Fishing report for week of Jan. 22-28: Pine Flat a best bet, Tule River trout active

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

Pine Flat top Valley destination for trout and bass, Jake Figgs said. Isabella crappie deep and southern aqueduct stripers hitting, Dave Hurley reported. Tule River trout active, Chuck Stokke 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, cut baits remain the top offerings, and anchovies or sardines coated with scent are a solid option for legal striped bass. Lure tossers are seeking striper schools boiling on the surface, but these have been few and far between. The head gates are a good location for shad action and tossing Storm swimbaits in bluegill patterns along with lipless crankbaits in shad patterns is effective.

In the southern section of the aqueduct in Kern County, striped bass and catfish are the top species with blood worms, jumbo minnows or extra-large minnows being the top baits. Jerkbaits, flukes and tube baits in shad patterns are also a good option. Fishermen are moving from location to location along the aqueduct. 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

Jake Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun said, “With the recent trout plants, there have been a few fishermen tossing large swimbaits such as Huddleston 68s in trout patterns for one or two bites per day, but overall the best action remains on the bottom for small bass with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs above the submerged islands and in the saddles between the islands.”

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

At nearby Hensley, Figgs said, “The lake has been receiving more traffic than Eastman, and there is some bass action around the submerged rockpiles with bluegill or green pumpkin Senkos or plastics on a Ned-rig.”

The lake held at 29%.

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

The bass bite is improving with some larger reaction fish taken on swimbaits or glidebaits, but the bass remain at various levels in the water column from the banks to 80 feet. Plastic worms on the drop-shot along with jigs on a “dead stick” presentation continue to work best. Trout action remains very slow as few trollers are even trying with the lack of rainbows apparently in the lake. A heavy plant of fingerling king salmon and kokanee 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, Crappie continue to draw fishermen to the lake with the best action around submerged structure at depths to 50 feet. The shad are holding in deep water and also around the submerged structure. The occasional catfish is taken on cut or stink baits. Isabella held at 30%.

Trout plants continue on a regular basis in both the upper Kern River above the lake or the lower Kern River below the dam, and quality holdover and planter rainbows are taken on salmon eggs, Power Bait or nightcrawlers along with lures such as Kastmasters or Roostertails. Trout plants have continued in the local lakes, and Buena Vista is planting around 500 pounds of Mt. Lassen Hatcher rainbows every other week or so.

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

The lake has already started to release water, and it dropped from 14% to 10%. Local bass fishing expert Gary Wasson of Visalia said, “The bass bite is fair for small bass with plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or spoons as depths around 30 feet.” The Central Valley Kayak Fishing club first tournament of 2020 is a March 1 team event at Kaweah.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company in Springville said, “Bass fishing is still fair due to the cooler temperatures. Bass fishermen are working slow in deep water with plastics or jigs. Trout plants are getting quite a bit of play for shore fishermen using Power Bait, spinners, or nightcrawlers.”

Wasson said, “The bass bite is tough, but you can find quality on small swimbaits, jigs, or plastics on the drop-shot at depths from 20 to 30 feet.”

The lake rose to 14%.

In the Tule River, Stokke said, “The river is still fishing well for rainbows with nightcrawlers while fly anglers are scoring with nymphs. This week may bring out a better bite at the lake and on the river with slightly warmer temperatures.”

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

Small limits of primarily spotted bass remain the rule as catching numbers of fish isn’t difficult but locating size is a challenge. The best action remains at 20 feet and 40 feet with jigs or plastics in green pumpkin/purple flake on a shaky head or jigs on a half-ounce football jig head. As the lake has yet to turn over, the reaction bite remains slow, but an occasional quality largemouth is taken on trout-patterned swimbaits on a slow roll on the bottom.

The Sierra Bass Club was on the lake on Saturday, and there were only seven bass over 2 pounds landed out of the 48 fish that were weighed in as the action was tough with only spotted bass caught. There were a number of small 1- to 1.5-pound spots in the limits with more anglers finding success in deep water rather than in the shallows.

A few rainbows are starting to move towards the shorelines, but trollers still have the upper hand at depths to 40 feet near the dam or around the South Ramp with shad-patterned spoons. The lake 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 still waiting for another trout plant, and the occasional holdover from the last plant is taken on rainbow trout dough bait, nightcrawlers or white Kastmasters from the banks around the Handicapped Docks.” Trollers are picking up a few rainbows near the Second Fence Line up the river arm. Lake levels remain high.

Call: McSwain Marina 209-378-2534

The bass bite has grinded to a halt at the Fresno-area low-elevation lakes of Millerton, Eastman and Hensley. With the cold water, and the recent low snow levels, it only makes sense that the largemouth bass at Eastman and Hensley are lethargic, but the spotted bass at Millerton have also been reluctant to bite.

Figgs said, “It has been either feast or famine at Millerton with the best action right on the banks in the upper river about Temperance with tubes while there is also action for numbers of small bass with Hula Grubs in deep water. There have been some larger fish taken around the rockpiles off of the shoreline near Squaw Cove, but the best action is far up the river arm above Temperance in the cold 46/47-degree water. The reaction bite remains very slow.”

The lake rose from 56% to 58%.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

The bass bite remains very challenging at New Melones as the turnover of the lake may not occur this year. The best bass action remains in deep water as the reaction bite continues to be few and far between; however, there were at least three quality largemouths taken during Saturday’s American Bass Association tournament.

Alex Niapas of Hawg Hunters participated in the American Bass Association event, and he and his partner, Jason Remmers, took second place with a five-fish limit of 15.51 pounds with a big fish at 6.73 pounds. Niapas said, “The big fish came on a Hawg Hunter swimbait, and it was a big surprise as I was retrieving the lure by the surface when I saw the big fish following it. I told Jason to get the net, and the bass struck and we put it in the box. It was really a surprise.” Niapas will be attempting to replicate his incredible 30-pound win in 2019 at Lake Shasta during this upcoming weekend’s Wild West Trails Pro/Am.

The DeGough brothers, Collin and Jace, took first place out of the 15 boats with a limit at 18.76 with a big fish at 7.47 pounds.

Gene Hildebrand of Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp said, “The bass bite has improved from the last couple months with the water temps currently at 53 degrees. The bass seem to be everywhere, but also nowhere as they schooled up in certain locations over island tops and main lake points. Finesse techniques with plastics on the drop-shot, Carolina rig or jigs in green pumpkin, Margarita Mutilator, Morning Dawn, or Smoke are the best producers. Jigs. Bass in the 2-pound range are holding around the schools of shad with the best results around 40 feet. Anglers may hook up with a crappie by trolling slowly at 1.5 mph with Speedy Shiners, Needlefish or swimbaits through the schools of shad.”

For trout, the action is very slow overall, but there are some quality rainbows taken on occasion. Vance Bushmire from Las Vegas landed a 6-pound 9-ounce rainbow on a Rapala near Houseboat Row.

Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service added, “There has been the occasional 13-inch kokanee taken by trout trollers, but I will stay off of these fish until they grow several inches towards the summer months. The trout fishing is very slow as the numbers of trout in the lake have diminished.”

Hildebrand added, “A word of caution when traveling from the Rangers Station toward Glory Hole Point as if you are hauling any trailer over 10 feet in height, be aware the Bureau of Reclamation has many oak trees that need to be trimmed to meet federal minimum vertical clearance on local roadways which is 14 feet. The trees overhang the road are creating hazardous driving conditions for you and your trailer/boat/RV having to often drive in the opposite lane of traffic to avoid these trees and prevent damage to your property. The Angels Cove launch ramp is closed, and the fish-cleaning station remains closed at Angels Cove with water line breaks interfering with operations.”

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 the destination of choice for Fresno-area bass anglers along with trollers working for limits of planted rainbows. The lower Kings remains a good option for planted rainbows from the open area below the dam to the catch-and-release section further downstream.

Figgs said, “Pine Flat is the place to go for trout and bass, and for the spotted and largemouth bass, ghost patterns are working best in the rockpiles around Deer Creek and as close to the dam as possible at 25 feet in depth. One of my friends caught and released 20 bass in a few hours using Merritt Gilbert’s 6-inch Casper Worm which is a ghost pattern on the shakey head or drop-shot. There have been some good quality bass in the 2.5- to 3-pound range on jigs in green pumpkin or brown/purple on a 3/8-ounce football head over the rockpiles around Trimmer. There is somewhat of a spoon bite around Sycamore around main lake points in the smaller bait balls.”

For planted rainbow trout, Figgs said, “Hoochies such as the Rocky Mountain Tackle Plankton Squids in UV Pink are working at three colors of lead core along with Needlefish in Cop Car or other shad patterns. Tipping the lure with a piece of nightcrawler or corn is enticing more strikes.”

In the lower Kings River, regular trout plants continue, and trout dough bait, nightcrawler/marshmallow combinations or Kastmasters are all working for the planters. The water releases have slowed, and anglers are able to work the deeper holes with trout dough bait or nightcrawlers on an egg sinker. The water levels are steady with some very nice ripples.

Parking at Trimmer is limited, and in order to make room for as many boat trailers as possible, staying in the designated parking areas is important.

Pine Flat held at 48%.

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

San Luis Reservoir continues to rise in elevation, bumping up close to a half-foot in elevation per day, but the cold water conditions have created slower action for striped bass.

Figgs said, “There has been some success from the shorelines with anchovies along with Lucky Craft Pointers in either 128 or the larger 158 along with the Duo Realis 120 in ghost patterns. Many of our striper fishermen are heading to the south Delta around Tracy instead of the big lake.”

Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill reported slower conditions at the big lake due to the cold water and cold outside temperatures as the reaction bite has slowed considerably. A few stripers are taken from the shorelines with anchovies or jumbo minnows while jerkbaits on a slow retrieve are picking up the occasional striper.

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said, “Overall fishing has been tough with trollers and boat bait anglers scoring low numbers of school fish targeting 40 to 60 feet in depth in Portuguese Cove. I scouted the lake Monday but I had boat problems that curtailed my fishing most of the day . Finding fish is not a problem now, it’s finding an active biting school that’s the issue. I managed to find one active school later and ended up releasing eight nice fish to 24 inches working the 70-foot depths in an unexpected afternoon rain in Portuguese Cove. The water temp is about 55 degrees and the lake is coming up about a half-foot a day now to 1,456,000 acre feet. Minnow anglers have had an advantage lately, but the experienced anglers I talked to said they were also having a challenge getting the reluctant school fish to hit. I’ve had no reports on any ripbait or topwater action. The upcoming weather forecast appears to be a stable warming pattern that might kick things into gear!”

George’s next Downrigging for Stripers 101 class is March 5 at the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno. The class is limited to 25 participants. Details: 905-2954.

The lake rose from 61% to 71%.

In the O’Neill Forebay, small striped bass are the norm, but the reaction bite is better than at the main San Luis Reservoir. A legal limit over 18 inches is possible with anchovies, blood worms or pile worms along with jerkbaits on a slow presentation around the moving water near Check 13 or the old Medeiros launch ramp.

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

Most local bass fishermen have been concentrating on either Millerton or Eastman for local tournaments, and the swimbait bite has yet to emerge. The launch ramp is problematic with no courtesy dock, and the adjacent shoreline is rocky. The conditions are keeping larger boats from splashing. The lake rose slightly to 57%.

The Sheriff’s Motor Fee is enforced on a year-round basis now. Lake webcams and conditions: basslakeca.com/index.php.

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

Kaiser Pass is blanketed with snow, limiting access to the region.

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

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Little, if any, fishing action has occurred at the lake with 8 inches of snow arriving on Thursday in blizzard-like conditions. Most trollers are staying in the low-elevation reservoir of Pine Flat for planted rainbows. Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters will be holding his annual spring seminar about Shaver on March 26 at 5:30 p.m. at Turner’s Outdoorsman on Blackstone Avenue north of Bullard Avenue in Fresno. It will focus on how to fish Shaver in 2020 without the help of third-year kokanee. Representatives of Southern California Edison will provide the water levels for Shaver and Huntington in 2020, and a Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist will be on hand to discuss the 2020 DFW plant, brown and the new residents of Shaver, golden trout which are normally a very high-elevation species.

Access to the lake may be limited due to the snow, but a webcam of the launch ramp is available at sierramarina.com/camera.html. The lake dropped from 55% to 52%.

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

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

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Similar to the other California coastal ports, Half Moon Bay is experiencing the period of time between the end of the rockfish season and the anticipated opening of the rockfish and salmon seasons in April. Fortunately, this port is one of the best locations to score sand dabs and petrale sole along the coast, and Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat is scheduling these trips depending upon interest and weather conditions.

Mattusch recently took a crab/dab combination trip with 8 anglers, and he said, “We went out to 280 feet of water, 14 miles west of the Pillar Point Harbor, and the biggest sand dab of the day was 11 inches caught on an Ahi SD-700 with our best crab pot with a dozen Dungeness. Our trip ended up with 10 limits of Dungeness for passengers and crew along with 135 sand dabs. We have had to cancel several of our planned sand dab, petrale sole, Dungeness crab combo trips due to weather and wind as the high winds create too fast a drift to successfully work the bottom for the dabs in 280 to 300 feet of water, but the high winds create too fast a drift to successfully work the bottom. The crab gear is thinning out as are the crab with both commercial and recreational crab anglers pulling their gear out of the water. We will continue to schedule trips, hoping for good weather windows.”

Out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, the party boats will focus on nature trips along with whale watching in the interim months before the rockfish and salmon seasons are anticipated to open in April. Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady will also be running whale watching trips on Saturdays and Sundays through April.

Dungeness crab are still available from the commercial boats in the harbor.

Further north in Pacifica, the pier has closed during periods of rough weather, but the size of the crowd on the pier has diminished, particularly during the week. Rock crab along with the occasional Dungeness crab are taken on snares loaded with squid, anchovies, or sardines. The pier is open daily from 4 a.m. through 10 p.m., weather depending.

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

Chris’s Landing in Monterey will be running the combination trips depending upon weather conditions and interest.

The annual Sand Crab Classic Surf Perch Tournament sold out to capacity of 300 fishermen within three hours of the website opening, and the event will be held on March 14 and headquartered out of Santa Cruz.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “No matter how much we learn or think we know, fishing will always remain somewhat of a mystery. This week featured fine conditions. There was a bit of a swell, and a little rain here and there, but mostly the weather and ocean conditions were generally calm. Yet, not a whole lot of successful fishing was reported from the Monterey Bay region.

Surfcasters are reporting skunks from beaches in Santa Cruz all the way down to Monterey. Most of the very few surf perch reported caught were of the tiny variety, and quickly released. There’s an exception to every rule they say, and one of our exceptional anglers reported halfway decent fishing on Wednesday. Glen Sales not only knows his surfcasting craft, but puts the time and effort in to get results. Sales hit one of his local beaches near Seaside and used a suspending minnow type lure, targeting larger perch. The Joe Baggs Swarter lure is pretty big for perch fishing, but Sales found his fish saying, ““Landed one and missed two!”

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

The boats are tied up for the winter months with the exception of running sturgeon trips into San Pablo Bay or the south bay. There are still a few striped bass to be had in the central bay for those willing to work for them.

Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle reported decent action for sturgeon in San Pablo Bay despite windy and cold conditions on Saturday. He said, “I know of around six sturgeon landed near the Pumphouse, and there was a 76-inch sturgeon estimated at 200 pounds released. The northeast wind was cold, and it was tough conditions out there.”

Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond Marina reported slow sturgeon action on Sunday with several party boats coming up with blanks from San Pablo Bay down to below the Bay Bridge.

Captain Joel Sinkay, formerly of Leonard’s Bait and Tackle at Port Sonoma, was in the Napa River near the 37 Bridge on Saturday, and they landed a slot-limit sturgeon along with a few striped bass.

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

Since the closure of the rockfish season, boats out of Morro Bay and Port San Luis will be running nature or whale watching trips until the rockfish season opens once again in April with the possibility of an occasional sand dab/crab combination trip.

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

The sturgeon season is moving into full swing with the start of the new year, and the upcoming sturgeon derbies are a clear indicator of the presence of sturgeon fishermen in the Sacramento-Delta.

Sturgeon report cards are due to the Department of Fish and Wildlife by January 31st, and it is very important that the department receive this information from anglers. Online reporting available at wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing#44521416-harvest-reporting.

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing is the organizer of the 14th Annual Diamond Classic Catch & Release Sturgeon Derby on January 25 out of the Martinez Marina. The derby entry fee is $25.00 for adults with 100% payback in cash prizes from 1st through 7th place. Information is available at www:diamondclassic.org with the official registration location of Martinez Bait. A pre-derby seminar will take place at La Tapatia Restaurant on Main Street in Martinez from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24. Talmadge is actively recruiting sponsors, and interested sponsors can contact him at 510-851-2500 or through his website at flashfishing.net/contact-us.

The following weekend, the 36th Annual Foundation Sportsman’s Club Original, aka ‘Super Bowl’ Sturgeon Derby will be held on Saturday, February 1 starting at 7:00 a.m. to Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 p.m. The entry fee is $30.00 with a deadline of 7:00 a.m. on January 31. The target-length will be the same for both days, and it will be announced on Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. All persons in the boat must be entered in the derby as bank fishing is not allow, and no one entered in the derby is to fish on Friday, January 1 until Saturday at 7:00 a.m. All fish must be alive and must be measured at the Sportsman’s Club at McAvoy’s Boat Harbor in Bay Point. Funds from this derby are awarded for scholarships and other charitable causes by the club.

In preparation for the upcoming sturgeon derbies, anglers are advised to make bait reservations at their local bait shops to ensure that bait is available for the event. The shops will need to order a sufficient amount of bait and reserving bait is the best method for helping both shop and fisherman.

The California Sportsmen’s Theater Stage at the Sacramento International Sportsmen’s Exposition is prime real estate for professional captains, and the participation at the sturgeon seminars was at an all-time high over this past weekend with three different captains packing the house to capacity with interested sturgeon fishermen.

Sturgeon fishing is at its peak at the end of January and the start of February with the arrival of the two largest sturgeon derbies on the Delta starting with the 14th Annual Diamond Classic on January 25th out of Martinez Marina followed by the Foundation Sportsmen’s Original aka ‘Super Bowl’ Sturgeon Derby the weekend of February 1/2nd out of McAvoy’s Boat Harbor.

The sturgeon fever kicked off at the ISE with a huge crowd estimated at 160 viewers for a Thursday sturgeon seminar by Captain Jay Lopes of Right Hook Sport Fishing, and it was followed by an incredible 100-plus participants during the less-than-ideal seminar time of 6:00 p.m. on Friday by Captains Zach Medinas and Virginia Salvador of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures.

There is another opportunity to glean wisdom from the captains during this coming Friday evening seminar on January 24th at the La Tapatia restaurant in Martinez from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. prior to the 14th Annual Diamond Classic Sturgeon derby the following day.

Since the continued development of excellent electronics along with the emergence of salmon roe and their specific cures, sturgeon catching has improved exponentially over the past several years.

Highlights from Mitchell’s and Medinas’s seminars emphasize the importance of several techniques that will make all of the difference including: searching for actively feeding fish on the bottom and not setting up on only a few sturgeon, using a quality cooler to keep your bait cold, setting up a wide spread of rods using varying weights to stay down, leaving all your rods in the water when a sturgeon is on the hook to maximize opportunities, and utilizing the new ‘reel down’ method of setting the hook.

Both captains are using the new technique of keeping the rod in the holder and cranking down several turns to load up the rod instead of the old method of lifting the rod and attempting to set the hook. Most mistakes when sturgeon fishing are made during the hook set, and the method of reeling down eliminates the guesswork of yanking back on your rod.

Medinas refers to sturgeon as ‘bloodhounds with fins,’ and he said, “90, of a sturgeon’s diet is clams, and we want to tempt them to eat so we treat our bait like food. When I use eel, I cut it like a kielbasa and keep it semi-frozen.”

Both captains use Bait Buttons on their Owner K hooks to keep the bait from coming loose on the barbless hook on 65-pound braided line.

Tides are important, but Medinas advises, “Tides will tell me where I can go, not when I can go there, and my goal is to get a scent trail out there along their designated travel paths. The wide spread of over 100 feet is designed to set up a roadblock.”

Clearly techniques for catching sturgeon have improved considerably due to improvements in technology and as adaptations and knowledge of the experts has grown. As a result, interest in catch-and-release for sturgeon in the Sacramento/San Joaquin-Delta has increased, and Medinas strictly operates catch-and-release trips while Mitchell encourages the practice.

Both Mitchell and Medinas operate out of the Pittsburg Marina, and Mitchell’s boat, the ‘Top Gun,’ is back on the water this week after an extensive repower with an offshore bracket and two outdoor engines.

Tony Lopez at Benicia Bait and Tackle said, “Striped bass have been consistently coming from the shoreline from the Dillon Point State Park to the Benicia/Martinez Bridge with blood worms, pile worms, or grass shrimp. I have been sending guys to under the Benicia Bridge for sturgeon, and there are plenty of sturgeon in the system.”

Dan Wulff of Manteca was out with Scott Sanders of Oakdale on Wulff’s vessel, and Sanders scored a 42-inch legal sturgeon just west of the Antioch Bridge at West Island with a ghost/grass shrimp combination.

Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, switched gears this week by sitting on the anchor for sturgeon with Dave Houston of Livermore, and he said, “The water seems to be just a bit too cold as we sat on sturgeon all day long, but we only received a couple of small bites. We need some warm rain to bring the temperatures up.”

In the San Joaquin-Delta, Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, said, “Striped bass fishing has been pretty slow in the cold water, but I am going to put the trolling gear back in the boat in anticipation of heading further south in the Delta. My last trip, we only had one keeper along with a few shakers, and we need some warm rain to bring the water temperatures up.”

For largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “The key during these winter months is to keep your bait in the strike zone as long as possible with a ‘dead-stick’ presentation. Thinner worms such as the Bottom Hopper with Max Scent in the 4- to 6-inch range are my top choices now as the thin appendages will flap more in the current when the bait is sitting still. You have to keep the bait as still as possible in the cold water, and I prefer earth tones in greens or browns with the dark water. The bass are hugging the bottom as the water temperature is most consistent adjacent to the bottom, and I will shorten up my leader to as few as 6 inches to keep the bait near the bottom. A ripbait on a ‘dead-stick’ presentation is another option, and I exclusively use the ima Flit ripbait in shad patterns on a on fluorocarbon leader as the bass are holding along the edges of the weeds.”

H and R Bait in Stockton reported few fishermen have been out during this week of cold and rain. They have a big supply of frozen shad as fresh shad is no longer available until most likely June.

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 tournament limits are exceeding those of Fresno-area bass reservoirs as winning limits have been consistently in the 12-pound range. Spotted bass are found in varying depths from 6 to 30 feet with plastics on a drop-shot on a slow presentation along with spoons worked through the bait balls. White bass are scarce, but swimjigs are picking up a few quality white while crappie are found in deep water to 30 feet around submerged structure with minijigs. The water temperatures have dropped into the low 50’s. The lake held at 52%. A webcam of the lake is available at lakenacimientolive.com.

At Lopez, bass action remains a challenge in the cold winter conditions, but there are some quality largemouths to be had with finesse techniques of plastics on the drop-shot, Texas-rig or shaky head at depths to 30 feet while brown/purple jigs are also picking up a few of the larger bass. The crappie bite has slowed with the cold water. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam.

At Santa Margarita, the bass action is starting to show some signs of life with quality largemouth bass taken on umbrella rigs, deep-diving crankbaits, jigs, or plastics on the drop-shot in the depths to 40 feet. The bass are holding with the shad schools in deep water. Catfish are found with mackerel or anchovies coated with garlic scent. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california.

At San Antonio, most anglers continue to avoid the lake, and catfish remain the top species with cut baits coated with garlic spray. A few bass fishermen are targeting their species in deep water with plastics on a ‘dead stick’ presentation in deep water. The lake is now on the winter schedule, and the launch ramp is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The lake held at 37%.

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

New Melones – American Bass Association – January 18th: 1st – Collin and Jace DeGough – 18.76 pounds (Big Fish – 7.47); 2nd –– Alex Niapas/Jason Remmers – 15.51.

McClure –Best Bass Tournaments– January 18th: 1st – Billy Mortola/Emily Schatz– 11.12 pounds; 2nd –– Chris and Darryl Peters – 10.86; 3rd – John Myers/Don Longton – 10.80.

McClure – Sierra Bass Club – January 18th: 1st – Ryan Reynolds/Amy Avidikian – 9.55 pounds; 2nd –– Jimmy Smith – 9.46; 3rd – Michael Murphy/Magnuss Johnson – 9.30. Big Fish – 2.87 pounds – John Marquez.

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club – January 18th: 1st – Mathew Torialba/Travis Cummings – 11.42 pounds (Big Fish – 3.42); 2nd –– Eddie and Danny Norris – 2.97; 3rd – Dustin Basinger/Doug Greer – 10.51.

McClure –New Jen Bass Tournaments– January 19th: 1st – Carey Edwards/Dennis Wainwright – 11.25 pounds (Big Fish – 2.90); 2nd –– Joe Alanis/Danny Wood – 10.87; 3rd – Christian Ostrander/Ronnie Heil – 10.87.

Millerton – Fresno Bass Club – January 19th: 1st – Ron Red Sr. – 9.61 pounds; 2nd – Ted Taylor – 8.66; 3rd – Mark Corrente – 7.94. Big Fish – 3.80 pounds – Chris Conway.

Upcoming

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

Week of Jan. 26 by California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

Fresno County: Avocado Lake, Woodward Park Lake, Kings River below Pine Flat Dam

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

This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Fishing report for week of Jan. 22-28: Pine Flat a best bet, Tule River trout active."