Fishing report for week of Jan. 1-7: Eastman, Pine Flat and Millerton bass bites steady

soluCompiled 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

Delta bass and sturgeon action good, Randy Pringle said. Eastman, Pine Flat and Millerton bass bites steady, Steve Newman reported. McClure bass and trout continue feeding, Ryan Cook said.

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, “The aqueduct continues to be on the slow side with the cold and intermittent rain. There is no protection from the elements at the aqueduct, and fishermen are reluctant to head out in the rain. Most fishermen are either soaking anchovies or similar baits or working the head gates. We are starting to see those throwing lipless crankbaits in the 3/4- to 1-ounce size in chrome/black, chrome/green or chrome/blue, and the technique is a yo-yo effect where you retrieve the lure violently out of the depths. This is a popular method at the aqueduct at this time of year.”

In the southern section of the aqueduct in Kern County, the bite continues to be very good for stripers with blood worms, jumbo minnows, flukes, tube baits and jerkbaits. Catfish are found on anchovies, sardines, mackerel or Sonny’s Dip Baits.

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

Newman said, “The largemouth bite is improving with increased numbers of 4- to 6-pound bass taken as the water temperatures are cooling. The recent trout plants have helped bring some largemouths closer to the surface, but the best action remains over submerged islands or the saddles with big jigs, dragging a creature bait on a Texas-rig or a swimbait on a slow grind. Numbers of small bass in the 1-pound range are taken on plastics on the drop-shot or jigs on a finesse presentation at depths from 30 to 40 feet.”

The lake held at 47%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Newman said, “The lake is receiving more pressure over the past month due to the consistent bass bite and the slower action until recently at nearby Eastman. The pressure on the small lake may have contributed to a tougher bite, but there are bass in the 3- to 4 -pound range taken on jigs, Senkos or deep-diving crankbaits at 15 to 20 feet. Trout plants started recently, and the swimbait bite should improve.”

The lake rose slightly to 28%.

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

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass bite continues to improve with more and more bass moving into the shallows with G-Money jigs in purple/brown with a large trailer on a half-ounce football head at depths to 30 feet while Alabama rigs, Senkos and spinnerbaits are also working. The bass are moving into the shallows, and the swimbait bite should improve as the trout migrate closer to the surface.”

Few trout and king salmon reports, but the remaining rainbows in the lake should be moving closer and closer to the surface. A heavy plant of fingerling king salmon this spring should pay dividends in the future.

The lake held at 80%.

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

At Lake Isabella, anglers are still targeting crappie with minijigs or live minnows around submerged structure at depths to 50 feet as the slabs have dropped in the water column. The shad have been holding in the trees, and both the crappie and largemouth bass are targeting the shad schools. Isabella held at 30%.

The upper Kern River above the lake or the lower Kern River below the dam remain top areas for Bakersfield anglers as planted rainbows can be taken on salmon eggs, Power Bait or nightcrawlers along with lures such as Kastmasters or Roostertails. Regular plants have been bringing on the action. The local lakes of Ming and Hart Park are kicking out a few planters on Power Bait. Buena Vista has been slower with the occasional planted rainbow taken.

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

The lake has risen slightly to 16%, but the bass bite remains slow overall with jigs, ice jigs or plastics on the drop-shot in deep water. The Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments is holding a New Year’s Day tournament at the lake with the Central Valley Kayak Fishing holding their first tournament of 2020 on March 1, a team event. A trout plant occurred two weeks ago, and the swimbait bite for the larger grade of bass may start to take off. The launch ramp is a good area to try for planted rainbows with Power Bait, nightcrawlers or Kastmasters.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

A trout plant occurred two weeks ago, and fishermen are working the banks with Power Bait, nightcrawlers or Kastmasters. The bass bite remains slow overall as the winter bite is in full swing, and spoons, jigs or swimbaits are working best on a slow grind. Catfish with stinkbaits has been another option. The lake rose to 9%.

In the Tule River, the water is stained from the recent precipitation, but a few planted trout are taken on nightcrawlers or spinners.

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

Lake McClure remains the top bass lake in the Mother Lode for numbers, but New Melones and Don Pedro are starting to perk up with some larger bass.

Cook has been working all three Mother Lode lakes, and he said, “The bite is getting much better, but the bass are still scattered. There are a number of bass up shallow, but they are still holding as deep as 70 feet. We are just now starting to get into the winter pattern. I have been focusing on crawdad-eating bass with G-Money jigs, Senkos, Dead Stick plastics on the drop-shot or Alabama rigs. The water temperature is ranging from 55 to 57 degrees with a clarity between 4 and 6 feet. I have been starting out in deep water before moving shallower as the day progresses. Jigs, 4-inch plastics on the drop-shot or 5-inch stick baits are all working, but the bite is so subtle that you have to have patience and concentration.”

There are still plenty of trout left over from the massive plant in the spring, and there will be a population of kokanee and king salmon growing to catchable size within the next two years due to plants from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

McClure held at 62%.

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

Steve Marquette of the Lake McClure/McSwain Recreation Company said, “The lake is anticipating a trout plant, but a plant hasn’t occurred for the past several weeks. Shore fishermen are congregating around the Handicapped Docks with orange trout dough bait, salmon eggs or silver/blue Kastmasters for a few rainbows. Trollers are pulling blade/’crawler combinations, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger or blue/silver Kastmasters around the Brush Pile, outhouse or in front of the cafe.”

Lake levels remain high.

Call: McSwain Marina 209-378-2534

The spotted bass bite at Millerton continues to improve with a mixture of spotted and largemouth bass available with primarily finesse techniques. There is great optimism for the upcoming New Year’s Day tournament, and the possibility of a 12- to 13-pound limit is being discussed by local anglers.

Newman said, “The lake is improving from really good to very good, and there have been some bass in the 2.5- to 3-pound range landed recently. Most tournament weights have been in the 9- to 11-pound range, but they may improve on that this week. The water is coming up around a foot per day, and finesse techniques continue to work best. Wacky-rigged Trick Worms or plastics on the drop-shot or shaky head are working at depths from 25 to 30 feet over large rockpiles or vertical walls. There are bass coming up on the flats and dragging a creature bait, big jigs or Texas-rig plastic is working on the flats. The bass are focusing upon shad, and there is some action on jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits or Alabama rigs. The water temperatures are cooling, and they are down to the 52- to 55-degree range, and it is very cold upriver with the recent water releases from the upstream reservoirs. It is possible that there will be around 20 to 25 boats for the New Year’s Bass 101 tournament, and there is a New Jen Bass Tournaments event the following weekend.”

The lake rose from 48% to 51%.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

It has been a most unusual year in the Mother Lode lakes as they have yet to turn over with a consistent temperature throughout the water columns. This normally occurs around Thanksgiving, but we are at least six weeks past this date.

Cook said, “The lake is close to turning over, and the bass action will get much better once the turnover is completed. I was on the lake on Sunday, and I was anticipating a winter bite and didn’t switch over to a fall pattern until the end of the day. We ended up landing 40 bass with the largest at 4.5 pounds, and there is no consistent pattern as two of the larger bass were taken on 20 feet with two others at 65 feet. The bait is clearly on the move, and the key is finding the bait. We went for six hours in dead water before finding the bite which was mostly on jigs or plastics on the drop-shot with a few on an Alabama rig. Melones is still in the fall pattern, but the winter pattern is coming on with big swimbait action.”

Alex Niapas of Angels Camp has started tossing his custom Hawg Hunter swimbaits on the lake, and he was out with Western Outdoor News columnist Clara Ricabal this week in cold weather conditions. Despite wearing multiple layers of gear and heavy gloves, Ricabal found the touch in deep water at 60 feet for bass to 3 pounds with plastics in light colors on the dart head using 15-pound test. She said, “I lost two big ones including a giant that I didn’t see as my rod just doubled over. My Fitzgerald rod really allows for a light touch while working deep water, especially when a ‘dead stick’ presentation is necessary.”

The trout bite should improve when the lake finally turns over as the rainbows will be moving close to the surface.

New Melones held at 82%.

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

Pine Flat Reservoir remains consistent for a mixture of spotted and largemouth bass, and the stability of the water levels along with dropping temperatures have contributed to a consistent bass bite. Trout trolling continues to improve in the main lake, and the lower Kings River is in perfect shape for drifting salmon eggs or trout dough bait.

Newman said, “In the main lake, the best bass fishing is in deep water from 30 to 50 feet with ice jigs or spoons on a vertical presentation under the isolated balls of bait. The bass are under the bait, but there are also bass holding on the bottom, but you can get them to come up. A plastic on a shaky head is a viable option for these fish. The bass are focusing upon the shad, but the shad schools are moving in the 52- to 54-degree water. There is also a deep crank bait along the ledges along with jerkbaits as the bass are in pre-winter feeding mode. They get very aggressive at this time. Numbers are found deep, but the best grade is in the shallows. Grinding a 3- to 4-inch Kei Tech swimbait on a 3/8- to half-ounce head across the rocks or working glide baits at 15 to 20 feet along steep walls are also good techniques. The water is very clear, and these types of lures will draw the bass up from the depths as they are looking for an easy meal. The swimbait bite with Huddleston-style lures will improve with more trout plants.”

For trout trolling, the best fishing remains in the triangle in the main lake from the Power Lines to the dam to Deer Creek from the surface to 20 feet with shad-patterned spoons such as Cop Car Needlefish along with those with orange or red. Blade/’crawler combinations or Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler are also producing.

Jeff Harris of Tollhouse has been trolling in the main lake for trout, and he said, “I have been catching and releasing my limit every day, but I only keep a few. However, I did land a 4-pound rainbow this week, and it seems that the holdovers are coming off of the bottom after a long summer to feed.”

In the lower Kings, Newman said, “The water levels are steady with some very nice ripples and drifting Plants continue on a weekly basis, and there are long stretches of good water for drifting salmon eggs or trout dough bait. You can also use these baits on an egg sinker in the deeper pools on the bottom.”

Pine Flat rose from 45% to 46%.

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

San Luis Reservoir continues to be solid for striped bass as the lake is rising consistently with heavy pumping out of the south Delta. The topwater and jerkbait action continues to draw fishermen to the coves looking for stripers chasing shad towards the surface.

Newman said, “San Luis remains very good with jerkbaits such as Duo Realis or Lucky Crafts along with a solid topwater bite with the ima Big Stick or Little Stick topwater lures in bone, shad or Real Ghost along with Pencil Poppers or Zara Spooks. Fishermen are looking for boils on the surface as the stripers are pushing bait into the coves. Trolling has been best deep, but overall it has been slow.”

Alex Tran of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill said, “The bite has been so-so, and you have to be willing to work for them. Once again, Lucky Crafts, Duo Realis 120s or Jackal Rerange are working in American shad, clear chartreuse or chartreuse/shad. The Mega Bass Vision 110s are also good, but I would change the hooks out.”

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said, “The good news is that the big lake is up to 1,223,000 acre feet and coming up about a foot a day, and now we’re back up over 50% capacity and rising quickly. The water temperatures have fallen to about 57 degrees, and the water clarity is around 5 feet of visibility. There have been as many as 40-plus boats on the lake during the holiday, but after getting reports from over 20 anglers the consensus is that it’s been a tough bite this week with many trollers and bank casters only picking up a couple fish in most cases. The topwater bite hasn’t been very good. Anglers are seeing fish but getting the inactive schools to bite has been the issue. It seems that experienced minnow anglers have been doing the best with slightly better numbers, but not much. I took out David Drinnon of Fresno on Friday, and it was tough fishing with a lot of turned-off fish, but I found a trolling pattern using Lucky Crafts that picked up a school fish every so often as we moved all over the lake looking. After lunch, I found an active school at 70 feet off a deep point and we had a hard strike. It became evident it was a good one and David ended up with a beauty, a personal-best of 40.5 inches and 24.88 pounds, a personal-best improvement of 10 pounds. I used the Seaqualizer to walk the fish at 30 feet for a couple minutes, checked it again before I put it down to 70 feet. We saw it swim off on sonar. We fished hard all day and ended up scratching out over 25 fish in the 20- to 24-inch range working the west wall, Quien Sabe and the pump areas. The 40- to 80-foot range with minnow-colored standard lures has been the best bet. We got lucky with the one big fish – but it’s what I was looking for.”

The lake rose from 56% to 61%.

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

Trout plants have been occurring recently, and these plants should kickstart the swimbait bite with large boot-tail swimbaits in trout patterns. The plants will bring more trollers to the lake to pull blade/’crawler combinations or Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler from the surface to 20 feet.

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

A webcam of the lake is available at basslakeca.com/index.php. The lake is on the rise at 55%, and it is getting easier to launch a larger boat.

Kaiser Pass is blanketed with snow, limiting access to the region. The Kaiser Pass lakes are now dropping with Edison at 39% and Florence at 9% with Mammoth Pool rising to 71%.

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

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Cold weather conditions continue to keep most boats off of the lake, but there have been one of two launching on a daily basis. There are multiple limits of rainbows possible in the top 12 feet of the surface with Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with a nightcrawler or similar set ups. One boat was out for two consecutive days, and they landed a total of 22 rainbows. The Stevenson Bay area continues to be the top location for winter rainbows. There are still very red kokanee found at 25 feet in the Rock Heaven and Point areas, but these fish are in full spawning mode and inedible.”

Access to the lake has been limited due to the snow, but a webcam of the launch ramp is available at sierramarina.com/camera.html.

A double-plant of rainbows is anticipated next year in addition to the 12,000 5-inch brown trout that were planted in spring 2019.

The lake dropped from 58% to 56%.

At Huntington, the winter storms have limited access to the lake, and the dock has been out of the water for several weeks. The lake dropped to 52%.

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

Recent snow closed access to these high-elevation lakes, and they may be inaccessible until April.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

The rockfish season ended on December 31st with its anticipated opening in April 2020. After the closure of the rockfish season, Captain Tom Mattuch of the Huli Cat will run Dungeness crab/sand dab combination trips along with crab-only trips while the remainder of the fleet will be offering either crab-only or nature trips. Whale watching trips are also popular out of this port.

Prior to the season closure, the Huli Cat went to San Gregorio on a combination trip for 27 limits of rockfish and crab along with some quality ling cod to 10 pounds. Lings to 20 pounds were landed on the Huli Cat within the last week of the season.

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 said, “The crab counts have been climbing with up to 100 crab per trip, but Sunday’s trips didn’t pull the pots. The Check Mate went south to Point Sur for 14 limits of rockfish, 18 ling cod, and a bonus 6-foot Mako shark. The Caroline stayed local for 18 limits of rockfish and 7 lings. After the rockfish closure, Chris’s boats will focus on sand dab/crab combination trips along with whale watching.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “The 16th annual Sand Crab Classic Perch Derby is scheduled for Saturday, March 14 this year. This is the biggest Derby on the West Coast for the smallest game fish. A family affair, the Sand Crab Classic raises support each year the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. Entries fill up super-fast, so keep an eye on the Sand Crab Classic website for entry opening, which will occur on or near Jan. 1. The tournament is limited to 300 participants, and it normally sells out within one day.”

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

The commercial crab pressure finally put a dent in the party boat hauls as experienced captains came home with anywhere from half to three-quarter limits of crab on their final trips. The tremendous season for crabbing has slowed down after heavy commercial pressure for two weeks. Rockfish season ended on Dec. 31, and most party boats will either be targeting sturgeon in the south bay or San Pablo Bay or doing maintenance.

Inside the bay, the hot sturgeon bite slowed to a crawl in San Pablo Bay as the sturgeon have migrated towards a huge herring spawn near Angel Island. Due to the vulnerability of sturgeon during the herring spawn period, the Department of Fish and Wildlife enforces the following regulations from January 1st through March 15th.

Sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area between Jan. 1 and March 15: That portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita.

There was some sturgeon action near the Mare Island Rockwall as these diamondbacks apparently haven’t heard dinner bell.

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

The rockfish season ended Dec. 31, and after this date, boats out of Morro Bay and Port San Luis will be running nature or whale watching trips.

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

The water temperature in the Sacramento-Delta has dropped considerably into the high 40s, but the river is clearing up after the intermittent storms over the past few weeks. With the long dry spell in November, the ground is still soaking up any precipitation, and the river isn’t staying muddy for long.

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors said, “The north Delta has been muddied up a big, but it is starting to clear up. The bite continues to be a little tougher now, especially for the big fish, and I think for the most part the big ones have continued north to the upper river sections. There are still school-sized stripers to 10 pounds for the taking, but you are talking 10 bites per day rather than 50. The largemouth bass also continue to chew on swim jigs with Reaction Innovation’s Skinny Dipper trailers. The best bets for the striped bss is the same swim jig along with Optimum’s AA Bad Bubba Shad swimbaits on a 3/8- or half-ounce head.”

Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento wasn’t on the water this week in the north Delta, but he said, “My friends have been out there, and it has been a grind. The water is clear, but it has been cold at 47 degrees, and even Mark Wilson and Clyde Wands are struggling for a few fish on live bait. We need a warm rain to pass through northern California, and when this occurs, the bite is going to break loose.”

Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, has switched over to drifting live bait, and he said, “The striper bite has been tough in the 49-degree water, but we managed to put in two keepers along with releasing 5 smaller fish with everything on minnows as the mudsuckers were not effective. I also lost one at the net in the 10-pound range. This is winter fishing right now.”

For sturgeon, the action has focused in lower Suisun Bay as the sturgeon are migrating towards the herring spawns in San Pablo and San Francisco Bay. Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing said, “We had a very good week with four out of five trips with at least one keeper, and on the trip that we didn’t pick up a slot fish, we released an estimated 8-foot sturgeon after a two-hour fight. Everything has been coming in deep water between 40 and 50 feet with salmon roe, and I have been fishing near Port Chicago on the incoming tide before moving down to the Benicia/Martinez Bridge on the outgo. The tides slowed way down at the end of the week, and there were tons of boats at the Fleet on Saturday with only four sturgeon reported. We moved down in 45 feet of water near the bridge at the end of the day, and my client landed a 57-inch sturgeon which saved the day. This week’s tides are very slow, and I don’t plan on fishing unless it was at night.”

Talmadge is hosting the 14th annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Sturgeon Derby on Jan. 25. Youth 15 and under participate for free, and Talmadge is seeking sponsors for the growing youth participation in the event. Information – Martinez Bait and Tackle (925) 229-9420.

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing said, “Sturgeon fishing has been very good for us with the exception of Saturday and Sunday during the day on the smaller tides. We have been grinding it out, and we have landed a slot-fish on every trip. It’s been tough with the small tides since every little bit of cross wind makes it tough to stay straight. I was out with Vince Borges on Saturday night during the big outgoing tide that ran from 5 p.m. to midnight, and we did very well. Salmon roe and lamprey eel have been our best baits.”

Captain Zach Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures was out on Sunday with a family from Nevada until the rain become too much for the children, and he said, “I went to the Mothball Fleet, but we didn’t see much going on there with the small tides so I worked back upriver to find more sturgeon. We put them onto a 58-inch slot sturgeon that was released along with a number of shakers to keep the action going. We have been averaging around 2 to 3 slot sturgeon per trip, but it hasn’t been earth-shaking for us.”

Medinas is presenting his techniques at the upcoming International Sportsmen’s Exposition at Cal Expo in Sacramento from Jan. 16-19, and his co-captain, Virginia Salvador, has procured a number of prizes that will be raffled after the seminars as well as from their booth including: two Traeger grills, Seeker/Accurate rod/reel combinations, Costa sunglasses, Gerber Tools, and Grunden’s apparel in addition to other prizes.

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing will also be presenting his techniques for ‘Catching and Corralling the Elusive White Sturgeon’ at the upcoming ISE, and he was last out on the water just before Christmas. He said, “We had a great day with Captain Mike Funtanilla of Bend Ur Rod, but when he went back the next day, the sturgeon had moved.” Just shows that the captains will take time to search for the sturgeon before setting anchor, sometimes as long as a few hours.

The San Joaquin Delta is getting cold at 49 degrees, and the largemouth and striped bass bite take a slow presentation in the cold water. The water remains relatively clear, but the bait is absent on the main river channel.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “The water is still clear on the San Joaquin, and there is a good rip bait bite with the ima Flit 120 in shad patterns. The key is a ‘dead-stick’ retrieve which is essential as the water is getting colder ranging from 52 to 56 degrees. There is also a good bite with the Bottom Hopper on a Zappu head, and the key here is using the tungsten weights. The bass are all oriented to rock since the rocks hold heat and provide structure for bait fish, and the harder tungsten steel allows you to feel the rocks. You have to keep contact with the rocks in order to get bit right now. The bass are not holding on the silt as the warmth just isn’t present. I use the Reins tungsten weights. The Bottom Hopper works best right now since it has a thinner profile which move more fluently in the cold water. The General is too stiff for the cold water conditions as it doesn’t have the subtle wiggle. Both baits have Max Scent, and the scent is very important in the cold water. For stripers, I have been using the ima floating Glide Bait in bone in the larger size on 20-pound mono to assure that the lure stays shallow. The key is to stay above the weed lines with a slow retrieve. For smaller stripers, the small ima Glide Bait works best, and there are some areas where there is an accumulation of stripers, allowing you to spoon at depths from 12 to 30 feet over ledges. We had a ton of stripers in the system a few weeks ago, but with the good weather conditions, they have moved on since there is little bait in the main San Joaquin River from Ladd’s Marina in Stockton north.”

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors said, “The wind blew a bit this week in the afternoons, but bass fishermen are flipping or Senkos on a wacky-rig on a slow presentation. The bass are holding along south -facing banks with weeds. There haven’t been many fishermen out over the holidays, but our first tournament is coming on Jan. 4 out of Russo’s Marina.”

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service said, “I was out three times this past week, and we struggled during the middle of the week drifing live bait of mudsuckers or jumbo minnows. I had a hard time finding fish in the area from Eddo’s to Antioch early in the week, but we ended up with two limits. I went upriver on Friday, and when we were fighting a striper, we found a big school in 40 feet of water in the middle of the channel. We worked this school for 40 stripers with around 15 to 20 being legal size to 5 pounds. We had six keepers up to this point, but we ended up with limits for the boat.”

The cold water has marked the end of fresh shad in local bait shops, but most stores in the Stockton/Antioch area have plenty of frozen shad.

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 bite has been decent at depths to 30 feet on plastics on the dart hear, Ned rig, split-shot, or drop-shot while working a vertical spoon has also been a productive technique. The bass are holding on structure adjacent to deep water. In addition to the spots, largemouth and white bass are taken on occasion in the same areas as the spots. Catfish can be taken on cut baits coated with scent, but the action is fair at best. The lake rose four vertical feet to 50% this week. A webcam of the lake is available at www.lakenacimientolive.com.

At Lopez, the winter bite is in full swing, and bites are the exception for those grinding swimbaits or deep-diving crankbaits. A slow presentation with a football-head jig in deep water is also productive as the bass are digging in the rocks for crawdads. Spoons are also an option, and there have been some quality largemouth bass to 6 pounds taken. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam.

At Santa Margarita, the bass bite is very slow with only a few stories of success, and the best action is with finesse techniques of plastics on the drop-shot or jigs on a dead-stick presentation. Crappie are a possibility around structure with white crappie jigs tipped with a crappie Nibble. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california.

At San Antonio, still minimal change here with few fishermen heading to the lake between the slow bass action and inclement weather. A few bass are taken on finesse techniques of plastics on the drop-shot or jigs. Catfish remain the best option 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 held at 36%.

Reminder: Consuming white bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, or carp are subject to safe eating guidelines due to excessive mercury.

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

Jan. 16-19

Cal Expo/Sacramento – International Sportsmen’s Exposition – information: sportsexpos.com

Jan. 1

Delta/Russo’s Marina – American Bass Association

Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club

Jan. 4

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

New Melones – New Jen Bass Tournaments

McClure – Kerman Bass Club

Nacimiento – American Bass Association

Jan. 5

Delta/Tracy Oasis – Tracy Oasis Marina

McClure – Riverbank Bass Anglers/Merced Bass Club

Millerton – New Jen Bass Tournaments

Jan. 8

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club

Jan. 11

New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

McClure – Best Bass Tournaments/Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments

Jan. 12

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

Jan. 18

Camanche – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

New Melones – American Bass Association/Tri Valley Bassmasters

McClure – Best Bass Tournaments/Sierra Bass Club

Nacimiento – Kern County Bassmasters/Bakersfield Bass Club

Jan. 19

McClure – New Jen Bass Tournaments

Millerton – Fresno Bass Club

Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club

Jan. 25

Delta/Martinez Marina – 14th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Derby

Don Pedro – Gold Country Junior Bass Club

McClure – 17-90 Bass Club

Nacimiento – Golden Empire Bass Club

Jan. 20

McClure – Nor Cal High School Bass Series

Pine Flat – Bass 101

Feb. 1-2

Delta/McAvoy’s Boat Harbor – Foundation Sportsmen’s Club Original Sturgeon aka ‘Super Bowl’ Sturgeon Derby

Delta/Russo’s Marina – American Bass Association

McClure – American Bass Association

Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Feb. 1

Delta/Tracy Oasis – Tracy Oasis Marina

Tulloch – American Bass Association

Don Pedro – Merced Bass Club

Feb. 2

New Melones – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Millerton – California Bass Federation

Success – Porterville Bass Club

None scheduled in region by California Department of Fish and Wildlife weeks of Jan. 5 and Jan. 12.

This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Fishing report for week of Jan. 1-7: Eastman, Pine Flat and Millerton bass bites steady."