Fishing report, Jan. 27-Feb. 2: Trout bites on lower Kings, McClure among best bets

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a former Olympic-class decathlete at Fresno State (he still holds the school record). George guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake. Telephone numbers are in 559 calling area unless noted.

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Best bets

Delta sturgeon still feeding, Joey Gamez reported. McClure trout on tap, Dave Hurley said. Lower Kings River trout hitting, Jake Figgs said.

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 2

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported California Aqueduct anglers are opting for deep-diving gear to reach the bottom as the stripers have been holding deep in the water column. Lipless crankbaits such as Rat-L-Traps have been popular along with Keitech swimbaits on an underspin.

In the southern section of the aqueduct, the colder water has slowed down the striped bass bite, and the best action is found in the moving water with flukes or small swimbaits in shad-patterns.

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 2 Crappie 2

Jake Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported an overall tough bass bite, but there have been a few double-digit largemouth bass landed on big swimbaits such as Huddleston’s or Deps 250s in rainbow trout in response to the recent trout plants. The lake is extremely low at 8%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Despite last week’s trout plant, there have been few reports for this lake other than a few small crappie taken under lights in the evenings. The lake held at 17%.

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 2 Kokanee 1 King salmon 1 Crappie 2

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Guide Service reported not much has changed with the bass scattered at varying depths. He has been scoring with ½- to ¾-ounce G Money jigs, 3-inch swimbaits or 4-inch Strike King’s Dream Shots on a drop-shot rig, or a 5-inch Hula Grub on a jig head at depths from 30 to 60 feet along main lake points or in creek channels. There have been a few bass taken on spinnerbaits early or late, but the best action is on the bottom with a very slowly dragged plastic on a dead-stick presentation without shaking the bait. Trout trolling remains quiet, but the key to success remains locating the bait schools and running shad-patterned spoons through the schools. The lake held at 67%.

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 – 691-7008

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

The water is extremely cold at 48 to 54 degrees, and largemouth bass fishing has been slow with the best action coming on deep-diving crankbaits such as Norman DD 22s, KVD Deep Squarebill or Rapala DT 20 in crawdad pattern. Jigs are another possibility. Crappie and catfish bites are slow, but a few whiskerfish are taken on Triple S Dip Bait, mackerel, sardines, chicken livers or nightcrawlers. French Gulch Marina hosts the only launch ramp with the low lake level. A trout plant occurred last week, and the swimbait bass bite might take off. The lake held at 17%.

Buena Vista continues to be slow as the last plant occurred three weeks ago, but a few planted rainbows and Lightning Trout are taken on Power Bait or Mice Tails on a long leader on a sliding sinker rig.

The upper Kern River will be planted again this week, but the cold water has kept the planters lethargic. The best action is in the deep holes with salmon eggs, nightcrawlers or live crickets on split-shot rig.

Trout plants are scheduled at Brite Valley, River Walk and Ming this week.

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

Lake Kaweah

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Gary Wasson of the Xtreme Bass Club said, “The bass remain deep, and the best action is found with jigs, plastics, on the drop-shot or dart head at depths to 30 feet. A trout plant took place a few weeks ago, and shore anglers are trying for the planters with Kastmasters, Power Bait or nightcrawlers. The planted rainbows should get the big largemouth bass moving into the shallows.” The lake rose slightly to 8%.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Lake Success/Tule River

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Wasson said, “We held a 25-boat tournament over the weekend, and the best action remains deep with either spoons or jigs.” A trout plant occurred a few weeks ago, and the rainbows should bring the largemouth bass into the shallows. Shore anglers are trying for the planters with Power Bait, Kastmasters or nightcrawlers. The lake rose slightly to 10%.

The Sequoia National Forest has partially reopened, and information on the current closure and open areas is available at fs.usda.gov/sequoia.

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

McClure Reservoir

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

The bass bite continues to be very difficult with the bass scattered from the shallows to 75 feet. A slow presentation will bring all of the small, thin fish possible but locating any size is nearly impossible. The lake is full of planted rainbow trout, and trollers are finding easy limits within a short period of time running Speedy Shiners near the surface. Barrett’s Cove Marina is closed for the winter, and the Bagby, Horseshoe Bend and McClure Point North launch ramps are closed due to water levels. The lake held at 36%.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

Minimal change here as a trout plant has yet to occur or be reported. The campgrounds at both Lake McClure and McSwain are temporarily closed. Trout fishing remains very slow from banks at the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile and the peninsula by the Marina with various colors of trout dough bait, inflated nightcrawlers or silver/blue Kastmasters.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

The bass bite remains very tough with the best action in the river arm with 4.5-inch plastics in light shad, green pumpkin or watermelon seed on the drop-shot or dart head. The lake held at 33%. State park hours at Millerton through Feb. 28 are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A trout plant at Fresno Woodward Park is scheduled this week.

Sycamore Island will be open Fridays through Sundays and state holidays through Nov. 11. Seasonal hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. January, February, March, October and November; 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. April and September; and 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. May through August. Entry fees are $9 per vehicle and $5 per trailer. Annual passes are available for $85.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service has been finding an increasing number of the holdover rainbows rolling shad at 90 feet in depth. Both the recent planters and the occasional holdover are also found this deep. He is running the shad naked with his custom ball trolls on the outside lines. Tyler Tarapp of Glory Hole Sports reported planter rainbows are spread throughout the lake with Speedy Shiners, Apex lures, Rapalas or Kastmasters working from the surface to 30 feet. He added that crappie fishing is just beginning to pick up and should get better if we get some colder weather, and the best bet would be to jig up next to trees in a creek arm that has plenty of bait between 35 and 50 feet. The bass are holding deeper than usual, and the best action is found along long, tapering points from 40 to 70 feet with small spoons, shad-patterned plastics on the drop-shot, or heavier jigs. The Glory Hole and Tuttletown boat launches are open at the middle ramp, but the Angels Cove launch ramp is closed. The New Melones Lake Marina store is closed for the season including boat rentals. Bass tournaments have been placed on hold for the next few months. The lake dropped slightly to 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

Jake Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported bass fishing is best near Trimmer at depths from 40 to 60 feet with Hula Grubs in green pumpkin or tubes in brown/orange or green/orange. Crappie are taken near Deer Creek with Mr. Crappie Shadpoles in Glimmer Blue, maribou jigs or live minnows. The lake held at 22%. The lower Kings River continues to be excellent for planted rainbow trout with nightcrawlers, trout dough bait or Panther Martins, but a number of rainbows were released into the catch-and-release section. The harvest zone is between the dam and Alta (Cobbles) Weir, and between Alta Weir and Highway 180 is a catch-and-release zone with a zero limit. The lower Kings will be planted this week and next week. Avocado Lake is scheduled to be planted this week.

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 has been extremely quiet over the past month with sporadic striped bass action, but it appears that some of the larger linesides are deciding to show up on occasion.

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service specializes on finding the one big bite, and this week was no exception with two trophy stripers at 25.5 and 31 pounds caught and released this week. He said, “I was out Wednesday for over 20 school fish along with a 41-inch, 25.5-pound beauty that came at 60 feet on a silver/blue lure. I went back on Saturday with Larry Nunes of Gustine, and he got into a 44-inch, 31-pound striper after previously landing a 12-pound lineside. We hit it hard from dawn to dusk looking for the one big bite, and we got it. I think we hit the pre-frontal bite just about right, but the big storms this week should change the fishing patterns as well as raising the water level to a more normal capacity. The passing fronts have affected the action as it remains sporadic with the troll bite decent one day following by a shutdown on the following day. Most trollers are working over main lake points since the fish seem to be holding out there as Portuguese Cove hasn’t been as good as normal.”

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported a decent early topwater and ripbait bite from the banks within the first hour of light. The Sixth Sense topwater lure along with umbrella rigs have been effective, and he said, “The bite should improve with the cooler water. We have received a shipment of jumbo minnows in the shop, and the minnows remain very popular for those drifting in deeper water.”

In the O’Neill Forebay, Clements reported bait fishing is best near the Highway 33 Bridge with pile worms or blood worms for bank fishermen while boaters are congregating around the rockwall or the Twin Islands ripbaits, flukes or small swimbaits on an underspin for primarily undersized linesides.

At San Luis, there are three wind warning and lake closure lights near the Basalt Entrance Station, Quien Sabe Point, and the Romero Visitor Center. At the O’Neill Forebay, the lights are located near the old Medeiros boat ramp and above the South Beach Area. Amber lights signify caution conditions for winds or other concerns while red lights indicate the lake is closed to boating and all vessels must immediately vacate the lake.

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

High Sierra

Access to the region 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 has been extended for certain areas until Feb. 3. Updated information is available at fs.usda.gov/sierra.

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

Few bass fishermen have been targeting the lake with the lower water levels along with the enforcement of the Sheriff’s Motor Fee. Trout fishing has been decent for planters for those running blade/’crawler combination or Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger at depths from the surface to 20 feet. Bank fishing is best around the Sheriff’s Tower with nightcrawlers or trout dough bait for the occasional planter. The lake held at 48%.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

Edison is at 21%, Florence at 8% and Mammoth Pool at 35%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

Snow levels falling to 3,000 feet this week will shut off bank and boat action at this lake, but once the storms have passed, the planted brown, golden and rainbow trout will be available for trollers along with the upcoming plant of 1,800 to 2,000 trophy trout from the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project. The lake held at 73%. Launch conditions can be seen via webcam at sierramarina.com/camera.html.

Road access to Huntington Lake is limited. The lake dropped to 49%.

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

Road access is limited due to the snow level.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Striper 2 White sea bass 1 Crab 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat continues to run sand dab/crab trips, and they found 5 limits of crab along with 68 sand dabs to 12 inches on their last trip using Sabiki rigs in 240 feet of water for the dabs. Dungeness crab season lasts under June 30.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Striper 2 White sea bass 1 Crab 3 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching said, “The Checkmate went out over the weekend with 400 sand dabs and 39 crab on Saturday for 19 anglers while they took out 7 anglers for 100 sand dab and 37 crab on Sunday. We are running these trips depending upon the weather and interest.”

Allen Bushnell of the Santa Cruz Kayak and Surfcasting Guide Service, said, “We have received further reports of surfperch caught from the Rio Del Mar area as well as the broad beaches near Manresa. Glen Sales from Marina has been picking up the occasional big perch near Monterey for the past two weeks, even when the waves were at their largest. Sales loves to throw big lures, and is often rewarded with quality if not quantity. When conditions are rough and currents are heavy, only the larger stronger perch can tough out the surfline conditions in their constant search for food. It’s not a bad idea to go bigger, either with the stick bait type lures or perhaps use the GULP! six-inch worms rather than two-inch.

By Wednesday, harbor officials had closed the harbor entrance. A message was posted by the Santa Cruz Harbormaster’s Office that included, “Our area has experienced numerous large swell events in the last month and a half. Each swell event can deposit upwards of 23,000 cubic yards of sediment into the entrance, which is equivalent to filling an entire football field 10 feet high with sand. Despite the recent swell events, the dredge crew has been working diligently to address the influx of sand and maintain depth in the entrance. To stay ahead of the forecasted swell, the crew planned to extend their work schedule and dredge through this weekend, but plans were interrupted by an unforeseen equipment failure, which will require extensive repairs. The sandbar present across the harbor entrance is expected to worsen over the next week while repairs are being performed. Please be advised that the entrance is impassable. Mariners should not attempt to transit the entrance for their safety and the safety of their vessel. Please call the Santa Cruz Harbor office for the latest conditions at (831) 475-6161.”

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

San Francisco Bay

Halibut 2 Striper 2 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2 Crab 2

A few party boats in the Bay Area fleet will be running crab-only or crab/sand dab combination trips this winter, and these include the Pacific Pearl out of Emeryville.

Despite being the end of January, halibut have already been landed in the bay as third-generation Captain Jonathon Smith said, “We caught 5 halibut and 3 striped bass on Saturday morning using live bait above the Sisters. I still have some live anchovies in the tank. They started off sturgeon fishing but switched over to live bait after finding slow action for the diamondbacks.

In the South Bay, Laine’s Bait and Tackle in Alviso reported the weekends have been packed with boats near the Towers for both striped bass and sturgeon, and the limited amount of rain that arrived at the start of the month did make a difference in drawing down some sturgeon.

Ed Liu of Bay Tackle in El Cerrito reported the striped bass and sturgeon are holding up above San Pablo Bay in the Carquinez Straits and above, and some big stripers have been taken on swimbaits or live splittail. The majority of stripers on the bay side of the Carquinez are less than 16 inches as the big fish have moved upriver. He said, “We had herring spawns at Sausalito, Tiburon, and Paradise, and I anticipate that they will circle the bay and head down to South San Francisco before moving over to our side of the bay at Richmond during the next full moon. The end of January into February is usually when we have our big spawns in Richmond. We are waiting for the second wave, and the second wave brings larger herring in the 6 to 7-inch range. In late February and the beginning of March, the herring will run from 8 to 10 inches.”

Reminder: White sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area between Jan. 1 and March 15: That portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita.

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

San Luis Obispo

Surf perch 3

The ports of Port San Luis and Morro Bay will be running nature trips and whale watching until the April 1 rockfish opener. The other action is surf perch from the piers and the beaches.

Call: Virg’s Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing 805-595-7200

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 2 Striper 2 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

For the first time this winter, heavy rains will arrive in northern California this week, and it is not too soon or enough for the parched Sacramento River watershed. The inflow from the rain should bring the river level up, and finally convince the sturgeon to move out of their very comfortable residence in Suisun Bay. The diamondbacks have been kegged up in the deep water outside of Pittsburg for months with the lack of precipitation, but the fresh water inflow combined with the herring spawns in San Pablo and San Francisco Bay may provide incentive to move westward while fresh water inflow should increase their desire to move up into the upper river.

Reminder: Sturgeon Report Cards for 2020 are due to the Department of Fish and Wildlife by Jan. 31, and they can be filled in online at ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/LicenseNeedsHarvestReporting.

But as of press time, the sturgeon remain firmly entrenched in Suisun Bay, and local private boats and six-pack operators are competing in crowded waters. The Foundation Sportsmen’s Club Original Sturgeon Derby, aka Super Bowl Derby, will be held as usual out of McAvoy’s Boat Harbor in Bay Point on the weekend of Feb. 7-8, and with the high interest so far this season, the event may harken back to the “good old days” of over 900 participants. The tournament is now in its 37th year with funds raised from the derby used for scholarships and other charitable causes. All signups are at McAvoy’s Harbor at the Foundation Sportsman’s Club with a fee of $40/participant. Entire boats must be entered on one entry form available at originalsturgeonderby.org.

The six pack operators continue to work the waters from Pittsburg into the Little and Big Cuts, and Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburgh put his clients onto a 58.75-inch slot limit on Saturday morning along with releasing an undersized fish. He said, “We started off around Pittsburgh, but the bite was slow so we moved to the Little Cut and got bit right off of the bat. All of the action was on the incoming tide on salmon roe or eel, and there were plenty of missed bites as well. On our boat, we don’t set the hook for fishermen as this is one of the most difficult skills to acquire when it comes to sturgeon fishing. As a result, there are a number of missed opportunities on most trips.”

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing normally would be working hard to direct the Diamond Classic Catch and Release Sturgeon Derby at this time of year, but with the pandemic, the event has been postponed to January 2022. They continue to find good sturgeon action out of Pittsburg with a variety of baits, and he might move westward to his normal harbor in Martinez when the sturgeon start to migrate.

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing continues to put on a clinic out of Pittsburg with early limits on Thursday morning within one hour/forty-five minutes to go with two shakers and two oversized released working the deep water outside of the harbor. On Sunday, he had professional bass angler, Ishama Monroe along with Ocsanna Seropyan onto legal sturgeon.

Captain Zach Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures was also out with MMA legendary fighter, Clay, ‘The Carpenter’ Guida along with a hunting group from Texas on Sunday for one oversized, four slot-limit sturgeon, and an undersized diamondback released on salmon roe. He said, “Co-captain Virginia Salvador is putting together a story on this trip with great photos and clients of note.”

With the majority of sturgeon holding in one general location, boating etiquette has been either lacking or non-existent with boats anchoring up within casting distance of each other. When a six-pack pulls anchor to move, dozens of boats will also pull anchor to follow them to their new location. The anchoring on top of each other has led to unnecessary frustration and conflict amongst fishermen.

In the north Delta, Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport said, “The Sacramento River is low and clear right now, but it should be muddy this next week. A few striped bass have been coming out of the Sacramento Deep Water Channel on jumbo minnows, but the action has been slow overall as we are waiting for rain. Crappie are still found in the sloughs with medium minnows or wax worms with bluegill and red ear perch also in the slough with red worms or wax worms on a drop-shot rig as they have dropped deep.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors said, “The Delta has been good for quality northern largemouth bass to 6.5 pounds, and out of the 15 largemouths we landed on a trip this week, 12 of them were over 3 pounds. We are already seeing bedding fish in the shallows of Frank’s Tract and in the dead-end sloughs as the bucks are on beds and the females are cruising. Normally we will have a spawn in February, but we are unable to see the beds since the water was stained. The water is crystal clear right now with the temperature at 54 and 56 degrees. The custom swimjigs are still working, but you have to drag them slowly through the weeds. The stripers are also eating the same bait, but when they strike it, they really take off.”

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait said, “We are hearing good reports of sturgeon from the Mothball Fleet along with small stripers from the shorelines. Grass shrimp has been in good abundance, and the quality of the shrimp is solid.”

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Manteca continues to tout eel/pile worm or eel/nightcrawler combinations, saying, “In the cold water, it is important to put out both scent and movement, and I showed a customer how to rig up the combination this week, and he landed a sturgeon near Sherman Island on the main river. Most of our fishermen are avoiding the San Joaquin and are fishing between Rio Vista and Sherman Island.”

The first Delta bass tournament of the season brought out surprisingly large weights for the top boats despite the cold and clear waters of the San Joaquin-Delta. The best striped bass and crappie fishing remains in the warmest waters of the far southern Delta near Discovery Bay.

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors held his first team tournament out of Holland Riverside Marina in the south Delta on Saturday, and he said, “We had some solid weights with the winning team coming through with 23.85 pounds with a big fish at 7.96. The weights dropped after the big winning weight, but everyone caught bass which was impressive for the end of January in post-frontal conditions. Crankbaits and jigs seemed to be the top baits, and once the river comes up and gets dirty, watch out for a vastly improved bite. Our next tournament at the marina is on Feb. 20, and the Riverside Marina is going all out to support us by putting in bunk tanks and providing a great location for an event.”

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “The bass were moving up with the warm weather, but with this cold front coming through this week, it will be a roller-coaster out there. One day, the bite will be on followed by very slow action. It all depends on the timeline when the bass are acclimated to the weather changes, and each fisherman will give a different story as is typical for this time of year. The important key is to fish very slow, and you have to be willing to adjust to the conditions that the river provides. Scent and a slow presentation are ways to increase your action at this time of year.”

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait in Tackle reported very slow fishing in the San Joaquin River near the mouth of the Stanislaus with most anglers heading either to Rio Vista or Discovery Bay for striped bass. He said, “Drifting live jumbo minnows has been good for stripers in Discovery Bay. We haven’t been able to get any fresh shad this past week, but I have frozen and vacuumed-sealing shad in the shop along with at least 20 dozen of jumbo minnows at all times.”

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “I have been getting reports of trolling, that’s right, trolling for stripers from the mouth of the Mokelumne upriver towards the Highway 12 Bridge at the B and W Resort as well as in the main San Joaquin near the San Andreas Shoals. I don’t know if this week’s storms will muddy up the water as the ground is so dry that it will absorb the majority of precipitation. If the river muddies, the troll bite will slow down. Crappie are still coming out of Discovery Bay on minijigs or medium minnows.”

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, said, “Striped bass fishing has been slow in the San Joaquin, but watch out within the next two weeks with all of the rain coming our way.”

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 2 White bass 2 Striper 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2

At Nacimiento, cold water temperatures in the mid-50s has slowed down the spotted bass bite, particularly in the mornings, and the best action comes on the bottom at depths to 30 feet with plastic worms or smaller grubs on a Ned-rig, drop-shot, or smaller grubs. The best bite has been the warmer afternoons. The lake dropped slightly to 21%. A webcam of the lake is available at lakenacimientolive.com.

At Lopez, bass fishing has been fair with the best action coming at depths from 20 to 30 with plastics on the drop-shot, Texas-rig, shakey head, and Ned rigs along with jigs for largemouth bass to 3 pounds. A few larger bass are found on deep-diving crankbaits in crawdad patterns near rocky structure. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam.

At Santa Margarita, cold water temperatures in the high 40s/low 50s has slowed the bass bite, but a few largemouth are taken on jigs on a football head, plastics on the drop-shot or Texas-rig, or crankbaits worked slowly along the bottom.

At San Antonio, there is no change from the past weeks as few anglers are targeting the lake. Catfish remain the best opportunity for success with cut baits soaked in garlic in deep water. The Harris Creek ramp has new launching hours on Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The lake held at 16%.

Reminder: consuming white bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, or carp are subject to safe eating guidelines due to excessive mercury.

Events

Tournament results

Pine Flat – Bass 101 Jan. 17: 1st – Mark Corrente – 8.72 pounds (Big Fish – 3.26); 2nd – David Coy – 7.55; 3rd – Wayne Arnold – 7.33.

Delta/Riverside New Holland Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors Jan. 23: 1st – Mike Andrews/Phillip Dutra – 23.85 pounds (Big Fish – 7.96); 2nd – Dan and Vince Fonte – 15.37; 3rd – Harvey Pulliam/Jamond Andrews – 14.50.

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League Jan. 23: 1st – Keith Friesen/Kirk Sakamoto – 12.88 pounds (Big Fish – 3.12); 2nd – Sergio and Nathan Molina – 12.28; 3rd – Angelo Queirolo/AJ Azevedo – 12.10.

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

Jan. 30

New Hogan – El Dorado Bass Club

McClure - Merced Bass Club

Nacimiento – Golden Empire Bass Club

Jan. 31

New Hogan – Gold Country Jr. Bass Club

McClure – California Bass Federation

Feb. 6

Camanche – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Tulloch – American Bass Association

Don Pedro – Sonora Bass Anglers

McClure – Best Bass Tournaments/Kerman Bass Club

Eastman – Slay Nation Tournament

Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Feb. 7

Delta/Russo’s Marina – American Bass Association

McClure – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Pine Flat – Bass 101

Feb. 13

McClure – Best Bass Tournaments/Kings VIII Bass Club

Pine Flat – Bakersfield Bass Club

Nacimiento – American Bass Association/San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

Feb. 14

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

Feb. 20

Delta/New Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

McClure – Angler’s Press

Pine Flat – Sierra Bass Club/Kerman Bass Club/Kern County Bass Masters

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments

Feb. 21

Camanche – Modesto Ambassadors

McClure - Nor Cal High School Bass/Kings River Bass Club

Nacimiento – American Bass Association

Feb. 27-28

Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Feb. 27

Don Pedro – Merced Bass Club

Pine Flat – Gold Empire Bass Club

Success – Xtreme Bass Club

Feb. 28

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Gold County Bass Tours

Don Pedro – Gold County Bass Tours

Nacimiento – Fresno Bass Club