Fishing report, Nov. 10-16: Trout plants boost bites at Bass Lake, McSwain

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 bass, stripers and sturgeon bites surge back after storm, Alan Fong said. McClure bass action good, Ryan Cook reported. Southern California Aqueduct stripers hitting, Pete Cormier said. Don Pedro trout and bass eating, Monte Smith reported. Monterey bluefin tuna fever continues, Allen Bushnell said.

Roger’s Remarks: His first fish story: Eyes in the water

There’s usually a first fishing story for almost every serious angler, one that drives them for life.

For me, it was when I was about 7 years old and my dad and a buddy of his took me to the old Mendota Slough to do some bass fishing from shore.

I was stoked for a couple reasons: I had never caught a bass all by myself and I was desperate to prove I could do it; and we were going to walk the shore, so I might be able to go to my own spot. I knew the slough had a lot of gnarled old trees and stumps, making every little cove its own world. My imagination was on full-tilt, my first chance to fish with the big guys on my own terms.

I remember how scary the slough looked. The water was a dark chocolate dirty color and spooky trees and brush covered the shoreline. I was going to have to go through and around all kinds of junk, but this made the adventure that much more real.

I was surprised when my dad and his buddy took off for an area about 150 yards away. They could see me at times, but I was on my own.

There were so many branches, bushes and limbs on the shoreline and in the water I tried to be careful not to hook one. I had fished for about 30 minutes when I began to realize this wasn’t easy. Would I ever catch my first bass?

I managed to push through some branches and there in front of me was a perfect spot. On my left, a large old scraggly tree had fallen in the water, and on my right there were a few bushes in the water creating a little pocket for me to cast my prop bait. There had to be a bass here!

I kept casting the spot for 10 minutes before I kinda gave up. I was standing on the shore between the weeds and as I reeled up my last cast, I began just lifting, then dropping my lure that was hanging 3 feet under my pole onto the water. I would splash it around some, then make it jump up and down. This “kid distraction” went on for 20 seconds or so when something strange happened.

Two eyeballs appeared just under the surface below the lure I had just barely lifted out of the water. A frog? Curious I let the lure back down into the water, then lifted it up again. The eyeballs appeared again! That’s when the water exploded as a bass burst up to get my lure above the water just a few feet from the end of my pole.

I couldn’t believe it when I landed the nice 1 1/2-pound largemouth. I had done it by myself! I ran through all the underbrush to the far side of the slough, carrying my trophy and screaming all the way.

Dad and his buddy were excited for me. I don’t think they believed my fish story at first, but it was too good for a young kid to make up. My very first fish story.

Never give up!

Roger George: rogergeorge8@protonmail.com, Rogergeorgeguideservice on Facebook and @StriperWars

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 2

In the California Aqueduct from Kettleman City north, the striped bass bite has been decent with River2Sea Swavers or Spro 160s along with Keitech swimbaits on a scrounger head or jerkbaits. Striperz Gone Wild will be hosting their annual Toys for Tots Striped Bass Derby on Dec. 11 at the Hilldale Bridge from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The entry fee is an unwrapped toy, and all toys will be donated to the Los Banos Toys for Tots. There are no boundaries for the derby with prizes, awards, and a raffle.

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported a vastly improved striped bass bite with blood worms or large minnows while catfish are taken on chicken livers or Triple S Dip Bait. As we move into the winter months, the concrete at the aqueduct can become frozen and very slippery. Anglers have to be extremely cautious to stay out of the cold, swift waters of the aqueduct, particularly when it is flowing heavily during these periods of heavy pumping.

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 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Eastman continues to show signs of life with improved bass action from the shoreline or kayaks with chatterbaits. Hensley remains slow for all species with the exception of catfish.” Both lakes maintained at the same level 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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Several tournaments were held over the weekend, and the best action remains with G-Money Jigs or Hula Grubs in brown/purple or green pumpkin on a 1/4-ounce football head jig at depths from 10 to 40 feet over main lake points. There is a topwater and subsurface bite with the Berkley Choppo 90 or the 5-inch white Super Fluke when the bass are busting bait on the surface. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported good trout action fast-troll heavy spoons through the shad schools at depths from 20 to 40 feet, but the shad schools are scattered. The lake held at 49%. The Fleming Meadows and Moccasin launch ramps remain open.

A trout plant is scheduled for this week.

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

A trout plant is scheduled for Isabella next week, and the release of catchables could start the swimbait bass bite going. Bass remain best for size and less for numbers with the best action on small Keitech swimbaits, spinnerbaits, underspins, or plastics on a Texas-rig, all in shad patterns. Catfishing is a good option with Triple S Dip Bait along with shrimp, but the crappie have slowed down with an occasional slab taken on minijigs or small minnows over structure. The lake held at 9%. Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported only a few trout plants are scheduled for the urban Bakersfield lakes in the coming months with one in December, followed by another in January. He said, “There is building interest for the November 20th Taft Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby at Buena Vista, and the word is that this lake will only be planted three or four times this winter. The lower Kern River continues to kick out largemouth and smallmouth bass on small plastics, nightcrawlers, live crickets, or small minnows along with a few catfish. In the Kern River, the flows came up to 144 at Kernville in the upper river and to 204 cfs at First Point on the lower river.

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

Lake Kaweah

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 1 Catfish 2

The lake rose to 13%, and the Kings III Bass Club is holding a tournament on Nov. 14. The bass bite is fair, but there is the opportunity for a trophy largemouth on swimbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, or large plastics. The Kaweah River dropped to 52 cfs at Three Rivers.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 1 Trout 2 Catfish 2

A trout plant is scheduled for next week, and the planted rainbows could get the swimbait bite going. The lake rose slightly to 10%, and the bass bite remains hit or miss with the best action on jigs or crankbaits.

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

McClure Reservoir

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

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing spent the entire week at McClure, and he said, “The lake has been on fire for numbers as there is a limited pool of water. The bass are focusing on crawdads right now as they aren’t many shad eaters around. We have been scoring 50 to 60 fish per trip working G-Money jigs, 5-inch twin-tailed Yamamoto Hula Grubs, 6-inch Oxblood worms on a drop-shot rig, or 3.5-inch Dry Creek tubes at depths from 10 to 40 feet in the main lake or up the river arm. It helps to be around the larger rock as well. 4,000 pounds of catchable rainbows were planted within the past few weeks, and this will bring out the swimbait bite. I took out ‘Catch ‘Em Quick’ Cory Griffiths of Denair this week, and we put in a 13-pound limit which is impressive for McClure. The lake has come up 9 to 10 feet in the past week, but it is still very low.”

The Sierra Bass Club held a club tournament at the lake on Saturday, and Mitch Melikian said, “The bass were found anywhere from 2 to 30 feet, mostly on plastics, and there were lots and lots of small fish in the 1- to 2-pound range. Most of our anglers had limits, but the ‘kicker’ fish were nowhere to be found. The lake is very low, and the river arm is clogged with debris. I don’t advise navigating up there. The Horseshoe is high and dry.” The lake has risen slightly to 20%. The Barrett Cove South is the only ramp at McClure. Another trout plant is scheduled for this week.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 3

The 3,800 combined pounds from the Calaveras Trout Farm and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife boosted the trout bite over the past week. The best action remains 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 20 feet.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2

The lake rose slightly to 59%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The headwaters have been the top location for spotted bass with jerkbaits or deep-diving crankbaits. The spoon bite has been slow, but some spotted bass are taken along with the possibility of a largemouth on jigs. Catfishing is best at night with anchovies or chicken livers.” The river held at 215 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 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service has been on the lake nearly every day, and he said, “The bite was tough on Sunday as the reaction bite was absent. We had been scoring with ripbaits and swimbaits earlier in the week for as many as 40 fish, but we couldn’t get anything on a ripbait or spinnerbait on Sunday. We flip-flopped over to working the bottom with plastics on a shakey-head in the shallows along with jigs at 50 to 60 feet. We starting dragging stuff deep, and we were able to grind out 15 to 20 fish. Saturday’s trip was far more productive as my client picked up a 4-pound spotted bass on a swimbait. The shad are scattered throughout, but the schools are broken up into smaller groupings at 45 to 60 feet. The water temperature is still warm at 64/65 degrees, and the shad will not be schooling up until the water cools.” A trout plant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is scheduled this week. There are numerous unmarked hazards throughout the lake. Boaters have to be extremely caution.

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 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

The lake rose slightly to 21%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun said, “The bass bite is picking up with ice jigs over the shad schools along with chatterbaits or crankbaits along Lakeview or Windy Gap. The Tulare Police Activities Fundraising Tournament brought out a number of fishermen to the lake last weekend. Trout trollers are starting to score in the main lake with shad-patterned spoons by finding the shad schools.” In the lower Kings River below Pine Flat, trout plants continue this week, and with most of the water being held behind the dam, the flows are good in the lower Kings. With the plants, trout fishing has improved 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. The flows have dropped significantly from 797 to 473 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

The main lake continues to rise with heavy pumping out of the south Delta, and it came up from 12% to 18% this week. The striped bass are suspending with the rising water levels, and trollers are picking up a few linesides with Lucky Craft or Rapalas in white or minnow patterns at depths to 40 feet. With the stripers moving out into deeper water, the bank bite has slowed, but kayakers are working jerkbaits near the shorelines in the morning before trolling umbrella rigs. The Basalt Recreational Area Dock #2 ramp is open. The lake closes at sunset.

In the O’Neill Forebay, the grass is starting to die off with the colder weather, and with the heavy pumping of water out of the south Delta, the reaction bite has improved with deep-diving jerkbaits or Rat-L-Traps along with trolling umbrella rigs by mid-morning. Anchovies, blood worms, jumbo minnows, or pile worms are working from the few areas devoid of grass around the shorelines.

A trout plant is scheduled for Los Banos Detention Reservoir this week.

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

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

A trout plant occurred last week, and with the cooler weather, shoreline action from the Sheriff’s Tower should improve with Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Trolling should also pick up as the planters get acclimated to the lake. Crappie are taken from the docks with minijigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles. Few bass fishermen are heading to the lake, but the trout bite should improve as the plants start and the water cools. The lake dropped from 66% to 59%, getting close to the level where launching a large boat at the public ramp is a challenge. The Sheriff’s Motor Fee remains in the effect during the winter months. A trout plant is scheduled for this week.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The Kaiser Pass lakes are very low with Florence at only 9% and Edison at 10%, but Mammoth Pool has risen to 48%. Kaiser Pass is closed for the winter with snowmobile access only.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 1 Trout 2

At Shaver, similar to other high-elevation kokanee lakes, it’s all about trout fishing for the remainder of the winter. Bank fishermen are picking up a few holdovers from the banks around the Dam and the rockwall above the Sierra Marina. The lake has dropped to 41%.

At Huntington, With the boat launch out of the water, kayaks or small aluminum boats are being launched from the shorelines with good results for trolling with orange or copper/gold spoons from the surface to 15 feet. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bank anglers are tossing jerkbaits, spinners, or swimbaits for the trout in the shallows between the submerged trees.” The lake continues to drop, and it is currently at 41%.

Todd Wittwer – Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435; Tom Oliveira – Tom Oliveira Fishing – 802-8072

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 1

The Wishon Village RV Park and Store has closed, and the McKinley Grove Road has also closed for the season.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Crab 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 2

The word came down from the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife on November 1st that the Bay Area recreational crab anglers would not be able to use crab traps until November 22nd at the earliest, but hoop nets and snares could still be employed. A few enterprising party boat operators purchased the extra-large Promar hoops, and although the action was sporadic on Saturday, the boats seemed to get dialed in on Sunday despite rough weather conditions.

Initially, the boats out of Emeryville Sport Fishing were going to run rockfish/ling cod trips only until the crab pots were allowed, but the New Huck Finn changed things up on Sunday after some decent crab scores on Saturday. Taking out 18 passengers, they returned with 153 Dungeness crab along with 45 rockfish and 3 ling cod despite rough ocean conditions, indicating that crab limits were possible if they concentrated on pulling the pots longer. The California Dawn and New Eldorado III made a significant investment in the Promar hoops, and after posting just over half-limits of crab on the opener, they got dialed in and scored 37 limits of crab on Sunday, foregoing rockfishing to spend more time on the crab in the rougher ocean conditions. The Berkeley Charterboats also got in on the hoop action with 135 Dungeness for 15 anglers on a crab-only trip. However, the restriction of the crab pots made for a most unusual start to the Dungeness crab season.

Captain Chris Smith on the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley took a small private charter to the Farallons on Sunday, and he said, “Despite a little wind, the fish cooperated for us with 12 limits of rockfish and a few token lingcod. With the success of the other boats using hoop nets, we will also be employing the hoops on combination trips.”

Inside the bay, Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions has found tough sledding with five striped bass for five anglers on Sunday at the Brickyard. He said, “We trolled for 3 hours for halibut without a bite, and the king tides have muddied up the bay’s water. I don’t think it has been the debris and muddy water coming out of the rivers, but the king tides and the dredging taking place at Loch Lomond. There is a line of chocolate water stretching on the north side of San Pablo Bay. There is floating debris and pieces of plywood in the water, but they could have been lifted off of the banks with the big tides. We did run into a whole pile of white sea bass on Saturday, but they have been reluctant to bite our live smelt. With the bait receiver shut down for the season, live smelt has been the only available live bait, and it hasn’t been very successful for the white sea bass. The commercial sea bass fishermen are not catching any fish on the smelt, and I have only heard of one ghost taken on a smelt this year. It may take a few days for the bay to clear out again.”

In San Pablo Bay, boaters have to be careful approaching the Marin Islands as they are listed as a National Wildlife Refuge with boats needing to remain 300 feet from the shoreline. The enforcement of this poorly-advertised regulation is inconsistent, but a violation carries a hefty fine.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz

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, “ Bluefin fever still grips most serious anglers in the Monterey Bay. A good number of fish were brought in this week including a few tuna weighing over 200 pounds each. The fish are more likely to be in the Davenport Fingers area rather than the Big Sur area right now. There are still plenty of skunks, and fish lost due to fate or inadequate equipment. Serious fisherman are tuning up their technique though. Planning a three or four-day succession of trips has allowed many to hone effective practices for finding, hooking and boating these giant tuna.

The early winter-type storm last week did not seem to immediately affect the concentration of tuna in the area. A little weather this week, and perhaps the falling barometer as we anticipate rainstorms in the following week may be a factor as the big schools seem to be dissipating at this time. Tom Joseph on the Sara Bella reported success last week with a party of two. They landed one 64-pound tuna and lost another due to ‘A brand New Shimano Telica ll gears freezing up after a two-hour battle.’

Todd Fraser at Bayside Maine received no bluefn reports on Sunday whatsoever. In the days prior to the weekend, Fraser called it as “hit or miss’ on the bluefin for the past few days. The last day of decent reports was Tuesday. The water was flat and despite foggy conditions, bluefin up to and over 200 pounds were landed. Slow-trolling live mackerel is still the best technique. Most are using downriggers from 40 to 150 feet down and trailing the bait a minimum of 200 feet from the back of the boat. Fast-trolling surface lures are still catching a few fish as well.

On the inside, fishing is still going strong. Monterey anglers kept busy with rockfish and lingcod mostly. Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching Trips out of Monterey reported daily limits up to 200 rockies and up to eight lingcod on their Saturday trip. In Santa Cruz, Ken Stagnaro reported limits of rockfish for 18 clients aboard the Legacy. Alongside the big schools of mixed mackerel near Capitola are some tanker white sea bass. The ghosts are biting on live, fly-lined macks. Fishing after dark can be a great technique for these powerful and tasty gamefish. Remember the limit is three fish per angler and each must measure at least 28 inches.

Not limited to Monterey Bay, but vital for all California sport anglers is the latest message from those protesting the California Air Resource Board’s plan to institute draconian limits on charter fishing boats and other “harbor craft.” Essentially CARB intends to impose regulations that will drive many if not most small charter operations out of business. Thousands of lives will be negatively affected, and millions of income dollars erased if CARB goes through with the unfeasible plans requiring premature Tier implementation and enforcement for ‘harbor craft,” i.e., charter fishing boats, whale watchers and tour boats. Essentially, the regulations call for emissions equipment on all these small craft that either will not fit on the boats, or has not been invented yet. It is insane to impose these regulations without available, affordable technology available to hard-working operators. If you care about ocean fishing and all those who make it possible for us to enjoy the sport, send comments to: info@savefishing.com.”

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

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay

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

The word came down from the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife on November 1st that the Bay Area recreational crab anglers would not be able to use crab traps until November 22nd at the earliest, but hoop nets and snares could still be employed. A few enterprising party boat operators purchased the extra-large Promar hoops, and although the action was sporadic on Saturday, the boats seemed to get dialed in on Sunday despite rough weather conditions.

Initially, the boats out of Emeryville Sport Fishing were going to run rockfish/ling cod trips only until the crab pots were allowed, but the New Huck Finn changed things up on Sunday after some decent crab scores on Saturday. Taking out 18 passengers, they returned with 153 Dungeness crab along with 45 rockfish and 3 ling cod despite rough ocean conditions, indicating that crab limits were possible if they concentrated on pulling the pots longer. The California Dawn and New Eldorado III made a significant investment in the Promar hoops, and after posting just over half-limits of crab on the opener, they got dialed in and scored 37 limits of crab on Sunday, foregoing rockfishing to spend more time on the crab in the rougher ocean conditions. The Berkeley Charterboats also got in on the hoop action with 135 Dungeness for 15 anglers on a crab-only trip. However, the restriction of the crab pots made for a most unusual start to the Dungeness crab season.

Captain Chris Smith on the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley took a small private charter to the Farallons on Sunday, and he said, “Despite a little wind, the fish cooperated for us with 12 limits of rockfish and a few token lingcod. With the success of the other boats using hoop nets, we will also be employing the hoops on combination trips.”

Inside the bay, Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions has found tough sledding with five striped bass for five anglers on Sunday at the Brickyard. He said, “We trolled for 3 hours for halibut without a bite, and the king tides have muddied up the bay’s water. I don’t think it has been the debris and muddy water coming out of the rivers, but the king tides and the dredging taking place at Loch Lomond. There is a line of chocolate water stretching on the north side of San Pablo Bay. There is floating debris and pieces of plywood in the water, but they could have been lifted off of the banks with the big tides. We did run into a whole pile of white sea bass on Saturday, but they have been reluctant to bite our live smelt. With the bait receiver shut down for the season, live smelt has been the only available live bait, and it hasn’t been very successful for the white sea bass. The commercial sea bass fishermen are not catching any fish on the smelt, and I have only heard of one ghost taken on a smelt this year. It may take a few days for the bay to clear out again.”

In San Pablo Bay, boaters have to be careful approaching the Marin Islands as they are listed as a National Wildlife Refuge with boats needing to remain 300 feet from the shoreline. The enforcement of this poorly-advertised regulation is inconsistent, but a violation carries a hefty fine.

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 Surf perch 3

Near-limits were the rule out of the Luis Obispo County harbors as the boats are averaging around 8 rockfish per rod with the occasional ling cod. The Fiesta, Rita G, and Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay were out on Sunday with 59 fishermen for 60 vermilion, 17 copper, 482 assorted rockfish, one ocean white fish, and 7 ling cod. Out of Morro Bay Starfire and Avenger took 40 anglers out Sunday for 85 vermilion, 20 copper, 10 Boccaccio, 253 assorted rockfish, and one ling cod for a total of 353 fish. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis at Avila Beach, the Patriot and Flying Fish, and Phenix were out on Sunday with a combined 35 anglers for 8 vermilion, 2 copper, 7 Boccaccio to 9 pounds, 4 Bolina, 280 assorted rockfish, 5 gopher, one treefish, one tiger rockfish, and 2 ling cod to 7 pounds. Rockfish season ends on December 31st. Webcams of many of the coastal locations are available at https://805webcams.com/.

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 3 Salmon 2

The Sacramento-Delta was inundated with a wall of muddy water after the first major storm of the year two weekends ago, but it is starting to clear out with the debris, logs, and muddy water settling down in the upper stretches of the Delta. Sturgeon fishing has been best in Suisun Bay, but there are sturgeon migrating up the river with the heavy push of inflow. Striped bass action remains best with live bait or on the anchor with dead bait as the water still hasn’t cleared enough to be trollable, but this is coming soon if the rains hold off. Salmon are migrating up the river system, and although the action isn’t ‘hot and heavy,’ the few fish landed are big.

Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport said, “The pressure for salmon is light, but with the water clearing up in the north Delta, there have been salmon taken on Brad’s Cut Plugs behind an 11-inch Pro-Troll dodger, Slammer spinners, or Silvertron spinners for trollers below the Freeport Bridge. Sturgeon are making their move from Clarksburg on up, and pile worms and ghost shrimp have been the top baits. Striped bass are found in Liberty Island and in the Sacramento Deep Water Channel with live mudsuckers or jumbo minnows. The water is clearing, and fishing should be really good within the next two weeks.”

Alan Fong, manager of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Sacramento, went into the Mokelumne River system for largemouth and striped bass earlier in the week, and he was greeted by a plethora of water hyacinth on the surface. He said, “When you see a huge bunch of hyacinth in a group, beware, because the hyacinth are hiding a huge log that may be just under the surface. With the dirty water, we found a tough bite, but the river is clearing up a little bit every day. I was able to flip the grass on the outside with a one-ounce weight for largemouth bass success.”

Also in the north Delta in the Old Sacramento River, Vieira’s Resort near Isleton reported two salmon were brought in on Friday with another two on Saturday despite the water being off color. The river is clearing up, but there are logs and trees floating around. The best action has been taking place from the launch ramp to the Isleton Bridge with double-bladed Silvertron spinners in chartreuse. The quote was, ‘The fish are few and far between, but they are big.”

The sturgeon are starting to move around after being kegged up outside of Pittsburg for months, and Captain Charles Kimberly of Flash Fishing out of Pittsburg said, “The fresh water runoff has grassed up the water, and the only place I could find clear water was in Montezuma Slough. The sturgeon have moved into the slough which is unusual for this time of year as they normally move into the slough later in the season. The sturgeon that have been around Pittsburg have spread out, and before the big rainstorm, we had limits before 9:00 a.m. one day. However, since the big storm, the bite has been far more challenging. We were in Montezuma Slough over the weekend, and there were a number of boats from the Power Lines to Nurse Slough.”

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing said, “I started out off of Sherman Island on Sunday before heading downriver to Port Chicago. My clients have been wanting to set the hook themselves, and we had a total of 16 missed opportunities as setting hook is the most difficult aspect of sturgeon fishing. We support our client’s desire to set their own hook, but this will result in fewer hook ups. We had plenty of opportunities over the weekend, ending up with a slot-limit sturgeon along with a few shorts on Sunday using either grass shrimp or salmon roe.”

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing, also out of Pittsburg, also experienced missed opportunities over the weekend, but they released at least two oversized sturgeon to 64 inches.

Captains Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures out of Pittsburg Marina had a great day on Sunday with a charter from Pisor Fence Division Inc. with 3 slot-limit fish released along with 8 shakers using his specially cured salmon roe.

For shoreline salmon, the action has slowed along the Benicia shoreline with few salmon reported in the past week, perhaps due to the muddy water from the inflow and the big tides. Striped bass fishing remains solid for schoolies with a variety of lures intended for salmon along with cut baits.

With all of the fresh water flow coming down the Sacramento River, the Delta Cross Channel Gates will be in active mode. Information on the gate operation is available via 916-979-2194 or www.usbr.gov/mp/cov.

The waters in the western section of the San Joaquin River have muddied up, driving those seeking striped and largemouth bass towards the cleanest water in the east and south Delta. The Wild West Bass Trails held at three-day Pro/Am championship out of Ladd’s Marina in Stockton, and Stockton-native Ken Mah took first-place with a three-day total of 52.61 pounds, leading second-place finisher Obedie Williams by less than a pound at 51.65. Phillip Dutra came in third in the close competition, only.02 hundredths behind Williams at 51.63 pounds. Gary Balwind took the Amateur division with a three-day limit of 32.88 pounds. Working the grass mats by following the rising tide proved effective as the bass are feeding on crawdads along the grass lines.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was out with Matt Paino of Optimum Baits to film Delta striped and largemouth techniques. He said, “We roped the striped bass on the shoals of the main San Joaquin on the incoming tide. The pumps in the south Delta are running full bore, and I have never seen so much water movement on the incoming despite inflow coming down the rivers. We scored numbers of striped bass with the 4 or 5-inch Bad Bubba Shad swimbait on a ½-ounce head before working the new Baby Stick topwater lure which is designed for smallmouth and spotted bass. The Delta largemouth generally will go after a larger bait, but we were able to get some to stick on the small topwater lure along with the ima Flit 120 in shad or bluegill patterns.”

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors was also tossing Bad Bubba Shad swimbait on the main river, and he said, “We started in the clearer water of the south Delta, and the stripers were stacked under the Orwood Bridge, but they didn’t want to bite. A few boats were drifting live bluegill in the area so we headed out to the main river to chase the terns. When we saw the birds, we started working the swimbaits for 37 striped bass caught and released by noon. Most were small in the 15- to 17-inch range, but there were a few keepers to 8 pounds.”

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Laurtizen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley said, “I have been putting my boat on the trailer to head to the south Delta to find clear water, and I gave my clients the option to head south or stay in the west Delta on Friday. They opted to stay, and we had a tough day with only three keepers, releasing a number of undersized stripers from 17 to 17.75 inches. I have been trailering to avoid running the long distance in the fog. We continue to drift live minnows, and the best action has been in the south Delta. However, if you go into Discovery Bay, you have made a decision to stick it out, even if the bite isn’t happening as the trip there eats up much of your time. The situation in Discovery Bay is all about current, and one of the reasons the water is clearer is that the current doesn’t run as strong there. When the current is strongest, it can be a very solid producer. The swimbait and spoon bite has been slow for us, but you can see the stripers busting up the shad. We even had shad schools hiding under our boat this week which amazed my clients. I trust the sea gulls more than the terns to let me know that there are shad around, and many times, the birds will not be working the surface, but they will be hanging around. This is a good sign that the shad schools are deep.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors was on the Delta throughout the weekend, and he said, “We scored between 15 to 20 keeper stripers per outing along with around 30 largemouth bass, all on VBO swimjigs or topwater lures.”

In the south Delta, Omega Nguyen of MegaBait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The start of the past week was very slow with muddy water in the San Joaquin, but the action improved as the week progressed with the water clearing up. Mudsuckers, blood worms, and fresh shad are working for striped bass at the Stockton Turning Basin. B and W Resort, Windmill Cove, and in Discovery Bay. Drifting live minnows has also been productive. Fresh shad is back in the shop, and I have been getting up to 80 pounds of shad per day.”

Salmon are finding their way into the San Joaquin River, and most of these fish end up in dead end sloughs instead of making their way upriver. Salmon in the San Joaquin must be immediately released as no take of salmon is allowed in the watershed.

A charity bass tournament, ‘Kiss My Bass’ will be held at Ladd’s Marina in Stockton on November 20th as a fundraiser for the Stockton Boys and Girls Club. Information and registration is available at 949.366.0248 or www:wonews.com

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.

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 Trout 2

At Nacimiento, the Golden Empire Bass Club held a small tournament on Saturday with a winning limit at nearly 9 pounds while the remainder of the limits were in the 5-pound range. The overall bite for numbers has been solid at depths to 20 feet with plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, underspins, spoons, or spinnerbaits. A few crappie are also taking lures intended for bass along with minijigs. The lake has dropped to 10%, and there are islands and sandbars showing up throughout the lake. Boaters have to be extremely cautious. The launch ramp remains open, but this could change if the lake continues to drop. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/.At Lopez, the bass bite remains fair with a few more smallmouth bass showing up as the water is cooling. There is a reaction bite with spinnerbaits, crankbaits, or chatterbaits, but the most consistent action has been with jigs, Senkos, or plastics on a variety of presentations on the bottom. There is a spoon bite when the bass are schooling up in deep water. Red ear perch or bluegill are taken from the banks with red worms or wax worms. The lake is very low, but the launch ramp remains open. However, launching is a challenge, and boaters have to be cautious with many hazards throughout the lake with the low water levels. 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, after weeks of a slow bass bite, the action picked up this past week with plastics on a variety of presentations including Texas-rig, Ned-rig, split-shot, and on a dart head. Jigs are also effective along with crankbaits at various depths from the shallows into deeper-diving cranks. Crappie are holding near structure, and minijigs are picking up a few slabs with bluegill taken from the banks with meal worms or red worms. Catfish are taken on cut mackerel soaked in garlic. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/ At San Antonio, the lake remains at 7% of capacity, but boats are able to be launched. The bass bite continues to improve with largemouth bass to 4 pounds landed within the past few weeks. Plastic worms, LV500’s or Rat-Traps, or deep-diving crankbaits are your best bets. Catfishing is solid from the banks with mackerel coated in garlic scent, and bluegill are taken on meal worms, red worms, or wax worms. Crappie are found around structure with minijigs.

Events

Tournament results

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails Pro/Am Championships Pro Division – November 5th-7th: 1st – Ken Mah – 52.61 pounds; 2nd – Obedie Williams – 51.65 pounds; 3rd- Phillip Dutra – 51.63.

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails Pro/Am Championships Amateur Division – November 5th-7th: 1st – Gary Baldwin – 32.88 pounds; 2nd – Kirk Marshall – 27.97 pounds; 3rd- Derek Allred – 27.09.

New Hogan – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies – November 6th: 1st – Bill Martin/Marshall Horsley– 9.38 pounds; 2nd – Rick and Steve Henderson – 9.15 pounds (Big Fish – 3.48); 3rd- Jimmy and Dave Gentry – 9.07.

McClure – Sierra Bass Club – November 6th: 1st – Ron Orbaker– 8.71 pounds; 2nd – Ryan Reynolds – 8.59 pounds; 3rd- Jimmy Smith – 8.49. Chris Jones – Big Fish – 2.11 pounds.

Nacimiento – Golden Empire Bass Club – November 6th: 1st – Dave Childress/Daniel Taylor – 8.35 pounds; 2nd – Mike and Emily Merlo – 5.65 pounds; 3rd- Tyler Slicton/Matt Robertson – 4.95.

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

November 13th – 15th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails

November 13/14th –

McClure – Wild West Bass Trails

Pine Flat – California Bass Nation

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club

November 13th-

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

Tulloch – Christian Bass League

November 14th –

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

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

Camanche – Gold Country Bass Tour

McClure – Fresno Bass Club

Kaweah – Kings III Bass Club

November 20th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Western Outdoor News/Stanislaus County Sheriff’s

Camanche – Yak-A-Bass

New Melones – Slay Nation Tournaments

Pine Flat – Xtreme Bass Club

November 21st –

New Melones – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Solunar table

q=quarter moon