Fishing report, March 17-23: Fishing with kids; Shaver Lake mixed limits 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 stripers, sturgeon and bass bites active, Steve Mitchell reported. McClure bass action consistent, Gary Wasson said. New Melones trout busting out, Kyle Wise reported. Bass lake producing limits of planters, Dave Hurley said. San Francisco halibut and stripers going, Trent Slate reported. Shaver kicking out mixed limits, Dick Nichols said.

Roger’s remarks: Kids do the darnedest things on fishing trips

Guiding trips with kids on board has given me some of my most memorable experiences. Here are two.

Some years ago I got a call from a grandpa who wanted to do a trip with his son and a grandson turning 6. I was unsure about taking out such a young child and still had doubts as the boy stepped into the boat. He looked very young — and small, but he seemed confident. My first surprise was coming.

He began checking out my boat very carefully, then casually turned to me and pointedly asked in an adult manner, “So, is your sonar unit a Lowrance, and does it have a sidefinding option?” What! OMG! Grandpa was behind him trying not to laugh. I found out he could also read fish on sonar! It got better.

So I’m back on the downriggers with two lines out when I get the first hit. I grab the 9-foot pole wondering who to hand it to when a little pair of hands reaches up and grabs it forcefully out of my hands. The boy proclaims, ”I got this!” and starts reeling. My second OMG!

In another situation, a dad called about a trip for him and his 14-year-old son. The dad and mom were both desperately concerned about their son who had been withdrawing from them for over a year. Maybe a fishing trip would help, they had tried everything else.

The day of the trip, the boy was totally hooked into his cellphone, headphones and social media. He would reel in a fish, then withdraw in the back of the boat, refocusing on his phone.

Dad was beside himself. Around afternoon, out of the blue, I got a hunch. I quietly asked the dad if he would mind if I tried it out. He agreed.

I stopped the boat. I gently but firmly explained to the boy that his dad had gotten this special trip for him, and that I was working as hard as I could to catch fish. Could he ditch the phone and headphones for the next few hours giving me his full attention? His eyes lit up, and he actually put his phone away. I showed the boy how to run the downrigger controls and set out the lures. Suddenly he was all-in.

We took a trolling run with him running the ‘riggers, and a minute later we caught a fish. The kid became supercharged.. “Let’s do it again, except I want to do everything this time!” On the next run, he caught his first “All me!” striper.

As we finished up, the boy was excited, animated and wanting to know how well he had done. I fed him. Dad was trying to stay composed, as his son hugged him for the first time in months. Wow.

I got a call a day later from the ecstatic parents telling me they couldn’t believe they finally had their “old son” back again. “How did you know to do that?” they asked. “I didn’t,” I confessed, “but I’m pretty sure someone else did!” Yep, never give up.

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 2

The northern section of the California Aqueduct remains secondary to the O’Neill Forebay for area striped bass anglers, but the water releases continue to increase out of the main San Luis Reservoir. The increased flows will push the bait fish into the head gates, and the striped bass will ambush the bait fish.

In the southern section of the aqueduct in Kern County, small soft plastic swimbaits, weedless jerkbaits and large plastics on the dart head are working for striped bass. As the flows increase and the water temperature warms, the bite will turn on within the coming weeks. Blood worms, cut baits or Triple S Dip Bait are working for catfish near moving water.

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

The bass bite continues to be very tough for most, but there was a report of bank fishing with Zoom’s Z-Drop Worms in Green Weenie for largemouths to 2.5 pounds. The lake is basically a mud puddle at 10%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Jake Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported a shallow bass bite on a slow presentation with Texas-rigged Senkos or creature baits such as a Chigger Craw, also on a Texas-rig. Last week’s trout plant might stir up the big swimbait bite. Catfishing is best near the dam with chicken livers or anchovies. Crappie are found in the submerged trees with small minnows or minijigs. The lake rose slightly to 21%.

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 2 Crappie 2

Winning weights for tournaments remain consistent as the Best Bass Tournaments held a 116-boat Mother Lode event on Saturday with a 14-pound limit and 3.48-pound big fish. They followed this up with a 63-boat Central event on Sunday for a 14.19-pound limit with a big fish at 3.29 pounds. Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing advised working main lake cuts with jigs or Neko rigs in the shallows or plastics on the drop-shot on secondary points at 30 feet. He said, “I have been using a ½-ounce G-Money jig with a Yamamoto Twin Tail trailer, a 6-inch shad-patterned worm on the drop-shot or a 5-inch cinnamon/purple plastic on a 3/16th nail weight.” Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “Mike Brown of Oakdale caught a 4-pound, 23-inch king salmon on one of my custom spoons at 35 feet. I think this is going to be a great season for kings as this was a very big fish for early in the season.” The lake held at 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 - 691-7008

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

The wind and cold have been a factor for numbers of largemouth bass, but there has been the occasional larger fish taken on jigs, large plastics, or creature baits. Catfishing is best with frozen shad, Triple S Dip Bait, chicken livers, nightcrawlers and jumbo minnows. French Gulch Marina hosts the only launch ramp with the low lake level. The lake held at 17%.

The annual Lake Isabella Kern Valley Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby will take a different format this year, and it will be held from April 24 through Sept. 6. A total of 500 tagged trout valued from $20 to $500, and the organizers are designed a virtual format for the event. Information is available at kernrivervalley.com/2020-isabella-lake-fishing-derby.

The last plant at Buena Vista took place a few weeks ago, and trout action is limited to the occasional planted rainbow or Lightning trout on Power Bait or Mice Tails on a sliding sinker rig with a long leader. Trout plants at Ming last week and at the River Walk this coming week have increased interest in fishing the local lakes with Power Bait, Mice Tails or nightcrawlers. The upper Kern River is scheduled for multiple trout plants the next two weeks, and the 20-Mile section has been solid for fly fishermen tossing Blue Wing Olives or stone flies. Spin casters are finding up to limits of planters with Power Bait, Power Eggs, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers or live crickets.

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, president of the Xtreme Bass Club, said, “It is a tough bass bite with the best action on jigs or plastics on the drop-shot.” The bass should be moving into the shallows despite the water levels increasing slightly. A trout plant is scheduled for next week, and this might get the big bait bite going. The lake held at 13%. Mooney Grove south of Visalia is scheduled for a trout plant next week.

Lake Success/Tule River

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Wasson said, “The lake can be good one day followed by a skunk the next day. Jigs and Senkos are your best bet.” Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company said, “The bass bite remains tough, and the changing weather from warm to cold hasn’t been helpful, either. Fishermen as still working deep water with jigs or plastics on the drop-shot. A trout plant is scheduled for next week, and this will help with anglers searching for big bass with swimbaits.” The lake rose slightly to 16%.

On the Tule, Stokke said, “The river is still tough on the trout bite as with the recent snows, the dry fly bite has shut off.”

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

After last week’s huge limit at 27.74 pounds with big fish at 12.19 pounds, the lake returned to normal with an 11.22-pound winning limit with a big fish at 5.87 pounds by the team of Orlando and Diego Lopez during Saturday’s Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments. However, there are big fish for the taking: Wasson had worked a bed for several hours before he decided not to weigh in and remain on the bed. He finally caught and released the big fish at 9.02 pounds after the weigh-in was complete. The most consistent action remains on finesse techniques, but a properly presented swimbait will produce a trophy largemouth. Barrett’s Cove Marina will open within the month, and the Bagby, Horseshoe Bend and McClure Point North launch ramps are closed due to water levels. The lake held at 38%.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

Trout plants have occurred at the lake over the past few weeks, and additional plants from the Moccasin Hatchery are upcoming. Trout fishing is best in the morning and evening hours from the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks and the peninsula near the marina with various colors of trout dough bait or inflated nightcrawlers. Trollers are working up the river arm or out in front of the Brush Pile with blade/’crawler combinations, red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger or silver/blue Kastmasters from the surface to 20 feet.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Figgs said, “Bass fishing remains challenging with the bite slowing after the recent rains. There has been a reaction bite with spinnerbaits or chatterbaits in chartreuse as the bass are moving up into the shallows. The largemouth bass have been scarce as mostly spotted bass are being landed. The Yamamoto Zako swimbait or the RaZor Shad by Z-Man are working for shallow fish while the deep fish are taking on shad-patterned plastics such as Merritt Gilbert’s custom Casper on the drop-shot.” The lake held at 33%.

A trout plant is scheduled for Sycamore Park Pond this week.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

Trout trolling is back as Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service put in multiple limits to 3.5 pounds on Sunday trolling Speedy Shiners from the surface to 30 feet in open water. He said, “The trout were on the plankton, and every time we ran across plankton, we had a double or a triple on. The majority of the rainbows were in the 15- to 17-inch range.” Mike Madrid of Valley Springs caught and released an 8-pound rainbow on an umbrella rig while targeting bass. Ryan Cook reported the best bass action remains on offshore humps with plastics on the drop-shot, jigs or Neko rigs with a few in the creek channels or on the spawning flats. He said, “The bass are ready to go.” 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 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 1 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

There are still a few anglers tossing the big swimbaits for limited success in the main lake, but the majority of boats are heading upriver near Windy Gap or above with finesse techniques working best. Fishermen are graphing plenty of fish, but they have been finicky eaters as they are starting to stage up in the shallows. For trout, planters are taken by trollers pulling shad-patterned Apex lures or Needlefish such as Cop Car or silver/chrome at depths from 40 to 45 feet. A trout plant is scheduled for this week. Crappie are showing up around the Deer Creek docks at night under drop lights and also around the submerged trees near Trimmer with Bobby Garland’s Shad Slayers in bright colors such as Electric Chicken or Strike King’s Mr. Crappie Jokers, Thunders, or Shadpoles. The lake rose slightly to 25%.

The lower Kings River is scheduled to be planted both in the lower river and at Avocado Lake for the next two weeks. Planters are found on nightcrawlers, trout dough bait or Panther Martins where the fast water transitions into slower current. 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.

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

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said, “Recent rain, cold and windy conditions turned off the bite during the last week. I fished with guests during a calm window on Friday, right after the cold front on Thursday -and I had to work hard to catch seven stripers to 23 inches trolling standard choice lures. The fish were very inactive and seemed to be in clumps from 40 to 75 feet, and they were not feeding, even when you found them. I spoke with five other boats of experienced anglers with some soaking minnows, others using bait, trolling, or casting the banks. and the consensus was that the fish were turned off. Most anglers were catching from zero to three fish in the tough bite. The lake was closed due to wind again on Saturday. The water has fallen 2 feet in the past two weeks although water temperatures are in the 55-degree range.” Mickey Clements at Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “The troll bite has really slowed down, and most boaters are drifting jumbo minnows. The Basalt area near the launch ramp by the dam along with Goosehead Point are the top bank areas for those soaking cut baits, frozen shad, or pile worms. Portuguese Cove and Dinosaur Point have been less popular from the banks.” The lake dropped to 56% with water releases.

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 March 19. Updated information is available at fs.usda.gov/sierra.

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

Bass fishing is best with ripbaits while trout trollers are finding up to limits of planters with Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger or a blade/’crawler combination from the surface to 20 feet. The Sheriff’s Motor Fee remains in effect. The lake rose slightly to 55%, but launching a large boat at the public dock remains a challenge.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

Edison held at 20%, Florence rose slightly to 11%, and Mammoth Pool rose slightly to 43%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 3 Trout 3

After several weeks of inactivity due to weather, Shaver Lake is back in play for trollers and bank fishermen. The limiting factor has been the ability to launch with the snowy conditions, but with the recent weather conditions, boaters have been able to get back out there.

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters will start his season on May 15, and he said, “With good weather, Shaver Lake provided a good bite this week with a two-limit average the norm. Jake Hower and his dad, Brian, of Fresno found good action bringing a couple limits to the boat fishing from 20 to 40 feet deep. Jay Irvine and his son, Colton, of Visalia fished midday on Saturday, and they picked up two limits of mixed fish. They were targeting the Point, the island and Dorabella areas with most fish caught on Paulina Peak spinners behind Dick’s Mountain Dodgers at a setback of 145 feet. Shaver regular Jared Romero of Clovis took his mom, Kim, out for a Saturday fishing trip and picked up two limits of kokanee along with a 22-inch, 4.2-pound brown, and a rainbow, keeping the kokanee and releasing both trout. They fished the Point and Rock Heaven Cove with Rocky Mountain Tackle hoochies behind a Mag Tackle Dodger at 22 to 40 feet.” John Parker from Visalia limited out with five kokanee from 12.5 to 14 inches running trolling from the Point to the island with the same gear as last week’s report - micro-hoochies in orange or pink behind a Moon Jelly Teardrop dodger with orange or Pink UV. The lake held at 74%.

Jake Figgs of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported good bank action near the dam with trout dough bait or nightcrawlers.

Trophy trout plants from the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project will be occurring within the coming spring months, and they will join the growing population of brown and golden trout along with planted rainbows from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Launch conditions available at sierramarina.com/camera.html.

Sections of Huntington Lake near the dam have a coating of ice, but the thickness of the ice has not been verified. The lake held at 41%.

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

The McKinley Grove Road is closed at Dinkey Creek, ending access to the two lakes on the upper Kings River watershed.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Striper 2 Crab 2 Sand dabs 2 Surf perch 3

The party boats out of Monterey are finishing up the final touches for maintenance in preparation for the upcoming rockfish season on April 1. Since the salmon season will open below Pigeon Point on April 3, party boats out of Half Moon Bay will be able to make the run 18 miles south in order to troll for salmon. The New Captain Pete, Huli Cat, and the Queen of Hearts are all on board to make the run if there is enough interest.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Striper 2 Crab 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

The area below Pigeon Point to the California coastline was a clear winner in the salmon alternative lottery as in all cases, the season will start on April 3 and run into sometime in August to be determined. There was minimal impact on the winter-run salmon within this part of the coast, and as a result, the fishery is allowed to open earlier.

Out of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching, the Check Mate went out on Saturday with 16 anglers for 400 sand dabs, 17 Dungeness crab, and a single petrale sole. The Caroline also put in 400 sand dabs and 30 crab for 16 anglers. On Sunday, the Caroline was back out with 19 anglers for 665 sand dabs and a vastly improved Dungeness count at 65 crustaceans.

Rockfish season opens on April 1, and Chris’s is taking reservations for the opening week.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Everyone is looking forward to season openers, just a couple weeks away. Rockfish season will open on April 1, 2021. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced multiple changes to the recreational groundfish regulations that will take effect in the 2021 season. According to the CDFW, these changes include, “elimination of sub-bag limits for black rockfish, canary rockfish and cabezon within the 10-fish Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) complex daily bag limit,” as well as “a new sub-bag limit of five vermilion rockfish within the 10-fish RCG complex daily bag limit.” Salmon season is set for April 3 with the final regulations are still to be determined. CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Caroline McKnight explained some of the reasoning behind these changes, saying “The good news for 2021 is groundfish populations are rebounding. Of the eight stocks that were declared overfished in the early 2000s, all but one, yelloweye rockfish, has been declared rebuilt today.” McKnight seems to indicate the CDFW is, essentially, playing it safe with the new bag sub-limit for vermilion. “The implementation of a new five-fish sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish within the 10-fish RCG complex daily bag limit may come as a surprise to some anglers. Recreational catch of vermilion rockfish has increased significantly in recent years, but stock status information is dated. While a new stock assessment for vermilion rockfish is planned for 2021, the results won’t be available for use in management until 2023. In the interim, the new five-fish vermilion rockfish sub-bag limit has been implemented as a precautionary measure to slow catches.” On a final note, she added, “Take and possession of bronzespotted rockfish, cowcod and yelloweye rockfish remain prohibited statewide.”The Marine Protected Areas that limit or prohibit fishing in certain locations have been a source of frustration and confusion for many anglers since their inception. Boundaries for these areas typically are straight lines from GPS points with few, if any visual markers on the ocean surface. This year, the CDFW is implementing an interactive map for anglers that can utilize cellphone GPS to determine if the area we are in is part of the MPA network. The map is also able to provide fishing regulations info for that particular spot. While introducing the OceanSportfishMap, the DFW explains, “This interactive website (application) is designed with a focus on mobile phone use; it will also run (with limitations) on a variety of other platforms such as desktop computers. This application organizes the rules and regulations for many different target species and management areas, with map views that help anglers search for the specific authoritative information needed to legally target and take species of interest at different locations.”

Along the beaches, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle said, “There have been some striped bass showing up along the Watsonville side of the bay along with perch, but the best perch action remains closer to Santa Cruz from Manresa to Rio Del Mar with 2-inch Lucky 13 grubs in motor oil/red or Surf Candy.”

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

San Francisco Bay

Halibut 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 2

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PMFC) released the 2021 Management Alternatives for Public Review on March 11, and significant restrictions will be implemented in both the recreational and commercial ocean salmon seasons. The recreational season above Pigeon Point will not start until June 28 at the earliest, eliminating the months of April, May, and most of June – nearly 40% of the season. The commercial fleet will be even more significantly impacted with close to 2/3rds of the season eliminated. After the commercial Dungeness crab season was closed until Dec. 23, many commercial boats are on the verge of extinction, similar to the species they are chasing.

The primary responsibility of the PMFC is for the conservation of the species with the harvest being secondary, and there is legitimate concern for the future of the fishery based upon the returns over the last several years.

Mike Conroy, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) and Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA) board member who said, “There is a missing piece in all of this, and the conveyor belt is broken,” referring to the Sacramento and Klamath River systems.

John McManus, GSSA president, said, “Although it won’t help for this season, we are calling upon the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to move SF Bay hatchery releases west from the current release sites near Vallejo to sites closer to the Golden Gate Bridge. This could increase survival of existing hatchery salmon by 200 to 300%. The CDFW is fully aware they can double survival of hatchery salmon by simply moving the current release points near Vallejo a few miles west. The vast majority of the salmon caught in the ocean in 2020 were reared in hatcheries which can keep water temperatures under 56 degrees, the lethal threshold. The eggs of naturally spawning salmon are wiped out when reservoir releases are cut back and rivers shrink or when the cold water needed to keep salmon alive is diverted for agriculture.”

According to the GSSA, California’s salmon industry is valued at $1.4 billion in economic activity and 23,000 jobs annually in a normal season and about half that much in economic activity and jobs again in Oregon.

Recreational and commercial fishermen have an opportunity to comment on the PFMC’s season proposals at that meeting or at a virtual public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23. Details on how to attend the PFMC meeting, public hearing, and ways to provide public comment can be found on the PFMC website at www.pcouncil.org. For further information about the hearings, please contact Robin Ehlke at toll free – 1-866-806-7204.

Inside the bay, Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters is out of Loch Lomond Marina had a banner day on Friday in San Pablo Bay with 7 halibut to 16 pounds drifting frozen herring or smelt. Captain James Smith of the California Dawn followed Slate’s lead on Saturday with his first trip, and they returned with an impressive score of 18 halibut to 15 pounds and 12 bass for 15 people trolling anchovies near Point Pinole. Captain Erik Anfinson of the Bass Tub out of San Francisco said, “We spent the weekend trolling for halibut and bass, and on Sunday, we ended up with limits of striped bass and just under two fish per rod on the halibut. Saturday’s trip produced 10 bass and one halibut for our group.”

Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco took a half-day trip on Friday, saying, “Half of the boat from from the East Coast so we went prospecting for a fish they are familiar with, and we ended up with limits of stripers in San Pablo Bay near the Pumphouse.”

The bay halibut so early in the season has been a big surprise, and Ed Liu of Bay Tackle in El Cerrito said, “The numbers have surprised a lot of people, and most of the action is in the south bay around Oyster Point, the San Francisco Airport, the Oakland Airport, the Bird Cage, and Candlestick Point with a few at South Hampton Shoals and Berkeley Flats. Drifting or trolling frozen herring or anchovies are working. There are a lot of anchovies and herring in the bay, but they are all in the south bay in deep water. There hasn’t been another spawn, and we think the spawns might be over. Striped bass have been very slow along the east side of the bay and on the Marin side with most of the stripers upriver from Crockett to Rio Vista. Perch fishing is decent for redtail, striped, barred, and walleye both inside of the bay and along the coastline with Berkley Sand Worms or sand crabs.”

Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond said, “It has been quiet around the Pumphouse with a minimum of mayhem. We have been years like this before, and I think when the herring spawns are finally over, and it may change as there are more sturgeon seen jumping every day. We have had a terrible run of weather with wind or rain over the past week until Thursday, but halibut is off to a good start, and we are the only bait shop with live bait as smelt is working very well. Stripers are still around, and a number of them are undersized. 10 pounds is a big fish right now, and there are a lot of bass in the 19- to 25-inch range. The stripers are in the harbor again, and we had kids out on the levee over the weekend with smelt for 17 bass with four legal to 24 inches, and they released them all.”

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

San Luis Obispo

Surf perch 2

The ports of Port San Luis and Morro Bay will be running nature trips and whale watching until the April 1 rockfish opener. Ocean salmon season will open on April 3 in this section of the coast. 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

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

Sturgeon remain the top species in the Sacramento-Delta, and the diamondbacks have been migrating west towards the Benicia/Martinez Bridge and the Mothball Fleet. Few party boats are focusing on the Pittsburg region which had been so hot the past several months, and they are running closer to Martinez for tremendous action on salmon roe. Striped bass took off along the West Bank a few weeks ago, but the bite has slowed considerably with nearly every striper fisherman targeting the San Joaquin River. The north Delta sloughs should be turning on in the coming weeks.

Sturgeon are back on the bite as Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg put in 5 limits of sturgeon on Friday morning on some of his new salmon roe cures. He said, “We have been heading west towards Port Chicago along with the Big and Little Cuts for our fish, and we could have loaded up on Saturday and Sunday as well, but there were a few limiting factors. It was rough on Saturday morning, but we had two slot-fish in the box right off the bat before the tide changed, and the change of the tide and slack water got sloppy, and two people in my group got motion sickness. It was similar on Sunday with three of our six passengers failing to show up, and it left Captain Bobby Gallia, his girlfriend, and his deckhand’s father on the boat. Bobby and his girlfriend, Heidi Zerbe, landed slot-limit fish, and we should have been done by 10:00 a.m., but the last slot sturgeon came off after the father let slack in the line. With the barbless hooks, it is imperative that you keep tension on the fish at all times. We ended up with three more sturgeon, but they were all undersized.”

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing said, “Our second Captain Charles Kimberly ran the boat this week, and he put in two keepers on Thursday on salmon roe between Port Chicago and the Benicia/Martinez Bridge, and we cancelled on Sunday due to the projected weather system that didn’t show up until later in the day. Charles released two shakers, and they broke off a sturgeon estimated at either an oversized or upper slot-limit on Saturday. Everything has been coming on salmon roe.”

Retired Captain Jim Smith of Happy Hooker fame was out on his private boat out of Martinez on Saturday with Dave Rasmussen and Larry aka ‘The Legend’ Nelson, and they limited out with three slots between 42 and 58 inches. It appears that the ‘Legend’ is back after a lengthy hiatus as he was responsible for the largest sturgeon. Smith, like many of the successful anglers, has also been experimenting with different cures for salmon roe.

Scott Marran of Yuba City was out with Paul aka ‘Sea Dog Paul’ Matchem during the week, and he said, “It was tough conditions with the wind, but we were able to find fishable water in Montezuma Slough. We lost one big fish to a sea lion along with releasing four shakers, but Sea Dog was able to land a feisty slot at 43 inches on salmon roe. We didn’t get a bite on eel as everything came on roe.”

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported heavy bait sales over the weekend as they sold out of grass shrimp and pile worms by early on Sunday as the shoreline was busy despite the wind. He said, “Our owner, Pam Hayes, received reports of surf perch being caught off of 12th Street on pile worms, and this is not a good sign as the salt water must be moving way into the river system.”

In the north Delta, Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport reported striped bass are showing up with sardines coated with garlic spray, pile worms, or blood worms while trollers are finding linesides in either Miner or Steamboat Sloughs. Sturgeon have been up and down, but they are scattered throughout the river. Eel/pile worm or nightcrawler combinations are working best. The Sacramento Deep Water Channel is producing catfish on chicken livers, cut baits, or nightcrawlers along with a few striped bass.

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, was out with Warren Trumbley of Elk Grove this week for largemouth bass, and he said, “It took some time to find them, and we didn’t catch anything until the tide came up, but we put in a limit in the 20-pound range working the tules with either Senkos or Brush Hogs. Warren lost two big fish at the boat as the tules are hard on the monofilament, and you have to use 25-pound test instead of the 20 that he had on his reel. confirmed the muddy water at both Liberty Island and along the West Bank.

Uncle Larry Barnes of Sacramento Pro Tackle said, “This is the time for the striped bass to start taking the long way around the Delta to move into Steamboat Slough for the spawn.”

In the San Joaquin River, the largemouth bass bite is ready to break wide open as the bass are moving up in preparation of the spawn, and while the striped bass remain scattered, trollers and live bait drifters have opted for better opportunities on the San Joaquin as the main Sacramento remains slow for linesides.

The largemouth bass bite remains very good for some, and Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors found a decent bite for big fish to 7 pounds. on MegaBass Mag Draft swimbaits or flipping weightless Reaction Innovation’s Skinny Dippers on a 5/0 hook on top of the weeds in the shallows. He said, “The bass are definitely moving up, and I hooked the 7 pounder on a swimbait in 6 to 8 inches of water. The water clarity is great with a temperature between 58/59 degrees, and we are on the brink of the bite breaking wide open. They are on the banks, and there are bass spawning in some areas. I was working along the spawning flats, and you can also punch the grass. I used a Sweet Beaver in Taco Truck which is a brown/orange with watermelon green, and the bass are keying on the browns and oranges. I go as light as I can on the weight, and if I am in grass, I will use between a 3/4th to 1-ounce tungsten weight on monofilament, and if I am in heavy cover, I switch to 1.25 to 1.5 ounces on 65-pound braid.”

For striped bass, Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley found three limits of school-sized striped bass by 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning drifting live bait. He said, “These were all resident fish, and we bounced around in different areas, and I metered fish in around half of the areas. We actually left fish to find more fish as I was searching around different locations. The water was clear with minimal grass.”

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service out of Lighthouse Marina found great action early in the week with stripers to 13 pounds as I went scouting with Ron Retzlaff of Orangevale. He wanted to go to the West Bank, but I opted to work the San Joaquin, and it paid off with a double at 8 and 13 pounds right off the bait. We released the big fish, and we ended up with twelve keepers. Another mid-week trip produced lineside at 9, 8, 8, 7, and 7 pounds, and we have scored with both shallow- or deep-diving Yo-Zuri’s. I change the stock hooks to Owner 2x Stingers as they will hold up to a large striped bass without pulling out. The overall bite became much tougher later in the week with more weeds, and a big ship came through and muddied up the water.

Chris Ditter of HeadRush Sport Fishing confirmed the up-and-down striped bass action on the troll, saying, “I have been pushing clients back in order to wait for more fish to move into the system, and sometimes we are going 4 to 5 hours without any signs of life on my scouting trips. The places where we have been finding fish in the past few weeks have been slow such as Prisoner’s Point and the San Andreas Shoals. There have been some quality stripers out there, and I have been staying away from James Netzel to allow him access to the best spots with his clients.”

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait in Tackle in Manteca said, “Striped bass have been going through the lower San Joaquin River below Mossdale with sardines, anchovies, or jumbo minnows. I encourage my customers to use cut bait from the bank instead of minnows since they can either lose or kill a minnow while casting. Boat fishermen are drifting the jumbos, and even our extra-large minnows are 5 to 6 inches. I thought that the sturgeon were moving out of the San Joaquin, but there have been sturgeon landed near the mouth of the Stanislaus close to Highway 132 on sardines. Sales of small crappie minnows has slowed down which tells me the crappie bite has slowed. Everyone is asking for fresh shad, but even though the shadders have been heading out every other day, the shad are still balled up too deep to net.”

Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport touted Eight Mile Road east of Stockton as the best location for bluegill on red worms, jumbo red worms, or meal worms.

Clara Ricabal, Western Outdoor News columnist, is combining with Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors to host a benefit ‘Reeling for Rick’ tournament on Saturday, June 12th at Holland Riverside Marina to assist Rick Tietz of Blade Runner Tackle with the expenses involved in the wreck of his tow vehicle during a serious auto accident on a levee road last weekend. Tietz was very fortunate, only suffering a fractured vertebrae in what could have been a fatal accident. Tietz is a generous supporter of tournament anglers and benefit causes, and the fishing community is in a position to pay back his generosity over the years.

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 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 3

At Nacimiento, spotted bass fishing has been up and down with the changing temperatures, and although the spots are moving into the shallows, they are also moving off with the recent cold weather and small storm systems. The best action remains with techniques of plastics on the drop-shot or Ned-rig along with small profile jigs. Crappie are moving into the shallows, and minjigs or tubes are working best for the slabs. The lake held at 41%. A webcam of the lake is available at http://www.lakenacimientolive.com/. At Lopez, bass fishing continues to improve as a 20-pound limit with a 9-pound kicker took a recent tournament. The reaction bite is starting to turn on, and it will get better and better in the coming weeks. The recent trout plants allow the possibility for a big largemouth on a swimbait. The best action remains with finesse techniques of Brush Hogs, jigs, or plastics on a variety of slow presentation. Trout fishing is best for trollers as the planters have moved out into deeper water, and shad-patterned spoons such as Needlefish or Thomas Buoyants along with Rapalas are working for a few fish per rod within the top 20 feet of the surface. Another trout plant is scheduled for next week. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. Santa Margarita remains a solid coastal location for largemouth bass with most action on finesse techniques of plastics on the drop-shot or Texas-rig at depths to 20 feet, but dragging lizards or tossing swimjigs is another possibility for success. This week’s scheduled trout plant could break out the big bait bite for the lake’s quality largemouths. Crappie are there for the taking, but you have to cover some water to find them. Once they are found, minijigs or grubs are working best. Redworms or jumbo red worms are best for bluegill. At San Antonio, fishing remains slow, and few anglers are targeting the lake. The best option remains for catfish with heavily-scented cut baits near moving water at the inlets. The lake held at 20%.

Events

Tournament results

Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors - March 13: 1st – Obedie Williams/Hulen Johnson – 22.63 pounds; 2nd – Paul Polhemus/Tim Woltkamp – 22.26; 3rd – Joey Skym/Gary Mullins – 19.69 (Big Fish – 8.40).

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments Mother Lode Region - March 13: 1st – Robert Sandoval/Andrew Orr – 14.00 pounds; 2nd –Daniel McAlister/Pat Ammerman – 13.14 (Big Fish – 3.48); 3rd – Ray and Katie Keenom – 13.01.

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments Central Region - March 14: 1st –Tristan Hale – 14.19 pounds (Big Fish – 3.29); 2nd – Derek Allred/Darren Urban – 13.18; 3rd – Jason and Joshua Sanchez – 13.16.

McClure – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments – March 12: 1st – Orlando and Diego Lopez – 11.22 pounds (Big Fish – 5.87); 2nd – Corey Kerber/Bill Kunz – 10.04; 3rd –Dusty Mart/Guy Mitchell – 8.25.

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

March 20-21

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

Don Pedro – Sierra Bass Club

March 20

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

McClure – California Bass Nation

Hensley -River Rats

Kaweah – Xtreme Bass Club

Success – Golden Empire Bass Club

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments

San Antonio – Kern County Bassmasters

March 21

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal High School Bass/Modesto Ambassadors

Salt Springs – Gold Country Junior Bass Club

Kaweah – Kings River Bass Club

Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club

March 26-28

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails

March 27-28

Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

March 27

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Merced Bass Club

Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

March 28-29

Don Pedro – Kerman Bass Club

March 28

Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation

Pine Flat – Bass 101