Fishing report, April 13-19: Pine Flat bass bite good; changing conditions at Shaver
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
Aqueduct stripers kicking into gear, Bill Sterling reported. Don Pedro producing bass, trout, kokanee and king salmon, Monte Smith said. New Melones bass and trout bites good, Kyle Wise reported. Pine Flat bass active, Michael Crayne said. Delta sturgeon, bass and stripers on the prowl, Alan Fong reported. San Francisco salmon and halibut on tap when wind allows, Jerad Davis said. Shaver kokanee fest slowed by storm, Dave Hurley 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.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 3 Catfish 2
Bill Sterling of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno is an aqueduct aficionado, and he said, “This week was really good at the ‘ducts, and I predict that after the storm rolls through on Monday, fishing will be really good. The best action for topwater lures has been in the early mornings or evenings around sunset as the stripers are coming to the surface to feed on shad and silversides. During the daytime, jerkbaits in Sexy Shad or Ghost Minnow are the top options, but umbrella rigs are still effective. A faster retrieve seems to work best. Smaller striped bass are taken on cut bait such as anchovies, sardines, or mackerel. The canals around Los Banos are all producing largemouth bass, catfish, striped bass, and carp. I was out during the week and landed three largemouth bass, three stripers, and a catfish – all on a pearl white paddletail swimbait in just over an hour in the evening. If you aren’t out there right now, you are missing out.”
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop services a number of Central Valley aqueduct fishermen, and he said, “The Aqueduct is really good right now for catfish, bass, and stripers, but there are a number of undersized stripers in the system.”
Sterling is the point person for Striperz Gone Wild, and they are hosting the first Hailey Lauchland Memorial Tournament on April 23 with headquarters at the Volta Road Bridge near Los Banos. He said, “Lauchland was only 29 years old when she succumbed from cancer, and she was a big supporter of our group and aqueduct fishermen.” Check-in starts at 4 a.m., and the weigh-in, awards, and raffle will begin at 2 p.m. “Entry fee is 10 cans of unexpired food, and we hope to provide over 3,000 cans to local charities in Los Banos. We provided 2,600 cans last year before dedicating this tournament to Hailey’s memory. There were prizes for 1st/2nd/3rd in both adult and youth division, and we always go out of our way to encourage young anglers.”
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, “The bass are on bed, and reaction-style baits with noise-making capacity are working best in the stained waters of both lakes. Senkos dropped over the submerged islands in the middle of Eastman have been productive along with crankbaits, Z-Man’s Jackhammer chatterbaits in black/blue, or rainbow trout patterned swimbaits along the rocky structure at the dam.” The planted trout have either been caught, eaten by largemouth bass, or holding in the deepest water in the lake. Eastman held at 10% with Hensley also holding at 19%. A double trout plant is scheduled for Eastman next week with Hensley receiving a single plant.
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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 3 King salmon 3 Crappie 2
Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass are spawning, and the best action remains in the shallows with 4- to 6-inch worms on a split-shot along with ½-ounce G-Money underspins with a 3.8-inch paddletail shad-patterned swimbaits. The bass are pushing shad into the pockets or coves, and a handful of bass are taken on topwater Super Spooks. A 16.72-pound limit with a 7.11-pound kicker took first during Saturday’s Best Bass Tournament event.” Monte Smith of Golden Country Sport Fishing said, “Trout, kokanee, and king salmon are all there for the taking at depths from 30 to 45 feet with Pro-Troll’s Kokanee Killers behind a 6-inch Mack’s Sling Blade. The T-Bone’s Tackle T-Pex has also been effective for kokanee in the 10- to 14-inch range. The trout and kokanee are still mixed in the same schools, but the fish are dropping in the water column.” The lake rose slightly to 62%. The Fleming Meadows, Blue Oaks, 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 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2
The 31st Annual Kern County Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby started on Saturday, and it will run through July 4th with tagged fish ranging from $20 to $5,000. With the recent trout plants, shore anglers are scoring with Power Bait, Atomic Tubes, Mice Tails, or nightcrawlers. There have been some impressive scores on crappie at depths to 30 feet around structure, but it is a matter of finding the right tree or bush. Small to medium minnows along with minijigs are working best. Catfishing is a staple with Triple S Dip Bait, live minnows, chicken livers, or nightcrawlers.
Largemouth bass have been attempting to move into the shallows, but the up and down weather has them backing off. When staple weather arrives, they should be back on the beds by this weekend’s full moon. Lake Isabella rose slightly to 12%. There haven’t been any recent trout plants at Buena Vista, and anglers have to be aware of the planting schedule as the bite slows quickly after the plant. Information on trout plants is available at (661) 868-7000 – press 1. The Kern River section 4 is scheduled to be planted again this week, and this is the section above the North Fork below Kernville. The hot weather last week created more active planted trout in the upper stretches of the river. Fly fishermen are catching and releasing wild trout in the upper sections of the 20 Mile Section and into the Wild Trout Section. The lower Kern is improving for bass on plastics. The river at Kernville has bumped up from 587 to 856 cfs due to snowmelt while the flows are stable at First Point below the dam at 434 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
The bass are in all stages of spawning, and there are bass on beds throughout the lake. The rising water has created difficult spawning conditions for the largemouth bass as they attempt to establish a nest, but then the lake rises once again. The lake has risen from 29% to 35% in the past two weeks. A trout plant occurred a few weeks ago, and planters have either been eaten by bass, caught from the shorelines, or headed out to the deepest water in the river arm. The planted rainbows will create an opportunity for a trophy largemouth on a large trout-patterned swimbait. Snowmelt brought the Kaweah River up from 504 cfs to 652 cfs at Three Rivers.
Lake Success/Tule River
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments held two events at the lake over the weekend, and the winning weight was 16.53 pounds with a big fish at 9.52 pounds by Dave Simpson and Randy Burger. The weights dropped down progressively after the winning weight, but the big fish put them over the top. The planted rainbows have scattered throughout the lake, and the bass are in all stages of spawning. Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company in Springville said, “The bass have moved up, and swimbaits, plastics on either a Ned-rig or drop-shot are producing quality. Crappie are holding at the marina.” The lake rose from 28% to 31%.
In the Tule River, trout plants are scheduled in three sections of the Middle Fork next week, and Stokke reported excellent fishing with dry flies, stimulators in particular while spin casters are scoring with Panther Martin spinners.
Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com
McClure Reservoir
Bass 3 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Numbers of smaller bass are the rule here, and the plant of 50,000 kokanee smolts this week should get the spotted bass active. There are bed fish throughout the lake, and slow presentations with plastics, creature baits, or jigs are working best. When the wind is blowing, there is a reaction bite with squarebilled crankbaits, ripbaits, or spinnerbaits. Recent trout plants have spurred on action for both trollers and bank fishermen. The lake rose from 32% to 34%, 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
There are still quality Calaveras Trout Farms rainbows and Lightning trout taken from the shorelines near 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 is at 92%, and 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 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bass fishing is best in the river arm as the bass are holding on beds or cruising the shallows. The spotted bass nests are hard to locate as the lake continues to rise, leaving the nests far below the surface. The rising water level makes it more difficult for the largemouth bass to make and stay on a nest. There is a small window for reaction baits with spinnerbaits or small swimbaits on an underspin, but numbers are found on plastics on the drop-shot.” The San Joaquin River rose once again from 983 to 1177 cfs at Friant as water releases continue. The lake rose from 60% to 64%.
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, “Kokanee to 12 inches are being taken at depths to 35 feet with white hoochies behind a gold hammered dodger, and planted rainbow are abundant in open water from the Spillway to Angels Cove. I have been taking customers to drift live jumbo minnows for spotted and largemouth bass, and we have been finding some big ones on the minnows.” John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service said, “The lake continues to be wide open for bass and rainbow trout, and it is the best option for bass in the Mother Lode. Big fish have been hard to find, but guides are averaging from 80 to 100 fish days with a variety of techniques including spinnerbaits, Keitech swimbaits, flukes, or topwater lures. Finesse presentations are just as effective. The spotted bass are setting up at depths from 5 to 25 feet, but the dropping water levels have sent the big girls into hiding.” Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Drifting jumbo minnows has been extremely effective for bass.” The lake held at 39%, 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 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The bass are on beds, and the bite is very good, particularly along the exposed north side of the lake by Trimmer as the water temperatures are warmer from the sun exposure. Male bass are cruising the shorelines while females are holding in deeper water on the south side. Bass from 1.5 to 3 pounds have been common with Flit worms on a drop-shot, chatterbaits, crankbaits with some early or late action on topwater lures. Crappie are found near the docks near Deer Creek or in the marinas. A few trout trollers continue to work the lake with the best action at 50 feet with shad-patterned spoons trolled through the shad schools.” The lake rose from 38% to 41%.
In the lower Kings, another trout plant is scheduled this week, but the flows have increased from an already high of 2,241 cfs to 2,723 fs 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. Avocado Lake is also 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 1
At the main lake, the minnow bite, the shore bite, and the troll bite are all picking up as the water temperatures continue to rise. Drifting minnows in the early morning before the sun hits the water in Portuguese Cove or Lone Oak Bay are producing quick limits. Shore anglers are soaking pile worms near Dinosaur Point or the turnoffs off of Highway 152. Trollers are pulling broken-back Rebels, Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows, or Lucky Craft Pointer 128s. The main lake rose to 46% this week with the O’Neill Forebay dropping to 79% with increased pumping out of the south Delta along with corresponding water releases.
Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service said that he fished with a friend Thursday and they found a flats pattern working Lucky Crafts at 50 to 60 feet for over 30 released stripers to 7 pounds. “I’m talking to a lot of anglers and the bite is still not near normal. You still need to be experienced to find the fish right now.”
George is doing a 2-hour striper seminar at Sportsman’s Warehouse on Thursday, April 21 from 5:45 to 8 p.m. called “Beginning Downrigging - Trophy Tactics and Tips.” Go to rogergeorgeguideservice.com for seminar info and signup. Reserved limited seating for 30 guests in order of signup. Cost is $60.
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 fishing remains fair for planted rainbows with a variety of techniques, but the fish are scattered. 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, few bass boats are heading to the lake until the weather warms up. Spotted bass are cruising the shorelines in preparation for spawning. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at basslakeca.com. The lake rose from 64% to 67%, 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 19%, Florence has risen to 11% with Mammoth Pool also rising to 81%.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 3 Trout 2
The word is out regarding Shaver Lake, and hordes of boats were on the lake over the weekend in search of the largest kokanee reported so far this year at 18.5 inches. The pressure may have slowed down the bite as the action was much slower over the weekend. The Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project released their first plant this past week, and the trophies have moved out into the lake from the shoreline areas. The docks at Shaver Lake Marina have yet to be installed, but with the rising water levels, launching isn’t a concern at the Sierra Marina. Monday’s snowstorm will drop a few inches in the higher elevations, but Huntington has been clear for those willing to walk the shorelines near Rancheria Creek with spinners, nightcrawlers, or Power Bait for the opportunity for a quality brown trout to 20 inches. Shaver’s launch ramp conditions can be checked via webcam at sierramarina.com/camera.html. Huntington rose from 48% to 54%, with Shaver also rising from 43% to 47%.
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 expected to open soon. The recent snowstorm should drop a few inches in the High Sierra. Kelly Brewer of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store said, “It will be a few more weeks before we open up.”
Information is available at fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
The ocean salmon was released by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council today, and the following are the seasons:
OR/CA Border to the 40/10 line (Horse Mountain in southern Humboldt County) – 20-inch minimum size
May 1–16
May 16-31
August 1 – September 5
40/10 line (Horse Mountain in southern Humboldt County) to Point Arena– 20-inch minimum size
May 1–16
May 16-31
June 1 – July 4
July 22 – September 5
Point Arena to Pigeon Point–
April 2 – May 15 – 24-inch minimim size
May 16-31- 20-inch minimum size
June 23 – October 31
Pigeon Point to the Mexican Border
April 2 – May 15 – 24-inch minimim size
May 16- October 2 - 20-inch minimum size
The Queen of Hearts and six-pack, Reel Screamer, out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing were out during the start of the blow on Friday for a combined 16 salmon to 14 pounds for 16 anglers. The Queen of Hearts posted 14 kings to 10 pounds and 110 rockfish on Thursday’s hot bite for 18 anglers, switching over to salmon after receiving the news of the bite. Captain Bill Smith on the Riptide also braved the conditions on Friday for 6 limits of salmon to 18 pounds along with a bonus crew fish.
Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete out of Half Moon Bay put in a combined 28 limits to 22 pounds on Wednesday and Thursday with all of the other boats trolling at the Deep Reef. He said, “We had to work hard for the final fish on Thursday, but there is a big school down there with a quality grade of salmon. Nearly all of the party boats were down there along with a number of private boaters. We are giving the salmon a rest for a few days, but we will see what the weather brings before heading back out.” Cabanas was back out on Friday for 15 limits of rockfish including 3 cabezon. The Ankeny Street worked the shallow reefs south of the harbor for 11 limits of rockfish on Thursday.
Even the wind will pay dividends in the coming months as the upwelling from the gale force winds will bring up nutrients from the bottom in the condition known as upwelling, creating the brown ‘salmon water’ that salmon fishermen love.
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
Salmon 2 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Allen Bushnell of the Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “After a fairly decent salmon opener on Monterey Bay, Mother Nature decided to send some vexation to all those suffering from salmon fever. The kings were spread all across the bay last week with scores ranging from skunks to full limits of fish up to 30 pounds. Sadly, fishing conditions deteriorated as this week progressed. Heavy winds created wind swells up to 10 feet and made it impossible to fish. These poor conditions are expected to continue into the following week. Prior to the winds, catching salmon on the Monterey Bay was quite a decent proposition. Most boats mustered one or two fish while others caught a fish per rod and even limits for some.
Go Fish Santa Cruz boated client limits on Monday. Skipper JT Thomas reported, “We caught twelve nice ones weighing between 10 and 20 pounds. We were back and tied to the dock by noon.” Francesco Isolani was aboard the beautiful Miss Beth for Monday’s trip along with four others in his party including his son Luca and buddy Loren. Isolani quipped, “Luca and Loren are 12 years old. When I was talking with Luca I said, ‘I am sorry I woke you up at five a.m. to go fishing on your spring break. His answer was, ‘Getting up at five to go fishing is still better than getting up at seven-thirty to go to school.’” The fish were harder to find by Wednesday with Thomas reporting, “Today we fished for salmon with repeat client Ryan and his crew from Beauregard Vineyards. We started out local and moved south. Right away Ryan landed a 26-pounder. Then they had two double hookups but lost one on each.” Hopes are high that a new school will move in as the weather calms later this week. The presence of king salmon in the Morro Bay area this week pretty much guarantees we’ll be seeing more salmon here soon.
There’s plenty of feed in the bay, mostly anchovies, but some schools of sardines as well. Bayside Marine’s Todd Frasier noted, “The area around the Soquel Hole is loaded with bait and whales so the salmon should move in soon.” Fraser noted that anglers fishing for rock cod are doing well up the coast near Wilder Ranch, and other sources indicate the deeper reefs off West Cliff Drive and the South Rock area provided great rockfishing this week also. The Capitola area is still holding lingcod on its deeper reefs and an increasing number of halibut were reported caught from 50-70 feet of water in that area. The Mile Buoy area in 60 to 70 feet of water is providing some halibut action as well. Live bait is very available for jigging from the shallows. Anchovies are here in force as well as small smelt, perfect halibut bait for the drifters. Bounce-balling with a dodger and hoochie is always a good bet for the big flatties as well.
Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey said, “Salmon fishing has been fair at best as Captain Tinker on the Check Mate hooked 6 and landed two on Thursday, but the private boaters have been doing well. Rockfishing has been lights out, and we slammed them at Point Sur on Thursday.”
Surfcasters are finding the perch bite improving on most beaches around the bay. Most perch reported are barred surf perch in the 8- to 14-inch range, but quite a few walleyes are also biting. The walleye perch are usually a bit smaller than the barred surf perch, but seem to school more closely and grab the bait more readily. Rumors are beginning to percolate about a number of small stripers caught surfcasting from the more central beaches of Monterey Bay.”
Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell – Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Salmon 3 Halibut 3 Striper 2 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2
The only factor holding back salmon hitting the decks out of the Bay Area and Half Moon Bay fleets has been the wind, and limits were the rule mid-week on Wednesday and Thursday along the San Mateo County coastline south to the Deep Reef. However, the fans came on starting on Friday, and the gale force winds aren’t letting up until Tuesday at the earliest. The best option for rockfish has been out of Half Moon Bay as the Bay Area boats are either concentrating on bay potluck trips or making the run for salmon.
The Bay Area boats made the long run south on Wednesday and Thursday, and Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito ran 32 miles on both Wednesday and Thursday for 16 limits on Wednesday, followed by another 17 limits to 20 pounds. He said, “We are seeing a nice grade of fish anywhere from the 24-inch minimum to over 20 pounds, and although it is a long ride, we can make it down to the Deep Reef in just less than 2 hours. It is questionable until Tuesday. Can’t way to get back on them.”
In spite of the fact of the temporary closure of the live bait pens at Pier 45 in San Francisco, the bay’s halibut haven’t received the memo that they aren’t supposed to wait for live bait to be available. The bay is loaded with halibut, and since the fleet camped in the south bay two weeks ago, the flatfish have spread out from Oyster Point northeast into San Pablo Bay. This has allowed the boats to spread out as trolling requires relatively shallow water. The best is yet to come as the deeper shelves generally hold the largest halibut, and it requires live bait to work deep water.
Captain James Smith of the California Dawn out of Berkeley said, “Never have I seen spring trolling as good as on Sunday as we posted 21 limits of halibut to 15 pounds along with 7 striped bass to 15 pounds, releasing another 150 undersized halibut.”
Older brother Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley posted near limits with 53 halibut to 19 pounds and 8 striped bass to 8 pounds on Sunday, saying, “The number of shakers was unbelievable as at times you have to go through 15 undersized halibut to put in a legal 22-inch fish. However, these are big shakers, and the future looks bright for next year. We got off to a slow start with a few tangles working in deeper water with all of the shakers as these fish were deeper.” Third-generation Bay Area captain, Jonathon Smith of the Happy Hooker, combined with his father to posted 55 halibut to 14 pounds and 10 striped bass to 8 pounds for 37 fishermen on Saturday. The scores were far better on Sunday as the boats averaged just over a fish per rod on Saturday before nearly every boat posting three-fish halibut limits on Sunday.
Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco went into San Pablo Bay on Sunday for 23 halibut to 13.5 pounds for six passengers and two crew, coming up one fish short of full limits after running out of bait. He said, “We also had a few striped bass to 5 pounds, and some were females loaded with green eggs ready to run through the Delta. We didn’t have to measure many halibut with most in the 22.5- to 24-inch range. We started off at Paradise, but left after releasing a number of shakers.”
Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “We haven’t heard much about Paradise so for this year, but one of our customers was out today with Loch Lomond smelt and shiners for a limit of halibut along with an 8-pound striped bass. I think we are the shop with live bait in the bay right now. There was good fishing at Point Pinole on Sunday morning, and striped bass are taken around the Marin Islands by drifting live bait, trolling Loch Lomond worm-tailed jigs, or fly fishing with Clouser Minnows.”
Ed Chin of Bay Tackle in El Cerrito said, “Striped bass are showing up in the Oakland Estuary, the Bay Bridge, Bay Shore Island, Hegenberger Drive, the High Street Bridge, and the Fruitvale Bridge along with the Embarcadero in Oakland.”.
Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing out of San Francisco continues to find great action for leopard shark in the south bay, and his second captain, Charles Kimberly, caught and released a 30-pound black sea bass while shark fishing this week. Every once in a while, a black sea bass is caught in the south bay, and they have to be released as soon as possible.
Captain Steve Gutierrez of Deadliest Kast Sport Fishing out of Oyster Point fought the wind on Sunday along the Alameda side of the bay, and he said, “The wind wasn’t bad until 1:00 p.m., but it was coming when we left the Alameda side and were greeted with 5- to 6-foot rollers from the winds coming over Candlestick Point. We found halibut today in water less than 10 feet, ending up with four to 28 inches, and we also located some birds working bait. We trolled through the bait ball for five striped bass to 22 inches. With the water muddy from the wind and big tides, I have been using brighter-colored hoochies on the leaders. We ended up with larger halibut to 30 inches on Saturday.”
Call: Captain Trent Slate Bite Me Charters (415) 307-8582; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388.
San Luis Obispo
Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3
The gale force winds kept the party boats tied up since Friday, but the Endeavor and Starfire out of Morro Bay Landing were out on Friday with 40 anglers for 176 vermilion, 9 copper, 5 Boccaccio, 210 assorted rockfish, and 2 ling cod. Also out of Morro Bay, the Black Pearl was last out on Tuesday with 16 anglers for limits of rockfish composed of 54 vermilion, and 106 assorted rockfish. Out of Port San Luis, the Flying Fish, and Phenix were last out on Thursday with 35 passengers for 35 vermilion, 5 copper, 31 Bolina, 188 assorted rockfish, 6 ocean whitefish, and two ling cod. 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 2 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3 Salmon 0
Sturgeon fishing remains outstanding in Suisun Bay, and even though a number of fishermen have vacated the Delta for the bay, there are still a large number of boats out there.
Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures reported excellent sturgeon fishing with salmon roe, saying, “I had a group of veterinarians out this week, and we caught and released one very thin sturgeon that was badly damaged by either a sea lion or a boat prop. It had also been hooked recently as it had a hook mark in the corner of its mouth. Sturgeon are incredibly hardy, but this one was haven’t difficulty finding food as it was very thick, like a reptile.” Medinas will most likely stay in the Delta until there is live bait available in San Francisco Bay.
There will be two more six-pack operations remaining in Pittsburg during the summer months to target sturgeon as Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing along with Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing will leave a boat in the harbor for sturgeon while running their big boats out of Berkeley Marina for various species. Mitchell found spectacular action on Saturday with three slot-limit sturgeon, 3 oversized, and 2 undersized along with several other missed bites. He said, “We started off at Chain Island before moving to the mouth of Montezuma Slough, and these fish are on the chomp. Cured salmon roe has been the key, and when the fish are on a flurry, you will have doubles and triples.”
Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing has the Flash I in Pittsburg, and he reported strong sturgeon action once they can get out. Similar to Medinas, Talmadge is waiting for the presence of live bait before moving Flash 1 to San Francisco to join Flash II.
There is growing concern regarding the number of white sturgeon being removed from the system with no hatchery program in place along with two years of low water in the upper river when sturgeon spawn. Poaching, pollution, and the improved techniques are all factors, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife is encouraged to review changes to bag limits, bait offerings, and seasons.
Striped bass have been flooding into the system, and they will be going both ways within a few weeks as the spawn upriver will occur rapidly with the low water conditions. James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service has moved his boat into the Delta Marina in Rio Vista, and he said, “We have been trolling either shallow or deep as we haven’t had to use live bait all year. We started off shallow on Saturday before going deep. We marked a lot of fish, but they wouldn’t bite initially, but once the tide changed to the incoming, we landed a double at 7 and 8 pounds. The wind was rough until the tide and wind became aligned on the incoming. We cancelled on Sunday due to the wind, but we only have three open dates during April.”
Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing said, “We got into a good bite on Thursday as I have been working both the San Joaquin and the Sacramento River side of the Delta. The hot spot dried up on Thursday morning, and we had to go searching for them. We bounced around until we found them, and anywhere you can find clear water, there should be striped bass around. The water has been so dirty due to the wind. There have been a few females, but most of the stripers are males. The boat traffic remains heavy, and it is a matter of coming back to certain areas since just because they aren’t there on one tide doesn’t mean they won’t be there later. It was windy on Sunday morning, but the wind laid down by 1:00 p.m. so we went out to find great action for quick limits of striped bass.”
Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors was in the north Delta for striped bass with the ima Big Stick or Pencil Poppers in shad patterns in the shallows. He said, “Shad are moving through the Delta, and the female striped bass are on their way. They won’t stay long upriver, and we will see them coming back soon.”
Chris Ditter of Head Rush Guide Service will be back on the water this week after taking the weekend off with the winds, and he said, “A lot of vegetation showed up this week, but we have been finding numbers of schoolie stripers on both the Sacramento and San Joaquin side of the Delta with either shallow or deep-diving lures. Lure casters are also scoring with jerkbaits, crankbaits, or swimbaits. It is a matter of finding an area holding fish, but there are stripers throughout the system. It’s a matter of finding them. We have had only three trips without releasing at least one double-digit lineside. They should be coming back soon, and I will be waiting for them.”
The largemouth bass bite in the San Joaquin-Delta continues to blow up on a weekly basis, and with this week’s full moon, more and more females will be moving into the shallows.
Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors said, “The bite has been great, and there are bed fish everywhere in the south and central Delta. The tournament weights are up, and I think this will last until at least June. The bass are in all stages of the spawn, and I expect more to be on beds this week. We are already seeing fry balls, and bass are still cruising in the shallows. Stick baits such as Zoom Trick Worms or Reaction Innovation’s Pocket Rockets along with chatterbaits or swimjigs in bluegill or craw are working best. We are also seeing some huge red ear perch in the 2-pound range as they are also spawning in the shallows. You just put the lure in the right pocket, and it happening. We have been averaging around 30 fish per day with limits in the 20-pound plus range, and it’s only going to get better.”
Randy Pringle, said, “My game plan is to start throwing topwater lures such as the ima Finesse Popper along with trying out a frog way back tight into the tules. The Berkley General heavy worm with Max Scent is another solid option, and I rig it 70/30 on a wacky-rig to give a different wobble from both ends of the worm. If the wind comes up, I will be throwing an ima Squarebill crankbait in bluegill pattern as the bluegill are the arch enemy of the spawning bass.”
Dave King of Nor Cal Bass in Stockton has been fishing in preparation for this Saturday’s club tournament out of Ladd’s Marina, and he said, “With the wind, Blade Runner spinnerbaits in golden shiner have been working for me as I am strictly having fun with reaction baits. Frog fish can be found on hot days, and although they are few and far between, the frog fish have been quality. I have been using the Scum Frog, and I find a much better hook up ratio with this frog as the weight is offset 1/8th-inch behind the hooks, allowing the hooks to come in at an optimum angle. We can set the hook immediately when the frog sucks it in instead of waiting for a few seconds, and I have landed largemouths to 5 pounds this way in the past week. We are expecting close to 40 boats for this weekend’s tournament.”
Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors is also holding a team tournament out of Holland Riverside Marina on Saturday, and he said, “I have been looking for new areas in the central Delta, and there are locations that we haven’t been able to fish for years due to all of the vegetation. The wind has pushed the vegetation out, and we are finding some patches of green grass back in these areas. Senkos in Bloody Mary or black/blue have been working along with spinnerbaits when the wind is blowing.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “The Delta has been excellent for everything before the winds came, and striped bass are found in the normal locations on the San Joaquin with Duo Realis or Lucky Craft jerkbaits in 120 just below the surface. Drifting bluegill has also been productive for stripers, and there are largemouth beds all over the place. Crappie have been subdued with the winds, but when the weather gets hot again, the slabs will be back at it.”
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “Striped bass are moving into the south San Joaquin River below the Mossdale Bridge, and I went out there for a few hours with pile worms, sardines, and anchovies for keepers along with a number of undersized linesides. The South Fork of the Mokelumne River near Westgate Landing off of Highway 12 has been producing striped bass for those drifting jumbo minnows, and one customer went through three dozen minnows for over 30 stripers caught and released to 11 pounds from B and W Resort to Wimpy’s Marina, culling up as he went. We get 10 calls for fresh shad every day, but it will be a few weeks before the shad is available.”
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, the spotted bass bite continues to improve on a weekly basis, and the action is best in the warmer conditions in the afternoons. The spotted bass are already transitioning into post-spawn, and they are focusing upon the lake’s numerous shad schools. Shad-patterned swimbaits such as small 2.8- to 3.8-inch Keitechs, LV 500’s, Rat-L-Traps, or underspins. With the warmer temperatures, white bass are making a greater showing with the largest numbers in the river mouths. The whites are boiling on shad on the surface 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 dropped slightly to 27%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, bass limits in the 20-pound range are possible as the reaction bite continues to improve. The recent trout plant has led to the possibility of a trophy largemouth on a rainbow trout patterned swimbaits. Jigs continue to be effective for bass while trout are taken from the shorelines with deep water access with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters.. 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 dropped to just below 29%. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, largemouth bass to 10 pounds have been reported with jerkbaits or crankbaits while numbers are taken on plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or Brush Hogs. Crappie are showing up with minijigs around structure while planted rainbow are taken along the main lake point or coves with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, mealworms, or spinners. Bluegill are found in the shallows with jumbo red worms or meal worms. 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 has dropped slightly to just below 62%. At San Antonio, crappie provide the best action from the shorelines with minijigs around structure or on the open banks as the slabs are in spawn mode. Bass fishing has also improved with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs while catfish are taken on cut baits coated with garlic. Carp have invaded the shallows, and dough baits are effective for the buglemouths. 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 –April 9th: 1st –Joey Price/Tanner Spohn – 28.41 pounds; 2nd – Paul Polhemus/Tim Woltkamp – 28.05 (Big Fish – 8.89); 3rd –Robert Cloutier/Chris Barrett – 26.43.
Lake Pardee – Kokanee Power Team Tournament – Adult Division (Three kokanee weights)– April 9th: 1st – Ken McDonald Team – 1.19 pounds; 2nd –Kevin Smith Team – 1.17; 3rd – Richard Contreras – 1.17.
Lake Pardee – Kokanee Power Team Tournament – Junior Division (One kokanee weight)– April 9th: 1st – Hunter Anderson – 0.38 pounds; 2nd –Ty Collins – 0.34; 3rd – Aubrey McLennan – 0.31.
Lake Pardee – Kokanee Power Team Tournament – Trout Side Pot (One trout weight)– April 9th: 1st – Robbie Dunham Team – 6.16 pounds; 2nd – Matt Gil – 5.84; 3rd – Kevin Cantrell – 4.44.
Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments/Mother Lode Region – April 9th: 1st –Boris Bogacheck/Youri Kaganovitch – 16.72 pounds (Big Fish – 7.11); 2nd –Michael Beevers/Russ Pierson – 13.91; 3rd –Trey and Shane Hawkins – 13.52.
Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments- April 9th: 1st – Dave Simpson/Randy Burger – 16.53 pounds (Big Fish 9.52); 2nd – Kyle Manes/Kevin Flynt – 14.23; 3rd – Rodger Patterson/Randy Weldon – 12.53.
Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments/Junior Tournament - April 10th: 1st –Trenton Housey – 10.53 pounds; 2nd – Coleton Rader – 10.03; 3rd – Jaron (Bear) Demacablin – 8.44 (Big Fish – 2.89).
Upcoming tournaments (subject to change)
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
Roger’s remarks
Roger George’s column will return.