Central California fishing report for week of March 18-24

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

Delta bass, stripers and sturgeon on the chomp, Alan Fong reported. Millerton bass bite best in Valley, while Hensley and Eastman pumping out smaller bass, Jake Figgs said. McClure bass bite picks up, Ryan Cook reported. San Luis ripbait bite going, Mickey Clements said. Bass Lake trout action good, Todd Wittwer reported.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

The water releases out of San Luis Reservoir continue to push bait fish down the aqueduct in the northern section of the aqueduct between Kettleman City and Los Banos, and the water is slightly stained from the releases. Ripbaits or topwater lures around the moving water near the headgates are working for striped bass.

In the southern section of the aqueduct in Kern County, Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported an excellent striped bass bite with jumbo minnows, blood worms, or Zoom Flukes although catfishing has been slow.

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

Jake Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Numbers of smaller buck bass are cruising the shorelines, and the dam or the mouth of the river arm by the 5 mph zone are the top locations for catching and releasing the small bass on plastics in green pumpkin on a Neko Rig. The larger females have yet to commit, but the occasional big bass is taken on a swimbait.” The algae bloom is already starting to form, but the colder weather this week may slow down or kill the bloom. Crappie can be found near the dam with minijigs, but they will back out into deeper water with the cold front. The lake held at 49%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Similar to Eastman, small buck bass are roaming the shorelines, but the larger females have yet to commit to the shore and are hanging out in deeper water from 5 to 15 feet. Natural colors of plastics on a Ned rig or shaky head are working best. Crappie are around submerged structure. The lake held at 31%.

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 largemouth and spotted bass are moving into the shallows into spawning locations in the creek channels, but the big females have yet to move up. Jigs, plastics, on the drop-shot or Senkos along with 3/4-ounce spinnerbaits have been working best. The bass are scattered, but once you find them, they are in schools.”

The team of Bryan Cox and Kevin Davidson took first in Saturday’s Best Bass Tournament event with 16.71 pounds including a big fish at 5.30 pounds. Sunday’s BBT event was canceled due to high winds and dangerous conditions on the lake.

The lake is loaded with trout from the overflow of the Moccasin Hatchery, and the trout trolling bite should also break out once the water temperature stabilizes. 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

Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported snow fell on Lake Isabella over the weekend, and the crappie bite that had been excellent should slow down as the slabs will move out into deeper water. Catfishing remains very good with Triple S Dip Bait, frozen shad, or clams. Trout fishing in the upper Kern River has been good as it was stocked within the past week, and the best location seems to be around the Kernville Park with salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, crickets, or spinners. The lower Kern River will be much slower for bass with the cold temperatures, but we have 70-degree temperatures back on the horizon after this coming weekend’s storms. Buena Vista is kicking out crappie on minnows, and there is at least one more trout plant coming there. The local lakes were very good for bass, bluegill, and carp, but the cold weather has slowed the bite. They will be back on with the coming warmer weather. The annual Firefighters Trout Derby on March 21 at the River Walk has been canceled as was the Kern County Boat and Outdoor Show this past weekend.

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 19%. Gary Wasson of Visalia said, “There is a decent bass bite with Senkos, Brush Hogs or jerkbaits.” The crappie have backed off into deeper water with the recent cold temperatures and low snow level.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Wasson said, “There is a decent bass bite at the lake with Senkos, Brush Hogs, or jerkbaits.” The lake rose to 23%. In the Tule River, the flows are excellent for fishing, but the recent cold spell and snow have slowed down the insect hatches.

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

Bass fishing has improved considerably as the largemouth and spotted bass are moving into the creek channels with access to spawning areas. Cook said, “Green pumpkin Dead Stick plastics on a Neko Rig or 3.5-inch Dry Creek tubes were the trick for the large bass in 25 feet at an entrance to a creek channel have been working for quality spotted and largemouth bass. The tournament limits have risen considerably with a 17-pound limit taking Sunday’s New Jen Bass Tournament’s 38-boat event. Six-inch Senkos are also effective along with creature baits.” Jordan Yuri at the Angler’s Edge in Snelling reported sales of artificials has eclipsed live bait, and the most popular plastics are the Robo Worm’s 6-inch Baby Bluegill or June Bug, Wright’s watermelon black flake or watermelon red green/flake 001 or 701, and the Yamamoto watermelon black/red, dark green pumpkin with amber or green pumpkin/black flake. The trout bite has slowed, but crappie are showing up in the river arm around submerged trees and vertical rock.

The lake is still waiting for another trout plant as there hasn’t been a plant since December, and as a result, trout fishing has been basically on hold for the past several weeks. The annual MID Spring Trout Derby has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Angler’s Edge is the former A-1 Bait, and they are carrying live minnows and crawdads along with full fishing supplies. They are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days per week. The lake dropped slightly to 60%.

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

The lake is still waiting for another trout plant as there hasn’t been a plant since December, and as a result, trout fishing has been basically on hold for the past several weeks.

Call: McSwain Marina 209-378-2534

Millerton is finally turning on after several months of brutally slow action, perhaps overcoming Pine Flat for the best bass bite in the region.

Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun said, “Millerton now has the best bass bite in the area as the bass are relating to steeper walls in the river arm. One of our regulars, Mike Matthews, was out this week, and he found no action in the main lake, but when he went into the river arm, he found good action at depths from 20 to 25 feet on the steep wall with slow-falling plastics on a dart head. Daryl Lamonica of Clovis was also in the river arm, and he landed bass at 4 and 5 pounds on a wacky-rig. The main lake has been tough with mostly small fish, but the river arm is far more productive.”

Millerton dropped slightly to 53%.

At Sycamore Island, the seventh annual Fishing Derby is scheduled for March 28 from 7-11 a.m.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

The bass bite has improved at New Melones since the brutal action two weekends ago during the Wild West Bass Trails Pro/Am Event, and the team of Teddy Snyder and Jay Guterding took first place during Saturday’s 28 boat New Jen Bass Tournament event with a 21.84-pound limit including a 9.08 big fish.

John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service said, “I was out twice this week with the same client on Wednesday and Thursday, and although we fished basically the same areas on both days, we put in 18 pounds on Wednesday with 11 on Thursday. We averaged around 32 bass each day, but the bite is different every day. The indicators are all there to bring the bass to the shorelines as the water temperature is ranging from 59 to 62 degrees, but I think the dropping water levels are a big factor on keeping them from committing to the shallows. The water has been dropping around a foot every three days for the past few weeks, and it has been more like a winter bite than a spring bite right now. There have been good days along with more challenging days, and I have only seen one bed fish so far on the lake. Most of the bass are working into prespawn locations holding along bluff walls in the southern portion of the lake. The drop-shot remains the top presentation for some reason, and dark colors such as green pumpkin or brown are working best. Wacky-rigged Senkos on either a light or heavy nail weight along with plastics on a shakey head are also good option. There are some reaction fish in the warmer waters of the afternoons with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or Alabama rigs in the mud lines along the shores, but the swimbait bite is not happening.”

Trout trolling remains very slow, and the normal wintertime shoreline bite has been absent throughout the season.

Gene Hildebrand of Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp said, “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 to 78%.

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

At Pine Flat, Figgs reported a slowdown from the previous hot action, but there are unlimited small males cruising the shorelines from 5 to 15 feet. Plastics on a wacky-rig or dart head are working for the smaller males while the better grade of spot from 2 to 2.5 pounds are found in deeper water from 20 to 25 feet around the steep walls near Trimmer and Sycamore. He said, “We haven’t heard of a swimbait bite this week despite the trout plants.”

Regular trout plants continue in the lower Kings, but there have been fewer fishermen working along the banks. Drifting salmon eggs, trout dough bait, or tossing spinners are still effective for the planters. Plants are scheduled at Avocado Lake on the Kings, and at Woodward Park and Sycamore Island Pond near Fresno.

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 rose to 52%.

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

San Luis Reservoir is slowly turning on for striped bass with subsurface lures, and the ripbait bite has been taking off in the coves. The troll bite remains slow overall, but with the lake’s elevation holding, jumbo minnows are another solid option. The O’Neill Forebay continues to kick out numbers of smaller striped bass on bait.

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “The minnow bite hasn’t been so hot, but there is still good action with ripbaits as boaters are working into the coves. Lucky Craft Pointer 128s or Duo Realis 120s in American Shad, Ghost Minnows, or Sexy Shad are the top sellers. The stripers must be chasing the bait into the coves, but the topwater bite remains slow. In the forebay, small fish remain the rule with similar techniques of ripbaits or soaking bait.

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said, “The big lake bite for trollers and minnow anglers continues to be sporadic at best. The lake came up a foot this week with some pumping for the first time in quite awhile, adding some optimism that the bite could change for the better. The rising water has created some fairly stable conditions for now, but the current storm system is obviously creating some new variables too. I fished on Wednesday, and the bite was tough for everyone. The fish were suspending in deep water for some reason and not biting much. Once again, it was a matter of finding some biting schools and two schools I found on the West Bank saved the day. I ended up with 10 stripers to 9 pounds. It’s a day-to-day thing right now, it seems. Anglers are seeing fish but they aren’t biting. My local sources aren’t seeing any topwater action.”

The lake rose to 69%.

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

Trout fishing from the banks along with trolling continues to be good, and Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service said, “Lance Gimbel and his son caught and released 20 rainbows, and almost all were recent planters trolling near the Pines Resort.” Most area trout trollers continue to head to this lake. The annual Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby will be held on the weekend of May 2-3, and heavy plants will be put into the lake prior to the derby.

The lake rose slightly to 61% and the dock at the public ramp is in the water. 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

Snow fell on the 5,500-foot elevation Shaver Lake over the weekend, the first snowfall in weeks, keeping most boats off of the lake.

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Fishing has not been very good now, but there are better times on the horizon as we are very close to beginning the planting season from the Department of Fish and Wildlife as the allotment for Shaver is very good. In fact, it is the best we have experienced in a few years. We will have a plant of approximately 34,000 catchable sized rainbows, 2,500 large plants in the 2-pound and above class by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. In all, the 10,000 brown trout that were planted last winter at 5 inches are currently are about 10 inches and should be of catchable size by mid summer. The Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project will again make a plant of trophy-sized rainbows, primarily in the3- to 4- pound range this year. On a negative to the SLTTP plant, Bob Bernier, SLTTP planting guru, reports that the Calaveras Fish Farm in Snelling lost much of their fish due to an increase in temperature of the water. This year the SLTTP’s allotment from Calaveras will be about 1,400, down about 400 fish from previous years. However, the rest of the picture looks promising, and I have no doubt that half of each year’s SLTTP plant are still out there. Of course there will be very few third-year kokanee as some 14- to 15-inch lake spawned kokanee have been caught this year. I open my 15th charter season this year a tad later starting in early June 3 and I think I am going to fish into October this year due to the abundance of trout plants. The fall is always good for trout fishing up in Stevenson Bay.”

Due to the global pandemic, Nichols seminar scheduled for March 26 has been postponed until late May, perhaps on May 21, at Turner’s Outdoorsman in Fresno.

Shaver held at 56%.

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

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

The recent snow storm closed access to these lakes, possibly until April.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Week of March 22 by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (as of March 16):

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

Inyo County: Tuttle Creek, Symmes Creek, Shepherd Creek, Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Independence Creek, Georges Creek, Cottonwood Creek

Madera County: Sycamore Island Pond, Manzanita Lake

San Luis Obispo County: Lake Lopez, Atascadero Lake

Tulare County: Del Lago Park Lake

Week of March 29 by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (as of March 16):

Fresno County: Avocado Lake

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Striper 2 Crab 3 Sand Dabs 3 Surf Perch 2

There will activity once again in the Half Moon Bay harbor starting on April 1st as the rockfish season opens in local waters. There is clarity for the start of the ocean salmon season as the local season begins on April 11th and will continue until a brief closure in May is clarified by the Pacific Fisheries Marine Council. However, as the salmon season begins on April 4th below Pigeon Point, the large party boats out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing along with the Huli Cat will be willing to make the 18-mile run south below the point if there is enough interest. Traditionally, in a normal year, the first accumulation of salmon is found offshore and south of the harbor near the Deep Reef, but since this is north of Pigeon Point, boats will have to bypass this area until April 11. The salmon openers along with the rockfish opener on April 1st, will bring Half Moon Bay back to life for private and party boaters. The weekend of April 11th should be crowded in the hotels and campgrounds as the local salmon opener is generally a big celebration in the region.

In the meantime, limits of crab remain the story for the few boats still pursuing the Dungeness, and Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat took a crab/sand dab combination trip on Saturday west of San Gregorio in 300 feet of water. He said, “We didn’t have a lot of sand dabs today due to a fast drift, but the ones that did come over the rail were of decent size in the 10/11-inch range with the largest dab landed by Alex Reid of Menlo Park on an Ahi Sand Dab Rig. We only landed 29 dabs, but all ten passengers came home with limits of Dungeness crab.”

The boats out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing including the New Captain Pete are taking reservations for the ocean salmon and rockfish seasons. Dungeness crab are still available from the commercial boats in the harbor.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Striper 2 Crab 3 Sand Dabs 3 Surf Perch 2 Halibut 2

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey said, “We have been out every day on whale watching trips, but there has been little interest in sand dab/crab trips. The tourism in Monterey has been clearly affected by the pandemic, and there is only about 10% occupancy at the hotels right now. Many of our whale watching customers are tourists from Europe, and with the anticipated travel ban, this will have a major impact. The salmon opener on April 4th is full, but there is room after this. There hasn’t been as much bait in the bay as there was last year at this time.”

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “The big news this week is that fishing for king salmon will resume in the Monterey Bay area very soon. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week that ocean salmon season will open provisionally on April 4, 2020 from Pigeon Point to the Mexican border. Half Moon Bay and other points north will open April 11. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council will make final decisions on season duration in an early-April meeting. Commercial salmon fishing is scheduled to start in May. On Monday John McManus, president of the Golden State Salmon Association reported, “The forecast for salmon fishing off the California coast is better than at this time last year, due mostly to plentiful rain and runoff during the last several years coupled with improved hatchery release practices. Adequate runoff in the Central Valley always increases salmon numbers since it provides the “conveyor belt” that moves baby fish from the valley out to the ocean in good shape.” Although experts expect to see more salmon that originated in the Sacramento Valley this year, they are expecting fewer from the Klamath River. Restrictions on fishing in areas known to harbor Klamath salmon will be in place this year which will restrict the commercial fleet’s access to fishing grounds off the northern Mendocino and southern Humboldt counties’ coast.” A 24 -inch minimum size limit to protect federally protected winter run salmon in the water of Monterey Bay and points south will be in place in the sport fishery. Water from Pigeon Point north of Pt. Arena will see a 24-inch minimum size limit in the sport fishery until May 1 when it drops to 20 inches.” Sport fishing bag limits remain at two king salmon per angler per day. Conditions on the bay look perfect for a good start to salmon fishing this year. Commercial bait fishermen report “tons and tons” of anchovies in the bay right now. Most of the bait concentrations are near the deep submarine canyons of Moss Landing and the Soquel Hole. In other good news, Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine reports a surprisingly early start for halibut fishing in the Bay this year. Fraser said, “Halibut have made a good showing here all around the Monterey Bay. There have been some nice halibut caught near the Mile Buoy and in Capitola. The anglers fishing Monterey and Moss Landing have been finding some nice halibut as well. There is some squid showing up near Monterey, and the weather has been nice!”

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 3 Crab 2

The Pacific Fisheries Management Council will be meeting on April 4 – 10th to review many topics – including the ocean salmon seasons – the meeting will be held by webinar due to the global pandemic.

Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady was out with a light load of 7 anglers on Saturday, and they came in with a fish per rod with 5 striped bass and 2 halibut to 12 pounds. Since there has been minimal interest in whale watching due to the global pandemic, Davis will be running the halibut trolling trips this coming weekend.

The California Dawn out of Berkeley was also out on Saturday, and they finished up with 8 halibut and a striped bass for 9 anglers – a fish per rod from both boats is pretty darn good for mid-March in the bay without live bait – good portent of the coming season.

Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “It’s gotten really good for sturgeon within the past three to four days. John Merideth went out southeast of the Pumphouse in 12 feet of water, and he released four slot-limit sturgeon along with an oversized on Loch Lomond ghost shrimp. Don Franklin of Soleman Sport Fishing out of San Francisco was out with a challenged group of novice sturgeon fishermen, and they landed two legal sturgeon along with losing two others – perhaps due to operator error. This bite all started within the past 4/5 days as it seems the sturgeon have come back from dining on herring in the central bay. A lot of sturgeon went down when there was a herring spawn in Richardson Bay 10 days ago, but it looks like they are back, and it has gone from fair to pretty damn good within a few days. We have live ghost shrimp, live grass shrimp, and live smelt in the shop, and there have been a number of private boats out drifting for halibut with mixed results.”

Ed Liu of Bay Tackle in El Cerrito said, “Halibut fishing is picking up and both the Lovely Martha out of San Francisco and the California Dawn out of Berkeley have been trolling from the Alameda Rockwall to Oyster Point for a few halibut. Oyster Point, Coyote Point, and the Sierra Point Parkway and Pier have been good locations for halibut, and the bait is all in the south bay. I think it has to do with the way the current flows in the bay since the water is clear in the south bay, but it is dirty in San Pablo Bay and area. We continue to cast the Z-Man or KVD swimbaits in white/chartreuse or clear with pepper flakes for striped bass from 14 to 28 inches from the shorelines at Emeryville, Albany, Richmond, and Rodeo. The striped bass are getting larger. Pete from our shop has been catching and releasing undersized halibut from 18 to 21.75 inches, but I haven’t landed a halibut yet. The Z-Man and KVD swimbaits have a very stretchy plastic, and you can’t keep these lures with any other lure or in a plastic tackle box since they will melt the surrounding plastic. Sturgeon fishing has been good in the Delta around Montezuma Slough, the Mothball Fleet, Ozol Pier, and the Benicia/Martinez Bridge along with the Napa River near Highway 37. Private boaters are also trolling frozen anchovies off of Treasure Island for halibut to 25 pounds.”

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 2

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 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

The sturgeon have decided to cooperate with fishermen in lower Suisun Bay, and they are back on the chomp at the mouth of Montezuma Slough and environs while waves of striped bass continue to make their way into the Sacramento-Delta. The weather was less than cooperative over the weekend as 35 mph winds arrived on the scene, but when the conditions are right, the desired species of striped bass and sturgeon are there to be taken.

The striped bass are back at it, and trollers have found the linesides along the West Bank. Ted Handel of the Central Valley Anglers joined the Isleton Chapter of the California Striped Bass Association, and he said, “The club members have been very helpful, and Clyde Wands, Mark Wilson, and Dave Houston have given me many pointers on striper trolling. I was out on the West Bank on Thursday with deep-diving Yozuris, and we culled two limits out of 9 stripers.

Dave Houston of Livermore was out in his beautiful Thunder Jet vessel with Clyde Wands on Thursday, and he said, “We had a solid day trolling both deep and shallow for 13 keepers and a few shakers on the Sacramento River side, but the hot bite that was there a couple of days ago has dissipated. We went hours without a hit, but when we found them, it was on. White lures worked best for us today as we didn’t even land a single striper on chartreuse. On Tuesday, I spent 85 percent of my time searching for stripers on the San Joaquin only to find two keepers, but our friends called up over to the Sacramento side as a new wave of stripers had come in. Once we were there, it was game on for easy limits. It will be interesting to see how long this wave will last or if they are just going to pass through like the first big wave.”

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento was in the north Delta this week with Laurencie Khamphanh, and he said, “We went into Liberty on the early morning high tide to look for the big striped bass on topwater, and once we set up on a 3-foot break, we had 15 blowups as they were hitting left and right. After catching and released 8 stripers in the 7/8-pound range on the Strike King Mega Dog or the ima Big Stick, it was clear the larger stripers were absent so we switched over to largemouth bass. It was slow at first, and it took me a while to find them, but once we did, the bite was on with chatterbaits or Senkos. The bass are staging up, and I saw them cruising. I had already landed 8 largemouths and Laurencie hadn’t picked up her first one yet so when I saw them on a point, I told her to cast in there and she would pick up a limit. Within 8 casts with Senkos, she had her five fish. It is a matter of throwing the Senko in there, letting it sit and watching the line take off. The stripers should be spawning in the north Delta as the water temperature is in the 58/59-degree range.”

Captain James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service is based out of Korth’s Pirate’s Lair on the San Joaquin River, but he has been making the trek over to the Sacramento side to troll along the West Bank. He said, “The wind made for very tough conditions on Saturday, and it was basically unfishable on the outgoing tide. The big tides and the winds have pulled debris off of the banks, and with the water dropping 5 degrees, the striper bite slowed down on Friday and Saturday. This is a cold front that we should have experienced in February, but it is here now. I was very interested as we tail-hooked two sturgeon with deep-diving lures on the West Bank. What are the chances of snagging two slot-limit sturgeon on a single trip while trolling for stripers, but my clients were able to bring them to the side of the boat for release on the 25-pound monofilament line. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were really solid for striped bass, but the cold front and wind changed the conditions. I pushed some scheduled trips off until later in the week to wait for the weather to settle down.”

The sturgeon are back on the bite after a few weeks of indecision, and the six-pack operators and private boaters are scoring once again.

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing was out for good results for sturgeon on Friday and Saturday. He said, “The fish were chomping before we got all of our rods in the water. We ended up with two slot-limit fish and a 64-inch oversized despite losing a number of opportunities, including one that wrapped around the anchor rope. Interestingly enough, straight grass shrimp produced the most action although they were also biting eel/grass shrimp combinations along with eel. The sturgeon were biting everything we threw at them. We found good action at the mouth of Montezuma Slough on Saturday on the incoming tide, but we moved out when the tide dropped too much in the shallows after the turn. The day before we were at Ozol, and the sturgeon bit there as well. The only limiting factor has been the wind.”

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing has been out several days in the past week, and he said, “The wind was brutal on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but the sturgeon have been bite either salmon roe or eel. The fish are chomping, and I haven’t seen them bite so aggressively as they have this week. We have landed slot-limit sturgeon on every trip with the exception of Sunday with only a shaker under very difficult and windy conditions. I will be out throughout the week and also targeting striped bass on Thursday and Friday.”

Captain Zach Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures was out in the wind on Sunday with a crew from BUFF USA who are looking to develop a sturgeon buff which are the face gear for protecting you from the sun’s rays. He said, “We caught and released four sturgeon including three slot-limit fish along with a huge oversized that came off. It was a matter of finding a location where the winds were minimal, but it was much drier than we expected. Most of our action came in the 30-foot range, but it was matter of finding where we could sit straight on the anchor.”

In the San Joaquin-Delta, the largemouth bass are the story with huge limits weighed in during the two-day Hook, Line, and Sinker Tournament of Champions out of Russo’s Marina on Bethel Island. Striped bass have been fair at best as most trollers are working on the Sacramento side of the Delta. The bass and bluegill have moved into shallow waters to get ready for the spawn.

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors said, “I can’t wait for tomorrow as the bass bite has been outstanding, and this weather is going to help the reaction bite. We flipped and punched the weeds this week, and I had a 24-pound limit with my client posting another 22 pounds with no big fish. I was at the weigh in for the Hook, Line, and Sinker Tournament of Champions on Sunday, and the team of Rodney and Rod Brinser took first with a two-day total of 58.76 pounds after posting 37-plus pounds on Sunday including an 11.3-pound kicker, all by drop-shotting with Robo Worms. The team of Andy Doudna and Andy Kobayashi were tossing chatterbaits and Senkos, and they came in 3 tenths shy of first place after posting limits at 27 and 31 pounds. The largemouth bass bite has been very good. During this time of school closures, I will be offering full-day guide trips at half-price for youth anglers during the period of the closures. Our team tournament this coming Saturday, March 21, at Russo’s Marina is still on, and the top three teams in the Hook TOC are all participants in our circuit.”

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, reported an unbelievable bass bite with the ima Rock N’Vibe Suspend in 3 to 4 feet of water on the high tide. He said, “The bluegill pattern is working best, and the bass are just coming out of the shallows and crushing it. It is a matter of pausing the retrieve and ticking it along the tops of the weeds. We put in a limit in the 24- to 26-pound range as there were bass to 6 pounds in the mix. You can get them on spinnerbaits or on a 4-inch Bubba Shad in bluegill by throwing the lures close to the tules. The water is very clear, but we haven’t seen any fish on beds yet. It is no problem finding the bass as they are near current but not directly in the current.”

Rick Fried of Pioneer was trolling on the main San Joaquin River from the Old River Flats to Prisoner’s Point with Yo-Zuri chartreuse Crystal Minnows for ten striped bass to 7 pounds.

Renza Badilla of A3 Pro West advised Delta boaters to be aware in the Frank’s Tract as posts that may have broken loose from a duck blind are protruding near the south end of the tract. The post are galvanized steel, and a boater has already hit one of the three post as they are not stationary and moving all over the tract. She said, “You literally can’t see them until you are right on them.”

Stockton and Antioch areas, most shops have a large supply of frozen shad, and either shad or anchovies are working best for striped bass.

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

Lake Nacimiento/San Antonio/Santa Margarita/Lopez

Bass 3 White bass 2 Striper 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 3

Lopez Lake was the highlight over the weekend with the winning limit at the Best Bass Tournaments eclipsing those of big bass lakes of Don Pedro and McClure as the team of Harry Delore and Brad Austin weighed in 19.64 pounds for five fish. Trout plants are scheduled to begin this coming weekend, and this will bring about the big bass bite with swimbaits. Various offerings are working including creature baits, swimbaits on a slow-grind on the bottom, plastics on different presentations, or jigs. Catfishing is slow, but crappie are found on minijigs near structure. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam.

At Nacimiento, the spotted bass moved into the shallows prior to the cold spell, and plastics on the drop-shot, dart head, split-shot, or Ned rig are all working for good numbers of smaller spots. Crappie fishing had improved prior to the cold front, and minijigs or grubs are working around submerged structure. White bass are found sporadically in the warmer afternoons with small white spoons or spinners. The lake rose slightly to 53 percent this week. A webcam of the lake is available at www.lakenacimientolive.com.

Santa Margarita is improving for both bass and crappie as the largemouth bass are moving into the shallows and staging for the upcoming spawn. Crankbaits, swimbaits on the bottom on a slow-grind, plastics on a Texas-rig, or jigs are working. There have been some huge crappie to 2.5 pounds found around rocky structure near the dam with minijigs or small grubs. Catfishing is also on the upswing with frozen shad, mackerel, or sardines. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california.

At San Antonio, minimal change as the the lake is open to boating on the weekends from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, but additional hours of operation may be added once summer officially starts in late May after Memorial Day. Fishing pressure remains light with only a few anglers heading to the banks to soak mackerel or similar cut baits coated with garlic for catfish. The lake held at 38 percent.

Events

Tournament Results:

New Melones– New Jen Bass Tournaments - March 14th: 1st –Teddy Snyder/Jay Guterding – 21.84 pounds (Big Fish 9.08); 2nd – A.J. and Albert Acevedo – 18.04; 3rd –Keith Rakoncza/Kyle Rasmussen – 17.70.

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments - March 14th: 1st – Bryan Cox/Kevin Davidson – 16.71 pounds (Big Fish 5.30); 2nd – John Myers/Don Longton– 16.49; 3rd – Brian Rabith/Dale Day – 13.99.

Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club - March 14th: 1st – Walt Austin – 14.10 pounds (Big Fish 6.89); 2nd – Mark Corrente – 11.08; 3rd –Bob Jones - 10.77.

Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments - March 14th: 1st – Stephen Howard/Isaac Adams – 16.39 pounds; 2nd – Brian Suttles/Tyler Vanderslice – 14.29; 3rd –Chris Hamilton/D.J. Dicks – 14.41(Big Fish 4.45).

Lopez – Best Bass Tournaments - March 14th: 1st – Harry Delore/Brad Austin – 19.64 pounds; 2nd – Dustin Selck/Suzanne Musson – 17.82 (Big Fish – 6.25); 3rd – Jason and Geno Lazzerini – 17.59.

McClure – New Jen Bass Tournaments - March 15th: 1st – Dan Scott/Cory Condry – 17.34 pounds (Big Fish - 7.66); 2nd – Tony Hein/Adam French – 12.91; 3rd – Eddie Hinojosa/Bill Kunz – 12.78.

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Hook, Line, and Sinker Tournament of Champions (Two Combined Limits)- March 14/15th: 1st – Rodney and Rod Brinser– 58.76 pounds (Big Fish – 11.03); 2nd – Andy Doudna/Andy Kobayashi – 58.32; 3rd – Gary and Joey Skym – 57.39.

Upcoming Tournaments

March 21 –

Delta/Russo’s – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Merced Bass Club

New Melones – Sierra Bass Club

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

Pine Flat – Golden Empire Bass Club

Success – Visalia Bass Club

Murry Park Pond – City of Porterville Trout Derby

The Park at River Walk – Bakersfield Bass Club

Lopez – San Luis Obispo County Bass Ambushers

March 22 –

Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation

Delta/Russo’s – New Jen Bass Tournament

Camanche – Wild West Bass Trails Kayak Tournament

Don Pedro – Nor Cal High School Bass

McClure – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Eastman – Kings River Bass Club

Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Success – Porterville Bass Club

March 24 –

Don Pedro – Mid Valley Agriculture

March 28-29 –

New Melones – Bass Anglers of Northern California

Don Pedro – Kerman Bass Club

March 28 –

Don Pedro – 17/90 Bass Club

Sycamore Island Park – Department of Fish and Wildlife Trout Derby

Kaweah – Lahu Bass Club

Isabella – American Bass Association

Santa Margarita – American Bass Association

March 29 –

Pine Flat – Bass 101

This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report for week of March 18-24."