Fishing report, May 4-10: Gates open to reach Wishon; year of the big kokes 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.
Best bets
Delta sturgeon, stripers and bass bites going, Randy Pringle reported. Monterey salmon on a stellar bite, Allen Bushnell said. Shaver kicking out big kokanee, Dick Nichols reported. Wishon trout action solid, Kelly Brewer said. San Francisco halibut and leopard shark hitting, Jerad Davis reported. New Melones kokanee showing up, Kyle Wise said. Pine Flat kicking out bass, Michael Crayne 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: Enjoying the wonder of ‘Wile E. Coyote’
One of the real joys of guiding and being outdoors is getting to see special wildlife moments you would normally never experience.
About three years ago, I was guiding several guests in the Portuguese Cove area of the San Luis Reservoir when I noticed in the distance a coyote walking along the shore. The guests, who were from Asia, were eager to get closer to see what they looked like and take some pictures. When we got within about 70 yards it just looked up then continued working the shoreline. The grizzled old gray-haired coyote really didn’t care as we got closer; he was busy hunting.
It became evident that the animal’s tail was normal with fur for the first 6 inches, then the tail had no fur on it at all until the last 4-5 inches. The end of its tail looked like a perfectly rounded whisk brush. We had found the real “Wile E. Coyote” and it looked like he had really stuck his tail in an electrical outlet just like a Saturday morning cartoon! My guests went bonkers taking pictures for over 20 minutes as he searched and scavenged the shoreline oblivious to our presence.
Over the next year, once in a while, I would take a chance and go back to his hunting area, hoping to see him again. Incredibly, it happened about three more times with guests onboard, a real highlight of the day for everyone each time we saw “Wile E.” There was no mistaking him! He was a survivor animal that hunted alone.
Haven’t seen him for awhile during the recent low-water years, but I hope he’s still around. Never give up!
Roger George: rogergeorge8@protonmail.com, Rogergeorgeguideservice on Facebook and @StriperWars
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 3 Catfish 3
In the northern section of the California Aqueduct, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported good action for both striped bass and catfish where the aqueduct and the Delta/Mendota Canal come out of Clifton Court Forebay.
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, striped bass action remains decent for those moving up and down the aqueduct in search of fish working shad on the surface with Magnum Flukes, ripbaits, jerkbaits, or shad-patterned swimbaits. Catfish are taken on the bottom with live minnows, cut bait, or Triple S Dip Bait.
Call: Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield (661) 833-8657
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 3 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The bass came back into the shallows, and finesse plastics such as Z-Man’s along with a reaction bite with spinner or buzz bait are working best at Eastman while carp are thriving in the shallows at Hensley. Bass fry are holding near the beds, and the bluegill are attempting to invade the fry. Bluegill imitations are working best in the shallows.” The planted trout have either been caught, eaten by largemouth bass, or holding in the deepest water in the lake. However, a double-plant occurred at Eastman two weeks ago with a single plant at Hensley. Eastman held at 10% with Hensley rising slightly to 21%.
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 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “The action ranged from fantastic earlier in the week to scratchy by mid-week due to the effects of rising water and high winds. We found very good action early in the week, but the kokanee were scattered by mid-week. All of the kokanee are in very good shape, fat and healthy, and we have landed fish to 15.75 inches already this year. The kokanee haven’t really schooled up as of yet, and they are still mixed in with the abundant trout. The best action has been from 45 to 60 feet, and the kokanee are just now starting to separate at 60 to 62 feet. We are scoring with Pro-Troll’s Kokanee Killers or T-Bone’s Tackle J-Pex’s behind either a Mack’s or Vance’s Dodger. The trout remain a deterrent to getting to the kokanee, and although the kokanee are bright and clean, most of the rainbows are already loaded with copepods.”
Bass fishing was tough during Saturday’s 72-boat tournament with only four limits over 15 pounds and 15 limits over 11 pounds, but Alex Niapas of Boulder Creek was able to find a 5.57-pound bed fish, good enough to push his team into second place, 0.19 pounds below the winners at 17.16. A 12-pound king salmon was also reported at Don Pedro during the week, and Pedro may be the lake for inland kings this year with the continued lack of action at Oroville and Folsom.
Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass bite hasn’t changed much, but we are finding them on topwater lures such as the Super Spook or Berkley El Choppo 120 in shad patterns along with a custom Lunker Daddy creature bait on a Carolina-rig along with 3.3 to 3.8-inch swimbaits on a 1/4-ounce G-Money underspin. The bass are scattered, but they can be found in the backs of cuts or creeks with some still moving up as they are in all stages of the spawn.”
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 3 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2
A huge 16.75 largemouth bass was reported by a kayaker dragging worms around structure, and the best action for a trophy largemouth is found on the bottom with finesse presentations with deep-diving crankbaits on a slow roll, big jigs, or plastic worms from 7 to 10 inches. The fish are loading up on crawdads, bluegill, or shad, and they are moving into the shallower spawning areas around sandy flats or submerged structure. Trout are taken from the shorelines with deep water access with Power Bait or nightcrawlers while crappie fishing is fair at best as the water temperature needs to rise a few more degrees to get the slabs to move into the shallows. The best action remains around submerged structure, but you have to find the right tree, bush, or rockpile. The Kern County Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby will last until July 4th, and tagged fish worth $20 to $5,000 have been planted. The registration is closed. The lake rose slightly to 13%. The river at Kernville is stable at 527, and it has risen below the dam at First Point from 451 to 551 cfs. With the cold water, the best action on the Kern River remains in the middle of the day in the 20-Mile section as the insect will start to hatch in the afternoons. The river has been planted on a regular basis, and salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, spinners, or live crickets are working for spin casters.
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 lake has risen to 47%, and the bass are in all stages of the spawn. 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 Kaweah River rose again from 464 cfs to 668 cfs at Three Rivers.
Lake Success/Tule River
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
Chuck Stokke at the Sequoia Fishing Company in Springville said, “Some bass have spawned while others have been holding off due to the crazy weather. Anglers are using big swimbaits, jigs, or plastics on either a Carolina-, Ned-, or Texas-rig.” Crappie are holding at the marina with minijigs or small to medium minnows. The lake is at 36%.
In the Tule River, Stokke said, “The river didn’t receive a trout plant last week, and the next plant should occur prior to Memorial Day. Trout fishing for natives has slowed due to the colder weather, but I had a good day on Sunday with a black caddis pattern for five browns caught and released within a few hours. Trout are also hitting Panther Martins. Trout fishing should pick up this week with the warmer temperatures.”
Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com
McClure Reservoir
Bass 3 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “I was on the lake on Monday, and the bass bite remains fun with topwater lures of the Berkley El Choppo or Super Spook in shad patterns along with a 3.3-inch swimbait fished weedless on a Ned-rig on an EWG hook. The bass are holding in the flooded grass. Zoom flukes are also effective as we are targeting bass pushing up bait. It is a matter of looking for the grebes or the herons working the bait, and the bass will be underneath.” The lake rose slightly to 39%, 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
Recent plants have attracted anglers to this lake, and Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “14,000 pounds of Lightning and rainbow trout were released into the lake over the past few weeks, and Power Bait, Panther Martin spinners, or ¼- to 3/8-ounce Kastmasters.” The best action is in the early mornings or late afternoons from the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula around the marina with gold or blue/silver Kastmasters, garlic Power Bait, or nightcrawlers. The rainbows will 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: Angler’s Edge Market – (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped Bass 2 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bass fishing is decent, but most local anglers were concentrating on Pine Flat due to tournament action. There is a topwater bite on the Madera side along with ripbaits or spinnerbaits when the wind is blowing. The rocks along the Madera side and near Finegold are holding largemouth and spotted bass, and a few striped bass are showing up above Finegold.” The San Joaquin River rose slightly to 1,031 cfs at Friant. The lake rose from 68% to 70%.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service went out solo on Sunday morning on a scouting trip, and he posted a limit of kokanee, a rainbow, and a 7.1-pound brown trout released by just after 8 a.m. working orange or pink J-Pex lures at depths from 30 to 40 feet in depth. He said, “The kokanee are found from 30 to 40 feet, and they are clean and nice to 15.5 inches with a 13- to 14-inch average. These fish are loading up on plankton as there is lots of plankton in the lake.” The bass bite remains challenging for size, but solid for numbers. The reaction bite will take off once again with the coming stable weather, but plastics on a shaky head or Texas rig along with Senkos are working for the suspended fish. The lake held at 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 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Tournament action dominated the lake over the weekend with the Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments drawing 57 boats with the team of Brian Herman/Jadon Higginbottom taking first at 14.13 pounds boosted by a big fish at 7.42. The bite slowed down a bit with heavy pre-fishing, but crankbaits, plastics on the drop-shot, Neko-rig, dart head, or Texas-rig along with wacky-rigged Senkos are all working at depths from 7 to 30 feet around submerged grassy areas. Trolling for trout has generally been slow, but there have been holdovers to 18.5 inches taken on shad-patterned spoons around the shad schools.” In the lower Kings, there is tremendous interest for the planted rainbow or brook trout, and Power Bait or nightcrawlers along with small Rebels or crankbaits are working. Finding slower water is the key as the flows bumped up from 1,686 cfs to 2,482 cfs at Trimmer, creating potentially dangerous conditions for waders. The lake rose from 46% to 48%.
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
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Jumbo minnows have been the best bet as the wind has limited shore and boat action in the big lake. The lure bite has slowed considerably, but minnows are working until the sun comes up when the bite dies. The Forebay has been the most consistent location for numbers with Duo Realis jerkbaits, Jackall ReRange, or the new Berkley Stunna.”
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the fluctuating weather and windy conditions have made for challenging boat fishing at the big lake. “I’ll be out this week during one of the calmer windows this week. The spawn should be in full force right now.”
The main lake held at 46% this week due to water releases while the O’Neill Forebay rose from 78% to 83% with increased pumping out of the south Delta.
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com 905-2954
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2
Veteran guide Mike Beighey, the regular guide at Bass Lake, reported limits of quality rainbow trout to 4 pounds are taken on every trip using Dick’s Trout Buster’s, Koke Busters, or Dick’s Mountain Tubes in orange, tipped with white maggots behind Dick’s Mountain Dodgers in gold/perch and blue/pink at depths from the surface to 13 feet. He is fishing in the upper end of the lake in shallow water with orange working best. He said, “It’s a little too early to concentrate on kokanee, but we will see what the lake produces when it’s time.” The action has improved due to plants prior to the annual Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby this past weekend. The Grand Prize fish are worth $500 for derby entrants until June 30. 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, and the spawn is happening. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at basslakeca.com. The lake is at 72%, and launching is not a problem for larger boats.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
The gates at Kaiser Pass will not reopen until Memorial Day at the earliest. Edison rose slightly to 24%, Florence held at 16% with Mammoth Pool dropping slightly to 81%.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 3 Trout 2
Dick Nichols, Shaver guide emeritus, said, “The experienced fishermen at Shaver are exclaiming that this is the year of the big kokes. One of the better fishermen year in and year out at Shaver Lake is Craig Davidson, manager of Shaver Hardware, and he hit the lake for the first time this year and connected with the biggest limit of kokanee in his lifetime. Using a Dick’s Mountain Hoochie in yellow/orange tipped with his secret red sauce behind a Dick’s Mountain Dodger, he picked up his personal-best of five kokes that ranged from 16 to a reported 19 inches in his normal prowl between the Edison ramp and the Point at 30 feet deep. He found his personal Glory Hole of kokanee.” The brown and golden trout that were planted several years ago have grown to nearly 18 inches. Huntington is 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 65% to 71%, with Shaver also rising to 52%..
Todd Wittwer – Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Tom Oliveira – Tom Oliveira Fishing – 802-8072
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 3
The gate at McKinley Grove Road opened on Thursday, and the lake level at Wishon is completely full. Shore anglers surrounded the lake over the past weekend, and the action was solid for holdover and planted rainbows and brown trout with Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, spinners, or spoons. Courtright is not accessible as of yet so anglers heading past Wishon turned around and made their way back to the crowded banks on the opening weekend. Kelly Brewer said, “The Wishon RV Park and Store will open the Thursday before Memorial Day, but for now, anglers will need to bring their own supplies. Dinkey Creek was also planted.”
Dick’s Tackle Pro-Staff Jay and Delinda Irvine went to Wishon on Monday to see if they could catch a few larger holdover rainbows or browns, and they were able to catch two limits of planter-sized rainbows trolling along the rock wall and east side of Wishon. They worked the side rods at a setback of 100 to 125 feet with 1- to 1.5-ounce weights due to the choppy surface from the wind. The downriggers were most effective between 20 and 35 feet trolling between 1.8 and 2.0 mph. The trolling flies were not productive with the best action on Paulina Peak’s red/white beaded spinner with a small Half Fast red/white/chrome dodger. The pink lemonade shrimp or TNK pink/green spinner hoochie behind a Dick’s rainbow Mountain Dodger was also productive. Red was the color earlier in morning and pink, green and orange did better early afternoon. Information on road conditions is available at fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Salmon 2 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 2
The spring winds continued over the past week, and although the winds have kept the big boats from heading to the salmon grounds, their overall impact will be significant as the upwelling from the northwest wind will bring up nutrient-rich waters from the bottom of the continental shelf. The krill and plankton closer to the surface will attract the bait fish, and the presence of bait fish will attract the guest of honor, the Chinook salmon.
The boats out of Half Moon Bay had to settle for rockfishing over the weekend with the Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing returning with near-limits of rockfish with 176 rockfish and 4 ling cod for 20 anglers. The New Captain Pete was also rockfishing on Saturday for 10 limits of rockfish and 2 ling cod while the coastal rockfish specialist, the Ankeny Street, put in 13 limits and a ling.
Anglers can check the status of the Pacifica 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 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Monterey Bay anglers are enjoying their third straight week of stellar salmon fishing. A few big schools have settled in to various spots around the bay to feed on super-abundant anchovy bait balls. Sardines are making a showing as well as pop-up spots of spawning squid, especially near Monterey. “Back at the dock by 9:30; In at ten; Done by eight am!” are common phrases from the private boat reports this week as well as the charter six-packs. Even the big charters carrying 15 to 20 anglers are putting together limits while mooching for salmon at the hot spots around the bay. And, all of the classic salmon areas were producing this week. Point Pinos, Soldier’s Club, Mulligan Hill, the Pajaro Hole, the Soquel Hole, Three Trees, and Davenport all kicked out limits for anglers trolling hoochies, spoons, or straight bait. Water temperatures remain low, averaging around 52 degrees for most of the bay. As a result, the fish are high in the water column with most catches reported from 50 down to 120 feet on the wire for trollers. Shallow fish means hot fish. Many chances were lost lately as fish became unbuttoned during the exciting fights. But there’s plenty more salmon, and they seem to be biting well. Lost ground is regained quickly when you are counting double, triple, even quintuple hookups. The quality of the fish is high as well. Most salmon caught are in the teens, with a good number weighing in the 20’s, and a few reaching up to the low 30-pound range. The afternoon winds have been ferocious as it seems we have gale warnings every other day or so with winds up to 35 knots within 10 miles of shore. The northwest winds continue to blow after dark before easing off towards dawn. This makes for an uncomfortable early morning bump on the water, but doesn’t seem to affect the bite. If anything, the winds are ultimately helpful, creating the upwelling that keeps the water cool and nutrient-rich and has the effect of keeping these hungry salmon here in the area feeding.
Charter boat reports include Go Fish Santa Cruz with limits or near limits every day by ten a.m. at the latest. On Saturday, skipper JT Thomas from Go Fish reported, “The salmon bite continues to be hot. The clients had 12 nice king salmon by 8:30 this morning. Deckhand JP had the fish cleaned and bagged by 10:30. They left happy and ready to go cook salmon and drink Bloody Mary’s.” Four-packer Tom Joseph on the Sara Bella chimed in on Sunday saying, “Our three anglers boated six salmon to 18 pounds the bite is still hot.” The big boats mooch, or drift fish, for the kings. Trying to troll with 15 to 20 lines is pretty much unworkable especially if the fish are deep. This week Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching Trips from Monterey reported limits of salmon for the Check Mate and the Caroline mid-week on their best days of the week, while Stagnaro’s in Santa Cruz averaged a fish per rod while salmon fishing on Tuesday. Lots of local anglers are burning up their vacation days from work while taking advantage of this hot bite situation. Private boater Joe Baxter fished with Nick Castillo limits by 9:00 a.m. on both Thursday and Friday. Baxter reported the key for their success was rather simple. “Find the bird schools above the whales. Drive by and hook up.” The duo were fishing the central part of Monterey Bay on Castillo’s boat, the Atom Bomb. Straight bait and Tom Mack spoons did the trick for these guys, fishing 80 to 120 feet on the wire.”
Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell – Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Salmon 2 Halibut 3 Striper 2 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2
Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito went out to take a look on Monday, and he was pleasantly surprised to find some ‘unbelievably nice conditions on the salmon grounds.’ He said, “We didn’t have much luck up at Duxbury except a few short fish so we went all the way north to nearly Point Reyes for 4 before the wind came up. We gave it one more shot on the way home at Duxbury for another king, ending up with 5 salmon to 14 pounds for 10 anglers. The fish we got were all full of Krill, which gives me hope that there will be more moving in to the coast from somewhere offshore.”
The only boat venturing up the Marin coastline out of the Golden Gate over the weekend was the New Ray Ann out of Sausalito, and they scratched up 11 salmon for 12 anglers on Saturday after heading up the Marin coastline on Friday for a total of 4 salmon to 12 pounds for 18 anglers. When the winds are raging, the larger boats can slide up the protected coastline to fish below Double Point.
Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito turned around once again on Thursday after seeing the conditions, and they went halibut fishing for an excellent score of over two fish per rod. Davis said, “It was blowing a gale out there, but once the weather calms down I think we will find salmon at the end of the North Bar and at the Shipping Channels along with down south near Pacific. The weather looks terrible over the weekend with no break until at least Tuesday.”
Inside the bay, the possibility of live bait in the pens at Pier 45 in San Francisco is growing close with live anchovies anticipated by early May, but the trolling scores continue to impressive with scores ranging from a fish to two fish per rod for the larger party boats. The winds are coming up in the afternoons, and instead of the south bay hotspots, the majority of boats are focusing on the Berkeley Flats and Southhampton Shoals. Striped bass are trickling back to the bay, and since there has been a solid showing in the Delta and upriver this spring, the linesides are anticipated to arrive on the bay’s rockpiles by mid-June.
Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco said, “There are halibut in the central bay, San Pablo Bay, and in the south bay, and the highest concentration of shakers has been in the south bay. We put in 14 halibut for five anglers on a half-day trip on Sunday with most of the fish taken with the rest of the fleet at Southhampton. Most boats are working from Southhampton to the Berkeley Flats, but we also found some halibut near Red Rock. Hopefully, live bait will be available soon, but I expect the halibut counts to drop once the live bait is available. Trolling covers more ground, and with the biomass of halibut in the bay, it is working spectacularly. There has been bait flipping on the surface throughout the bay so it’s only a matter of the bait boat being able to operate. We had a great trip on Thursday as a group from Germany limited out in the central bay. I am most interested to see if we can round up some white sea bass once live bait is available.”
The California Dawn II has arrived in Berkeley Marina, and it will be a few days before it is ready to roll with its new and renovated motors and galley. In the meantime, the California Dawn I was out on Saturday for 17 halibut to 18 pounds for 16 anglers.
Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley had a solid day on Sunday with 23 halibut for 13 anglers, and they have been drifting live smelt or shiners which has been available on a limited basis in Berkeley Marina. Combined with the sister boat, the Happy Hooker, the Pacific Dream scored 53 halibut to 16 pounds on Saturday along with 2 striped bass for 32 anglers. The Happy Hooker and Pacific Dream out of Berkeley Marina are both running a Happy Mother’s Day special on Mother’s Day, May 8th. If you are a mom, your ticket price is half off at $100.
Halibut scores continue to impress at the Salty Lady out of Sausalito, normally a salmon boat, put in 22 halibut to 13 pounds and 2 striped bass for 11 anglers after being turned around at the Golden Gate by the weather.
Shark fishing in the south bay remains tremendous, and Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing said, “The Flash I was out over the weekend on shark trips in the deep water near Hunter’s Point, and we put in some big leopards and even a seven-gill shark. The action is light’s out. We are anxiously waiting for the arrival of live bait for our half-day and full-day trips for both boats out of San Francisco harbor.”
Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle was gushing about the halibut bite in the north bay as an angler with Loch Lomond shiners and smelt was fishing off of the marina’s levee for four out of five halibut over the 22-inch minimum to 26 minutes along with 3 out of 4 legal bass to 8 pounds within two hours.
Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Fishing out of Berkeley Marina is ready to go after finishing his Coast Guard inspection this week on the Malia Kai, and the 12-pack will be an intimate alternative to a larger party boat with the opportunity for more room than a six-pack. He has set his early season price at $225.00 per trip with all gear, fish cleaning, and bait provided.
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 2 Salmon 2 Surf perch 3
The rockfish counts took a bit of a hit out of the San Luis Obispo County ports on Sunday, perhaps due to the winds. After scoring limits all around last weekend, the scores dropped to ½ to ¾ limits of rockfish with an occasional ling cod. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Endeavor and Starfire took out 50 anglers on Sunday for 98 vermilion, 22 Boccaccio to 10 pounds, 270 assorted rockfish, and a single ling cod for a total of 391 fish. Also out of Morro Bay, the Black Pearl, Rita G, and Fiesta out of Virg’s Landing were out with 72 anglers on Sunday for near limits with 92 vermilion, 8 Boccaccio, 570 assorted rockfish, and 11 ling cod for a total of 691 fish. Port San Luis was slower with the Patriot and Phenix out of Patriot Sport Fishing taking out 39 passengers for 15 vermilion, 1 Boccaccio, 4 Bolina, 47 assorted, 4 ocean whitefish, 15 gopher rockfish, and 1 ling cod for a total fo 87 fish. 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
The winds have been raging throughout northern California, and the Sacramento-Delta has not been immune to the effects of the wind, leaving most striped bass trollers to seek refuge in the more-protected waters of the San Joaquin. When the winds lay down, the stripers are coming and going throughout the Sacramento side, and the West Bank will once again be crowded with trollers. In the meantime, the best action has been north near Liberty Island. Sturgeon fishing remains solid in Suisun Bay, and there is a growing number of oversized sturgeon showing up in the mix as slot-limit fish continue to become increasingly scarce.
In Liberty Island, Rick Tietz of Blade Runner Tackle was able to round up a limit of quality stripers over the weekend. You definitely have to know what you are doing to head inside of this flooded island as prop and lower unit damage is common with submerged obstructions throughout the island.
The winds have also affected the Delta, and after cancelling his trip on Friday, Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg Marina was out on Saturday for two slot-limit sturgeon out of five diamondbacks brought to the boat. He said, “The action is still hot, and the bite is truly on!”
Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service has been finding great sturgeon action, and he took out Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing along with his fiancé, Diane Martens, for a mixture of slot-limit, oversized, and shakers on cured roe. Wise said, “All six anglers on board got to tug on a fish, and Martens put on a clinic on an oversized.”
Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures out of Pittsburg continues to run catch-and-release trips with his co-captain, Virginia Salvador, and he said, “We are happy to catch fish, but the bite should be epic right now. In past years, we would be catching and releasing at least 10 fish per trip, but we are happy to find a few slot fish along with oversized on every trip. I have seen the decline over the past three years, and we can clearly see where this is going. On the positive side, we are catching fish on every trip, and many times we are treated to an aerial display in the springtime. We will be moving our operation to San Francisco within a few weeks.”
With the winds blowing out the Sacramento side of the Delta, striped bass trollers and lure casters have flooded over to the San Joaquin side, only to find tremendous action. The largemouth bass were in a bit of a funk over the past few weeks with the inclement weather, but the reaction bite is back on with better times to come with the arrival of stable weather. Wind has been an impact, but the San Joaquin is more protected than the Sacramento to the effects of the northwest wind.
Captain Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing said, “Fishing has been fantastic, and we have been running out of bait early in the morning. We went through 70 baits by 10:00 a.m. over the weekend, and normally, we would get them to eat the spoon when they are schooled up, the they have been more reluctant to hit the spoons. My son, Darren, and I were out on Sunday, and we were doing crazy motions to get them to eat the spoon, but we ended up with 30 to 40 fish while the boat right next to us didn’t land a fish. It’s not a traditional way of working the spoons. However, when you drop down a live bait, you are hooked up before you can get to the bottom. It is a matter of finding clearer water as the Sacramento side has been dirty with the winds, particularly on the outgoing tide. Once you find clean water, the fish are there.”
Captain James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service said, “You really have to look around, but once you find them, there are massive schools of stripers. We even hooked an oversized sturgeon while trolling and having to fight the fish for 20 minutes kept us off of the fish. We started over in the Sacramento on Saturday since we found them at Decker Island the previous day, but the wind was brutal so we went into the San Joaquin. Deep-diving lures have been working best, but I will be taking out live bait this Tuesday as I have a young client on board. Once you find the schools, it is just a matter of taking your turn and working through the schools as the boats are rushing over to the school once someone is hooked up.”
Dave Houston, trolling expert, said, “The fish are still in both rivers, but again we stayed on the San Joaquin, and it was brutal out there with the wind. We trolled between Three Mile Slough and Old River Flats in the same spots that I’ve been hitten for the last couple weeks. All fish were caught deep and most lure colors worked. One of our fish got whacked by a sea lion, and when he threw in the air to take another chomp, I accelerated the boat away from him. He kept up with us for about a hundred yards at 15 miles an hour. We got our lure and half the fish back, ending up with 17 keepers and 13 shakers to 15 pounds, releasing the larger ones.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “There are stripers in the Port of Stockton as they are boiling on shad, and anglers have primarily been drifting live bait with bluegill working at the mouth of the Calaveras and in Mildred Island, and topwater lures off of Bacon Island Road. The Stucco House in False River and around Frank’s Tract are also productive striped bass locations.”
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was out for striped bass with topwater lures this week, and he said, “We found schools along the San Joaquin River near Frank’s Tract, and the trollers were really working over the Old River Flats outside of Frank’s. The ima Little Stick topwater lure in Sardine was very effective, and after landing a number of linesides on topwater, we switched over to Optimum’s Bad Bubba Shad swimbait for decent action. I noticed that the stripers were following the swimbait, but not biting it, so we went to the ima Flit Rip bait in Black Shiner since it has flash. The bite went ‘En Fuego’ on the ripbait as the combination of the erratic retrieve and the flash made all of the difference. The swimbait runs consistent with the paddletail wagging, but the ripbait gave a different look that the stripers couldn’t resist. We also landed a couple of largemouths on the ripbait. The bass are found in spawning areas, and you will find more bass targeting flats than just heading down the banks.”
Largemouth bass action has been tremendous, and Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors has been scoring limits in excess of 25 pounds on his guide trips over the past few weeks. He has been working in the central Delta, but with the wind, he concentrated in the Mokelumne River system for great action on the northern strain of largemouths. Swimjigs or Reaction Innovation’s Skinny Dippers have been producing, and the fish are on the chew.
Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen’s Outdoors reported a decent bass bite frogging, and there are striped bass in Holland Cut and in the main San Joaquin near Prisoner’s Point.” Their next tournament out of Holland Riverside Marina is on May 21st.
In the south Delta, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “There have been a lot of striped bass coming up in the San Joaquin below Mossdale, but there is also hyacinth showing up. The best bite is early in the mornings or late in the afternoons into the evenings with sardines, pile worms, or blood worms. Jumbo minnows have been producing in the Old River, and we are selling out of minnows within two days of their arrival in the shop on Thursday.”
A 39-pound limit was landed during a recent tournament, and the team found a limit of fish between 9.5 and 6 pounds working a small bank in 2 feet of water with Senkos in blue/black flake on a dead-stick presentation. However, with the consistent weather, the reaction bite has taken over from the slow presentation.
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 3 Bluegill 2 Trout 3
At Nacimiento, the shad are holding in coves, creeks, and pockets throughout the lake, and the spotted bass are loading up on the shad. With the hot temperatures arriving this week, the reaction bite should take off in droves with topwater lures, ripbaits, swimbaits, chatterbaits, or squarebilled crankbaits. The finesse bite has slowed as the spotted bass are getting active with the fish moving into the flats at depths to 8 feet. White bass are taken by trolling white Kastmasters or Roostertails, and they are boiling on occasion at the mouths of coves. Crappie action is decent for size, but not for numbers as the slabs are in the 1.5- to 2-pound range. The lake held at 27%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, bass fishing is best with plastics, jigs, or reaction baits such as crankbaits or chatterbaits. Limits to 15 pounds have been reported. Trout fishing is also good for trollers pulling bright patterned spoons are from the banks with deep water access with Kastmasters, Power Bait, or Atomic Tubes. Bluegill or redear perch are found in the shallows with red worms or meal worms. The launch ramp access is becoming questionable, and 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 continues to drop slightly, and it is currently at 28.5%. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, another trout plant during the past week has contributed to a solid trout bite with trollers scoring with Rapalas or shad-patterned plugs along with bank anglers soaking Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Bass fishermen are also hitting trout with crankbaits. Crappie are taken on minijigs in various colors while bluegill and redear perch are inhaling red worms or meal worms. Bass fishing is best with finesse techniques or medium-diving Rat-L-Traps or squarebilled crankbaits. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. The lake continues to drop to 60.9%. At San Antonio, bass action has improved with largemouths to 3 pounds reported with finesse presentations providing the best bite. There is a reaction bite with shad-patterned swimbaits or plugs are the lake is loaded with threadfin shad. Crappie has been very good with minijigs from either a boat or from shore with deep water access, and catfish are taken on mackerel soaked in garlic scent. Carp are in the shallows, and dough baits are working. The launch ramp is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekends and from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Fridays. The lake dropped to 11%.
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
Don Pedro –-April 30th: 1st – Isaac Budesilich – 17.35 pounds (Big Fish – 6.89); 2nd – Jason Remmers/Alex Niapas – 17.16; 3rd – Neng and Leng Yang – 17.02.
Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments-April 30th: 1st – Brian Herman/Jadon Higginbottom – 14.13 pounds (Big Fish – 7.42); 2nd –Rick Helgeson/Mike Yeliwek – 11.95; 3rd –Tim and Timmy Wells – 11.82.
Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments High School Division – May 1st: 1st –Kolby Warnock – 8.12 pounds (Big Fish – 2.08); 2nd – Ethan Coffman – 7.95; 3rd –Teran Warden – 7.01.
Upcoming Tournaments (subject to change)
May 6th -8th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails
May 7th –
Don Pedro – American Bass Association
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Bass Lake – Kerman Bass Club
Lopez – Bakersfield Bass Club
Nacimiento – Central Coast Bass Bashers
Santa Margarita – Best Bass Tournaments
May 8th –
New Melones – Kings VIII Bass Club
May 13/14th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bass Pro Shops
May 14/15th –
Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
May 14th –
Camanche – Angler’s Press
Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments
Pine Flat – Kern County Bass Masters
Santa Margarita – Golden Empire Bass Club
May 15th –
Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kings River Bass Club/Bass Pro Shop
Tulloch – Gold Country Bass Tour
May 20th –
Delta – Stanislaus County
May 21/22nd –
Clear Lake – Fresno Bass Club
Delta/Big Break Marina – Sierra Bass Clu
May 21st –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Yak-A-Bass
Delta/Russo’s – Best Bass Tournaments
Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors
Isabella – American Bass Association
Lopez – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
May 22nd –
Delta/Big Break Marina – American Bass Association
New Melones – Modesto Ambassadors
May 23rd-
New Melones – NorCal Bass
May 28th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – NorCal Bass
May 29th –
New Melones – California Bass Federation
June 5th –
Delta – Major League Fishing California High School State Championship