Fishing report, Dec. 1-7: Trout plants spur hope at several Valley lakes and streams

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

Isabella bass hitting crank baits, Pete Cormier said. McClure bass on a roll, Ryan Cook reported. New Melones bass active, John Liechty said. San Luis Reservoir and Forebay stripers biting, Mickey Clements reported. Delta sturgeon and striper bites good, Steve Mitchell said.

Roger’s Remarks: ‘Never give up’ words to grow by

Never give up! I’ve thought a lot about my signature statement, especially at the end of a difficult day of fishing.

Did I really mean for it to sound like there aren’t times you really need to stop and shut down? No, I think it’s key for each of us to know when it is time to quit. However, knowing when to stop and doing so in a planned and intelligent manner doesn’t necessarily mean you’re quitting on your goal or dream. There is a fine line between giving up and rebooting.

I heard a discussion about one of the problems plaguing our society, one that was described as the “Google expert” syndrome. Many folks may never have done open-heart surgery but in short order they can go online and learn enough key takeaways to be able to sound intelligent about the subject. Many never cross the bridge to actual expert. Doing the work again and again — that’s NGU.

I look at NGU as more of a key strategy to improve and learn every time I cast a lure so that I’m not changing my overall plans in midstream. Have you ever fished with someone who agreed to go catch some trout trolling but after just an hour or so they suddenly want to go after bass? It’s tough to get good at anything changing the goal by how you feel. We need predetermined guiding principles to follow, especially when we get tired. That’s when we need to do what others won’t.

Few anglers actually stay on task long enough to learn something new or make key observations. By just staying steady and consistent you can separate yourself from the crowd.

I believe one of the key advantages to making NGU part of your fishing is that it helps us to learn to stay steady, and to be able to pivot quickly when you recognize something new you need to do. That’s just smart fishing, but the foundation for making an intelligent move in strategy or tactics comes because you’ve got your train on the right track. That’s not giving up, that’s being smart!

NGU also provides a basis for staying on purpose. You build on what you’re learning, not restarting each time out. When I became totally focused on staying on task scouting, observing and trying to learn — and not getting distracted or giving up — my results improved by quantum leaps. I was able to keep piling what I was learning onto the top of the last lesson and little things began popping out at me — things I had never noticed before.

There are tough times when I just want to take my beating and go home. That’s when I take a deep breath and think about my real goal of improving, learning and becoming better. The edge, “Never give up!“ is not easy, but it works!

Don’t let something so profoundly simple confuse you or keep you from adopting it for yourself. Just deciding to never give up puts you in a class by yourself.

NGU!

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

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 2

Bill Sterling of the Sportsmen’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “The California Aqueduct slowed down this week as we are not seeing many boils as the water temperature has dropped, sending the fish into deeper water. The aqueduct north of checkpoint 12 is still a hot spot, but you have to work for them now. The area from South Creek to Mervel Bridge is a really good area, too. Bluegill limits of 25 per angler and and spotted bass are being caught in abundance in the Manning and the Highway 33 area of the aqueduct.” Sterling also 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. Last year’s derby produced over 90 toys for local youth.

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported striped bass to 7 pounds have been brought to the shop as blood worms, sardines, and anchovies are all effective for the linesides. There is a reaction bite with flukes and tubes, but the jerkbait bite has slowed down over the past few weeks.

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 received a trout plant over the past weeks, and the planters are taken from the shorelines with Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Bass fishing is improving with chatterbaits, and it is hoped that the trout plants at both lakes will spur on the largemouth bass bite. Eastman is receiving more action than Hensley although it is farther from populated areas. 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 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

The bass bite is best at depths from 35 to 55 feet with plastics on a slow presentation as the overall bite is the slowest in the Mother Lode. Guides are avoiding the lake and working at either McClure or New Melones. Finding bait is the key to getting bit. This also holds true for trout trollers as the best action is found once the shad schools are located. Rolling shad or shad-imitation spoons are working best. The lake held at 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 3 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2

Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported a good bass bite with spinnerbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, jigs, spoons, or plastics on the drop-shot. The bass are holding around submerged wood or rocks. Catfish provide the best action at the lake with Triple S Dip Bait, shrimp, chicken livers, mackerel, or frozen shad. A trout plant last week stirred up some action from the banks with Power Bait or Mice Tails while trollers are picking up a fish or two on shad-patterned spoons. More plants are necessary to get the trout bite started in earnest. Crappie have been scarce with hit or miss action. The lake held at 9%. At Buena Vista Aquatic and Recreational Center, the trout season is scheduled from November 23rd through April 10th with Daily Fishing Permits $6.00/adults and $1.00/children under 15. Information on trout plants is available at (661) 868-7000 – press 1. Cormier reported Buena Vista was planted on Monday, and Lightning trout to 7 pounds have been reported on Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Mice Tails. 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. The upper Kern River is fishing well for fly anglers despite the 48-degree water, but the lower Kern has slowed with the colder water and lack of trout plants so far this season. the flows dropped to 138 at Kernville in the upper river and also dropped to 146 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 2 Catfish 2

A trout plant is scheduled for this week, and this should bring shore anglers toward the launch ramp to throw out Kastmasters, Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Mice Tails. The trout plant should help bring some of the big largemouth out of their hiding places. Ice jigs along with jigs are working best for the lake’s bass at 20 feet in depth. The lake rose slightly to 14%. The Kaweah River dropped to 35 cfs at Three Rivers.

Lake Success/Tule River

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 3 Catfish 2

Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company said, “Bass fishing is tough, but it is not difficult to find them since the lake is so low. Anglers are using spoons, jigs, or big plastic worms in deep water as the bass are holding in the deepest parts of the lake.” The lake is at 11%. A trout plant occurred last week, and the planted rainbows could get the swimbait bite going.

In the Tule River, Stokke said, “The river is fishing well on nightcrawlers for the larger trout, and there is still some action on dry flies since the weather is still so warm.”

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

McClure Reservoir

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

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing has been primarily working at Lake McClure, but he also spent a day at New Melones this week. He said, “It’s been fun fishing both lakes, and the bite has been similar with the bass holding at depths from 5 to 20 feet. Crawdad imitations on a Ned-rig, Neko-rig, tubes, or jigs have all be producing, particularly in green pumpkin or browns. The entire lake is fishing well, but the key to success has been finding the big rock on the steep rocky banks. For some reason, the big rock has been holding the most fish as I haven’t found them on the clay or gravel. There is wood at Melones, and the submerged trees and logs are also holding fish. The water temperature has been holding around 64 degrees, but the reaction bite has been much slower than working the bottom with a finesse presentation. I haven’t been guiding at Don Pedro due to slower action, but the key there is to find the bait balls at 35 to 55 feet. The word is out about McClure, and it has been crowded with boats.”

6,500 pounds of catchable rainbows were planted within the past few weeks with 2,500 pounds out of Barrett Cove South this week, and this will bring out the swimbait bite. The Bagby and Horseshoe Bend launch ramps are closed due to water levels. The lake held at 20%, and the McClure Point launch ramp opened, but the ramp is very slippery necessitating 4WD to get off of the ramp. The best ramp continues to be at Barrett Cove South.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

The last plant was on Nov. 17 and holdover rainbows are taken 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 3 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The bass bite has been more consistent than at nearby Pine Flat. Jigs with a Hula Grub trailer or plastics on the drop-shot in crawdad or shad patterns are working best with the best fishing found upriver above Finegold. Catfishing is best at night with anchovies or chicken livers.” The river rose to 557 cfs at Friant. A trout plant took place at Woodward Park last week. The lake rose slightly to 62%.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 1 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

The bass bite in the Mother Lode has been steadily improving, and New Melones and McClure are top locations for numbers along with the possibility of a trophy largemouth or spotted bass.

John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service said, “After working on Christmas decorations and the tree around the house over Thanksgiving weekend, I was ready to go fishing, getting out on New Melones by 11:30 a.m. By noon, while casting a swimbait on the first spot I tried, I landed a 3-pound bass. Two casts later, I caught and released a trophy largemouth at 10.60 pounds. This was a ‘Fish of 1,000 casts,’ and I got it on my third cast of the day. However, I probably put in 990 casts prior to this over the past year to get this fish. I think this was the same bass that followed out a swimbait two weeks ago. I wasn’t planning on swimbait fishing, but I couldn’t resist. It is really a matter of accurate casting with some logic based upon experience. It was a gorgeous bass, and I was able to watch him eat the entire bait. I have been landing a ton of bass on jigs, but I only found two on jigs on Sunday so I switched over to an Oxblood worm on a drop-shot for limited results. I put on a green pumpkin Trick Worm on a shaky head, and it blows my mind how a subtle change in presentation will turn on the bite. The bass were really chewing the shaky head, and I think it was a matter of presentation since they wanted the bait pinned to the bottom.”

There was a small club tournament on the lake on Saturday with some heavy-hitters showing up for the event won with an 18.90-pound limit with an 8-pound big fish.

The lake rose to 36%, but 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

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bass fishermen have been heading to Millerton with the tough action here. There has been significant fishing pressure on the lake with the number of tournaments held here, and the bass bite is limited to small fish in the 1-pound range with finesse jigs along with Flutter Spoons. A trout plant is scheduled for this week, and this should help the bank bite at Deer Creek. The lower Kings is scheduled for trout plants for this week as well along with a plant at Avocado Lake. The lower Kings has been solid for planters with Power Bait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, or live crickets near Winton Park. Red/silver spinners are also effective. Fly fishermen are scoring in the catch-and-release zone at Cobbles Weir. The flows dropped from 380 to 300 cfs at Trimmer. The lake held at 23%.

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 2

San Luis Reservoir has been rising like the Phoenix, coming up from a low of 9% to its current state of 24% due to heavy pumping over the past several weeks out of the south Delta. The striped bass action remains solid in both the main lake, the O’Neill Forebay, and in the California Aqueduct.

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Santa Nella said, “The main lake is staying very consistent for stripers as the excellent weather has been a bonus. Boaters are drifting jumbo minnows, jigging Duh! Spoons, or mooching frozen shad. We haven’t sold this much shad in the past, and anglers are preferring the shad to anchovies right now. Bank fishing has also been good from Dinosaur Point and particularly over near the Basalt Recreation Area for those tossing the larger Yo-Zuri ripbaits, Duo Realis, or Lucky Craft Pointer 128’s in Ghost Minnow or Chartreuse Shad. The popular American Shad pattern has been hard to get. There is a topwater bite in the forebay along with smaller umbrella rigs such as the Yumbrella for legal linesides in the 20- to 24-inch range. The grass along the shorelines has been dying out.”

Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said, “Trolling was tough on Monday, but I took out my guest Sonny Johansen of Clovis, and he landed and released his second large striped bass at 37.5 inches and 20.25 pounds - after catching and releasing his personal-best at 30.1 pounds a few weeks ago. It was tough fishing, but Sonny was looking for another big fish, and this was No. 33 over 20 pounds on my boat this year. The main lake has been up and down the past week for trollers with those drifting minnows finding more consistency. The pumping has slowed down, and the stripers have spread out into the lake. Trollers have been working around Romero Island for limits of school-sized linesides to 25 inches with Rapalas, Lucky Craft Pointer, or umbrella rigs at depths from 40 to 60 feet. Boater drifting minnows have been working around the pumps or the points in the lake. The Portuguese Cove area is backing into the wall section with a channel depth of around 55 feet at its mouth. The water temperatures are dropping into the low 60s, and the algae is beginning to dissipate.”

Bill Sterling of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “We are still seeing stripers stacked in the deeper channels in the forebay, but you need to use deep-diving lures or swimbaits in white on a heavy jig head to get bit.”

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

Trout fishing is the best option as a trout plant occurred two weeks ago, and shore anglers are picking up a few planters near the Sheriff’s Tower with Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Bass fishermen are speed cranking crankbaits from the banks for limited action. The Sheriff’s Motor Fee remains in the effect during the winter months. The launch ramp continues to become more difficult for larger boats as the lake is dropping.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The gates at Kaiser Pass are scheduled to close on Dec. 1.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

At Huntington, small boats are able to be launched, and Jay Irvine of Visalia was on the lake on Saturday for nine hookups with five rainbows landed on Paulina Peak’s green/orange spinners. The best shore action remains between the stumps in the back of the lake toward Camp Kern with spinners. Shaver remains very slow for trout and the kokanee are crowding along the banks and coves in an attempt to spawn.

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 lakes have been open for the past few weeks, but the gate at McKinley Grove Road is scheduled to be closed on Dec. 1. Sierra National Forest Service updated road conditions. Information is available at fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344.

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

Few ports have been as affected as much by the crab trap closure as Half Moon Bay as the months of November and December are normally plugged with private and party boats seeking limits of Dungeness crab and rockfish. With the temporary crab trap restriction stretching into its second month, the hoop story hasn’t changed out of Half Moon Bay as the party boats continue to struggle to locate the Dungeness crab as opposed to the Bay Area and Bodega Bay boats who are finding close to limits. There won’t be any change for the next two weeks as the temporary crab trap restriction will remain in place until at least December 15th in Zones 3 and 4.

Captain Michael Cabanas, formerly of the Huli Cat, is now running the New Captain Pete, and he said, “Crabbing remains slow, but I’m going to look further south in deeper water with the hoops to see if we can’t put together some better scores. Instead of rockfish/crab combination trips, we are considering rockfish/crab bonus trips with only a few pulls of the hoops in order to have more time for rockfish limits. The bite was slower at the Deep Reef until the end of the day over the weekend as a party boat ground away for half-limits of rockfish. I have a combination trip with a light load on Tuesday, and the chances of crab limits are much better with the smaller load.”

Captain Bill Smith of the Riptide had a single trip during the week with a light load, and they were able to put together 6 limits of rockfish at the Deep Reef.

Captain Chris Chang of the Ankeny Street took trips over the weekend along the coastal reefs, and he returned with a combined 30 limits of rockfish including 2 cabezon and 15 ling cod to 16 pounds. Friday’s trip was very productive with 17 lings to 17 pounds to go with 16 limits of rockfish.

The Pacifica Pier remains crowded on the weekends and even during the weekdays as anglers are tossing snares loaded with anchovies or sardines along with the occasional hoop net. Limits are extremely rare, but most anglers are happy with a legal Dungeness or two for their efforts. With the pier crowded, fishermen are also lining the nearby beaches.

Call: Captain Michael Cabanas – New Captain Pete (510) 677-7054; 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

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

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “The big bluefin bite of 2021 has not gone bust yet, but things are slowing considerably. A number of bluefin jumpers were sighted off of Point Sur this week, with no reported catches. Windy conditions off the Big Sur coast prevented many boats from venturing offshore in that area. The Davenport finger canyons area is still providing some tuna action. Though the weather was fairly decent all week, fewer boats are making the long trip from the Monterey Bay harbors to search for the big bluefin. Tuna fatigue may be settling in, or the schools may be scattering at this point. On Saturday, Todd Fraser from Bayside Marine reported, “There were two possible bluefin hooked and lost today. On angler was at 36’45/122’24 and the other was at 36’38/122’08. The anglers had the fish get into the downrigger and the other had it chew him off. That was all I heard on the bluefin grounds. The water has moved out of the Davenport Fingers to the 25 line and beyond. There is warm water near Monterey off shore near the Dog Bone. The wind came up in the afternoon so most anglers did not go far below Monterey.” On Sunday, Fraser added, “There are anglers finding some bluefin jumpers out near Davenport and Monterey. There was one confirmed catch of an 80-pound bluefin around the 36’38/122’08 area.”

Fishing for rock cod, halibut, and even white sea bass remains very productive in the bay. The shallow reef areas out to 60 feet of water are producing nice bags of schoolie rockfish and an increasing number of ling cod. Most charter boats head for the deeper reefs for more quality fish. Go Fish Santa Cruz has traveled up to Franklin Point all week to take advantage of the numerous big rockfish in that area. Beth Norton remarked on the latest trip to Franklin saying, “The bite was hot. They caught big vermilion, nice canaries, and yellow tail.” In Monterey, Chris’ Fishing and Whale Watching Trips remains consistent, reporting limits of rockfish for all clients on all boats, for all trips. The Check Mate and Caroline tallied up to 220 rockfish and up to 18 lings on their trips this week.

Next to king salmon, the Dungeness crab fishery is the most exciting and eagerly anticipated opener every year for Monterey Bay anglers and visitors to our beautiful Bay. This year the season did not open with a bang. More like an anguished whimper. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife delayed the use of crab pots for our area, due for review on December 15. The current restrictions say, ‘The recreational take of Dungeness crab using crab traps will be temporarily restricted in Fishing Zones 3 and 4, from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line (38° 46.125 N latitude) to Lopez Point (36° N latitude) due to potential of entanglement of humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles in trap gear. The deployment and use of crab traps in any recreational crab fishery (including rock crab) is temporarily restricted in those zones until lifted by the CDFW Director. Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction in these zones and is allowed statewide beginning Nov. 6, 2021.’

The crab are out there crawling. Many anglers are resorting to using hoop nets which can be very effective. Hoop net regulations are available on the DFW website, and all are advised to review those regulations before setting out to catch the tasty crustaceans using this method. Some basic rules include: Hoop nets must be checked every two hours. No long soaks like crab pots. Boaters using hoop nets are limited to five hoop nets each with a maximum of ten hoop nets for any one vessel. Sport anglers are allowed to retain 10 Dungeness per day, and each must measure at least 5 ¾ inches across at the widest point of the carapace.”

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 2 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2 Crab 2

With the crab trap restriction continuing until at least December 15th at the earliest, party boats are working from dark-to-dark and then some in order to put their customers onto 10-crab and 10 rockfish limits. With the coastal rockfish bite slow at this time of year, the large party boats are running to the Farallon Islands first thing in the morning before working and working and working the crab hoops for the possibility of limits of Dungeness. The crab counts are slowly diminishing in the 8/crab per angler range, and we have to appreciate the efforts taken by the captains and crew to satisfy their clients. Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to limits of both species, but this scenario is not reality with the current trap restrictions. Limits are a bonus. Crab hoops are in high demand with some stores having a three-week or more back order.

Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady started his combination trips on Friday after Thanksgiving, and he said, “We were just rounding Point Bonita at 5:30 p.m. after a very long day. I’m not complaining since this is what we have to do to make this work and keep our clients happy, but the extra effort is daunting on the deckhands as we have to rebait every pull as the crab will not come back for the waterlogged bait after the first pull.”

A sign that the counts are starting to slide downward was experienced in the counts over the weekend. The Pacific Dream out of Berkeley returned with 218 crab, 197 rockfish, and a ling cod on Saturday for 22 anglers while the California Dawn and New El Dorado III returned with 450 rockfish and 435 Dungeness on Sunday, and they are returning to the harbor well past dark. The Lovely Martha out of San Francisco opted for a crab-only on Sunday for 19 limits, and the crab-only trips are perhaps the only way to have the best opportunity for limits.

Coastal rockfish requires patience as Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions took a half-day trip up the coast above Duxbury for 3/4th limits of rockfish for first-time anglers. He said, “We found some bottom grabbers with a few vermilions and canaries, but there were also big schools of kingfish that we tried to avoid.” Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing out of San Francisco also had his boat up the coast closer to the Golden Gate, and they returned with ½ limits of rockfish including a couple of cabezon.

Inside the bay, the action remains slow as Koyasako took two half-day trips for no legal fish, but they released a 27.75-inch white sea bass. He said, “It was very skinny and just under the 28-inch size limit. The small sea bass is a good sign as most of them have been large in the 30- to 40-pound range this year. Other than undersized halibut and bat rays, the bay was unproductive. We also went to San Pablo Bay only to find undersized striped bass.” Koyasako will be heading to Pittsburg for sturgeon trips in the coming weeks.

The best option in the bay remains leopard shark in the south bay with midshipmen along with striped bass in upper San Pablo Bay for those drifting live mudsuckers. Dredging in the Loch Lomond Marina has released a mud line throughout the upper bay in the main shipping lane.

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. The Patriot, Flying Fish, and Phenix out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis were out on trips ranging from ½-day to full day with on Saturday with 57 for 15 vermilion, 341 assorted rockfish, 85 Bolina, one ocean whitefish, one copper, one sheephead, 6 ling cod to 8 pounds, and 3 cabezon to a whopping 11 pounds for a total of 453 fish. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Starfire and Avenger took 43 anglers out on Sunday for 105 vermilion, 30 copper, 200 assorted rockfish, 15 Boccaccio, and 2 ling cod for a total of 352 fish. Out of Virg’s Landing, also in Morro Bay, the Black Pearl, Rita G, and Fiesta took out 66 anglers on Sunday for 190 vermilion, 331 assorted rockfish, 50 Boccaccio, 25 copper, 2 rock sole, and 2 ling cod. 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 2 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3 Salmon 2

The sturgeon action was epic during the past week into the weekend with six-pack operators in the know continuing to land multiple sturgeon per trip with a variety of undersized, slot-limit, and oversized diamondbacks. Striped bass action has been limited to the clearer waters of the north Delta with live bait or on the anchor with cut bait in the main channel from Rio Vista to Collinsville. Crappie are showing up for dedicated anglers working structure in the north Delta, and a few salmon continue to trickle through the Delta. While interest in shoreline salmon fishing remains high, only a few fish are taken on a daily basis. Fog remains a concern with boats having to creep out in the mornings with limited visibility.

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg has been hosting a diamondback clinic the past four days with multiple sizes of sturgeon to the boat using his new ‘Fire Cure’ salmon roe. He said, “It was slower on Sunday, but we put in two slot fish at 58 and 54 inches with our customer opting to release the 58-inch legal fish. We are seeing more and more of our customers willing to release the legal fish. There has been action the entire time we have been out, and we had a huge sturgeon bend down a heavy rod when Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service reeled down on it. This fish peeled off at least 40 yards of line before a fray in the line broke. We retired that reel for the remainder of the day, but this didn’t keep the fish from biting. The sturgeon have spread out throughout the system, and they are moving into the Big Cut and the Little Cut along with the main channel outside of Pittsburg. Our client on Sunday insisted in using his own rod and reel, and he was able to bring a 54-inch sturgeon to the boat after we had to clear all of our lines to allow him to fight the fish on his undersized gear. He got lucky as his reel exploded from the pressure just as the sturgeon was at the side of the boat. Our night trip on Friday night produced a total of 7 sturgeon with 3 undersized, one slot female with caviar, and 2 large oversized. The new cure has been on fire.”

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing has also been bringing numbers of sturgeon to the boat in the same areas as Mitchell. The water 54-degee water of Suisun Bay is keeping the sturgeon on the chomp.

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported salmon fishermen are still lining the banks at 1st Street and the Dillon Point State Park, but the numbers of salmon are down. He said, “The shore guys are picking up some quality striped bass, and the boaters out of McAvoy’s in Bay Point are running straight into the tules on the other side of the river to soak live mudsuckers for stripers in the 25- to 28-inch range. Sturgeon fishing has been best in Montezuma Slough.”

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing said, “Captain Charles Kimberly has been running the Flash II out of Pittsburg, and he is hooking a few sturgeon per day on salmon roe.”

In the north Delta, Alan Fong, manager of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Sacramento, has been targeting crappie in the sloughs, and he said, “After launching at Arrowhead, it took me three hours to get down there as I creeped out in the heavy fog. There are so many trees and debris in the water that you have to be particularly careful. Once I got to the spot, the fog started to lift, and the north wind came in at 20 mph. Crappie action was solid for a small grade of slabs on small swimbaits, and it is a big advantage to have the Lowrance HDS-12 LIVE with Active Imaging, and Live Target Sonar to locate the schools of crappie.” Fong is putting together a video on Delta crappie fishing on his channel, Alan Fong Outdoors.

Striped bass are taken in the Rio Vista area both above and below the bridge as a smolt plant was released in the upper river this past week. James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service started on the San Joaquin for limited action before making the loop around through Broad Slough and into the main Sacramento to discover a solid bite above the Rio Vista Bridge with live mudsucker or minnows for linesides to 5 pounds.

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.

Water movement is key for the striped bass to decide to feed in the San Joaquin River system, and the combination of a small outgoing tide and heavy pumping out of the south Delta limited water movement during the past week.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “The water movement was poor with the best action on the bigger tides late in the afternoon, but we found a topwater bite in low light conditions with the ima Little Stick in Sardine before heading to the shoals outside of Korth’s Pirates Lair on the main San Joaquin at depths from 8 to 15 feet with Optimum’s Bad Bubba Shad swimbaits in white with a chartreuse tail on a ½-ounce jig head. The key is to drag the swimbait on the bottom on a slow presentation. We went in between the shoals in deeper water at 30 feet and started spooning with P-Line’s Laser Minnows for stripers from 15 to 20 inches, and the key here is to lift the rod only a few inches instead of a drastic swing. I was able to put my Ghost Trolling Motor into anchor mode and held on top of the schools. Around half of the stripers on the spoons were of legal size.”

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley found slow action during the middle of the week with small outgoing tides as he said, “There was no water movement for a few days with debris all over the place. I ran south to Discovery Bay to try and find clear water, but there was so much hyacinth back on the way there with all of the spots choked with weeds. We waited for the incoming tide, and we were able to round out limits of a smaller grade of striped bass drifting minnows. Once you get into Discovery Bay, the water is much clearer. Sunday’s action rebounded significantly with solid limits of quality stripers. The water has cooled off, but it is still 56 degrees, and the bite should remain good until the temperatures plummet into the high 40’s.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors launched out of Ladd’s Marina, and he went north on the San Joaquin towards Prisoner’s Point for 13 keeper stripers with swimjigs or the Bad Bubba Shad swimbait. He said, “The stripers were in the 3- to 5-pound range, and they are a lot of fun on the light casting gear. Bass fishing was tough as we picked up a few on swimjigs before switching over to plastics on the drop-shot. The water is starting to get cold. We went into the Calaveras River near its entrance with the San Joaquin, and although we didn’t find any striped bass, we were able to pull a number of bass pitching plastics on the back side of the dock pilings. There is a dredge pipe laying across the opening of Turner Cut and the San Joaquin River, and it is unlighted with no buoys present. The main San Joaquin is stained from the dredging both north and south of Stockton, and you have to get into the central Delta to find clear water.”

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen’s Outdoors said, “Everyone talks about Optimum’s Bad Bubba Shad now, and it is because they work. Striped bass are scattered throughout the system right now, and I can’t get them to hit a topwater lures, but the Bad Bubba Shad, Sneaky Pete glide baits, and River2 Sea Swavers are all working. For largemouth bass, most anglers are grinding out limits in the 12-pound range, but there have been a few in the 20’s which seems to be necessary to win a tournament right now.”

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The San Joaquin River below the Mossdale Bridge has been low and muddy with the negative tides, and most anglers are heading to the big water in the main Sacramento off of Sherman Island. Sales of jumbo minnows have been high, and I went through 30 dozen jumbos in quick order. Fresh shad remains unavailable, but I am fielding dozens of calls per day for fresh shad. Frozen shad is plentiful in our shop as well as other area shops.”

The temporary emergency drought barrier in False River to slow the movement of saltwater into the central Delta and prevent the contamination of water supplies continues to be installed although it was scheduled to be removed in 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 2 White bass 2 Striper 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 2

At Nacimiento, the lake is very low at 9%, and there are exposed and submerged sandbars and island tops throughout the lake. The bass bite is fair at best with the best action on the bottom with plastics on a variety of presentation at depths to 25 feet. Finding the shad schools is a key, and when you find the bait fish, small shad-patterned spoons are effective. A few crappie are taken on minijigs or small swimbaits near structure. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, the bass bite is up and down with the bass with inconsistent action. The best fishing is on the bottom with jigs or plastic worms on a variety of presentation as the reaction bite remains slow. There have been some bonus largemouth to 5 pounds taken on occasion, but these bigger fish have been the exception. Bluegill and red ear perch are found with red worms or jumbo red 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, the bass bite remains a challenge as fishermen have to work hard for 5-fish limits. The best action has been with crankbaits, jigs, or plastics on a variety of presentations. Similar to Nacimiento, a few crappie are taken, particularly on minijigs or small swimbaits. Bluegill are found on red worms, jumbo red worms, or meal worms from the banks. Catfish continue to be taken on mackerel soaked in garlic. Launching a boat isn’t a concern as it is at the other coastal lakes. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. At San Antonio, despite the lake level at 6%, launching a boat remains an option. Catfish are taken from the banks with cut baits soaked in garlic, and mackerel remains the top choice. Bluegill are found on red worms or meal worms.

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

Events

Tournament results

none.

Events

January 20-23

International Sportsmen’s Exposition – Cal Expo Sacramento – information – sportsexpos.com

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

December 4

New Melones – Santa Clara Bass Busters

McClure – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

December 5

Don Pedro – Riverbank Bass Anglers

McClure – Fresno Bass Club

December 11

Delta/Big Break – Bass N’Tubes

New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers/Folsom Bass Busters

Pine Flat – Kerman Bass Club

Nacimiento – American Bass Association

December 12

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

Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Solunar table

n=new moon >=peak activity