Fishing report, March 23-29: Shaver kokanee bite stays hot; trolling for trout at Don Pedro
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 bass, sturgeon and stripers hitting, James Netzel reported. New Melones trout and bass action good, Kyle Wise said. Shaver pumping out kokanee, Dave Hurley reported. Don Pedro trout continue feeding, Monte Smith reported. McClure bass numbers good, Ryan Cook said.
Proposed new bag limit
The Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed eliminating the two-fish 15-inch size limit at Eastman, Hensley, Kaweah and 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.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
The California Aqueduct continues to be very slow with most striped bass fishermen heading to the main San Luis Reservoir or the O’Neill Forebay. Striperz Gone Wild is holding another huge fundraising tournament, the first Hailey Lauchland Memorial on April 23 at the Volta Bridge with 10 cans of unexpired food as the entry fee. Check-in at 4 a.m. with the weigh-in closing at 2 p.m. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in both adult and kids divisions. There will be a raffle and prizes. Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop confirmed the slow action in both the Delta-Mendota Canal and California Aqueduct from Tracy south to Patterson.
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, there hasn’t been much change as there is a decent striped bass bite with small swimbaits, jerkbaits, sardines, mackerel, or anchovies, particularly where the water slows. Catfish are taken on cutbaits.
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, “Largemouth bass staging along the shorelines in the both lakes with the warm and low water conditions. Shore anglers are dragging worms or jigs along with noise-making lures such as Rat-L-Traps or Brass N’Glass in the murky water. The best action has been in the early mornings or evening.” Trout action from the shorelines remains a possibility with Kastmasters, nightcrawlers, or Power Bait, but the schools of rainbows have scattered to deep water since last week’s plant. The possibility for a trophy bass exists at each lake with big trout-patterned swimbaits, but the largest bass taken recently at over 10 pounds was on a small Keitech swimbait. Eastman held at 10% with Hensley rising slightly to 18%.
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 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “The trout bite remains very good for trollers pulling Pro-Troll’s Kokanee Killers behind a Mack’s Sling Blade along with custom heavy spoons at depths to 35 feet. The lake has great potential for kokanee action this summer.” Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass bite remains tough, but there are small bass on the beds. Weightless Senkos, spinnerbaits, or plastics on a shakey head are the best techniques. The lake rose slightly to 60%.” 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.
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
Crappie fishing is limited to those finding the right tree holding the slabs, and once the crappie are located, small to medium minnows or minijigs are working. Trout plants have led to some action from the banks with Power Bait, Berkley Mice Tails, Atomic Tubes or Kastmasters from the shoreline while trollers are pulling shad-patterned spoons near the surface. 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. Bass fishing continues to be slow, but the largemouths are moving into the shorelines with the warm water along with low water conditions. Catfishing is also improving with the warming water, and Triple S Dip bait, chicken livers, or cut baits coated with garlic spray are working. 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. The recommendation is to return to the state standard of a bag limit of 5 fish with a 12-inch size limit. Lake Isabella held at 11%. There haven’t been any recent trout plants at Buena Vista, and fishing remains slow. 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 is scheduled to be planted this week along with Brite Valley in the Tehachapi’s. Heavy planting throughout the Kern River has brought about solid action despite low flows, and the 20-Mile section has been excellent for fly fishermen with Blue Wing Olives as the hatches are starting to go in the afternoons. The Wild Trout section is also producing with BWO’s or skwalas. The river at Kernville has bumped up from 275 to 352 cfs while the flows have also risen at First Point below the dam, rising from 291 to 363 cfs.
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 this week, and this will bring shore anglers near the launch ramp to toss out Kastmasters, nightcrawlers, or Power Bait for the planters. The planted rainbows will create an opportunity for a trophy largemouth on a large trout-patterned swimbait; however, the best action remains on the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs. The lake rose from 23% to 25%. The Kaweah River rose again from 191 cfs to 257 cfs at Three Rivers.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The Golden Empire Bass Club held a tournament on Saturday with winning weight at 11.44 pounds with a tie for big fish at 3.00 pounds.
A trout plant is scheduled this week, and shore anglers will be lining the shorelines within a few days of the plant for a chance at the planters. There is the possibility for a trophy largemouth with big swimbaits as the bass will be corralling the planted rainbows. The bass are moving toward the shorelines in preparation for spawning, and this week’s heat will bring them in tighter. The lake rose from 25% to 28%.
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, “The bass are found at 20 to 50 feet in the main lake on points or humps along with larger rock in the shallows. 3/16-ounce G-Money shaky heads with a 5- to 6-inch Lunker Daddy green pumpkin/red flake plastic worm are working as the setup moves through the weeds well. Numbers are not a problem but finding quality is a challenge.” Recent trout plants have spurred on action for both trollers and bank fishermen. 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
The annual Merced Irrigation District Spring Trout Derby is April 2-3, and Calaveras Trout Farm will be planting prior to the derby. Fishing will begin at 6 a.m. the first day and the derby ends at noon the following day.
As have other recent McSwain derbies, the Spring Derby will rely on the smartphone app FishDonkey.
The holdovers from the last plant have been taken from the shorelines at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula around the marina with gold or blue/silver Kastmasters, garlic Power Bait, or nightcrawlers. As the rainbows work their way up the river arm in search of cooler water, trollers are scoring with blade/’crawler combinations or red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler at depths to 20 feet near the 2nd Fence Line. The lake rose slightly to 92%, but lake levels will 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 1
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Tournament action continues at the lake, and a limit in the 12-pound range will take you to the top. The reaction bite remains slow, and the best action remains on the bottom with plastics in crawdad imitations on a Texas-rig along with the occasional jerkbait fish.” The San Joaquin River dropped from 637 cfs to 585 cfs at Friant as water releases continue. The lake rose from 54% to 56%. A trout plant is scheduled for Woodward Park Pond next week.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2
Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service said, “The trout bite continues to be excellent for planters in the main lake at depths from the surface to 15 feet, and there have also been some kokanee to 14 inches showing up. Running white hoochies behind a gold 5.5-inch dodger is working for both species in the main lake from the Spillway towards Angels Creek.” Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass bite is all over the board with the best action remaining at depths from 40 to 60 feet as the bass are scattered over the main lake points and cuts. There are bass throughout the lake, but there are some larger bass cruising in the shallows.” 73 boats participated in the Best Bass Tournament’s Mother Lode Division on Saturday, and the winning team of Trey and Shane Hawkins weighed in 16.50 pounds with a big fish of 6.06. The lake held at 40%, and numerous unmarked hazards remain throughout the lake.
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, “The bass are staging, and the best action has been near rocky structure with plastics on a Ned-rig, chatterbaits, or deep-diving crankbaits. The bass are scattered from the banks in the afternoons to 40 to 50 feet. The Z-Man’s Jackhammer or Bass Art’s Creation chatterbaits have been particularly effective., A few crappie are found near the dock at Deer Creek with catfish taken on cut baits or dip baits. Trout trolling is best in the river arm as far as possible or opposite Windy Gap with hoochies behind a dodger.” The lake rose slightly to 34%.
In the lower Kings, a trout plant is scheduled for next week, and the action remains consistent as there have been some large brood fish to 4 pounds released within the past few weeks. Float N’Flies, crappie, jigs, Roostertails, Atomic Tubes, Trout Magnets, or Power Bait are all working. The flows have risen from 671 cfs to 920 cfs at Trimmer. Avocado Lake is scheduled for a trout plant next week.
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, “There have been some quality linesides in the 15- to 20-pound range caught and released off of the shorelines in the main lake with big jerkbaits such as the Jackall Rerange 130 or 8-inch Huddleston swimbait.”
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the bite during the full moon and passing storm was shut down for most anglers in the main lake. “The bigger fish I’ve heard about were by night anglers working the shorelines in the moonlight, but the very bright moon had the fish inactive during the day. I expect the bite to turn around very soon as we approach the spawning period. The lake is staying at about 897,000 acre feet, but they may be releasing some soon. I also had to make a tough business decision about guiding at Shaver beginning in May or not, and I’ve decided to completely focus on San Luis after all as I’ve had a ton of requests from my existing clients for trophy striper trips. I will also be doing a new, limited seating seminar, “Beginning Downrigging for Stripers &Trophy Tips,” at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno on Thursday, April 21 from 5:45 to 8 p.m. Special reserved seating limited to 30 attendees. Details on signing up will be available beginning March 29 at rogergeorgeguideservice.com as well as info on the topics. Cost for the 2-plus-hour seminar is $60 per person.”
The Basalt Recreation Area remains open, and the earliest it could possibly close is July, but a two-month advance notice will be provided prior to closure. Trolling remains slow with the best action coming from the banks with pile worms or jumbo minnows off of Dinosaur Point. The O’Neill Forebay continues to be a solid option for numbers of striped bass with bait near the old launch ramp as well as the beach near the ramp. continues to be slow with most anglers soaking bait from the shorelines. The main lake held at 44% this week with the O’Neill Forebay dropping to 81%.
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com 905-2954
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Trout trollers are picking up holdover near the dam with blade/’crawler combinations or various shad-patterned spoons from the and the Forks. The annual Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby is April 30-May 1 with $55,000 in prize money available. 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 basslakeca.com. The lake rose to 60%, 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 15%, Florence has dropped to 4% with Mammoth Pool dropping slightly to 69%.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 3 Trout 2
Shaver continues to be a hot spot for those willing to take the drive to the Central Sierra for kokanee, and although the lake is low at 37%, it is rising slowly. Wiggle Hoochies, JPex lures, or spinners with corn soaked in herring or garlic are working at depths to 25 feet. Shoreline anglers are finding some success for rainbows with Power Bait or nightcrawlers at both lakes. Roger George of Roger George Guide Service made an announcement that after looking at the business options and an increased client demand at San Luis, he decided that staying focused at San Luis was the right decision.“ It was a tough decision, the folks at Shaver are great, but after looking at it strictly from a business perspective - I had to stay at San Luis and take care of my people.“
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 sierramarina.com/camera.html. Huntington dropped from 50% to 47%, resulting in Shaver’s increase.
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 should open by April 1 or earlier. Information is available at 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
Out of Half Moon Bay, Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete has a rockfish trip scheduled on April 1st before starting salmon trolling the following day. He said, “We have taken some sand dab/crab trips over the past few weeks with up to 183 sand dabs for 6 anglers along with 9 limits of crab for customers and crew. You have to cull through a number of females to put together legal limits of male Dungeness. The commercial crabbers are finally stacking out. We are holding the line on our prices despite the fuel price increase with $150 for rockfish or crab only, $200 for salmon, and $225 for rockfish/crab combinations.”
Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing also has their fleet ready for the opening of both rockfish and salmon seasons with their big boat, the Queen of Hearts, ready to roll.
Shore line action has been decent 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.
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Less than two weeks to wait, and then it’s salmon season once again on the Monterey Bay. April 2 is this year’s opener, and we can expect the Santa Cruz, Moss Landing, and Monterey harbors to be quite busy in the meantime as anglers ready their boats to launch. Charter boat fishing operations are sure to be booked for opening weekend as may be expected, but space might still be available on the weekdays. If fishing from a private boat, this is a very good time to recheck all your mechanics, electronics, and safety equipment.
All signs are positive for the opener. It looks like a full season will be approved by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Salmon abundance projections for 2022 stands at 396,500 kings, well above last year’s projection number of 322,137 fish. And, we’ve received recent reports from anglers fishing for sand dabs near our Monterey Bay marine canyons of abundant bait and unintended bycatch of king salmon on the sand dab rigs. All salmon caught prior to season opening must be released, of course. The final extent of this year’s salmon season will be determined during April meetings with the various state and federal agencies. Low numbers of spawners in the Sacramento River system last year might mean mitigation of this year’s season. We will have to wait and see, as usual. April 2 through April 30 is guaranteed at this point, so many anglers will be hitting it hard in the coming month.
Size and bag regulations remain the same as last year. The daily bag limit is two fish per angler per day. No more than two daily limits may be in possession when the angler is on land. The Department of Fish and Wildlife admonishes, “On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit.” Silver salmon (Coho) may not be taken. Caution and care during release of Coho is advised, to protect this endangered species. Study up again on fish ID and release these fish with as little handling as possible. Best release is in the water with no handling or net involved.
While waiting for salmon season to start, don’t forget about surfcasting for perch. The coming weekend will have excellent conditions for chasing barred surfperch from beaches near Monterey to the San Mateo Coast. The barred perch prefer a little wave action and the five to seven-foot west swell predicted for the weekend will roil up the sand crabs nicely. A cloudy or overcast sky seems to help for perch fishing as well. Don’t be afraid to cast some grubs or bait if it’s raining, the perch can become more active with those conditions. We keep waiting for striped bass to start biting along our beaches, but so far reports have been only sporadic. We may end up with a striper year like 2021, when very few of these hard-charging fish were caught across the season.”
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 3 Sturgeon 2 Crab 3
There is finally some good news coming out of the Bay Area fleet with the opening of rockfish season on April 1st below Point Arena along with the ocean salmon opener the following day on April 2nd. With the rising price of diesel and gasoline, many boats will hold off making the long runs offshore or south to the Deep Reef below Half Moon Bay at the start of the ocean salmon season. The bulk of salmon historically are found along the San Mateo County coastline or near the Farallon Islands during the months of April and May.
Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito plans on making his first ocean salmon trip on Monday, April 4th as he will be running whale watching trips on the weekends during the beginning of the salmon season. He said, “The salmon are generally offshore at the beginning, but there will be private boats working around Muir Beach up to Duxbury. The key is getting located at the start of the season.”
The party boats are gearing up for the opening of the rockfish and salmon seasons, but with the price of fuel, many boats will stay in the bay targeting halibut, striped bass, or shark. The California Dawn out of Berkeley has been renovated, and it is back on the water with its sister boat, the California Dawn II, arriving back for its maiden voyage with new galley in mid-April. The Happy Hooker out of Berkeley has started halibut trolling trips with the Pacific Dream also ready to splash by the start of the upcoming seasons.
Live bait is still at a premium as the new live bait boat supplying the pens at Pier 45 in San Francisco continues to be renovated. The earliest day for live bait in the pens is May 1st, but it is possible that the pens won’t be filled until June 1st. Live bait in the forms of mudsuckers, smelt, or shiners is available at select bait shops including Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in El Cerrito.
Captain Steve Gutierrez of Deadliest Kast Sport Fishing out of Oyster Point was out in the wind on Sunday morning, and he was able to put his clients onto three legal halibut at 25, 31, and 32 inches before the winds blew them off near Candlestick Point. He continues to score with his custom Deadliest Kast hoochie/flasher combination.
Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing out of San Francisco said, “Captain Charles Kimberly took a shark trip to the south bay near the Red Stack on Saturday, and they landed leopard sharks to 5 feet. The shark are biting good, and we plan on working the south bay for shark or halibut in the coming weeks. The halibut action appears to be best over on the other side of the bay near Alameda.
Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael added, “There are a number of striped bass in San Pablo Bay with around half of the fish being above 18 inches. The bass are all over, and you can drift live bait, troll, or fly fish for the linesides. We are hearing good reports out of Southhampton Shoals, the Berkeley Flats, and Pinole for halibut, but there have been few reports from Paradise. You don’t have to head to the south bay for halibut right now.”
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
There is less than weeks to the April 1st rockfish opener, and the boats at Morro Bay Landing or Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay along with Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis are taking reservations for the opening and following days. The sublimit for vermilion rockfish has dropped from 5 to 4 with one copper rockfish also as a sublimit. Boats continue to be 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 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2=
Brannan Island State Park is scheduled to close on April 1st until another concessionaire can be found – it’s a sad state of affairs since this is the best launch ramp in the central Delta. According to a March 17th press release from the California State Parks, “California State Parks today announced the temporary closure of Brannan Island State Recreation Area (Brannon Island), effective Friday, April 1, 2022.
Brannan Island is a maze of waterways through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Located northeast of San Francisco Bay, the park unit has countless islands and marshes with many wildlife habitats and opportunities for recreation, including boating and swimming. American Land & Leisure has worked with State Parks to operate Brannan Island since 2013 and has been operating on a month-to-month contract since 2018. AL&L informed State Parks that it was ending its operations on April 1, 2022.
Due to the remote location of the state recreation area, there are no resources within State Parks to keep it open. The department is actively seeking a new park operator.
Affected reservation holders will be contacted by the state’s reservation system – ReserveCalifornia.com – via email and provided with a refund. Reservation cancellations and refunds will be automatic.
Striped bass are making their move into the Sacramento-Delta, but the linesides are arriving in fits and spurts. One good day is followed by a slow day as the schools are moving through rapidly on their way upriver. Sturgeon fishing remains excellent for those with good electronics and cured salmon roe, but the six-packs will be packing up and heading back to San Francisco Bay within the next few weeks.
Captain James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service found spectacular action on Saturday with 57 stripers to 15 pounds with 23 of these fish being of legal size. He said, “We started shallow early in the morning, but I looked at my screen and found the fish in deep water. We switched over to deep-diving Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows for a number of stripers in the 22- to 24-inch range. The weeds came in, and we went shallow once again, throwing back keepers. Finally, the tides were perfect for shallow-running Rat-L-Traps, and we found a good bite, including the 15-pound lineside that was released. It is quite a bit of fun to run the Rat-L-Trap at 5 to 6 miles per hour in 3 to 4 feet of water and watch the rod just get slammed. The wind was tough on Saturday, and that was the only limiting factor.”
Captain Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing said, “You have to be in a precise area to find the fish as they might be a quarter-mile away. The fish aren’t schooled up enough for live bait drifting, and they are only biting on the bottom of the tide. There are a number of undersized fish, and I don’t remember this many shakers showing up this early in the season. This was the first week that we found milting males, and they are squirting all over the place. The water has been dirty on the West Bank from all of the boat traffic along with when a ship comes through, but there have been quite a few fish found there. It is a matter of being in the right place at the right time as it seems that every other day is good. We did find a female loaded with roe this week, and although we limited out in the wind on Sunday, it was a matter of sticking with it as we just couldn’t get to the regular areas.”
Trolling expert Dave Houston said, “The bite was wide open on Wednesday as Ron Retzlaff and crew had 18 keepers. I was out with Pat Scott and Jim Foley on Friday, and we struggled to get 5 keepers. All of our fish came on shallow Yo-Zuri’s in chartreuse. Mark Wilson was running Rat-L-Traps, and he found a solid bite. We started out on the West Bank until the bite died before moving over to the San Joaquin, only to find dirty water. Hopefully, the next wave of fish stick around a bit longer.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, was on the West Bank during the week, and he said, “It was an early bite, and we didn’t get out there until mid-morning. There were 35 boats out on a weekday, and the water was muddy from all of the boat traffic. With all of the boats, many operators don’t understand that you stay on the outside upstream and on the inside when heading downstream. We had boats running directly behind us, and with our lines out 130 feet, the noise from their motor will kill any opportunity for action. Most of this is inexperience in new fishermen trolling in the Delta, but cooperation and courtesy will go a long way to an improved fishing experience.”
In the north Delta, Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport reported school-size striped bass are showing up with pile worms, blood worms, anchovies, or sardines coated with garlic spray. He said, “It’s springtime, and the stripers are here. A few sturgeon are on their way back down from the spawning grounds. Bluegill are active in all of the back sloughs with wax worms, jumbo red, worms, or meal worms while catfishing is best in Lisbon Slough, the Sacramento Deep Water Channel, and the Port of Sacramento with chicken livers or nightcrawlers.”
Also in the north Delta, Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors, said, “The largemouth bite is getting better and better all of the time as the water temperature in the main river is 61 degrees and 59 degrees in Liberty Island. I was out with Warren Trumbly and Denise Loo filming this week, and Denise stuck largemouth bass at 5.5 and 4 pounds by pitching Senkos into the tules. Striped bass are here and there, but with the 80-degree temperatures this week, I expect the action to bust wide open.”
Sturgeon fishing remains solid for experienced six-pack operators, and Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing was finished with limits by noon on Thursday in the sloughs. Many of the boats have been heading further east towards Sherman Island as the diamondbacks are moving upstream.
Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures had a true treat on board this week as members of the Isleton Chapter of the California Striped Bass Association including legendary striped bass trollers, Clyde Wands and Mark Wilson. Medinas said, “It was great to have such Delta legends on the boat, and we ended up with a number of oversized and slot-limit sturgeon released. At 88-years-old, Wands was able to fly out of his seat and set hook on both an oversized and a slot-limit fish. Sturgeon fishing has been improving with double-digit numbers on nearly every trip. We were out on Sunday with a Fish and Game biologist, and we placed pit tags on every sturgeon along with $100 reward tags on five slot-limit sturgeon. Saturday’s trip produced 12 sturgeon including 2 oversized so the action has been very consistent for us over the past few weeks.”
Striped bass tournaments are on the horizon with the 1st Annual Captain Barry Canevaro Memorial Striper Derby hosted by the California Striped Bass Association on Saturday, April 2nd 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.
Largemouth bass action continues to improve, and big sacks are now required to win local tournaments. The days of an 8-pound limit winning a tournament in January are over as it took 27 pounds and change to win the Dan Mathisen Outdoors event out of Holland Riverside Marina on Saturday. Striped basss are starting to move into the San Joaquin system, and there is increased action below the Mossdale Bridge in the south Delta.
Mathisen said, “We had a good turnout of 20 boats, and we had 6 limits over 20 pounds along with 17 limits over 14 pounds. The team of Paul Polhemus and Tim Woltkamp took first with a 27.81-pound limit including a 7.04 big fish. The winning team used an old technique of Carolina-rigged plastics on the flats, and the new prototype Dan’s Craw chatterbait from Bobby D produced 14.5 pounds. I have been using this pattern as well as the golden shiner chatterbait for my best success. You couldn’t see the bass in the shallows with the winds muddying up the water. A few striped bass are also showing up here and there. Our next tournament is April 16th at Holland Riverside.”
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, launched out of B and W Resort on the Mokelumne this week to work the waters of the central Delta, He said, “I did what I normally do when I am looking for fish as I started in deep water before working into the shallows around 5 feet. I saw a giant in the 10-pound range that missed my Optimum’s Boom Boom swimbait in bluegill patterns, but most of our fish were in the 3- to 4-pound range. Bluegill patterns are effective right now as the bluegill and green-ear perch are enemies of the bass when they are getting ready to bed, and an orange color will match the orange on the cheek of a bluegill while chartreuse mimics a green-ear perch. The Double Diamond chatterbait in bluegill, a Berkley D-Worm in Green Machine on a Zappu head, or 10-inch Power Worm flipped along the edges were all effective. I also threw the Boom Boom on a underspin to get it as far back into the tules as possible. One key is to target east/west-facing sloughs as the bass will starting making their best first in these areas as the current is much less since they don’t flush into the main river along with increased sun. Fourteen Mile and White Slough on the San Joaquin along with Hog, Sycamore, and Beaver on the Mokelumne all meet these criteria.”
Dave King, director of NorCal Bass, was out in a small club tournament on Sunday, and he said, “I was fishing the event with my mom, and we didn’t have a fish by noon so we went into to Bob’s at the Marina on Fourteen Mile Slough for lunch before heading back out. The wind was as tough as I have ever experienced on the Delta, but I stuck a 7-pound largemouth on a spinnerbait along with a few other smaller bass as the spinnerbait was effective in the wind.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “Eight Mile Road remains good for striped bass for those tossing topwater lures in the early mornings before drifting bluegill or brooder minnows. The school moved in from White Slough and Little Potato Slough after smolts were released in the Mokelumne River. Small crappie are also a possibility here. Trollers are working outside of the rockwall in False River.”
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The striped bass bite in the San Joaquin River below the Mossdale Bridge continues to improve as I went out there this week with sardines, pile worms, and anchovies for stripers to 24.75 inches. The best action was on pile worms. Trollers are starting to work broken-back Rebels around the Dos Reis area for linesides to 8 pounds. The stripers are coming in, and it has been good locally in the Manteca/Lathrop area. Fresh shad will not be available until mid-April at the earliest.”
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 0
At Nacimiento, the spotted bass bite continues to improve as the fish are moving into the shallows to prepare for the spawn. Working the bottom with plastics, Senkos, or jigs remain the best technique, but there is a bit of a reaction bite starting to pick up. The reaction bite will continue to improve as the water warms up, White bass are heading up the river arms, and trollers or casters are working small white Kastmasters or Roostertails for improved numbers of whites. There have been more boils orrucign within the past week. Crappie can also be taken by trolling or locating the fish on the meter and then dropping down minijigs or small swimbaits. The lake held at 28%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, bass fishing is picking up with jigs, plastics on a drop-shot, Ned-rig, or Texas -rig along with Brush Hogs or Sweet Beavers. Small trout patterned swimbaits are also effective with the recent trout plant. Trolling is the best option for planted rainbows with shad-patterned or bright-colored spoons or blade/’crawler combinations. 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, bass action continues to improve as the largemouths are moving into the shallows. There is a reaction bite with swimbaits or crankbaits while plastics on a drop-shot or jigs are also effective. 3000 pounds of rainbow trout went into the lake last week, and shore fishermen have been loading up with nightcrawlers, Power Bait, or Kastmasters. Crappie are found in submerged structure with small Keitech swimbaits or minijigs. Catfishing is fair with cut mackerel scented with garlic. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. The lake is nearly 63%. At San Antonio, there has been minimal change as bass fishing remains slow, and it hasn’t shown much life for the past several months. 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
Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors - March 19th: 1st –Paul Polhemus/Tim Woltkamp – 27.81 pounds; 2nd – Marc Young/Dave Newton – 25.53; 3rd –Hunter Schlander/Drew Zanotto – 24.89 (Big Fish 8.16).
New Melones – Best Bass Tournaments Mother Lode Division - March 19th: 1st –Trey and Shane Hawkins – 16.50 pounds (Big Fish - 6.06); 2nd – Michael Beevers/Russ Pierson – 14.89; 3rd – Steve Thomas/Tyson Rappleye – 14.38. pounds.
Tulloch – Christian Bass League - March 19th: 1st –Chuck Fuller/Jonathan Whitesitt – 22.72 pounds (Big Fish – 7.82); 2nd – AJ Azevedo/Angelo Quierolo – 19.20; 3rd – A.J. Azevedo/Ronnie Heil – 17.10. pounds.
Don Pedro – Sierra Bass Club- March 19th: 1st – Chris and Nathon Jones – 20.07 pounds; 2nd – Michael Murphy/Tim Chase – 17.87; 3rd – Jerry Siligo/Jeremy Nagy – 16.90 pounds. Big Fish – 3.40- Russ Owens
Success – Golden Empire Bass Club - March 19th: 1st – Mike Merlo/Duane Dalke – 11.44 pounds (Big Fish – 3.00); 2nd – Billie Whitted/Zac Sullivan – 10.80 (Big Fish – 3.00); 3rd –Erik Rodriguez/Lance MacNiven – 9.60 pounds.
Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)
March 26th –
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 27th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto Ambassadors
April 2nd –
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
Don Pedro – 2nd Annual Ed Lacy Memorial
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 3rd –
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 24th –
Delta - Big Valley Region of the California High School Student Angler Federation (CAHSATT)
June 5th –
Delta – Major League Fishing California High School State Championship
Roger’s remarks
Roger George’s column will return.
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 8:21 AM with the headline "Fishing report, March 23-29: Shaver kokanee bite stays hot; trolling for trout at Don Pedro."