Fishing report for week of Sept. 30-Oct. 6: Finally, a Don Pedro trout report

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, striper, salmon and sturgeon bites providing action, Alan Fong said. San Francisco smorgasbord of species biting, Jerad Davis reported. Don Pedro trout hitting, Kyle Wise said. McClure spotted bass still gulping baits, Ryan Cook reported. MIllerton spots on excellent bite, Jake Figgs said.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 3

In the northern section of the California Aqueduct, catfish remain the top species with anchovies or sardines. The triple-digit heat limits fishing to either the early morning or late evening hours.

In the southern portion in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported striped bass and catfish continue to come out of the aqueduct as the temporary closure of the Sequoia National Forest has brought more anglers to the aqueduct. Blood worms, sardines, or anchovies are working best.

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

Eastman Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 3 Crappie 2

Jake Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “With the lake at 7%, few bass fishermen are willing to launch their boats. Catfish provide the best action in the evenings with chicken livers or cut baits.”

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Figgs said, ““Instead of heading to Eastman, most area bass fishermen are targeting Hensley over the rockpiles or island tops with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs in dark colors. Black/blue or black/red are the top colors for jigs. Catfishing remains decent in the evenings with cut baits or chicken livers. The lake dropped from 18% to 15%.

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

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

There have been few trout reports from Don Pedro for months — until Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service and Greg Yost, formerly of Mag Tackle, scored Saturday. “It took a few hours to find them, but once we did, it was a clinic. It is hard to believe how healthy these fish are as they are fat and they fight like king salmon. There is shad all over the lake. Once we found them, we limited out quickly using Trinidad Tackle’s new Optimizer Junior spoon, and I really like this spoon as it runs perfectly at 2.5 mph. You don’t have to run this spoon fast like you do other heavy spoons. The best depth was around 50 feet, and we landed a king salmon at 70 feet. I called up my client, Dave Ramsey of Jamestown, to go out on Sunday morning, and we limited again by 9:30 a.m. The fish ate everything, but on Sunday, the ExCel spoons did the best.”

For bass, Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing reported a continued slow bite, and the abundance of shad out in open water may be the reason why the bass aren’t migrating to the banks. The lake dropped slightly to 70%.

Call: Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Kyle Wise – Head Hunter Guide Service – (209) 531- 3966; Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing - (559) 691-7008

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 3 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2

Lake Isabella is in the Sequoia National Forest, and it remains closed until further notice. This closure may be open as early as the next weekend, and information is available at fs.usda.gov/sequoia. The upper Kern River above the dam is in the national forest, it is also temporarily closed.

Cormier said Buena Vista has improved for both catfish and crappie at night while the local lakes are kicking out bluegill. The Kern River below the dam is accessible, and smallmouth bass and catfish are possibilities.

Call: Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield (661) 833-8657; North Fork Marina (760) 376-1812; Golden Trout Pack Station (559) 542-2816.

Lake Kaweah

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 3

Deep-diving crankbaits, over rocky structure or points in the lowered lake are producing bass while jigs or plastics on the drop-shot are another good option. Catfishing is best with cut baits or chicken livers in the evenings. The lake held at 6%.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company reported a fair bass bite with jigs or plastics over rocky point along with deep-diving crankbaits. The early morning and late afternoon hours are the most productive as the bite slows down considerably during the heat of the day. The lake dropped to 8%. The Tule River continues to be closed due to the SQR Complex Fire and the temporary closure of the national forests.

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

McClure Reservoir

Bass 3 Trout 2 King salmon 1 Kokanee 1 Crappie 2 Catfish 3

Cook said there’s an excellent spoon bite with flutter spoons over submerged wood, main lake points, or steep bluff walls. He said, “The bass have dropped about 20 feet in the water column to the 40- foot range, and we have been casting out the spoons and counting them down to 40 feet. The smoke has dissipated, and the topwater bite has slowed down considerably. Another thing that has taken place this week is that we are downsizing our plastics from 4- to 6-inch worms to 2.8-inch swimbaits, and this has made all of the difference. The shad are all over the place but they are small. 11-year old Anthony Viera of Atwater caught and released a 5-pound spotted bass with me this week while casting a River2Sea Swaver 168 off of a main lake point in 10 feet of water. There are still a few fish holding in the 20-foot range, but the majority have gone deeper.”

Trout fishing has been slow, but it will improve as the water continues to cool and the shad schools form. The lake dropped slightly to 44%. The Bagby Launch Ramp is out of the water and inaccessible.

Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Guide Service- (559) 691-7008

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 3

The recent trout plants from the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Calaveras Trout Farm have made this lake a viable option once again, and Figgs said, “Fresno-area trout trollers are heading north to McSwain to troll Needlefish for rainbows ranging from 15 to 19 inches.” Bank anglers are scoring from the normal locations of the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, and the peninsula by the Marina with trout dough bait or nightcrawlers. The lake levels remain high.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 3 Striped bass 1 Shad 2 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Figgs said, “There is an excellent bite for small spotted bass as the fish are offshore chasing schools of bait out into open water. Jerkbaits or hard walking topwater baits such as Super Spooks in Okie Shad are working in the open water. This lure has a translucent pink line the mimics the shad.”

The lake dropped from 34% to 31%. Beginning Oct. 1, park hours are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; starting Nov. 1 it’s 6 to 6 and beginning March 1 it’s 5 to 7.

Sycamore Island is open Friday through Sunday and state holidays from 6 am to 5:30 p.m. in October and November. Sarah Parkes, development director for the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, reported bass up to 6 pounds have been taken on topwater lures or soft plastics while catfish to 12 pounds have been landed from the banks in the river and the Old Muddy Point. Bluegill and crappie are fair at best.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service reported an excellent bass bite for largemouth bass to 4 pounds along with numerous spotted bass. The bass are holding at depths around 20 feet in water from 40 to 100 feet in depth, and a variety of techniques are working. Plastics on the drop-shot, topwater lures, spy baits, or jigs are all effective for numbers. A Glory Hole employee caught and released an 8-pound, 5-ounce largemouth bass on a Googan’s Bait’s Slim Shake Worm on a shaky head. Catfish to over 9 pounds have been landed on plastics on the drop-shot intended for bass, but the best bet for the whiskerfish remain chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. Holdover rainbow trout will improve in the coming month as the water starts to cool. The lake held at 64%.

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

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 1 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Figgs said, “There is an evening topwater bite as the smaller spotted bass are pushing shad into the banks on main lake points. The KVD Sexy Dog and Sexy Dog Jr. along with Super Spooks in Green Gizzard Shad are effective topwater lures. The larger grade of spotted bass is found on the bottom with plastics on a Ned-rig, and the bass are stuffed with shad. In the lower Kings, the flows are stable, and regular trout plants have contributed to good action for bank fishermen drifting Pautske’s Fire Bait or salmon eggs in the moving water.” Water releases have halted, and the lake held at 21%.

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

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

San Luis Reservoir and particularly the O’Neill Forebay continue to be hotspots for striped bass anglers from the San Jose and Central Valley as numbers of small linesides are consistent with the possibility for a trophy striper. The Forebay has been kicking out numbers of linesides with some larger fish in the mix while the big lake has been up and down for plug casters, bait fishermen and trollers.

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service in Fresno said, “The bite has been going from decent one day to tough the next for trollers and minnow drifters alike. The topwater boils have been hard to find, but the water levels remain fairly stable for now which I think is helping the bite as the water temperatures are in the 73-degree range with visibility around 3 feet in certain locations. The recent cooling trend is also probably having an effect. I decided to scout this last Tuesday for an upcoming trip and I was able to release over 15 school fish I picked up at around 60 feet in depth trolling Lucky Craft Pointers in shad patterns. I had a strike that I thought was a school fish — right before it began ripping off line. The 42-inch striper went right at 28 pounds on my Bricknell electronic scale. This was a hefty, healthy fish that I released quickly on the Seaqualizer at 60 feet. The last three trips I was lucky enough to get a 41-, 24- and now a 28-pounder. It’s been crazy — only one big bite each time. However, this streak of big fish came to an end on Thursday while fishing with Mike Padilla of Madera as we ended with about 17 school-sized stripers for the day. Most all the fish were suspended, and primarily inactive. Other anglers were telling me they did well early last week before slowing down again. The weekends have been crazy with at least 70-plus boats launching on both Saturday and Sunday . We’re also finding floating dead fish that anglers are catching deeper , then they’re letting them go without depressurizing their air bladder . Anglers need to get a hollow-needle Bends Mender air bladder release tool to let the fish go back down . Tackle warehouses have them.”

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Alex Tran of our shop was out drifting minnows on Sunday morning, and he said that the shad was scattered and the stripers were not as schooled up as in the past week. The warmer weather seems to be moving them into deep water, but after this current heat wave, we will be hitting optimal time for the big lake. We have been able to obtain a steady supply of jumbo minnows on a regular basis, and we will be ordering larger quantities as the weather cools down. A number of fishermen have been heading to the forebay, but the grass remains thick. Rat-L-Traps along with topwater lures such as River2Sea S Wavers are working for numbers of mostly undersized striped bass.”

Also from the Forebay, Figgs reported the Ima Flit in Sexy Shad along with Magnum Flukes in white ice or white pearl have been effective near the Power Lines, and a 42-inch striper was caught and released on a Duo Realis 130 in Neo Pearl by a Fresno-area angler.

Pumping from the south Delta continues, and the inflow is balanced with outflow as the big lake held at 48%.

Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954

High Sierra

Updated information on access is at fs.usda.gov/sierra.

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2

Access to the lake is limited by the order of the U.S. Forest Service which has limited vehicle traffic on all roads within the Sierra National Forest. The closure is temporary, and it will be evaluated regularly. A webcam of the lake is available at basslakeca.com. The lake dropped to 90%.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

Access to the lakes is limited by the order of the U.S. Forest Service which has limited vehicle traffic on all roads within the Sierra National Forest. The closure is temporary, and it will be evaluated regularly. Edison is at 29%, Florence is at 27% and Mammoth Pool is at 48%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

The Shaver Lake Marina reopened Tuesday. The best contact for the Shaver Lake area is Shaver Lake Sports at 842-2740. Access to Huntington Lakes is limited due to the temporary closure of the Sierra National Forest. Shaver held at 79% with Huntington rising slightly to 98%.

Call: Dick Nichols – Dick’s Fishing Charters at Shaver Lake Sports 841-2740; Todd Wittwer – Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435;

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 2

All access to both Wishon and Courtright is limited due to the temporary closure of the Sierra National Forest.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Salmon 2 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Sand Dabs 2 Surf Perch 2

After weeks of anticipation, the Coastside Net Pen salmon finally arrived in the Half Moon Bay harbor, and anglers are climbing ladders and lining up near the restroom building inside of the harbor for up to 20 salmon per evening. The anglers are shoulder-to-shoulder on top of ladders casting beads or pink worms on a long leader for the salmon. In addition to the salmon inside of the harbor, commercial salmon boats have landed as many as 17 salmon on Sunday before the action slowed down once again on Monday.

Captain Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete said, “Local trollers have been working out in front of the buoys in the evenings with some decent scores over the past few days, and the anglers lined up on the ladders continue to pick up salmon. The good thing is that they keep the area clean and generally have a party down there with food platters to be shared with each other. I will be taking coastal rockfish trips both days over the weekend, and limits of rockfish have been the rule, but the ling cod haven’t been on the snap yet. The guys targeting them are picking up a few, but it has been a challenge for most.”

Second captain Michael Cabanas of the Huli Cat has been focusing upon local rockfish south of the harbor off of San Gregorio at depths from 100 to 130 feet, and he said, “We have been scoring limits of rockfish every trip along with ling cod to 10 pounds with the best action for the lings on live bait rigs.”

The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing has been experiencing similar action with limits of rockfish on every trip but very few ling cod have been in the mix. However, they did bring home 5 limits of rockfish and 5 lings on Monday. The Ankeny Street is also posting limits, and they have found as many as 13 ling cod on a single trip working shallow water south of the harbor.

The New Captain Pete, Huli Cat, and Queen of Hearts will all be running the crab combination trips starting Saturday, November 7, and the New Captain Pete will also run a crab-only the day prior to Thanksgiving as well as Thanksgiving morning. Crab-only charters are available as well.

The sport crab opener is a major event along the San Mateo coastline, and reservations are highly advised well in advance since the campgrounds and local hotels will be jammed during the first two weeks of the season before the commercial crab season begins. The anticipated lack of overall biomass of crab compared to prior years will make fishing during the first two weeks important.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Salmon 1 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Sand Dabs 3 Surf Perch 3 Halibut 2

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing said, “The weather kept us from heading south to Point Sur over the weekend, but local rockfishing remains solid for limits on every trip along with a few ling cod. The weather will be cooperative at the start of the week, and we plan on heading south to Point Sur as often as possible. We are taking reservations for the opening of the Dungeness crab season on November 7th, and we are already filled on the opening weekend along with a few additional Saturdays. There is plenty of room during the weekdays. It is time to make your reservations.”

Allen Bushnell of the Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Fishing is still going strong on Monterey Bay. Halibut are still on the bite in favored areas. They continue to creep out to deeper water. Rockfish remain plentiful on the local reefs near Monterey and Santa Cruz, but the bigger boats are finding wild success “around the corner.” For Monterey that means the Big Sur area awhile the Santa Cruz boats find bigger fish and quicker limits to the north near Davenport or even as far as Franklin Point. We checked in this week with Santa Cruz Port Director Marian Olen. Harbor staff have performed exceptionally well operating under difficult COVID rules and restrictions. “Fall is the most beautiful weather time in Santa Cruz. We are still very busy. COVID-19 has changed how people recreate and exercise. We have observed a noticeable increase in the popularity of stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking as a result. While we appreciate and support the activity, it is important to ensure that boaters operating hand-paddled craft follow traffic guidelines when operating in the harbor. Stay to the right of the channel, keep moving and do not congregate in large groups. This is critical to ensuring boater safety and to avoid conflicts with sail and power vessels. Likewise, operators of sail and power vessels are advised to proceed with caution in the harbor and go slow in all areas of the coastline frequented by hand-powered craft. Pursuant to Santa Cruz Municipal Code, the area between Abbott Lighthouse at Steamer’s Lane and the tip of the west jetty is a designated 5-knot speed limit zone. Please be safe and respect others when out on the water.”

The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project suffered major damage to their hatchery near Davenport due to the CZU Lightning Fire Complex, and they will need assistance to rebuild this essential program for Coho salmon and steelhead in the watersheds of the Central Coast. Donations are accepted at the website - https://mbstp.org/ or through https://www.gofundme.com/f/coho-salmon-in-crisis-after-santa-cruz-fire.

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

San Francisco Bay

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

Salmon fishing remains a challenge with decent days followed by slow action. The New Rayann out of Berkeley was one of the only salmon boats out on Monday, and they went up the Marin coastline for near-limits at 22 salmon to 25 pounds for 12 anglers. This was one of the best scores in the past week.

Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters posted a fish per rod between Duxbury and Rocky Point trolling on this week, but the bite slowed to a single 26-pound salmon later in the week.

Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady switched over to rockfish this week after the salmon bite has slowed down considerably, and they have posted up to 16 limits along with a handful of ling cod. Rockfishing has been excellent, and the California Dawn out of Berkeley posted 19 limits of rockfish along with 19 limits of ling cod to 21 pounds on Monday, either at the Farallon Islands or up the coast towards Point Reyes.

The halibut bite continues inside of the bay with the California Dawn loading up with 26 halibut to 20 pounds on Thursday for 11 anglers while the Happy Hooker posted eight limits of both halibut and striped bass on Tuesday.

During the week, there was an excellent white sea bass bite in San Francisco Bay in central and south bay, and John Badger of Barbarian Sport Fishing posted three limits of big white sea bass early in the morning, but the bite slowed down the following day as several boats moved in on the spot.

The interest in white sea bass has increased, and Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco is the Bay Area’s white sea bass expert. He was out on a half-day afternoon trip on Thursday, and they land landed one white sea bass in addition to a few striped bass. He said, “We landed seven sea bass the other day, and the best action occurs when the tides are slowing down. I really haven’t figured these fish out yet, but I know that action has been far more consistent within the past three years inside San Francisco Bay.”

Ed Liu of Bay Tackle in El Cerrito reported solid action for both halibut and striped bass from the shorelines on the east side of the bay from Emeryville to Richmond with Z Man or KVD swimbaits in white, white trash, or salt/pepper. He said, “These baits are very similar and they will last for 20 or 30 fish. The only downside is that we haven’t found these swimbaits in sizes larger than 5 inches as they would be outstanding for ling cod in a darker color and larger size. The Marin side of the bay has been slower than the Alameda and Contra Costa side of the bay. The white sea bass have fishermen excited, and the best action seems to be near the barges by the Bay Bridge on the morning incoming tide.”

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing will be finishing up his shark adventures this weekend, and he will return to the Delta to target sturgeon starting October 1st.

There are sturgeon in San Pablo Bay as Dan Wulff of Manteca landed a 59.5 inch sturgeon on lamprey eel within the first 15 minutes of setting anchor. He used the technique of dragging a small anchor through the clam bed on the sand bar off of the main channel to stir up the mud.

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 0 Surf Perch 3

Rockfishing continues to be solid out of the San Luis Obispo County ports, but similar to ports from Avila Beach to Half Moon Bay, but the ling cod counts remain significantly reduced. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Avenger, Starfire, and Endeavor were out on Sunday with 65 anglers for 3/4th limits of rockfish consisting of 233 vermilion, 60 copper, 30 Boccaccio, 204 assorted, and 7 ling cod to 8 pounds. Daniel Ortiz of Hanford took one jackpot with an 8-pound Boccaccio off of Ragged Point. Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay had the Fiesta. Black Pearl, and Rita G out on Sunday with 59 anglers for 93 vermilion, 400 assorted rockfish, 1 sheephead, 2 petrale sole, 5 ocean whitefish, and 4 ling to 8.5 pounds. 14-year old Alex White of Clovis took the jackpot with an 8.5-pound ling while Mark Monroe of Bakerfield took another jackpot with a 5-pound ling. Out of Port San Luis and Patriot Sport Fishing, the Patriot, Flying Fish, and Phenix were out on Sunday with 51 passengers for near limits of rockfish consisting of 30 vermilion, 13 copper, 1 Boccaccio, 1 Bolina, 414 assorted rockfish, 2 ocean whitefish, and 2 ling cod to 7 pounds. All ports are running a variety of trips from ½- day to long range ventures far from the harbor.

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 3 Salmon 3

The river salmon action in the Sacramento-Delta was clearly on the rise before the latest, and perhaps, last heat event of the year arrived in northern California. Numbers of salmon are on the increase from Suisun Bay north to Freeport, and more and more chrome-bright salmon have been holding a bit longer in the Delta. Sturgeon fishing is also on the upswing, and the six-pack operators are making their transition to the Delta ports of Martinez and Pittsburg by October 1st.

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, was once again in the north Delta targeting the northern strain of largemouth bass, and he said, “We found a really good bite flipping the Yamamoto Cowboy, and our best five went 18 pounds. The Yamamoto Big Bass Challenge is this coming weekend, and it will be much different than in the springtime when 8-pound bass are the rule. In this case, a 2- or 3-pound bass may get a check on the multiple daily weigh ins. River salmon has really improved, but the bite should slow down again with this heat wave. Jay Lopes of Right Hook Sport Fishing has been scoring regularly with Kwikfish worked along the bottom. The salmon are hugging the bottom, and the Brad’s Cut Plug bite with the big dodger set up has been slower since it rises off of the bottom.”

Stacy Barawed of the popular YouTube Channel, ‘Stacy Goes Outside’ was out with guide Chris Ditter of Head Rush Guide Service, and she landed her first-ever limit of river salmon using Brad’s Killer Fish in Dragonfly in the Freeport area.”

In the Old Sacramento River, Sylvia Vieira of Vieira’s Riverside Bait said, “We have been filling up our parking lot with fishermen most days by 6:45 a.m., but the action has been spotty with only a few salmon reported out of the 40 boats launching on Saturday. There have been some smaller salmon in the mix in the 8/9-pound range.”

Dave Sharp of Marina Bait and Tackle in Suisun City said, “Ko-Ket’s Marina has been the top location for salmon trollers, and the best action has been in the early morning when the water temperatures range from 71 to 72 degrees before it ramps up to 75 later in the day. The best bite has been on the incoming tide, and I recommend that trollers work with the tide, not against the tide, and keep the line as short as possible while staying on the bottom. Those running the Brad’s Cut Plugs with the big Pro-Troll dodgers are using from 8 to 16 ounces to stay down, and letting out as little line as possible is the key. The tip of the rod is should be steadily bumping in an even cadence instead of big swings. There have been several salmon found floating on the surface from the metropolitan Sacramento area into the north Delta, and I think these are fish that have been hooked and lost. With the warm water, the salmon are dying quickly. This is also true for striped bass at this time of year. Sturgeon fishing has clearly picked up in Suisun Bay with one angler landing a keeper along with releasing a 67-inch sturgeon on fresh shad. We didn’t have ghost shrimp this week so I convinced him to try fresh shad since I have landed numerous sturgeon on shad.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors went north to Liberty Island on Thursday in the morning, and they landed a few striped bass to 25 inches on swim jigs. He said, “It was windy on the Delta, but the wind stopped for a bit before the predicted 20 mile per hour winds kicked in. The striped bass bite is not ‘lights out’, and it was far too choppy and windy for topwater lures. There is still a lot of floating grass up north with plenty of clumps here and there. We ended up with four keeper stripers before targeting the northern largemouth bass, and it didn’t matter which color swim jigs we used as white along with green pumpkin/bluegill were effective with the Reaction Innovation’s Skinny Dipper trailer. We also went through a number of smallmouth and spotted bass along the rocks in the Sacramento River, and there were some decent smallies in the 2/3-pound range. We tried to head down to Decker and Montezuma Slough in the afternoon, but the wind was bad, and the combination of the wind and the big tides muddied up the water.”

Rick Tietz of Blade Runner Spoons in Sacramento was also in Liberty Island on Satuday, and he said, “I had several big fish follow the River2Sea S Waver, but I couldn’t hook up so I headed over to Prospect Slough. Upon arrival, the whole surface started to boil, and I caught a few stripers with chatterbaits before switching over to my spoons for quality school-sized linesides.”

Dave Houston of Livermore was out with Allen Grossman and Clyde Wands on Thursday, and he said, “It’s the same story out there as it has been very difficult for trollers because on the grass on the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. There is less grass between tides, but without any water movement, that is usually not the best time to troll. Drifting live bait is working best right now, and we got pretty lucky today, landing nine keepers to 7 pounds along with a pair of shakers.”

In Suisun Bay, Pam Hayes of Benicia Bait and Tackle reported the numbers of salmon have yet to arrive, saying, “The anglers on 1st Street and the Dillon Point State Park are picking up a few salmon on a daily basis, but there haven’t been a big number days. Striped bass have been the most consistent species, and the lure tossers are picking up linesides along with those soaking grass shrimp, pile worms, or cut bait. Bullheads are in short supply so far this year. There haven’t been many sturgeon fishermen out there as of yet, but I know that they are coming.” Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported Ron Reisinger of Chico was out on Thursday, and he released three sturgeon on lamprey eel. He said, “It’s really windy out there today so he had to hide in the sloughs.”

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing will start his sturgeon season on October 1st with both Zach Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures and Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing arriving in Pittsburg by mid-October.

The City launch ramp at Rio Vista is closed until at least January 2021 due to reconstruction, and this has led boaters to surrounding launch ramps.

Triple-digit heat made another appearance on the San Joaquin-Delta over the weekend and at the start of this week, and the largemouth bass once again have to adjust to the changing weather conditions. The action had been improving for largemouth bass as the temperatures were becoming stable, but the heat may force the bass back into deep cover or the deepest water available near the shorelines. Striped bass remain elusive, particularly for keeper-sized linesides, and the best action remains on the western edge of the San Joaquin near Antioch. The next two weeks will host large bass tournament out of Russo’s Marina on Bethel Island with the Yamamoto Big Bass Challenge out of Russo’s Marina this coming weekend and the Best Bass Tournaments Tournament of Champions out of Russo’s the following weekend with 162 eligible participants. Harmful algae blooms have been present from Stockton westward towards the Antioch Bridge

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was on the Delta three times this past week, and he said, “We launched out of Ladd’s on Thursday, and we went through 50 striped bass with only 1 keeper. Most of the stripers were in the 12- to 15-inch range and most were taken on chartreuse/white Optima’s Bad Bubba Shad on a ½-ounce jig head. It was far too windy to make it further west. Bass fishing was slower on Thursday than it was on Wednesday, and the tides were terrible with only a 1.7-foot outgoing tide after a very weak incoming tide. We only got a few hours of the outgo, and there wasn’t enough water movement. The bass don’t chase with the lack of water movement, but there are 3-inch shad all over the San Joaquin. The key under these conditions is to keep the bait in the strike zone longer and be methodical. The ima Flit ripbait in shad pattern along with the Squarebill crankbait are working, and for plastics, the Bottom Hopper in June Bug on a Zappu head on a slow presentation has been best.”

The 10th annual Yamamoto Big Bass Challenge requires only Yamamoto baits to be used, and there are hourly weigh ins for cash prizes for big fish from 9:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

For striped bass, Larry Nelson of Oakland was out with guide Bob Wright out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley on Thursday, and they were drifting bluegill for limits of striped bass. Lauritzen’s launch ramp is closed, and only slip owners have access to their boats.

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors said, “Our Tournament of Champions was on Saturday and Sunday this past weekend, and the first day was outstanding with a 27.9-pound limit in first with a 26-pound limit in second. The big limits were taken on wakebaits and frogs. The heat has arrived, but the wind was blowing hard in the afternoons on both days out of the tournament. We shall see what Sunday brings.”

In the south Delta, H and R Bait in Stockton reported improved action for striped bass in the 20- to 22-inch range in the sloughs east of Stockton, but the best grade of lineside has been coming further west near the Antioch Bridge. The shop has been receiving a steady supply of fresh shad nearly every day, and especially on the weekends. Bluegill and red ear perch continue to bite red worms, jumbo red worms, mini-crawlers, or meal worms off of continues to receive a steady supply of fresh shad, and the months of Eight Mile Road, Bacon Island Road, or Whiskey Slough Road.

Algae blooms, normally common in the backwaters of Discover Bay and around Stockton, have been found in ‘significant concentrations’ as far west as Antioch.

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 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 3

Lake Nacimiento is sporting the best bass action of any of the coastal lakes as spotted bass to 4.5 pounds have been reported. There is a solid topwater bite in the early mornings along with a variety of reaction baits. The overcast conditions from the smoke have extended the window for topwater and reaction baits. By mid-morning, working the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot or Neko rig along with Senkos are most effective. Catfishing is best with mackerel coated with garlic scent while panfish are taken on red worms or mini-crawlers at depths to 25 feet. The lake dropped slightly to 26%. A webcam of the lake is available at http://www.lakenacimientolive.com/. At Lopez, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported an excellent bluegill bite with waxworms, meal worms, or minicrawlers. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. The bass bite at Santa Margarita continues to be very slow with the presence of an algae bloom. Catfish and panfish are the best option here with the bluegill and red ear perch taken on red worms or meal worms in shallow water. A few crappie are holding in the coves in deep water around structure with minijigs. Catfish over 10 pounds have been reported with the best fishing at night with mackerel or sardines scented with garlic. At San Antonio, a small grade of smallmouth bass is available on plastics, but the best action has been for panfish with meal worms, red worms, or minicrawlers. The catfish bite has slowed. The operating hours at San Antonio are from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekends only. The lake held at 17%.

Events

Tournament results

Delta – Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors Tournament of Champions - September 26/27th: 1st – Paul Polhemus/Tim Woltkamp – 49.65; 2nd: Mike Andrews/Phillip Dutra – 47.61; 3rd – Joey and Gary Skym – 39.35.

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

October 3/4th:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Yamamoto Big Bass Challenge

McClure – Kings River Bass Club

October 3rd:

Nacimiento – American Bass Association

October 4th:

Delta/Wimpy’s Marina – Central Valley Anglers Salmon Derby

October 10th/11th:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments Tournament of Champions

October 10th:

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Sonora Bass Anglers

Lake Pardee – Nor Cal Trout Challenge

McClure -Kerman Bass Club

Kaweah – Golden Empire Bass Club

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club

October 11th:

Eastman – Kings VIII Bass Club

Nacimiento – Good Ole Boys

October 17th/18th:

Delta/B and W Resort – Fresno Bass Club

Delta/Contra Costa County – Sierra Bass Club

Lake Camanche – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Don Pedro – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

October 17th:

Tulloch – Christian Bass League

McClure – 17/90 Bass Club

Kaweah – Visalia Bass Club

Success – Kern County Bassmasters

October 18th:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – East County Student Anglers

Delta/Contra Costa County – Delta Teen Team

Don Pedro – Nor Cal High School Bass/Gold Country Junior Bass

Success – Porterville Bass Club

October 24th/25th:

Delta/Pittsburg Marina – City of Pittsburg Fishing Derby

October 24th:

Camanche – Yak-A-Bass Team Open

Don Pedro – Angler’s Press

October 25th:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Hook, Line, and Sinker

Success- Porterville Bass Club

November 1st:

Don Pedro – Modesto Ambassadors

Trout plants

Week of Sept. 27 by California Department of Fish and Wildlife conditions permitting:

Fresno County: Kings River below Pine Flat Dam

Inyo County: Bishop Creek Lower, Lone Pine Creek, Owens River section 2, Pleasant Valley Reservoir