Fishing report, March 30-April 5: Shaver kokanee bite hot; McSwain trout derby this weekend
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 striper action good, Alan Fong said. Don Pedro trout hitting, Monte Smith reported. McClure bass and trout on tap, Ryan Cook said. New Melones pumping out kokanee, trout and bass, Kyle Wise reported. San Francisco halibut bite takes off, The California Dawn said. Shaver kokanee bite hot, Dick Nichols reported.
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.
Roger’s remarks: There’s so much more to fishing than throwing a line in the water
When the issue of fishing comes up in conversation with a non-angler, they usually say something like, “That sounds relaxing.” I heard this the other day and I thought, “If only they had any idea how much work, effort and time it can take to be a good angler, especially if you have a boat!”
Like an iceberg, I’ve found that 90% of the effort/time required to go fishing with a boat isn’t obvious.
Most folks would never think it’s usually a three-day process.
Day 1: preparation — I start with cleaning out the boat, mopping the floors, vacuuming the carpet and wiping down the interior of fish slime, goop and unknown stains from the last foray. I check out the five batteries, organize and check the line on my reels and check the condition of my rods. I make sure all my tackleboxes are ready to go, life preservers are intact and charged (auto/manual jackets). I check for loose connections and screws every trip.
Then it’s on to gassing up my truck, making sure I’ve got my food planned for the next day, as well as checking out my entire trailer, lights, tires, tie-downs and front wench condition. Later before bed I get my clothes ready, coffee set up for morning and put my drinks in the refrigerator. If I’m lucky I can do all this in about 3-4 hours. Now it’s all ready to grab and go when I get up. Hopefully I sleep some.
Day 2: fishing — It’s early and I scramble to get the coffee ready, load my ice chest, and head for the boat. Hopefully I just have to hook it up and I’m away. Since I’m mainly guiding or scouting San Luis for stripers most of the year, it’s over 2 hours to get to the lake after I stop and fuel my boat. After I check in at the ranger station, it’s another 30 minutes of getting the boat, equipment and tackle ready to go. (This is usually when a friend, fishing buddy or guest shows up.) I got up at 5 a.m. and it’s now about 8 a.m. as we launch the boat. No complaints; it’s just what it takes to get to this point.
We’ll fish up to closing time (near 7 p.m. now). Having everything ready, planned and working is the key to being as efficient and effective as you can be. Back on land we hurry to get out the main gate before it closes, after putting everything away and wiping down the boat. It’s 2 hours back to home. Around 9:15 and I put the boat back into the shop, hook up the battery charging for the next trip, lock up and head home. Elaine asks how we did. I grab some food and head for bed.
Day 3: recovery — I try to make sure I’m able to hang out most of the day, eat, drink and recharge. After long, hot summer days it can be a full day to get back near normal. Kinda reminds me of a decathlon recovery. You play, you pay.
Once I had someone who begged me to go fishing and they even picked the day — only to call me just as I was pulling up to the dock. “Sorry, I can’t make it.” Grrrr. They had no idea. Don’t be that guy. Sometimes all you can do is, “Never give up!!
Roger George: rogergeorge8@protonmail.com, Rogergeorgeguideservice on Facebook and @StriperWars
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Michael Crayne at Valley Rod and Gun said, “The aqueduct has been slow for striped bass, but largemouth bass action is good with ripbaits or plastic worms.” Striperz Gone Wild is holding another huge fundraising tournament, the first Hailey Lauchland Memorial Tournament 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.
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 have been taken near rocky structure near the submerged islands by kayaks, but the main action at both lakes has been for planted rainbows from the shorelines with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or spinners. Meal worms tipped with corn are another productive setup.” 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 also holding at 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 shaky 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
Lake Isabella is happening for a few species, and planted rainbows are a possibility from the banks with deep water access with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, Mice Tails, Atomic Tubes, or minijigs. Trollers are picking up a few holdovers with shad-patterned spoons. 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. Catfishing is decent and improving with Triple S Dip Bait, live minnows, chicken livers, or nightcrawlers. 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. The largemouth bass were moving into the shorelines, but Monday’s storm pushed them back out off of the beds. They will be back in the shallows soon. 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, but there have been some quality rainbows and Lightning trout landed on Kastmasters, Power Bait, or nightcrawlers from the shorelines with deep water access. 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 Brite Valley were planted with trout last week. Heavy planting throughout the Kern River has brought about solid action despite low flows, and insect hatches in the afernoons have created the opportunity for fly fishermen with BWO’s in the 20-Mile Section along with the Wild Trout Section. The lower Kern is improving for bass on plastics. The river at Kernville has bumped up from 352 to 587 cfs due to snowmelt while the flows have also risen at First Point below the dam, rising from 363 to 446 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 3 Catfish 2
A trout plant occurred last week, and shore anglers were scoring planters with 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. Gary Wasson of Visalia, local bass fishing expert, was on the lake on Monday, and he found good action for numbers, but on his last cast in the early evening, he caught and released a 9.65-pound largemouth. The lake rose from 25% to 29%. Heavy snowmelt has brought the Kaweah River up from 257 cfs to 504 cfs at Three Rivers.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 3 Catfish 2
A trout plant occurred last week, and shore anglers lined the shoreline for the planters with the usual suspects of Power Bait, nightcrawlers, spinners, or small spoons. There is the possibility for a trophy largemouth with big swimbaits as the bass will be corralling the planted rainbows. The bass are moving towards the shorelines in preparation for spawning, but Monday’s inclement weather pushed them back for a few days. They will be back on the beds soon. The lake held at 28%.
Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com
McClure Reservoir
Bass 3 Trout 3 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 3
78 boats participated in a tournament on Sunday with the first-place team weighing in 16 pounds boosted by a nearly 8-pound kicker. Second place dropped to 12 pounds. Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass are in spawn mode, and good action is found from the south end of the lake into the river arm at depths from 2 to 15 feet with plastics on the drop-shot or shaky head, 3-inch swimbaits, wacky-rigged Senkos, or 3.5-inch Lunker Daddy tubes. Anglers have been sight fishing the beds.” Recent trout plants have spurred on action for both trollers and bank fishermen. The lake rose to 30%, and the best ramp continues to be at Barrett Cove South.
Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Guide Service - 691-7008
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 3
The annual Merced Irrigation District Spring Trout Derby is this weekend, and Calaveras Trout Farm will be planting this week. Fishing will begin at 6 a.m. Saturday and the derby ends at noon Sunday. 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 dropped slightly to 91%, but lake levels will remain high throughout the year.
Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped Bass 2 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 1
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The bass are moving into the shallows in the grass on the Madera side with chatterbaits, umbrella rigs, or plastics working best. Jigs are also productive.” A few striped bass have been taken from shore on bait. The San Joaquin River rose once again to 677 cfs at Friant as water releases continue. The lake rose from 56% to 58%.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 3
Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service said, “Kokanee are showing up at depths from 8 to 40 feet with the new Paulina Peak’s UV micro-minnow or a white hoochie behind a Paulina Peak gold hammered dodger. The trout bite continues to be excellent for planters in the main lake at depths from the surface to 15 feet, and easy limits have been the rule.” Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass can be found from 2 to 40 feet with reaction baits such as ripbaits, spinnerbaits, or squarebilled crankbaits along with Senkos or jigs.” The lake dropped slightly to 39%, and 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, “The bass bite is improving as males and females are found along the shorelines. Plastics on a Ned-rig, chatterbaits, or deep-diving crankbaits are all working, and the Z-Man’s Jackhammer or Bass Art’s Creation chatterbaits have been particularly effective. Catfish to 10 pounds have been landed on cut or dip baits while crappie are found near the dock at Deer Creek. Trout trolling is best in the river arm as far as possible or opposite Windy Gap with hoochies behind a dodger.” In the lower Kings, a trout plant is scheduled for this week, but the flows have increased from 920 cfs to 2,686 cfs at Trimmer, creating more dangerous conditions for waders. Finding slower water is a key to success with Float N’Flies, crappie, jigs, Roostertails, Atomic Tubes, Trout Magnets, or Power Bait. The lake rose slightly to 35%.
Avocado Lake is scheduled for a trout plant this 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, “The shoreline bite remains consistent off of Dinosaur Point with ripbaits in the 130 mm range. Duo Realis jerkbaits in Neo Pearl or the Jackall Rerange 130 are producing some quality linesides. Cars are parking along Highway 152 and walking down to the Romero Visitor Center.”
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that he scouted the lake on Friday with a friend and they found the fish were a little more active and there were some small schools, too. “We caught 16 fish to 25 inches on Lucky Crafts, working at about 60 feet over flats, but it was sporadic once we found fish.. The fish weren’t in the normal areas like Portuguese Cove or off Romero for some reason. The males are milting in the stained 60 degree water. This storm probably slowed things down but the bite should pick back up in the warming weather.”
The Basalt Recreation Area remains open, and the earliest it could possibly close is June, 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 small castable umbrella rigs such as Yumbrella’s, Picasso’s, or G-Funks. Keitech swimbaits on an underspin are another option. The main lake held at 44% this week while the O’Neill Forebay rose slightly to 83%.
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2
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. Trout trollers are picking up holdovers near the dam with blade/’crawler combinations or various shad-patterned spoons from the and the Forks. 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 to 62%, 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
Kokanee action is heating up as the traditional opening month of April approaches, and the central Sierra hotspot for kokanee has been Shaver Lake. Shaver has been consistently producing kokanee over the past several years, and 2022 is off to a great start.
Dick Nichols, guide emeritus at Shaver Lake, said, “With the kokanee up in the water column, now is the best opportunity to land a kokanee on the troll without downriggers by using one of our Dick’s weighted Mountain Flashers with monofilament line on a setback of 100 to 125 feet as this should get you down from 25 to 28 deep. I’ve caught more kokanee on the side poles than on downriggers between now and the middle of June. Mike Giubinni of Templeton landed 10 kokanee and a rainbow over the weekend, keeping two for dinner, using Dick’s orange/silver hoochies behind a mini-Mountain flasher on the downrigger at 35 feet near the Point and the Shaver Lake Marina with five kokanee by 9 a.m. before it slowed down.”
Tom Oliveira of Tom’s Guide Service was out with fellow guides Manny and Jared Romero, along with one of their co-workers. Oliveira said, “We were able to get our four limits plus a nice trout, catching fish over the lake with pink or orange hoochies behind a gold Mag Tackle dodger. Most of the kokanee were in the 15- to 16.5-inch range. The bite is very good right now, and hopefully, the docks will be in place at both marinas soon.”
Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service, Oliveira and Jared Romero are the local guides working the lake, and Nichols might be enticed to come out of retirement on occasion.
Shaver is starting to increase in capacity, rising to 40% this week.
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 may open this week. 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 1 White seabass 1 Crab 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
After the long wait, ocean boats finally have something to fish for other than sand dabs, Petrale sole, or Dungeness crab. A few boats have kept their crab pots in the water, but the commercial season will be over in Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 on noon at April 8th due to two recent humpback whale entanglements occurring off of San Mateo County and in Monterey Bay involving California commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear. According to the release from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, all commercial Dungeness crab traps must be removed from the fishing grounds by the April 8th closure day. The Department’s director has also authorized the Lost and Abandoned Gear Retrieval Program to begin removing commercial crab traps left in the water beginning April 15th at noon in the same closed zones.
Rockfish season opens on Friday, April 1st, and this will primarily affect the ports of Bodega Bay, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, and Monterey as with the high gas prices, most of the Bay Area fleet will remain inside the bay on potluck trips. With the salmon opener the following day, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, and Monterey will offer the best shot for success in the early season as the salmon are generally offshore around the Deep Reef or in Monterey Bay near the Soquel or Pajaro Holes. There will be boats venturing out of the Bay Area to head to Duxbury and above while Bodega Bay will run offshore towards the Weather Buoy searching for salmon. Windy weather generally affects early season salmon fishing, and with the increased prices for fuel, boats are more reluctant to make a long run for the possibility of a few fish. Once the scores come in from the salmon opener, more boats may be encouraged to either jump into the fray or wait a while.
Out of Half Moon Bay, the Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing along with the independently booked, New Captain Pete, will start with rockfish with salmon trips the following day, depending upon interest. Private boaters will take advantage of the launch ramps at Westside Landing and Doran County Park in Bodega Bay, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Moss Landing, and Santa Cruz to head out for the salmon opener. It’s anyone’s guess at this point to see what the salmon opener will bring, but thanks to the efforts of the Golden State Salmon Association advocating for releasing salmon smolts closer to the ocean, there is optimism for a solid season.
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 2 Crab 3 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Allen Bushnell of the Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “The sand dab season is coming to a rapid close this coming Friday with the opening of rockfish season in Monterey Bay, but Chris Arcoleo from Chris’ Fishing Trips has been making hay all winter, going for quantity while fishing sand dabs in the middle of the bay. Their three big boats, the Check Mate, Caroline and Star of Monterey work deeper coastal waters from 250 to 300 feet for the tasty little flatfish. Sand dabs tend to congregate thickly and seem to be voracious most of the time. Clients aboard Chris’ Fishing Trips continue to catch “as many ‘dabs as they want.” The company’s reports don’t even bother counting them anymore. Typical trips return with hundreds of sand dabs for clients using Sabiki-type rigs baited with squid. For the past few years, Chris’s winter counts have included a significant number of Petrale sole as well. These are larger flatfish that bite on the same rigs as sanddabs with hook sizes as large as #4. Last Sunday’s trip aboard the Caroline netted 19 Dungeness crab, “lots of sanddab” and ten Petrale. On Tuesday, the Check Mate filled up on the ‘dabs, then added 60 Petrale sole to the bags. Saturday’s trip on the Caroline scored 13 Dungeness along with 40 Petrale for the 16 anglers aboard.
Arcoleo is well prepared for our upcoming salmon season. Sending boats out every day, he maintains a current grasp of conditions on the soon to be salmon grounds. When asked for some predictions, Arcoleo responded, “Oh yeah, there’s salmon out there right now. We’ve been seeing quite a bit of fish. Don’t know if they’ll still be there when the season opens, but it’s a pretty good bet. We’ve been getting some on the sand dab rigs (and releasing of course). The water looks great and there’s tons of bait all over the place.”
In Santa Cruz, Rodney Armstrong has been fine-tuning his new boat, a beautiful Maine Coaster, for this year’s salmon opener. Operating as Santa Cruz Coastal Fishing Charters, Armstrong has parlayed years of commercial salmon and crabbing experience towards a quality six-pack fishing outfit. The new boat Knot Alone is a classy looker with clean sweeping lines, first-class cabin, and spacious deck. “Get ready for a smooth comfortable ride. She’s 35’ 4” long, 12’ 1” wide with a bit more speed than the Streaker,” said Armstrong. “The Salmon Streaker was 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!” Armstrong has very positive predictions for this year’s salmon season around Monterey Bay. He reminds us, “I’m out there every other day for commercial crabbing. The water looks really good, with lot of life. There are a few whales around and some jellyfish on the inside. Lots of bait everywhere, mostly anchovies, but a few sardines around as well. My crabber buddies working below Half Moon Bay report the whole area near Pigeon Point and Deep Reef has been insane with bait and krill. I have high hopes of a good season again. For our six-pack trips, we’ll be trolling but might try mooching as the season wears on, especially if the jellyfish get bad like last year. I got high hopes for sure!”
Surfcasters around the bay have had their work cut out for them. Another series of west swells have impacted the area. Most of the broad mid-bay beaches have been flattened to some extent as a result. Savvy anglers are finding fish, and in general, the perch size is increasing. There were a number of barred surf perch in the 13- to 15-inch range caught last week from beaches ringing the bay. While good rip currents can still be located at many beaches, we are finding it pays to work the parallel troughs between the shore break and the outside sandbars. If using bait or the popular Berkley GULP! sandworms on a Carolina rig, you can feel your weight kind of “stick” in certain areas. This situation is often created by the inside slope of a sideways trough on the surf line. Without creating slack in your mainline, the bait can be left soaking. A trough location is a good place to be, as it serves as a pathway of deeper water for the fish to move along. Usually there is a current involved that may sweep your bait along with it. Just keep the slack out of your mainline and be ready for a hungry perch to nibble or chomp. These troughs are often narrow and exist under the whitewater of a previously breaking wave, but it doesn’t necessarily look like there’s a deep spot there at all as you are fishing by feel. Another advantage to these parallel troughs is they are often a lane used by roving striped bass to dart in and out of a breaking wave area in search of prey, although there has been a distinct lack of striper action on Monterey Bay so far this year.”
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 3 Striper 2 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2
It’s looking like there will not be live anchovies in the pens at Pier 45 in San Francisco until May 1st at the earlier, but the halibut don’t seem to care as the bite busted wide open on Thursday with the California Dawn returning with 13 limits (39) halibut along with the Lovely Martha out of San Francisco posting a similar score with 13 limits. The action was even better on Friday with the Lovely Martha returning with 63 halibut to 16 pounds for 21 anglers (limits). All of the boats are trolling dead bait or hoochies behind a flasher, but Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond Marina in Marin County has live bait. He was out today in the south bay with Western Outdoor News columnist, Bud Chaddock, and Matt Smart with the live smelt, and they came up some quality halibut in spite of a slow drift. Smart landed a limit of halibut tossing swimbaits in the shallows. Slate is the only six-pack or party boat with live bait at the present time, allowing him to work deeper water. Slate said, “The depth of water near the airport is around 9 to 10 feet, and all of the noise from the motors along with the gear dragged through the bottom really affects the halibut.”
Captain Bill Clapp of Bill’s Sport Fishing was on a half-day trip to the Alameda Rockwall area with the rest of the fleet on Friday, and his group put 7 halibut in the box along with releasing 15 to 18 shakers that were near the 22-inch mark. Clapp said, “We were trolling dead bait behind a rounded triangular dodger, and you can bend the dodger to give a different movement to the rods.”
Over the weekend, it was a different story as at least 160 boats converged along the Oakland Airport in bumper boat formation, and the bite slowed considerably. In addition to the heavy boat pressure, the boats most likely mopped up the area’s halibut population within a few days. There was a small spot holding the flatfish off of the airport, and based on the weekend’s scores, the majority of fish were removed.
Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley Marina was out on Saturday with 9 passengers for 18 halibut and a striped bass. He said, “We went to find our own water as the hot area dried up quickly. We are starting our bay potluck trips in earnest starting Thursday, and our sister boat, the Happy Hooker, is currently is being repowered. We hope to have her back in service by May.”
Further evidence of the pressure was the Lovely Martha, the boat that put in 102 halibut in two days, was limited to 12 flatfish on Saturday working the same area.
Slate will start targeting his home waters around Point Pinole, and things are looking up in San Pablo Bay with one private boat bringing in 5 halibut to 20 pounds.
Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle was able to bring in a big supply of live Loch Lomond shiners into the shop, and he said, “There was a 40-inch halibut landed at Point Pinole along with so many shaker halibut which is great to see. We are making single-hook halibut leaders as the treble hooks really do damage to the undersized halibut. Bass fishing has been excellent for schoolies off of the Brickyard, the Sisters, the Marin Islands, or even the Brothers, and you can either drift live bait or troll Loch Lomond worm-tailed jigs. Red Rock is another good location for striped bass. There was a 24-inch lineside taken off of our dock by a youngster this week, not 20 feet from our door.”
Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing will unveil his new 12-pack, the Malia Kai, out of Berkeley Marina this coming weekend. Mitchell will continue to run sturgeon trips out of Pittsburg Marina with the new boat out for bay potluck, rockfish, or salmon.
The new live bait boat is in the process of repairs, and due to supply chain difficulties, needed parts have been delayed. An opening of the pens is expected between May 1st and June 1st for live anchovies, and n the interim time, the most boats will have to be content with trolling in the shallower water locations. There is concern about the pressure put on the California halibut population, and many are starting to advocate for a two-fish bag limit with a 24-inch minimum instead of the current 3-fish and 22-inch minimum size.
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 2
The boats out of Port San Luis and Morro Bay can wait for Friday’s rockfish opener, and after three months of relative inactivity, rockfishing should be outstanding. 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. 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 3 Bluegill 3
As of press time, Brannan Island State Park is scheduled to close this coming Friday, April 1st until a new concessionaire is able to located. American Land and Leisure, who have operated on a month-to-month basis since 2013, is ending its operations on the 1st. This will result in central Delta fishermen to launch at the Rio Vista City, Sandy Beach, Sherman Island, or Eddo’s launch ramps in the interim period of time to have the best access to both the Sacramento and San Joaquin-Delta.
In the north Delta, Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors found excellent action for largemouth bass for limits between 15 and 20 pounds punching the weeds or tossing chatterbaits or Senkos. He said, “The fish are moving up, and everything is working right now. The water temperature has risen from 58 to 64 degrees, and there are beds everywhere with males in the 5-pound range along with double-digit females. The bass in the north haven’t locked on as tight as in the south Delta, but they are getting there. We also threw big shad-patterned swimbaits in the 5- to 7-inch range for striped bass to 12 pounds, and I broke off a large one, but the bite is ‘hit or miss’ as you have to cover a lot of water to find them.”
It’s the same story with striped bass as the schools have been scattered and the fish are willing to bite only on certain tides. Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley said, “We have been getting them, but it has been tough fishing as we aren’t finding groups of fish as in past years. It seems that the spring striped bass run will be late. We have mainly been trolling due to the dirty water, and the wind has been blowing nearly every day. The best action remains at the bottom of the outgoing tide as we are finding fish, but they only want to bite at certain times. We have some really nice jumbo minnows, but the stripers haven’t been grouped up enough for live bait. The boat traffic has been very heavy at the West Bank, and the water hasn’t been clearing up on the outgoing tide, even downstream near Sherman Island.”
Sturgeon fishing remains outstanding, and Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions has been fighting the wind for good scores of sturgeon, releasing legal fish when they reach two slot-limit fish. They put in two slot-limit sturgeon on Saturday morning before starting to release legal fish. He said, “We tried for striped bass on the anchor, but the weeds were a challenge. We started with a double on oversized fish on Sunday morning fishing outside the Pittsburg Marina, and there are a number of boats in the same area.” Koyasako will be returning to San Francisco for the summer months after the first week of April.
Many of the six-packs will be vacating the Delta in the coming weeks as the lure of San Francisco Bay halibut becomes too great, but Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing will keep his vessel, the Top Gun, in Pittsburg as long as the sturgeon bite remains good while his new boat, the 12-pack Malia Kai, is berthed in Berkeley for the potluck season. Captain Shawn Taylor has been running the Top Gun for the past week, and he has found spectacular fishing out of Pittsburg, hooking 10 fish with six legal sturgeon on Sunday for five anglers. Mitchell said, “Taylor put in early limits with five fish landed within 20 minutes. This is the springtime bite, and this happens every spring when the water warms up.”
Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing also posted limits of sturgeon on Saturday and Sunday as the action has been nothing short of spectacular.
Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures offers an alternative to catch and kill sturgeon, and he said, “Fishing has been wide open for us for about three weeks. Many of these fish are loaded with eggs, and many are oversized with a few shakers around 27/28 inches as there aren’t many fish in the mid- to upper 30-inch range.” Medinas offers catch-and-release trips for white sturgeon.
With the tremendous number of sturgeon removed from the system over the past few years due to improved electronics, specially-cured salmon roe, and increased angler knowledge, there is growing concern that the slot-limit population will be reduced to the point where only oversized or undersized sturgeon are the majority of available fish. Hired captains are paid to put customers onto fish, but it up to the customer to determine whether they all need to harvest an individual fish. In additional to heavy fishing pressure, there are reports of nighttime poaching of sturgeon off of the Garden Highway near the Sacramento Airport as the sturgeon are moving upriver to spawn.
Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported bank anglers are scoring 22/23-inch striped bass off of the shorelines on anchovies or grass shrimp. This is the period of time when the larger grass shrimp are more difficult to obtain.
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 this coming 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.
In the north Delta, the current Lookout Slough project design removes bank fishing access from both sides of Shag Slough as the levee road will no longer have access to Liberty Island Road. Shore anglers have protested the design to the Delta Stewardship Commission during a recent meeting.
The warmer waters of the San Joaquin-Delta are heating up for largemouth bass, and the limits continue to grow larger. There are more and more bass on the beds, and a variety of techniques are used to entice strikes. Striped bass are moving into the central Delta with live bait while trollers are working from the Antioch Bridge towards Prisoner’s Point.
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “We are finding a lot of fish, but not many giants right now. The key for us has been to throw the Berkley General on a 70/30 wacky-rig as this presentation allows for a tight wiggle on one end of the worm with a longer wiggle on the other end. This gives a different look than a traditional wacky-rig. We have been tossing this into the shallows to 5 feet in depth, and you have to fish it slow and don’t move it. Once you see the line move one way or the other or do something different, set the hook. If you want more wiggle and more bites, you can downsize from 10- to 8-pound monofilament line. We have been working sloughs with bends and fishing the bends as this is where the bass are on the beds.”
Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors reported, “There is a chatterbait bite along with spinnerbaits when the wind is blowing. The numbers are there, but it has been hard to find giants. Small striped bass to 24 inches are showing up on the San Joaquin side, but there is no consistency.” His next tournament is April 16th at Holland Riverside.”
Dave King, director of NorCal Bass, was fishing with his young son on Sunday, and he said, “It was tough out on Sunday, but I have been smashing all week long with spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, or Rat-L-Traps for limits averaging from 15 to 16 pounds. The fish have been up against the banks on the low tides, but they are scattering on the high tide. It took 26 pounds to win Saturday’s Backlashers tournament out of Ladd’s Marina. Our next tournament is the 16th out of Ladd’s.”
Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors has been finding spectacular bass action in the central Delta, saying, “I got to go play this afternoon for a few hours, and the Delta bite is wide open. We had between 27/28 pounds for five with the big fish at 7.12 out of the close to 30 bass in three hours.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “The bass are spawning right in front of Paradise Point Marina, and we have customers catching and releasing largemouths from 4 to 7 pounds. Striped bass are in Mildred Island by drifting live bluegill or perch along with the Middle River and Connection Slough. Discovery Bay has slowed down for striped bass, but the largemouth bass bite is good. Eight Mile Road continues to produce with topwater lures in low-light conditions.”
James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service out of Korth’s Pirates Lair was on the water for six days straight, and he said, “We have been limiting out with as many as six limits, but you have to be in the right place at the right time. We released a 15-pound lineside on Saturday. The West Bank of the Sacramento has been good for a ½-hour in the morning, but I have been spending most of my time on the San Joaquin. We are waiting for a batch of fresh fish, and it is a matter of finding the small schools that are in the system. We have been having fun by running Rat-L-Traps on the high tide, and the good thing about the lipless cranks is that you can knock the grass off of the lure without having to reel in.”
Chris Ditter of HeadRush Guide Service is back on the water, and he was also on the San Joaquin from the Antioch Bridge to Prisoner’s Point this week. He said, “You have to work at them and find your own water. I have been staying on the San Joaquin with all of the boat pressure on the West Bank. There are loads of 17/18-inch fish, and some days it can be a grind. The San Joaquin has been textbook with the tides, and with less boat pressure, it is a more comfortable location to troll. There are not as many fish as there used to be, and with the small schools around, it has pushed all of the boats into certain locations. We have released some larger fish, and we have been working hard to put together limits with either deep- or shallow diving lures. I will be working out of Korth’s Pirates Lair until the end of April before heading up to north shore Lake Tahoe for the summer.”
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 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 2
At Nacimiento, several bass tournaments are scheduled during the month of April, and the spotted bass bite continues to improve as the calendar has turned into spring. The spots have moved into the shallows as the water temperatures are now in the 60’s, and finesse techniques on the bottom are picking up most of the action. White bass are found at the mouth of the river arms or cuts, and they are boiling on occasion. Small white Kastmasters or Roostertails trolled or cast into the suspended schools are working best with small topwater lures when the whites are on the surface. Crappie are taken around submerged structure with minijigs or small hairraisers. The lake held at 28%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, the bass bite is improving with plastics on the drop-shot, Ned-rig, or Texas rig, jigs, or creature baits such as Brush Hogs or Sweet Beavers. Small Keitech swimbaits are also producing. Planted trout are taken on Kastmasters thrown from the shorelines with deep water access along with trolling at depths to 25 feet. Shore anglers have to work 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 held at just over 29%. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, bass fishing continues to improve as the largemouths are moving into the shallows. Crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs, or plastics on the drop-shot are all picking bass. 3000 pounds of rainbow trout went into the lake two weeks ago, and shore fishermen continue to pick up stragglers on 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, minimal change remains the story with slow bass fishing along with a few small crappie landed in submerged structure. The catfish bite is also slow, but it should improve with the warm weather. 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/Big Break Marina – American Bass Association - March 26th: 1st – Steve Tragoutsis/Stuart Bodwin – 25.66 pounds; 2nd – Obedie Williams/Hulen Johnson Jr. – 23.57 (Big Fish – 7.93); 3rd – Ish Monroe/Ryan Brewer – 22.62.
Don Pedro – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments- March 26th: 1st – Matt Frazier/Anthony Souza – 22.29 pounds (Big Fish 11.79); 2nd – David Donatelli/Casey Case – 15.16; 3rd – Ron Red Sr./Ron Red Jr. – 12.36.
McClure –- March 27th: 1st –Keith Rollin/Garrett Maddex – 16.07 pounds (Big Fish 7.87); 2nd – Derek Frigge/Jessie Rodriguez – 12.30; 3rd – Yer Her/Jackson Xiong – 12.11.
Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)
April 2nd –
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
New Melones – Valley Backlashers
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
Success – Lahu Bass Club
Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments
April 3rd –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Riverbank Bass Anglers
Amador - 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 9/10th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kern County Bass Masters
Tulloch – California Bass Federation
Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments
April 9th –
Camanche – Sonora Bass Anglers
Lake Pardee – 17/90 Bass Club
McClure – American Bass Association
Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Nacimiento – American Bass Association
Santa Margarita – Bass Addicts of Southern California
April 10th –
Bass Lake – Kings VIII Bass Club
April 13th –
Millerton – Bass 101
April 15 –
Don Pedro- Mid-Valley Agriculture
April 16th –
Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – NorCal Bass
New Melones – Christian Bass League/Sierra Conservation Center
Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
April 23rd –
Delta/B and W Resort – Bass Anglers of Northern California
Pardee – NorCal Bass
Don Pedro – Bakersfield Bass Club
Bass Lake – Sierra Bass Club
Isabella – American Bass Association
Nacimiento- Golden Empire Bass Club
Santa Margarita – American Bass Association
April 24th –
Delta - Big Valley Region of the California High School Student Angler Federation (CAHSATT)
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – California Bass Federation
Bass Lake – Kings River Bass Club
April 30th –
McClure – Stanislaus County Employees
April 30th/May 1st –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails
Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Club
June 5th –
Delta – Major League Fishing California High School State Championship
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 7:34 AM with the headline "Fishing report, March 30-April 5: Shaver kokanee bite hot; McSwain trout derby this weekend."