Fishing report for week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3: Storm will mix things up in Central California

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a former Olympic-class decathlete at Fresno State and striper record-holder at Millerton Lake and who now guides in the greater Fresno area. Telephone numbers are in 559 calling area unless noted.

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Best bets

Half Moon and San Francisco Bay Dungeness crab loading pots, Dennis Baxter said. Suisun Bay sturgeon on the chomp, Captain Steve Mitchell reported. Pine Flat bass ready to break out, Steve Newman said. Kaweah/Success swimbait bite on the cusp, Gary Wasson reported.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

In the northern section of the aqueduct, Steve Newman of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Between the main lake and the California Aqueduct, striper fishermen are wanting to throw jerkbaits such as Duo Realis 120s and Lucky Craft 128s in white or shad patterns along with topwater lures. Hard baits have been the lures of choice, and there have been stripers that have straightened out the original hooks, resulting in switching out to 3x or 4x hooks along with split rings. The water has been clearing up, and the bait is moving through and holding near the headgates.” Some anglers are also working the dirt canals and Mendota Slough for catfish.

In the southern section of the aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said, “Blood worms along with large and jumbo minnows have been very popular for bait fishermen, and we sell out of minnows as soon as they come in the shop. Flukes, tube baits, and jerkbaits such as Lucky Craft Pointers in American shad have been very popular. Striper fishing has been good along with catfish on anchovies, sardines, mackerel, minnows, and chicken livers.”

Call: Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket 661-833-8657

Steve Newman at Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The largemouth bass bite has been tough for larger fish, and you have to work the bass to get them to go with big jigs, swimbaits, or Creature baits dragged on the bottom over the submerged island tops or the saddles between the islands at from 20 to 40 feet. It is a matter of grinding out the bite, and getting the stubborn largemouth bass to go. There is a deep-crankbait bite to 15 feet along the rocks at the dam, but it isn’t as solid as expected. Quality largemouth bass have been hard to find.”

Central Valley Kayak Fishing held its last tournament of the season on Sunday, and 23 boats launched to participate. Most fishermen reported working plastics on the drop-shot at depths from 30 to 40 feet over rockpiles and ledges. Damian Thao of Fresno took the trifecta of Big Fish, First Place and the Pro Pot five-fish option. After throwing a swimbait in the morning for no bites, he switched over to jigs and plastics on the drop-shot in brown/purple alternately the baits over the rockpiles and ledges to keep the fish biting.

The lake held at 46%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Newman said, “The lake continues to be very good for largemouth bass with jigs or Senkos along with 4-inch plastics on the drop-shot as the bass are holding along the bottom. Fewer boaters are heading to lake with the low water conditions, but there are bass to be had over the submerged islands or the saddles between the island tops.” The lake held at 23%.

Call: Valley Rod Gun, Clovis 292-3474; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151

The bass bite remains tough, but it is starting to improve as the fish are moving up slightly. There is a spoon bite along with jigs or plastics on the drop-shot at depths from 55 to 65 feet. Similar to the other Mother Lode reservoirs, the shad are scattered, and you have to use your electronics to locate the schools. The bait should be balling up in the coming weeks with the colder weather anticipated. Wind, weather, and rain are needed to stabilize the lake as the water temperatures remain above 60 degrees. The lake dropped slightly to 78%.

Call: Monte Smith 209-581-4734; Kyle Wise – Head Hunter Guide Service 209-531-3966; Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing 691-7008

Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said, “The Taft Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby was a big hit, and the lake will be planted once again for the Thanksgiving weekend. The winning trout was over 7 pounds. The local lakes of Ming and Hart Part have also been planted with catchable trout, and the bite has been very good with Power Bait or nightcrawlers. We are selling plenty of both. The River Walk was also planted, but it was fished heavily over the weekend. The upper Kern River at Kernville Park remains a good option, and in the lower river below the dam, Sandy Flats and Democrat were planted this week with catchable rainbows. In the upper river, salmon eggs, crickets, nightcrawlers, or spinners are best while in the lower river, Power Bait or nightcrawlers are effective. At Lake Isabella, crappie are still being taken on live minnows or minijigs around structure at depths to 30 feet. Bass fishing is best with jigs or deep-diving crankbaits while catfishing is best with Sonny’s Triple S Dip Bait in Blood Formula, frozen shad or clams.” Isabella held at 29%.

Call: Bob’s Bait Bucket 661-833-8657; North Fork Marina 760-376-1812; Golden Trout Pack Station 542-2816

Not much change in the past week with the lake holding at near-minimum pool at 9%, and it is difficult to launch a large boat. A trout plant occurred this week, and this was the first plant in the past several years. Local expert tournament angler Gary Wasson of Visalia said, “The lake was planted with rainbow trout, so swimbaits should be working for the larger grade of largemouth bass. Huddleston swimbaits in rainbow trout are a good option. Spoons and jigs in deep water over structure are the best option for numbers while the swimbaits will offer you the opportunity for a trophy bass.” Central Valley Kayak Fishing will hold their first 2020 tournament here on March 1, a team event.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company said, “The bass bite remains great this week on plastics, jigs and big swimbaits. The lake received a load of rainbow trout this week, and there has been tremendous interest from bank fishermen. It’s been a few years since the lake has been stocked with trout. The bass fishing will probably slow down this coming week with cold rain arriving.”

Wasson said, “Jigs, spoons, and swimbaits are now in play due to the trout plant.” The lake dropped slightly to 8%.

In the Tule River, Stokke said, “The river was still fishing excellent on dry flies this past week, but it should slow down with the snow coming this week, as well.”

Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com

The bass bite in all of the Mother Lode reservoirs has been a struggle with most everything on the bottom, and McClure remains the best of all of the foothill reservoirs. Trout fishing is also solid for troller working shad-patterned spoons from 30 to 65 feet.

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass bite hasn’t changed much in the past week, and most of our fish have been on the drop-shot at depths from 40 to 60 feet, but the jig bite is starting to pick up. Right now, it is important to use a heavy weight on a drop-shot in order to get back down to the bass as quick as possible in the deep water. I have been using Dead Stick’s 2- to 4-inch plastics in Morning Dawn or shad since the shad are small. Nothing larger than 4 inches is recommended right now, and I have been using a half-ounce drop-shot weight on light 8-pound monofilament. The bait is moving quickly, and it might be there at 10 a.m., but it will be gone by 10:30 a.m. The other bite has been with the 3/4-ounce G-Money jig in a brown/purple color known as Margaritaville with a Dead Stick Hula Daddy trailer. The bass are along the main lake points to the back of the coves, and you have to use your electronics to find the bait. Find the bait, and the bass will be close behind.”

The American Bass Association held a tournament on Saturday, and local swimbait expert Alex Niapas of Angels Camp threw a swimbait for his limit of bass with his big fish over 3 pounds. The winning weight of the tournament was just over 11 pounds with a big fish at 3.90 pounds, a fairly typical weight based upon the past several weeks. Niapas pre-fished earlier in the week with Clara Ricabal of Western Outdoor News, and she picked up some beautiful spotted bass to 3.5 pounds on the drop-shot.

For trout, Steve Marquette of the Lake McClure/McSwain Recreation Company said, “We found the rainbows from 35 to 60 feet this week as well as on the surface with a long set back. White or blue/silver Needlefish were working along with the silver/blue Kastmasters both just under the surface at 5 to 10 feet along with the deeper offering. There are still plenty of trout in the lake from the massive plant months ago, and they will be moving closer to the surface in the coming weeks.”

McClure dropped slightly to 60%.

Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing 691-7008

Steve Marquette of the Lake McClure/Lake McSwain Recreation Company said, “Shore fishermen are picking up a few planted rainbows around the Brush Pile or the cabins on rainbow trough dough bait along with nightcrawlers. The lake hasn’t had a plant since the from 3,000 pounds of rainbow trout by the Department of Fish and Wildlife a few weeks back. The trout have been moving into the cooler waters of the river arm, and blade/’crawler combinations or Kastmasters in orange/black are effective at depths to 20 feet.” Lake levels remain high.

Call: McSwain Marina 209-378-2534

Steve Newman of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bass fishing remains a grind with the best action still found near rockpiles, vertical walls, and boulders with steep edges as they are not orienting to the dirt areas or over small pebbles. The bass are ambushing bait from these cover points, and the area from Winchell’s Cove and the Madera side are the most productive with plastics on the drop-shot or dart head along with dragging plastics on the bottom on a Texas-rig. Finding bait on the electronics is essential as the shad remained scattered in the unseasonably warm water. There is a Neko-rig bite up in the river arm.”

The Roosevelt High School Bass fishing club participated in the California Student Angler Tournament Trail Big Valley Division Open, and Roosevelt High student anglers Chee Moua Vang and Keith Yang took first place with Captain Pierre Matthews while Jacob Lee and Teng Cha came in second with Captain Kevin Xiong. Additional volunteer captains were Morgan Swisher, Rod Red, Alex Carrillo, Vacha Vang, Mitch Mitcheltree, Reece Wells, Moe Baguna and Brian Orange. Orange also provided terminal tackle for every one of Roosevelt’s students from his Orange Outrageous Baits. Their next tournament is in two weeks at the Pine Flat Open. The lake dropped from 47% to 45%.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

Bass fishing is expected to improve with the changing weather conditions, but the water temperatures remained warm in the low 60s. Normally, the lake will turn over by Thanksgiving Day, but it seems that it will take into December for the turnover to occur.

John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service said, “We are looking forward to the weather conditions changing as the water remains warm and very clear. The bass are spread out in practically every fishable water column, there are fish up shallow, out really deep and everywhere in between. This makes it tough to find a consistent pattern to try and duplicate. On top of that they are being very finicky and shying away from even the most subtle finesse presentations. However, things are improving as the bait and bass begin to school up, leaning more towards a fall/winter bite. Jigs, Ned Rigs or plastics on a shaky head or dropshot will get bit. The swimbait fishing begins to look more promising each week. Since then, I have seen much more activity on the big baits and the next giant is only a cast away.”

Josh Parris of Josh Parris Guide Service added, “There are definitely still fish to be caught but the overall numbers we are used to seeing this time of year just haven’t been there. Not sure if it’s due to water levels and unusually warm weather, but it’s definitely affecting the fish. Most of the big fish we’ve been coming across have been shallow falling for big swimbaits or jigs. There have been a few small windows across the lake to find shallow schooling fish typically in the mornings but they are far and few. For the schooling fish, Alabama rigs, topwater lures, spybaits and crankbaits have been our best options while for numbers, we have been having to go really deep for this time of year. Using my electronics to find active schools of fish chasing bait is key. Then flipping around to catch a few. Most of the time you either get bit right away or they don’t want to play, most schools will only cough up 5-10 fish before they shut down. Once the bite shuts down, I move on to find a new school.”

Gene Hildebrand of Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp said, “Kokanee Power once again has come through this year with another plant of trout for the 2020 fishing season. These healthy 1-pound-plus trout were transported from the Moccasin Fish Hatchery and placed in a holding pen to be raised for the next six months. In speaking with personnel from the Moccasin Hatchery, there will be a plant scheduled for Melones in the near future. Crappie may be far and few between this time of year, but when you find them expect the unexpected which Josh Parris of San Andreas found out last week hauling in a new lake record for Melones, coming in at 3.47 pounds.”

New Melones held at 83%.

Call: Glory Hole Sports 209-736-4333; Monte Smith 209-581-4734; John Liechty Xperience Fishing Guide Service 209-743-9932

Pine Flat has been a challenge for a larger grade of spotted bass in the past few months, but this is expected to change in the coming weeks with the addition of the first trout plant of the season along with cooling water temperatures. Spoons or plastics on the drop-shot as deep as 50 feet are producing bass to 2.5 pounds, but the big baits are starting to get some play.

Steve Newman of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “With the trout plants continuing, we will start to see the bass start to chase a bigger bait, but it’s a matter of quantity over quality. Josh Sanchez of Fresno was throwing glide baits over the weekend, and he and his partner were rewarded with spotted bass at 6.7 and 5.5 pounds. They were working depths from 15 feet to the bank in the larger coves near Windy Gap. The bite is right on the cusp of becoming really good. A smaller grade of spotted and largemouth bass is found at depths to 50 feet with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs, and vertically jigging spoons is another option. The ice jig bite will start to take off as well in the coming weeks. There is quite a bit of shad from Windy Gap to Lefevre Creek at depths to 30 feet, but the squawfish are also in the area. You have to get down to the bottom through the squawfish to find the bass, and most fishermen are dropping their spoons all the way to the bottom. This is what it takes to fire up a school, and the bait will start to group up with the cooling water temperatures.” The trout bite remains slow for trollers in the main lake, but it should improve as the rainbows move closer to the surface and the addition of more plants.

In the lower Kings River, trout plants continue, and shore fishermen are scoring planters with Panther Martin spinners, nightcrawlers or Pautzke’s Fire Balls in the transitions from fast to slow water from Winton Park to the Alta Weir. The flows have slowed with the water releases on the wane.

Pine Flat rose slightly to 41%.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626

San Luis Reservoir remains a solid bet for striped bass fishermen, and the jerkbait and topwater bite continues to improve as the linesides are chasing bait in the coves. Weather on the horizon is expected to improve the action for stripers as the lake will finally be stirred up after several weeks of dropping water and calm conditions.

Jesus Reyes Silva of Hollister has been putting on a topwater clinic from his boat, and on a recent trip, they caught and released between 35 and 40 stripers to 25 inches using his 6-inch, 1.5-ounce JKings topwater lure.

Newman said, “The bite has been hot at both the main lake and in the California Aqueduct, and there has been a big run on the 5-inch Duo Realis 120 jerkbaits and the Lucky Craft Pointer. Several fishermen have been changing their hooks after they hook a striper that is straightening out the original factory hooks. The stripers are keying on bait, and the white and shad-patterns are working best. It has all be hard baits recently for both the subsurface and topwater bite.”

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill said, “A number of fishermen continue to drift jumbo minnows at the main lake, and it seemed to be a tad slower out there with the continued warm weather during the daytime. It has been difficult to keep Lucky Craft Pointer 128s in the shop, and there is a good topwater bite in Portuguese Cove and around the Basalt Recreation Area with topwater lures such as River2Sea Whopper Ploppers, Zara Spooks or Delta Wood Bombers.”

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said, “Falling water and a frontal system in the middle of the week sent the bite down to just a few small fish for trollers. However, once the weather stabilized, there were good reports of topwater action and an improved troll bite. Bait and minnow anglers have had the upper hand, but the tide is turning. I took out a guest on Wednesday (Nov. 20) in moderate to heavier winds, and the fish were turned off that day. We only got six smaller fish that day, but when things calmed down, the next bite took off pretty good. They have continued to let water out, but it looks like that may be turning around. Cooler weather and an input of water may be what we need!”

George said his Downrigger 101 class scheduled for Dec. 5 at Fresno Sportsman’s Warehouse has been postponed.

In the forebay, the ripbait and topwater bite continues to be outstanding, but the majority of striped bass are under the 18-inch minimum length. A legal-size limit is possible, but you will have to cull numerous undersized linesides. The area around Check 13, the old launch ramp at Medeiros, and the main channel into the outlet are the best locations, and with the grass line thick along the shoreline, kayaks or float tubers are finding the best action. Most fishermen continue to throw lures instead of soaking bait.

The lake dropped to 42%.

Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle 408-463-0711, Roger George, 905-2954, rogergeorgeguideservice.com

The bass bite is good around the weeds at depths from 20 to 25 feet with plastics on the slow-fall on a light weight or a wacky-rig. Dragging a jig, creature bait or a Yamamoto Cowboy in 4 to 5 inches on the bottom is producing. Once the water warms up in the afternoon, there is a crankbait or jerkbait bite in the coves. The bass are eating bluegill and Rat-L-Traps in bluegill patterns are another option. Trout trolling remains slow, but it will improve with upcoming plants by the end of the month.

The lake dropped to 52%, and the courtesy dock is out of the water, but small boats can still get in by beaching the boat. The lake has bottomed out, and it should start to rise in the coming weeks.

Lake webcams and conditions: basslakeca.com/index.php.

The Sheriff’s Motor Fee is enforced on a year-round basis now.

Call: Todd Wittwer 288-8100; Mike Beighey 642-3748

Still few reports from the high-elevation lakes, and the Kaiser Pass lakes are now dropping with Edison receding from 46% to 40% and Florence at 51% with Mammoth Pool from 75% to 67%. Mammoth Pool is a still an option for both rainbow trout and crawdads.

For the latest Sierra National Forest road conditions: bit.ly/2rfH8BB

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

The first storm of the winter should bring dramatic changes to accessibility in the Central Sierra. At 5,500 feet, Shaver Lake is expected to receive snow, but it will be the most accessible of the high-country reservoirs as Wishon and even higher-elevation Courtright should receive a blanket of snow.

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters in Shaver Lake said, “The storm this week is expected to bring snow to as low as 2,000 feet, and no one will be on the lake by midweek. Prior to the anticipated storm, I talked to a local who landed two very red kokanee and two rainbows trolling at three colors of leadcore with a blade/’crawler combination in front of the dam. The same boats continue to go out, and my estimation is that they are catching enough to keep their interest. Robert Hernandez and his wife Marina caught and released six rainbows to 15 inches trolling from Eagle Point to Stevenson Cove in the mid- to late afternoon for rainbows to 15 inches with blade/’crawler combinations on a long setback just below the surface. Mike Giubbini of Paso Robles only picked up one 16-inch rainbow at three colors of leadcore in Stevenson Cove on a pink Tasmanian Devil.”

Shaver dropped slightly to 64%. A webcam of the Shaver Lake launch ramp is available at sierramarina.com/camera.html.

At upstream Huntington, there hasn’t been much change, but if the storm arrives as expected, the secretive brown trout anglers will be dragging their aluminum boats through the snow to get to the lake’s edge. The water came up to 37%.

Call: Dick Nichols, Dick’s Fishing Charters 281-6948; Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435; Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072

The trout bite at Wishon has been solid for both bank fishermen and trollers, but at 6,545 feet, the lake is expected to be blanketed with snow, perhaps closing the road at McKinley Grove. Courtright is even higher at 8,170 feet, and access is expected to be limited.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

The weather is expected to keep the boats tied up for a few days in the middle of the week as the first major storm of the season arrives. Captain Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete stacked his commercial gear on the boat in anticipation of the commercial crab season opening on Friday, but with the season closed through December 15th, they took the gear back off of the boat to get ready for party boat fishing once again. The interest has been limited out of Half Moon Bay although the crabbing remains excellent. He plans on running crab-only trips on Wednesday, November 27th in the morning and afternoon, and there is plenty of room on these trips.

He said, “Crabbing has been excellent, and the anglers who know how to work the bottom are finding quality rockfish. We are picking up limits every day, but there has been a big current necessitating anywhere from 1 to 1.5-pound weights to stay on the bottom. The school fish are found suspended, and the bite has been day-to-day. Ling cod have been conspicuously absent for the most part.”

Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat took the Southside Anglers out on Sunday for a combination trip at the Deep Reef and along the coast at San Gregorio, and they posted limits of rockfish along with ling cod to 7 pounds along with limits of Dungeness crab.

The Half Moon Bay Fish Market on the corner of Highway 92 and Main Street is boiling crab for $2 apiece.

Call: Captain Dennis Baxter, New Captain Pete 650-576-3844; Captain Tom Mattusch, Huli Cat 650-619-0459

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing Trips in Monterey said, “The crab counts have been up and down, and it is clear that we do not have the crab in the area like they do up north. They just aren’t here in numbers. The Check Mate was out with 20 fishermen on Sunday for 72 Dungeness crab along with limits of rockfish while the Caroline returned with 150 rockfish for 22 fishermen along with 21 Dungeness crab. We are filled through the Thanksgiving Week with our next opening on Monday, December 1st.” Mackerel continue to show up in the area waters.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Surfcasting for perch is improving on all the beaches around the bay. Last week’s swell has created better feeding habitat and opportunities for the surfperch. We’re starting to see the big ones coming in to feast. Surfcasters reported catches of multiple perch from the West Cliff beaches on down to La Selva Beach and Zmudowski State Park this week. Many of the surfperch caught and released are of the dinky variety, but reports are increasing of 12- to 14-inch fish caught using GULP sandworms or live sand crabs.”

Call: Chris’ Landing 831-375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting 831-251-9732

Not much change on the Bay scene as the lack of commercial pressure continues to lead to incredible crab action for all party boats out of the Bay Area with Emeryville, San Francisco, Richmond, and Berkeley boats all returning with limits of rockfish and crab.

However, the weather is expected to change by mid-week.

The Salty Lady out of Emeryville, along with the Pacific Dream, Happy Hooker, and California Dawn out of Berkeley Marina, have all be heading to the Farallons Islands when the weather is right for quick limits of rockfish before pulling the loaded crab pots.

The rockfish and crab limits seem to be a given right now, but the lings are MIA with the larger swell over the past several days.

Inside the bay, Ed Liu of Bay Tackle in El Cerrito reported continued excellent striper and halibut action from the shorelines from Emeryville towards Point Pinole, and he said, “Most fishermen are heading out for rockfish and crab, leaving the shorelines alone for only a few dedicated fishermen. We have been catching and releasing stripers to 34 inches and stripers to 35 inches with Yum Money Minnows, Reaction Innovation’s Skinny Dippers, Z Man’s or KVN swimbaits in white/black. We have been getting a number of calls from fishermen in the Rio Vista, Sherman Island, and Decker Island are who are picking up huge striped bass to 30 pounds with big 8- to 12-inch swimbaits. Some are keeping the big fish, but most are releasing.”

Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “We haven’t had too much going on due to the weather, but there have been halibut at 12 and 22 pounds taken on Loch Lomond live smelt at Red Rock. Halibut still in the bay at the end of November? This is new for us. We have live smelt, live mudsuckers, live bullheads, live ghost shrimp, and live grass shrimp for the weekend, but pile worms have been nearly impossible due to the weather in Maine.”

Call: Captain Trent Slate, Bite Me Charters 415-307-8582; Happy Hooker 510-223-5388; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady 415-760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing 707-655-6736

Out of San Luis Obispo County, the rockfish limits were the rule over the weekend with the Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay returning from a reverse overnight trip with 2 limits of rockfish for 23 fishermen consisting of 380 vermillion rockfish and 70 assorted rockfish along with 24 ling cod to 15.8. The Rita G out of Virg’s also scored limits on Sunday with 30 vermilion, 75 assorted, 45 copper, and 10 Boccaccio along with 11 ling cod to 7.2 pounds. Daniel Lankford of Clovis took the jackpot with a 7.2-pound ling. There is only a week left in Virg’s 2019 John Rowley’s Biggest Baddest Ling cod Contest for $10,000 in prizes. The Avenger, Endeavor, and Starfire out of Morro Bay Landing on Saturday posted limits for 77 anglers consisting of 255 vermilion, 80 copper, 20 Boccaccio, 414 assorted rockfish, 1 cabezon, 3 ocean whitefish, and 7 ling cod to 16 pounds with Paul Hama of Shafter landing the big ling off of Ragged Point. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Flying Fish and Patriot combined for 39 limits of rockfish on Saturday with 13 vermilion, 7 copper, 23 Bolina, one Boccaccio, 346 assorted rockfish, and 2 ling cod to 6 pounds. All ports are running a variety of trips in the coming weeks for rockfish/ling cod including overnight trips until the bottom fish closure on Dec. 31.

Call: Virg’s Landing 800-762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing 805-595-4100

The sturgeon bite broke out this past week despite the smaller tides, and party boat operators along with private boaters have been loading up with either salmon roe or lamprey eel in upper Suisun Bay near Grizzly Bay and in Montezuma Slough. The river salmon season closes in a few weeks on December 16th, but few fishermen are targeting salmon during the final weeks of the season. However, those still trying are finding opportunities for chrome-bright salmon on Brad’s Cut Plugs behind a Pro-Troll E-Chip Dodger or K-15 Kwikfish on the troll from Freeport upriver to Discover Park.

Sturgeon fishing has been outstanding, and Montezuma Slough was crowded with boats on the anchor over the weekend. Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait said, “Ron Reisinger of Chico has been targeting big striped bass with splittail, but after working an entire day without catching a splittail for bait, he wanted to go sturgeon fishing. After finding 40 boats in Montezuma Slough on Saturday, he abandoned his plan and went back to striped bass somewhere along the Firing Line. He has been scoring some of these big bass on the live bait, but others out of McAvoy’s have been struggling recently. No one has been at the Fleet recently for sturgeon as the diamondbacks have clearly moved up into the sloughs and into the shallows of Grizzly and Honker Bays. Striper fishing has been good for linesides to 23 inches from the shorelines in Benicia, and there have also been some larger ones moving through.”

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg has been in the process of repowering his 26-foot vessel, the ‘Top Gun’ with new outboard engines on a gill bracket, but he has recruited Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing to assist him with his clients. They found spectacular action on Saturday in deep water in Montezuma Slough with one oversized released, another two oversized lost after a long fight, three undersized sturgeon, and five slot-limit fish using salmon roe.

Private boater Scotty Marran of Yuba City was out in Grizzly Bay and Montezuma Slough this week, and he said, “We had a very good sturgeon day with six sturgeon to the boat including three keepers to 51 inches. George Seefken of Yuba City lost a huge oversized after some excellent entertainment when the fish wrapped in the line and came unbuttoned. All but one fish was released, and everything came on eel. There are plenty of sturgeon holding in Grizzly Bay and in Montezuma Slough.”

Captain Zach Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures has been finding great action out of Pittsburg working the optimum tides with either salmon roe or lamprey eel. He took out Raith Heryford’s crew from RH Guide Service out of Yuba City this week, and they found a number of sturgeon including a huge diamondback that took two experienced anglers to get to the boat before a release. They just lifted the sturgeon up to get a quick picture and remove the hook, and the big fish was estimated from 9 to 10 feet in length. He said, “The tides were much smaller this week, and the weeds weren’t a factor. However, the water movement will be greater this coming week, and we will see if the weeds are still a deterrent.”

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing is back from San Francisco Bay for sturgeon season, and he is operating once again out of the Martinez Marina. He said, “We did well on Thursday and Friday with the same two-person charter with a total of 7 sturgeon to 55 inches working around the Benicia/Martinez Bridge up to the Mothball Fleet. Salmon roe is by far the best bait going right now. We are back up and running once again, and the Diamond Classic Catch-And-Release Derby in January will be taking place once again.”

Chris Orgon, president of the Sacramento State Bass Club, reported many of their members are targeting sturgeon in Grizzly Bay with some success. The Sac State Bass Club has qualified for the National College Championships in February taking place in February, and they are raising funds for their journey.

Early in the week, there was a solid window for catching and releasing big stripers in the north Delta, but the winds came on Wednesday and muddied up the water, putting the bite on hold for a few days.

Kyle Goldberg of Donkey Sticks Lures said, “I was in the north Delta early in the weekend throwing my lures in Bone or Baby Bass, picking up 5 stripers bass to 38 inches. The big fish came on my first cast with the others in the 5- to 7-pound range. It was windy the following day so we fished glide baits in the cuts to hide from the wind, and we had several stripers in the 4- to 6-pound range. My co-worker, Mario Allman, loves to throw glide baits, and he convinced me to throw them. I do have a topwater or bust mentality, but he broke me of that by teaching me something this week.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors was out with Goldberg and Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing on Thursday, and they were looking for the big stripers on topwater in the north Delta, but the winds mid-week had a say in their success. Borges said, “The water in the main river turned dirty overnight, and it will take a day or two to clear up. We saw the stripers chasing, but they weren’t willing to bite. The water temperature dropped 5 degrees, and the bite should take off with the upcoming weather front moving through next week. I expect great action for striped bass. When you are using a big topwater lure, it is important to keep working the lure on a topwater walking bait when you get bit instead of setting the hook as the striper needs to commit to the bait. Setting the hook right away can result in the lure flying back right towards you at a high rate of speed and losing the opportunity for a fish-of-a-lifetime.”

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, was in the north Delta around Liberty Island this week, and he said, “The wind may have been the factor in keeping the crappie off of the bite or it could have been the river otters in the area as we marked the slabs in the submerged trees at depths to 20 feet, but they didn’t want to bite. The water was muddy, and the stripers didn’t want to bite, but we found really good action for largemouth bass with chatterbaits. The largemouth bass are far less susceptible to muddy water, and it gets muddy up there quickly as the area is shallow.”

Steve Wirfs of Modesto is convincing Jeff Boyle of Bass Pro Shops in Manteca to bait fish, and they found great action with shad near Chain Island, catching at least 20 striped bass to 8 pounds. He said, “It was an awesome day on the water, and we threw bay 3- to 5-pound fish all day.”

Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, was finally able to find a shallow troll bite around Decker Island while out with Dave Houston of Livermore this week. He said, “We landed a total of 17 keepers working both in and outside of Decker on a shallow troll, and there were a number of linesides to 6 pounds. We kept three, and more and more new stripers are starting to show. Next week after the rain, I plan on switching over to sturgeon fishing.”

The San Joaquin-Delta striped and largemouth bass bite has been plagued by calm conditions and clear water, and the reaction bite is very slow in these conditions. Rain and wind that normally should arrive by mid-November have been absent, and the bite has been challenging. The winds during the middle of the week stirred up the pot, but the result was muddy water in the main thorougfares of the river.

On the San Joaquin River, Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors said, “The wind played havoc on the river as it was muddy in the main channels. The stripers are here one day and gone the next. I had been chasing a group of stripers, and the other day we lit them up in front of Big Break, but the next day, they were gone. This has been the weirdest fall in a long time, but this little shot of rain coming next week may bust things wide open. I think the area around the Saint Francis Yacht Club should go off as there is a lot of bluegill in this section of the river. The water temperature has dropped, and this is going to help. Right now, I have been targeting clean water coming off of flooded ponds. For largemouth bass, I took out an older couple, and we punched and flipped for 23 largemouth bass to 4 pounds with the 6-inch green pumpkin/red worm has been working best.”

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, stayed off of the main river channels on Thursday due to the winds on Wednesday, and he went to the back sloughs were the winds went over the top of the levees and kept from creating whitecaps. He said, “The water on the main river was stirred up like an egg beater, but we were focusing on the sloughs. Everything is slow and methodical with the ima Flit in Olive Herring or Rock N’Vibe Suspend using a retrieve with a pause. The Berkley Bottom Hopper on a Zappu head on 8-lb. fluorocarbon is also working, but a slow presentation is necessary on the outside of the weed lines. There have been a few striped bass on the Little Stick topwater lure, and I have been using the Little Stick instead of the Big Stick since the area we have been fishing aren’t holding the larger grade of striped bass.”

There are schools of striped bass taken on spoons along the shoals at depths from 19 to 30 feet with 1.75-oz. Blade Runner or 3-oz. P-Line Laser Minnows. It is a matter of locating the schools of stripers, and these are normally school-sized stripers.

In the Stockton area, H and R Bait in Stockton reported continued high interest in local fishermen heading to either Whiskey Slough or Eight Mile Road for striped bass or panfish. Fresh shad remains readily available.

Boaters must use caution in the region around Mildred Island and Empire Cut as several hundred feet of a partially exposed pile line has been blocking the entrance to Mildred Island.

Call: Randy Pringle 209-543-6260; Captain Steve Mitchell 707-655-6736; Vince Borges Outdoors 209-918-0828; J.D. Richey, Richey’s Sport Fishing 916-952-1554

At Nacimiento, the spotted bass are holding along isolated rockpiles or boulders at depths to 25 feet, and the best action remains with finesse techniques of plastics on the drop-shot or jigs. Small shad-patterned spoons are effective at depths to 50 feet, and this bite should improve with the coming colder weather. White bass are showing up on occasion as deep as 50 feet on white Kastmasters or Roostertails when the schools show up on electronics. The fuel dock is now selling fuel again from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The lake held at 45% this week. A webcam of the lake is available at www.lakenacimientolive.com.

At Lopez, the reaction bite has slowed down, but there have been both smallmouth and largemouth bass taken on crankbaits or spinnerbaits in the mornings and during periods of wind. Jigs or Brush Hogs are the other option during the mid-day hours as the bass are holding near rocky structure in deeper water. The bluegill and red ear perch have dropped in the water column, and they are taken on meal worms, wax worms, or red worms, and catfishing is solid with cut baits such as mackerel. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam.

At Santa Margarita, similar to Lopez, the bass bite has also slowed down, but there are a few quality largemouth taken on deep-diving crankbaits, jigs, or plastic worms on a ‘dead-stick’ presentation. Crappie are taken on minijigs or grubs in deep water around structure, and the slabs have been a larger grade recently. Catfish are taken on cut baits, and there is the possibility of a large whiskerfish. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california.

At San Antonio, few fishermen are attracted to the lake with the overall slow bass fishing. Small bass can be taken on plastics on the drop-shot, but catfish remain the top species with cut baits such as mackerel or anchovies coated with scent. The lake is now on the winter schedule, and the launch ramp is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The lake dropped slightly to 33%.

Call: Lake Nacimiento 805-238-1056, ext. 3; Lake San Antonio Marina 805-472-2818; Central Coast Bass Fishing.com 805-466-6557

Go to fresnobee.com/fishing for Ocean, Delta, Kern County and Central Coast lakes and for event results and the tournament schedule.

California Student Angler Tournament Trail, Big Valley Division, Millerton Open

First Place: Keith Yang/Chee Moua Vang, Captain Pierre Mathews- Roosevelt High School BFC: 10.00 pounds; Second Place: Jacob Lee/Teng Cha, Captain Keith Xiong- Roosevelt High School BFC: 8.01; Third Place: Lucus Gerondakis/Jon Loya, Captain Matt Vella- Grizzly Bass Masters: 7.29. Big Fish: Josh Weinberger, Captain Kyle Weinburger- Grizzly Bass Masters: 3.05.

Eastman– Sierra Bass Club – November 16th (Four-fish Limits): 1st –Quincy Marrs– 7.94 pounds; 2nd ––Carlos Contreras Sr. – 7.63; 3rd –Tony Hunt – 7.61 (Big Fish – 4.22).

Eastman–Central Valley Kayak Fishing– November 24th: 1st –Damian Thao – 64.75 inches (Big Fish – 17.25 inches and Pro Pot – 79 inches); 2nd –– John Myers – 55.75 inches; 3rd –Wa Meng Vue – 55.25 inches.

Dec. 7

Delta/Russo’s Marina – American Bass Association

Delta/Big Break – Bass N’ Tubes

New Melones – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Don Pedro – American Bass Association

McClure – Sonora Bass Anglers

Pine Flat – Kerman Bass Club

Nacimiento – American Bass Association

Dec. 8

McClure – Fresno Bass Club

Pine Flat – Roosevelt High School Bass Fishing Club

Dec. 14

Delta – California Striped Bass Association Isleton Chapter Sturgeon Derby

McClure – Merced Bass Club

Pine Flat – Sierra Bass Club

Dec. 15

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Hook, Line, and Sinker

Nacimiento – Good Ole Boys

Dec. 18

Pine Flat – Kings VIII Bass Club

Week of Dec. 1 by California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

Inyo County: Diaz Lake, Owens River below Tinnemaha and section 2, Pleasant Valley Reservoir

This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Fishing report for week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3: Storm will mix things up in Central California."