Fishing report, Nov. 17-23: Stripers hitting at San Luis and west-side waterways

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

McClure bass hitting, Ryan Cook said, San Luis Reservoir and Forebay striper bite good, Mickey Clements reported. Delta Mendota and California Aqueduct stripers on tap, Bill Sterling said.

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 2

Most anglers have been either heading to the main San Luis Reservoir or the O’Neill Forebay, leaving the California Aqueduct alone, but Bill Sterling of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “Fishing is still really good north of the forebay in the aqueduct as the topwater bite has been on fire in the early mornings and evenings before working jerkbaits in Sexy Shad or swimbaits during the day once the sun comes up. Stripers are chasing shad into the headgates. I caught a limit at 20 and 23 inches within 20 minutes tossing a jerkbait before 7 a.m. at the Sullivan Gates. The west-side canals are producing small bass, and a 25-inch striper was caught on a canal off of Volta Road in Los Banos on a jerk bait! I was there or I wouldn’t have believed it.” Sterling runs Striperz Gone Wild, and they 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, striped bass action has been solid with jerkbaits, Keitech swimbaits, or with cut bait such as anchovies, sardines, or frozen shad. The best action is in the moving water near the headgates. 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 2 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. Plastics on a Carolina-rig on a slow presentation are another good option. Trout plants are scheduled at both lakes this week, and this might spur on the swimbait bite. 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 2 Trout 2

Ryan Cook said, “The bass bite is all over the board with spoons or G-Money jigs working best over the shad schools. The schools of bait fish are isolated, and the best action is found along 45-degree banks on main lake points or island tops.” Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported a challenging trout bite for trollers as the bait fish are primarily absent in the open water.” The lake rose slightly to 50%. The Fleming Meadows and Moccasin launch ramps remain open.

Call: Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Kyle Wise – Head Hunter Guide Service – (209) 531- 3966; Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing - 691-7008

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

A trout plant is scheduled for Isabella was scheduled for this week, and the release of catchables could start the swimbait bass bite going. Small Keitech swimbaits, underspins, spinnerbaits, or plastics on a Texas-rig in shad patterns. Catfishing remains a good option with Triple S Dip Bait along with shrimp, but the crappie bite has slowed to a crawl. The lake held at 9%. 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. This Saturday, November 20th is the Taft Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby at Buena Vista. 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 160 at Kernville in the upper river and dropped to 175cfs at First Point on the lower river as the lake is holding steady at 9%.

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 held at 13%, and bass bite is fair, but there is the opportunity for a trophy largemouth on swimbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, or large plastics. The Kaweah River rose slightly to 63 cfs at Three Rivers.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

A trout plant is scheduled for this week, and the planted rainbows could get the swimbait bite going. Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company in Springville said, “Bass fishing is fair to good as anglers are working around the submerged islands and point with swimbaits, crankbaits, and the new inu rig. The action should improve with the trout plant.” The lake held at 10%. In the Tule River, Stokke added, “The river is fishing well with dry flies due to the recent warmer temperatures. Stimulators and October caddis patterns are working as well. Most of the forest is closed due to the recent fire, and it is important to check which areas are open to avoid a citation.”

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 has risen to 20%, but a long ride remains down to the launch ramp at Barrett Cove South. There is a turnaround which makes for easier access. Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Bass fishing has been solid at depths from the banks to 50 feet with spinnerbaits, G-Money jigs in green pumpkin on a ½- to 3/4-ounce jig head with a 4- to 5-inch brown/green Smallie Beaver or Yamamoto Twin-Tailed grub. The bass are biting crawdad patterns although they are not spitting up crawdads. 4.5-inch plastic worms in Hologram Shad or Morning Dawn on a drop-shot are also effective along with 3.5-inch Dry Creek Tubes. The entire lake is fishing well, but there is floating debris up the river arm, and boaters have to be cautious. A few smallmouth are also showing up.” 4000 pounds of catchable rainbows were planted within the past few weeks, and this will bring out the swimbait bite. Bagby, Horseshoe Bend, and McClure Point North launch ramps are closed due to water levels.

Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing - 691-7008

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 3

Recent trout plants have led to improved action from the banks around the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula near the marina with various colors of Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or blue/silver Kastmasters. The best trolling action remains 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. Additional trout plants are needed to keep the bite going.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 2 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 actually held at 215 cfs at Friant.

Sycamore Island 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 3 Kokanee 1

The lake held at 35%, and trout fishing has improved for trollers working the main lake with Speedy Shiners at depths from the surface to 30 feet. Rainbows to 8 pounds have been landed this week, and the recent trout plants will add to success. There is a reaction bite for bass on occasion, but the best option has been working the bottom with plastics on a shaky-head in the shallows along with jigs at 50 to 60 feet. The shad schools are broken up, and the water temperature is still warm at 64/65 degrees, and the shad will not be schooling up until the water cools. 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 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

The lake rose slightly to 22%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The bass bite is improving around the rockwall at Lakeview with small spotted bass being the rule with football head jigs or plastics on the drop-shot. The bite is hit or miss, and a 3-pound spotted bass was the big fish during last weekend’s Tulare Police Activities Association fundraising tournament. Trout trollers remains slow.” In the lower Kings River below Pine Flat, the recent trout plants along with the slow flows have led to good conditions for bank fishermen tossing spinners or floating 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 rose slightly from 473 to 502 cfs at Trimmer.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 1

San Luis Reservoir has risen from only 9% of capacity to 21% within the past three weeks due to increased pumping out of the south Delta. The rise in water has led to a hot bite for striped bass in both the main lake and the forebay.

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported both the main lake and the forebay are producing stripers bass, saying, “There hasn’t been anything huge, but stripers in the 22- to 26-inch range are the rule in the main lake with jumbo minnows or trolling near the Trash Racks along with an early morning topwater bite with walking baits such as Spooks before working Duh! Spoons later in the morning. The forebay has been red-hot in the morning with topwater lures, but the bite dies when the sun hits the water. The rockwall has been solid along with near the Highway 33 Bridge when the rope limits access to the outlet. Ripbaits or flukes on scrounger heads have been productive.”

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service in Fresno had a very optimistic report, saying, “The main lake has improved to its best overall level for both trollers and those drifting minnows. The recent large input of water around the Trash Rack area has gotten the fall bite going for boaters. Trollers are pulling umbrella rigs, Rapalas, P-Line’s Predators, and Lucky Craft lures in minnow colors for limits of fish in the 20- to 22-inch range. Drifting minnows has also been working for good numbers of fish. The best depths seem to be in the 40- to 50-foot range for the schooling fish. The algae is thick, and the water temperature is holding around 63 degrees. The Basalt ramp at dock 2 is in good shape, but the rangers just told me they are moving to ramp 1 early next week. I guided on Friday for 12 school fish to 24 inches, but there were lots of inactive fish, and other anglers agreed that the overall bite slowed that day. I took out Sonny Johansen of Fresno on Saturday, and in the thick lake fog, the early trolling bite seemed slow. As the sun came out, we hit a school of big active fish, and it turned into an epic day very quickly when Sonny caught and released his personal-best 42-inch, 30.1-pound beauty at 30 feet in depth. We thought that was going to be it, but a half-hour later, I hooked a ‘drag screamer’ that we finally netted and released at 43 inches and 32 pounds. Two fish over 30 pounds doesn’t happen very often. We carefully put both fish back using the Seaqualizer release tool as I am an advocate of protecting the lake’s big fish. The two big stripers were the 31st and 32nd striped bass over 20 pounds that have been caught and released on George’s boat this year.

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 two weeks ago, and with the plants, shore anglers are picking up a few planters near the Sheriff’s Tower with Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Trolling should also pick up as the planters get acclimated to the lake. Few bass fishermen are heading to the lake, but those tossing swimbaits are starting to make their move to the lake. The lake is 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.

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 2 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 with kayaks trolling or drifting Power Bait or nightcrawlers around Roads 1 and 2

At Huntington, Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bank anglers are walking to the back end of the lake to toss jerkbaits, spinners, or swimbaits for the trout in the shallows between the submerged tree stumps.” 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.”

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 3

Half Moon Bay was packed with visitors on Veterans Day, and the Ankeny Street was attempting to replicate the success on the Dungeness crab out of Bodega Bay and the Golden Gate with the hoop nets, but it is clear that the action drops off the further south you go or the boats haven’t been dialed in with the hoop nets yet. The Ankeny Street came back with an uncharacteristic 80 rockfish and 4 lings to 8 pounds for 13 anglers on Thursday along with 20 Dungeness crab. Their score improved considerably on Sunday with 17 limits of rockfish including two cabezon along with a whopping 29 ling cod to 17 pounds. Chang said, “It is surprising good fishing on the local waters with summertime action. It has been slow for the lings on the local reefs, but we found them on Sunday.” The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing is running rockfish/ling cod trips only until the crab trap restriction is lifted, and they put in 11 limits of rockfish and a ling cod on Sunday’s trip.

The Deep Reef has been the location for rockfish, and Captain Bill Smith of the Riptide posted a combined 17 limits of rockfish and 6 ling cod on their last two trips there.

Overall, hoop netting has not been stellar for the party boats, but the Que Sera Sera was able to return with 5 limits of Dungeness crab. Captain Tom Mattusch went out again on the private boat Noosakat, and they came back with a mere 12 crab for four anglers. He said, “The key to success is working the deeper water with longer soaks, but you are limited to two hours between pulls on the hoop nets.”

The jetties and rockwalls outside the Half Moon Bay harbor continue to be crowded with fishermen tossing crab snares or hoop nets from the shorelines, but the largest crowds are reserved for the ever-popular Pacifica Pier. Anglers have to work hard for a few crab per person, but there have been some working throughout the day to grind out a 10-crab limit with a combination of snares and hoop nets.

Call: Captain Chris Chang – Ankeny Street – (650) 279-8819; Captain Bill Smith – Riptide – (650) 728-8433; Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing – Queen of Hearts – (510) 581-2628

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Lye fin tuna 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Crab 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Monterey Bay anglers enjoyed a great week of fishing with mostly good conditions and plenty of fish on the bite. Tuesday was the only day that wind and rain prevented the boats from going out. Nearshore waters have not gotten cold yet so a variety of species are available to target. Topping the list of course are the majestic bluefin tuna that remain feeding in this area, providing locals and visitors with a chance at lifetime trophy fish. Bayside Marine’s Todd Fraser summed things tuna up on Saturday, saying, “Anglers are catching some bluefin in the 75- to 150-pound range. There has been a good amount of 190- to 250-pound bluefin caught and lost so be ready. The bluefin were caught on the surface to 100 feet down today.”

Fifteen-year-old Landon Longsinger from Marina hit the bluefin jackpot this week along with his dad, Robert, on their Parker 2320. Pops proudly proclaimed, “My boy found one today! Made up for losing one couple days ago.” They were fishing the tuna area near Davenport on Thursday using a downrigger to sink a live mackerel down 50 feet. The mack was played out about 150 feet behind the wire. Using teamwork, the fight was over in 58 minutes. Last week they lost a big one estimated at 150 pounds. The week before they had success with an 80 pounder. Thursday’s fish was tape measured and estimated at ‘around 100,’ according to Robert. On Sunday, Landon said he wanted some rockfish so they headed in the opposite direction towards Point Sur where they landed full limits of hefty cod including canaries, vermilion, yellows, Bocaccio, and three ling cod.

The Kahuna from Moss Landing has been on a prolific roll for the entire season when it comes to rockfish. On a full-day trip, they usually foray towards the reefs of Big Sur. That strategy pays off in terms of numbers and quality of fish. Sunday’s full-day trip in nice ocean conditions had not-unexpected results with 12 anglers aboard bagging 13 coppers, 29 vermilion, 57 assorted ‘other’ rockfish and five lingcod. From Santa Cruz, Sunday’s trip aboard the beautiful Miss Beth enjoyed similar results by heading north of the bay. Captain JT Thomas reported, “We went back to Franklin Point today. The rock cod bite continues to be hot. The clients had crew limits with one drift.”

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching said, “We haven’t been able to use the hoops for crab as we don’t have the bottom down here where we can fish 50 to 60 feet of water plus we have a limited amount of crab down here. We have been going to Point Sur every day possible for limits of big rockfish and a good ling count, and we plan on running the combination rockfish/crab trips in December in the event the crab trap restriction is limited. We have been keeping busy, and we already have 40 anglers for our trip to Sur on Monday.”

The rockfishing was also good near Davenport, and from the deeper reefs closer to town. The fall halibut are biting in 70 to 100 feet of water off the North Coast Beaches from Wilder’s up to Five-Mile Beach. A few flatties are still feeding in the area near the Mile Buoy and near Capitola. There is plenty of live bait available for jigging throughout the entire area including Spanish and Pacific mackerel, smelt, kingfish, and anchovies. Surfcasters are exploring different beaches these days after a couple good rainstorms and big ocean swells. Structure is being established at the big broad beaches towards the center of the bay. Lots of barred surf perch were caught this week with a few in the 14- to 15-inch range. A number of striped bass were reported by surfcasters as well. Let’s hope that trend continues.”

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 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 2. Sturgeon 2 Crab 3

At $22.99/pound at major Bay Area supermarkets, Dungeness crab is a hot commodity. Buoyed by the hoop net success on the California Dawn and its sister vessel, the El Dorado III, party boats throughout the Golden Gate fleet are jumping on the hoop net bandwagon. The hoops are proving to be effective for up to 10-crab limits of rockfish, but it is time-consuming and a challenge to put in both rockfish and crab limits on a full day. The next announcement regarding the ability to use crab traps will be on November 22nd by the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife so it will have to be hoops for the time being.

Buoyed by the success of others, the Happy Hooker and the Pacific Dream added crab/rockfish combination trips to their arsenal starting on Saturday. Saturday’s trip was a learning experience with 183 crab and 170 rockfish for 22 anglers, but they rebounded on Sunday for 41 limits of crab, 348 rockfish, and 14-pound ling cod. Prior to the weekend, Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream said, “We have been to the Farallons the past two days for a combined 35 limits of rockfish and 37 ling cod to 22 pounds. We had some weather on Friday, and the ling count was a bit more challenging. We plan on heading to the islands for rockfish before setting gear and continually pulling the nets.”

It does take some time to get dialed in on the crab as the Lovely Martha out of San Francisco took their first combination trip on Friday for 14 limits of rockfish but only 92 Dungeness crab.

It has been difficult to put in 10-crab limits balanced with 10-rockfish limits since it takes quite a bit of time to run to the Farallons and then continuously pull gear. Smith said, “We start at the Islands and fish for around 1.5 hours before heading back to set 40 hoops and backtrack to pull the first hoop in the string.”

Emeryville Sport Fishing initially was going to postpone their combination trips until the crab trap restriction was lifted, but the New Huck Finn started with the combination trips last week with hoops. The boats out of Emeryville returned with 40 limits of rockfish along with 210 crab and 30 ling cod.

Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady will be moving his vessel to Emeryville for the remainder of the rockfish season, and he is running crab-only trips until Thanksgiving and starting his combination trips after Thanksgiving Day.

Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco was on a half-day trip on Thursday for 6 striped bass for 5 passengers using live smelt. He said, “There are some white sea bass in the bay, but without live anchovies, it has been a struggle because they don’t seem to have the same affinity for live smelt. If we can get together some live bait, we might be able to make a go of it.”

Inside the bay, Ed Chin of Bay Tackle said, “We have been out throwing KVD, Z-Man, or Gulp! swimbaits in white, chartreuse, or clear salt/pepper swimbaits for an average of 10 striped bass per outing in the mornings and after work. He said, “The tide has been late so we have only been getting 45 minutes to an hour in the mornings, but the tide is getting larger as of today. We are selling loads of crab nets and snares, but the majority of crab in the shallows have been undersized. You really have to weed out the small crab and the females.”

Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “Tommy Glaser took out 3 dozen Loch Lomond smelt to Red Rock, the Whaling Station, and Pinole Point, and he landed a striped bass on every smelt with 90% of the bass legal to 4 pounds. He didn’t fish the Brothers because it was difficult with the snags for the others on the boat. We have live mudsuckers, smelt, pile worms, blood worms, and grass shrimp in the shop for the weekend. I didn’t order ghost shrimp since the tides aren’t the best for sturgeon, but I will be bringing in at least 4 buckets of ghost shrimp next weeked for the improved tides.” Regarding the 300-foot closed zone around the Marin Islands, Fraser said, “The shame has been the islands haven’t functioned as a bird sanctuary for around three years as there are no birds on the island anymore. It used to be the most beautiful sight from February to July with egrets, great blue heron, and black-crowned night herons all in the rookery, but predators such as rats or racoons have devastated the population. The 300-foot restriction is enforced so infrequently, it is just not even fair that someone would be cited for being offshore.”

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 of rockfish continue to be the rule out of the Luis Obispo County harbors, but the ling cod counts remain light. The Fiesta and Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay were out on Sunday with 51 fishermen for 136 vermilion, 324 assorted rockfish, 48 Boccaccio, 2 ocean whitefish, one petrale sole, and six ling cod. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Starfire, Endeavor, and Avenger took 69 anglers out on Sunday on trips ranging from ½-day to 12-hours for 235 vermilion, 62 copper, 20 Boccaccio, 20 Bolina, 348 assorted rockfish, and five ling cod. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis at Avila Beach, the Patriot, Phenix, and Flying Fish were out on Sunday with a combined 52 anglers for 46 vermilion, 3 copper, 2 Boccaccio, 100 Bolina, 325 assorted rockfish, one ocean whitefish, and three ling cod for a total of 480 fish. 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

Sturgeon 3 Salmon 2 Striper 3 Bass 2

The Sacramento-Delta was enveloped in tule fog at the end of the past week, and this has been the first thick split-pea fog arriving in some time, bringing back memories when boaters couldn’t see the bow of their boat from the cockpit. The fog brings its own set of challenges, and boaters are advised to have a GPS, radio, and compass in addition to creeping out to the spot instead running full bore, particularly since there is still a significant amount of logs and debris in the water. Trolling remains slow with the off-color water, but bait fishing on the anchor or drifting live mudsuckers or minnows are producing striped bass. Sturgeon fishing remains solid in the Suisun Bay region as the diamondbacks are spreading out from the deep hole outside of Pittsburg Salmon continue to migrate up the river system, but the dirty water has created challenging conditions.

Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport said, “It has been foggy out here, and there are not many guys trying for salmon with sturgeon and striped bass taking over, but a few salmon are showing up for trollers pulling Brad’s Cut Plugs or Silvertron spinners. There haven’t been many guys jigging spoons lately, but there was one angler with limits of salmon for three days in a row. The river has dropped down quite a bit, and the clarity if fishable. Striped bass fishing is best in Liberty Island or the Deep Water Channel with live mudsuckers or minnows along with pile worms, blood worms, or sardines coated with garlic. A few sturgeon have been taken downstream near Cache Slough or the Deep Water Channel. The next six or seven weeks will feature good fishing before the winter sets in and the bite slows down.”

Alan Fong, manager of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Sacramento, went looking for crappie in the north Delta, and he said, “The new technology is a game-changer, and I used my new Lowrance Ghost trolling motor with Live Target, and you can see the minijigs fall in between the branches on the submerged trees. It is a very touchy bite right now, and you really don’t feel them bite with a 1/16th-jig head and colder water in the 57/58-degree range. You have to feel the light weight of the jig and any hesitation of setting the hook will cause you to miss out. I ended up with 20 quality crappie, but the key is to know the bite. It’s not like when they are biting like crazy in the spring – it’s totally finesse and takes great concentration. The water is clearing as it increased from 4 to 8 inches of clarity in Liberty Island and from 10 to 20 inches in Prospect Slough. The off-color water has led to a more challenging striped bass bite with lures. The parking lots are filled at New Hope and Wimpy’s on the Mokelumne River, and this tells me that this river is kicking out salmon.” Fong is putting together a You Tube channel with his first episode on the effectiveness of the Ghost trolling motor.

Also in the north Delta in the Old Sacramento River, Vieira’s Resort near Isleton reported much slower salmon action during the past week as the water has been loaded with debris, making trolling difficult.

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service traveled all the way north to the Deep Water Channel and Prospect Slough to find a few legal striped bass after searching on the San Joaquin near Spindrift and Eddo’s before heading through Broad Slough and Chain Island for limited action. He said, “The cleanest water was in the north Delta as there have been a tremendous amount of grass that has broken out this week. The rains on Monday night must have raised the river enough to pick more stuff off of the banks.

The sturgeon have finally spread out after holding in the deep water outside of Pittsburg for nearly a year, and Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing said, “You are lucky to get what you get right now as you have to really be on your bites. We landed a legal sturgeon at 52 inches on Sunday, and while the boat was enthralled with the slot-limit fish, we got three other excellent bites that were missed. The bites all came at the same time of the tide. The water temperatures have been fluctuating along with the barometric pressure, and this has the sturgeon a bit off of their game.”

Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures said, “Sturgeon fishing was tough on Sunday, but we were able to land one along with losing either a big slot or just oversized sturgeon. We caught and released five sturgeon including two slot-limit sturgeon on Saturday, and on Veteran’s Day, veteran Eric Douglas of Richmond was able to fight a huge oversized sturgeon that we kept in the water. The sturgeon are spreading out, and you can find small groups in most of the normal locations. Roe/Ryer Island was a top spot over the weekend.”

The California Striped Bass Association – Isleton Chapter is holding a Sturgeon Derby this coming Saturday at the Pittsburg Marina. Registration is available online at www.striper-csba.org until 6:00 p.m. on Friday or at the Fishermen’s Catch at the Pittsburg launch ramp before 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Entry fee is $50/angler with 90% payout for the top 5 places. The target-length will be announced at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday. For derby details, contact Robert Williams at (916) 717-0671 or Mike Phillips at (701) 330-9827.

Club spokesman, Ted Handel of the Central Valley Anglers out of Lodi, said, “Central Valley Anglers had their first derby since before the pandemic with our Striper Derby on Saturday at Brannan Island with a decent turnout of 36 anglers. The target length was 25.25-inch at fork length. First place went to Rodney Whitfield with 25.25 inches with Don Jaramillo in second at 24 inches. We paid a total of 8 places, and all those that showed up for the weigh in received a complimentary BBQ lunch and the opportunity to participate in a turkey raffle. Most anglers caught fish with bait fishing being the top producer, either on the anchor or power drifting.

The fog was thick until Sunday, and Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors said, “It didn’t start to lift on Friday until around 3:00 p.m., and we made our move back to Vieira’s Resort once we could see 100 yards in front of us. It took 1 hour and 10 minutes to idle to the spot this morning. I thought the bite would be better than it was with the overcast skies, but we managed to pick up a dozen keeper stripers to 10 pounds working the shoals with my VBO swimjigs. We tried topwater lures and landed one on a Bad Bubba Shad on an underspin, but the swimjigs continue to be the best offering. We ended up with 20 largemouth bass, but this is much less than I am used to at this time of year. The water is still warm at 59.9 degrees, and we need it to drop a few more degrees. Hopefullly, it won’t drop all at one time.”

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, reported striped bass limits to 14 pounds have been taken on cut baits consisting of fresh shad, sardines, or anchovies near Collinsville.

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait said, “The shorelines continue to be crowded with salmon anglers, and they will be here until December 15th. A 38-inch striped bass was landed off of 9th Street on a live jack smelt. The fisherman caught the smelt with grass shrimp, and then he pinned on the smelt for the striped bass. Salmon scores have been around 3 to 4 per day. Even with the fog, the parking lot at McAvoy’s Boat Harbor in Bay Point has been packed. Live bullheads are becoming plentiful in the shop along with grass shrimp.”

The Delta Cross Channel Gates are in active mode. Information on the gate operation is available via 916-979-2194 or www.usbr.gov/mp/cov.

The fog arrived with a vengeance at the end of the week, touching the memory banks of longtime San Joaquin Valley residents when pea soup fog was a regular wintertime occurrence. The fog dissipated on Sunday, making for far more comfortable boating conditions on the Delta. There is still a tremendous amount of debris including 30-foot logs loaded with hyacinth floating down the river. Largemouth bass fishing remains a grind, but finesse techniques remain best. Heavy pumping out of the south Delta into the California Aqueduct is creating massive incoming tide action.

A charity bass tournament, ‘Kiss My Bass’ will be held at Ladd’s Marina in Stockton this coming Saturday, 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. Stockton natives Ken Mah and YouTube sensation, Stacy Barawed are participating as celebrity anglers along with former major league pitcher, Kevin Gross.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was out with a fly fisherman along with a spin caster this week, and he said, “We didn’t find the grade of striped bass found on last week’s trip with Matt Paino of Optimum Baits, but we found consistent action for stripers to 4 pounds. The fly fisherman was working either a white/chartreuse streamer or a black streamer that resembled a bluegill. We are working muddy flats in the main channel along the edges of the San Joaquin River. Even though we were out on a sunny day, the bite was still strong. The spin caster was using either a 4- or 5-inch Optimum’s Bad Bubba Shad, and the key is to drag the lure along the muddy bottom. You won’t get bit unless you are holding along the bottom and dragging it in the mud. We are setting up along the weed lines with our backs to the banks and working towards open water. The difference between last week’s larger fish and this week was the bright skies that arrived early in the week before the fog engulfed the Delta.”

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen’s Outdoors said, “I have been chasing the birds in the main river to locate the striped bass with the Bad Bubba Shad swimbait, and there are a ton of small schoolies out there. If you are willing to put in the time, you can find limits from 4 to 7 pounds.”

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley has been on the San Joaquin River most days, and he said, “It was tough on Sunday, and we had to stay out until 4:00 p.m. to pick up four limits plus a crew fish drifting live minnows. The bite just changed overnight since Saturday’s action was excellent with early limits of linesides. However, the incoming tide was just ripping on Sunday with hyacinth all over the river. There was far less hyacinth on Saturday with clear water, and with all of the current, the fish were reluctant to bite. Every day has been different in the San Joaquin.”

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 0

At Nacimiento, the Bakersfield Bass Club held their two-day Tournament of Champions over the weekend, and the winning weight was a two-day total of 18.35 pounds, dropping to just over 14 pounds for second place. Plastics on a variety of presentations are the top technique for numbers while small spoons over the shad schools are also effective at depths to 40 feet. Crappie are found on occasion near structure with minjigs. The lake held at 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, bass action is a grind with the occasional quality largemouth bass taken on reaction baits early in the morning. Spinnerbaits or crankbaits are the top reaction baits while spoons are also effective when schools of baitfish are found. The most consistent action is on the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or Senkos. Red worms or jumbo red worms are working for red ear perch or bluegill from the banks. 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, it’s an even bigger grind for largemouth bass with a reaction bite with crankbaits near structure, but similar to the other coastal lakes, the most consistent action is on plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or Senkos. Bluegill are taken on red worms, meal worms, or wax worms from the banks while crappie are scarce. Catfishing is a good option with mackerel coated with garlic scent. The whiskerfish are loading up on the heavily-scented baits.A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/ At San Antonio, the lake has dropped to 6%, and the launch ramp is getting pretty thin. Bass fishing has improved with reaction baits such as spinnerbaits, crankbaits, or chatterbaits in the shallows while plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or Senkos are most effective for numbers. Bluegill or red ear perch are taken from the banks with worms while crappie have been ‘hit or miss’ with minijigs near structure. Launching boat is a challenge due to the low water conditions, and there are hazards throughout the lake.

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

Events

Tournament results

Don Pedro – Kerman Bass Club – November 6th: 1st – Mitch Melikian– 11.82 pounds (Big Fish – 3.33); 2nd –Rusty Brown – 5.97 pounds; 3rd- Dave McEwen – 5.45.

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Hook, Line, and Sinker – November 14th: 1st – J. Cornell/M. Cornell – 20.98 pounds; 2nd - J. Feara/E. Padgett – 20.77 pounds (Big Fish – 9.02); 3rd- S. Tragoutsis/S. Bodwin – 18.47.

Tulloch – Christian Bass League – November 13th: 1st – Brian Dickson/Collin Degough – 24.60 pounds (Big Fish – 6.16); 2nd – Steve Andersen/Mark Johansen – 11.26 pounds; 3rd- Chuck Fuller/Jonathan Whitesitt – 10.66.

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club Tournament of Champions (Two limits)– November 13th: 1st – David Childress/Nathen Towes – 18.35 pounds; 2nd – Darren Palmer/Bruce Ramey – 14.28 pounds; 3rd- T. Slicton/Matthew Robertson – 14.24 (Big Fish – 2.81).

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

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

December 4th-

New Melones – Santa Clara Bass Busters

McClure – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

December 5th –

Don Pedro – Riverbank Bass Anglers

McClure – Fresno Bass Club

December 11th –

Delta/Big Break – Bass N’Tubes

New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers/Folsom Bass Busters

Pine Flat – Kerman Bass Club

Nacimiento – American Bass Association

December 12th –

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

Tulloch – American Bass Association

McClure – Modesto Ambassadors

Pine Flat – Sierra Bass Club/Kings VIII Bass Club

January 1, 2022 –

Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Roger’s remarks

Roger George’s column will return.

Solunar table

f=full moon >=peak activity