Fishing report, June 1-7: Trout bite hot at Bass Lake, Wishon/Courtright

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, shad and striper bites continue, Alan Fong reported. Don Pedro bass and trout action heating up, Monte Smith said. New Melones kokanee and bass hitting, Kyle Wise reported. Wishon trout bite good, Kelly Brewer said. McClure bass and trout providing action, Ryan Cook reported. Aqueduct stripers rebounding, Bill Sterling said. Pine Flat trout bite solid, Michael Crayne reported. Bass Lake rainbows on a tear, Mike Beighey said.

Proposed new bag limit

The Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed eliminating the two-fish 15-inch size limit at Eastman, Hensley, Kaweah and Success since efforts to create a trophy fishery have been unsuccessful. The recommendation is to return to the state standard of a bag limit of 5 fish with a 12-inch size limit.

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 2

Bill Sterling of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “Fishing for stripers has been good this week. The forebay to Hilldale has been very productive as the water is moving which makes the stripers very active. Anchovies, bloodworms, or pileworms work the best. Jerkbaits and swimbaits are running good as well. Bass fishing in the local canals has slowed a bit.” Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Largemouth bass have been the big draw to the aqueduct, and the new Topspin by 1st Gen paired with a 4.5-inch Jackal’s Rhythm Wave swimbait in Sexy Albino have been flying out of the shop. Flukes have also been effective. The Topspins are perfect for a small swimbait with the 3/0 size hook.”

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said, “The aqueduct is still happening for striped bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. Largemouth bass are taken with topwater lures, Senkos, or plastics on the drop-shot. Catfishing is best with live minnows, cut bait, or Triple S Dip Bait on the bottom of the aqueduct. The best action occurs where moving water stops to a crawl.

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, “Holdover rainbow trout to 15 inches have been taken on 3-inch swimbaits or jerkbaits near the dam at Eastman. There are bait fish throughout the lake, and palm-sized crappie are showing up in the submerged bushes with minijigs. Bass fishing is fair as the fish are thin and in post-spawn mode.” Eastman held at 10% with Hensley holding at 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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Don Pedro will be the center of the California kokanee scene within the next two weeks as the annual Kokanee Power Team Tournament will be held on June 11 at the lake. Pre-fishing will start in earnest for the next two weeks in anticipation of the big day. The kokanee remain scattered, possibly creating more challenging conditions for the derby.

Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “It was no problem catching rainbow trout as they are loading up on the lake’s shad schools. It has been normal to see live shad wriggling out of the trout’s mouths when they hit the net. We have been catching trout as deep as 70 feet, and the fish in the morning are coming up relatively clean while the one later in the day are fuzzy with copepods. The kokanee are still scattered in various locations, but they are in great shape and pushing 16 inches. We put in 10 rainbows and eight kokanee during the week, but we couldn’t get the last two kokanee to the net to fill out limits. I have been building my own micro-hoochies in pink and running them behind either a Mack’s, Vance’s, or Rocky Mountain Tackle dodger at depths from 55 to 60 feet. The kokanee seem to be holding at this depth. I have one RMT 5.5-inch Hyperplaid dodger in silver with a pink line that has just the perfect bend, and this particular dodger is responsible for 85% of the kokanee. The surface temperature is rising, and we are seeing trout busting shad on the surface. We have a trip this week where the anglers want to focus on king salmon, and I know they are in there, but it is a matter of finding them. Pro-Troll’s Sting King E-Lures are my go-to for kings in deep water.”

For bass, Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass are chasing shad on the surface in main lake, and topwater lures such as the Berkeley Choppo 120 are working.” The lake held at 67%. The Fleming Meadows, Blue Oaks, and Moccasin launch ramps remain open, but the Fleming launch requires a long walk to the parking lot.

Call: Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Kyle Wise – Head Hunter Guide Service – (209) 531- 3966; Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing – 691-7008

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

Crappie action has been improving for anglers working small to medium minnows or minijigs over selected structure. The key is finding the right tree or bush holding the slabs, but once you find them, numbers of quality crappie can be landed. Bass fishing is improving with jigs, big plastic worms to 10 inches, or jerkbaits as the fish are still sticking around the shorelines. Trout fishing is also decent, and there have been some anglers who have cashed in on tagged fish from the Kern County Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby which will last until July 4th. Tagged fish worth $20 to $5,000 have been planted. The registration is closed. Power Bait, Pinched Crawlers, Kastmasters, or crappie jigs from the shorelines are working best for the planted rainbows. The lake rose slightly to 14%. The river at Kernville dropped from 654 to 532 cfs, and it rose below the dam at 565 cfs at First Point. The flows in the upper river have reached their apex, and the river will be fishable throughout the summer. When the flows drop, it will be fishing from pool-to-pool. The insects are starting to hatch, and various dry fly patterns are working. Spin casters are scoring with nightcrawlers, spinners, live crickets, or salmon eggs due to heavy plants in the spring. The Kern River Section 4 will be planted this week.

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 63%, and the bass and crappie are in post-spawn mode and hungry. The slabs are found near rocky structure or submerged trees by Horse Creek while the bass are moving out into deeper water. The Kaweah River flow dropped from 425 cfs to 327 cfs at Three Rivers.

Lake Success/Tule River

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The bass are in post-spawn mode, and they are moving out to deeper water. The water temperature continues to rise, and jigs, swimbaits, or plastics on either a Carolina-, Ned- or Texas-rig are your best bets as the bass are moving out into deeper and cooler water. Crappie are holding at the marina with minijigs or small to medium minnows. The lake held at 38%. In the Tule River, Balch Park will be planted this week.

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

McClure Reservoir

Bass 3 Trout 3 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Underspins and flukes in shad patterns are working for bass as they are feeding heavily on the lake’s shad. Strike King’s Rage Swimmers in either 3.25- or 3.75-inch on a 1/4-ounce G-Money underspin are working with the best action around coves or points in the main lake. In the canyons and in the river arm, the bass are holding around cover such as rocky banks or flooded grass.” Recent trout plants have spurred on action for both trollers and bank fishermen. The lake rose slightly to 44%, 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 rainbow and Lightning trout remaining in the lake, and the best action remains in the early mornings or late afternoons with Power Bait, Panther Martin spinners, or ¼- to 3/8-ounce Kastmasters at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula around the marina. As the summer progresses, 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 rose again from 82% to 91%, and lake levels will remain high throughout the year. During the summer months, the water park feature will dominate the lake.

Call: Angler’s Edge Market – (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 2 Striped Bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 1

Recreational boaters have taken over the lake during the holiday weekend. Before the onslaught of boats, Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun reported decent spotted bass action with Senkos or Hula Grubs in the main lake along with reaction baits in the river arm. The next big tournament is the annual Father’s Day derby held by Bass 101. The lake held at 72%, and the San Joaquin River rose from 1,579 cfs to 1,680 cfs at Friant.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3

The kokanee bite remains red hot as numerous anglers are finding tremendous success within a short period of time. Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service said, “We had an epic bite on Saturday after launching at 6 a.m. and back on the trailer by 7:30 a.m. We landed 11 kokanee and three rainbows using the original J-Pex lures at depths from 30 to 40 feet with the best action at 33 feet. It was overcast, and I expected the bite to be higher in the water column, and it was. The kokanee are big with three pushing 16 inches, but they are even larger at Don Pedro.” For bass, Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Bass fishing remains outstanding with topwater lures of Whopper Ploppers or Choppo 120s in shad or bluegill patterns in the main lake as the bass are chasing shad in open water. When it is windy, the bass are holding on main lake points or pockets.”

The lake held at 37%. The high and middle water ramps at Glory Hole Point are closed with the concrete lower ramp at the end of Glory Hole Point remaining launchable with two courtesy docks. Driving down to the ramp, the road is slightly bumpy, but manageable. This ramp is in the water from 940.00 to 900.00. Angels Cove boat ramp and parking lot will remain closed for the foreseeable future due to low water levels. The high and middle ramp at Tuttletown are closed with the lower concrete ramp open with courtesy docks in place until the lake reaches 900 feet in elevation. The lake is currently at 924.71 feet in elevation.

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 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun said, “Trolling for trout has been solid with the best action near the shad schools at depths to 60 feet from the Power Lines to the dam. Little Cleo’s, Needlefish in frog patterns, or small Rapalas are all working for limits. Crappie are found in the trees near Sycamore or Big Creek along with around the docks at Deer Creek. Bass fishing is best with finesse presentations on a Texas-rig or Senkos along with deep-diving crankbaits.” In the lower Kings, a trout plant occurred this week, and planted rainbows or brook trout are taken on Power Bait or nightcrawlers along with small Rebels or crankbaits. Finding slower water is the key as the flows are still high, although dropping from 2,436 cfs to 1,949 cfs at Trimmer, creating potentially dangerous conditions for waders. The lake rose from 58 to 61%.

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 Morgan Hill said, “Trollers in the main lake are finding decent action with Lucky Craft Pointer 128s or Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows at depths from 40 to 60 feet at the mouth of Portuguese Cove or near the dam. Minnows have been slower as jumbo minnows are done for the year.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the wind has continued to keep anglers off of the big lake a lot of days, or come up in the afternoon. “I didn’t get out this week but I have to say that the experienced guys reporting to me are saying it’s not an easy bite for trollers or any minnow anglers. We’re hoping the wind slows, opening up some decent bite windows soon. “

In the O’Neill Forebay, the hot bite for big striped bass at Check 12 has slowed, most likely due to intense fishing pressure. Pile worms are the top bait for school-sized striped bass. Bill Sterling of the Sportsmen’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “A-rigs on the forebay are working really well from a boat, and the early morning topwater bite is really good as well.” The main lake has dropped to 45% with the forebay also dropping to 78%.

San Luis Reservoir is closing the Basalt kiosk, road, boat launch and dock on Wednesday, June 1 due to starting the new project to reinforce the dam against seismic concerns. The only launch ramp and dock will now be at the Dinosaur Point launch and parking area on the west side of the lake. This phase of reinforcing the dam is expected to last three years.

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

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing said, “The lake is still rising, and the trout are on fire but the kokanee have been absent. We put in two limits of quality rainbows with some having tags from the derby working from the surface to 28 feet from the Sheriff’s Tower to out in front of Miller’s Landing with orange Dick’s Trout Busters behind a Moon Glow Mountain Dodger.” Boat traffic was heavy on the holiday weekend, and the lake is dirty from all of the activity. It might be a few days before the clarity improves. The Grand Prize in the Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby in is worth $500 for derby entrants until June 30. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun said, “There are a lot of post-spawn bass, and males are guarding fry while the females are cruising in deeper water. Topwater lures or jerkbaits have found post-spawn bass from 5 to 7 pounds.” A webcam of the launch ramp is available at basslakeca.com. The lake is at 81%.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

Kaiser Pass was scheduled to open on May 30. Edison rose slightly from 29% to 34%, Florence rose from 29% to 61% with Mammoth Pool also rising slightly to 93%. Access to Mammoth Pool is closed until June 15 for the annual deer migration.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

Michael Crayne at Valley Rod and Gun said, “The trophies released by the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project have been taken from the banks around Road 2.” On Memorial Day, Jay and Delinda Irvine of Visalia trolled Shaver, and they found slow action although they managed to land two 2-pound rainbows along with a kokanee and a few smaller rainbows released.” The state’s largest kokanee reside here, but the overall bite has slowed due to heavy fishing and recreational boating pressure. The lake was inundated with recreational boaters over the holiday weekend. At Huntington, small kokanee are starting to show up as Jay Irvine, Jody Allen and Fresno State baseball player Payton Allen landed 15 kokanee and five trout, keeping two limits of larger kokanee. They scored using Dick’s Mountain Tackle hoochie’s in pink, white and purple behind a 4-inch Paulina Peak purple and chartreuse dodger on one downrigger, TNK pink heavy metal action bug behind a Sep’s pink/purple mini dodger on the side rod and Paulina peak purple/pink micro hoochie behind Paulina Peak, purple/chartreuse 4-inch dodger. With the overcast and calm conditions, the fish were on the top 25 feet of the surface.

Shaver’s launch ramp conditions can be checked via webcam at sierramarina.com/camera.html. Huntington rose to 96%, with Shaver also rising slightly to 56%.

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

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 3

Kelly Brewer at the Wishon RV Park and Store said, “Wishon is still producing limits for both boat and bank anglers. Trollers are pulling Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger or Rapalas while bank anglers are scoring with pink or rainbow Power Bait. I heard bank fishing is also fantastic at Courtright with the same baits, but we haven’t received any reports from boaters.”

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bank anglers are scoring with rainbow or pink Power Bait. Courtright opened before Memorial Day Weekend, and limits of trout have been taken within 30 minutes while fishing near the dam with Atomic Tubes, Power Bait, or spinners. Wishon is also kicking out limits for bank fishermen as trollers are working the shallows along the right side of the rockwall with Rapalas or various spoons. Bank fishing is best in the river arm, but everyone seems to be limiting out.” The Wishon RV Park and Store is open.

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

Half Moon Bay has been ‘the harbor’ for ocean salmon in Central California with the Bay Area party boats continuing to make the long run south of the Golden Gate in order for the best opportunity to put their clients onto limits. Limits of salmon were the story on Friday, but then the wind came up again, putting the final days of the first portion of the ocean salmon season above Pigeon Point in jeopardy. The winds put a damper on the bite for the few boats heading out on Saturday with Sunday out of the question and Monday and Tuesday highly questionable. The season closes above Pigeon Point on Wednesday, June 1st through June 22nd, but the Half Moon Bay boats have the option of heading south of Pigeon where the salmon season remains open.

Sherry Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing said, “We cancelled on Sunday and Monday, and Tuesday is iffy. The good news is that Half Moon Bay has come alive again, and I haven’t seen it like this for a long time. The parking lot was full of boats and trailers over the past week, and as the late legendary Captain Roger Thomas used to say, ‘Salmon is king!’ Where and when salmon is happening, people will come. The Queen of Hearts was done on Thursday with 15 limits by 11:30 a.m., and our six-pack, the Reel Screamer, also limited out. We will either be rockfishing or heading below Pigeon Point for salmon after June 1st. The commercial season reopens on the 1st so there will be some good information on where the salmon are setting up.”

Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete said, “We came up three fish shy of limits on Saturday with 25 salmon to 22 pounds for 14 anglers, and the fish have moved north and out along the 18 line which is 12 miles from the harbor instead of the 20 below the Deep Reef where we had been traveling. Monday is out, but the final local day on Tuesday is possible. We will also head south of Pigeon Point starting on the 1st along with local rockfish, and since our owner has two commercial boats, we will keep track of the location of the salmon. When the season reopens, we hope to find the salmon north of the harbor around Pacifica.”

The Riptide with Captain Bill Smith also boated 5 limits of salmon on Friday before the arrival of the winds.

Rockfishing remains excellent with the Ankeny Street working the coastal reefs on Sunday for 14 limits of rockfish including three cabezon and 5 ling cod.

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 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Windy conditions remain across the North Coast and Monterey Bay. Most mornings are fishable but range is limited when you might need to tuck your tail and run. There are still plenty of king salmon being caught all around the bay. The North Coast and up towards Half Moon Bay is enjoying an even better bite, but our local boats are being very careful about venturing too far from the harbors of Monterey Bay due to the wind.

There are exceptions. The six-pack operation Go Fish Santa Cruz had a group that wanted rockfish on Friday. Skipper JT Thomas gauged the forecast and took the risk to steam towards Davenport where the fish are bigger and the limits come more quickly. The group aboard the beautiful Miss Beth were rewarded. Thomas said, “They caught limits of a variety of rock cod including vermillion, yellow tail, chilis, browns and coppers. There were lots of whales. The water was nice. The weather was nice.” Thursday’s group on the Miss Beth went for salmon. Thomas reported, “Today we got ‘em with limits of king salmon by 11:00 a.m. There were a lot of whales that put on a show for everyone.”

Four-pack Charter Fish On Sportfishing with Tom Joseph at the helm of Sara Bella is chasing salmon exclusively. On Sunday, Joseph reported, “We had flat calm seas and another incredible day of salmon fishing. Our private charter of 4 caught eight salmon to 18 pounds. We have lots of room next week.” His prior trip on Thursday netted limits for four plus two fish for the crew. Santa Cruz Coastal Charters also reported a couple good days in a row, but on Friday, they had to work a bit. Captain Rodney Armstrong told us, “Today started out like we were going to be done quick with four fish right off the bat. Then, nothing for a while. We heard the fish were coming a lot deeper than we had been fishing. So, once we started fishing deep we landed four more. We also released four silvers and lost a few fish! Great times again out there!” Saturday the boys were at it again. Armstrong recounted, “Same spot! Same limits! The salmon fishing remains steady! We had two clients back out last minute so only had to get six fish but we got seven. Whales and bait are thick, and the fish have gone deeper so hopefully that’s means they’re going to stick around for a while.” In Monterey, Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching sent the Check Mate out a few times for king salmon this week. The big boat mooches rather than trolls with mixed results. One day was a skunk with another day producing six salmon for 16 anglers. Their best showing was on Wednesday with limits for eight anglers, plus a bonus crew fish.

Despite the relentless northwest winds, our water temperatures are inching up and that’s bringing the halibut closer in to shore. Last week we measured temps of 50 degrees outside Santa Cruz Harbor. This week the temp is up to 55. Perfect for big flatties! Capitola measured 56 degrees on Sunday. The average temperature then drops as we travel to the southern part of the bay, back to 52 just off Monterey. Right now, the favored spots to find legal butts and even some hogs seems to be the Mile Buoy area of Santa Cruz and the SC3 Buoy or Mile Reef area of Capitola. Increasing reports are coming in of multiple flatties caught including some big ones measuring into the 20-pound range. Terry Campion, owner of The Boardroom in Santa Cruz reported back-to-back hogs on Thursday and Saturday, caught while drifting squid in 40 to 60 feet of water off Pleasure Point. Campion’s boat Go Deep is a beautiful Island Hopper, and the sole crew is wife Lorna.

Surfcasters are also getting excited all around the bay. Warming water and the lull in big swells is creating good conditions for getting your feet wet in the surf. The best bite seems to be north of Moss Landing on the Santa Cruz side of the bay. Some surfcasters reported no fish, or a few fish, or a succession of dink perch. A few guys hit the jackpot with hikes down the beach that netted 20 to 30 fish caught and released, all in the 10- to 15-inch class. A good number of walleyes made their appearance in addition to the mainstay barred surf perch. There have even been a few small stripers caught this week. The bigger beaches south of Capitola seem to be the favored locale. Because bigger perch will hit stickbaits and other larger lures, it might be well worth it to leave the grubs at home and concentrate on throwing Lucky Craft Flash Minnows in sizes from 110 to115. That will weed out the smaller perch and increase the chance of a possible striper hit.”

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

One constant during the spring and early summer has been the northwest wind along the California coastline, and after a tremendous day of salmon fishing on Friday, May 27th, the winds reared their ugly head once again, and the salmon scores plummeted in response. The larger part boats have been heading south of the Golden Gate near the 18 line as the salmon are steadily moving northward, but the smaller six-packs and private boaters were able to run north along the Marin coast below Bolinas for limits on the troll.

Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond Marina put in 5 limits of salmon to 20 pounds trolling anchovies or herring behind flashers within three hours on Friday along the Marin coast in excellent ocean conditions, and this was the norm for the few six-packs and private boaters in the area. The larger party boats ran south with Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito loading up with 20 limits of salmon on Friday while the three other Sausalito boats posted a combined 56 limits of salmon. The next two days were plagued by the wind with the scores dropping to around a fish to fish and a half per rod on Saturday with far less than a fish per rod on Sunday. Once again, weather was the limiting factor. The Outer Limits out of Sausalito posted 42 salmon to 22 pounds for 14 anglers on Saturday, but when the other two Sausalito boats were out on Sunday, the New Ray Ann and Hog Heaven combined for 17 salmon to 25 pounds for 31 fishermen.

The winds are expected to blow on Monday into Tuesday, and the ocean salmon season from Pigeon Point north to Point Arena will close from June 1st through June 22nd before reopening on June 23rd to October 31st. There is great anticipation for the salmon to be holding along the Marin County coastline in numbers when the season reopens.

In the coming three weeks, party boats will be focusing on halibut or striped bass in the bay along with rockfish trips to the Farallon Islands or along the Marin coastline. The Sea Wolf out of Emeryville Sport Fishing is one of the only party boats that have been heading to the Farallons, but more boats will join them during the three-week closure.

With the live bait receiver opening last week at Pier 45 in San Francisco, boats have been able to target deep water for the larger grade of halibut. The action remains tremendous with party boats averaging from a fish and a half per rod to limits on occasion. The halibut are spread throughout the bay from the Oakland Airport to San Pablo Bay with the action improving in the deep water in the central bay. Striped bass are returning to the bay in numbers, and they should be on the rockpiles soon. However, the allure of halibut remains strong, and the party and private boaters are focusing upon the flat fish.

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Berkeley has been finding great action on his new 15-pack, the Malia Kai. He said, “I found the fish right in front of the Berkeley Pier on Sunday, and we posted 12 limits of halibut. The word got out quickly, and the Right Hook, Pacific Dream, California Dawn 1, and California Dawn II ran over to the flats. When the party boats move, the skiffs follow them, and it was like that GIF when you find the ‘secret spot.’ Pretty soon, there were boats all over the flats. It was that crazy. On Saturday, we started in the south bay before moving to the deep water spot off of Alcatraz before finding the fish on the flats, ending up with 27 halibut for 15 anglers with plenty more opportunities.”

Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco also started in the south bay on Sunday, and he said, “I sat there and watched the Lovely Martha put in fish after fish as their wooden boat is really quiet. They ended up with 22 limits of halibut. The glass boats were struggling so we head to the deep water spot off of Alcatraz for 6 limits of halibut. The clients walked off with 18-pound sacks of fillets, and they were happy.”

Of the boats that came into the flats after getting the word from Captain Steve, the California Dawn I and II combined for near-limits with 138 halibut to 29 pounds for 49 anglers along with 7 striped bass while the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley posted 35 halibut to 17 pounds along with a striper for 22 anglers with plenty of shakers and missed opportunities.

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, took out Damion Criner and Mario McCarn of the Stockton Fire Department during the week for limits of halibut to 14 pounds power-drifting live anchovies in the south bay. He said, “We used the trolling motor to keep the bait moving, and it really helps, particularly during slack tide as you can cover more ground.

Captain Bill Clapp of Bill’s Fishing out of Richmond went out on a half-day trip earlier this week for 6 halibut, dropping another 4 by 11:00 a.m. Clapp took two half-day trips on Saturday, and he went to the south bay for great leopard shark action on his morning trip.

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing out of San Francisco said, “We have been running halibut live bait trips along with our regular half-day shark trips to the south bay, and we landed the biggest leopard shark of the season so far at 56 inches this week.”

In San Pablo Bay, Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael reported tremendous halibut action throughout the bay, saying, “The halibut are all over the place, and we have live anchovies, smelt, and shiners in the shop.”

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 Salmon 2 Surf perch 3

Rockfishing remains solid for limits to near-limits of rockfish with an occasional ling cod. As has been the pattern over the past few years, the 1/2th and 3/4th day trips are producing few lings with the best opportunities on the long range or overnight trips. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Endeavor, Avenger, and Starfire went out with 68 passengers on Sunday for limits composed of 48 vermilion to 6 pounds, 10 Bolina, 622 assorted rockfish, and a solitary ling cod. The Rita G, Black Pearl, and Fiesta out of Virg’s Landing were also out on Sunday for near limtis for 67 passengers with 32 vermilion, 557 assorted, and a single ocean white fish in the mix. Out of Port San Luis, the Patriot and Flying Fish went out on ½-day trips on Sunday with 27 fishermen for 16 vermilion, 30 Bolina, 192 assorted rockfish, and one ling cod. 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 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3

The Sacramento-Delta is making the annual summertime transition towards recreational boating, but there are still largemouth and striped bass along with sturgeon still to be landed. Interest in fishing for striped bass and sturgeon continues to wane while largemouth bass fishing will ramp up during the warm weather months. The next big event on the Sacramento-Delta will be the river salmon opener on July 16th, but who knows what the upcoming season will bring. The persistent northwest winds continue to blow, and this also been a limiting factor for fishermen.

In the north Delta, Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors was out in Liberty Island earlier in the week, and he said, “The stripers have moved out of the upper river, and they are heading back down through the Delta. We continue to find good action for largemouth bass with chatterbaits in brighter orange as the crawdads are changing over to more of an orange color. The red craw pattern has been working, but it is a matter of matching the hatch. The striped bass bite has tapered off, but we are still finding them on the flats with orange chatterbaits with fish to 7 pounds. The water temperature rose from 66 to 72 degrees and the final wave of largemouth bass are either spawning or getting on beds. The spawn is going to end very soon.”

Shad fishing has been excellent below the Freeport Bridge with shad darts and shad grubs, and there are more shad coming up the river towards the Feather and American Rivers.

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service is wrapping up his Delta operation this week, but he will be drifting live bait above the Rio Vista Bridge on his two trips this week. He said, “The big tides and the tug boat and barge traffic have made trolling impossible as the grass has been knocked off of the banks.”

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing was out sturgeon fishing on the Top Gun out of Pittsburg on Friday, and he reported releasing three undersized fish, saying, “We have had to search all over for any concentration of sturgeon.”

Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service was out with Ryan Cook and Diane Martens of Ryan Cook’s Fishing on a fun trip in Monday, and they started out in Montezuma Slough for an extended fight with oversized fish. There are sturgeon remaining in the system, but it is fortunate that they are getting a break after heavy pressure during the winter and spring months. There are still a few six-packs operating out of Pittsburg Marina, but the majority of six-pack operators have headed for San Francisco Bay.

Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures will be heading for the San Francisco waterfront soon, but he continues to find excellent action on his catch-and-release trips out of Pittsburg Marina. bay before the salmon season reopens in late June.

The resident striped bass are hanging out in the central Delta, but the migration out of the Delta has begun in force as the water temperatures continue to climb. Largemouth bass fishing will take center stage in the coming months, and the big fish are starting to show up.

Dave King of NorCal Bass said, “We had 26 boats on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend out of Ladd’ Marina in Stockton, and this was a good showing on the holiday weekend along with another large tournament out of Big Break. The bite was wide open for our boat, and although we didn’t find the size we wanted, the action was steady. Where there was sparse grass or grass on the flats, a spinnerbait worked best as it stayed above the grass with a fish on around every 6 to 8 casts. When there was no grass, I went to the red Rat-L-Trap, bouncing back between the two techniques throughout the day. The topwater and worm bite was slow for our participants with most reporting the best action on spinnerbaits or lipless crankbaits. Pete Anderson Jr. landed the big fish of the tournament at 9.20 pounds by flipping a Brush Hog, and he took first with his father at 19.54 pounds. Our next tournament will be out of Ladd’s on June 18th.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors said, “The Reaction Innovation’s Skinny Dipper bite continues to slay as we missed out on first place during Saturday’s Delta Bass Buster event by 0.30 pounds. On Thursday, we had a 4-plus pounder nearly jump into the boat to eat the dipper. During the tournament, my son Josh had the same thing as he was lifting it out of the water when a 4-pound bass climbed on. The best thing is being able to fish with your son.”

Punching the weeds with Brush Hogs or Sweet Beavers at the start of the incoming tide has been an effective technique along with Senkos in current. The dead-stick presentation is not necessary now as the bass are wanting more movement. Chatterbaits in bluegill or crawdad on the grassy flats have been the most effective technique while drop-shotting shad pattern plastics around the fry balls is another option.

A 60-boat tournament was held out of Big Break Marina, and the winning weight was 25.36 with a big fish at 9.96 pounds. The larger fish are showing up as there were 10 limits over 20 pounds with a total of seven bass over 6 pounds, two over 7, and one apiece over 8 and 9.

Johnny Wang of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton reported a good bite for those drifting live bluegill at Mildred Island, and the trollers are still finding action along the shoals. Bass fishing has been solid out of Eight Mile Road with some topwater action, and squarebilled crankbaits or plastics were effective in Fourteen Mile Slough as there was a 100-boat kayak tournament out of Paradise Point over the weekend.

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor said, “I have wrapped up my Delta operation for the season and will be traveling to Emeryville to run the Kingfish for the summer. Our last trips were fantastic for striped bass, but the wind blew us off of the water for the first time this year on Friday. The stripers have thinned out, but we are still seeing females arriving from the bay as the stripers continue to come and go.”

The 10th Costa Bass-N-Fly is a week away on June 9th/10th out of Sugar Barge RV Resort and Marina on Bethel Island, and the two-day even will feature prizes, awards, and swag from the top gear companies. The event hasn’t been held in two years due to the pandemic. This is a fly-fishing only event for largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass with a daily weigh in at 2:00 p.m. before fun-filled afternoons. Registration is available at http://bass-n-fly.com/registration-page/.

Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Steve Mitchell – Hook’d Up Sport Fishing – (707) 655-6736; Vince Borges – Vince Borges Outdoors (209) 918-0828

Lake Nacimiento/San Antonio/Santa Margarita/Lopez

Bass 3 White bass 2+ Striper 0 Catfish 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 2

At Nacimiento, bass fishing remains strong for both white and spotted bass with the occasional largemouth bass in the mix. There is a topwater bite with River2Sea Whopper Ploppers or similar walking baits along with Rat-L-Traps or squarebilled crankbaits. Swimbaits on an underspin are also effective along with ice jigs, spoons, small jigs, or plastics on a drop-shot at depths to 20 pounds. White bass are taken by trollers pulling white Kastmasters or Roostertails. Crappie action is fair, but the slabs are large at up to 2 pounds. The lake dropped slightly to 25%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, the launch ramp is out of the water, but rental boats are available at the marina. Bass fishing continues to be good with some larger fish in the 6-pound range taken on plastics on the drop-shot or jigs at depths to 20 feet. Trout plants have spurred on action for bank anglers with deep water access with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or spoons while trollers are running a variety of spoons, spinners, or Rapalas. The lake level continues to drop slightly, and it is currently at 27.6%. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. Lopez is at a record low. At Santa Margarita, trout fishing continues to be a good option due to recent plants, and trollers are pulling small spoons, plugs, spinners, or Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler. Bank anglers are soaking Power Bait or nightcrawlers with deep water access. Crappie are taken around structure on minijigs in chartreuse, green, or white while bluegill and red ear perch are found with meal worms in the shallows. Bass fishing is slow with the best action on plastics on the Texas-rig, Ned-rig, or drop-shot on a slow presentation. Catfish are biting mackerel soaked in garlic scent. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. The lake dropped to 59.4%. At San Antonio, the bass bite slowed this week as the fish are feeding heavily on the huge shad spawn. The reaction bite should improve in the coming weeks as the shad start to school up. Crappie are also loading up on shad, and small slabs can be taken around structure. Bluegill are taken on red worms or jumbo red worms while carp are in the shallows with dough baits are working. Catfish are taken on mackerel soaked in garlic. 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 held at 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

Delta/Big Break Marina - Sierra Bass Club- May 21st /22nd: 1st – Joe and Tracy Ploharz – 25.63 pounds; 2nd – Tim Chase/Troy Diatte – 24.17; 3rd –Ron Orbaker/Braden Hunt – 18.70. Big Fish -Tony Hunt – 6.81/

Don Pedro – NorCal Bass Lake Series - May 21st: 1st – Bill Vernon/Jason Hopper – 13.29 pounds; 2nd –Pete Anderson/Justin Lovelace – 12.16; 3rd –Mitch Watson/ Jed Jenkins – 10.94.

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass - May 28th: 1st – Pete Anderson Sr. and Jr. – 19.54 pounds (Big Fish – 9.20); 2nd – Rick and Quinn Alexander – 18.88; 3rd – Brent Jobe/Brandon Thompson – 18.41.

Delta/Big Break Marina - May 28th: 1st – Khu Yang/Kong Chang. – 25.36 pounds (Big Fish – 9.96); 2nd – Obedie Williams/Clint Groenewold – 23.39; 3rd – John Ellison/Ken Phillips – 23.36.

Upcoming Tournaments (subject to change)

June 1st-3rd-

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Major League Fishing

June 4th –

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bass N’ Tubes

New Melones – Cen Cal Bass Tournaments/Kerman Bass Club

Don Pedro – Slay Nation Tournaments

Santa Margarita – Best Bass Tournaments

June 4th/5th –

Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Nation

June 5th –

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Major League Fishing California High School State Championship

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto Ambassadors

Camanche – Wild West Bass Trails

June 9th/10th-

Delta/Russo’s – Bass N’ Fly

June 11th –

Delta/San Joaquin County – Sonora Bass Anglers/Manteca Bassin’ Buddies/Angler’s Press/17-90 Bass Club/Santa Clara Bass Busters

Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors

McClure – Sierra Conversation Center

Don Pedro – Kokanee Power Team Tournament

Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club

Kaweah – Cen Cal Bass Tournaments

Isabella – American Bass Association

June 12th –

Pardee – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Lake Amador – Gold Country Bass Tour

Delta/B and W Resort – Fresno Bass Club

Eastman – Kings VIII Bass Club

June 18th/19th –

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

June 18th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – NorCal Bass

New Melones – Yak-A-Bass

Isabella – Kern County Bassmasters

Don Pedro – Sierra Bass Club

Millerton – Bass 101

Shaver Lake – Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project Derby

Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

June 19th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Delta Bass Busters

June 25th –

Lake Pardee- Central Valley Anglers Kokanee Derby

Isabella – Golden Empire Bass Club

Roger’s Remarks

Roger George’s column will return.

This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 7:08 AM.