Fishing report for week of July 8-14: Shaver Lake, New Melones and McClure among 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.

Photo gallery

Show off your success! Share your fish photos and videos with Bee readers. Please share only jpeg images and Mp4 video files. Include “Fishing Report” in the subject line and email to sports@fresnobee.com

Best bets

Shaver producing mixed limits, Dick Nichols reported. Half Moon Bay salmon hitting, Dennis Baxter said. New Melones bass and kokanee bites good, Kyle Wise reported. McClure bass continue feeding, Ryan Cook said. Delta stripers and bass on tap, Alan Fong reported. San Francisco salmon bite going, Jerad Davis said.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

Triple-digit temperatures are anticipated by the end of the current week, and the California Aqueduct offers little, if any, protection from the burning sun. Fishermen will either be out in the early mornings or late afternoons into the evenings along the access points. Blood worms have been the top baits in both sections of the aqueduct.

In the southern portion in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said, “The aqueduct continues to be a good option, and since our Striped Bass Derby is over, anglers are targeting catfish with a variety of baits including Triple S dipbait, anchovies, sardines or mackerel. The July Catfish Derby is open to anyone for a $1 entry fee with the winner on July 31 taking the total entries. So far, no one has weighed in a catfish.”

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

All bass tournaments have been placed on hold at the Army Corps of Engineer lakes, and Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun said, “The bass bite is fair at best with the majority of action found over rockpiles with jigs or plastics on a Carolina- or Texas-rig. Finding the right rockpile is necessary, and a number of largemouth bass are small in the 11- to 12-inch range. There is a spinnerbait bite when there is a ripple on the water, and the dam is another area holding the bass. There have been no reports of either crappie or bluegill.” The lake dropped from 40% to 36%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Gilbert said, “Hensley is producing an improved quality of largemouth bass than at nearby Eastman with a few double-digit bass reported in the past month. Creature baits on a slip-sinker rig or Brush Hogs on a Carolina-rig are working over rockpiles at depths from 10 to 15 feet in the mornings, before moving out to 20 to 25 feet by mid-morning. Working over isolated structure is the key.” The lake dropped from 32% to 29%.

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

Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service said, “I plan on heading over to Don Pedro as there have been some reports that the kokanee bite is taking off at depths to 75 feet in open water as the landlocked salmon are not holding adjacent to structure as of yet.” Most Mother Lode kokanee fishermen are targeting the quick limits at Lake Pardee, but a few trollers are working Don Pedro for success.

For largemouth bass, Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing and Guide Service said, “If you head out anywhere in the lake in the morning, you will be able to see the bass busting shad on the surface, but you have to be right on top of them with a walking bait like a Whopper Plopper or a Spook. There is a topwater bite, but the numbers are less overall than at nearby McClure; however, the quality of bass is better. For suspended fish, working G-Money Jigs or Zoom Finesse worms in green pumpkin on a ¼-ounce dart head are effective at depths from 20 to 50 feet.”

Bass tournaments are back on schedule, and the Best Bass Tournaments is holding an event on July 18.

King salmon can still be found at depths to 100 feet with rolled shad while rainbow trout are found higher in the water column. The few trollers on the lake are concentrating on kokanee. The lake dropped from 84% to 82%.

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, “There is still a good crappie bite in the South Fork back in the trees by Camp 9, and there are largemouth bass there as well. If we had minnows in the shop, that would be a great option for the slabs, but the demand for minnows has been high. Minijigs are working for the crappie while bass are taken on large plastic worms. Catfishing remains outstanding with Triple S Dip bait, nightcrawlers or cut baits, particularly at night. Bass fishing is best with plastic worms or jigs. I haven’t heard much about trout recently.” The lake dropped from 35% t o 34%.

The upper Kern River remains solid for planted and holdover rainbow trout with live crickets, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, jumbo red worms or Power Bait in the deeper pools. Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company said, “Fly fishing for Kern rainbows has been excellent.”

The lower river is still holding over 1,000 cfs, and smallmouth bass and catfish are the top species.

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

Gary Wasson of Visalia said, “The bass bite continues to be slow with plastics on the drop-shot or lizards working best.” Recreational boating remains high, particularly on the weekends. The public launch ramps, private marinas and day-use recreation areas are open, but the Visitor Center, campgrounds and group picnic shelters remain closed. All tournaments have been postponed. The lake dropped from 56% to 36%.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company said, “Bass fishing was slower this week, most likely due to the hotter temperatures. Anglers have had to work hard to entice the bass to bite, but some fishermen are having luck with jigs with a plastic trailer. The bass have moved into deep water, and Senkos, plastics on a Ned-rig or lizards are all working.” The lake is still experiencing heavy recreational boat traffic. Wasson said, “The bass bite is slowing, and Brush Hogs are your best bet.” All tournaments have been postponed. The lake held at 54%.

In the Tule River, Stokke said, “The river is fishing excellent on dry flies, especially on stimulators size 10 in a red pattern for the natives. On Saturday, I fished the Middle Fork, and it was the best day so far this year. The campgrounds and Balch Park are being stocked on a regular basis.”

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

Tournament action will return to Lake McClure this coming weekend with the Merced Bass Club holding an event on Saturday and the Wild West Bass Trails Kayak Series on Sunday. Kayakers have been prefishing for this big event, and there have been reports of double-digit largemouth bass being landed. Cook said, “There is a buzzbait bite emerging at the lake, and the best action for the buzzbaits has been in the windy coves. Topwater walking baits such as Whopper Ploppers or Spooks are also effective in the early mornings in open water. The best action for larger fish has been with topwater or for suspended bass with umbrella rigs or jigs. The G-Money jigs has been effective at depths from 20 to 50 feet over vertical structure. Zoom Finesse 4-inch plastics in green pumpkin on a ¼-ounce dart head or 3.5-inch Dry Creek tubes are another good option.”

Steve Marquette of the Lake McClure Recreation Company reported trout trollers are running Speedy Shiners or gold/silver Kastmasters at depths to 50 feet for the holdover raibnows. Catfishing is solid with chicken livers or nightcrawlers along muddy, sloping banks. The lake dropped from 72% to 70%.

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

McSwain has become primarily a recreational boating and swimming lake instead of a fishing lake during the summer. The lack of planting is limiting shore fishermen to the very occasional holdover rainbow in the early mornings or late evenings off of the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks or the peninsula near the marina with trout dough bait or inflated nightcrawlers. A water feature with large water toys is the dominant feature on the lake.

Call: McSwain Marina 209-378-2534

The river arm remains the top location for spotted bass to 3 pounds, and Merritt Gilbert reported the best cut is above Finegold with Senkos at depths to 20 feet. Plastics on the drop-shot are producing numbers of spots to 1.75 pounds. The American shad are migrating up the river arm. Millerton has experienced a major slowdown in striped bass fishing over the past several years, but there are still some quality linesides roaming around in the lake. Camping is now available along the Madera side of the lake. Recreational boat traffic is heavy after 10 a.m., particularly on the weekends. All boats have to be off of the water by 8 p.m. The lake dropped from 79% to 74%.

Sycamore Island is 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

Kyle Wise said, “The quality of kokanee is outstanding with salmon from 17 to 19 inches possible, but you have to find the small schools. The lack of planting in 2018 has led to a small population of third-year fish. I have been working J-Pex lures behind a gold-plated Mag Tackle dodger at depths from 50 to 75 feet, but it is clearly area-specific as the kokanee are out in open water at depths in the 200-foot range. We lost five fish to a pair of ospreys this past week, working hard to end up with 11 kokanee.”

John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service stayed off the lake over the holiday weekend, but he continues to score with topwater lures in the first hours of the mornings as the bass are chasing shad on the surface. Recent night trips on the full moon produced largemouth bass to 6 pounds and spotted bass to 4 pounds on wake baits. The lake dropped from 73% to 71%.

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

The tournament season remains postponed, and no lake in the South Valley is hosting bass tournaments currently. Merritt Gilbert said, “Bass fishing has been hit or miss with the spots holding in the shallows early in the morning before moving out to deeper water between 20 and 30 feet. In the early mornings, there is a topwater or umbrella rig bite while the bass are in the shallows, but once they drop in the water column, jigs or plastics on a wacky-rig are most effective. Catching numbers isn’t a problem but putting together a limit of five fish over 13 inches is a challenge. Trout trollers are working Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger, Apex lures or Needlefish at depths from 30 to 35 feet from the Power Lines into the river arm as the main lake has been slow. Catfish to 3 pounds are taken on chicken livers near Big Creek. I haven’t heard of any crappie reports.”

Gary Wasson has been consistently finding big largemouth bass in the 6-pound range, and he said, “The lake is starting to produce a bigger grade of largemouth bass, and I focus on getting the few big bites instead of numbers.” The lake dropped from 66% to 61%.

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

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported the combination of wind, falling water and a full moon have dampened the striped bass action. He said, “It’s been tough to hit the calmer windows in the early morning as the breezes turn to gusts, bringing rollers by mid-afternoon on most days. We only picked up 13 stripers to 22 inches on Friday working Lucky Craft Pointers in Ghost Minnow over humps and points at 60 feet in depth. The water temperatures are staying low in the 70-degree range with the wind, but the visibility has dropped to a few feet with algae beginning to form. Launching at Dinosaur Point is advised when the northwest wind is anticipated to come up later in the day as the rollers will not be behind you.”

Dinosaur Point is the top location for shore anglers with blood worms, pile worms, frozen shad or anchovies. The lake dropped from 53% to 51%.

In the O’Neill Forebay, Josh Meza of Coyote Bait and Tackle said, “Pile worms, blood worms, anchovies and frozen shad are the top producers for striped bass ranging from 10 to 20 inches near the bridges at Highway 33 or 152. Trollers are running Lucky Crafts or Rebels in the deeper locations on the lake. The weed growth is ramping up with the hot weather. Anglers have to cull through numbers to put together a legal limit.”

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

Heavy recreational boat traffic is limiting the window for both bass fishermen and trout/kokanee trollers, and most anglers are getting off of the water by 8:30 a.m. on weekdays and not launching on weekends. A few kokanee are possible, but the lack of second-year fish does not bode well for next year. Small rainbow trout to 13 inches are possible early in the morning with spoons, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawlers behind a dodger or blade/’crawler combinations. Few bass fishermen are launching boats, and those targeting the spotted or largemouth bass are working the docks with Senkos or jigs on a ¼-ounce head. The weed growth is starting to form.

The lake is at 96%. Lake webcams and conditions: basslakeca.com/index.php.

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

Merritt Gilbert said, “I haven’t heard much about Edison, but Florence has been good for numbers of rainbows in the 12- to 13-inch range for the few trollers targeting the lake.”

Edison held at 50%, Florence dropped to 88% and Mammoth Pool dropped to 88%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

The boat traffic was intense over the Independence Day weekend leading Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service to compare Shaver to the normally heavily impacted lower elevation Bass Lake. Despite the full moon and the boat traffic, mixed limits of kokanee to 17 inches and rainbow trout are possible for experienced trollers willing to put in the effort. Smallmouth bass of a small size remain thick close to any rocky structure. The lake is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “We put in 75 mixed fish in four days using my Trout Busters in pink behind a Mountain Flasher on a setback of 100 feet on our side poles or pink Koke Busters behind a Mountain Dodger on the downriggers at depths from 37 to 45 feet. Dr. Eric Hanson of Fresno, a local orthopedic surgeon, was out with his wife Darlene, daughter Ally and grandchildren Riley and Jed for a couple of mixed limits of trout/kokanee. Daniel and Gabriel Souza of Hilmar along with Joe and Evan Bailey of Fresno also scored limits on another trip, and 12-year old Evan landed a trophy rainbow estimated in the 4-pound range. The recent plants from the Department of Fish and Wildlife have provided a solid supply of rainbows, and we also have caught and released three or four of the golden trout that were released earlier as they need to grow larger. The brown trout that were released in January 2019 are growing, and they soon will be of catchable size. Out of the 75 fish over the four-day run, 60% were kokanee with the remainder rainbows. Some are catching a few fish while others are finding mixed limits.”

Wittwer took the weekend off due to the heavy holiday boat traffic, and he said, “The past three weekends have been very busy, and I have been holding off on the weekends with the boat traffic. I passed my trip on Sunday off to Tom Oliviera, and he had a solid day. I expect the bite to rebound earlier this week as it has been a bit tougher with the boat traffic. We have been scoring on the Dorabella side up to Camp Edison at depths from 35 to 55 feet with the pink or orange Rocky Mountain Tackle Hornet spinner along with the pink Double-Glow hoochie behind a Moonshine or Sunburst Dodger. The kokanee have really been in a short bite this week as they are just hitting the lures lightly.”

The lake rose from 82% to 85%.

Jim Travis, Steve Peckham and Harold McCracken of Affordable Tackle trolled on Saturday for two limits of second-year kokanee using Green UV and Orange spinners paired with Gold and Green Frog Raven Dodgers at depths from 40 to 65 feet at 1.3 to 1.9 mph. Travis said, “Terry and Rod Brown, in a second boat, landed a 17-inch bright chrome lokanee as one of their limits of second-year kokanee using Pink Vulcan Spinners and Green and the Pink Fireworks Sierra Flasher. Early in the morning, the fish were hitting in front of Sierra Marina, and later that morning, we tried running the sides of the channel running into Dorabella campground and brought up several of the second-year kokanee.”

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

At upstream Huntington, Wittwer reported boat traffic has been minimal, perhaps due to the abundance of 10-inch kokanee. The lake is nearly filled at 98%.

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 Village RV Park and Store reported a trout plant from the Department of Fish and Wildlife occurred on Monday morning, and the lake was clearly in need of another plant. The launch ramp is at the bottom of the dock, and the lake is very low. A boat can be launched, but it requires effort. The occasional brown or rainbow trout to 20 inches has been landed by trollers working from the surface to 30 feet with blade/’crawler combinations or Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger. Shore fishing is fair with rainbow trout dough bait being the best option. The action should improve considerably with the plant.

At Courtright, the lake is full, and it is the better of the two options at high elevation on the Kings River watershed with trollers finding limits of rainbows to 14 inches with blade/crawler combinations, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger or small spoons at depths from the surface to 20 feet. Brewer reported rainbows and browns to 20 inches have been taken on occasion. Bank fishing is fair overall with the best action with rainbow trout dough bait in early mornings or late evenings are best near the dam or the launch ramp.

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.

Scheduled by California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

Week of July 12

Fresno County: Dinkey Creek, Hume Lake, Kings River below Pine Flat Dam, Mono Creek, Portal Forebay, San Joaquin River South Fork, Tamarack Creek, Ward Lake

Inyo County: Bishop Creek (Lower), Lone Pine Creek, Owens River (below Tinnemaha and Section 2)

Kern County: Kern River (Sections 4 and 5)

Mono County: Crowley Lake, Owens River (Section 3)

Tulare County: Balch Park Lake (Lower and Upper), Deer Creek, Hedrick Pond (Redwood Lake), Kern River (Section 5), Tule River (Middle Fork and South Fork Middle Fork Nos. 2 and 3), White River

Week of July 19

Fresno County: Courtright Reservoir, Huntington Lake

Inyo County: Bishop Creek (Lower), Lone Pine Creek, Owens River (below Tinnemaha and Section 2)

Kern County: Kern River (Sections 4 and 5)

Mono County: Crowley Lake, Owens River (Section 3)

Tulare County: Big Meadows Creek, Kern River (Sections 5 and 6), Nobe Young Creek, Peppermint Creek (Lower), Stony Creek

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Surf Perch 2

Salmon fishing has been very good out of Half Moon Bay with the schools of fish stretched from Martin’s Beach north to Pedro Point. Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat said, “The commercial boats have been mowing the lawn out in front of the harbor near the Red Can so I know they would be out there unless there were salmon to be had. There have been salmon taken from Martin’s Beach up to Mussel Rock, and the city boats have been coming down to find action around Mussel Rock. We have been rockfishing, and the rockfish don’t want to bite in the brown water around the coast, but they are biting in the green water. Buoy 1 North is producing a few salmon, but it was too rough for the private boaters and kayakers over the weekend.”

Captain Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete scored 10 limits of salmon up near Pedro Point, and he said, “We found a mixed grade of salmon, but there were a number of commercial fish in the mix. Yesterday in rough weather, we averaged a fish per rod for 11 anglers. One of the six-packs out of our harbor put in early limits near Buoy 1 North near Maverick’s Reef, and there is a number of private boats working the area. We have plenty of room for salmon this week, and the best number to book the boat is 650-576-3844 instead of the Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing shop’s main number.”

The Riptide out of Half Moon Bay Landing put in 8 limits of salmon on Monday while the Queen of Hearts returned with a fish per rod at 10 salmon for 10 anglers.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Salmon 2 Rockfish 4 Striper 2 Halibut 2 Surf Perch 2

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Landing in Monterey said, “There was a little spurt of salmon for the commercial boats at the end of last week, but we continue to focus on rockfishing as the action has been lights out, particularly south at Point Sur. We have been heading south nearly every day, and the Check Mate posted 12 limits of rockfish and 4 ling cod on Monday.” Their trips are some of the best bargains on the coast with $100 on weekdays and $110 on weekends.

Allen Bushnell of the Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “This week anglers around Monterey Bay were asking lots of questions. Depending on where they went and when, the gamut from quick limits to full-on skunks were reported by boaters on the bay. We’ve had a week of northwest swell that combined with a long-period south swell over the weekend. Winds have been strong and gusty making for a serious chop on top of that. The combined swell roiled the bottom, created strong currents, made things murky and sent most fish to their hidey-holes or out to deeper water. Knowing where to go under what conditions is often what fuels the charter boat skippers’ success. Captain John Thomas (JT) from Go Fish Santa Cruz had good fishing earlier in the week fishing near Davenport. He found limits of rockfish for clients aboard the lovely Miss Beth from the deeper reefs. On Wednesday JT stayed closer to Santa Cruz. Searching the deeper water from 100-180 feet, he found the fish and in big numbers. When asked why he was spotted returning to the harbor at 8:15am on Wednesday he replied, “How about full limits for clients and crew in an hour?” OK. Nothing ambivalent about that. Kahuna Sportfishing from Moss Landing commits to longer trips and gets to areas by Carmel and Big Sur where there is less fishing pressure. That means more fish and bigger fish. Halibut fishing slowed during the past week due to the weather and sea conditions. The big flatfish are still here in force however, and we’ll see catch numbers go back up once the weather settles. Salmon fishing has been spotty. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine reported a few salmon caught by anglers trolling the edges of the Soquel Hole. Private boaters reported a small fleet fishing near Mulligan’s Hill and the Marina Sand Plant. Reports indicated the salmon were down deep. Surfcasters are still catching striped bass from “the usual spots” with more action reported from Monterey County than from Santa Cruz. On a very positive note, surf perch fishing is noticeably better this week. More fish are on the bite, just past the shore break feeding on sand crabs, and the average size is getting bigger as well.”

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

San Francisco Bay

Salmon 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2

It has been big boat weather outside of the Golden Gate, but the larger party boats have been able to work along the Marin coastline for scores ranging from limits to a fish per rod. Captain Jerad Davis on the Salty Lady braved the conditions on Monday for 13 limits of salmon to 26 pounds. He said, “It decent in the morning, but by the time we came in, it was rough enough to make it questionable. We stuck it out for an excellent grade of salmon, and there was a huge fish over 30 pounds lost at the net. These are really big fish.”

The Lovely Martha out of San Francisco came in with near-limits with 30 salmon to 24 pounds for 16 anglers while one of the Sausalito boats also brought in 14 limits. The party boats have been focusing north off of the Marin coastline, but there are salmon found from Pacifica north to Bodega Bay.

For rockfish, the Sea Wolf out of Emeryville continues to make the run to the Farallon Islands when the weather is cooperative, and limits of rockfish along with a decent ling cod count has been the rule.

Inside the bay, despite the minus tides over the weekend, halibut continue to bite with anglers averaging around a fish per rod with the majority of action in the south bay. Striped bass have been on the rock piles when the tides are right, and limits of striped bass have been taken by the Happy Hooker and Pacific Dream out of Berkeley when the conditions are optimal.

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing took his first salmon trip of the season this year for a fish per rod of big salmon off of the Marin coastline despite his clients arriving late to the docks. He will be focusing on salmon during the months of July and August.

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing targeted soupfin, sevengill, and leopard sharks this past week, and he found a consistent bite for the huge sharks off of Yellow Bluff in deep water. He is releasing all shark over 150 pounds, but passengers are leaving with limits of soupfin shark on a daily basis.

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 -1 Surf Perch – 2

Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Endeavor and Avenger were out on Monday with 45 anglers for limits of rockfish composed of 120 vermilion rockfish to 8 pounds, 40 copper, 4 Boccaccio, 70 Bolina, 216 assorted rockfish and 2 ling cod to 6 pounds. Also out of Morro Bay at Virg’s Landing, the Black Pearl was out with a 24-person charter from Magnum swimbaits, and they posted limits of vermilion rockfish, a number of ling cod to 18 pounds, a cabezon, and a bonus 14-pound Pacific halibut taken on a swimbait. Out of Port San Luis, the Flying Fish was out on Monday on a ½-day trip for 16 limits consisting of 3 vermilion, 14 Bolina, and 143 assorted rockfish. All ports are running a variety of trips from ½- day to long range ventures far from the harbor.

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 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2

As quickly as they have been counted out the past few weeks, the striped bass made an early return to the Sacramento-Delta to add another wrinkle for area anglers. Many of the stripers may be resident fish, but there are numbers of striped bass returning from the bay as well. The river salmon season starts on July 16th, and the opener traditionally brings out shore anglers to toss heavy spinners such as Vee-Zee’s from the shorelines off of Benicia as well as Freeport. Trollers will be focusing above the Rio Vista Bridge into the Old Sacramento River, and the boat launch at Vieira’s Resort in Isleton will be hopping. Warm water species of catfish, smallmouth bass, and bluegill continue to be available in a variety of Delta locations. re taking center stage, and they will be the top species until the arrival of the fall months.

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, said, “There are striped bass up north into Liberty Island, but you have to hit it when the tide is right. You have to go in when the opportunity is there, and you will find a hey-day for around an hour with topwater lures or glide baits before the action turns off as quickly as it started. There are a number of stripers that never leave the area, and they are starting to bunch up into groups. One of my friends witnessed a squawfish darting by the front of his boat, and it was following by a huge striper in the 40-pound range that stunned the squawfish by ramming it twice before it turned the fish and swallowed it. He said, ‘No one will believe me, but that’s what happened.”

Allen Grossman of the California Inland Fisheries Foundation, Inc. was out with legendary striped bass troller, Mark Wilson of Sacramento, and he said, “I had an epic day with Wilson trolling deep-diving Yozuri Crystal Minnows in rainbow trout or red head/white along the West Bank. We caught and released multiple stripers between 6 and 12 pounds, and the majority were good quality fish. We started off of the San Joaquin River along a shoal near the Antioch Bridge for some good action before the tide changed, and then Wilson took us over to the West Bank on the incoming tide for tremendous action.”

In the Freeport area, fishermen are getting prepared for the upcoming river salmon season with heavy spinners or jigs. Smallmouth bass are found in the sloughs or the Old Sacramento River along the rocky shorelines with plastic worms or Senkos on a drop-shot rig along with deep-diving crankbaits. Bluegill are thick in all the slough areas with red worms, jumbo red worms, or mini-crawlers under a bobber or on a drop-shot rig.”

Dave Sharp of Marina Bait and Tackle in Suisun City said, “We continue to be very busy with numbers of new anglers getting involved in the sport. The big minus tides have slowed down shoreline action, but as the tides get smaller this week, the action should improve. We are selling a lot of pile worms, frozen shad, ghost shrimp, and grass shrimp along with the few mudsuckers and bullheads that we are able to obtain. In the Mokelumne River at the Delta Loop, shore fishermen are picking up legal stripers with bait.” Marina Bait allows 5 customers in the shop at a time, and all customers must wear a mask.

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported catfish have been the top species in the sloughs by McAvoy’s Boat Harbor, and anglers are targeting the whiskerfish with nightcrawlers or anchovies. Spoonbill Slough has been a popular area for the catfish. Shoreline striped bass fishing is decent, but the majority of linesides are undersized with the best grade found under the Benicia/Martinez Bridge with grass shrimp or anchovies. Lopez said, “Sturgeon fishermen have been targeting the Mothball Fleet area with grass shrimp. The grass shrimp is getting a little larger, but it won’t be the large grade until September.”

Largemouth bass are the top species in the warmer waters of the San Joaquin-Delta, but tournaments were absent over the Independence Day Holiday weekend. The recreational boat traffic took center stage over the weekend, and most bass fishermen stayed off of the water. The largest grade of bass is found in deep water as the weather conditions are still variable. Consistent weather is necessary for the larger bass to become more accessible. Bluegill and red ear perch are thick in the south Delta sloughs, and the banks have been lined with shore anglers at Bacon Island, Whiskey Slough, and Eight Mile Road. The river salmon opener on July 16th will bring out lure casters to the Antioch and Pittsburg shorelines in search of the few salmon that seem to migrate along the southern edge of the San Joaquin River.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, has been focusing on the Delta, and he said, “You can easily catch number of largemouth bass in the 1- to 3-pound range but finding the larger bass has been elusive. The best technique for the occasional big bass has been to go deep from 15 to 17 feet with jigs or large plastics on a Zappu head. I have been using skinnier worms such as a Berkley Easy Money or Bottom Hopper in darker colors. I want more movement on the bait, and it is also important to coat the plastic with a scent such as Pro-Cure. This time of year, scent is very important. Punching is another technique for larger fish, but it is a very difficult technique to teach as the bite is difficult to feel. There are few mats in the Delta right now where you can punch. The bass are clearly holding against points or structure where the water is pushing into and deflecting.”

Pringle is hosting the Blow Up on the Delta on August 1st and 2nd out of Russo’s Marina on Delta Island, and this will be an Open Team topwater-only tournament with any type of topwater lure allowed. Information and registration at www:bestbasstournaments.com.

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors added, “We weighed in 16.98 on Wednesday night, but the shootout was taken with a 23-plus pound limit. Every one of the top places had a bigger fish in the 6- to 7-pound range, but we couldn’t find one of these as they have been elusive. We got a ton of bites with most everything on a Whopper Plopper or punching. We never got a frog bite, and the frog water has been broken up with all of the wind. We tried the Swamp Donkey in open water, but it wasn’t happening. All in all, we did find numbers in the 4- to 4.5-pound range, but nothing larger. “

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors said, “Some guys have been struggling for largemouth bass, but the recreational boating over the holiday weekend kept most anglers away. The frog bite is there if you still with it, and I had a best three at 15 pounds this week with my partner’s best three at 18 pounds, and we both dumped bass over 7 pounds while working around an island. I have been using the Boom Boom Fred’s Frog in green/white in open water. Dave’s Delta Outdoors is geared up with all frogs including the very popular Scum Frog which is intended to work over heavy cover.”

There are striped bass in the San Joaquin system, and George Wight of Antioch, one of the few remaining charter members of the California Striped Bass Association, said, “I was drifting a large bluegill this week, and I landed a 40.65-pound striped bass weighed on a good digital scale. It’s pretty hard to take a selfie of one that size, and I got her back in the water quickly. It took over 5 minutes of swishing her back and forth before she finally took off. I haven’t caught one that large in many years. There are lots of stripers still in the San Joaquin as I caught five others to 12 pounds that day.”

H and R Bait in Stockton reported heavy sales of frozen bait or nightcrawlers for shore anglers targeting striped bass or bluegill along the banks at Whiskey Slough, Bacon Island Road, and Eight Mile Road. Fresh shad is still unavailable.

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 Bluegill 2

The boat pressure at Lake Nacimiento continues to be intense on the weekends starting on Friday, but during the week, there is an early morning topwater bite before anglers have to drop to the bottom at depths to 20 feet with small plastics or jigs. The white bass have been showing up on the surface on occasion in the coves, but the boils have been inconsistent. Crappie to 3 pounds have been taken inside of submerged brush piles at depths to 20 feet while big bluegill and perch are holding in the shallows. The lake dropped from 44 to 43 percent. A webcam of the lake is available at http://www.lakenacimientolive.com/. At Lopez, the bass bite is inconsistent, but there have been some quality largemouth bass taken on reaction lures such as chatterbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, underspins, or spinnerbaits in the mornings before dropping to the bottom with plastic worms on a Texas-rig or drop-shot along with Senkos. Trout trollers are finding the occasional holdover rainbow in deep water while shore fishing is best in the early mornings or late afternoons with Power Bait or nightcrawlers in areas with deep water access. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. The bass bite at Santa Margarita has been ‘hit or miss’ with the best action on deep-diving crankbaits, jigs, or plastics on a drop-shot or Texas-rig. The bass are holding along vertical structure with deep water access. Bluegill and perch are in the shallows in the midst of a spawn, and they are taken on red worms, meal worms, or waxworms. Big whiskerfish are an option with anchovies or mackerel, and a huge catfish at 28 pounds was landed within the past week. The operating hours at San Antonio have been extended from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends only. Shore fishing access is available seven days per week. Camping is now available seven days per week. Catfish remain the best option with cut baits coated with garlic while panfish are taken with red worms or meal worms under a bobber or on a drop-shot rig. Bass fishing remains very slow with the best action on plastics on the bottom. The lake dropped from 29 to 28 percent.

Events

Tournament results

Delta/Ladd’s Marina in Stockton– Best Bass Tournaments - June 27th: 1st –Jerad Dominici/Jason Covolich– 22.34 pounds; 2nd: Bob McNabb/Glenn Vargas – 18.59; 3rd –Sean and Dennis O’Riordan – 18.50 (Big Fish – 8.24).

Delta– New Jen Bass Tournaments - June 27th: 1st – Marc Jang/Curtis Matsura– 21.91 pounds (Big Fish – 7.64); 2nd: Mike Andrews/Phil Dutra – 20.26; 3rd –Tim Woltkamp – 19.25.

McClure – New Jen Bass Tournaments - June 28th: 1st – Jeff D’Alessandro/Tim Wells – 15.16 pounds; 2nd: Wayne Arnold/Sergio Mendoza – 15.03; 3rd –Vacha and Minh Vang – 13.40 (Big Fish – 6.91).

Upcoming tournaments: (Subject to change)

July 11th –

Delta/Sugar Barge – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

Salt Springs – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Don Pedro – New Jen Bass Tournaments/Riverbank Bass Anglers

McClure – Merced Bass Club

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments

San Antonio – Good Ole Boys

July 11/12th –

Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation

Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club

July 12th –

Delta/Big Break Marina – New Jen Bass Tournaments

July 18/19th –

Delta/Big Break Marina – American Bass Association

July 18th –

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournament

McClure – Merced Bass Club

Pine Flat – Sierra Bass Club

Nacimiento – Kern County Bass Masters

July 19th –

San Antonio – Kern County Bass Masters

July 25/26th –

Clear Lake – Kerman Bass Club/Best Bass Tournaments

Delta/Big Break Marina – Angler’s Press

Lake Amador – Modesto Ambassadors

Don Pedro – Golden Empire Bass Club

July 25th –

McClure – Yak-A-Bass/Merced Bass Club

Isabella – American Bass Association

July 26th –

Don Pedro – Nor Cal High School Bass Tournaments

This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Fishing report for week of July 8-14: Shaver Lake, New Melones and McClure among best bets."