Fishing report, March 9-15: Edison team leads high school domination of 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.

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Best bets

Delta sturgeon and bass action good, Joey Gamez reported. New Melones bass and trout bites top the action, Ryan Cook reported. Bass Lake trout on tap, Dave Hurley said. Don Pedro trout hitting, Monte Smith reported.

Roger’s remarks: Taking trip notes can help you improve

Whenever I talk to an avid angler who is sincerely looking for the best results, I almost always find someone who is keeping good records to learn from.

Keeping good records is a pain for me, but I do it anyway. I’ve learned from my years training as a decathlete and then later as a guide that there isn’t much you can do that’s more valuable than putting down on paper all you can. It may help you now or later, especially as you begin to identify patterns from year to year. Things that seem random now can become keys to some spectacular fishing most others are missing.

Funny, but it seems that the more you learn, the more you learn as new patterns and connections are made from your data. This can catapult your results and lets you build on your failures - and successes.

I’ve had a lot of fishermen tell me that they don’t need records, they’ve got a great memory. I’ve found that even my fishing buddies and I will have totally different perspectives and remembrances about a trip just a week ago. Go back a year or more and it becomes nearly impossible to recall all the important factors that might have made it a great trip. Was it before a full moon, after a cold front, water levels falling or rising, lures - and what was the water temp? Any one of those factors could be the critical link to a special bite. Don’t remember? That’s when you’re going to have to try to refigure things out the next time you go.

Good records can clearly show us we may not be doing nearly as well as we would like to believe. It also shows us clearly what we need to do.

It’s too easy for me to fool myself into believing that I’m doing the right things, even when the results don’t corroborate my efforts. We can tell ourselves things like, “I’m doing better than most,” but the reality is that I’m not really reaching my goals and the sooner I figure this out, the sooner I can move on.

As an example, after my 2018 guide season I wasn’t happy with my overall results compared to my goals, so I dove into my trip records and saw where I had taken a turn in my strategies. My 2019 was a complete turnaround, with much-improved catch rate and tripled big fish numbers.

Many think this sounds ridiculously simple and discount its value. However, my experience has been that it’s a powerful idea in application, the few at the top practice it religiously, and it produces results when applied. Simple, powerful ideas seem to be often overlooked, mainly because they take work. Separate yourself. Never give up!

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

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 2

In the California Aqueduct, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Coyote said, “It’s been quiet out at the aqueduct for the past few weeks, most likely due to the cold conditions in the mornings. The majority of fishermen are targeting largemouth bass around Los Banos.” Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The aqueduct has slowed down a bit, but there are small striped bass found between Patterson and Santa Nella. Catfishing is decent, as well.”

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, small swimbaits, jerkbaits, or anchovies, sardines, or mackerel are all working for striped bass, particularly where the water slows. Catfish are taken on cutbaits.

With the cold wintertime temperatures, 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

A double trout plant is scheduled at Eastman this week with a single plant at Hensley. Shore anglers will be able to score from the launch ramp areas with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters. The possibility for a trophy bass exists at each lake, but the possibility remains slim. Eastman has been the best bet with largemouths to 4 pounds taken on trout-patterned swimbaits. Noise-making lures are best with the stained water at both lakes. Eastman held at 10% with Hensley rising slightly to 17%.

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 0 King salmon 1 Crappie 2

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass bite remains challenging, and this isn’t the lake for numbers. There is less fishing pressure on this lake than any other in the Mother Lode so it is difficult to understand why the bite has been tough. The bass are starting to move up into shallower water and a slow presentation with jigs, tubes, or 7-inch custom Lunker Daddy heavy worms are producing at 20 to 50 feet.” Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing has been finding great action for planted trout along with the occasional rainbow trout running nightcrawlers behind a Sling Blade on the downrigger or rolling shad at depths to 70 feet. Limits of quality rainbows have been the rule. The lake rose slightly to 59%. The Fleming Meadows and Moccasin launch ramps remain open.

The 2022 daily vehicle fee is $20 with an additional $15 to launch a vessel. Annual launch passes will be $120 with an annual vehicle fee of $120 with $65 for seniors. The lake rose slightly to 56%. 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 at Isabella this week, but the recent plants haven’t resulted in great action for either trollers or bank fishermen. Trollers have the best opportunity with Kastmasters, Needlefish, or similar shad-patterned spoons. Bank fishermen are picking up a few planters on Atomic Tubes, Mice Tails, or nightcrawlers. The bass are holding in deeper water, and spoons, plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or ice jigs are picking up the occasional largemouth. The Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed eliminating the two-fish 15-inch size limit at Isabella since efforts to create a trophy fishery have been unsuccessful. Catfishing continues to be best with Triple S Dip bait, chicken livers, or cut baits coated with garlic spray The recommendation is to return to the state standard of a bag limit of 5 fish with a 12-inch size limit. The 31st Annual Kern County Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby will run from April 9th through July 4th with 500 tagged fish ranging in value from $20 to $5000. The Derby Headquarters is returning to the senior center for opening weekend, and if you enter prior to March 30, 2022, you will be included in the early bird drawing for $250 before the event even starts. All anglers must enter before April 9 at 7:00 a.m. when all entries are shut down. To enter the derby, go to www.kernrivervalley.com and click on the fishing derby link. Lake Isabella held at 11%. There haven’t been any recent trout plants at Buena Vista, and few anglers have been showing up in response to the lack of plants. A few planted rainbows have been taken on minnows or crappie jigs. Catfishing is fair with cut baits. Anglers have to be aware of the planting schedule as the bite slows quickly after the plant. Daily Fishing Permits at Buena Vista are $6.00/adults and $1.00/children under 15. Information on trout plants is available at (661) 868-7000 – press 1. In the local lakes, Ming and the River Walk are scheduled for trout plants this week along with the lower Kern River in sections 1, 2, and 3, and the upper Kern in sections 4 and 5. The upper river continues to be clear and cold, but fly fishermen are scoring in the 20 Mile section with dry flies. There are hatches taking place in the warmer afternoons. Spin fishermen are soaking Power Bait, live crickets, salmon eggs, or nightcrawlers. The river at Kernville has risen from 230 to 286 cfs, and it has risen below the dam from 213 to 291 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

Last week’s cold front pushed the bass back into deeper water, and a slow presentation with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs is working best at depths to 40 feet. The Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed eliminating the two-fish 15-inch size limit at Kaweah since efforts to create a trophy fishery have been unsuccessful. The recommendation is to return to the state standard of a bag limit of 5 fish with a 12-inch size limit. The lake rose from 20% to 22%. The Kaweah River rose from 141 cfs to 212 cfs at Three Rivers with snowmelt starting to flow into the watershed.

Lake Success/Tule River

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company in Springville said, “Bass fishing has slowed due to the cold temperatures, and finesse fishing is best with plastics. The action should improve with warmer weather.” The Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments scheduled for last Saturday and Sunday were postponed due to freezing temperatures at the lake. The Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed eliminating the two-fish 15-inch size limit at Success since efforts to create a trophy fishery have been unsuccessful. The recommendation is to return to the state standard of a bag limit of 5 fish with a 12-inch size limit. The lake rose slightly to 23%.

In the Tule River, Stokke added, “The river is very tough this past week with snow and cold temperatures. The trout have shut off on the bite. Bait fishermen with nightcrawlers are even getting skunked.”

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

McClure Reservoir

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

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass are found in shallow water at depths from 20 feet to the bank with G-Money Jigs with Lunker Daddy twin-tail trailer or with 3.5-inch Lunker Daddy tubes. There have been a few more quality bass, but the majority of fish remain less than 2 pounds.” Recent trout plants have spurred on action for both trollers and bank fishermen. The area from the Houseboats south including Temperance and Cotton is now 5 mph. There are several additional tournaments in the coming months. The lake held at 29%, and the best ramp continues to be at Barrett Cove South.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

A few planted trout have been taken from the shorelines, but since the last plant was over a month ago, the majority of the planters have either been caught or spread out into the deeper water in the upper river arm. A few holdovers are found in the early mornings or the evenings at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula around the marina with gold or blue/silver Kastmasters, garlic Power Bait, or nightcrawlers. Trollers continue to find the occasional rainbow in river arm near the 2nd Fence Line with blade/’crawler combinations or red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler at depths to 20 feet. The lake held at 94%, and lake levels remain high throughout the year.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 2 Striped Bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Millerton Lake was the host of the third event of the Big Valley High School Angler’s tournament season, and the team of Jaiden Vang and Morgan Yoder of Edison High School in Fresno continued their dominance in the series with their second outright first place. Millerton is known as a spotted bass lake with generally small limits, but the high school anglers put on a clinic on Sunday with limits even exceeding recent pay-for-play tournaments. The Big Valley High School Anglers tournament series is organized by Roosevelt High School Bass Fishing Club advisor and teacher, Michael Spencer, but high school anglers throughout the Central Valley are welcome to join the club while teams from throughout the state participate in the events. Vang and Yoder took first place at Millerton during the first event of the year on Jan. 9, and although they attend Fresno’s Edison High School, they compete as part of the Big Valley High School Angler’s team.

Spencer has opened the club to all valley high school fishermen from Bakersfield north to Merced as well as 7th and 8th grade students if their partner is a high school student. Anglers without partners, and teams without access to a boat are encouraged to reach out.

Spencer said, “The Edison High team brought in an amazing 18.44-pound bag fishing rock piles at 40 to 60 feet deep with a 4-inch Pro Worm on a drop-shot. Their limit was anchored by a 5.06-pound spotted bass also caught on the drop-shot. Two teams from the Brentwood/Oakley area representing the East County Student Anglers club took the next two places with 12-pound limits. Tyler Hurney and Silas Jones had 12.94 pounds catching their fish on rock piles in 10 to 15 feet of water below steep banks on a combination of plastics on the drop-shot or 3.8-inch Keitech Fat Impact swimbaits on a light ball head jig. ECSA teammates Joaquin Elliot and Vince Fonte brought in 12.44 pounds and the day’s biggest fish, a spotted bass that went for 5.56 pounds for third. Elliot and Fonte also targeted the shallower fish in 10 to 15 feet and caught all their keepers, big fish included, drop-shotting.”

To put the high school anglers’ limits into perspective, a 41-boat adult tournament last Sunday was won with a first-place limit 12.29 pounds with the second and third place teams at 11.91 and 11.50 pounds, respectively. The big spots over 5 pounds dwarfed the big fish at 4.19 pounds last Sunday.

The last Big Valley High School Angler Open event will be held at Pine Flat on April 3. For information and to register as a High School Tournament Angler, contact Spencer (mespenc@gmail.com or 559-261-5296).

In addition to tournament action, the Roosevelt High School Bass Fishing Club’s members have taken on Beautify Fresno’s Million Pound Challenge, working every Wednesday to clean up the city. The Roosevelt High School Public Service Academy has joined with the bass fishing club as they are building a sense of community around the campus.

At Sycamore Island, Sarah Parkes said, “Last week, the Department of Fish and Wildlife stocked the Sycamore Island Trout Pond. The largemouth bass bite continues to be slow although several people reported success fishing in the river. Carp have begun spawning, and crappie are biting in the ponds.” Trout plants are scheduled at Woodward Park Pond in Fresno for the next two weeks.

Sycamore Island is open Fridays through Sundays and State holidays until November 11. Seasonal hours of operation are 6:00 am to 5:30 pm January, February, March, October, and November; 6:00 am to 7:00 pm April and September, and 6:00 am to 8:30 pm May through August. Entry fees are $9.00 per vehicle and $5.00 per trailer. Snacks, drinks, and bait are available for purchase. Sycamore Island is located in Madera County near Valley Children’s Hospital at 39664 Avenue 7 1/2, Madera, CA.

The River Parkway Trust offers contactless payment for day-use passes online at www.riverparkway.org. The organization asks that guests follow current public health guidance regarding Covid-19. For more information about Sycamore Island, visit www.riverparkway.org. Or visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SycamoreIslandPark.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

New Melones has been the primary location for a trophy in the early spring. These fish are few and far between, but experienced swimbait fishermen are finding the occasional double-digit largemouth as the bass are loading up on the plentiful supply of planted rainbow trout.

Numbers require a vastly different presentation, and the majority of bass are taken on finesse techniques. John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service said, “For numbers, it’s all about fishing slow, but I did catch-and-release at 12.60-pound largemouth on a swimbait within the past week. There is a very short window for the big fish bite, but we had a phenomenal trip with a client resulting in a 21-pound limit with a 5.50-pound largemouth bass and a 5-pound spotted bass. I have been focusing on standard finesse stuff of Senkos or plastics on a Ned-rig, shakey head, or drop-shot. The key has been to drop the bait to the bottom, shake it, pause, shake it again, and if it does something different, set the hook. We have been working at 15 to 25 feet in depth for the better cut of fish, but you will only get 6 to 8 bass at that range. Depending upon the desire of my clients, I will work for more numbers of smaller fish at 25 to 30 feet.”

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “I have been at Melones for most of the week, and we are finding a good bite in the river arm at depths from 15 to 35 feet with 7- to 8-inch Lunker Daddy custom pour plastics on a 3/16th to 1/4th-ounce shakey head along with G-Money jigs. Don Pedro has been slow overall, but the bass are starting to move up. It’s not the lake for numbers right now, but it has the least pressure of any of the Mother Lode lakes. I don’t know why it is fishing so tough right now. For numbers, McClure remains solid at depths to 20 feet with 3.5-inch Lunker Daddy Tubes.”

The American Bass Association held at small tournament on Saturday at Lake Tulloch, and the local team of Alex Niapas and Jason Remmers took first place with a 21.90-pound limit with Niapas landing another big fish at 12.40 pounds on a Hawg Hunter swimbait.

Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service took out the crew from Fisherman’s Warehouse in Manteca including store manager, Ocsanna Seropyan, formerly of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis. They found great action from the surface to 15 feet from the Spillway to Angels Cove with white hoochies behind a gold hammered Paulina Peak dodger.

The lake held at 41%, but numerous unmarked hazards remain 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, “Finesse plastics also take center stage here with techniques from split-shot to dart head to drop-shot producing best along with 7-inch Robo Worms or KVD Trick Worms on a Neko-rig. Salt River Craw, Bait Ball, green pumpkin/purple, Aaron’s Magic, and Hologram Shad are all working at depths to 30 feet. There are bass cruising the banks past the Lakeview Marina, Lefever Creek and Zebe Creek. Trollers are working as deep as 70 feet for the occasional planted rainbows with Needlefish or Kastmasters. Shore anglers are finding a few trout near Deer Creek with Power Bait or nightcrawlers.” The lake held at 32%.

In the lower Kings, trout fishing remains best with Roostertails, Atomic Tubes, Trout Magnets, and Power Bait are all working in the transition from fast to slow water. The flows rose from 604 cfs to 691 cfs at Trimmer.

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

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Coyote said, “Trolling continues to be slow with most anglers soaking bait from the shorelines. Kayak fishermen have been launching out of Dinosaur Point to drift jumbo minnows or toss jerkbaits for the possibility of a keeper striper.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the cold front has slowed the overall bite this week.” I fished right before the rain and the troll bite continues to be slow. I got reports from several friends fishing minnows and they were able to catch 10 school fish working the 40-foot range but that was about the best report. The lake is holding pretty steady.” George also said that after an almost two-year pause due to the pandemic, he’ll once again be doing one of his San Luis striper seminars at Sportsman’s Warehouse. The date for the limited seating seminar will be out soon.

In the O’Neill Forebay, smaller Keitech swimbaits or pile worms are working best for mostly undersized stripers, but there has been some action on umbrella rigs such as Yumbrellas along with flukes. The California Aqueduct remains slow with the best action near Los Banos for largemouth bass. There are also largemouth taken in the forebay near the rockwall or Check 12 with jerkbaits or crankbaits.” The main lake dropped slightly to 45% this week with the O’Neill Forebay climbing from 75% to 89%.

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

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 0

Trout fishing remains solid for planters from the surface to 20 feet between the Pines and the Forks with spinners in orange along with minnow patterns. Bass fishing is fair at best with finesse techniques. With the Sheriff’s Motor Fee in place and low water levels at the public launch ramp, few bass boats are heading to the lake. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/. The lake rose slightly to 57%, creating more accessible conditions at the launch ramp.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The gates at Kaiser Pass will not reopen until Memorial Day at the earliest. Edison is at 14%, Florence has risen to 7% with Mammoth Pool also rising to 83%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

Snowmelt should start to fill up both lakes in the coming weeks. The launch ramp at Sierra Marina is low, but boats can access the water at this point. A few trollers are working for kokanee or trout with the best action near the Point, Stevenson, or Tunnel Creek at depths to 35 feet. Shore anglers are picking up a few holdover trout at both Shaver and Huntington. The access at Shaver is better as you have to trudge through snow to reach the lake’s edge at Huntington. Shaver’s launch ramp conditions can be checked via webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/camera.html.

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

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 0

The gate at McKinley Grove Road is closed. Information is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Striper 2 White seabass 1 Crab 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

April 1st can’t get there fast enough for this port as the intermittent crab-only, crab/sand dab/Petrale sole, or whale watching trip is the only boat-based action. Shore line action has been solid for surf perch, and limited scores of Dungeness crab are taken on snares or hoops from the crowded pier or surrounding beaches.

Anglers can check the status of the pier via https://www.cityofpacifica.org/depts/pw/parks/pacifica_pier.asp. There is also a live feed from a web cam available at https://www.pacificaview.net/livecam/index.php.

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

Striper 2 White seabass 1 Crab 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Out of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey, sand dabs, Petrale sole, and Dungeness crab are holding up until the end of the month when rockfish season starts on April 1st. Reservations are starting to fill up for the opening weeks of the season. When the weather cooperates, the best location for Petrale sole remains in deep water in Monterey Bay. The annual Whalefest will take place on March 19/20th at the Old Fishermen’s Wharf from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Information on the free event is available at www.whalefest.org.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Monterey Bay anglers continue to enjoy fishing for our wintertime species all across the bay from Monterey to Santa Cruz. For charter boats, the primary prey continues to be small flatfish caught from deep waters. Sand dabs may be little, but when you can catch and keep as many as you’d like, fun times and food supplies are guaranteed. Chris’ Fishing and Whale Watching Trips out of Monterey reported the usual ‘Lots of sandabs’ for their trips this week, plus 60 Petrale sole for the Check Mate and 26 Dungeness crab pulled up on the Caroline. Stagnaro’s Sportfishing in Santa Cruz is enjoying the same sort of success. Owner Ken Stagnaro reported, “21 anglers on board the Legacy caught 350 nice sand dabs and 10 Petrale Sole! It’s been a great season for dabs this winter!”

We have finally reached the month of March. This means it’s time to start gearing up for our annual season openers. Beth Norton from Go Fish Santa Cruz is enthused. Her latest message says, “We are looking forward to 2022 fishing season. Rockcod Season opens April 1st and salmon season is projected to open on April 2nd. JT is busy making upgrades to the charter boat Miss Beth. New fiberglass deck, a lot of polishing, painting and other improvements. JT will be the Captain and JP, who we all know and love, will be the Deckhand. The best around!” (Disclaimer: Beth Norton is JT Thomas’ mother, but we cannot argue with her assessment of the Miss Beth and Crew being the best. It’s a clean, fast boat, very roomy and the crew are wild men when it comes to getting their clients on fish!)

Santa Cruz Coastal Fishing Charters is another six-pack operation operating from Santa Cruz Harbor. Owner Rodney Armstrong and his crew have been busy as a hive of hornets down on S Dock all winter. Captain Rodney took the plunge at the end of the season last year and upgraded his boat. Armstrong is understandably excited, saying, “Here we go folks! New addition to our business! Get ready for a smooth comfortable ride. She’s 35’4” long 12’1” wide with a bit more speed than the Salmon Streaker. The Streaker has been good to us, but we can’t wait to be running in the Knot Alone! Now we got a head, 5KW generator, killer stereo system, heating, and of course most importantly tons of fishing room!” The new Maine Coaster is powered by an inboard Volvo Penta and looks to be a perfect six-packer for our area.

On a more regretful note, we’ve learned that the famous Kahuna Sportfishing operation from Moss Landing has shut down operations and sold the boat. The Kahuna is now berthed in San Diego and is likely to be operating from H&M Landing. Owner Carol Jones is of mixed emotions regarding the end of her 30-plus years operating the only charter boat out of Moss. Jones said, “The Kahuna has been sold!!!! Thank you to everyone for your support throughout the years. It has been a good ride but I’m off to other adventures.” The Kahuna was special in so many ways. The boat is a 50-foot Delta custom built with no step deck and a “one-off” custom Hoquiam pilothouse/cabin. Originally built for the Delta Company’s owner, Jones purchased the Kahuna 33 years ago from the owners’ son. It featured a smaller cabin to accommodate more fishing deck space. And, it’s fast. Jones said, “It runs through the water like no other Delta.

That speed was a plus for Jones and allowed Kahuna Charters to offer adventurous fishing trips to more remote locations. They are famous for their ‘Long Range’ bottom fishing forays as far as southern Big Sur. The Kahuna would range as far north as Ano Nuevo and Franklin Point as well. It was also the premier salmon mooching vessel in Monterey Bay as well as being dedicated to chasing albacore tuna far offshore when those fish were available. Jones poured her heart and soul into the Kahuna Charter operations and gained a fierce following of loyal clients, dedicated anglers all. We’re sure it’s bittersweet for Carol, relinquishing this major part of her life. On the one hand, she can relax a bit. Charter boat operations carry an incredible amount of stress along with the joy of providing good (sometimes spectacular) fishing for her clients. If you have memories or great stories of times on the Kahuna, please drop Carol a line. She knows she has my heartfelt thanks for her dedication all these years, and I’m sorry to see the Kahuna go.”

On the Capitola Wharf, Capitola Bait and Bait is open for boat rentals on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are advised – (831)462-2208.

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 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2

The local party boats out of San Francisco, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Richmond are starting their halibut trolling trips as it is too early for live anchovies to be stored in the pens at the San Francisco waterfront. Even when anchovies are present in the bay in numbers, a delay in the preparedness of the bait boat may result in live bait unavailability until June. Live bait allows halibut hunters to fish deeper water. Trolling with either frozen bait or hoochie/flasher combinations are producing numbers of undersized flatfish with the possibility of a legal fish or two per trip. Herring spawns remain contained on the San Francisco side of the bay, and there was a large herring spawn at ATT Park over the weekend. The East Bay has yet to experience any herring spawns.

Ed Chin of Bay Tackle in El Cerrito said, “The San Pablo Bay areas around Pinole, Hercules, and Rodeo are producing quality halibut and striped bass to 24 inches for those drifting live smelt or shiners, but the Richmond shoreline is limited to small stripers under 15 inches. The south bay is producing lots of undersized halibut with the possibility of one or two legal fish just over the 22-inch minimum. Sturgeon fishing in the south bay remains good around Hayward, San Lorenzo, and San Leandro, but most anglers are focusing upon halibut trolling. The herring spawns have yet to hit the east bay, but there was a spawn at Pier 38 in San Francisco this week with others at Paradise, Sausalito, and Angel Island. Perch fishing has been good on both sides of the bay around Richmond, Berkeley, Albany, and Emeryville along with the Marin side at China Camp or San Rafael.”

Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “This week’s tides are good for sturgeon through Wednesday, and for the first time this year, we have live mud shrimp in the shop. Even if you don’t use all of the mud shrimp on a trip, this is a good time to load up and freeze it as there will be a minimal supply of this popular bait this year. Live mudsuckers are still picking up halibut in the Berkeley Flats, and in addition to halibut, commercial fisherman Ross Peterson, landed his 6th white sea bass since November at 35 pounds this past week. The live mudsuckers have been an excellent bait for both halibut and white sea bass.”

With live bait at a premium, anglers will have to catch their own jack smelt or purchase shiners or smelt from a shop such as Fraser’s. Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond has been loading up on the small jack smelt and curing them for later in the season.

Captain Craig Hanson of Argo Sport Fishing out of San Francisco has been working the central bay for a few halibut and striped bass per trip, and they even caught and released a seven-gill shark on Saturday. Hanson releases all sharks along with placing a boat-limit of one sturgeon per trip. There are two weeks left until March 15th when the sturgeon restrictions in the central bay will be over for the rest of 2022.

White sturgeon may not be taken in the portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita between January 1st and March 15th.

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

Surf perch 3

Rockfish season will reopen again in April with a slightly different sublimit for vermilion rockfish dropping from 5 to 4 with one copper rockfish also as a sublimit. Boats are limited to nature trips, whale watching, or the occasional crab/sand dab combination trip. 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 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

It’s March, and its sturgeon time in the Sacramento/Delta, and the past weekend provided some of the best action of the year for six-pack operators in Suisun Bay. There are a few more striped bass moving into the system, but there is growing concern from longtime Delta fishermen over the state of the striped bass.

Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg ended a 14-day stretch of sturgeon fishing on Sunday, and he said, “The action was incredible over the weekend. The Big Cut was on fire on Saturday with great numbers on both tides, but when we went there on Sunday morning, the fish had moved on. We found them in the sloughs, and the final count was 8 oversized and six short sturgeon with the big fish coming in at 119 inches, estimated between 350 and 400 pounds. We started off with a four-banger right off of the bat, and this was the most chaos we had on the boat in a long time. The fish were biting on the outgoing tide, but just as we were ready to pull anchor 15 minutes into the incoming tide, Joey Jr. violently set hook, and the rod stopped halfway up. I thought we were snagged, but the big fish pulled us off anchor, and we had to weave through the boats to bring it to the side of the boat. Of course, it was hooked on a light halibut rod so it took some work to bring it in, and when we measured the fish alongside the boat, it was an amazing 119 inches.”

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing was called in to the sloughs by Gamez, and even though they arrived late on the scene, they came up with one slot-limit sturgeon, 2 oversized, and three shakers. He said, “One of the oversized was a ¼- of an inch over, but you have to respect the rules despite clients wanting to keep the fish. It was loaded with eggs, and I was happy to see her swim off.”

Bob Sparre of Bob Sparre’s Fishing Guide Service has also been in the Suisun Bay sloughs, and over the past few trips, his clients have released four oversized sturgeon to 8 feet along with missing a few opportunities using roe or lamprey eel. Sparre said, “We saw a good number of “high flier’s” moving through in the 15- foot zone but his fish were all down on the bottom at 20 to 25 feet. We don’t boat these oversized fish and remove and revive them in the water alongside the boat. These fish can take upwards of 25 years to get to this size and a quick release is one way to help preserve the fishery.”

Captains Zack Medinas and Virginia Salvador of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures have been working with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and UC Davis on white sturgeon populations, and Medinas said, “We took out CDFW and UCD biologists on Sunday for their first opportunity to fight a white sturgeon, and they landed three legal fish, one oversized, and two undersized, and one of the oversized almost spooled us before we got the rod out of the holder.” The overall action is 50% of what we have experienced over the past three years, and there are clearly fewer legal fish in the system. However, this was one of the best weeks so far this season with a couple triple hookups as the big fish are coming up the river to spawn. With the blessing of the CDFW, we are able to participate in the tagging program, and we landed a 61-inch sturgeon that was tagged 15 years ago at 32 inches. This means it grew less than 2 inches per year, and it was caught only a mile away from where it was tagged 15 years ago.”

There is growing concern over the striped bass population, and this is from innovator, Clyde Wands of the California Striped Bass Association – Isleton Chapter. He said, “Where are the stripers? I think the striper population has dropped the past few years. Once in a while, we will find a few fish, but at this time of year, we should be well into them. There are a lot of days where we are struggling for one or two fish. I hope I have a better report for you next week, but it’s getting concerning.”

Dave Houston of Livermore said, “After 3 unsuccessful trips and over 150 miles, I finally found two small pods of fish. The stripers are finally starting to school up on the San Joaquin and Sacramento River. The water temp is about 54.5, and the water is still greenish and murky. These are new, fat, and energetic fish. They were stealing worm tails and becoming foul-hooked often. I had my limit by 7:00 a.m. but stuck around to find some more to release. Lures with chartreuse/lime tails worked best.”

Scott Marran of Yuba City went into the north Delta on Sunday, and he said, “Gracie and I went into the north Delta with a bucketful of ‘gold’ aka, jumbo minnows, and it took a few hours to locate some striped bass willing to play. Once we found them, it was one with a total of 21 stripers to 7 pounds. We kept three from 5 to 7 pounds along with a 19-inch bleeding lineside. It wasn’t wide open, but we did have a couple of doubles. The water temperature has risen to 54.5 degrees, but the water is stained. There were no fish in my normal spots. The bite was decent, but I remember what it was 50 years ago. No comparison.”

Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors was also in the north Delta, and after picking up a few small striped bass, they switched over to bass fishing with his videographer, Denise Loo, and Warren Trumbley. He said, “We found a consistent bite with bass in the 3- to 4-pound range flipping for an 18-pound limit. I told Denise, ‘See that corner when the weeds are laying down.’ She cast into their and set the hook back-to-back on 4- and 3-pound largemouth bass. She can fish. The water temperature has risen to 58 degrees in some section of the Delta.”

Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport added, “Blood worms, pile worms, and sardines coated with garlic spray are picking up striped bass, and the water is very clear around Freeport. Bluegill are showing up everywhere in the sloughs on waxworms or jumbo red worms. A few sturgeon have been taken here and there as they are coming and going from spawning in the upper river. Catfishing is best upriver near Knight’s Landing or in Lisbon Slough.”

On April 2nd, the California Striped Bass Association will hold the 1st Annual Captain Barry Canevaro Memorial Striper Derby at the Rio Vista launch ramp. The target-length will be announced at 6:00 a.m., and fishing will last until 3:30 p.m. Information and registration is available at www.striper-csba.org. The entry fee is $40/angler with a 90% payout.

The following weekend on April 9th, the NorCal Fish Whisperers and Hammerdown groups are holding their annual Spring Striper Derby at B and W Resort from 5:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Information and registration available via Jason Judson at (209) 663-3579.

Striped bass are starting to make their move into the San Joaquin, and the largemouth bass bite continues to improve as the water warms up and clears. The Delta will be hosting a number of largemouth bass tournaments in the upcoming weeks.

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors said, “I thought the cold front would mess up the bass bite, but it really didn’t. We have been scoring with the new pattern of crankbait from Bobby D that will be coming out this week known as Dan’s Craw. Either this pattern or Golden Shiner has been working for bass, and the bite is improving every week. Mathisen’s next team tournament is on March 19th. The NorCal Bass Club is holding their event this coming Saturday, March 12th out of Ladd’s Marina in Stockton.

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “Striped bass action is improving as drifting bluegill in Mildred Island, casting in Frank’s Tract, and trolling in the Old River and Empire Cut are producing linesides. Eight Mile Road east of Stockton has been sporadic with the best action in the early mornings. Frank’s Tract is also kicking out bass limits in the 12- to 14-pound range with some 4’s and 5’s mixed in on chatterbaits or squarebilled crankbaits. Smith Canal in Stockton has also heated up for bass for those pitching and flipping as there is quite a bit of cover in there and the water warms up faster.”

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service was scouting in the San Joaquin near the Santa Clara Shoals after this week’s front, and he said, “We marked fish in the 54.5-degree water, but we couldn’t get them to go on live bait. It was a tough bite, but I will be back out this week again to give it another try.”

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Laurtizen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley said, “I was out drifting minnows one day this week, and although we picked up limits, we didn’t mark many fish. The tide was ripping, and we weren’t really seeing the schools even though we bounced around quite a bit.”

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The story has been 10 to 20 undersized striped bass for every legal fish in the San Joaquin River from Frank’s Tract to Discovery Bay for those drifting live bait. I advise my customers to wait a few more weeks before the striped bass bite improves, and many of our customers continue to fish the lakes for trout or the aqueducts for striped bass.”

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 continues to improve as the water clears and warms. Spotted bass are taken on plastics on the drop-shot or jigs in shad patterns at depths to 15 feet, but spoons or ice jigs are finding deep fish amidst the shad schools around 30 feet in depth. The mornings have been very cold, but the bite improves as the water warms up, particularly in the afternoons. White bass are showing up in the river arm, and trollers are scoring with small white Kastmasters or Roostertails. The lake held at 28%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, bass fishing remains decent with limits approaching 20 pounds on occasion in the event a kicker in the 7-pound range is located. The most consistent action has been with jigs or plastics on a Texas- or Ned-rig along with a drop-shot. Creature baits such as Brush Hogs or Sweet Beavers are also effective. A trout plant occurred recently with another plant scheduled during the week of March 13th. Trollers are finding a few planters on Kastmasters or similar spoons while bank anglers are soaking Power Bait or nightcrawlers from areas with deep water access. It is best to contact the marina at (805) 489-1006 for the latest launch ramp status as it could change any time. The lake level is nearly 30%. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, the bass bite is fair at best, but there have been limits in the teens landed with the best action on jigs or plastics on the drop-shot. Crankbaits or swimbaits are also working, and a 9.5-pound largemouth was landed over the weekend on trout-patterned swimbait. The recent trout plant has created the opportunity for big bass on swimbaits, and another trout plant is scheduled for the week of March 13th. Catfishing is best with unweighted mackerel soaked in garlic scent. Crappie are moving out into the submerged brush, and they have been more difficult to locate. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. The lake is nearly 63%. At San Antonio, the water clarity continues to improve, but bass fishing is slow. Crappie are taken on occasion near submerged structure with minijigs, but the catfish bite is also slow. The lake held at 12%.

Call: Lake Nacimiento Marina (805) 238-3256; Lopez Lake Marina (805) 489-1006; Santa Margarita Marina Store (805) 438-1522; Lake San Antonio Marina (805) 472-2313.

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

Events

Tournament results

Millerton – Big Valley High School Bass Anglers Open - March 6: 1st – Jaiden Vang/Morgan Yoder of Edison High School/Fresno – 18.44 pounds (2nd Big Fish – 5.06); 2nd –Tyler Hurney/Silas Jones ECA– 12.94; 3rd – Joaquin Elliott/Vince Fonte – 12.44 pounds (1st Big Fish – 5.56)

Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)

March 12

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – NorCal Bass Club

Tulloch – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

McClure – Best Bass Tournaments

Santa Margarita – Bakersfield Bass Club

March 13

Tulloch – Kings VIII Bass Club

Millerton – Bass 101

March 19

Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

New Melones – Best Bass Tournaments

Tulloch – Christian Bass League

Don Pedro – 17/90 Bass Club

Success – Golden Empire Bass Club

Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

March 20

Don Pedro – Kings River Bass Club

McClure - Nor Cal High School Bass

March 26

Delta/Big Break Marina – American Bass Association

New Melones – Bass Anglers of Northern California

Don Pedro – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments/Fresno Bass/Kerman Bass

Isabella – American Bass Association

March 27

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto Ambassadors

April 2

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Tulloch – Kings River Bass Club

McClure – Angler’s Press

Eastman – Sheet Metal Workers Local 104

Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments

April 3

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Riverbank Bass Anglers

New Melones – Gold Country Bass Tour

Don Pedro – Kings River Bass Club/California Bass Federation

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

This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 7:47 AM with the headline "Fishing report, March 9-15: Edison team leads high school domination of Millerton."