Fishing report, Dec. 20-26: Huge rainbow trout at Bass Lake, Pine Flat trout remain steady and bite improved at Don Pedro.

Compiled by California Outdoors Hall of Fame member Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.

Photo gallery

Show off your success! Share your fish photos and videos with Bee readers. Please share only jpeg images and Mp4 video files. Include “Fishing Report” in the subject line and a full caption and email to sports@fresnobee.com

Best bets

Best bets Delta striper and sturgeon bites “ wide open” Alan Fong reported. Don Pedro has an improved trout bite, Monte Smith said. New Melones bass and trout action good, and McClure trout active, Dave Hurley reported. Bass lake pumping out huge rainbows, Mike Beighey said. Pine Flat trout bite remains steady, Brandon Grimsley reported.

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 3

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “There have been more promising reports coming out of the California Aqueduct on jerkbaits such as Duo Realis 120s, and the linesides seem to prefer the smaller baits.”

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop added, “We haven’t heard much about stripers at the aqueduct, but catfishing has been decent with cut baits.” In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported the fall striper bite continued for another week as bait anglers scored with cut sardines, live worms, or jumbo live minnows on a Carolina-rig in the running water after the check gates. Flukes, small swimbaits, jerkbaits, or tube baits were effective in low-light conditions. For the Flukes and tubes a lift and drop bottom-bouncing technique produced good results. Catfish were taken on dip baits, chicken liver, or nightcrawlers where the fast-moving water met calm. Largemouth reports were slow, but small plastics or Senkos in green pumpkin or baitfish on the drop-shot are always reliable options.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; Cope’Tackle and Rod, Bakersfield – (661) 679-6351; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657.

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Brandon Grimsley of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported, “I was fishing off of the bank with my son this week, and although the numbers weren’t there, we ended up with another quality bass at 3.8 pounds using a crawdad-patterned jig. Smaller fish were taken on plastics on a shakey head, and I think the cold front moved the fish off the shoreline. There were a few trollers out targeting the recently planted rainbow trout, and crappie anglers were out in front of the launch ramp. The water is up past the first launch ramp, and the slabs may be hanging off the submerged ramp.” Hensley remains slow for bass while catfish remains the best bet with chicken livers, cut baits, or stink baits.” Eastman held at 550.15 feet in elevation and 62% with Hensley rising less than a foot to 468.50 feet in elevation and 15%.

Call: Eastman Lake (559) 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam (559) 673-5151.

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “Trolling has improved with shad-patterned spoons on lead core line near the surface for holdover rainbows to 3 pounds. The trout are still holding in open water, but they should be moving toward the shorelines with the inflow from the incoming storm. We were out with a family on Saturday, and even though we fished only a few hours, young Bruno and Zelda Thompson of San Jose were able to put in 9 quality rainbows in the box. The trout are a mixture of recent planters and holdovers to 3 pounds. The water clarity is excellent at around 15 feet with a surface temperature of 55 degrees.”

Heavy trout plants from the Department of Fish and Wildlife has led to the planters holding near the Blue Oaks and Fleming Meadows launch ramp. Kastmasters, Power Bait, or nightcrawlers are working for shore anglers. Bass action remains slow overall, but the recent trout plants should bring out the swimbait and glide bait bite. The lake held at 796.06 feet in elevation and 80%. Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/. 2024 annual permits are available now.

Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Fishing and Guide Service (559) 691-7008.

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3

The lake dropped less than six inches to 2,564.42 feet in elevation and 34% as the releases have dropped from 686 to 446 cfs at First Point. Cope’s Tackle and Rod reported bass are keying in on shad and chasing bait throughout the lake. Quality bass have been coming on Texas rigged worms, jigs, or trout imitation swimbaits off the main and secondary lake points in 25 feet of water.

Crappie have scattered and are a little more difficult to find. The crappie bite is decent in 10 to 20 feet of water with live shiners and mini jigs in white, silver, or shad profiles. The catfish bite remains steady with Triple S Dip bait or cut baits. Trout can be caught with garlic scented baits, spinners, Berkley Mice Tails, or nightcrawlers. Trollers are scoring with lead core with Needlefish, Tasmanian Devils, or Flicker Shad around the dam. A trout plant is scheduled for this week. The upper Kern River was stocked in Sections 5 and 6, and it has been stocked every week for 6 weeks. Section 5 is from Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge and Section 6 is from Fairview Dam to the Johnsondale Bridge. Many of the fish are holding in deeper pools as the water temperatures have dropped. A slow retrieve with salmon eggs, trout jigs, or crickets are producing while fly fishermen are scoring with with nymphs early in the day and blue winged olives during the later hatches. The lower Kern River bass bite is fair to good on crankbaits, jigs, and spinners. The catfish bite has slowed but can be found on dip baits, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The Kern River at Kernville held at 451 cfs.

Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Bob’s Bait Bucket, 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 dropped 7.5 feet to 592.29 feet in elevation and 8%. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported spotted bass are taken on plastics on the drop-shot, small swimbaits, or jigs in 15 to 30 feet of water with crankbaits along the riprap at the dam. Most bass anglers reported a few fish for their efforts, but some lake regulars scored limits working main lake. points, submerged rock piles, or ledges. Catfish picked up cut baits, fresh shrimp, or dip bait, and crappie ate small live minnows over submerged brush in deeper water. The flows in the Kaweah River are steady at 118 cfs. A trout plant is scheduled at Murry Park Pond this week.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake rose around a foot to 600.29 feet in elevation and 15%. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported finesse techniques along with vertical spoons, or deep diving crankbaits are working for largemouth bass. Plastics such as Roboworm’s Aaron’s Magic, Margarita Mutilator, or Baby Bass on the shakey heads, Neko-rig, or Ned at depths from 15 to 40 feet on main lake points and deep structure. The deeper bass took spoons and blade baits on the vertical presentation. Catfish anglers used cut anchovies, dip bait, or chicken liver in deeper coves around the lake. Crappie anglers found biting fish as deep as 40 feet with small swimbaits and minijigs.

Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.

McClure Reservoir

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

About 2,500 pounds of rainbow trout were released into Barrett’s Cove South, and bank anglers are getting in on the action with Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters while trollers are working the shorelines for the planters with a variety of spoons or spinners. The Fresno Bass Club held their Tournament of Champions on Sunday with Bill Kunz of St. Croix Rods winning at 10.83 pounds with a big fish at 2.92. He said, “The quality is better than last month, but the water temperature at 57 to 60 degrees needs to cool down for the bite to improve.” Crappie continue to school up in the in the submerged trees in coves with minijigs. Catfishing remains solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The lake held at 806.43 feet in elevation and 64%. Call: Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008.

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

The recent plant of 2,500 pounds of rainbow trout has spurred on action from the banks in the regular spots of the Brush Pile, the Handicapped Docks, or the peninsula near the marina has picked up with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or spoons as expected. Holdover rainbows can be found in the river arm near the Second Fence Line with Ruby Red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler along with spinners.

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 2 Crappie 2

Brandon Grimsley of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “There were a number of bass fishermen who were dialed in on the bite during the big tournament a few weeks ago, and it seemed the best technique was to sit in one spot with finesse presentations with jigs or plastics on the drop-shot along with deep-diving crankbaits.”

The lake rose 3 feet to 496.00 feet in elevation and 39%. Sycamore Island is currently closed for a winter break, and the park will reopen Jan. 12. A trout plant is scheduled for Sycamore Island this week with plants at Woodward Lake the next two weeks. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant rose from 383 to 447 cfs.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

The bass bite is improving, and there is a small window for topwater or glide baits in the early mornings, but the majority of action remains on the bottom at depths from 35 to 45 feet. There are some fish coming in as the shallows during the afternoon hours as the day warms up. The best action has been with a finesse presentation of plastics on the drop-shot or wacky-rig with a heavy nail weight. Trout trolling continues to be outstanding with shad-patterned spoons around the shad schools, and there are rainbows moving into the shorelines as the lake turns over. The lake held at 1048.94 feet in elevation and 82%.

Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

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

Brandon Grimsley of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The bass bite remains tough with the best action in deep water with spoons or plastics on the drop-shot along with the occasional jig. The numbers are down, but there are still quality fish to be taken as one of our customers landed a 4.60-pound spotted bass this week. Trout trolling remains steady with shad-patterned Needlefish or Kastmasters from the surface to 40 feet in the main creek and river channels from the Power Lines to Windy Gap.” A trout plant is scheduled in the lake this week. The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer are excellent at 447 cfs, and trout action remains solid with spinners, Atomic Tubes, Power Bait, or nightcrawlers below the dam. There have been some larger brooder trout landed, and another trout plant is scheduled for this week. The lake rose 1 ½ feet to 870.57 feet in elevation and 58%.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273. Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 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, “Striped bass action remains solid for boaters drifting jumbo minnows or working 1.75-ounce Duh! Spoons once the schools are located. Finding working birds is a key to success. Trollers are scoring with Duo Realis 130’s in Chartreuse Shad. School-sized stripers are the rule. The topwater bite has slowed, but there is good action on shad patterned flukes such as Dep’s Sakamata Shad. In the O’Neill Forebay, pile worms or anchovies are working best from the 33 side while boaters are heading out to the rockwall.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the bite is decent for trollers “if you can find the fish. The lake has been falling and the fish are biting during fairly short bite windows- then they are shutting down. I scouted alone last week and ended up releasing 19 fish to 25,” pulling Lucky crafts in Shad colors in 50 plus foot depths. I looked for over two hours before I found the active feeding fish on the western part of the lake. Inexperienced anglers are having a hard time , and average about 1-2 fish,“ George said.

The main lake dropped to 57%, and the water remains warm at 61 degrees.

To check the wind conditions on the lake - use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir.

To check the wind conditions on the lake - use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir.

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

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 0

Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing said, “The launch ramp is in the mud, but if you can get your boat in the water, you are in for a big surprise. Dicks Mountain Dodgers in blue or gold or Rocky Mountain Wiggle Hoochies in orange are working for trout to 10 pounds in the top 15 feet. My son, Bobby Beighey, and his friend picked up two limits to 7 pounds this past week. A few large spotted bass have been taken on swimbaits. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/. Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing (559) 676-8133.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The gate to Kaiser Pass Road closed on Nov. 15. The Kaiser Pass lakes are starting to release water with fewer anglers heading over the pass to fish the small impoundments. Edison held at 30 with Florence at 25%. Mammoth Pool is at 54%.

Road conditions (559) 297-0706.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake (559) 259-4000.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Trout 2 Kokanee 2

Shaver guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Not that many anglers hit Shaver this past week, even though anticipated rain hit the area beginning Sunday night. About 6 boats were on Shaver Saturday which was a very beautiful day in the upper 50s. Prather resident Brian Log and his wife hit the lake in the morning and found a mixture of browns, rainbows, and brooder trout using Needlefish behind a dodger before succumbing to the smoke from the controlled burns and returning to the launch. The island at depths to 25 feet is a good option with Dick’s Mountain Hoochies in purple, Mountain Koke Busters, or Mountain Tubes in purple tipped scented corn, they found a mixture of mostly 11- to 14- inch kokanee and 15- to 17- inch trout.

The hot areas were in 45 to 50 feet of water off the bank of the Fisherman’s Club to Stevenson Creek. On a past trip, we marked a heavy concentration of kokanee in that area and picked up nearly 3 limits, primarily consisting of kokanee. 500 brooder trout were released by the Department of Fish and Wildlife near the Sierra Marina, and they should be hanging around from the marina to the island. The Shaver Marina is closed, but the Sierra Marina launch ramp is open. A webcam of the Shaver launch ramp is at sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html and for Huntington at http://www.shaverlakewebcams.info/huntington.html. Huntington remains very slow for both rainbow trout and kokanee. Shaver has dropped to 71 with Huntington dropping to 51%.

Call: Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service (559) 288-8100; Jerad Romero, Jrods Guide Service (559) 392-6994; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing (559) 802-8072.

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 0

The gate to McKinley Grove Road closed on Dec. 1, limiting access to the high elevation lakes. The road is anticipated to be reopened in April 2024.Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 crab 3

There hasn’t been much change as crab-only trips remain the top story with Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete returning with up to 20 limits of crab, Rockfishing is limited due to the necessary to travel at least 20 miles to find structure deeper than 50 fathoms. Captain Tom Mattusch ran out to 600 feet of water with Don Giberson of the Reel Screamer for limits of chili pepper rockfish and a few sablefish. Limits of Dungeness are possible from the beaches from Pacifica to Ocean Beach with snares, but it will take patience and persistence for 10-crab limits. The Pacifica Pier remains extremely crowded on the weekends.

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

Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3+crabs 3

For Dungeness crab, currently only hoops or snares are allowed in Zones 3 and 4 from Point Arena on the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to Point Lopez south of Monterey.

From the beaches, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill said, “Surf perch fishing is very good from Santa Cruz to Watsonville, and we have been selling plenty of Mekeni Baitz Carlo’s Perch Candy (CPC) which seems to be the hot artificial right now. The CPC is motor oil/copper flake. Honey Badger and Lucky 13 motor oil/red flake grubs are also producing.”

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “The big west swell we experienced in Monterey Bay last week kept most boats in the harbor and turned off the bite for most legal species. We received few reports from the deepwater rockfishers and Dungeness crabbers. The swell did provide a bonus, however, in creating “structure” that anglers look for while hunting the wily surfperch, a wintertime fishing favorite.Big waves and strong sideshore currents have the effect of repositioning the concentration of sand that deposits on our beaches over the summer months. The sand is dredged from some areas, and built up in other areas, creating channels and deep-water “holes” along the surf line. These are the areas where we find feeding perch. The deeper water and currents transport sand crabs, worms, and other prey items for the perch to feast on.

Any sandy beach along the Monterey Bay can provide fantastic surfperch fishing. It is mostly a matter of becoming familiar with the beach conditions that feeding perch. Most perch anglers use a longer rod for casting. Spinning or conventional gear are both effective, and rods usually range from eight to 11 feet. Our local surf perch rarely exceed four pounds so six-to-eight-pound test is adequate for your leader. Some anglers will use heavier test, in the 12-to 17-pound range, hedging their bets in case of a random striped bass or halibut hit. Lighter line will impart a more natural action and be less visible to the perch. Bait anglers can rig with a pyramid sinker at the end of a dropper-loop leader. They cast out and let the bait sit in the current, often using a sand spike or other form of rod holder stuck in the sand. Then it is a matter of sipping coffee and watching your rod-tip for the nibble. Many surfcasters prefer to use lures, casting into the deepwater holes, or along the seams of rip currents or littoral (sideshore) currents. Slowly retrieving the lure, they hope to entice a bite from a hungry perch. Favored lures in the Monterey Bay for perch include motor-oil grubs, or the larger stick bait “Rapala” style lures. Bait fishing is often the most productive. Using a Carolina rig with a sliding egg sinker, GULP! sandworms, live sand crabs and cooked or frozen shrimp will entice the bite from hungry surfperch. A good number of fly casters are fishing for perch in our area, and they do very well with handtied flies or streamers that mimic the perch’s natural prey items. The most common perch caught along our surf line are the barred surfperch. These fish may be small but can be very aggressive and put up a tremendous fight, especially on ultra-light gear. Fishing from piers can also be productive for perch. Using the rigs described above, or Sabiki rigs tipped with shrimp, a variety of perch are available including walleye, shiner and rubber lip perch. In rocky areas, such as Monterey’s Coast Guard Jetty or Pacific Grove rocks, Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz or along the North Coast, anglers find wintertime success using shrimp, squid or mussels for the larger black perch and rainbow perch. All these perch varieties can provide excellent table fare, perfect for pan-frying whole.”

The 20th Annual Sand Crab Classic Perch Derby on March 9 will open for online entries during the first week of January. Anglers can surf cast anywhere they choose but must be present prior to 1 p.m. for weigh-in at the Santa Cruz Portuguese Hall, where the festivities take place. Started in 2003 by Captain Mike Baxter and myself of The Let’s Go Fishing Radio Show, the wintertime derby was conceived as “something to do when there’s nothing to do,” according to Baxter. All proceed from the Sand Crab Classic are donated to the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, a 501C3 volunteer organization that continues hatchery and advocacy operations supporting native runs of steelhead and salmon on the Central Coast. The Derby features a great number of raffle and silent auction items, BBQ lunch plus trophies and prizes for winning entries in both Barred Surf Perch and Sea Perch categories. Ultimately, the Sand Crab Classic is an enjoyable day of fishing with family and friends, and extremely popular.” The online registration has been filling up within 24 hours so interested anglers need to pay attention to https://sandcrabclassic.com/.

Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey and the larger charter boats out of Santa Cruz continue to pull limits of rock cod from the deep reefs near Monterey and Carmel. Hoop netters are doing well on the Dungeness, especially from the edges of deep submarine canyons. A few Bonita were caught from the area this week, but the big schools are likely headed south.

Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732.

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay

Halibut 2 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2 Crab 3 California’s rockfish season ends on Dec. 31, and there are only a few more shopping days before sacks of huge rockfish can be added to 10-crab limits of Dungeness. With the northern California commercial Dungeness crab season anticipated to be closed until Jan. 2 at the earliest pending a meeting on Dec. 19, party and private boaters have unfettered access to the crab grounds through the end of the rockfish season. Even then, the commercial season may only open in Zones 1 and 2 with a 50% reduction in traps.

Limits of huge deep water rockfish along with Dungeness crab have been the rule out of every port in northern California, and normally, boats out of Half Moon Bay, San Francisco Bay, and Bodega Bay are loaded with customers during the crab combination season. Even though 10-crab limits of big, beautiful Dungeness are virtually guaranteed, few boats have been working regularly. Perhaps it is the necessity to head out to 50 fathoms for rockfish, but the 10-fish sacks coming out of the deep water have been as heavy as they can be.

Captains Shaun Taylor and James Smith of the California Dawn I and II out of Berkeley Marina have been two of the few boats working on a regular basis, and their score on Thursday were typical of every fishable day on the water since the Nov. 6 Dungeness opener with a combination 44 limits of rockfish and crab to go with a handful of lingcod. Good weather is necessary to head out to more than 50 fathoms, and it was bouncy on Friday and Saturday, resulting in limits of rockfish, but scores around 3/4th limits of rockfish.

Smith’s nephew, Captain Jonathan Smith of the Happy Hooker out of Berkeley was also out on Saturday for 22 limits of rockfish and crab, and they are running only a few more trips before the rockfish season closes.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking public review of a proposed 20-fathom Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary line. The proposed line will allow commercial and recreational groundfish fishing in shallow waters, providing access to most nearshore rockfish while also minimizing catch and release of quillback rockfish, which may not be retained in California as of 2023.The Draft Groundfish Management Boundaries web page at provides access to a zoomable map with the proposed 20-fathom RCA boundary line, and instructions on how to provide comments. The comment period is open until 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. This will allow kayakers access to the shallow water grounds which have been closed since Sept. 1.

Inside the bay, there are still striped bass schools holding in San Pablo Bay, and limits of schoolies are taken on live mudsuckers or bluegill as the anchovy supply is all but exhausted in boater’s receivers. Halibut is over in essence, but a two-fish daily bag limit is proposed on a permanent basis. Crab/striped bass combinations remain a possibility on full day trips. Leopard shark are another option with midshipmen, anchovies, or sardines.

The annual central bay sturgeon closure will start on Jan. 1 through March 15. During this time period, white sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area between Jan. 1 and March 15: That portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita.

Call: Captain Ron Koyasako, Nautilus Excursions (916) 704-4169; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388.

San Luis Obispo

Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3

Limits of rockfish were a refreshing theme for this week with two boats out of Morro Bay Landing loading up with 31 limits on Saturday with sublimits of vermilion (124) to go with 125 assorted and 61 Boccaccio along with 8 lingcod to a whopping 28 pounds and a single rock sole. Out of Virg’s Landing, two boats were out on Saturday with a combined 38 passengers for 100 vermilion, 122 Boccaccio, 59 assorted, and 4 lingcod. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis, two boats took out 21 anglers on Saturday for limits of rockfish consisting of 84 vermilion (sublimits), 106 assorted rockfish, 20 Boccaccio, and 4 lingcod. Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis will offer Dungeness crab/rockfish combination trips on occasion. Webcams of many of the coastal locations are available at https://805webcams.com/. The rockfish season in this section of coast is open seaward of 50 fathoms through Dec. 31 in both the Central Management Area above Point Conception and in the Southern Management Area below Point Conception.

Call: Virg’s Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing.

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 2 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

Although it is close to the end of December, the water temperatures in the California Delta remain above 50 degrees, and the striped bass and sturgeon remain in feeding mode as their metabolism has yet to be limited by water temperatures in the 40s. Normally by early December, cold water temperatures lead to striped bass just ‘mouthing the bait’ and not running with it while the sturgeon will need an adjustment period before they start to bite again. The incoming storm is warm with a high snow level, and the water temperature isn’t expected to drop anytime soon.

Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors said, “The striped bass bite is ‘wide open’ in the west Delta from Brannan Island to Sherman Lake, and you can find them deep at 25 to 30 feet with spoons on the breaks or on the flats in 2 to 4 feet of water with 5-inch swimbaits. There are some stripers moving up north as we landed 10 linesides this week before switching over to crappie fishing in the sloughs around Liberty Island.” Fong will be presenting seminars on Forward Facing Sonar along with striped bass techniques on the California Sportsman’s Theatre at the International Sportsmen’s Exposition in January. Captain Joey Gamez of Golden State Sport Fishing was out on Sunday in Spoonbill Slough, and he found a great striper bite drifting live minnows.

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley added, “The stripers are biting. I went out with my son on Friday, and we were out for a few hours close to the harbor from Antioch to Three Mile Slough on the San Joaquin River, and we found fish in every location we stopped on. We continue to drift live mudsuckers, and there are still schools of stripers pushing into the system. The fish are biting, and they won’t start mouthing the baits until the water temperature is in the 40’s.”

Sturgeon action remains solid, but the incoming storm created a pressure differential leading to a much slower bite over the weekend. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg said, “They really didn’t bite until the end of the day on Sunday, but we had a double in the afternoon. One of the sturgeon was clearly oversized, and after a good fight for 20 minutes, all it took was thumbing the spool while the fish was running to break it off. Adrenaline overcomes some customers, and it is easy to lose one of these big fish. Saturday’s trip also produced three sturgeon, but once again, they either just under the 42-inch bottom of the slot or oversized up to 56 inches. Cured salmon roe continues to be the bait of choice, and with the water temperature at 52 degrees, the sturgeon should still be chewing.”

The 17th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Sturgeon Derby will be held on Jan. 28th from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. out of the Pittsburg Marina with the seminar the previous night from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Pittsburg Yacht Club. Information: Olivia Ortega (925) 439-4958.

Largemouth bass fishing remains best by either punching or tossing jerkbaits, but most bass are in the 1.5- to 2-pound range, leaving a 10-pound limit within range. In the east and central Delta, vegetation for the heavy herbicide spraying has died and is floating on the surface. Angler interest in bass fishing has waned with the lack of tournament action and better fishing in the lakes. Crappie Closet Lures put on a crappie tournament featuring a 10-fish limit with artificial lures only on Saturday out of Riverside Holland Marina in the south Delta, and this is the first of more crappie events in the coming months. 9 boats participated with two 10-fish limits weighed in.

In the south Delta, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported a continued slow striped bass bite in the San Joaquin River below Mossdale with most anglers heading west between B and W Resort to Sherman Island to drift live minnows or mudsuckers. Fresh shad is over for the season, but Mega Bait is loaded with a large quantity of frozen shad for the winter months.

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

Events:

Dec. 16

Manteca Moose Lodge – fundraiser dinner and silent auction for the San Joaquin BassMasters – dinner $15 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Jan. 18-21

International Sportsman’s Exposition – Cal Expo/Sacramento – information:

www:sportsexpos.com.

Jan. 26-27

Pittsburg Marina – 17th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Sturgeon Derby – information – Olivia Ortega (925) 439-4958.

Tournament results

Dec. 9

New Melones – Sonora Bass Club

1st – J.Rose/C.Rose – 12.90 pounds (Big Fish – 3.20); 2nd –J. Junette/C. Junette – 11.80; 3rd- J.Payne/A. Hatfield – 11.50.

Dec. 16

Delta/Holland Riverside Marina –Crappie Closet Christmas Crappie Shootout - (10-fish limits)

1st – Grant Olguin/Bill M.- 8.48 pounds; 2nd – Obedie Williams – 6.68 pounds.

McClure – Fresno Bass Club Tournament of Champions

1st – Bill Kunz – 10.53 pounds (Big Fish – 2.92); 2nd – Justin Barton – 10.52 pounds; 3rd – Bob Jones – 10.37.

Pine Flat – Sierra Bass Club

1st – Tony Hunt – 11.32 pounds (Big Fish – 4.08); 2nd – Ron Orbaker– 10.70 pounds; 3rd – Joe Ploharzc– 10.64.

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)

Dec. 30

Pine Flat – Fresno Hmong New Year Tournament – information: Kong Moua – 470-3332.

Jan. 1

Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – American Bass Association/805 Bass Addicts

Jan. 6

New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers

McClure – 17/90 Bass Club

Millerton – Kerman Bass Club

Jan. 7

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association

Millerton – Bass 101

Jan. 13

McClure – Christian Bass League

Nacimiento – Golden Empire Bass Club

Jan. 14

Don Pedro – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Jan. 20

New Melones – Contra Costa Bass Club

McClure – Sierra Bass Club/Tri-Valley Bass Masters

Jan. 21

Millerton – Fresno Bass Club

Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club

Jan. 27

McClure – Best Bass Tournaments

Millerton – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments

Jan. 28

Millerton – California Bass Federation

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.