Fishing Report: Week of July 22

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a former Olympic-class decathlete at Fresno State and striper record-holder at Millerton Lake and who now guides in the greater Fresno area. Telephone numbers are in 559 calling area unless noted. Have a photo of a recent catch to share? Email it to sports@fresnobee.com with “fish photo” in the subject line.

Best bets

Delta bass fishing explodes, Randy Pringle said. New Melones catfish bite good, John Lietchy reported. Wishon and Courtright keep pumping out trout, Chuck Crane said. Pine Flat bass bite solid, Dave Hurley reported. San Francisco striper action continues, Jim Smith said.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported most local striped bass anglers are heading to the California Aqueduct near Firebaugh, and there has been a huge run on Duo Realis jerkbaits to the point where they are hard to keep in the shops. The 4-inch Storm swimbaits in bluegill and Lucky Craft Pointer 128’s remain popular, but the Duos have been by far the top-seller. Limits of striped bass to 24 inches are the rule for anglers willing to work through smaller fish. In the south aqueduct in Kern County, catfish are the top species with garlic shrimp, Katnip Beef Bait or super meal worms, and there is a new leader in the annual Catfish Derby at Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield at 15 pounds landed by David Kiel of Bakersfield. Most fishermen are targeting catfish as opposed to striped bass with the derby in play, but Kiel also brought in a limit of stripers to the shop.

Catfishing at night is producing whiskerfish to 3 pounds with sardines or anchovies. The best action is around the launch ramp. Quality bass to 4 pounds can be found with crankbaits or small swimbaits, but jigs or Carolina-rigged plastics are producing the best numbers. Anglers have to be willing to throw the reaction baits for a few quality fish. Low water levels contributed to boating hazards of unmarked rock piles, and most boaters are either running their trolling motors or idling slowly when in transit. Bluegill are found along the southern dam abutment where the vegetation is high. The river arm above the Buoy Line will open Aug. 1, but there is only approximately 100 yards of water in the river arm. The area of the lake extending upstream from the Buoy Line near the Cordoniz Launch Ramp is now closed with the bald eagles nesting in the area. The lake held at 8% capacity, dropping slightly to 468.51 feet in elevation.

Call: Six Star Tackle Box 673-5688; Eastman Lake 689-3255

Launching a boat has become highly problematic with the low water levels. Tow vehicles are placing all four tires in the water in order to release a boat from the trailer. Kayaks, float tubes, canoes, and small aluminums can be launched from the banks by hand. Drop-shot plastics or Senkos in green pumpkin on top of rockpiles are producing unlimited numbers of small bass. Whiskerfish to 3 pounds are found at night with sardines or anchovies. Anglers are advised to call the Ranger Station for launch conditions at (559) 673-5151. The lake dropped slightly to 448.81 feet in elevation and 6% capacity.

Call: Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse 225-1838; Valley Rod Gun, Clovis 292-3474; Six Star Tackle Box 673-5688; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151

Don Pedro rebounded somewhat for king salmon and rainbow trout, but the kokanee bite is limited. The launch ramp is limited to a single lane, and anglers will have to be patient in order to get off of the water on a busy weekend afternoon. Gary Vella of Vella’s Fishing Experience spent the weekend on the lake searching for salmon and rainbows. On Saturday, he fished with outdoor writer Ron Wilson for six king salmon to 2 pounds, running blue/silver Excel spoons at depths from 30 to 60 feet in Fleming Bay and around Jenkins Hill. He said, “The water clarity was good at both locations, but it was dinghy from the Flume to the Highway 49 Bridge, and we didn’t receive a single strike in this area of the lake.” Sunday’s trip produced a pair of salmon and four rainbows to 1.5 pounds using either the Excel spoons or Kastmasters at the same depths. Vella marked schools of fish at 100 to 110 feet, and he rolled shad at between these depths for a few small strikes. He said, “I think these were kokanee, but we couldn’t get them to go.” Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing wasn’t at the lake this week, but he thought the rainbows would be concentrated between Blue Oaks and Fleming Meadows near the dam, stating, “This is the only section in the lake where the water is moving and it is also cool. The unfortunate part is that you can’t troll in this area due to the mooring of houseboats.” Bass fishing continued to be best with large minnows. The lake dropped over 2 feet to 686.05 feet in elevation and 35% capacity.

Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne — Fish’n Dan (209) 586-2383; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550; Bait Barn (209) 874-3011

There has been less interest in Isabella at the present time with most Bakersfield fishermen heading to the cooler climate at the ocean or working the aqueduct. Catfish remain the top species in the lake, and super meal worms, Katnip Beef Bait, garlic shrimp, anchovies or mackerel are all working for the whiskerfish in the south end of the lake. No bass, bluegill or crappie reports. With the low lake levels, it is necessary to use a 4XD vehicle to launch your vessel from the dirt ramp near Red’s Marina. There are no marinas or courtesy docks currently in the lake. The lake dropped ¾ foot to 25254.18 feet in elevation and 6% of capacity. In the Kern River below the dam, largemouth and smallmouth bass are taken on Deadly Duo plastics in Green Weenie. Buena Vista is best for catfish, but there have been no reports of crappie.

Call: Bob’s Bait (661) 833-8657; North Fork Marina (760) 376-1812

The rapidly dropping lake levels have the bass off of the bite, and anglers are unable to establish a pattern with the fish suspending off of the banks. The most consistent action is for catfish at night with chicken livers, nightcrawlers or sardines. There is a brief window for top-water lures in the early mornings or evenings before working the bottom with Brush Hogs or lizards during mid-morning. The daytime bite is extremely slow. The lake dropped 8 feet to 616.41 feet in elevation and 17% capacity.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Chuck Stokke of Sequoia Fishing Company in Springville reported little change at the lake with a fair bass bite with Zoom lizards in watermelon or candy bug colors or G Money jigs with a trailer. The lake dropped 1 foot to 587.37 feet in elevation and 8% capacity. Recreational boating has increased. Chicken livers, sardines or mackerel are working for catfish with the best action at night. In the Tule River, the ponds at Balch Park are stocked with planted rainbows, and Power Bait, and nightcrawlers are working for the planters.

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

The South Barrett Cove launch ramp has closed as the water level has dropped 4 feet in elevation to 623.24 feet and 11% capacity and. The North Barrett Cove ramp is still operational with no time restrictions. The ramp requires a long walk back to the parking lot unless you arrive early. Catfish and bass can be found near the dam in the deepest water in the lake with medium to large minnows. Information on the launch ramp is available at (855) 222-5253.

Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505; Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053

The McSwain Marina is now closed on Mondays, Tuesdays andWednesdays. Most spotted bass than rainbow trout are being caught by trollers as the water temperatures are warm and the bass are coming over from the Lake McClure dam. There will be no future trout plants for the summer, and a decision for future plants will be reviewed in August based upon the water temperatures.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

The lake is experiencing heavy recreational boat traffic throughout the weekdays and into the weekends. The lake is dropping rapidly, but small bass are still willing to bite drop-shot plastics, jigs or plastics on brass and glass at depths to 35 feet. 12 to 12.5-inch bass are the rule, but the occasional 2.5-pound bass is landed on either ripbaits or white flukes. Catfish to 3 pounds can be found at night with anchovies or sardines near the Madera Launch Ramp. No striper reports. All vessels must possess a low emission motor. Millerton dropped 2 feet to 487.50 feet in elevation and 35% capacity due to releases from upstream reservoirs. There are new regulations on the lower San Joaquin, and from Friant Dam downstream to the Highway 140 Bridge only two hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead are allowed with a total of four hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead in possession. The hatchery fish have a healed adipose fin clip. All wild steelhead or trout with an adipose fin present must be released immediately. The San Joaquin River is closed to the take of salmon, and they may not be targeted and must be released immediately if inadvertently caught.

Call: Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse 225-1838; Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

The low water conditions have limited the number of anglers and recreational boaters on the lake, but there is still plenty of water in California’s third largest reservoir despite the lake continuing to drop a few feet on a weekly basis. John Lietchy of Glory Hole Sports stating, large catfish continue to be the story with several big whiskerfish brought in for pictures. The catfish are in shallow water and feeding. The best action remained at night with frozen shad, anchovies, sardines, mackerel or nightcrawlers on a weightless presentation along muddy, sloping banks. The bass have moved off of the banks into deeper water, and Lietchy has been finding his best action at depths from 30 to 45 feet with plastics on a Texas-rig, brass and glass or drop-shot over the suspended balls of bait fish. There is some action with spinnerbaits on a slow roll, but the top-water bite is null and void. Trout fishing is good as the rainbows are holding below the shad schools, and they are coming up and feeding on the bait fish in the deeper and cooler water. Lietchy advised using electronics to find the bait balls, and the rainbows will be close by. Depths from 50 to 70 feet have been optimum, and a fast troll is working well with small-billed plugs, lipless crankbaits or spoons. Night fishermen are finding rainbows in the 2 to 3-pound range with live minnows or nightcrawlers under a submersible light. Kokanee action is fair, but the bite has been extremely unpredictable. Sound, vibration, and scent are keys to enticing strikes, and some anglers are using ball trolls in order to add extra flash. Crappie fishing is fair, although some anglers are landing good numbers at night with mini jigs under a submersible light. “They are on the move,” Lietchy said, “and you will find them in one area and they are gone the following day.” The lake has dropped to 15% capacity at 825.93 feet in elevation.

Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne — Fish’n Dan (209) 586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023

The lake is releasing water at a rapid clip, but the bass bite remains solid. The fish are in the shallows in the early mornings and late evenings, and the best action is reported from 5:30-10 a.m. or 5 p.m. to dark with ripbaits. Numbers are found at depths from 25 to 35 feet with plastics on the drop-shot, dart head, Texas-rig or brass and glass. Trout fishing is very slow with few trollers bothering. Catfish in the 2- to 4-pound range are found from Houseboats at night with anchovies near the Power Lines or around Zebe Creek. The lake dropped 12 feet to 755.68 feet in elevation and 19% capacity. In the lower Kings River, trout anglers are starting to congregate along the banks below the dam for planters with Kastmasters, spinners or Power Bait. The spinners are working best in the fast water as bait has a tendency to get hung on the bottom. There are special regulations in both the Kings River above and below Pine Flat Dam. The season is open from the last Saturday in April to Nov. 15 from Pine Flat Dam downstream to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bridge on Pine Flat Road with a five-fish limit. The Army Corps of Engineer’s Bridge is the first bridge to the west of the dam.

Call: Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse 225-1838; Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626; The I Forgot Store 787-3689

In the main lake, few anglers are drifting minnows since bait shops are still waiting for shipments of extra-large and jumbo minnows. Large minnows will work, but few anglers are willing to explore with the smaller baits. Trollers are finding fair action with large plugs on the downrigger in and around the entrance of Portuguese Cove. Catfishing remains good at night with blood worms, anchovies or mackerel. In the O’Neill Forebay, small striped bass in the 17 to 20-inch range are found near the Highway 152 Bridge or at Check 12 with blood worms, pile worms or the hard-to-get grass shrimp. A limit is possible, but fishermen will have to cull through numbers of undersized stripers. The best action is early in the mornings before daylight or in the evenings. Largemouth bass are hitting Senkos, small swimbaits, and crankbaits while catfish are taken at Check 12 with chicken livers or anchovies. The weed growth continues to expand along the shoreline. The main lake continues to release water at a rapid clip for agricultural and domestic uses, and it dropped 4% this week to 29% capacity.

Call: Coyote Bait andTackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954

The recreational boat traffic limits fishermen to the dam area in the mornings before the flotilla arrives at the lake. The trout bite continues to get slower and slower, with a few taken in the early mornings on Radical Glow Tubes tipped with a nightcrawler and shoepeg corn behind a Rocky Mountain Tackle Hyperplaid or Pink Ice dodger at 30 to 35 feet in depth. Submerged trees at 18 feet below the surface are also a limiting factor for trollers throughout the lake. The Sheriff’s Motor Fee is in effect, and few bass fishermen are launching boats. There is an occasional spotted bass taken on top-water lures or ripbaits, but the weed growth is limiting the ability to throw lures in the shallow end of the lake. The lake held at 51% of capacity, and launching a large boat requires skill and experience.

Call: Todd Wittwer 288-8100; Mike Beighey 642-3748

At Mammoth Pool, the lake has dropped to 77%, but launching a boat is still viable. The trout bite has slowed considerably from the hot action reported after the opener on June 15. Over Kaiser Pass, Lake Edison has risen to 18% after being below 10% for most of the year, and anglers walking the banks are picking up rainbows and browns casting lures in the deeper parts of the lake. Florence held at 33%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Smallmouth bass at Shaver are providing enough action to attract Fresno-area bass fishermen, and the kokanee are showing signs of life after a few weeks of slow action. Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said the overall fishing remains slow “but the good news is the kokanee bite has picked with two to five kokanee per trip possible.” He has been scoring at depths of 45 feet, but a few fish have also been taken from 67 to 72 feet with Apex lures in pink or orange or pink Koke Busters tipped with shoepeg corn behind a Captain Jack’s CJ Dodger in front of the island and the Point. As far as trout are concerned, Nichols said, “I have fished most of the lake each day for the past two weeks and have found the trout bite to get worse and worse. A plant is most certainly needed.” Bank action continued to be hit or miss with the best fishing around Roads 1 and 2 or near Tunnel Creek with trout dough bait or inflated night crawlers. Steve Santoro of Fish Box Charters once again confirmed the overall slow action for rainbow trout. The Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Projects 5th annual Sportsmen’s fundraising dinner is at 5 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Shaver Community Center. Lots of nice raffle and auction items will be featured including helicopter trips, a rifle and a fishing kayak. Tickets for the steak dinner gala are at Captain Jack’s Sports Shop, Shaver Lake Sports, Ken’s Market and Pub and Sub in Shaver and Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis. At Huntington, the lake is releasing water, but small aluminum boats can be carried by hand to the lake’s edge. Limits of rainbows to 14 inches can be taken by patient trollers pulling chrome or rainbow Rapalas, Needlefish in red dot frog or Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with a nightcrawler at 2 to 4 colors of lead core. Bank fishing is fair with trout dough bait or inflated nightcrawlers near the Auxiliary Dam. A number of small 9-inch kokanee are still present. Shaver Lake held at 64% while Huntington is at 56% capacity.

Call: Dick’s Fishing Charters 841-2740; Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435; Rancheria Marina 893-3234; Shaver Lake Sports Inc. 841-2740; Fish Box Charters 871-3937

Wishon and Courtright remained the top options for Fresno-area trout anglers in response to heavy plants of small fish early in the season by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Additional plants of tagged fish into Wishon prior to the 19th Annual Fresno Kiwanis Special Olympics Trout Derby on July 11 have added to the mix. The best trolling action at Wishon is at two to four colors of lead core near the dam with Speedy Shiners in red/copper, Needlefish or blade/crawler combinations. Shore fishing is fair, and orange trout dough bait is the best offering. Launching a boat from the shoreline along the dirt road is still the way to access the lake with a vessel as the concrete ramp remained out of the water. At Courtright, trollers are pulling broken-backed Rapalas, Speedy Shiners in copper/red, or blade/crawler combinations at two to four colors near the dam for limits of rainbows and brown trout to 14 inches. Courtright continues to produce the larger grade of rainbow and brown trout, but the access to the lake has been limited on occasion by the winds. Shore fishing is best near the launch ramp or dam area with inflated nightcrawlers or various colors of trout dough bait.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat went to Pacifica on Saturday in search of salmon, and he found birds, baits, and whales “eating to their hearts content: at Egg Rock. “There were bait balls as far north as Mussel Rock,” he added, “but the salmon were absent.” The action was better in the area Sunday with Captain Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete reporting Tom on the Serra Bella put in three limits of salmon off of the Pacifica Pier with watermelon E-Lures at 40 to 60 feet on the wire. Baxter went rockfishing for 22 limits south of the harbor. The commercial squid boats are working the area around the Pillar Point Buoy and Martin’s Beach for market grade squid, and despite the presence of the squid, there haven’t been any white sea bass reported. Baxter is back in action, and he will be either rockfishing or salmon trolling in the coming weeks. Second Captain Mike Cabanas of the Huli Cat started salmon fishing on Sunday for one salmon and a pair dropped at the boat at the Pacifica Pier before heading all the way back south to Martin’s Beach for half limits of rockfish for 18 anglers within only two hours of working the reefs. Further north in Pacifica and all along the beaches along the San Mateo coast south into Santa Cruz County, striped bass remain thick from the beaches with topwater lures, metal jigs, hair raisers, or sand crabs.

Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Roger Thomas, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Bait and Switch Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133726-7133; Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040; Don Franklin, Soleman (510) 703-4148

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Landing reported tremendous rockfish and ling cod action at Point Sur on Sunday with the Check Mate returning with 30 limits of ling cod and 30 limits of rockfish, with a number of ling cod in the 15 to 18-pound range in the box. The Caroline stayed Sunday local for 17 limits of rockfish and seven ling cod. They have plenty of room throughout the week. Salmon fishing remained very slow, and the stripers continue to move north out of the region. Market-grade squid commercial action is centered around Point Sur.

Call: Chris’ Landing(831) 375-5951; Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173; usafishing.com

The salmon action focused south along the San Mateo coastline with theparty boats making a left at the Golden Gate on Sunday. The Sundance out of Emeryville Sport Fishing put in five early limits of salmon on Sunday while Captain Jay Lopes of Right Hook Sport Fishing also put in four limits of salmon on Sunday morning. Two Sausalito boats went south along the San Mateo coastline for 35 salmon to 26 pounds for 38 anglers. Rockfishing remains tremendous with Second Captain Bob Wright of the Happy Hooker heading outside the Gate early on Sunday for 33 limits of rockfish and five ling cod despite a very slow drift. “Most of the boats stopped at the South Tower in the morning for limits of striped bass, but we headed up the Marin coast to work the small rocks in 60 to 70 feet of water for quality rockfish,” he said. They went back into the bay for 55 stripers to 8 pounds in the afternoon. “The grade of bass was better on Sunday, and we had a good number of hard fighters,” he added. Rockfish action is limits all around with the C Gull II, Sea Wolf, New Huck Finn, and Super Fish out of Emeryville Sport Fishing scoring 83 limits of rockfish and 93 ling cod to 22 pounds before returning to the bay for 103 stripers to 12 pounds. Inside of the bay, it’s all about striped bass with most party boats either scoring early limits before heading outside of the Gate or working for rockfish first before returning to the bay to find the right tides for the afternoon bite. The South Tower of the Golden Gate is loaded with party and private boats in the morning for limits of stripers in the 20-inch range up to 8 pounds. The rockpiles are all holding striped bass. Jay Lopes of Right Hook Sport Fishing put in limit of striped bass by 7:15 a.m. Monday before heading outside of the Gate — this is typical of the tremendous action this summer. Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael touted the halibut bite as coming to life starting Wednesday with the smaller tides on the near horizon.

Live bait is still available at Morro Bay Landing and also in Port San Luis at Patriot Sport Fishing. Rockfishing remained outstanding with the San Pedro Special and Endeavor out of Morro Bay Landing putting in limits of rockfish and healthy ling counts on recent trips. Jackpot winners were Joseph Tobias, Vanessa Keart and Nick Slinkard of Bakersfield with lings to 14 pounds. Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay is also posting limits to near limits of rockfish daily with 24 limits on a recent trip. At Port San Luis, downtown Avila Beach Pier is closed, but the Harford Pier at Port San Luis remains open. Port San Luis is holding the Halibut Derby this weekend. At least 10 halibut to 27 pounds have been brought in the past week. The event hasn’t been held for the past five years. The Patriot loaded up with half limits of rockfish and 15 ling cod on a half-day trip Monday. Surf perch fishing remained outstanding along the coastal beaches with blood worms. Bob’s is setting up a charter on the Island Spirit out of Ventura on Aug. 26.

Call: Virg’s Landing, (805) 772-1222; (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sports Fishing (805) 595-4100; Port Side Marine Sports Launch (805) 595-7214

The river salmon season started off with a thud as expected in lower Suisun Bay, they are still waiting for their first salmon to be taken in the area. Do Doung at Dockside Bait in Pittsburg said, “The wind is down on Sunday, and it is a beautiful day in the Delta, but there are few fishermen out.” The best action has been on live mudsuckers or other forms of live bait. Bob Wright of Bob Wright’s Sport Fishing was at the cleaning station at Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley during the week, and there were fishermen cleaning striped bass at 12, 10, 6, and 6 pounds taken on either live bluegill or large minnows. Above the Rio Vista Bridge, Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport said, “Smallmouth bass are holding along the rocks in Miner and Steamboat Sloughs, and deep-diving crankbaits, wacky-rigged plastics, or live crawdads are producing. The smallmouth are deeper right now since the water is warmer.” Stripers are still in the Sacramento River, but most fish are small. Sardines coated with a garlic spray are working best for striped bass. Catfish are still holding in the Sacramento Deep Water Channel or Lisbon Slough, and Tran touted live crawdads, chicken livers, or a ball of nightcrawlers for the whiskerfish. Bluegill and red ear perch are thick from the shoreline with wax worms or jumbo red worms, but crappie have slowed down with the warmer water conditions. Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service said on Lost Coast Outfitters, “Smallmouth fishing will continue to be hot through September. It is very visual as most of the bites are surface and a great experience for a youngster or son or daughter to catch their very first fish on a fly. Children seem to really like it because it is nonstop action. It’s a great opportunity to pass on your passion for fly fishing to another.” The winds have been down, and largemouth bass fishing continued to be the top draw on the San Joaquin side of the Delta. Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento said, “Bass fishing remains good, as we punched the mats with Missle’s D-Bombs on a 1- to 1.5-ounce weight for limits in the 15 to 18-pound range. The bass are not in the hyacinth, but they are holding under the mats that you normally will toss a frog. The frog bite is fair, but we are taking ten times the numbers punching.” Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “You can’t ask for a better bass bite as we are catching and releasing from 30 to 70 fish per day with a variety of techniques. When the wind is blowing, the half-ounce Persuader Rattlin’ Blade spinnerbait in chartreuse/white and the half-ounce Persuader buzzbait with the willow blades on a staggered retrieve are working since the bass are feeding on bluegill and green ear perch. In calm conditions, the ima Floating Flit in bass patterns with a chartreuse bill is very effective. This is a great time to take kids fishing as there are thousands of small stripers in the 6 to 12-inch range throughout the river in addition to the abundant bass. You can also work the bottom with a Berkley Chigger Craw or Havoc Flat Dog for numbers of bass. In addition, we are getting a visual of huge bass in the 6 to 10-pound range on a daily basis as they are actively feeding in the 76 degree water.” There have been impressive stripers at 30 pounds taken at Big Break and a 40-incher caught and released from the shoreline at Brannan Island on an anchovy. Few local bait bass fishermen are trying due to the lack of extra-large minnows. Chapman thought the extra-large and jumbo minnows should arrive within the month.

Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Stan Koenigsberger – Quetzal Adventures (925) 570-5303; Intimidator Sport Fishing (916) 806-3030

Recreational boating is high on Nacimiento, and it is important to get on the lake in the early mornings or evenings when recreational boats are less prevalent.The best action has been for bluegill, crappie and spotted bass at night, but overall the action is spotty. A copper sulfate treatment at Santa Margarita has contributed to the demise of the weed beds in the lake, and the frog and punch bite for bass is over for at least a week. The marina store is open for supplies and rental vessels. At Lopez, catfishing is solid with a variety of baits including prepared dough bait, sardines or anchovies.

Call: Lake Nacimiento (805) 238-1056, ext. 3; Lake San Antonio Marina (805) 472-2818; Central Coast Bass Fishing.com (805) 466-6557

• Visalia Bass Club at Kaweah on July 11: 1, Eric Arbelo/Jerry Williams, 15.91 pounds (Big Fish, 3.98); 2, Kyle Manes/Bobby Blaswich, 11.14; 3, Jason Clark/Tim Fried, 9.46.
• Angler’s Choice at Delta/B and W Resort on July 18: 1, Mike Saso/Larry Vignolo, 18.40 pounds (Big Fish, 6.54); 2, Jerred Jennings/Alan DaSilva,14.61; 3, Lonnie Woodlief/Ron Smith, 12.54.

• July 24-25: Bass 101 Team Open Night Tourney at Pine Flat, 284-2768 (changed from McClure because of low water)July 25-26: Halibut Derby at Port San Luis; Future Pro Tour at Delta/Russo’s Marina; Riverbank Bass Anglers at Don Pedro; Fresno Bass Club at Pine Flat
• July 31: San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers at Nacimiento
• Aug. 1: American Bass Association at Isabella
• Aug. 1-2: Snag Proof Frog Open at Delta/Russo’s Marina; Success Bass Club at Success
• Aug. 2: Mid Valley Bass Club at Delta/B and W Resort
• Aug. 7-8: Visalia Bass Club at Kaweah
• Aug. 8: Angler’s Choice at Delta/Ladd’s Marina; Tri Valley Bass Masters at Delta/Russo’s Marina; Modesto Ambassadors at Delta/Ladd’s Marina

• Fresno County: Kings River, Below Pine Flat Dam

This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Fishing Report: Week of July 22."