year took place at Avocado Lake last week with another the week of December 1. Four bass tournaments are on the books in December.
Call: 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273; ‘Fishing with Jimmy T’ on YouTube.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
The water level in the main lake rose significantly to 59%. Yahir Leon of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported the troll bite is improving with umbrella rigs or white paddletaile swimbaits for the most consistent action. Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the troll bite has improved overall, but it can be a day to day thing with the input of up to as much as 18,000 acre feet of water in a day, raising the water level about 1.5 feet some days. “ The fish have been hitting decently one day and suspended the next with the big inputs . Water temps have fallen to 66 degrees and the clarity is about 4’ in some parts of the lake. I guided two guests in foggy conditions for about 4 ½ hours and we released 10 fish in the 21-24” range trolling Lucky Crafts in the main lake over flats in the 70-80’ depth range. Most anglers using jigs or trolling were struggling finding active fish . The water is coming up fast, throwing the fish off .” George reported.
The O’Neill Forebay has been providing the best action around Check 12 or Check 12 with anchovies, pile worms, or jumbo minnows. Moving water is the key, and the best bite happens when the pumps are one. The forebay dropped from 91 to 84%. New measures to stop the spread of golden mussels have been adopted by the Department of Water Resources, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and California State Parks. These include mandatory watercraft inspections of all vessels leaving San Luis Reservoir are now in place and will help prevent the spread of mussel to other lakes and reservoirs. To help reduce the risk of mussel colonization, DWR has implemented routine inspections of SWP facilities and expanded its efforts by applying new strategies to protect pumping plants, hydroelectric plants, and water supply deliveries. To check the real time wind conditions on the lake - use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir. Los Banos Creek Reservoir is closed to public access through April 2026.
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George, rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 0
Chris Counts of Fresno was on the lake on Saturday, and he caught and released over two limits of rainbow trout by noon. Counts said, “Some were very nice yearling trout. I fished by the dam with Dick’s Trout Buster’s in Stevenson or Trophy with a tip of crawler behind weighted Mountain Flashers. It’s the time of the year for this set up as the fish are in the upper 25 feet.” Captain Mike Beighey of Mike’s Bass Lake Fishing Charters added, “The mornings are cold, and the shore is a little muddy, but with all the recent trout plants, it is going to be a good season.
The lake is dropping, and it hard to launch by yourself so bring a friend. Spinners tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a Mountain Dodger is a good bet along with Apex lures, Dick’s Trout Busters, or Rapalas on the surface as the trout are found at depths from 5 to 12 feet, but there are some as deep as 20 feet out in front of Miller’s Landing. If nightcrawlers aren’t working, switch over to pink maggots.” Jayden Moua of 559 Bait and Tackle reported very good action for bass in the 2- to 3-pound range with lipless crankbaits prior to the storms. Moua also found excellent action from the shorelines for recently planted and holdover rainbow trout with crappie jigs.
A webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. No bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of December. Another trout plant is scheduled this week.
Call: Captain Mike Beighey of Mike’s Bass Lake Fishing Charters 676-8133; Tas Moua, Fresno 559 Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Kaiser Pass Road is scheduled to close on December 1. Water releases during at the High Sierra lakes have slowed down as Edison dropped slightly to 31, Florence to 18% while Mammoth Pool rose slightly to 38%. Road conditions are available at the High Sierra Ranger Station – 855-5355 or https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
Road conditions 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 3
Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle, reported, “Limits of trout and spawning kokanee remain possible as Dave Loftin and his friend Dave Weaver from Visalia were on the lake on Monday, and they landed a limit of rainbows running a Dick’s Shaver Trout Buster tipped with a white Berkley Honey Worm behind a large Dick’s Mountain Silver dodger at a setback of 120 feet to run at 10 feet in depth. They also targeted kokanee, landing 8, using a pink Dick’s Mountain Hoochie tipped with a white Berkley Honey Worm behind a large Dick’s purple dodger at 25 to 30 feet on their downriggers. Only a handful of boats were on the lake over the weekend. The 2nd-year spawning kokanee continue to bite, and surprisingly, most are still edible. The trout are in the upper 25 feet, and there have been plenty of them from the late Department of Fish and Wildlife plants. In the mix are some nice yearly rainbows and some 14- to 18-inch browns. The same areas that the kokanee have been found are good but don’t be afraid to try Dorabela Cove, Boy Scout Cove and Stevenson Bay. Recent reports have Trout Busters in Stevenson and Trophy models tipped with crawler behind weighted Mountain Flashers have been good on the side poles and Trout Busters, Koke Busters, Doom pink or orange Mountain Hoochies, tipped with corn behind Lady Jane, Doc Barb and Sunrise Mountain Dodgers on the downrigger.” A trout plant is scheduled at Shaver Lake this week. Dinkey Trimmer Road (between its intersections with Forest Road Nos. 11S91 and 11S02) and Huntington Lake Road are scheduled to close on December 1.
Check http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Shaver dropped slightly to 65 with upstream Huntington rising to 76%.
Call: Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Paul Brown 300-4001.
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 0
Access to both Wishon and Courtright is scheduled to close on December 1, but the Sierra National Forest Service website lists access as closed currently. Road conditions are available at the High Sierra Ranger Station – 855-5355 or https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 crab 2
Crabbing remains a bit slower as the bulk of the Dungeness action has been from San Francisco north to the Mendocino/Sonoma County line. Captain Melynda Dodds of the New Captain Pete found quality rockfishing on Sunday with several vermilion rockfish in the sacks. The New Captain Pete is running combination trips on Tuesday and Wednesday with a crab-only on Thanksgiving Day. The Pacifica Pier is currently open, but according to their website, ‘ongoing wind, wave, and storm conditions require daily assessments of the pier to determine whether it can be open to the public.’ The pier and the surrounding beaches are some of the best coastal locations for tossing snares for Dungeness crab.
Call: Captain Melynda Dodds, New Captain Pete (512) 825- 8225; Captain Chris Chang, Ankeny Street (650) 279-8819;
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Yahir Leon of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill reported a consistent perch surf bite from Santa Cruz to Watsonville if the water clarity is decent. Jerkbaits or grubs in motor oil red or green are most effective.
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “Winter storms are here and that can limit the number of fishing days. When the boats do get out on Monterey Bay, they are doing well with deep water rockfish, sand dabs and Dungeness crab. Lingcod are moving in and the counts are going up for those toothy predators. Anglers are finding willing biters from 30 to 80 feet of water, using a variety of baits or lures. There are plenty of sand dabs out beyond the 120-foot depths, and these make the best live bait for lings. The sand dab grounds also hold the possibility of larger sand or rock sole. Fishing for sand dabs and sole is a productive diversion while the hoop nets are soaking in 180-220 feet of water. A few halibut are still being caught between 80 and 120 feet of water. Boats from Moss are heading straight out to deploy hoop nets for Dungeness crab, and they are doing quite well, according to reports. The canyon edges are holding the best concentrations of crab.
Santa Cruz anglers have several good choices right now. Some are hoop netting for crab off the North Coast beaches. Most of the Dungeness crab limits reported have come from deeper water, 200 to 220 feet. The flats rimming Soquel Hole are still producing limits. Most anglers are concentrating on rockfish from the deepwater reefs. A good mix of green-spotted, canary, vermilion and chili pepper rockfish are being bagged daily. Flatfish such as sand dabs and sole are biting from the sand flats around 200 feet. Weather and sea conditions have been somewhat tumultuous for surfcasters, but there are plenty of fishable days on the beaches from San Francisco down to the San Mateo County line. Perch are getting bigger and the occasional striper will bite on perch gear or larger striper lures.
Perch limits are easy once you fiddle the right spot, though most are on the small side. One exception is a reported 16-inch barred surf perch taken this week from Manresa Beach in Santa Cruz County. Striped bass are getting harder to find, but the dedicated bass masters know where and when to go. We should see an uptick in the striper numbers as coastal rivers and streams break through the dunes and flow out to sea. Throwing crab snares from land is going very well from the Pacifica Pier and the jetties at Princeton Harbor. Snaring Dungeness from the beach is starting to produce as well, from Ocean Beach in San Francisco, down to the San Gregorio area below Half Moon Bay.”
Crabbing remains slow with party boats returning with around half-limits out of Monterey while rockfishing remains outstanding with Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching out of Monterey returning with 33 limits of rockfish and 16 lingcod on Sunday. Chris’s is not operating crab/rockfish combination trips and focusing upon rockfish only.
Call: Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Halibut 2 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2 Crab 3
Rockfish/crab combination trips continue to dominate action out of San Francisco Bay with only a few boats working inside the bay with the lack of availability of live bait. A big swell affected and rough ocean conditions affected the rockfish action on Sunday, but there were boats that scored up to limits along with limits of Dungeness crab. Captain Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sport Fishing had another spectacular weekend with combined 34 limits of Dungeness to 3 pounds, 34 limits of rockfish, and 9 lingcod to 16 pounds. Bodega has been a particularly productive area for crab.
The California Dawn 1 and 2 out of Berkeley went to the Farallon Islands on Sunday for a combined 52 limits of crab along with 323 rockfish. The Happy Hooker, also out of Berkeley, posted 26 limits of rockfish and crab on Sunday while Captain Ron Koyasako also braved the ocean conditions for limits of rockfish and crab at the Farallons on Sunday. Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito ran an open load on Monday for limits of both crab and rockfish. The weather remains the only limiting factor on heading offshore for the best rockfishing at the Farallons, but with no depth restriction through December 31, the boats have plenty of options for rockfish while the lack of commercial pressure is contributing to full sacks of crab.
Inside San Francisco Bay, the lack of live bait has limited interest, but there are still striped bass to be had as Captain Craig Hanson of Argo Sport Fishing out of San Francisco posted 6 limits of linesides on Sunday. Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco stayed in San Pablo Bay on Saturday for numbers of leopard shark along with a handful of striped bass.
Call: Captain Ron Koyasako, Nautilus Excursions (916) 704-4169; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388
San Luis Obispo
Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3
Rockfish remain the story of Morro Bay and Port San Luis, and it will remain the story through the end of the current season on December 31. Limits are possible as two boats left Morro Bay Landing with 44 anglers on Sunday for limits of rockfish consisting of 410 assorted, 15 vermilion, 5 Boccaccio, 10 copper and 6 lingcod to 10 pounds. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, three boats were out on Sunday with 31 passengers for near limits composed of 247 assorted, 12 vermilion, 3 copper, one Boccaccio, a cabezon, and 11 lingcod to 8 pounds. The Black Pearl out of Morro Bay took a birthday charter over the weekend with limits of quality rockfish including sublimits of vermilion along with 55 lingcod. They are running a Lingcod Lotto every Monday and Friday on their 6- to 8- hour trips with every legal ling cod entered into the weekly drawing for a free trip.
Call: Virg’s Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing
Others
Delta/Stockton
Bass 2 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
Striped bass continue to migrate into the Delta, and they are finding solid numbers from Rio Vista to Collinsville on the Sacramento side and from Discovery Bay north to the Antioch Bridge on the San Joaquin side.
Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Oakley continues to find great striped bass action for limits by 8:30 am over the weekend drifting live mudsuckers on the San Joaquin side near the Antioch Bridge. Soo Hoo said, “The water is a little muddy, but the fish are biting. The fog has been very thick in the morning so you must be very careful out there.”
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors confirmed the striped bass on the Sacramento side from Rio Vista to Honker Bay outside of Pittsburg.
Sturgeon fishing has been excellent on catch-and-release trips out of Pittsburg with cured roe. Experienced captains like Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing will hunt around to find what he considers to be feeding fish holding on the bottom. Every captain has their own version of cured roe, and since most of the captains work together, combined with roe and improved electronics, anglers can catch-and-release multiple sturgeon. area.
There is still a window for topwater for largemouth bass, but the best action and the largest grade is found by punching the weeds. Fresno-native Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors came in third with his partner, Chad Frie during the recent Nor Cal Bass Tournament of Champions, and he said, “We ran north to Liberty Island on Saturday, and we found the action wanting so we stayed in the south Delta on Sunday, finding quality bass punching small mats. We pulled several bass out of one small mat.”
The water clarity remains good at up to 6 feet with the temperature dropping to 60 degrees.
In the south Delta, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported muddy water in the south San Joaquin has slowed the action. He said, “The shad have been hard to find with the colder water temperatures along with the muddy water, and our supplier has been working hard for only a few pounds. Hopefully, they will show up again within the next few weeks. The recent rains have changed the conditions in the south Delta, as the water temperatures have dropped to the mid- 50’s. Although it has been slow, there have been stripers to 15 pounds landed, and the best action is with live bluegill or mudsuckers. Crappie are showing up in good numbers in Whiskey Slough or at Eight Mile Road east of Stockton with live minnows while huge red ear perch to 1.5 pounds are taken on nightcrawlers.”
Call: Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, (209) 543-6260; Soo Hoo Sport Fishing (925) 899- 4045.
Events:
Cal Expo Sacramento – International Sportsmen’s Exposition – January 15-18. Information: https://www.sportsexpos.com/attend/sacramento/.
Tournament Results:
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Note – tournaments scheduled for New Melones, Camanche, Tulloch, or Pardee are subject to change and will not be liste
dNovember 28th –
Pine Flat – CA B.A.S.S. Nation
December 6th-
Don Pedro – Sonora Bass Anglers/Onemorebass Fishing
McClure – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
Pine Flat – Kerman Bass Club
December 7th –
McClure – Hughson High School
December 13/14th-
Pine Flat – Sierra Bass Club
December 13th –
Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments/Contra Costa Bass Club
McClure – Gilroy Bass Masters
December 14th –
McClure – Modesto Ambassadors/Riverbank Bass Club/Kings VIII Bass Club
Millerton – Fresno Bass Club
December 27th –
Pine Flat – C.A. B.A.S.S. Nation
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
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