Fishing report, Oct. 6-12: Bass bite picking up at Millerton, Pine Flat; Wishon trout active

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, stripers and bass bites good, Steve Mitchell reported.. Millerton spotted bass action on the upswing, Michael Crayne said. Pine Flat bass improved, Aaron Loucks reported. New Melones bass hitting, Dave Hurley said. Wishon trout active, Kelly Brewer reported.

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 2

Bill Sterling of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno and Striperz Gone Wild is hosting their second annual Fall Classic Striped Bass Derby on the California Aqueduct this Saturday with registration at the Volta Bridge between 4 a.m. and 2 p.m. to be eligible for the prizes. The striper bite in the northern section of the aqueduct is improving with topwater lures, flukes, or soaking anchovies or pile worms.

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said, “The action in our section of the aqueduct has been the best thing going around here with striped bass taken on jerkbaits, walking-style topwater lures, or tubes while the bait bite is solid with blood worms, anchovies, or sardines. Largemouth bass are getting into the act on plastics or jigs while catfishing remains best with cut baits or Triple S Dip Bait with carp taken on dough baits.

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

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 1 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 1

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Eastman is starting to perk up for bass with 4.5-inch lizards on a Carolina-rig or jerkbaits from the banks.” This is the best bass report for Eastman for months. Catfishing remains decent at both lakes with chicken livers, cut baits or nightcrawlers from the banks near the launch ramps. No change or relief on the horizon as the sad situation at both lakes continues, and it will remain until there is any rain. An algae bloom continues to form on both lakes with Eastman at 6% and Hensley at 8%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; 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

It’s anyone’s game who will take the upcoming 120-boat Best Bass Tournaments Tournament of Champions this coming weekend as the overall tough bass bite will even up the field. Anglers struggled during the past weekend’s 80-boat Wild West Trails Tournament of Champions this past weekend with the team of Garrett Maddex and Scott Burke taking first place with a two-day limit of 24.25 pounds for a Bass Cat Bobcat with a 150 HP Mercury engine. There were only nine limits over 20 pounds weighed in during the two-day event with a big fish of 4.69 pounds landed by the team of Brian Cogburn and Justin Crain. Cogburn and Crain led the event after day one with a limit at 12.99 pounds, but as a testament to the unforgiving nature of the lake, they only weighed in a single fish at 0.97 pounds on Sunday for a total at 13.96 pounds. The second big fish was 3.80 pounds landed by the team of Western Outdoor News columnist Clara Ricabal and Chris Childers on a drop-shot. Ricabal was able to land her first-ever bass by slow-rolling swimbaits as her normal go-to of drop-shotting wasn’t working for her.

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The limits were right on par with what I thought they would be as I predicted 25 pounds to win the tournament. The lake has been fishing tough for the past year, and the weights are always smaller in the fall as the big fish are mostly absent. There is no water coming into the lake right now, and this really affects the big fish bite. I have been focusing on the lake for the past several weeks, and we are finding some quality with a topwater bite with Spooks or River2Sea Rovers in the early mornings as the bass are busting on bait in the open water before switching over to weightless flukes. The best bite has been with Hopkins 4.5-inch Flutter Spoons over the shad schools. The majority of bass remain suspended, but when you find them schooled up on the bottom, you can score with either the spoons or plastics on the drop-shot.”

With the only viable launch ramp at Fleming Meadows, the ramps will be very busy this coming week with an apex of activity over the weekend with the arrival of the big tournament.

The lake dropped slightly to 50%. There is a 5 mph zone from Blue Oaks to Fleming Meadows.

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 3 Bluegill 2

The French Fire northwest of the lake continues to burn, and there are a number of road closures in the area. Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported crappie are showing up in the South Fork around Red’s Marina with small to medium minnows. Bass fishing is best with crankbaits early in the morning along with spinnerbaits or jerkbaits around the exposed trees. The cooling nighttime temperatures should improve the bass action. Catfishing continues to be a good option with Triple S Dip Bait, scented nightcrawlers, or frozen shad. The lake held at 9%. In the Kern River, the flows are very low at 91 cfs at Kernville in the upper river, and they have dropped from 192 to 131 cfs at First Point on the lower river. The lower river remains the best location for smallmouth or largemouth bass with live minnows or plastics. The upper Kern River is closed along the upper Kern River from the Riverkern Day Use Area north to the Johnsondale Bridge along with the Packsaddle Trail and the Cannel Meadow National Recreation Trail. The closure order will be in place until October 31st. Buena Vista is kicking out catfish or crappie with the best action at night.

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

Lake Kaweah

Bass 3 Crappie 1 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake dropped to 11%, but the bass bite is good in the lowered reservoir on jigs, jerkbaits or crankbaits. The Kaweah River is running at 14 cfs at Three Rivers. Smoke from the KNP Complex Fire is heavy in the area. The fire has burned 76,768 acres and is only 11% contained.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 1 Trout 1 Catfish 2

The lake has dropped to 9%, and the bass bite is hit or miss with the best action on jigs or crankbaits. Smoke from the Windy Fire has been omnipresent.

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

McClure Reservoir

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

The lake dropped to 20%, but there is still a solid bass bite for numbers with plastics on the drop-shot such as 4.5-inch Robo Worms Prism Shad or Hologram Shad at depths from 10 to 20 feet. Jigs with a ½-ounce jig head are also effective. Bagby, Horseshoe Bend, and McClure Point North launch ramps are closed due to water levels.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 3

Merced Irrigation District’s Fall Trout Derby was this past weekend, and the results will be released this week. Heavy plants prior to the derby spurred on the bite from the bank areas at the Brush Pile, the Handicapped Docks, or the peninsula near the marina with various colors of Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or blue/silver Kastmasters. The best trolling is in the river arm near the 2nd Fence Line with blade/’crawler combinations or red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler at depths to 30 feet.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 3 Striped Bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2

The lake rose once again to 56% with water releases on the San Joaquin River system out of Shaver and Huntington. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The bass bite has improved with crawdad-patterned chatterbaits such as Z-Man’s Jackhammers in red. The reaction bite has improved with jerkbaits or 5-inch swimbaits along with plastics on the drop-shot in the coves in the main lake.” There is a catfish bite with chicken livers or anchovies. The river held at 251 cfs at Friant.

Sycamore Island will be open Fridays through Sundays and State holidays through November 11. Seasonal hours of operation are 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. January, February, March, October, and November; 6:00 am to 7:00 pm April and September, and 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. May through August. Entry fees are $9.00 per vehicle and $5.00 per trailer. Annual passes are available for $85.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

The water level held at 35%, and the bass bite has improved with the stable and cooling water temperatures. The water temperature is expected to cool further this week. It is a matter of finding the shad in open water, and once you find the shad, you will find the bass and trout. Topwater lures such as Whopper Ploppers, Poppers, or Spooks are working along with shad patterns of spinnerbaits, ripbaits, spy baits, or spoons on a suspended presentation along with shad-patterned plastics on the drop-shot are working on the bottom. Holdover rainbow trout are taken on open water on shad-patterned spoons on lead core or on the downrigger at depths to 60 feet. Catfishing is good at night with chicken livers, cut baits with scent, or nightcrawlers from the banks. There are numerous unmarked hazards throughout the lake. Boaters have to be extremely cautious.

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 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

The lake continues to balance inflow with outflow, and it held at 20%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun reported a good night bite for bass with large swimbaits while Aaron Loucks of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno reported an improved daytime bite with plastics in green pumpkin as the bass are feeding heavily on crawdads. The cooling water temperatures will help the overall action. Smoke from fires south of the lake limited visibility over the weekend. In the lower Kings River below Pine Flat, a trout plant occurred last week, and bank fishermen are scoring with spinners, Power Bait, salmon eggs, or nightcrawlers in the transition from fast to slow water. Fly fishermen are scoring in the catch-and-release zone at Cobbles Weir. There have been anglers reportedly keeping trout in the restricted section of the river. The flows held at 129 cfs at Trimmer.

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 1

There hasn’t been much change in the water conditions at the main San Luis Reservoir with the water level holding at 12% with green algae on the surface, but don’t mention this to Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service who added to his total of 29 striped bass over 20 pounds caught and released since August 2020, topped by his San Luis personal-best lineside at 45.5 inches and 43 pounds on Friday. He followed this up with a 42-inch, 27.7-pound lineside on a solo trip on Sunday following a hunch.

George said, “The lake levels are falling again after a week of rising water. This may affect fishing if this trend continues. The overall bite is up and down with trollers finding limits at times by covering the main lake and dam area at depths from 60 to 70 feet with Lucky Craft Pointers in shad patterns. Finding active fish seems to be the key. The algae seems to be going down a little with water temperatures dropping to around 70 degrees. I had a trip for Friday reschedule, but I decided to go fish alone anyway. I only got two fish by noon, but I felt it might get better later so I stayed. At 5:30 p.m. as I was getting ready to leave and was pulling up my lure when I got hit hard. What ensued was an “epic” battle as it took off on long runs under the boat. The fish taped out at 45.5 inches and 43 pounds on the money on my electronic tournament scale. It’s my new San Luis personal-best although I have a 50.3-pound Millerton record fish that’s my biggest ever in 1998. The other fish went 42 inches and 27.7 pounds and was the icing on the cake. The Seaqualizer is what I use to put my fish back. The overall bite is decent for reaction anglers but the forecasted temperature drop this week could change things fast.”

In the O’Neill Forebay, Josh Mesa at Coyote Bait and Tackle reported kayakers trolling umbrella rigs or plugs for stripers ranging from shakers to 27 inches. He said, “Some anglers are reporting 40-fish days, and lipless crankbaits such as Rat-L-Traps have also been effective. There is a lot of weeds in the forebay, and the best fishing is in the open water away from the weed growth. The California Aqueduct has been solid with ripbaits or jerkbaits along with anchovies.”

In the main lake, the Basalt ramp is in good shape, but the falling water levels could change the status. The lake is closing at sunset.

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

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2

The lake held at 64%, but few fishermen are targeting the lake with smoke affecting the area from the recent fires further south in the Sequoia National Park and Forest. The bass bite will improve once the water cools. Kayaks are finding a few bass by throwing crankbaits or jerkbaits.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The lakes are very low with Florence at only 2%, Edison at 9%, and Mammoth Pool down to 9%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

At Shaver, smoke from the fires in the Sequoia National Park and Forest have limited visibility, and few anglers were out on the lake over the weekend. The guides have vacated the lake for the winter months due to low water levels. The launch ramp at the Sierra Marina remains open, and the focus is on the holdover rainbows as the kokanee are all but spent and attempting to move into the creek arms near the Sierra Marina. The lake dropped from 55% to 52%.

At Huntington, Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported trout fishing has been solid from the banks with green or salmon peach Power Bait around the mouth of Rancheria Creek or the Auxiliary Dam. Orange spoons or spinners are also picking up the holdover rainbows. Water releases have started, but and the lake dropped significantly from 63 to 54%.

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

Kelly Brewer of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store said, “We are about done here for the season at the store and the park, but the fish are still hitting off of the banks with Power Bait or inflated nightcrawlers for trout in the 12- to 14-inch range. Courtright has been lowered to work on the power plant. Jay Irvine, Dick’s Mountain Tackle’s Pro Staff, took his business colleague Oleg Ubarov and his wife Tanya to Wishon on Wednesday and Thursday to see if the fall trout bite was on. The answer was yes as they limited out both days with 15 rainbows. Irvine said, “We were trolling Dick’s red Koke Busters or red Trout Busters tipped with night crawlers and red corn behind Dick’s red/white mini dodger or red/brass dodgers using an one-ounce weight along with dodgers at a setback of 120-to 130 feet. We also hooked a few fish trolling a mouse fly and also a few on a black/red fly pattern. The fish were biting between 25- to 30 feet deep along the rock wall. We picked up a lot of fish on the fish finder mostly between 22-46 feet deep. It was great weather for fall trout fishing.”

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Salmon 2 Bluefin tuna 2 Rockfish 2 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Rockfish remain the story out of Half Moon Bay, but there is still the allure of bluefin tuna driving boats to seek a fish-of-a-lifetime from the Weather Buoy to Pioneer Canyon. The Half Moon Bay harbor is minus one large party boat with the migration of the Huli Cat up the coast to Fort Bragg to be rechristened Royal Sea Hawk. With the potential sale of the New Captain Pete, the harbor could be missing two longtime party boats in the near future.

Captain Tom Mattusch, formerly of the Huli Cat, went out on a private boat over the weekend in search of bluefin tuna, and they trolled from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for not a single strike. Mattusch said, “The fog was so thick that you couldn’t see a quarter-mile, and this made it difficult to see any fish jumping or breezing. Captain Tom Joseph on the four-pack Sera Bella was able to hook one, and he fought it for two and a half hours before it came unbuttoned withing sight of the boat. He was out near 54/44. Captain Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete was on a pelagic bird trip, and he reported seeing a Pacific saury at 12 inches which would be the largest saury we have ever observed. The largest one I have seen was 8 inches. These bait fish are normally around the tuna schools. Rockfishing during the week was difficult with a big swell and wind.”

A few of the Coastside Net Pen salmon have been scratched up outside of the entrance buoys, but the numbers are not arriving as expected.

Rockfishing remains the top story out of this port as the rough weather kept the boats closer to the harbor during the week. The Ankeny Street was out with 13 anglers on Thursday for limits of rockfish and a pair of ling cod.

The next big event is the anticipated Dungeness crab opener on November 6th, and we will know by November 1st if the season will open. This will depend upon the decision of the Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife based upon the presence of endangered humpbacked whales in the region.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Salmon 2 Bluefin tuna 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Weather conditions are holding, and the big bluefin bite of 2021 is still on! If anything, it is getting better as local anglers take advantage and learn from their mistakes. This week saw constant and consistent reports of boats finding, hooking, and landing multiple tuna from a widespread area. The key spots are located off of Point Sur or near the Finger Canyons 10 miles west of Davenport. In the Sur area, the giant tuna are as close as 6 miles from the beach! At the Fingers, the distance offshore is more like 10 to 12 miles. Both locations take some travel time from port, but so far, no one is complaining. There are temperature breaks out there, but they key factor seems to be getting to the canyon edges and just looking for feeding fish, jumpers, and breezers.

Last week we were calling this bite “epic.” We are moving rapidly towards “historical” status. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine is a noted tuna hunter in our area. On Saturday he said, “This is all time fishing here in Santa Cruz. The anglers are using 60- to 80-pound Seaguar and live bait hooks on the mackerel. There have been some fish caught trolling Rapalas, Nomads, or Cedar Plugs as well. Numerous fish have been caught and lost. There was even a 145-pound Opah caught on a mackerel near Davenport today.” Friday’s weather was a bit more uncomfortable, but tuna anglers were able to get offshore and score, according to Fraser. “Bluefin were caught today at the Davenport Fingers and down near Big Sur. The fish are here and they are in the 70- to 180-pound class. The key is to find the water temperature break and look for the bluefin. The wind was not bad in the morning but it did blow 15 in the afternoon,” he reported. NOAA weather forecasts look good for the coming week. If it holds, we should continue to enjoy this amazing fishery.

Captain Steve Gutierrez took out a crew on a venture last week, and he started off at Big Sur, only to find no boats plying the region. He searched around and looked for the warm water break, and they were rewarded after a four-mile run with a hook up on a huge bluefin estimated at 170 pounds on an ‘old school’ Rapala with a metal bill. After a 40-minute fight, Gutierrez took control for the final half-hour to bring the huge fish to the gaff.

Inshore, things are holding steady for regular fall-type fishing. In Capitola the rockfishing is still great. Lingcod catches are on the rise for fish from 6 to 20 pounds on local reefs. A few white sea bass are biting for anglers fishing near the Cement Ship. Halibut remain active in the Capitola area from 30 out to 80 feet of water. There are still a few undersized flatties in the mix, but most are keepers ranging from nine pounds up to the mid-twenties. Both the lings and halibut are biting like crazy on live bait. There’s plenty of bait to jig in the area including Spanish and Pacific mackerel, jack smelt, kingfish, and anchovies. Anglers are finding success trolling lures or bait with a three-way rig or drifting with a short-leader three-ways and Carolina rigs. This time of year, fishing for big halibut is usually best up the coast. The sandy areas between rocky points of Three-Mile and Four-Mile Beaches are classic spots for fall halibut fishing. The bull kelp in that area grows out to 70-foot depths. Anglers trolling or using live bait find big flatties just beyond the kelp beds out to 90-to 100-feet of water.”

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

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay

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

Typical of the 2021 salmon season, the pink meat decided to bite at the end of the week after very slow action during the week. The weather was an issue mid-week, keeping party boats to the coastal reefs for fair rockfish action, but with the flat seas over the weekend, a few boats are making the long run outside of Fanny Shoals to the Soap Bank to enjoy rockfishing in areas that haven’t been touched in decades. The new 50-fathom limit has opened up historically tremendous grounds, providing fishermen with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Salmon fishing isn’t red hot by any means, but some boats are coming close to a fish per rod which is a major improvement. On Wednesday, Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito was out with 12 anglers, and he said, “We worked hard for one fish up at Duxbury before coming down to Muir Beach for nothing. The area around Muir Beach is just loaded with bait, but the guest of honor wasn’t present.” However, starting on Saturday, the action improved with the three Sausalito boats returning with 39 salmon to 25 pounds for 39 fishermen while two of the boats returned with 20 salmon to 20 pounds for 28 anglers on Sunday. The Pacific Pearl out of Emeryville was out on Sunday with 11 anglers for 8 salmon to 21 pounds, and the Lovely Martha out of San Francisco returned with 15 salmon to 22 pounds for 19 anglers. The salmon season ends on October 31st, and with the renewed action on the beaches north of Point Reyes this week, there will be salmon to be had until season’s end.

Rockfishing remains the best show in town, but with the rough weather during the week, the boats had to stick along the coast, resulting in a precipitous drop in the ling cod count. The California Dawn and El Dorado III out of Berkeley had been pounding limits of lings, but they combined for 12 on Thursday along with 38 limits of rockfish. But, improved weather over the weekend allowed these boats to make the long run to the freshly-opened grounds outside of Fanny Shoals for a combined 45 limits of rockfish and 77 ling cod to 25 pounds. Most of the party boats targeting rockfish have been making the long run, either to the North Farallon Islands or Fanny Shoals for limits of rockfish and ling cod. The Happy Hooker out of Berkeley posted 17 limits of rockfish and ling cod on Sunday while the New Huck Finn out of Emeryville came home with a similar score with 23 limits of rockfish and ling cod.

Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco has been running north of Duxbury for limits of rockfish either before or after making an attempt for white sea bass inside of the bay. He said, “We hooked three of the ghosts on Thursday, but we couldn’t get them to the net.” One of the six-packs was able to put in five of the ghosts during the week, and there are signs of the white sea bass turning on over the next few months. October and November are the best two months for the bay’s white sea bass, and Koyasako didn’t come by the nomiker of ‘The Ghost Whisperer’ for nothing.

Also inside the bay, Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “A few halibut are starting to show up for the first time in months, and there are a lot of striped bass in the bay. The Marin Island, Brothers, and the Whaling Station are all good areas to drift live bait, and the tides are great for drifting this week.”

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 3

Near-limits of rockfish continue to be the story out of the San Luis Obispo County ports with the party boats taking a variety of trips from ½-day to long-range. Similar to every other week of the season, the longer you travel from the harbor, the better the quality of rockfish. This is proven once again by the Endeavor out of Morro Bay Landing which ran at 12-hour trip on Sunday with 24 anglers for limits of rockfish and 7 lings to 16 pounds, returning with 120 vermilion, 40 copper, 10 Boccaccio, and 70 assorted rockfish. The Phenix and Avenger ran half-day trips on Sunday with 53 fishermen for 20 vermilion, 13 copper, 10 Boccaccio, 300 assorted rockfish, and one rock sole. Also out of Morro Bay, the Fiesta, Rita G, and Black Pearl were out on Sunday with 69 passengers for near-limits of rockfish with 187 vermilion, 325 assorted rockfish, 25 copper, 30 Boccaccio, 10 canary, 5 ocean whitefish, and 2 rock sole. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis at Avila Beach, the Patriot, Phenix, and Flying Fish also returned with near-limits of rockfish on Sunday with a combined 54 fishermen returning to the docks with 16 vermilion, 3 copper, 6 Boccaccio, 69 Bolina, 407 assorted rockfish, and 6 tree fish. All ports are taking trips ranging from ½ day to long range.

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 3 Bluegill 3 Salmon 2

The Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival is back after a one-year hiatus, and the stretch of the river from above the Rio Vista Bridge west towards Collinsville will be loaded with boats starting Friday, October 8th at 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 10th with anglers targeting striped bass, sturgeon, and salmon in three different divisions.

The big news in the Sacramento-Delta is not the increasing numbers of salmon taken from the banks from Benicia to Freeport, nor is it the improved striped bass bite for those throwing topwater lures, but it is the incredible sturgeon action in Suisun Bay timed with the return of the six-pack operators to Pittsburg and Martinez Marinas.

The sturgeon bite has been absolutely ‘on fire,’ and one six-pack out of Pittsburg that remained in the Delta throughout the summer brought 29 sturgeon to the boat while keeping six limits at the end of the week. Another boat was reported to have brought 13 sturgeon to the boat along with missing that many bites. The action appears to be centered around Pittsburg as the diamondbacks don’t appear to have moved very far from last season, perhaps due to the lack of fresh water flow.

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing started his sturgeon season on Saturday, and he said, “Today’s opening trip got off to as exceptional start as we were full of action throughout the day. We ended with two healthy slot fish and a handful of undersized sturgeon soaking salmon roe outside of the Pittsburg Harbor.”

Six-pack Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg posted six limits of sturgeon on Sunday after putting in 4 on Saturday and another six on Friday. He said, “The sturgeon are holding in three different areas, and they are biting eel in addition to salmon roe. We had triples and doubles several times during the week as the bite is really good.” Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures starting his catch-and-release sturgeon trips in a few weeks.

For striped bass, Alan Fong, manager of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Sacramento, continues to find great action in the north Delta in spite of the wind early in the week. He said, “We have been tossing 5-inch swimbaits in pearl on a 3/8th- to ½-ounce jig head into shallow water in the mornings before targeting largemouth bass later in the day. The stripers are super-shallow, and trollers running Rat-L-Traps in 2- to 4- feet of water are catching and releasing as many as 130 stripers in a day. Normally, the trollers would be working at depths from 8 to 15 feet, but these fish are feeding heavily in the shallows. They have even had jellyfish in their bellies as the jellies have been found around Sherman Island. When we were up in Liberty Island, we were watching salmon chasing something on the surface, and we changed lures to try for salmon, but they weren’t intested.”

Kris Huff of Phenix Rods went casting at night inside of Sherman Island, and he found excellent topwater action for stripers to 15 pounds. Kenji Nagakawa, also of Phenix Rods, was out in the evenings with Chapin Fowler of Lodi in the central Delta, and they found an excellent glide bait bite with Dep’s 250 glides.

Dave Houston, trolling expert, said, “Trolling remains very tough for striped bass although the water temperature, clarity, and wind was out on side this week. We put on 65 miles to find a few schools of fish, but once we trolled through them, they scattered. We also had 5 to 10 hookups that came unbuttoned. We had plenty of action, but we didn’t even get a boat limit. Throwing topwater or drifting live bait is working the best right now.”

Craig Newton of Will Fish Tackle in Auburn said, “One of our regulars was on the Sacramento-Delta on Friday for 40 lineside on minnows, and he trolled Monday for 25 keepers and 13 shakers. The stripers are in there.”

In the north Delta, Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport said, “The salmon are here, and there are more chrome salmon coming through. Bank anglers are scoring with Mepp’s Flying C spinners while those jigging in finding increased success with Slammer Minnows below the Freeport Bridge. The next two months should be great for salmon action as the water is cooling down. Striped bass are found in Liberty Island, the Sacramento Deep Water Channel, and around the Rio Vista Bridge by drifting live jumbo minnows or mudsuckers. Red ear perch are showing up with jumbo red worms on a drop-shot rig.”

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait and Tackle said, “They are starting to catch salmon off both the Dillon Point State Park and off of 1st Street with Vee-Zee or Flying C spinners. Striped bass are starting to come in over at McAvoy’s Boat Harbor in Bay Point, and they are getting larger. Ron Reisinger of Chico was out for 10 hours in Honker Bay because he didn’t want to fish the deep water near Pittsburg where all of the sturgeon have been, and he reported seeing numbers of salmon breaking the surface in the shallows.

The San Joaquin-Delta has been a solid producer of for both striped and largemouth bass, and with the cooling water temperatures, crappie are starting to make a showing. The wind has been a factor, particularly on the outgoing tide, and the most productive time on the water is during the incoming tide.

Jeff Huth, longtime bass industry expert, was the emcee for the 11th Annual Yamamoto Big Bass Challenge over the weekend out of Russo’s Marina, and he said, “The bite was much better for size on Sunday, and everyone was scratching their heads over why the size improved. The large fish on Saturday was 6.44 pounds landed by Stewart Wong on a Senko while two fish over 8 pounds were landed on Sunday with others in the 6- and 7-pound range. Josh Ireland brought in the big fish of the tournament at 8.61 pounds on a Flapping Hog with Kyle Indalecio weighing in at 8.01 pounds on a Senko. The Flapping Hog-type lures were effective along with Senkos or Cowboys. Indalecio also was the receipt of $3000 in the Super 12 drawing of the 12 largest bass in the event. Our participation was down a bit this year with a Tournament of Champions at Don Pedro drawing 80 boats, and there were even a few hours when the chairs were empty with three spots. We have never this before in the years of Yamamoto sponsorship and the three previous years of the Berkley Big Bass Challenge. Numbers of bass weren’t a problem, but it was difficult to find any size. Some of the anglers reported landing 30/40 fish, but there were a number of young, aggressive fish. The question was – do you want come in to weigh in a 2-pound fish? In the past, this wouldn’t have made the board, but there were several hours that a 2- to 3-pound fish would have been in the money, particularly on Saturday.”

Ocsanna Seropyan, manager of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Manteca, reported solid largemouth bass action with plastics on the drop-shot or wacky rig along with punching the weeds in the central and south Delta.

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors said, “Striped bass fishing remains best on the western edge of the San Joaquin system near Sherman Island with the Optimum Bad Bubba Shad or the Dep’s 250 glide bait.”

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, reported excellent striped bass action in Discovery Bay, the Middle River, and the Old River Flats along with Sherman Island.

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor said, “Striper fishing has been very good with limits every day since we started in August with the exception of one day. We are still drifting minnows on the San Joaquin River, and the schools are clearly moving around. They will stick around for a day or two, but once the sea lions come through, the bite is gone. I am constantly searching up and down the river, and I will come back on different times during the tide when I think the fish will be there. The wind was down over the weekend which made for much more comfortable fishing as we could stay out on both tides.”

In the south Delta, Omega Nguyen of MegaBait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “Stripers are running through the south Delta below the Mossdale Bridge, and there is a topwater bite with Pencil Poppers or Spooks in the early mornings or evenings. Fresh shad, pile worms, and blood worms have been effective off of Sherman Island Road while anchovies or sardines are picking up undersized fish. We have been receiving between 100 and 120 pounds of fresh shad on a daily basis, and we will be getting closer to 200 pounds this weekend with the Rio Vista Bass Derby. I will be delivering bait and tackle to the Brannan Island launch ramp on Friday night if I receive an order before 5:00 p.m.”

The Purple Hearts Anglers will hold their annual Salmon Derby along with a striped bass side point out of Brannan Island State Park on Saturday, October 23rd. Disabled veterans from throughout the region are invited along with the normal participation from the Yountville Veterans Home. Volunteer boats and captains are needed for the event along with helping with the BBQ, If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Darren Butler at darren@purpleheartanglers.org. If you are interested in participating, please contact Randy Houston at randy@purpleheartanglers.org.

A temporary emergency drought barrier has been placed in False River to slow the movement of saltwater into the central Delta and prevent the contamination of water supplies. The barrier will remain through November.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is requesting assistance in identifying adult sturgeon carcasses in the Bay/Delta, stating, “In recent years, researchers and natural resource managers have become interested in reports of adult sturgeon carcasses that are thought to have died for reasons unrelated to the recreational fishery. These deaths may be due to biological causes, such as predation by marine mammals, or from human sources such as dredging, ship strikes, or illegal harvest by poachers. Increasing human pressures on these ancient fish make them vulnerable to population decline, and its critically important that we understand and monitor individual deaths that occur outside of recreational harvest. CDFW is collaborating with other researchers to learn more about this issue. We are asking the public to report sturgeon carcasses when they are found. Please email photos to California Sturgeon Research at CaSturgeonResearch@gmail.com and include the date, location (smartphone map coordinates preferred), and a common object for size reference. We kindly ask those reporting to not move or disturb the carcass.

For more information about sturgeon, please visit the following sites: wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Fishes/Sturgeon

facebook.com/casturgeonresearch, fisheries.noaa.gov/species/green-sturgeon

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 2 White bass 2 Striper 0 Catfish 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 3 Trout 2

At Nacimiento, the bass bite has become challenging as the topwater bite has been limited to a small window. The bass are starting to orient to the bottom, and small spoons like Hopkins Shorties are working for both spotted and white bass. Plastics on the drop-shot are the most consistent technique. The red ear and bluegill bite remains excellent with red worms, jumbo red worms, or wax worms. The lake has dropped to 11%, and boaters have to be extremely cautious with the unmarked hazards throughout the lake. A webcam of the lake is available at http://www.lakenacimientolive.com/. At Lopez, the bass action has slowed, but the fish are starting to school up as the water temperature cools. There is a reaction bite in the shallows with spinnerbaits along with plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or Senkos. Meal worms or red worms are effective for the lake’s bluegill or red ear perch for some quality panfish. The launch ramp is still accessible, but it is best to contact the marina at (805) 489-1006 for the latest launch ramp status as it could change any time. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, bass fishing is on the upswing, and a variety of techniques are working for the largemouths including a reaction bite with flukes or crankbaits along with dragging the bottom with lizards, Brush Hogs, or Senkos. The weeds are thick throughout the shoreline areas, but the cooler weather should be slowing down their growth. Catfish are taken on cut mackerel soaked in garlic while bluegill or red ear perch are found with wax worms or meal worms near shady areas around trees or docks. At San Antonio, crappie are the best bet with nightcrawlers or minijigs while the catfish bite is fair at best with Triple S Dip Bait in Bloody Formula or mackerel coated with garlic. Bass remain slow with the occasional fish taken on plastics. The ramp opens at 1:00 p.m. on Fridays, but it is open at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The lake held at 7%.

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

Events

Tournament results

Delta/Contra Costa County – Sierra Bass Club Team Event – September 18th/19th (3 limits): 1st – Chris Flammang/Ryan Motter – 28.47 pounds (Big Fish – Flammang – 5.62); 2nd – Ron Orbaker/Tim Chase – 23.13 pounds; 3rd- Quincy and Mickie Marrs – 20.38.

Lake Camanche – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies–– October 2nd – 1st: Dan Byker/Roberto H. – 11.66 pounds (Big Fish – 3.16); 2nd – Jimmy and Dave Gentry – 10.91; 3rd –Jon Schalmeier/Tim Barker – 10.47.

Don Pedro – Wild West Bass Trails Teams Tournament of Champions–– October 2nd/3rd – 1st: Garrett Maddex/Scott Burke – 24.25 pounds; 2nd – Bruce Harris/Randy Pierson – 23.76; 3rd – Tony Francheschi/Nick Welton – 22.51.

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

October 10th –

McClure – Slay Nation Tournaments

Success – Kings VIII Bass Club

October 16th/17th –

Camanche – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

October 16th –

Delta/B and W Resort – Angler’s Press/Fresno Bass Club

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass/17-90 Bass Club

New Melones – Outlaw Bass Team Tournament

Tulloch – Sierra Bass Club

Don Pedro – Stanislaus County Sheriff’s

Success – Kern County Bassmasters

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club

October 17th –

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

Tulloch – Nor Cal High School Bass

October 22nd – 24th-

Delta/B and W Resort – Wild West Bass Trails

October 24th –

Pardee – Lodi High School Bass Team

Don Pedro – Angler’s Press

October 29th – 31st –

Delta/Contra Costa – Wild West Bass Trails

October 30th –

Don Pedro – Gold Country Bass Tour

Success – Xtreme Bass Club