Fishing report, Dec. 15-21: High school bass tournament season begins at Millerton

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.

Best bets

Pine Flat bass chewing, Michael Crayne said. McClure and New Melones bass bites good, Ryan Cook reported. Don Pedro planted rainbows hitting, Dave Hurley said. Southern Aqueduct has a solid striper bite now, Pete Cormier reported. San Luis Forebay producing good striper numbers, Mickey Clements said.

Valley

West-side waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 2

The California Aqueduct is an unappreciated fishery, but many anglers from the San Jose and Central Valley regions start their fishing careers at the water conveyance systems. The aqueducts host a dedicated group of fishermen whose numbers are growing every year.

Bill Sterling of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno coordinates a local group known as Striperz Gone Wild, and they hosted 122 entries in their second annual Toys for Tots tournament. Sterling said, “We received over 200 toys for the kids from the Los Banos area who would have gone without presents this year. The fishing community is so amazing as the entry fee for the event was an unwrapped toy. We had an abundance of fish caught during the tournament, starting right away at 6 a.m. In the adult division, Scott Lemos took first at 23.5 inches followed by Christian Gutierrez at 22.75 and John Valdez at 21.5. In the Youth Division, Christian Ruiz O’Dell was first at 20.5 inches with Fabian Casteneda at 20 inches. Umbrella rigs, paddle-tail swimbaits, or flukes were the top lures during the tournament, and although you still have to work for them, the stripers are still active, but you will have to work the lure on a slower presentation.”

Sterling added, “The flows in the aqueduct will be stopped on Monday due to repairs in the Firebaugh area. They will be draining part of the aqueduct, removing sections of concrete, and replacing and reinforcing the structure. The O’Neill Forebay still has fish down in the deeper channels, and once you find them, try jigging 2-ounce P-Line’s Laser Minnows in shad patterns.”

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported limits of chunky striped bass in the 21- to 24-inch range have been taken on sardines or anchovies along small swimbaits such as Keitech’s in shad patterns.

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, “Planted trout continue to be the highlight here, particularly at Eastman. The best action for bass has been with plastics such as Robo Worm’s Morning Dawn on a shaky head although a few largemouth bass have been taken on rainbow trout-patterned swimbaits. Hensley has been the slower of the two lakes with catfish providing the most opportunities for success with chicken livers, cut baits soaked in garlic, or nightcrawlers.” Eastman remained at 6% with Hensley rising slightly to 9%.

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 3 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 1

Trout fishing for recently-planted rainbows remains solid with shad-patterned spoons on lead core line or Rapalas on side planers. There have been loads of planters swimming along the shorelines near the Fleming Meadows launch ramp. The bass bite is tough overall as the bass are holding in deeper water from 40 to 60 feet. Shad schools have been scarce. 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 2 Trout 2 Crappie 1 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2

Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported catfish have been the highlight with Triple S Dip Bait, shrimp, chicken livers, mackerel, or frozen shad. The water has cooled into the low 50’s, and the bass bite has slowed to a crawl. A few recently-planted rainbows are taken on Power Bait or nightcrawlers from the shorelines with deep water access or by trollers pulling shad-patterned spoons. Another trout plant is scheduled this week. Crappie have been scarce with hit or miss action. The lake held at 9%. Cormier added, “Buena Vista is kicking out planted rainbows and Lightning trout on Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters, and another plant is scheduled for the week prior to Christmas.” 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 will be viable for the next few weeks due to the recent plant. The small impoundments of Ming and River Walk were planted this week, and Power Bait or nightcrawlers are working for the planters within a few days of the plants. The upper Kern River will be planted the next three weeks, but the cold water slows down the early morning bite, and the best action has been in the warmer afternoons. Fly fishermen are scoring with stoneflies in the Wild Trout section above Johnsondale. The Kern River is running at 147 cfs at Kernville and 177 cfs at First Point.

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 occurred last week, and shore anglers are casting Kastmasters, Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Mice Tails from the launch ramp area. 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 dropped slightly to 13%. The Kaweah River rose to 44 cfs at Three Rivers. Mooney Grove Park in Tulare is scheduled for a trout plant this week.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company said bass fishing has been slow as cold temperatures are driving the fish to the bottom. The best action has been with jigs or Senkos on the slow presentation. The lake rose slightly to 12%. A trout plant occurred two weeks ago, and the planters are biting Power Bait or nightcrawlers, but the remaining rainbows could get the swimbait bite going. In the Tule River, The Tule River has been slow for fly fishermen and those casting spinners, but nightcrawlers are working best for the planters.

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

McClure Reservoir

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

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Bass action is outstanding for numbers of small spotted bass as the fish are moving into the creek channels at depths from 25 to 50 feet. There are a few shallow jig fish, but the key is to find the bait balls. 5-inch Yamamoto Senkos or 6-inch Robo Worms in green pumpkin or ayu on a Neko-rig along with similar plastics on the drop-shot are working best as spoons have been less effective.” Bass fishermen are hoping that the recent trout plants will bring out the swimbait bite. 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

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 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The bass bite remains fair at best with plastics on the drop-shot or spy baits at depths to 50 feet in the main lake near Winchell’s Cove or up in the river arm. Jerkbaits have been moderately effective for the suspended bass along with deep-diving crankbaits such as KVD X10s or River2Sea’s Tactical Bassin’ DD’s bass in Ghost Minnow or Mirror Minnow along with shad-patterned swimbaits..” The river rose slightly to 663 cfs at Friant. The lake held at 61%. A trout plant is scheduled at Woodward Park for the next two weeks and at Sycamore Island Pond in Fresno this week. The first High School Angler Team Tournaments for the Big Valley Region of the California High School Student Angler Federation (CAHSATT) is scheduled for Jan. 9 at Millerton, and tournaments are open to all Valley high school students and to 7th- and 8th-graders IF they have a partner who is a high school student. Anglers without partners, and teams without access to a boat are encouraged to reach out. For information and to register as a High School Tournament Angler, contact Mike Spencer (mespenc@gmail.com or 261-5296.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service said, “The holdover trout remain on the bottom at depths from 100 to 120 feet with rolled shad, but the upcoming weather may move the trout into the creek inlets at Coyote, Angels, Carson, and Mormon as the running water will bring down new food sources” Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Bass fishing has been solid with 3/4-ounce Hopkin’s Shorties in stamped metal at 30 to 60 feet in the shad schools along with small swimbaits or flukes in pearl white for the bass chasing bait over main lake points or island tops at depths from 15 to 30 feet. Plastics in green pumpkin on a Neko-rig, 3.5-inch Dry Creek tubes, or Senkos are good options along with G-Money jigs.” There are numerous unmarked hazards throughout the lake. Boaters have to be extremely cautious. The lake held at 36%, and despite the upcoming rain and wind, the lake is not expected to turn over during this week of stormy weather.

Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; John Liechty Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

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

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bass fishermen are heading to the lake to prepare for upcoming tournament action, and there is a good spoon bite with Nichols Lake Fork Flutter Spoons in Shattered Glass Holographic along with white River2Sea 4.5-inch Flutter Spoons. Coating the spoons with Baitwaxx in shad or anchovy gel is helpful. The bass are lethargic, and a slow presentation with plastics in Pro Gold, Prism Shad, or Hologram Shad on a drop-shot or Ned-rig is working best. The key is to drag the bottom, and let the plastic sit for up to a minute before shaking the rod tip. Yum’s Bold Bluegill, Aaron’s Magic, or Morning Dawn are also productive colors on a drop-shot or dart head. The planted trout are moving into the river arm, and although the action is slow, the best fishing has been found with shad-patterned spoons at 50 to 60 feet in depth.” A trout plant is scheduled at Pine Flat this week and at Avocado Lake next week. Trout plants are scheduled on the lower Kings for the next three weeks, and planters are taken with spinners, small spoons, Power Bait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, or live crickets from the access areas. The flows rose to 314 cfs at Trimmer with the lake holding 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 1

San Luis Reservoir has stabilized at 24% after heavy pumping from the south Delta brought the lake up from 9% a few weeks ago. The main reservoir is scheduled for a change beginning in February with the extended closure of the Basalt Campground and Day Use Area due to a Safety of Dams Project. The closure may last 10 years as the project is lengthy and extensive.

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said he took out guests Ociel and Blanca Anaya, along with daughter Andrea, 14, of Parlier, and they ended up with 14 released stripers to 25 inches on minnow-colored Smithwick and Rapalas worked at the 60- to 70-foot range. “The water visibility has improved a lot, to around 8 feet, and the fish are trending deeper than earlier. Finding active fish remains the key to success,” George said.

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Drifting live minnows continue to be productive along with tossing umbrella rigs such as Yum’s Yumbrella’s or G-Funk’s umbrella rigs. The dam side is the most productive area as the Dinosaur Point side has been slow. In the O’Neill Forebay, there is a solid bite for stripers in the 18- to 20-inch range on topwater lures or Duo Realis jerkbaits in 110 or 130, particularly the Neo Pearl pattern.”

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

Overall trout fishing has been slow, but the planters should rise to closer to the surface as the water continues to cool. Crappie are found in open water at depths from 30 to 40 feet with small crappie jigs with a stinger hook instead of a jig head with a split-shot to get the bait to the right depth. Bass fishermen are tossing swimbaits in search of the big bass, but the action has been slow. The big bait bite should improve as the water continues to cool. The Sheriff’s Motor Fee remains in the effect during the winter months. The lake has dropped to 50%, well past the comfort range for launching a large boat at the public dock.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The gates at Kaiser Pass closed on Dec. 1. Edison is at 11%, Florence at 6% and Mammoth Pool at 48%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

Huntington received a good dusting of snow, even prior to this week’s major storms, and the snow should fall in earnest at this high-elevation lake. Brown trout trollers will be dragging their aluminums through the snow to reach the lake in order to run huge plugs along the shorelines. Prior to the snowfall, bank action has been excellent for rainbows or browns in the back of the lake near Camp Kern with spinners. At Shaver, dark kokanee are in the coves, and trout fishing is fair at best trolling near the deepest water near the dam, in Tunnel Creek, or in Stevenson Creek. Huntington is a 46% with Shaver dropping to 33%.

Todd Wittwer – Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Tom Oliveira – Tom Oliveira Fishing – 802-8072

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 1

The gate at McKinley Grove Road was closed on Dec. 1. 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

Welcome news arrived in Half Moon Bay this week as the Dungeness crab trap restrictions were lifted in Zone 4 on a Fleet Advisory for both recreational and commercial vessels below Pigeon Point. Although Pigeon Point is 18 miles below Half Moon Bay harbor, the paucity of production from the hoops is drawing the boats on the long run south to set gear. Half Moon Bay local waters remain closed for crab traps, but this will be reassessed on December 15th. This port has been most affected by the recreational crab trap restrictions as the hoops have been ineffective off of the San Mateo coast.

Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete was extremely happy about the opening of the crab traps south of Pigeon Point, saying, “The hoops just haven’t been getting it done for us here, and we will be setting pots below Pigeon Point and working the reefs around in the area. Our first rockfish/crab combo with crab pots was more productive than pulling those hoop nets. We had 8 limits of rockfish before noon to go with 8 limits of dungies out of only 12 pulls. Earlier in the week, we had easy limits of rockfish from Martin’s Beach south to Pescadero this week as the Deep Reef was slower. We had a light load of 6 anglers, but we returned with 9 ling cod to 15 pounds and 3 cabezon to 5 pounds as part of the rockfish limits. We are running crab/rockfish combinations for the remainder of the season. We also saw a great white shark cruising on the surface off of Pescadero.”

Captain Chris Chang of the Ankeny Street was out on Saturday with 11 fishermen, and he worked the local reefs south of the harbor for limits of rockfish and a pair of lings.

Pacifica Pier may or may not be open during the upcoming winter storms, and anglers can check the status of the pier via this website - as https://www.cityofpacifica.org/depts/pw/parks/pacifica_pier.asp.

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 3 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “We finally have a full opening of the recreational Dungeness fishery in the Monterey Bay area. Anglers in the region have been chafing at the bit while waiting for the go-ahead from authorities to begin a ‘full equipment’ crab season. The season was delayed from its scheduled November 6 opening by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Restrictions were put in place by DFW due to “potential of entanglement of humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles in trap gear.” Fishing for crab with hoop nets or crab snares was allowed because they do not pose a similar danger to those species, but they are far less effective in deep water found in Monterey Bay than the crab traps.

Dungeness crab regulations are a tad complicated, and all are advised to review the DFW 2021-2022 regs before dropping pots this year. Bag and size limits remain the same as last year with 10 crab per person per day of Dungeness crab measuring at least 5 3/4 inches. Other important changes were listed by the DFW who declared, “New regulations require recreational crab traps to have a single standardized main buoy which measures at least 5 inches by 11 inches and a single red marker buoy that measures 3 inches by 5 inches. The marker buoy may be attached to the main buoy or on a trailer line no more than 3 feet in length. No additional buoys or trailer buoys may be used. There is also a 10-trap limit and all traps must be serviced at least every nine days.”

Go Fish Santa Cruz is the only charter boat out of Santa Cruz running client crab trips right now. And the crabs are crawling. In Monterey Bay, the best spots are usually along deep canyon edges in anywhere from 140 to 230 feet of water. As Skipper JT Thomas from Go Fish reported, “We made our first pull on Saturday with a full boat of six client ending up with 80 crab. Limits for everyone including crew.” The beautiful Miss Beth pulled 15 pots averaging about seven keepers per pull. “You know how it goes, some pots were zeroes and a couple had 12 to 15 keepers,” said Thomas. Go Fish Santa Cruz will make the most of crabbing over the winter. “We’ll get back out there after this week’s weather try some different spots. We know where to look. And, these are nice clean crabs, big and full as should be expected at the beginning of a season.” Thomas hopes to maximize the crabbing after this season’s late start, and may be running two trips per day for the tasty crustaceans. “We’ll try to get some crab combo trips in as well, before rockfish season ends on December 31,” Thomas concluded.

Meanwhile, fishing for rockcod has been very productive especially for those boats that venture to the outskirts of Monterey Bay. The Kahuna from Moss Landing had an incredible ‘long-range’ trip on Saturday to the reefs below Big Sur where clients pulled in a steady supply of hefty cod in the three- to seven-pound class. Owner Carol Jones reported the Kahuna’s take from Saturday as “40 copper rockfish, nine lingcod, 60 assorted rockfish and 100 Vermilion.” We have run out of superlatives to describe the offshore fishing this year, but bluefin tuna are still haunting the areas off Davenport and towards the Carmel Canyon. Few boats went out hunting for them this week, and fewer catches were reported. We did receive confirmed reports of tuna weighing up to 240 pounds caught this week as well as a few in the 80- to 100- pound class.

The story this week for Monterey Bay anglers ran the gamut from little ones up to big ones. Very big ones! Our epic bluefin tuna bite seemed to be dissipating last week. Scores were going down and fish were harder to find. The weather didn’t help either with a fairly significant swell and a few very windy afternoons on the tuna grounds some 10 to 20 miles offshore. Undaunted, obsessive tuna hunters from Santa Cruz, Moss Landing, and Monterey as well as trailer boats from all over Northern California pushed out of the harbors early, searching for the jumpers, breezers, or big sonar marks that might mean tuna.”

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

The only zone remaining closed to recreational crab traps and commercial crabbing is Zone 3 stretching through the largest population center in northern California from Point Arena south to Pigeon Point. Due to the creativeness of the Bay Area captains, the continued commercial closure has actually been beneficial to recreational anglers as the hoop nets have been effective for scores ranging from limits to near-limits of Dungeness without the interference of the big commercial crab vessels. In a normal year, the two-week recreational season prior to the commercial opener is the best time to return with limits of big crab, but the ability to use hoops has extended the time for excellent crabbing without commercial interference. Once the big commercial boats set their gear, the crab counts drop precipitously. The bonus of the hoops has been zero whale or turtle entanglements since the season opener. However, the commercial season could open soon as another assessment is scheduled for this Wednesday.

The weather should have a say in the availability of trips to the Farallons this week as major storms are predicted throughout the week. The captains out of San Francisco, Berkeley, and Emeryville will be ready when the weather is a go.

Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Emeryville continues to find limits of rockfish and Dungeness crab, and he had a great trip on Friday for 18 limits on a private charter with only 70 pulls of the hoops along with limits of rockfish and tied up to the dock by 2:15 p.m. He said, “It was a great private charter today with a number of first-time Anglers and Anglerettes using rent rods. These folks listened, followed advice and instruction, stuck to the program and absolutely smoked limits of whopper rockfish in short order. It is still a lot of work on the hoops. We found great rockfish action at the Farallon Islands on Wednesday with 16 limits of big rockfish including some impressive coppers along with limits of Dungeness crab. The boat had been running whale watching trips on the weekends, but they are available now for crab combination trips for the remainder of the season. He said, “It’s still plenty of work getting the limits of crab, but we are getting more and more dialed in on the process.”

Captains Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream and his son, Captain Jonathon Smith of the Happy Hooker, had another spectacular weekend with a combined 35 limits of both rockfish and Dungeness along with a two ling cod on Saturday’s trip to the Farallons.

Inside of the bay, it’s the middle of December, but apparently the California halibut haven’t received the memo that they aren’t supposed to bite during this month. Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “Ross Peterson, commercial halibut fishermen, landed four halibut to 28 pounds this week drifting live mudsuckers in the Berkeley Flats. He also released 4 shakers. Last week, he landed 10 halibut with half being keepers, and live mudsuckers have been the key. A few sturgeon are starting to show up on San Pablo Bay, and there have been fish taken off of McNear’s Pier along with a single sturgeon off of the Paradise Park Pier. Our harbor has been muddy due to dredging, and this has limited our supply of live smelt due to the off-color water in the harbor.”

The first good sturgeon report out of the south bay comes from Captain Steve Gutierrez of Deadliest Kast Guide Service with a pair of sturgeon out of Alviso near the mouth of Guadalupe Creek on ghost shrimp. He said, “I had a group of first-time anglers out, but we hooked five, landing three with two being legal at 49 and 57.5 inches. The other was just short at 39.5 inches. We had fish on within the first half-hour of the incoming tide, and after losing the first two hookups due to not being familiar with the importance of keeping tension with barbless hooks, my group of four figured it out and landed the next three bites. The south bay action should only get better with the inflow from the creeks into the marshes and shallows.”

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 2

Near-limits of rockfish continue to be the rule out of the San Luis Obispo County harbors. The Patriot, Flying Fish, and Phenix out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis were out on trips on Sunday with 60 fishermen for 33 vermilion, 4 copper, one cabezon, 349 assorted rockfish, 142 Bolina, one ocean whitefish, 2 canary, and 6 ling cod to 9 pounds. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Starfire, Endeavor, and Avenger took 59 anglers out on Saturday on trips ranging from ½- to full day for 175 vermilion, 40 copper, 55 Boccaccio, 214 assorted rockfish, 2 ocean whitefish, 45 kelp rockfish, and 16 ling cod to 12 pounds. Out of Virg’s Landing, also in Morro Bay, the Black Pearl and Rita G took out 44 anglers on Sunday on 1/2th to 3/4th-day trips for 132 vermilion, 300 assorted rockfish, 6 Boccaccio, and 3 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 3 Striper 2 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3 Salmon 2

Last weekend’s King Tides lifted huge logs, poles, and even docks off of the banks in the Sacramento-Delta waters, and the main river channel was plagued with submerged and floating debris, creating hazardous conditions for boaters. With heavy rains expected this week, the river is expected to rise once again, and more debris will be floating down from the tributaries into the Delta. Once debris makes it to the Delta, it will move back and forth with the incoming and outgoing tide before eventually making its way to the ocean through the bay or ending up on a river bank.

The Sacramento River salmon season ends on Thursday, December 16th from the Highway 113 bridge near Knights Landing to the Carquinez Bridge including Suisun Bay, Grizzly Bay and all tributary sloughs west of Highway 160.

The Delta is loaded with hyacinth and floating debris, and if you are heading out into the Delta this weekend, you might want to call ahead to the marina to see if the launch ramp is accessible or if it is choked with water hyacinth.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was out on Wednesday, and he attempted to launch at B and W Resort before being greeted by a solid mass of hyacinth stretching from the edge of the ramp to the opening with the Mokelumne River. After evaluating the sea of hyacinth, he tried Brannon Island State Park for similar results as the ramp was also choked up with logs and debris. He then went to Rio Vista City ramp to find one of the ramps choked with logs he couldn’t move while the other side was also loaded with wood. He was able to move enough of the wood out of the ramp to be able to launch, and he said, “Some of the logs were 6-feet long, but we were able to clear them and head down to Sherman Island. He said, “The water clarity was excellent, but we never got a bite. We ran around the corner to the shoals on the San Joaquin side for a single bite on a Bad Bubba Shad. At 9:45 a.m., I gave my clients the option of returning to the dock and rescheduling for another day or making the long run to the San Andreas Shoals. They opted for a return to the docks, and I agreed as I don’t want to take people’s hard-earned money for a non-productive trip in difficult conditions. That’s my philosophy as a service provider.”

Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, found similar action in the north Delta near Liberty Island. He said, “It was raining a bit in the morning, and I thought that we were going to slaughter them, but I didn’t get a strike all day from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Denise Loo convinced me to bring the net, and I always see bringing a net a jinxing yourself, but she didn’t want to pull a big striper out of the water with the treble hooks flying around. It was a jinx. The interesting thing was our Assistant Manager, Michael Kidwell, was there a few days previously, and he threw big MegaBait’s MegaDogs for only four strikes, but they were all huge at 38, 20, 15, and 15 pounds. All released. I was throwing the big baits as well, but there was no success. We tried crappie fishing, and after catching 100 last week, Denise was only able to pick up a single slab. We could see them, but they wouldn’t bite.”

The heavy inflow anticipated should move the sturgeon around even further as they will either push downstream into San Pablo Bay or move upstream above Sacramento.

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg was out on Friday on a day trip for three undersized sturgeon before heading back out on Friday night for a night trip for a slot-limit fish along with more shakers. Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service was out with Mitchell on both trips, and he said, “We are all working our special salmon roe cure, and Mitchell has come up with a good one with his ‘Fire Cure’ There is quite a bit of debris in the water right now, and it is only going to get worse with the storms.”

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing was out on Thursday, and they worked for a 54-inch slot-limit sturgeon along with a few shorts. He said, “There is so much stuff in the water right now as the big tides took the debris off of the shorelines.”

Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures said, “We have to work for everything that we get right now as the sturgeon are spread out with not as many around. We have been coming up with 5 or 6 good fish per week, but two out of the last three trips, we have had a sea lion charging a hooked fish.” Medinas also confirms the amount of debris, saying, “I saw a dock on its underside floating by this week.”

With the water off-color, the best striped bass action has been on the anchor, and Craig Newton of Will Fish Tackle in Auburn said, “Ron Retzlaff of Orangevale and his crew tried trolling, but they mostly have been soaking anchovies or shad for school-sized striped bass in the main Sacramento River.”

Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions has moved his boat to the Pittsburg Marina for the winter striped bass and sturgeon season, and on his way down from San Francisco, he soaked sardines for an hour or so for a 10-pound striped bass.”

Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait said, “Salmon remains open until Thursday, but for all intents and purposes, it is over now as there have been no salmon reported from our shorelines for the past few weeks. There have also been far fewer steelhead landed than in the past few years. Small striped bass have been the best thing happening from the shorelines.”

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 San Joaquin-Delta has been a challenge for striped bass anglers as the water temperatures are starting to plummet into the low 50’s. The largemouth bass bite requires a finesse presentation, and a key is avoiding the massive amount of water hyacinth that has been pulled out of the back sloughs and into the main river channels due to last weekend’s King Tides. This week’s storms will bring inflow down the Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers into the San Joaquin system combined with muddy water out of the Consumnes, an undammed tributary of the Mokelumne River.

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service found slow striped bass action on Saturday, saying, “It was a tough bite drifting live mudsuckers and minnows, but there were a number of boats on the anchor trying for sturgeon or striped bass. The water temperatures have dropped into the 53/54-degree range, and the linesides were lethargic. We picked up a couple of stripers in the morning off of Spindrift Marina before starting in on the big loop through Eddo’s, Broad Slough, and into the Sacramento River near Chain Island. The water was much cleaner on the Sacramento, and we did pick up a couple of keepers outside of Decker Island. All of our fish came at depths from 15 to 17 feet, and I figured with the cold water, they would be much deeper. I never saw more than a single striper as there were no schools.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors launched out of Tracy Oasis this week, and he found similar conditions with the Grantline Canal being a sea of hyacinth 200 hundred yards long and from bank to bank. He said, “We went the other way, and we found a good flip bite along with punching grass or the smaller mats for 20 bass to 4.5 pounds. Widow Island was completely loaded with hyacinth as well. The bass were a good solid quality for this time of year as we also found some fish on ripbaits.”

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing found great action on Monday as ‘the stripers were chewing’ in the San Joaquin system on live bait, but this hot bite slowed as the week progressed.

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “Drifting live bluegill has been very productive for striped bass in White Slough, Telegraph Slough, in Turner Cut, and behind Mildred Island. When the water is clear, topwater lures are working for the linesides. Largemouth bass fishing remains quiet for the most part. There is a tremendous amount of hyacinth in the system, and a group of floating hyacinth may disguise a huge submerged log. It’s time to be very careful in the Delta.”

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 bass bite remains slow with the best fishing taken place on the bottom with either plastics on the drop-shot or spoons. The spoon bite has been in slightly deeper water. Slow-trolling spinners have also been effective for both white and spotted bass. Crappie are also hitting the spinners along with those working minijigs in deeper water. The lake is very low at 9%, and there are exposed and submerged island tops and sand bars. Boaters will need to remain cautious. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, the best bass fishing remains on the bottom with finesse presentations with jigs or plastics on a variety of presentations. Bass in the 3- to 5-pound range are taken on occasion. Red ear perch and bluegill are holding in deeper water, and when you find the school, red worms or meal worms are picking up the panfish. Trout plants haven’t been announced, but they are possible during the winter months. The lake is very low, but the launch ramp remains open. However, launching is a challenge with the lake at 28%, 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 action remains fair at best with a few decent largemouth per trip the average score with a reaction bite on deep-diving crankbaits or small swimbaits. The best techniques for numbers are working the bottom with jigs, Senkos, or plastics on the drop-shot. Crappie action is fair, but there have been some slabs landed on fire tiger or similarly colored minijigs. Catfish are taken on cut mackerel with garlic while bluegill fishing is best with red worms or meal worms near structure in deeper water. Launching is easily accessible as the lake is holding around 50% of capacity. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. At San Antonio, bank fishing is decent for catfish with cut bait scented with garlic along with Triple S Dip Bait. Bass fishing remains slow, but bluegill or crappie are taken on red worms, meal worms, or minijigs near structure. The lake is only at 6%, but launching remains possible.

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

Events

Tournament results

Pine Flat –Sierra Bass Club – December 11th – 1st: John Albidrez – 9.22 pounds; 2nd – Ryan Reynolds – 8.91; 3rd – Ron Orbaker – 8.21. Dan Folia – Big Fish – 2.53.

Pine Flat – Kerman Bass Club – December 11th – 1st: Dave McEwan/Mike Beltran – 10.58 pounds (Big Fish – 3.12); 2nd – Shawn Young/Francisco Montes – 9.38; 3rd – Mitch Melikian/Darren Graef – 8.34.

Pine Flat –Sierra Bass Club Tournament of Champions– December 12th – 1st: Chris Jones – 11.97 pounds (Big Fish – 3.59); 2nd – Ron Orbaker – 9.69; 3rd –Jim Lozano – 4.69..

Events

January 20-23

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

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

January 1

Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento- Bakersfield Bass Club

January 8

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – NorCal Bass

New Melones – American Bass Association

McClure – Best Bass Tournaments/Sierra Bass Club

Millerton – Kerman Bass Club

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments/Bakersfield Bass Club

January 9

Millerton - Big Valley Region of the California High School Student Angler Federation (CAHSATT)

January 10

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

January 15

Camanche – NorCal Bass

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – American Bass Association/Golden Empire Bass Clu

January 22

Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

New Melones – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies/Contra Costa Bass Club

McClure - Sierra Bass Club/17-90 Bass Club

January 29

Millerton – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

February 6

Pine Flat - Big Valley Region of the California High School Student Angler Federation (CAHSATT)

March 6

Millerton - Big Valley Region of the California High School Student Angler Federation (CAHSATT)

April 3

Pine Flat - Big Valley Region of the California High School Student Angler Federation (CAHSATT)

April 24

Delta - Big Valley Region of the California High School Student Angler Federation (CAHSATT)

June 5

Delta – Major League Fishing California High School State Championship

Roger’s remarks

Roger George’s column will return.

Solunar table

f=full moon >=peak activity

This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.