Fishing report for week of Feb. 26-March 3: Shaver Lake kokanee bite starting early

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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Shaver Lake kokanee bite starting early, Dick Nichols reported. Pine Flat bass, crappie and trout bites good, Steve Newman said. New Melones bass action heats up, John Liechty reported. Southern California Aqueduct stripers solid, Pete Cormier said. McClure bass stay steady, Kyle Wise reported. Sycamore Island bass and trout hungry, Bill Tuell said.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

In the northern section of the California Aqueduct between Kettleman City and Los Banos, the good weather is bringing out fishermen to soak anchovies around the moving water near the headgates. The water releases out of San Luis Reservoir are pushing the bait fish down the aqueduct.

In the southern section of the aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said, “The striped bass action continues to be solid with blood worms, jumbo and extra-large minnows, sardines and anchovies along with lures such as jerkbaits, flukes, or tube baits.” 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

Steve Newman of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The big bass bite remains off with some anglers finding up to 30-pound limits one day using big swimbaits and then throwing the same bait all day long the following day with no results. Bass in the 1.5-pound range are taken on finesse presentation at 20- to 25-feet. The lack of recent trout plants has slowed down the big swimbait bite, also creating slot trout action from the banks.” The lake held at 48%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Newman said, “Hensley is more consistent than nearby Eastman, and there are healthy bass in the 2-pound range taken on swimbaits, jigs or Senkos as there is a consistent pattern. The deep-diving or lipless crankbait bite should take off over the island tops and in the saddles between islands. Many boaters do not want to launch their larger bass boats as the lake is low, but this is a top lake for aluminum boats or bank fishermen.” The lake held at 30%.

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

The bass bite was tough during Saturday’s 71-boat Best Bass Tournaments with a winning weight just over 13 pounds. Tournament director, Kevin Cheek, said, “There really was no reaction bite, and our anglers tossed the kitchen sink at them. The best action came on the bottom with finesse plastics. We have a two-day tournament next month, and I expect some much bigger weights as these bass are already loaded with eggs in the spring conditions.” Trout fishing remains limited with few trollers working the lake this early in the season. A heavy plant of fingerling king salmon and kokanee this spring should pay dividends in the future. The lake rose slightly to 81%.

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, Cormier said, “Crappie are showing up once again, and we have had a run on minnows over the past week. Trout fishing remains good for trollers working Power Bait, Mice Tails or nightcrawlers from the shorelines while trollers are pulling small spoons, spinners, or Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawlers. Catfish are also biting dip baits such as Triple S Blood Formula along with mackerel, nightcrawlers, or sardines.” Isabella held at 30%.

In the upper Kern River, trout fishing remains good with Power Bait in Chunky Cheese, rainbow/garlic, or Sherbet in addition to Mice Tails and inflated nightcrawlers. The local lakes of Hart Park and Ming are kicking out a few catfish or bass, but not much more as trout plants have been on hold. The River Walk will be the location for the Kern County Sheriff’s Trout Derby on Feb. 29 and the annual Firefighters Trout Derby on March 21, and trout plants will be heavy prior to these events.

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

The lake rose slightly to 15%. The best bass action remains on the bottom with Robo Worms on a Ned-rig or dart head at depths from 25 to 35 feet. Vertically jigging shad-patterned spoons are also effective over the shad schools at depths to 40 feet. Central Valley Kayak Fishing holds its first tournament of the year on March 1 with a team event. Crappie are starting to get active around structure in the lowered body of water.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported an outstanding crappie bite with small to medium minnows along with minijigs. Crappie to 2 pounds have been taken, and there was a report of a slab in the 3.5-pound range. Bass fishing is best with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs on a slow presentation along with jigs are most effective for numbers while the occasional trophy largemouth is taken on a trout-patterned swimbait. The lake rose to 19%.

In the Tule River, nymphs are working for fly fishermen, and the dry fly action is starting with the warm weather bringing out a hatch. Bait fishermen are soaking nightcrawlers or tossing spoons for the planters.

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

Bass tournament limits remains in the 11/12-pound range, and the best action is around main lake points, over island tops and in the creek channels with 3.5-inch Dry Creek tubes on a ¼-ounce dart head, G-Money jigs, or Senkos on the shaky head or drop-shot from the banks to 50 feet. The reaction bite is starting to show up with the warmer water conditions and the bass heading into shallower water. Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Sport Fishing said, “King salmon are found as deep as 75 feet with rolled shad, and the trout bite is fair with Speedy Shiners in red/gold or solid copper higher in the water column.” Crappie are making an appearance in the river arm around submerged trees and vertical rock. 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 as there hasn’t been a plant since December. Trout fishing has been slow with the occasional holdover rainbow taken on silver/blue Kastmasters, trout dough bait, or nightcrawlers from the bank locations of the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, or the peninsula near the Marina. Trollers continue to pull night crawlers behind a string of Ford Fender flashers for the occasional rainbow.”

Call: McSwain Marina 209-378-2534

Newman said, “The bass bite remains tough, but there are batches of good fish if you are able to find them. The main lake from Finegold/Sky Harbor to the dam is fishing much better than the river arm, and the best action has been with jigs, Trick Worms, or plastics on a wacky-rig. There are bass cruising the banks, and plastics such as Merritt Gilbert’s Casper or similar plastics with purple lines are working on a Ned-Rig or dart head in the clear water. The water levels have stabilized, and the bass are getting comfortable. Experienced fishermen have been finding the occasional 3-pound spotted bass but finding more than one of these quality bass is a challenge.” The lake dropped from 58% to 57%.

At Sycamore Island, lead park host Bill Tuell reported good action for planted rainbow trout to 3.5 pounds with Power Bait, small lures or nightcrawlers, and the resident osprey has been observed pulling rainbows to 4 pounds out of the pond. Bass fishing is good with large crankbaits or soft plastics, and an 8.5-pound largemouth was landed this week. Catfish, bluegill and crappie action is fair, but there was a huge crappie over 3 pounds this week. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is stocking the pond on a weekly basis. The seventh annual Fishing Derby is March 28 from 7-11 a.m.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

Hundreds of bass anglers from throughout the western United States will converge on New Melones this weekend for Wild West Bass Trails Pro/Am tournament Feb. 28-March 1. The lake has been off-limits for those in the tournament, but there are still plenty of bass fishermen on the lake enjoying the improved action. Trout fishing remains slow, but there is the occasional quality rainbow taken in Angels Cove.

John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service said, “We have been finding a number of large spotted bass in the 3- to 5-pound range, and these spots are super fat and healthy. They are just balloons, and they are getting ready to spawn, and some may have already spawned as they can spawn when the water temperature reaches around 59 degrees. We have seen temperatures starting at 55 degrees in the morning and rising to 57 degrees in the afternoons. We caught and released around 30 bass on Sunday to 3.6 pounds, and these were mostly spots. The Ned Rig has been the best thing going right now, but the jig is also coming to life. Our best action has been from 25- to 35-feet, but I have been trying hard for shallow fish in the 5- to 15-foot range. The bite in the shallows is not consistent, but the bass are starting to move in shallower. A few fish are taken on crankbaits, umbrella rigs, or underspins in the shallows, and the reaction bite should continue to improve.”

The Angels Cove launch ramp is closed, and the fish cleaning station remains closed at Angels Cove with water line breaks interfering with operations. The lake dropped slightly to 81%.

Bass boats will arrive Feb. 26 to pre-fish for the Wild West Bass Trails over the next two days before the tournament begins. The 2019 WWBT Pro division was taken by Jason Remmers of Angels Camp with a three-day limit of 55.93 pounds, narrowly besting eventual Angler of the Year Greg Gutierrez by 0.13 pounds. Chad LeBlanc took the Am division at 46.19 pounds.

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

With much slower action for bass at Millerton, Eastman, and Hensley, Pine Flat continues to be the top lake in the region for bass along with rainbow trout. In addition to the bass and trout, the crappie bite has started to emerge in the river arm, bringing the possibility of landing five different game fish of spotted bass, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, king salmon, and crappie in a single day.

Trout plants continue in the lower Kings, and the flows are ideal. Fly fishermen have been able to work dry flies with increased insect hatches with the warming weather.

Newman said, “Pine Flat remains the best in our region, but it has been feast or famine with some on a really good bite while others are struggling. With the warm weather and clear water conditions, there are bass in the 2.5- to 3-pound range cruising the flats adjacent to vertical areas in a pre-spawn mode. The main lake has been better than up the river arm, and the best action has been around main lake points at depths from 30 to 40 feet with plastics on a finesse presentation. There are also bass taken on underspins, spinnerbaits or swimbaits in the shallows as they are holding in the warmer water affected by the sunlight. Both the bass and trout are loading up on shad, and the warm winter has kept the shad from dropping deep in the water column, and the bait fish are from the surface to 40 feet. With all of the feed, the bass aren’t chasing, and you have to go find them. The crappie bite has gotten really good this week, and although it isn’t wide-open, there have been limits taken up the river arm at the heads of coves over trees or vertical rocks. Small swimbaits in salt/pepper or natural shad on light line on a 1/16- or 1/32-ounce jig head are working best, and the crappie are biting both during the day and night.”

For rainbow trout, Newman said, “Trollers are working from 4 to 6 colors of lead core around 25 to 30 feet with Wedding Rings or Apex lures tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. There have been some king salmon in the 12- to 14-inch range taken. In the lower Kings, the flows are perfect, and bait fishermen are drifting salmon eggs or nightcrawlers in the riffles while you can work trout dough bait in the slower water. With the warm weather, there is some insect activity, and fly fishermen are starting to score with dry flies.”

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 50%.

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

San Luis Reservoir continues to drop precipitously, but the shoreline bite is starting to improve as the stripers are chasing shad into the coves. Trolling has been hit or miss, but the occasional trophy lineside has been landed. The O’Neill Forebay remains consistent for numbers of smaller stripers on either bait or ripbaits near the Highway 33 Bridge.

Newman said, “San Luis has been really hot, and we have been selling a number of Duo Realis and Lucky Craft jerkbaits in the 110 and 120 size as there have been some topwater boils. Pencil Poppers or the ima Big Stick have also been effective when the stripers are on the surface. Most fishermen are heading to a cove and setting up shop, but Dinosaur Point, the Romero Visitor Center, and Portuguese Cove have been the best locations. Trollers are working deep around the Trash Racks.”

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said, “The lake has fallen 5 feet in the last few days throwing the bite into a slowing trend, but trollers are still picking up a few school fish working the Portuguese Cove and Quien Sabe Point areas with the standard minnow lures at40 t0 70 feet. The bite has fluctuated from day to day with anglers getting up to 8 school fish to 24 inches and then back down to 1 or 2 for the day. We believe there is some early spawning behaviors, like males milting, kicking in with the warm weather. The falling water is disappointing, but we’re hoping for a March rain miracle. My last trip about a week ago produced a 28.8-pound beauty I released, but the rest of the fish were all school fish The minnow and bait bite have also been slow. The falling water isn’t helping the ripbait or topwater anglers, either.”

The lake dropped from 74% to 71%.

George’s Downrigging 101 for Stripers is March 5 at the Fresno Sportsman’s Warehouse from 6-8 p,m. and March 12 at the Visalia store The cost is $50 and preregistration isi required: call (559) 905-2954.

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

Bass fishing remains slow with anglers picking up one or two fish, and although the bite is sporadic, the bass are healthy. Plastics on the drop-shot, shaky head or jigs are best as the reaction bite remains slow. The water is cold, but the clarity is very good at 10 to 12 feet. The trout bite has improved with limits taken off of rental pontoon boats with leadcore line on Wedding Rings or Apex lures tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger at depths from 20 to 25 feet. The lake rose to 60%.

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

One trend during this mild winter has been the early season assault on kokanee at northern lakes such as Bullard’s Bar and Whiskeytown, and Shaver Lake is starting to get in on the early season action with the lack of snow allowing easy access.

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Obviously, the kokanee had a good spawn two years ago, and I have been seeing more kokanee trollers on the lake recently as trollers have been picking up limits.”

Lucas Padrnos of Visalia, pro-staff for Paulina Peak Tackle, went to Shaver recently, and he said, “We launched out of the Sierra Marina at 7:30 a.m. with the outside temp at 31 degrees and the water temperature at 43 degrees. We started trolling just outside the marina, long-lining various color combos using Paulina Peak’s original Performance dodger, staggering them from 90 to 125 feet back, and only managed two hits in the first hour. I put one line on a downrigger with a Wonder Bread teardrop dodger with a Cotton Candy spinner tipped with orange corn with tuna and garlic scent and dropped it to 15 feet with a 90-foot setback. Within five minutes, we had the first kokanee in the net. Over the next hour, the same rod scored a 16-inch rout and another kokanee while the toplines remained dead. The other combination that worked was a pink/white spinner with a Cotton Candy hammered tear drop dodger at 15 feet. We fished from 7:30 to 1:30 p.m. and managed to land 12 kokanee and four rainbow trout to 19 inches. We trolled everywhere and found the fish to be very scattered, but late in the day, we marked a very large school of fish by Black Rock near Boy Scout Cove, and when we trolled through them all three lines popped and the end result was three small kokanee at 5 inches that were released as we only kept six kokanee to 14 inches. The kokanee this year are larger, but due to the lack of a plant in 2018, there will be fewer fish.”

Nicholswill be holding his annual spring seminar about Shaver on March 26 at 5:30 p.m. at Turner’s Outdoorsman in Fresno with Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Ken Johnson also presenting on the introduction of golden trout to Shaver Lake.

Sierra Marina launch ramp webcam: sierramarina.com/camera.html.

At Huntington, Jeff Harris has been picking up a limit of holdover rainbows as the lake is accessible due to the lack of snow. He said, “It won’t be long before I can launch my boat and pull a big Rapala around and hope for a big one.”

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

The lakes are inaccessible, possibly until April.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

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

Half Moon Bay

Striper 2 Sand Dabs 3 Surf Perch 2

The party boats out of Half Moon Bay are taking reservations for the opening of the rockfish season on April 1st along with the anticipated salmon opener on April 4th. During a normal year, Half Moon Bay is one of the best salmon locations early in the season as the salmon tend to congregate south of the harbor around the Deep Reef. In the coming month, sand dab crab combination trips are the only option along with whale watching or nature trips. Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat is the only large party boat running the sand dab/crab combos.

Surf perch are the other option, and there is increased interest in working the beaches below Half Moon Bay such as Pescadero, Bean Hollow, and Pigeon Point with Berkley Camo Sand Worms along with Lucky Craft Flash Minnows. The Sand Crab Surf Perch Derby out of Santa Cruz on March 14th, and surf anglers will head as far north as Half Moon,

Call: Captain Dennis Baxter – New Captain Pete (650) 576-3844; Captain Tom Mattusch – Huli Cat (650) 619-0459.

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Striper 2 Crab 2 Sand Dabs 3 Surf Perch 2

Chris Arcolleo of Chris’s Landing in Monterey said, “Interest in sand dab/crab combination trips has been down as the crab counts have plummeted within the past week. Getting the sand dabs is no problem, but the crab has been scarce. There are a ton of anchovies in the bay as they have just moved in within the past couple of days, and there are humpbacked whales all over the place. The weather has been outstanding the past few days, but the northwest wind is expected to blow on Sunday. We are filled for the opening weekend of rockfishing, but there is plenty of room during the week.”

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “The greatest thing about surfperch fishing is the consistent and constant accessibility. For residents, they are literally “The fish at the end of the street.” Casting bait, artificials or lures from the shore anywhere along the Monterey Bay can potentially provide fishing action as well as dinner. With a year-round season for surfperch, it only depends on the species habits and movements to determine where and when you might get into a good bite. You don’t need a boat.Just go for a nice walk on the beach. How simple. Even the simplest practices have levels and depths to them, however. Dedicated surfcasters eventually succumb to the intricacies that inform the pursuit of any kind of fish. Most surfcasters wear waders while casting in the shore break. Using waders with the boot attached seems to be the preference for wader wearers. Separate wading boots tend to fill up with sand. In a nod towards simplicity, an increasing number of anglers working the surf line are going “Santa Cruz Style,” barefoot with surfing jams or quick-dry shorts. This technique has the bonus advantage of locating sand crabs with your toes. Sandcrabs just might be the best bait for feeding perch as well as the occasional roving striper. Especially the soft-shelled sand crabs, when you can find them. (In spring and summer, look for the crabs that are slowest diggers while the whitewater recedes.) Larger concentrations of sand crabs are easily visible in the wet sand just above the shore break. The surface looks rough or pebbly, and the little crab antennae leave “V” shaped tracks in the outgoing wave flow. Casting out in front of a good sand crab bed increases the chances of a hook up. After all, the fish should be where the food is. Other organic bait that can be harvested along the shoreline include sand worms, rock worms, mussels and clams.

Artificial baits work really well for most surfperch. Curly or paddle-tailed grubs are the historical standard for surfcasters. They come in an infinite variety of colors, but the motor-oil grubs, with imbedded gold flakes or red flakes are the top choice for surfcasters. Root beer colored grubs follow as a close second choice. Adding a scent like shrimp oil to the grub can also make a difference. A number of tackle companies are now producing scented soft baits that are almost guaranteed to get bit. There’s a vast array of choices with the most popular being the GULP! two-inch sandworm in Camo or Blood colors. Threaded onto a #2 to #4 baitholder hook, these are proven fish attractors, and are biodegradable.

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

San Francisco Bay

Halibut 2 Striper 2 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2 Crab 2

Party boats out of Berkeley, San Francisco, and Emeryville are taking reservations for the rockfish opener on April 1st along with the anticipated ocean king salmon season opener on April 4th.

Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle reported a few halibut are starting to show up, and they have live smelt, mudsuckers, and shiners in the shop for those wanting to drift for the flat fish. He said, “There are a few halibut around, and the lack of rain has kept them in the bay. One skiff landed two halibut and 23 and 28 inches on ghost shrimp. There are plenty of bass around, and one of our skiffs was out with three anglers, and they scored limits of stripers between the Shellbanks and the Pumphouse in 10 feet of water on the high tide. There are no garbage fish right now, and the only pecking bites you get are from the undersized bass. We have minus tides throughout the weekend, and the outgoing tide is early enough in the afternoon that you can stay out there before it gets dark. In addition to the live swimming bait, we have ghost shrimp, grass shrimp, and pile worms in the shop for the weekend.”

Ed Liu at Bay Tackle in El Cerrito said, “Halibut have been showing up around the Alameda Rockwall, Berkeley Pier, and Oyster Point, and at least two party boats tried to get the season started this week by trolling for halibut. We have hooked a few halibut in the 21/23-inch range from the shoreline along with stripers in the 18/19-inch range, but we are releasing all of these fish to grow up. The Z-Man swimbait has been very effective, and these are the most pliable of all of the swimbaits with very elastic material. You can pull this soft bait 8 inches and it won’t rip. Perch fishing has been on-and-off with the high tides affecting the action. Things are just now starting to get good.”

Sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area between January 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.

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

San Luis Obispo

Surf Perch 3

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. All landings are taking reservations for the upcoming rockfish opener on April 1st.

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

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 2 Striper 2 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

The sturgeon bite has been schizophrenic as the diamondbacks are clearly in the Sacramento-Delta, but they have only been biting on occasion without any pattern. The north wind has muddied up the waters in the north Delta, and the striped bass have moved out of Liberty Island, but they will be back when the water clears. The water temperature has risen significantly over the past few weeks, and it is approaching 57 degrees in Suisun Bay.

After very slow action last weekend, the sturgeon went back on the bite at the start of the week, and Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing said, “The sturgeon are on the chomp again as we put in three slot fish along with a handful of striped bass in Suisun Bay on either salmon roe or eel.” Captain Zach Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures was out this week, and he put 15-year old Ashley Pato of Oakley onto her first sturgeon that was quickly released.

However, the weekend was a different story as the sturgeon decided to go to lockjaw mode once again.

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing was out both Saturday and Sunday out of Martinez, and he said, “It has been a tough bite, and despite the water temperature at 57 degrees which is very unusual for February, the sturgeon are not chomping. It is not a matter of fish since we are marking sturgeon in every location, but it is a matter of finding willing biters. They are going to feed eventually, but it was difficult over the weekend. We blanked on Saturday in spite of sitting on a number of sturgeon near the Brickyard close to the Ozol Pier, and I started off there on Sunday, and the sturgeon were still there. However, they didn’t want to bite so we moved up to Seal Island on the incoming tide for two undersized sturgeon at 38.5 and 39.5 inches along with another hook up. Everything came on salmon roe, but eel is typically a very good bait at this time of year. I will be back out this week, and I’m going to try eel again.”

Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing was also out over the weekend with similar results, and he said, “There are sturgeon in every location that we are trying, and for some reason, they have been biting very lightly. We have been getting bites, but with the light pulls, we haven’t been getting them to stick. The sturgeon are all over the meter stacked up, and we have been sitting on them on both days with the same results.” Mitchell presenting at the upcoming Sacramento Boat Show at Cal Expo with sturgeon seminars at 12:00 noon on March 14th and 11:00 a.m. on March 15th.

For striped bass, Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, went up to Liberty Island early in the week, and he said, “We didn’t land a striper either day, but the largemouth bass was decent with chatterbaits or Senkos, and I released a couple of northern largemouths at 5 pounds on a Senko. The north wind changed the water color to dark, and the striped bass move out when this happens. When the water is clear, the action is really good.”

J.D. Richey of Richey’s Guide Service will start working the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers for striped bass once the spring run starts in earnest, most likely in March. Richey is a swimbait, topwater, and spoon specialist. Richey will also be presenting at the Sacramento Boat show on the spring striped bass run at 11:00 on March 14th and 2:00 p.m. on March 15th.

R. J. Sanchez of Oakland was out on the Sacramento side on Thursday, and he found some schoolie stripers by dead sticking Blade Runner Duh! Spoons off of the bottom as the stripers are holding tight to the bottom. He said, “They were buried in the mud, and you have to focus on the flutter up on the top of your swing as the stripers tended to follow the spoon upward instead of the drop today.”

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported steelhead have been landed off of the Benicia shoreline with grass shrimp of all baits. The fisherman that landed the steelhead released the fish since he didn’t have the required report card, but he came into the shop to purchase the report card. Small stripers have been the rule from the shorelines on blood worms, pile worms, or anchovies.

In the San Joaquin-Delta, spring has come on much earlier than expected, but the striped bass bite remains challenging as the majority of linesides are undersized. Slowing way down with scent is necessary for largemouth bass, but better times are clearly on the horizon as the water continues to warm.

For striped bass, Dave Houston, Delta trolling field scout, said, “The water is clearing and warming up, but there aren’t many stripers in the system. We worked the waters from West Island to San Andreas Shoals on the San Joaquin side for 6 stripers to 23 inches, and most of these came deep on Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows in red head/white body. I had a friend over on the Sacramento side, and he didn’t land a striper. We aren’t sure what is going on as the conditions look right, but the spring run just hasn’t started as of yet.”

For largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “Now is the time when you have to use a strategy to locate where the bass are, and I would be targeting a number of different areas to find out their locations. I would start in shallow water near spawning grounds with current and without current before working deeper water near spawning grounds with similar water movement. You have to adjust your strategy and try various different techniques throughout the day. The bass will be up tight to the banks in the early morning before moving out once the sun rises, and then they will move back up once the water warms up later in the day. I would throw a spinnerbait with either Colorado or Magnum Willow blades in the low light conditions, but once the water is still, the visibility is too much for the spinnerbait. If the wind is blowing, the spinnerbait will still be effective, and it is a matter of keeping it in the strike zone as long as possible. Another go-to is a 10-inch Power Worm on flipping stick as the big plastic has a lot of motion, and the bigger fish will want to eat this bait. The Berkley General with Max Scent is also effective in these conditions, but you have to be patient and not push the bass to do what they don’t want to do right now. When the bass move out into deeper water, the ima Flit on a slow presentation at depths from 5 to 8 feet is a good choice as the fish are going to move off of the banks. Keeping it slow is the key.”

Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service said, “Bass fishing bounced back this week as the wind dropped and the water warmed. This has been a strange year on the Delta as it’s really hard to find schools of stripers, but it can be good once you find them.”

In the southern sloughs around Stockton and Tracy, bluegill action is improving with wax worms or jumbo red worms in the clear water.

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

Bass 2 White bass 2 Striper 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 3

At Nacimiento, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported a hot crappie bite with minnows or minijigs. Spotted bass fishing has been inconsistent with some great days followed by only a few bites. The spots are already moving up into the shallows, but most are still holding off in slightly deeper water. Plastics on the drop-shot, dart head, or jigs are the best approach while there is some action with deep-diving crankbaits to 22 feet. White bass remain scarce. The lake held at 52% this week.

At Lopez, the largemouth bass bite remains a grind, but the good side is that quality largemouth bass to 5 pounds plus are taken on occasion with plastics on a finesse presentation along with creature baits or jigs dragged along the bottom at 25 feet and above. Smallmouth bass are starting to become active.

At Santa Margarita, the Best Bass Tournament featured very close limits within a half-pound for the top three spots with the winning limit at nearly 16 pounds – matching most any other lake in California for the weekend. There is a bit of a reaction bite with deep-diving crankbaits, but large plastic worms to 10 inches along with jigs with a large profile are also effective. Catfish are taken on frozen shad, mackerel, or sardines while the occasional crappie is found around structure.

At San Antonio, there is minimal change with few boaters heading to the lake. Catfishing with mackerel or similar cut baits coated with garlic continue to be the best bet along with plastics on the drop-shot or dart head for largemouth bass. The lack of a viable striped bass fishery along with overall slow fishing after the lake was drawn down to 4% of capacity during the 5 years of drought contribute to the minimal interest. The lake is now on the winter schedule, and the launch ramp is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The lake rose slightly to 38%.

Webcams: 805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam, lakenacimientolive.com, 805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california.

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

Don Pedro – New Jen Bass Tournaments – February 22nd:: 1st –Alex Niapas/Jason Remmers – 20.72 pounds; 2nd – Jose Carillo – 16.87 (Big Fish – 9.44); 3rd – Joe Alanis/Danny Wood – 14.33.

Millerton– New Jen Bass Tournaments – February 23rd:: 1st –Dean Miller/Darrel Masterson – 12.12 pounds (Big Fish – 4.30); 2nd – Donald Hendrix/Roger Cummings – 10.11; 3rd – Eddie Hinojosa/Bill Kunz – 10.05.

Pine Flat– Sierra Bass Club– February 22nd:: 1st – Darrel Green – 11.96 pounds; 2nd – Ryan Reynolds – 8.60; 3rd – Jay Gillett– 8.45 (Big Fish – 3.22).

Santa Margarita – Best Bass Tournaments – February 22nd:: 1st – Tim and TJ Sharpe – 15.84 pounds; 2nd – Mike Hummel/Randy Wallis – 15.81; 3rd – Derek and Ron Morrison – 15.44.

Feb. 28-March 1

New Melones – Wild West Bass Trails Pro/Am

Feb. 29

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

Eastman – Kerman Bass Club

RiverWalk in Bakersfield – Kern County Sheriff’s Trout Derby

Lopez – Golden Empire Bass Club

Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

March 1

Los Banos Reservoir – Slay Nation Tournament

Kaweah – Central Valley Kayak Fishing

Week of March 1 by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (as of Feb. 22):

Inyo County: Owens River below Tinnemaha, Diaz Lake, Lone Pine Creek

San Joaquin County: Oak Grove Park Lake

This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Fishing report for week of Feb. 26-March 3: Shaver Lake kokanee bite starting early."