Central California fishing report week of June 3-9: McClure, Melones, Pine Flat best bets

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

McClure bass and trout bites very good, Steve Marquette said. New Melones topwater bass action takes off, John Liechty reported. Pine Flat bass and trout hitting, Jake Figgs said.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

The heat will arrive again this week, and this will limit California Aqueduct fishermen to early mornings or late afternoons into evenings. The southern section of the aqueduct remains solid for anglers targeting catfish with Triple S dip baits or mackerel while striped bass are found on blood worms, anchovies or sardines.

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, “There has been a solid jig bite in 25 feet of water off of the banks along with big topwater lures such as Mega Dogs and Zara Spooks. Bass over 8 pounds have been taken on Dep 250s in Flash Carp. The water visibility is excellent at 12 feet, and the algae bloom has yet to form.” The River Rats tournament originally scheduled for the end of May is now on for this weekend. The lake is at 53%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Similar to Eastman, plastic worms or jigs are working best, and there is a crankbait bite near the dam. Joe Baeza and Gary Wasson moved to Hensley after finding overall tough action at Eastman, and they found a good bite for a five-fish limit at 19 pounds with a big fish at 6.05 pounds and another at 5 pounds. Wasson said, “Eastman was slow for larger fish, but Hensley was a better bet.” The lake is at 37%.

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

Trout are scattered, but they are loading up on shad. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “We landed six rainbows and a nice king salmon out of eight strikes. We scored with ExCel spoons behind a Sling Blade or running solo. There were some bait balls up high in the water column, and the bass were feeding on the shad on the surface.” The topwater bite for bass is better than at nearby McClure as the bass are moving out into the main lake points. The overall action is less for numbers than at McClure. The lake is at 87%.

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

Lake Isabella has transitioned into summer mode with catfish taking center stage with Triple S dip baits or cut mackerel. A few crappie are found in deep water with small to medium minnows along with minijigs. Trout are still a possibility for trollers working open water with Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger, Kastmasters, or blade/crawler combinations. The lake is at 40%.

The upper Kern River has been the top location for rainbow trout as unannounced plants continue to occur, and the deep pools are holding the planters and holdovers. Salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, crickets or spinners are working best. The hot weather has improved the smallmouth bass bite in the lower river below the dam.

The local lakes are open, and fishing has been fair for bass, bluegill and carp. Bass are taken on plastics or nightcrawlers while bluegill are biting waxworms.

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

The public launch ramps are open in addition to the private marinas in addition to day-use recreation areas, but the Visitor Center, campgrounds and group picnic shelters remain closed. The Project Office is closed to visitors. Gary Wasson, local bass fishing expert, said, “The lake is decent for largemouth bass with Senkos, Brush Hogs or jerkbaits, but the extreme boat traffic and shore fishing are limiting spots for boaters.” The lake has risen to 76%.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Same open/closed conditiions as Kaweah.. Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company said, “The lake has been very busy with recreational boaters so it is best to fish either in the early morning or the late afternoons. Weekdays are best since there is less traffic. The bass bite remains good with Senkos, Brush Hogs or crankbaits.” The lake rose to 54%.

Stokke said the Tule River “is fishing well for both spin and fly fishermen. Spincasters are using Rapala crankbaits or Panther Martins for quality brown trout while fly fishermen are doing well with dry flies and nymphs. I fished the river last week, and I caught some nice brown trout and rainbows to 14 inches on a Copper John nymph size 12 with an indicator. The river has been receiving planted rainbows in the Camp Nelson area.”

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

Bass fishing is incredible with Steve Marquette of the Lake McClure Recreation Company reporting two anglers caught and released 139 bass while another pair had 119 bass. The 3-inch RoboWorm in Bold Bluegill on Ned rig along with the 5-inch Keitech Easy Shiner swimbait in Pro Blue or Red Pearl are top producers. Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The topwater bite has slowed, but we are still loading up with up to 100 bass per day. The numbers are good, but the bass have been scattered as they are still holding in the creek channels. 3.5-inch Dry Creek tubes on a quarter-ounce dart head or with G-Money jigs in brown/purple with a red trailer along with 3.5-inch swimbaits in shad patterns are all effective. Marquette reported trout trolling has been solid for rainbows to 2 pounds with silver/blue Kastmasters at 90 feet. The lake is at 77%. All residential limitations on services including camping are now off.

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

The lake is now open for boating, camping and shore fishing for all residents of California. Trout plants have been limited, and a few holdover rainbows are taken on Power Eggs, Power Bait or nightcrawlers along with tossing Kastmasters from the shorelines at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks or the peninsula near the marina.

Call: McSwain Marina 209-378-2534

Recreational boat traffic has taken over the main lake, but a few anglers are working the river arm above Temperance Flat with small 3- to 4-inch worms on a finesse presentation for small spotted bass. There is a deep-diving crankbait bite in the main lake, but this is limited due to the recreational boat traffic. The lake is at 86%.

Sycamore Island is now open Friday through Sunday and state holidays from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Visitors should follow all social distancing guidelines while at the park, including wearing a mask if entering the bait shop. Annual and day-use passes are available for purchase through the River Parkway Trust’s website at riverparkway.org. Visitors are encouraged to purchase passes in advance for contactless payment and to help limit traffic in the bait shop.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

The topwater bite for largemouth and spotted bass has broken out at New Melones with a variety of baits. The trout and kokanee action remains challenging as the numbers of third-year kokanee are limited due to the lack of planting in 2018.

John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service said, “The bass bite is really good with both topwater lures and swimbaits. We put in spotted bass at 3.5 and 4 pounds this week along with a 6-pound largemouth bass on 8-inch swimbaits. The topwater bite is different every day as one day the action didn’t stop until 4 p.m. when we left the lake. When I am throwing topwater, we are either walking, plopping or popping, and the River2Sea Rover or Whopper Plopper 90 or 110 along with Zara Spooks and Don Iovino’s Splash Its are all working. On the hot days, the topwater bite is excellent since the plankton comes to the surface, attracting both the bass fry and shad that feed on the plankton. The topwater bite was intermittent on Saturday as there was a wind and air chill with a small front moving through. Deep-diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits or plastics on a shaky-head or drop-shot are all working, as well. There are some areas with stained water from the recreational boat traffic, but the mudlines are not concentrated since they stretch out so far from the banks.”

Clara Ricabal of Western Outdoor News was out with Alex Niapas of Hawg Hunter swimbaits on Sunday afternoon, and she said, “The topwater bite was on fire, and we caught and released multiple spotted and largemouth bass on the Jackall Bowstick which is a walking bait similar to a Spook. These bass are so healthy and strong that they all feel massive when they blow up on you.”

Trout trolling is limited to a few quality rainbows or brown trout for several hours of work, but the kokanee schools are minimal. The lake is at 77%.

Lake Tulloch remains open for those with gate access.

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

Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun reported, “The bass bite has been excellent with a variety of lures with plastic worms, jigs, crankbaits in Red Craw and topwater lures such small Poppers or Spooks. The majority of the action has been in the river arm around Windy Gap and Sycamore.” The Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments is operating a club tournament at Island Park Marina on Sunday, June 7. Trout trolling is good with Wedding Rings or Needlefish at depths to 25 feet. The lake is at 82%.

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

San Luis Reservoir is experiencing a rebirth with first-time fishermen heading to the lake to soak anchovies, frozen shad or sardines from the banks at Dinosaur Point or the Romero Visitor Center. Jeff Padilla of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Striped bass in the 18- to 22- inch range are the rule for bank anglers while a few experienced fishermen continue to toss out ripbaits such as Lucky Craft Pointer 128s in Aurora Black or Ghost Minnow.”

Figgs said, “ We are selling lots of frozen bait such as anchovies, but there are still fishermen tossing big ripbaits such as the Lucky Craft 158s in Ghost Minnow, and these have been hard to keep in stock along with Duo Realis jerkbaits. Interest in fishing has grown tremendously, and we have been busier than I ever remember.”

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said, “The lake is falling around a foot per day, but there has been an improved trolling and minnow bite despite the triple-digit temperatures. I was out this week in the heat, and the bite was miserable for most of the day as I scouted for over four hours trying to find some biting fish. I finally did on the West Bank working between 60 and 80 feet with silver/black Lucky Craft Pointers. I ended up with over 15 striped bass including releasing a 32-inch/12-pound lineside along with another at 33 inches and 15 pounds. Every day is different, and I think the fish are in mid-spawn right now – lot of molting males. The water temperatures were over 74 degrees last week, but the front moving through lowered the temperatures a few degrees. The 30- to 70-foot range seems best for trollers. The amount of traffic and boaters this weekend was the most I’ve seen for years. There were at least 50 boats at Basalt on Sunday with more coming. I talked to the game warden Sunday and he said they’ve been giving out lots of tickets for possession of undersized stripers as well as overlimits at both the lakes.”

Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service said, “Fishing is red-hot as catching numbers of stripers in the 3- to 5-pound range is the norm. There is always a chance for a big one.”

On the negative side, there are boats working inside of the “no fish/entry 500 feet” zone near the towers since there is a large grouping of school-sized stripers in the restricted zone.

The lake is at 64%.

In the O’Neill Forebay, school-sized striped bass have been taken from the shoreline near Check 12 or the Medeiros Launch Ramp with frozen shad, sardines or anchovies.

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

The public launch ramp is open with the dock in the water, and there are kokanee to be had for those willing to work hard to locate the land-locked salmon. The lake has risen to 94%, and the restrooms have been reopened for public use.

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

The Sierra National Forest announced May 20 that most developed recreation sites within the National Forest would remain closed through June 4.

The Closure Order does not apply to trails, trailheads and general forest areas – and officials said “dispersed camping remains available and open for public use.”

Edison is a 44%, Florence at 95% and Mammoth Pool at 101%.

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

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver remains the only lake in the state restricted for boaters, and it was expected to open last week when upstream Huntington Reservoir was opened by the same agency, Southern California Edison. Local businesses at Shaver Lake are suffering. The majority of bank anglers have been heading to Huntington, Wishon and Courtright. Bank fishing is fair with trout dough bait or inflated nightcrawlers. The lake is at 66%.

The annual Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project dinner scheduled for the second Saturday in August has been canceled for this year only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has rescheduled for the second Saturday in 2021. Proceeds from this event pay for many activities from the project, including the annual plants of trophy trout into the lake. The 2020 trophy plant was completed recently from the project, and with the lack of kokanee plants in 2018, the recent trophy plants along with the abundant plants of various types of trout from the Department of Fish and Wildlife will be the highlight of summer fishing. Caroline Thomson of the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project invited readers to visit the Project’s website (shaverlaketrophytroutproject.org) for the latest updates on the three 2020 Sierra High School scholarship recipients.

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

At Huntington, Southern California Edison opened the lake to boating on May 29, and there is a decent trout bite for small brown or rainbow trout with inflated nightcrawlers or trout dough bait near Deer Creek. The lake is at 93%.

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

At Wishon, Kelly Brewer of the Wishon RV Park and Store reported slower action for trollers within the past week, but the shore action remains decent near the launch ramp and off of Short Hair Creek with rainbow or yellow garlic trout dough bait.

At Courtright, Brewer said, “Bank fishing has been very good with similar colors and scents of Power Bait as Wishon, but the trolling bite has slowed down.” However, Jeff and Diana Harris of Tollhouse trolled up limits of rainbows using orange Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler along with gold/orange Kastmasters. Another boat landed seven rainbows to 10 inches with hoochies or Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind either a flasher or a dodger.

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.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that it has removed the fish plant schedule from its website in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 by preventing public crowding at water bodies. CDFW said it will continue stocking trout at locations where social distancing by anglers and physical distancing of hatchery staff can be maintained.

Half Moon Bay

Salmon 2 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Crab 2 Surf perch 3

The San Mateo County Harbor District opened the public launch ramp at Pillar Point on May 30th, completing the final chain of launch ramps open along the California coast. Half Moon Bay was the final ramp from Eureka to Monterey Bay to open, and the opening was coupled with the party boats being able to operate with socially-distancing protocols. The harbor district had opened the Oyster Point launch ramp in San Francisco Bay the week prior to the Pillar Point.

Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat took out a small socially distancing group to Mussel Rock for limits of salmon, but previously, he had headed south to the Deep Reef to put John McManus of the Golden State Salmon Association onto his first salmon of the season with a watermelon Apex at 36 pulls in 300 feet of water. On Sunday, Mattusch took a salmon trip off of the Deep Reef in 220 feet of water for 9 salmon to 16 pounds, dropping four straight at the end of the day. He said, “The day started out slowly, but the bait appeared by mid-morning, and we had a few flurries before the bait disappeared.”

They were out on a rockfish/crab combination trip on Monday to the Deep Reef with 8 limits of crab taken out of 6 pot along with near-limits of rockfish. Mattusch said, “The rockfish were landed on shrimp flies, and they were marking great, but we had to work for the biters.”

Captain Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete is chomping at the bit to get out there with customers, and he added, “The water has been green, and the salmon are deep, holding on the bottom. The commercial fleet has been finding great action in the mud below the islands with up to 70 commercial-grade salmon despite rough ocean conditions.”

Out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, the Queen of Hearts and Riptide will join the New Captain Pete is focusing on coastal rockfish or salmon, and the reefs have been basically untouched since the April 1 opener since only private boats with a slip in the harbor have been able to access the ocean.

The beaches have been closed since March, but the parking lots in both the Pacifica and Half Moon Bay beaches also opened on May 30th, allowing anglers to surf fish for perch or striped bass. In Half Moon Bay, all of the parking lots and restrooms at beaches, including the city’s popular beach, Poplar Beach, along with others included owned by the state will be open; however, parking areas and restrooms at some beaches in the city will remain closed. Traffic along Highways 1 and 92 has been intense, particularly on the weekends, and gridlock conditions have been the rule.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Salmon 2 Striper 3 Surf Perch 3

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing Trips said, “We are still waiting for the go ahead with fishing and whale watching. We know that many people have been looking forward to the start of the fishing season but keeping our guests, crew, families, and greater community safe is the highest priority. Our family and crew have been closely monitoring official communications regarding COVID-19 and will be following the guidance provided by local and national governmental health organizations to comply with the recent “Shelter in Place” order covering the Monterey Area.

Allen Bushnell of the Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “All three harbors on Monterey Bay re-opened trailer boat launch ramps for general recreational use this week. Santa Cruz Harbormaster Marian Olin announced effective Tuesday, May 19 the loosening of Covid-19 restrictions that sharply restricted ramp usage since mid-March. Olin’s announcement cautioned, “All launch activity must comply with shelter-in-place orders issued by the Santa Cruz County Health Officer and all measures put in place to ensure social distancing, including: No congregating. Launchers must maintain (six feet) distance from others. Wear a mask at all times during launch and retrieval and while in the parking lot, and no ‘non-essential travel.’ Launchers must be Santa Cruz County residents.” A notice from Monterey County on Tuesday advised, “The City of Monterey Harbor and Moss Landing Harbor District announced today the reopening of their launch ramps to recreation boaters. Both facilities had been closed since late March to comply with the Monterey County Shelter in Place Order due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Rockfish and salmon seasons have been open since the beginning of May. Many local anglers are grateful to finally be able to launch their trailered boats and get out for some fishing. Windy conditions have made salmon fishing difficult this past week. Early mornings were the best bet. Winds of 20 knots with gusts up to 30 rose by noon every day this week. Private boaters are finding the fish, however. Beth Norton reported, “The salmon are on the bite. Captain JT’s girlfriend, Jess Birch, caught a 14-pound king salmon. She said it felt more like a ton. It was caught using a chrome Krippled Anchovy in 320 feet of water, 40 feet down. They were fishing near the Soquel Hole.” Norton also addressed the possibility of charter operations resuming soon. She said,” We are looking forward to getting the green light for running charters. We hope to hear something soon. Our boat is sanitized, the crew healthy and hoping to get out clients our for fresh air and some sanity during this crazy time.”Carol Jones from Kahuna Sportfishing in Moss landing is also hopeful about a resumption of charter fishing soon. Jones advised, “Some charter boats are running already and others soon to follow up in the Bay Area. We still do not have the green light here in Monterey County. We have submitted our protocols to the county and we’re waiting. We will be taking only 12 anglers on each trip to practice physical/social distancing. All customers who were booked in advance of this crisis will be given the chance to get out first. As soon as we know a date we will post. We’re getting ready!”

From the shorelines, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Most surf anglers are targeting striped bass, and the bite has been excellent along the beaches with Lucky Craft SP Minnows, Joe Bagg’s Swarters, or Diawa SP Minnows. Surf perch is solid, but everyone seems to want striped bass.”

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

San Francisco Bay

Salmon 3 Halibut 3 Striper 3 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2

The salmon are there, but it is a matter of getting located. Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond was out on Thursday, and he found tremendous conditions off of Rocky Point with bird, bait, and brown water, but after trolling for a few hours, they came up empty. He heard about the Argo finding fish near the Channel Markers, and he ran southwest to the area to throw in 5 salmon quickly with all salmon between 15 and 18 pounds, ending up with a total of six salmon. He said, “They are there, it’s just a matter of finding them.” He was out on Saturday for another solid day, and they were able to troll up salmon in the 30-plus pound range.

Bay halibut action remains tremendous, and the party boats that continue to operate are scoring limits to near-limits for their lighter than normal loads. The lighter loads are allowing for more room on the boat and less tangles, and although the price has been raised to $200/angler, people seem to enjoy the experience more than on a crowded shoulder-to-shoulder boat.

The Berkeley and San Francisco party boats are operating, but Emeryville remains closed until further notice. It should be long before their vessels are able to get out. Same with the Sausalito salmon boats, and Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady is ready to ‘rock and roll’ as soon as the order is lifted in their private harbor.

Inside San Francisco Bay, the Oyster Point launch ramp opened up with a single lane this morning, but social distancing is extremely important as the ramp may be shut down if there is no cooperation. Thank the San Mateo County Harbor Commission, and in particular, Captain Tom Mattusch for making this option happen.

Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream reported solid halibut action with over a fish per rod, and the downstream striped bass are just now starting to show up on the rock piles. Normally, limits of striped bass are taken in quick order off of the mid-bay rockpiles by mid-June.

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Berkeley is planning on starting trips on his six-pack on June 2nd.

In the north bay, Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “We have big minus tides this weekend at 1.5 feet, but the halibut bite has been tremendous to say the least. Bass to 8 pounds are showing up as well. The big tides should slow down the halibut over the weekend, but it should improve the sturgeon bite as there have been legal sturgeon landed off of the McNear’s Pier. We have all of the live baits including live smelt, anchovies, and shiners along with ghost shrimp, grass shrimp, and pile worms.”

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

Rockfish 3 Salmon 2 Surf perch 3

The San Luis Obispo County party boats have been cleared to run, and Virg’s, Morro Bay Landing, and Patriot Sport Fishing out of Port San Luis will be operating similar guidelines. The following are Virg’s guidelines:

Before going out on our boats people need to check in at our store.

When you sign in you will be asked some health questions and have your temperature checked. There will be NO passage to anybody who is sick, including our employees.

There will also be some paperwork to sign prior to boarding.

Masks are required in our store as well as on our boats.

Then you head to the boat, which has been sprayed down with bleach and is sprayed during the trip as well.

We have bottles of hand sanitizer taped up around the boat for your use.

Please use it.

Masks do not need to be worn on the deck if you are practicing social distancing, but anytime you are approached by somebody or head into the galley, a mask is required.

As per the SLO Health Dept we may not PREPARE any food, so we have prepackaged items that we can heat up for our customers. There are also other snacks and candy/chips available for purchase.

Alcohol is also VERBOTEN at this time, per the SLO Health Dept. We know that people like to have a beer whilst fishing and hopefully this restriction will be lifted soon.

We are doing our absolute best to ensure that everybody’s experience is as positive as it can be considering the circumstances. And if you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to ask the Captains.

The Fiesta, Black Pearl, and Rita G out of Virg’s Landing were out on Monday on trips of various lengths with a total of 42 anglers with near limits of rockfish composed of 46 vermilion, 17 copper, 347 assorted rockfish, and a single ling cod. Out of Morro Bay Landing, limits of the rockfish were the rule with 57 limits of rockfish and 15 ling cod to 14 pounds on Sunday along with another combined limits on the Endeavor and Avenger on Monday consisting of 75 vermilion, 100 assorted, 15 copper, and 2 ling cod. Out of Port San Luis, the Patriot and Flying Fish were out on ½-day trips on Monday with 24 anglers for 83 vermilion, 7 copper, 17 Bolina, 132 assorted rockfish, a single Boccaccio, and 4 ling cod to 7 pounds.

The public launch ramp at Morro Bay is open regardless of residency now, but in order for the launch ramp to remain open, the State and County Shelter at Home Orders which specific recreating in your own neighborhood and limiting discretionary travel must be observed. Parking fees will be collected for the yellow stalls at $6.00/day or annual pass at the harbor office.

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 Sacramento-Delta has been the location for striped bass and sturgeon over the past several months, but the transition into summer mode has begun with the arrival of triple-digit temperatures. The wind continues to be a factor on occasion with strong gusts limiting areas boaters are able to operate comfortably.

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, was in the north Delta this week, and he reported decent bass action with spinnerbaits, Senkos, or punching the weeds. He said, “The bass are holding under the weeds in the hot weather, and punching was the best technique as I caught and released one over 7 pounds on Missile D’Bomb. I picked up around 10 more bass on spinnerbaits, and there were a few landed on Senkos. There is a tremendous amount of grass in the north Delta, and perhaps the spraying was put on hold during the pandemic.”

The Martinez launch ramp has been open, and it is very busy, but the good news is the bait shop may be back in business by June 1st with reduced hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The hours will be extended from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. starting on Friday, June 5.

Dave Sharp of Marina Bait and Tackle reported interest in fishing has tripled over the past several weeks, and they are going through pounds and pounds of grass shrimp along with buckets of ghost shrimp when they are able to obtain the ghost shrimp from Oregon. He said, “The striped bass have been scattered, and the best action has been on jumbo minnows. I think that we are basically done with the jumbos for the year with the heat.”

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported tremendous interest in fishing, and they have been selling out of grass shrimp on a regular basis, but their supply is solid. Ghost shrimp has been more difficult to obtain. Striped bass from the shoreline has been fair, but there are sturgeon taking in the shallows of Grizzly Bay or Honker Bay on lamprey eel.

Largemouth bass are the top species as the summer doldrums have struck the Delta due to the arrival of triple-digit heat this past week. Today is much cooler, and the coming week will bring temperatures back down into the 80’s after three days of triple-digit heat in Stockton. It was 105 on Thursday, making for some uncomfortable conditions.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “This heat wave has had a huge effect on the bass as it is like dropping a group of fish into an aquarium without any acclimation. The heat has forced the bass into the shade, current, or deep water, and they are lethargic. When the bass are in this mode, you have to slow way down. I used two different techniques with plastics, either a drop-shot or a Zappu head. As the bass are unwilling to chase far, I use a smaller worm like Berkley Hit Worm in earth tones. It is a matter of not moving the plastic too much with a slow presentation. The other technique is the ima Finesse Popper on the low tide when you can see the weeds, but you have to move the lure slowly. The bass are holding under the weeds, ready to ambush. With next week’s cooler weather, the reaction bite will take off. We have been picking up a few bass on the Little Stick topwater lure, but once again, you have to work it slow. This bite should take off next week as the bass adjust to the change in temperatures. It normally takes around 3 days for the bass to adjust as the first day of cooler weather will be slow, the second day will be a bit better, but the bite will be on during the third day of the change.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors said, “We were out on Wednesday night, but we couldn’t get the big bite, ending up with between 13 and 14 pounds. The water temperature has risen with the heat, and we found 79-degree water in some areas. The bass are related to current, and it has been a punch or flip bite. The bass are holding inside of grass pockets, and everything we landed came on Sweet Beavers on a punch rig in either Bloody Mary or Watermelon Craw. The Reaction Innovation’s Skinny Dipper bite that was there last week was much slower. We were working some good-looking grass on the back side of islands with the Skinny Dipper, but the bass weren’t responding. There is more pennywort and rose vine than hyacinth in the Delta as the spraying has put down most of the hyacinth. You really need accurate casting to be successful in the Delta in order to hit the small grass pockets. I am really looking forward to next week’s cooler weather as the topwater and crankbait bite should take off around current.”

Dan Mathisen of Dan’s Delta Outdoors is running a tournament this weekend out of Sugar Barge with social distancing and a drive-by weigh in on a private dock. He said, “The bass are holding in current, and chatterbaits and punching the weeds are working best.” The team of Mike Andrews and Phillip Dutra took first place in the event with a five-fish limit of 32.12 pounds and a 7.67 big fish.

Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service said, “The Delta experienced an influx of fish during late April and fishing was very good through mid-May. Most of our stripers have begun their journey back to the bay and ocean beaches. Stripers can still be caught, but they are not as predictable or abundant as prior months. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are the best game in town, and it’s time to break out your floating lines and fish some topwater.”

H and R Bait in Stockton reported tremendous interest in fishing since the shutdown started, and their business has tripling if not more. They have been selling out of everything for anglers working along the south Delta sloughs. Bluegill are hitting red worms or jumbo red worms. Minnows are in high demand for largemouth and striped bass, and frozen shad is flying out of the store as fresh shad is not yet available.

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 Trout 2 Striper 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2

Nacimiento is open for 120 boat/trailers and 30 single cars at the present time, but camping and lodging is closed. Fuel at the marina is now available. Bass fishing is solid for spotted bass from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds with underspins, plastics on the drop-shot, crankbaits, topwater lures, and jerkbaits. The occasional white bass is taken, and the crappie are bunched up into isolated schools. A webcam of the lake is available at http://www.lakenacimientolive.com/. At Lopez, 320 vehicles including 50 boat/trailers from San Luis Obispo County residents only are allowed on a daily basis including camping. Bass fishing is good with spinnerbaits in the wind, underspins, jerkbaits, and topwater lures. Planted rainbow trout are taken for those trolling Rapalas or Kastmasters while shore anglers are finding a few rainbows working the deeper holes with Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Panfish are taken on meal worms, red worms, or nightcrawlers. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. Santa Margarita is available for 86 vehicles including 26 trailers for San Luis Obispo County residents only. The bass bite is steady with topwater lures in low-light conditions along with jigs or plastics on the drop-shot or split-shot. Catfish are taken on cutbaits while panfish are found with red worms or meal worms. San Antonio is limited for boating to weekends only from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Shore fishing access is available seven days per week. The bass bite is scratchy with the best action with small to medium soft plastics. Panfish are taken on red worms, meal worms, or small nightcrawlers while catfish are found on cut bait.

Events

Tournament Results

Delta/Sugar Barge – Dan Mathisen Outdoors Legends Series – May 30th: 1st – Mike Andrews/Phillip Dutra – 32.12 pounds (Big Fish – 7.67); 2nd: Mark Gomez/Juan Acosta – 25.24; 3rd – Paul Howard/Edison Hicks – 22.36.

Upcoming Tournaments

June 6/7:

Delta/Russo’s – American Bass Association

Delta/Ladd’s – Angler’s Press

Don Pedro – Modesto Ambassadors

McClure – New Jen Bass Tournaments

Santa Margarita – California Bass Nation

June 6:

Delta/Contra Costa – Outlaw Bass Club

Pardee – Sonora Bass Anglers

Don Pedro – Kerman Bass Club

Success – Golden Empire Bass Club

Isabella – Point Seekers Bass Club

San Antonio – Good Ole Boys

Lopez – Bakersfield Bass Club

June 7:

Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – New Jen Bass Tournaments

June 12-14:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails Pro/Am

June 13:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club

Isabella – American Bass Association

Santa Margarita – Kern County Bass Masters

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments

Lopez – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

June 14:

Delta/B and W Resort – Fresno Bass Club/California Bass Federation

Delta/Tracy Oasis – Tracy Oasis

New Melones – Modesto Ambassadors/California Bass Federation

Don Pedro – Wild West Bass Trails Kayak

Eastman – Kings VIII Bass Club

June 18/19:

Pine Flat – California Bass Nation

June 20/21:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

June 20:

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Angler’s Press

Millerton – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

June 21:

Pine Flat – Bass 101

Success – Central Valley Kayak Fishing

June 27:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournament

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Merced Bass Club

New Melones – Yak-A-Bass

Millerton – New Jen Bass Tournaments

June 28:

Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation

Delta/Russo’s Marina – New Jen Bass Tournaments

McClure – Nor Cal High School Bass Series

Success – Porterville Bass Club

This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report week of June 3-9: McClure, Melones, Pine Flat best bets."