Fishing report, May 12-18: Shaver still producing kokanee limits; where to find trout

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.

Photo gallery

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

Best bets

Don Pedro kokanee and bass hitting, Monte Smith reported. New Melones touting a good multi-species bite, Kyle Wise said. Shaver still producing kokanee limits, Dick Nichols reported. Wishon opening good for trout, Dave Hurley said. San Francisco halibut on a tear, Steve Talmadge reported.

Roger’s remarks: It’s never over til it’s over

I hate to admit it but I recently had a fishing trip where I managed to skillfully snatch a crushing defeat from the jaws of victory.

I was alone on a scouting trip to San Luis Reservoir and by mid-morning I had only caught/released a few schoolie fish. A friend and his buddy were also on the water and they told me they had seen some fish several hours earlier off a point and that I should go check it out.

Arriving there, it was clear the fish had skedaddled. In desperation, I blindly cast my sinking lure in about 50 feet of water, letting it hit bottom — just as my friend called me again.

I closed the bail and set the rod down in front of the boat, with the tip of the pole just outside the windshield of the driver’s seat. I talked for about five minutes. Forgetting my lure was still on the bottom, I used the trolling motor to move out a little deeper when I heard a noise in the front of the boat. My big 9-foot pole was lifting up, ready to be pulled out of my boat, and the tip near me was heading straight down fast. I remembered my lure was on the bottom and It must have gotten snagged as I drug it along! I grabbed the tip of the pole near me before it went overboard, at the same time trying to maneuver the trolling motor. The line felt stuck at first, then a heavy weight began pulling back slow but hard. It took me a second to realize that there was a good fish on the other end trying to take my pole away!

Elated, I reeled in a fat and angry 12-pound striper. Before releasing it, I pulled out my camera tripod, put my new iPhone in the clasp holder and set up the rig by the windshield walkway. I lifted the energetic fish out of the water and got my picture.

For the win, right? But as I walked past my tripod, I barely touched it. The top-heavy holder tipped and began falling, hitting the windshield first, then sliding until the iPhone was about 6 inches over the side of the boat. No! There was a short pause as it hung in limbo with me scrambling to get to it before the phone slowly rotated about 40 degrees and plopped into the lake. It had a nice back-and-forth action as it sank — 100 feet, it said on sonar. Stunned, the term “pyric victory” came to mind. I felt sick.

Yes, I cut my trip short, and dealt with the mess of getting a new phone. Never give up!

Roger George: rogergeorge8000@sbcglobal.net, Rogergeorgeguideservice on Facebook and @StriperWars

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 3

Mickey Clements at Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported continued good action at the California Aqueduct and surrounding canals, saying, “Many of our anglers are skipping out on the main lake and heading to either the forebay or the aqueducts. They are using heavy lures in order to bounce the bottom such as flukes on a 3/4- to 1-ounce jigs head along with heavier Rat-L-Traps. Staying near the bottom has been the key.”

In the southern section of the aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said, “Striped bass continue to be landed on minnows, blood worms, lug worms, anchovies, sardines, or mackerel while catfish are taken on cut baits, frozen shad, or chicken livers. Where the water is flowing, there is a reaction bite on small shad-patterned swimbaits or flukes.”

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 lake remains a “mud puddle” with green algae forming. Few fishermen are heading to the lake, but catfishing remains the best option near the launch ramp in the evenings with cut baits, chicken livers, or nightcrawlers while the bass bite remains slow with only one or two bass being a possibility. The lake held at 12%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255

Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Fishing interest here has waned with the low water levels and algae blooms. Small crappie are attracting a few anglers to the lake with minijigs around structure, but most area crappie fishermen are heading south to Isabella or Kaweah. The lake held at 23%.

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

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 3 King salmon 2 Crappie 1

Kokanee fishing has taken off with Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing putting his clients onto five limits of kokanee to 15 inches at 40 to 60 feet with small J-Pex lures or Uncle Larry’s Spinners in Orange Glow Tiger or Pink Glow. The Kokanee Power Don Pedro Derby is June 12, and there will be quite a bit of prefishing action prior to this date. For bass, Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bite is similar to McClure except the topwater action is slower. We are targeting main lake or secondary points with tubes, Ned-rigs, or underspins in green pumpkin or purple. There are very few bass are on beds.” The lake held at 68%.

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 3 Crappie 3 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2

At Lake Isabella, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported good trout action from the banks with Power Bait, Mice Tails, nightcrawlers, Kastmasters, Roostertails, or Panther Martins as heavy trout plants for the start of the Kern Valley Chamber of Commerce Derby are making an impact. Trollers are running shad patterned spoons at depths to 30 feet for the recent planters. Crappie limits have been taken by trollers pulling Berkley Flicker Shad while bank anglers are finding much slower action for the slabs. You have to be in the right location to find the crappie. Catfishing remains solid from the banks with frozen shad, Triple S Dip Bait, chicken livers, or nightcrawlers. The annual Lake Isabella Kern Valley Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby started on April 24 and runs 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 French Gulch Marina hosts the only launch ramp with the low lake level. The lake held rose slightly to 17%. At Buena Vista, in addition to the 60-pound blue catfish landed last week, another huge whiskerfish at 45 pounds was reported this week. Lake Ming was planted with trout this past week, and it is kicking out trout, bass, catfish, or carp. In the upper Kern River, trout plants are scheduled during the week of May 16 near Kernville and above while the river below the dam is scheduled for trout plants this week. Quick limits have been coming out of the river on salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, live crickets while the lower river may be too warm for the planters as the flows are very low.

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 3 Crappie 3 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Gary Wasson, president of the Xtreme Bass Club, said, “There are some topwater bass along with jigs, Senkos, or crankbaits at depths from 10 to 15 feet.” There is a good jerkbait and Senko bite at Kaweah.” Crappie are found in the shallows with various minijigs or small swimbaits. The lake rose to 29% with snowmelt occurring rapidly.

Lake Success/Tule River

Bass 3 Crappie 3 Trout 3 Catfish 2

Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company said, “Bass are taken on plastics on a Ned-rig, crankbaits, jigs, or swimbaits, and some fishermen are trolling and picking up both bass and trout. Crappie are found near the marina with minijigs. Fishing has been very good.” Recreational boating is heating up with more good weather in the coming weeks. The lake held at 23%.

In the Tule, Stokke said, “The river is fishing awesome right now with fly fishermen scoring with dry flies or Woolly Buggers. Spin casters are mainly using Panther Martin spinners. ‘Tis the time of the year, Anglers need to wet their lines because catching is good at this time of the year.” Trout plants are scheduled for the North, Middle and South Forks of the Tule this week and on several branches of the Middle Fork on the week of May 16.

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

McClure Reservoir

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

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “McClure is great for numbers as we found non-stop action on our trips this week. There is a topwater bite in the morning or when the wind is blowing with Super Spooks or Whopper Plopper 90s over main lake points or islands, and during the remainder of the day, we targeted steep bluff walls with tubes, Ned rigs, or small swimbaits such as the MegaBass Hazedong Shad.” Crappie fishing has improved considerably with minijigs or small minnows in the shallows. . Barrett’s Cove, Bagby, Horseshoe Bend, and McClure Point North launch ramps are closed due to water levels. The lake rose slightly to 44%.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

The annual Merced Irrigation Derby will be held on Saturday, May 15, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $25 with youth under 16 free for every adult registration. An additional feel of $8/day for entry, and there are some limited campsites available for the derby weekend. The registration and payments are made through the FishDonkey app, and participants are encouraged to become familiar with the app prior to the derby. Anglers will need the app downloaded on their smart phone on the day of the derby as well as possess either a measuring tape or board to photograph their catch. The app will allow participants to practice uploading their fish photos in preparation for the derby. Once the app is loaded onto a smart phone, participants can select “Fish in a Tournament.” Then a search window will appear. Participants can then enter “Lake McSwain.” This will take anglers to the derby page with all the required registration and information.

Trout plants have been occurring through the spring, and they will continue up to the derby. Bank fishing is best with trout dough bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters from the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, or peninsula near the Marina while trollers are working blade/’crawler combinations, Wedding Rings, or Rapalas up the river arm.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 3 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The spotted bass are wrapping up the spawn, and the bass are aggressively biting shad-patterned plastics on the drop-shot or dart head at depths to 20 feet. There is also a is a crankbait and jerkbait bite in the main lake around Sky Harbor to Winchell’s Cove along with the dam.” The lake rose to 44%. Sycamore Island has been kicking out planted rainbows on trout dough bait.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 3

New Melones has been one Northern California lake that hasn’t hosted tournaments during the pandemic, and the lack of pressure on the large reservoir has been a boon for multiple species.

Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service has been targeting either kokanee or trout on nearly a daily basis, and he has been regularly scoring quick limits of either species. On Saturday, he put his four clients onto 20 kokanee for limits by 10 a.m. running Paulina Peak’s Tahoe Spinner in orange/pink or purple/pink behind a gold 5.5 dodger at depths from 40 to 65 feet. He said, “The kokanee are all solid at 14.5 to 15 inches, and I have landed three kokanee to 18 inches already this year.”

Tucker Tarap of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp said, “The trout bite has remained relatively good from the surface to 39 feet near Angels Creek, the spillway, the dam, and around the Highway 49 Bridge as the bait schools are forming. Kastmasters, Rapalas, Speedy Shiners, Apex lures are all good options, and kokanee trollers are picking up the rainbows on hoochies, as well. Kokanee fishermen are targeting the area at the mouth of the dam and near the spillway while there have been some reports around Angels Creek.”

For bass, Tarap added, “With the bass spawn officially being over they are beginning to heavily target large balls of bait as large groups of bass are hunting down shad all over the lake, especially up river arm. They are beginning to eat topwater lures, and most reports are stating that the top water bite is better in the afternoons. However, the bass are still actively feeding in the morning and throughout the day just a little further below the surface in 15 to 20-feet of water with Senkos, plastics on a drop-shot rig, crankbaits, spinner baits and umbrella rigs in the morning into mid-day. In the afternoons, reaction baits such as Poppers, Spooks, flukes, spoons, Rive2Sea Whopper Ploppers, or small swimbaits such as Keitechs are the best options.”

With the warming water, catfishing has improved in the creek arms with sardines, mackerel, or anchovies while crappie are found mixed in with the bass in the creek arms feeding on small shad at depths from 15 to 30 feet.

The middle ramps at Glory Hole Point and Tuttletown are open along with one ramp at Angels Cove. The New Melones Lake Marina is expected to open on May 15. The Bureau of Reclamation administration office and visitors center is now open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends only, and annual passes for the lake are available there. The lake dropped to 60%.

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

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Spotted bass are wrapping up the spawn, and they are aggressively striking topwater lures, jerkbaits, crankbaits, and jigs around Sycamore and Big Creeks. Crappie fishing is solid at night under lights with small minnows, nightcrawlers, or minijigs near the Deer Creek or Trimmer Marina. A few trout trollers are working near Trimmer, but the majority of trollers are heading up the hill to Shaver or Wishon.” The lake rose to 36%.

In the lower Kings River, trout plants are scheduled for the next two weeks, and shore fishermen are scoring with salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, or trout dough bait along with spinners such as Panther Martins or Mepp’s near moving water adjacent to an eddy of slower water. 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 George Guide Service reported that the San Luis striped bass bite remains slow for both trollers and bait anglers. He said, “The reaction bite has been a tough go with most fishermen trying Portuguese Cove or Dinosaur Point areas for only a few fish per boat. The bait bite from the shoreline and on boats has also dried up lately with most heading to the forebay or the aqueduct. I scouted on Tuesday, and I had to search all over the main lake before I put down the rods. I ended up with seven school-sized stripers along with a quality 30-inch/11.75-pound lineside that was released. Everything came off of points in the main lake around 70 feet with Rapalas or Lucky Crafts in silver/black or silver/blue back at 2.4 mph to match the forage they are feeding on now. The water temperature is 63 degrees with a visibility of 5 feet for the algae bloom is ready to take off with the warmer days ahead. The number of milting males is still low so the spawn is still on the early side.” The big lake has dropped to 49%. In the O’Neill Forebay, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “The numbers of small stripers remain high, and most of our anglers are heading to the forebay on the 33 side or the aqueduct. Live minnows, flukes, Keitech swimbaits, or jerkbaits in shad patterns are working for the mostly-undersized stripers.” Pile worms, anchovies, or blood worms are working for the small stripers around Check 12 in the moving water. The Highway 33 side of the impoundment has been the most productive, and parking on this side is limited as the lot fills up and vehicles have to park alongside the highway far from the lake.

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

The Sierra National Forest has extended closures for select recreational sites, roads, and trails until May 26. Updated information is available at fs.usda.gov/sierra.

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2

Holdover rainbow trout from the plants before the derby along with a few large kokanee are found at depths to 30 feet with hoochies or spinners behind a Mag Tackle dodger. The bass are finishing up the spawn, and they are aggressively feeding. Plastics on the drop-shot or shaky head along with jerkbaits are working. The Sheriff’s Motor Fee remains in effect. The lake rose to 68%.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

Kaiser Pass remains closed, but it most likely will be open in mid to late May as the snowpack is limited. Edison rose to 18% with Florence rising to 38%. Mammoth Pool rose to 96% as the snowmelt is slowing down at the High Sierra lakes. Mammoth Pool is closed until June 15 for the annual deer migration.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 3 Trout 2

Shaver Lake is the other option for Central Sierra trollers as quality kokanee are available with the first of two plants from the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project to be released within the near future.

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “It’s not like last year with four or five limits, but the lake is still providing quality kokanee, just less of them. Most boats are working south of the Point. This past week, most boats were getting from one to three limits with exception of one day we were able to put a couple limits in the box on our trips. For Mother’s Day, Bill Dooley of Clovis and his 7-year-old son, William, took mom, Ricki, out for a fishing trip. Ricki picked up her limit of kokanee while dad and son shared another limit. Orange or blue Dick’s Koke Busters tipped with scented corn behind a blue/pink or gold/orange Mountain Flasher worked best. The depth fluctuated during the week as the early morning bite was best at 38 to 40 feet and after the sunrise, the fish dropped from 50 to 60 feet. But things changed Saturday with 27 to 33 feet best after the sun rose. Shaver regulars Chris Hansen of Tollhouse and Sierra Gold tackle maker Terry Walton of Trimmer Springs picked up a quick couple of limits using Walton’s Sierra Gold spinners in orange or blue. The foothill duo found their best action around Road One. Another trio of regulars, Earl Taniguchi of Fowler, his cousin, Susan from Kingsburg and friend, Gene Horii of Fresno, picked up three limits of kokanee on Sierra Gold spinners. The kokanee are running 15 to 17 inches and are fat.The rainbow trout bite is slow but, the brown trout action provides us with one to two browns in the 14- to 15-inch range per trip. Guide Tom Oliviera of Mag Tackle put his clients onto a couple limits of quality kokanee on Saturday using Mag Tackle spinners behind Mag Tackle dodgers.” Shaver is at 77%.

At Huntington, few anglers are targeting this lake as the launch ramp remains out of the water. The last trout plant occurred over a month ago, and a few planters are taken from the shorelines near the mouth of Rancheria Creek with trout dough bait or nightcrawlers. Another plant is scheduled for next week. The lake rose to 66%, and only hand-carried boats or small aluminums can be launched from the shorelines.

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 3

High-elevation Wishon Reservoir became accessible as the gate at McKinley Grove Road was opened in early May, and trout fishing has been solid for holdover rainbows and browns for the first trollers on the lake.

Jay Irvine of Visalia made the trek to Wishon with his college fraternity brother, Ralph Perry, and they landed a total of 30 rainbows, keeping two limits and releasing the remainder with the best action early in the morning between 6:15 to 8:30 a.m. Irvine said, “Early in the morning, the Paulina Peak red spinner behind a red/brass dodger at 21 feet die well along with a Mack’s Spin-Glo orange fly behind a copper/nickel Paulina Peak dodger on a setback of 100 feet. We also scored with a brown Woolly Bugger on the surface with a setback of 150 feet along with a small 3-inch Rapala. After the bite dropped off at 8:30, it picked up again after 10 a.m., and the PPT Top Gun spinner behind a orange/yellow Mountain Dodger along with a watermelon spinner behind the new Dick’s Watermelon Sparkle Dodger were most effective for the holdover rainbows.”

Chuck Crane of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store said, “Wishon is extremely low, and the concrete ramp is barely in the water as many anglers are launching from the banks. ... The store should open up at Wishon on May 26, but there may be people available in the store to answer questions.”

The road to Courtright should open within a week, but the lake is also extremely low. Dinkey, Ten Mile, and Tamarack Creeks are scheduled for trout plants this week. Anglers are scoring the planters with live crickets, salmon eggs, or nightcrawlers.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Salmon 2 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Crab 2 Sand dabs 2 Surf perch 2

Half Moon Bay had been the epicenter of the ocean salmon season in the waters below Pigeon Point, but as salmon have the tendency to move on a regular basis, the combination of big winds and heavy commercial fishing pressure scattered the schools, leaving party boats struggling for a few salmon.

Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing sent a boat out early in the week with 13 anglers for salmon, and they returned with a solitary salmon before switching over to rockfish for the remainder of the week when the weather was cooperative.

Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat said, “The salmon have scattered south of Pigeon Point as the heavy trolling pressure has dispersed the schools. There is still a school up high near the Davenport Fingers further south, but the majority of the salmon have gone deep near the line. We were out in 350 feet of water on Thursday for only 4 salmon.” Second captain Mike Cabanas added, “Breezy conditions with only spots of bait showing on the meter made for a long day, and the word was that the commercial fleet went belly up and the private skiffs were struggling as well.” Mattusch said, “I have a few more rockfish/crab combination trips, but I will be pulling his crab pots out of the water soon as there are a number of whales in the area. Salmon is being sold at the docks for prices between $15 and $17/pound, putting a 20-pound salmon at over $300.”

The Huli Cat went on a rockcod/crab combo off of Martin’s Beach in 90 feet of water with cabezon to 6 pounds as part of 9 limits of rockfish and crab.

After the slow action during the week for salmon, the boats out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing took out light loads for limits of rockfish along with up to three ling cod. The Ankeny Street went south for 15 limits of rockfish including a cabezon along with three ling cod to 10 pounds.

The Coastside Fishing Club is once again coordinating the net pen salmon project, and the deliveries of smolts from the Mokelumne River Hatchery will occur on May 23, May 29, and June 5 while the club’s members are preparing the pens.

The high winds along the coast will pay off in the long run despite the boats being tied to the docks this week as the upwelling will bring up nutrient-rich ‘brown salmon’ water.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Salmon 2 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Salmon fishing on and around the Monterey Bay has slowed considerably as the big schools that created fleet pandemonium last week have scattered and most anglers are getting a fish per rod or less. The winds have also been high, making it difficult for anglers to put in the long hours needed on a scratch bite. It’s become that situation where the fish are here one day, then gone the next. All the more reason to go fishing every day, I’d say.”

Tom Joseph from Fish On Sportfishing illustrated the situation with his mid-week report saying, “Tuesday our private party of three boated two salmon to 12 pounds and another five came unbuttoned due to the windy weather. On Wednesday, the weather was better. Unfortunately, the fish were not where they were the day before. We ended up at the Davenport Fingers where we found some fish our private party of three. We will be taking a few days off due to gale force winds.”

The large charter boats on the bay are switching over to rockfish as salmon counts dwindle. Kahuna Sportfishing out of Moss Landing counted four salmon last Saturday, and only one on Thursday. But Kahuna’s Tuesday rockfish trip came home with full limits of rockfish for 17 anglers. In Monterey, Chris’ Fishing and Whale Watching got skunked for salmon on the Star of Monterey on Saturday, but six trips during the week netted full limits up to 220 rockfish for anglers aboard the Check Mate and the Star. Every rockfish trip found at least one ling cod, as well.

In Santa Cruz, Stagnaro’s Fishing Charters has been fishing the local reefs for rockfish this week. Owner Ken Stagnaro reported, “We’ve had a consistent slow upwelling, and the fish are chowing on baby rockfish and plankton. Their bellies are pretty full. Our full-day trips are averaging 3/4 limits and the half-days about five fish per rod. This is a typical spring pattern for rockfish. It’s a bummer that depth restrictions are keeping us away from the deeper areas where the chili peppers lurk. In years past we could always count on the canyon edges for great fishing in April and May. Also, the heavy winds have been holding us off from the north coast.” Rodney Armstrong runs the six-pack operation Santa Cruz Coastal Charters. They did pretty well this week as Rodney says, “Today we fished in the deep water for rock fish. It went very well. We had limits for all six clients. We had big reds, canaries, browns, yellowtail, and Boccaccio. Halibut fishing is heating up in the shallows. In Monterey, near Del Monte Beach and the “Hotel” area halibut have been caught in 15 to 70 feet of water. Santa Cruz anglers are finding the best halibut bite near the Santa Cruz Harbor and Mile Buoy or Capitola’s Mile Reef. 40 to 65 feet of water seems to be the ticket. Live bait is always best, but anglers are also hooking flatties casting swimbaits and bounce-balling with hoochies or squid.”

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

San Francisco Bay

Halibut 3 Striper 2 Rockfish 2 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2

There appears to be no cure for halibut fever in San Francisco Bay as the week of smaller tides brought in more flatfish from the ocean, but the bay also greeted a growing fleet of fishermen. With the salmon season on hold until June 26, and the weather outside the Gate keeping rockfish boats from the islands, the number of boats in the bay have grown exponentially. There are halibut throughout the bay from the south bay towards Richmond and Red Rock, and there are signs that striped bass are starting to form over the rockpiles. Rockfishing was limited to the Marin coast with high winds offshore.

There is only one dock for live bait in the day, and Pier 45 at San Francisco faced the ‘longest line’ in memory on Saturday. Scott Marran of Yuba City was out with his wife, Gracey, and grandchildren, and he said, “I’ve been getting bait here for 40 years, and I have never seen anything like this. We arrived at 6:20, and the line for bait was ½ mile below the SS Jeremiah O’Brien. After getting bait, we went to the only windless spot in the bay for a few nice keeper halibut with at least a dozen shakers released.”

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing said, “We had both boats running over the weekend, and I thought that we had outfished the Flash II with a 35-inch halibut at Angel Island, but Captain Charles Kimberly pulled up for a late-afternoon drift behind Alcatraz, and he got bragging rights with a 39-inch halibut. We averaged over a fish per rod, but they were all quality fish. We have been working Angel Island at the end of the flood before moving to Alcatraz at the first push of the incoming tide.”

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing put first-time fishermen, the Tillery family of Antioch, onto 11 halibut to 21.5 pounds working the Richmond area from Southhampton Shoals up to Red Rock. Mitchell said, “A lot of big fish came into the bay this week, and they are anywhere from the South Bay to the Richmond area. The Tillery’s had never fished on the bay, and we had a great trip. Sunday was a bit slower with 8 halibut, but we did add 6 striped bass to 10 pounds. A lot of boats landed bass on Sunday, and legendary Captain Jim Smith told me that he thinks the bass are here early this year.”

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing has also migrated to the bay from the Delta, and he said, “We have been running around for an average of 10 fish per trip along with a number of short halibut. The Alameda Rockwall, Southhampton Shoals, Angel Island, and Alcatraz are all holding halibut, and we stopped counting at 160 boats near Southhampton on Saturday. We went down south near the rockwall and counted another 100 boats. We did have a good story coming out of Saturday’s trip as we were fishing by Steve Mitchell, and he had announced that he lost a rod over the side when a halibut ripped it out of the rod holder. We hooked a halibut, and when we were reeling it in, I felt another line tied in with our line. I started to handline in the additional line, and believe it or not, Steve’s rod and reel came up with another halibut. That made his day!”

Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco took two half-day trips in the wind on Saturday, and he said, “The difference between the morning and afternoon tides is displayed in our catch with 7 striped bass and 3 halibut in the morning along with 11 halibut in the afternoon. There was a good bite in the afternoon at the beginning of the outgo on the east side of Alcatraz. We also saw a few white sea bass on the meter, but they weren’t willing to bite.

Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond also found his own water in San Pablo Bay for 9 quality halibut for his crew on Sunday. He said, “We just worked one spot over and over as it was important to get away from the heavy boat traffic that swarmed Red Rock.”

Captain Jerad Davis specializes in salmon trolling on the Salty Lady out of Sausalito, but he took a live bait trip on Saturday for 11 halibut to 20 pounds, 7 striped bass to 10 pounds, and at least 25 undersized halibut released. He said, “I stayed away from the fleet and worked a few oddball areas in the bay. The line for live bait was long for the private boats, but there are two bait docks available for the party boats. Interest in the salmon season is picking up, and we have a number of reservations already for the season starting on June 26.”

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

San Luis Obispo

Rockfish 3 Salmon 2 Surf perch 2

Despite salmon on the area, the San Luis Obispo party boats continue to concentrate solely on bottomfish. Out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay, the Fiesta and Rita G were out on Monday with 32 passengers for 249 assorted rockfish, 68 vermilion, 1 Boccaccio, and 5 ling cod for 2 fish shy of rockcod limits. The Avenger, Endeavor, and Starfire out of Morro Bay Landing were out on Sunday with 54 anglers for 140 vermilion, 33 copper, 207 assorted, 40 Boccaccio, and 1 ling cod to 11 pounds for near limits. The Patriot and Phenix out of Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis were out on local reefs on Monday with 27 anglers for 11 vermilion, 2 copper, and 264 assorted rockfish, 2 treefish, and a ling cod for customer along with a crew limit. The ling cod continue to be scarce along the local reefs. The new sub-limit is 5 vermilion as part of a 10-rockfish limit this season. Private boaters continue to troll for salmon with mixed results as a number of fish have been moving north.

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

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 3 Striper 2 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

High winds were the story on the Sacramento-Delta for the past week, leading at least a few regular guides to postpone trips as to not put their clients through rough waters. The big winds make it nearly impossible to drift live bait as the drift will be far too fast. All in all, it was a quiet week on this side of the Delta, at least for the fishermen as the striped bass are still coming upstream, and there are signs that the fish are moving back downstream towards the bay. Guides will be wrapping up their trolling operations within the next few weeks before the Delta becomes the territory for bass fishermen or recreational boaters during the summer months.

Dave Houston of Livermore said, “The heavy winds made for tough trolling on Thursday, and the Sacramento is very stained with a lot of San Joaquin as well. We fished above the Antioch Bridge today and chartreuse lures were working best, but nothing worked very well. We struggled to get our boat limit today as it’s been very easy in the past weeks. We did release an 11-pound striper.”

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Laurtizen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley was able to make it out a few times around the winds, and he put in three limits on Wednesday by drifting live bait or spooning.

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service said, “I went up the Mokelumne River out of Wimpy’s this week to get out of the winds on the main river, and I couldn’t believe how few stripers were in the North Fork. We only ended up with two small stripers drifting live bait. Earlier in the week, we found a phenomenal striper bite on the San Joaquin side. We started out on Friday on the Sacramento side, but the winds were high, and we were able to get only one striper out of the river near Cache Slough.”

Chris Ditter of HeadRush Guide Service said, “The wind has been terrible, and I canceled three trips this week. We had steady action until the winds came in, and we were finding limits on every trip. Extra-large minnows are back in stock at local bait shops, but the winds won’t allow you to drift. I will be back out this week as we have a break on Tuesday and Wednesday but will be finishing up our Delta season on June 1st before heading to Lake Tahoe.”

Bob Sparre of Bob Sparre Fishing Guide Service also put his striped bass trips on hold due to the wind, and he will be working for another week in the Delta before moving over to the American River for American shad.

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “The West Bank has been very muddy with only 6-inches of visibility due to the wind and last week’s big tides, but the Old Sacramento River from Isleton to Walnut Grove is clear, and there are stripers in the clear water.”

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, took his old fishing partner, Chris Ricci of Oregon, out of Arrowhead Marina on Miner Slough this week, and he said, “The wind was so bad that when we first tried to come out of Miner, we took a few waves over the bow before heading back in. Flipping the tules was the best technique, and we landed a few quality largemouth bass with the largest at 7 pounds with one 5 and a few in the 3-pound range. We did make it out of the slough when the wind died down after 10:00 a.m., but the conditions were less than ideal.”

The wind put a major damper on the ability to sit on the anchor for sturgeon, and the only areas where one could anchor were in the sloughs on the north side of the river such as Suisun or Montezuma. Few anglers are targeting sturgeon at this time, but that doesn’t mean that the diamondbacks have left the system.

In the north Delta, American shad are thick from the banks near Freeport with shad darts, shad grubs, or Sabiki rigs.

The week started off well for striped bass fishermen, but the constant winds during the week made for challenging conditions for striped and largemouth bass anglers.

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service said, “The week started off with an unbelievable bite on the San Joaquin side near Three Mile Slough, and we had 15 keepers in short order on Monday and Tuesday before the winds started. There were big fish at 24, 13, and 10 pounds landed near Three Mile. The salmon smolt releases didn’t draw up the number of striped bass as expected as when the wind died down, we drifted over the shoals outside of Eddo’s Marina, but there were few striped bass in the area. We did see smolts breaking the surface upriver of Eddo’s a few days after the dump, and it is possible that these fish were pushed upriver on the incoming tide.”

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, went bass fishing along the rocks with Donald Davis of Stockton, and after launching out of Ladd’s Marina, they worked the riprap both north and south of the ramp for good numbers of largemouths. He said, “The bass are feeding heavily on crawdads, and every bass that we landed had antennas sticking out of their craw. We head upstream to the Stockton Turning Basin and also downstream to the mouth of Fourteen Mile Slough. The striped bass are still in Empire Cut along with Mildred Island, Connection Slough, and the Old River for trollers while those drifting live bait are finding lineside at Union Point. There is too much grass to troll this section of the river, and live bluegill work best.”

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors held at team event on Saturday at Holland Riverside Marina in the south Delta, and he said, “We welcomed two new teams to our circuit, and they placed in the top three. They made their presence known despite the blustery spring conditions and a tough bait. The warming post-frontal conditions made for a tough bite, but the team of Jon Rodgers and Bryan Lutz took first with an 18.25-pound limit anchored by a big fish at 5.35 pounds. The weights were down overall, but the wind raised havoc. Punching the weeds or frogs were the best options along with swimjigs or chatterbaits.”

The wind is expected to continue to blow this week, and the conditions will be less than ideal for the three-day Forrest L. Wood Major League Fishing Event at Russo’s Marina starting on Thursday.

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The water is very low and muddy in the south San Joaquin River below Mossdale, and the majority of fishermen are catching and releasing undersized striped bass on anchovies or sardines. There are still sturgeon in this section of the river, and there were at least three sturgeon landed on pile worms or sardines this week. There has been a law enforcement presence in this section of the river, and I advise all of my clients to know the regulations regarding barbless hooks and the Sturgeon Report Card. We have been receiving a number of inquiries about the availability of fresh shad, and it should be a week or so before it is in the area shops. Our shadder is in the process of renewing his permit with Fish and Wildlife, and he will be supplying all of the local shops.”

Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Steve Mitchell – Hook’d Up Sport Fishing – (707) 655-6736; Chris Ditter – HeadRush Sport Fishing – (916) 284-9236; 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

At Nacimiento, the bass bite remains very good for spotted bass to 3 pounds with small Keitech swimbaits, grubs, underspins, or plastics on the drop-shot at depths to 10 feet as most of the spots are still in shallow water. There are bass also suspending in deeper water as they are moving out from the spawn. Saturday’s Best Bass Tournaments event was taken with a better than 2-pound average at 11.33 pounds, and the big fish of the tournament came in at 3.17. There is a topwater bite early or late on occasion with Poppers or similarly small shad-patterned lures. The white bass have scattered, and the schools are hard to locate. Similar to last week, the best action for whites are on white Kastmasters, Roostertails, or small Keitech swimbaits on an underspin. Water releases have ramped up, and the lake dropped from 34 to 33%. A webcam of the lake is available at lakenacimientolive.com.

At Lopez, both largemouth and smallmouth bass are holding in shallow water, and various reaction baits such as swim jigs, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits are working early and late while the most consistent action is with plastics on the drop-shot or Texas-rig along with Senkos. The trout trolling bite has slowed down to some degree, but there are still planted rainbows to be had on small spoons or crankbaits such as a Berkley Flicker Shad. Bank fishing for rainbows is also slow, but there is the opportunity for a few fish on long casts into deep water with Power Bait. Live worms are producing bluegill or red ear perch. A webcam of the lake is available at 805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam.

At Santa Margarita, the largemouth bass bite has been solid despite dropping water levels. The bass are holding in the shallows, and crankbait or swimjigs are working early or late while numbers are landed on plastics on the drop-shot or Ned-rig, along with Senkos. Trout trollers are picking up the recently planted rainbows with spoons or plugs such as a Rapala F7 or F9. Catfishing is best with cut baits soaked in garlic. Crappie, bluegill, or red ear perch are taken on small nightcrawlers, mealworms, or redworms.

At San Antonio, catfish remain the top option, and they are even biting plastics intended for smallmouth or largemouth bass. Mackerel soaked in garlic scent, chicken livers, or shrimp are the top baits for the whiskerfish. Bass fishing is improving with plastics while panfish are taken on mealworms or red worms. The lake dropped slightly to 16%.

Events

Tournament results

Delta/New Holland Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors - May 8: 1st – Jon Rodgers/ Bryan Lutz – 18.25 (Big Fish – 5.35) ; 2nd – Paul Polhemus/Tim Woltkamp – 17.95; 3rd – Hunter Schandler/Vince Bernal – 17.75.

Lake Tulloch – River Rats – May 8: 1st –– Michael Beltran/Chris Griffin – 16.91 pounds; 2nd –Jim Oliver/Jaime Caratachea – 15.42; 3rd – Matt Frazier – 14.45.

Lake McClure – Best Bass Tournaments – May 8: 1st ––Danny Riportella/Tony Hunt – 12.97 pounds; 2nd – Todd and Jordan Rocha – 12.23 (Big Fish – 5.03); 3rd –Cory Kerber/Jeremy Pitts – 10.65.

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments – May 8: 1st –– John and Johnathon Flynn – 11.33 pounds; 2nd –Brandon Colombo/Graham Grove – 9.98; 3rd –Robert Gardner/Sheldon Waters – 9.78. Big Fish – 3.17 pounds – Jason and Cody Domingos.

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

May 13-15

Delta/Big Break Marina – Forrest L. Wood Major League Fishing

May 15-18

Pine Flat – Xtreme Bass Club

May 15-16

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kern County Bass Masters

Nacimiento – Golden Empire Bass Club

May 15

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournament

Isabella – American Bass Association

May 16

Delta/Contra Costa – The Bass Federation

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto Ambassadors

Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club/California Bass Federation

Kaweah – Kings River Bass Club

May 22-23

Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

May 22

Delta/B and W Resort – Bass Anglers of Northern California

Delta/Contra Costa – Sierra Bass Club

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Yak-A-Bass/17-90 Bass Club

Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

Lopez – Bakersfield Bass Club

May 23

Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation

Don Pedro – California Bass Federation

May 30

Don Pedro – California Bass Federation