Fishing report, Feb. 28-March 5: Delta sturgeon still rampaging, Don Pedro pumping out big bass and Bass Lake trophy plant has anglers excited.
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.
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Best bets
Delta sturgeon on a rampage, Steve Mitchell said. Don Pedro pumping out big bass bags, Dave King reported.Bass lake trophy plant has anglers excited, Mike Beighey reported. McSwain trout plants producing limits, Dave Hurley said.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 3
“The northern section of the California Aqueduct below Bethany Reservoir has been slow due to fast and muddy water, but below Santa Nella, fishing has improved with bait for stripers in the 22- to 25-inch range,” Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said.
Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild added, “fishing has been tough with all these storms moving through as the water is swift as water with heavy releases out of the O’Neill Forebay into the aqueduct. The water is very murky making it hard for the fish to see anything. Using bait with some kind of scent is best bet for both striped bass and catfish.”
Striperz Gone Wild is holding their Spring Memorial Striped Bass Tournament on April 6 at a location on the aqueduct yet to be determined. The entry fee is 10 cans of unexpired food, and there is a prize for whoever brings the most cans. Food, awards, a raffle, and a photo booth will be present.
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported rainy weather kept most aqueduct anglers home, but a few savvy anglers used the cloud cover to hunt for striped bass with cut bait or chicken liver. Flukes in pearl white with a chartreuse dipped tail bounced along the bottom or jerkbaits in Aurora Black or white were successful around the check gates. Catfishing was best with chicken liver, fresh shrimp, or cut baits.
At this time of year, largemouth anglers frequently use finesse baits such as Senkos in Green Pumpkin to fool aqueduct bass.
Fishing Safety at the California Aqueduct
Anglers must be extremely cautious in the wet and slippery conditions on the concrete. The aqueduct has fast and deep currents – up to 30 feet in some places – so please heed all water safety tips, along with these tips for staying safe on the Aqueduct:
• Wear rubber-soled shoes for safe footing and life jacket.
• Never fish alone.
• Observe no trespassing and all signs, like restricting vehicles or bicycle use. Keep out of fenced areas.
• Stand back from the aqueduct’s steep, slippery, and difficult-to-climb sloping concrete sides.
• Look for the safety ladders and lines. Safety ladders along both sides of the aqueduct are spaced 500 feet apart and marked by bright yellow paint. The safety lines are strung on plastic floats, close to bridges and other structures that cross the Aqueduct. These ladders and lines can save your life.
• Do not go into the water to land a fish, recover fishing gear, or for any other reason.
• Take your own drinking water. The aqueduct water is untreated and not safe to drink.
• Don’t play near the aqueduct.
• Don’t make fires.
• No camping.
• Don’t block vehicle access gates or roadways.
• Do not climb structures or fish from bridges crossing the aqueduct.
A map of the 16 designated fishing locations on the California aqueduct can be accessed through this link: https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/ What-We-Do/Recreation/Files/230424_SWP-Fishing-Guildines Locations_Online_FINAL.pdf.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474, Cope’s 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
“Eastman has been kicking out some quality largemouth bass for those throwing rainbow trout patterned swimbaits or glide baits. Mega Bass Magdrafts or Huddlestons are two of the top big baits. Numbers are taken on jigs or flipping Senkos or creature baits,” Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said. “The planted rainbows are scattered, but a few trout are landed from the banks with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or spoons. Crappie and bluegill are found deep in the rockpiles or brush piles with minijigs. Crayne added, “Hensley has been improving for bass with fish to 3 pounds becoming more frequent. Flipping plastics is the top technique.” Eastman rose 3 feet to 555.65 feet in elevation and 67% of capacity with Hensley rising 7 feet to 482.37 feet in elevation and 25% of capacity.
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 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
“Thirty-six boats arrived in beautiful weather conditions on Saturday for the Nor Cal Bass tournament, and 35 teams weighed in,” Dave King of Nor Cal Bass said. “There were two limits over 18 pounds with the winning team of Alex Niapas and Jason Remmers at 18.63. The top technique was dragging jigs in water as deep as 50 feet. The water clarity remains good at around 9 feet in some locations, and the bass are starting to cruise along the shorelines. Several 3-pound bass were weighed in as it took 15 pounds to cash a check.”
Small Keitech swimbaits on an underspin, plastics on the drop-shot, or tubes are also producing numbers while the occasional large fish is taken on trout-patterned glide baits or Huddlestons. Rainbow trout action has slowed, but the fish are moving closer to the shorelines. There is daily vehicle fee of $20 and with an additional $15 for boat launch. The lake rose less than a foot to 800.39 feet in elevation and 82%. Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/. Through April 30, 13 bass tournaments are scheduled at the lake. All the temporary mooring lines have been removed from the west bay and the 5 MPH buoy lines have been placed back in their original locations.
Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734, Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The lake rose 1 1/2 feet to 2,569.03 feet in elevation and 40% of capacity with water releases from the dam at 316 cfs at First Point. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported a CDFW trout plant occurred last week, and bank fishermen found decent action near Reds Marina on spinners, garlic scented Power Bait, or minijigs. Trollers are scoring with Needlefish, Tasmanian Devils, or Berkley’s Flicker Shad around the dam for a larger grade of trout. Crappie action has been hit or miss as they are suspending in 20 to 30 feet of water near offshore structure. The usual baits like live shiners and minijigs have been working for these deep water slabs.
The bass bite has been slower with the best action offshore Heddon Sonars, spoons, or ice jigs. The catfish are holding near shad schools at depths from 50 to 70 feet, and anglers have plucked catfish with vibrating jigs where they marked shad schools. Catfishing from shore has been slow to fair with cut baits, dip baits, and night crawlers. The 33rd Annual Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce Isabella Lake will be held from March 23-25.
Adult entry is $40 with youth entry at $15. Information and registration is available at https:// www.kernrivervalley.com/isabellalakefishingderby.
Cope’s reported the flows in the Upper Kern have nearly doubled. It remains fishable, and the trout action has been very good. Anglers fishing the 20-Mile stretch had success with salmon eggs, minijigs, or nightcralwers.
Fly anglers have done very well later in the day with nymphs or steamers. In the Lower Kern, trout fishing has improved after the recent plants. Over the past two weeks the Lower Kern was stocked in all three sections from the mouth of the Canyon to Isabella Dam. Trout have been coming on salmon eggs, pinched crawlers, garlic scented Power Bait, or minijigs. The Lower Kern bass bite has improved this week on crankbaits, jigs, and spinners. Catfish can be found on dip baits, nightcrawlers, or cut bait. The flows on upper Kern at Kernville rose from 627 to 812 cfs. The local lakes of River Walk and Ming were planted with rainbow trout last week.
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 rose 31/2 feet to 620.93 feet in elevation and 20% of capacity. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported fair action for bass with finesse plastics, jigs, or crankbaits on a slow retrieve has been essential for the finesse anglers. Vertically jigged spoons are also working for deep fish. Trout fishermen are scoring from the banks with Power Bait on a Carolina-rig, pinched crawlers, or spoons while crappie chewed on minijigs and small live minnows over submerged structure. Catfish slurped up chicken liver and dip bait near the marina. The Kaweah River at Three Rivers rose from 82 to 334 cfs. There are four tournaments scheduled on the lake through April 30.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake rose 51/2 feet to 623.03 feet in elevation and 39% of capacity. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported fair bass action with 4-inch Roboworms in Oxblood or Aaron’s Magic on the drop-shot while trout anglers rounded up rainbows from the banks with dough baits, minijigs, or various trout lures. Catfish anglers used cut baits, chicken liver, or Triple S Dip Bait. Four bass tournaments are scheduled on the lake through April 30.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351, Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
“The bass are moving into the shallows at depths from 10 to 15 feet after being deeper from 30 to 40 feet within the past month,” Ryan Denner of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto said. “Small Keitech swimbaits on an underspin, jigs, tubes, or plastics on the drop-shot are working for numbers while rainbow trout patterned glide baits or swimbaits are bringing out a few larger bass.” Catfishing remains decent at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. Crappie are found in deep water inside submerged trees in coves with live minnows or minijigs, but the action has slowed. The lake rose 2 feet to 806.62 feet in elevation and 64% of capacity. The Barrett Cove South Marina and Café will open under new ownership weekends-only through Memorial Day starting March 30. Only three bass tournaments are scheduled on the lake through April 30.
Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake McSwain
Trout 3
Over 32,000 pounds of Calaveras Trout Farm rainbow trout have been released into the lake within the past two months including another 6400 pounds of Calaveras Trout Farm rainbows this week. Limits within a few hours have been the rule for bank anglers at the regular locations of the Brush Pile, the Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula near the marina.
The pressure continues to be heavy. Berkley Mice Tails, rainbow garlic Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters in gold or blue/chrome continue to be effective. Trout plants will continue through the spring months in preparation for the spring Merced Irrigation Trout Derby the first Saturday in April. 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. The lake rose to 91% of capacity. The McSwain Marina is closed through March 30 before opening for weekends only from April 1-May 31.
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 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun reported the bass bite is starting to warm up as the lake is filling slowly. Largemouth bass are starting to move into the shallows while the spotted bass are holding in deeper water. Finesse techniques remain the best with a Senko on a Neko rig, underspins, swimbaits, finesse jigs, or small plastics on a drop-shot. Crappie continue to be found in deep water around submerged brush or rock piles, but you must hunt to find the slabs with electronics. The lake rose 7 feet to 528.05 feet in elevation and 59% of capacity.
Sycamore Island is open once daily from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant have risen from 419 to 516 cfs. No bass tournaments are scheduled here through April 30. A trout plant is scheduled for Sycamore Island this week. Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Rainbow trout action has slowed with guides heading over to nearby Lake Camanche, but Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service reported limits of rainbows averaging two pounds are possible trolling from the surface to 20 feet by rolling shad, Apex lures, Rapalas, or shad-patterned spoons. Successful trollers are using a combination of side planers on the outside rods with a long set back on the center rods. The trout are pushing bait into the shallows and the coves. For bass, Alex Niapas of Catching California Guide Service took out Dan Byker and his grandson Trace of Valley Springs on Sunday, and he said, “We caught both spotted and largemouth bass with 3/8th-ounce brown jigs or Senkos on a Neko-rig at depths from 20 to 40 feet over points and islands. The bass ranged from 2 to 4 pounds, and we also landed rainbow trout on small Keitech swimbaits in the backs of major creeks.” A few big bass continue to be found on rainbow trout patterned swimbaits. The Kokanee Power net pens are loaded with rainbows, and they will be released in the spring. New Melones has a daily use fee of $8 with a boat launch of $10 (day use included).
The lake rose a foot to 1050.49 feet in elevation and 83% of capacity. New Melones has a daily use fee of $8 with a boat launch of $10 (day use included). Nine bass tournaments are scheduled through April 30 including three large tournaments.
Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Alex Niapas, Catching California Guide Service (209) 728-4225; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Tournament action has been keeping the lake busy, and the Golden Empire Bass Club brought out a winning limit of 15.20 pounds on Saturday with a big fish at 5.20. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Finesse techniques
remain the top technique with Senkos on a Neko-rig along with throwing small Keitech swimbaits in the shallows. Bass are starting to push into the shallows at depths from 15 to 20 feet where the fish were between 30 and 40 feet a few weeks ago. Trout fishing has improved from the banks while most trollers are working
near the Power Lines with shad-patterned spoons.” In the lower Kings, both the river and Avocado Lake were planted during the past two weeks. Atomic Tubes, spinners, nightcrawlers, or Power Bait are working for up to limits. Finding less pressured water is the key as the easily accessed areas can be crowded. The flows
on the lower Kings at Trimmer have risen from 671 to 849 cfs while the lake rose over 17 feet to 899.78 feet in elevation and 67% of capacity. The Kings River from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bridge on Pine Flat Road downstream to Cobbles (Alta) Weir is open to fishing all year. The Kings River, from Cobbles (Alta) Weir downstream to the Highway 180 crossing is open to fishing all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Pine Flat is hosting four bass tournaments through April 30.
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
“The shoreline remains muddy water, and the reaction bite from the banks has slowed,” Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said. “Anchovies or sardines are working best in the dirty water as blood worms and pile worms are scarce. In the O’Neill Forebay, striped bass to 27 inches have been taken on Rat-L Traps while largemouth bass fishing is solid by flipping Senkos. The water is up near the road.”
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the overall bite is just fair to decent in the 57-60 degree water in the big lake.
“The algae is already starting to grow in the stained water due to the warm conditions . The water is coming up about a 1/2’ a day right now and the fish are moving from spot to spot in parts of Portuguese Cove as well as in the main lake coves. I fished with a buddy last Friday on a scouting trip and we only got 2-3 fish in the morning - but then we found an area where the fish were feeding in the main lake and in 5 hours we released over 30 nice stripers to 26 inches on the usual minnow lures like Lucky Crafts and Rapalas at 40-60 feet plus depths . It went from zero to hero for us once we found the roving feeding schools . The full moon plus the stained water is keeping the bite window down for now,” George said .
The main lake rose to 67% of capacity with the forebay dropping slightly to 84%. 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 Guide Service said, “The lake has been stocked with rainbow trout to 10 pounds along with a large kokanee plant. The best trolling action is within 20 feet of the surface with Dick’s Mountain Tubes in orange, pink, or blue tipped with Berkley Maggots behind a Dick’s Bluefin or Rocky Mountain Tackle’s Blue Ice Dodger. 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 November 15. The Kaiser Pass lakes are starting to release water with fewer anglers heading over the pass to fish the small impoundments. Edison rose slightly to 33 % of capacity with Florence rising to 15% while Mammoth Pool rising to 41%.
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 Mountain Tackle said, “After the storms, Shaver provided a few anglers with beautiful weather and some decent brown trout fishing. The main ramps at Sierra Marina were out of the water, but the auxiliary ramp can launch even a good-sized boat. On Sunday, Dave McGlothlin of Clovis, towed his boat up the hill and launched on the auxiliary ramp at Sierra Marina. A few days before his trip, he had talked to a friend who had fished Shaver and reported a slow kokanee bite with most in the small range.
McGlothlin decided to target trout with a chance for a kokanee. Fishing near the Point with a Dick’s Mountain Hoochie in blue behind a Lagoon Mountain Dodger on one down rigger and a Dick’s Koke Buster in purple behind Sun Tea Mountain Dodger, he picked up five brown trout in the 13/14-inch range and a 14-inch kokanee at depths from 20 to 25 feet. After moving over to Black Rock at 30 feet down, he picked up two more browns, releasing all but the kokanee before calling it a day. He did not fish the Fisherman’s Club shoreline where he had caught kokanee on his last trip.” 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. Shaver is at 48 with Huntington dropping to 36% of capacity.
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 (559) 865-5361
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 crabs 3 There are six-packs and large party boats still opting for crab-only trips. Commercial crabbers are selling live Dungeness off the docks. 10-crab limits remain a possibility, The City of Pacifica opened a portion of the pier, approximately half of the main pier deck (section that is perpendicular to the beach) on February 14. The new structural assessment of the December 28 pier damage will not be completed until the March 2024 time frame, after the end of the winter storm season since additional damage may occur from other storms this winter. Due to the damage, once the pier is partially opened, the City will continue to monitor the pier condition and temporarily close the pier should any adverse weather conditions, including high tide and large wave events occur. 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
Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “It’s a matter of quality over quantity on the beach right now as I found great action at Sunset Beach for surf perch to 10 inches using Charlie Brewer’s Crappie Sliders. The water was very clean with minimal weeds.” The big perch fishing event of the year is only a few weeks away with 300 participants in the annual Sand Crab Classic Surf Perch Derby out of Santa Cruz on March 9.
Out of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching Trips in Monterey, whale watching make up most of the ventures, but they are still running the occasional sand dab/ Petrale sole/Dungeness crab combination trip depending upon weather conditions and interest.
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “I remember Februarys. One of the best qualities for anglers and one that is consistently displayed by the “Top Guns” is optimism. Really good fishermen “expect” to catch fish. I have very little problem maintaining that outlook for most of the year.”
Location, location, location. We’ve heard real estate brokers touting that to 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 3 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2
The charter boats are gearing up for halibut trolling season with Emeryville Sport Fishing boats starting on March 2. The California Dawn out of Berkeley Marina will begin its season on March 22.
Until live bait is available, boats will be trolling, primarily in the south bay near Oyster Point and along the Alameda shoreline. Legal halibut over 22 inches have already been landed by trollers in the south bay. Striped bass fishing has been solid in San Pablo Bay around China Camp, the Pumphouse, and off McNear’s Pier. Herring spawns have been reduced to a trickle. The annual central bay closure for white sturgeon continues through March 15.
During this time period, white sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area: That portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Point Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Point Lobos and Point Bonita.
Recreational and commercial fishermen are holding their breath for California Department of Wildlife’s annual salmon information webinar meeting on Friday March 1.
Although the escapement of fall-run salmon in the Sacramento River Basin exceeded the minimum of 122,000 returning hatchery and natural spawners, 133,638 returners fell short of the projected spawning escapement of 164,964 salmon. The 2023 salmon closure below Cape Falcon in Oregon throughout California was devastating to commercial salmon fishermen along with coastal communities due to the loss of economic activity by recreational anglers. According to the Golden State Salmon Association, Central Valley salmon have provided over $2 billion in economic activity to communities in California and Oregon along with 23,000 jobs in California and half that again in Oregon.
The salmon closure also had the unintended consequence of increased pressure on other gamefish species resulting in the daily bag limit for California halibut reduced to two-fish per day and perhaps increased pressure on rockfish leading to an early closure on nearshore fishing. The stakes are high as the future of California’s commercial salmon fishery hangs in the balance as many long-time anglers will not be able to survive another year of no fishing. Although the final decision regarding the possibility for an upcoming season will not be determined at this meeting, the meeting is the first glimpse into the two-month long process to develop recreational and commercial salmon fishing regulations.
During the meeting, state and federal fishery scientists will present information on topics such as last year’s spawning escapement, estimates of forecasted ocean abundance, and management goals for 2024 sport and commercial ocean salmon seasons. Following the salmon information meeting, a range of ocean fishing season alternatives will be presented at the Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s meeting on March 6 in Fresno before the final season recommendations will be adopted at the council’s meeting from April 6 to 11 in Seattle. Instructions for attending the webinar along with informational materials are scheduled to be available at the CDFW’s Ocean Salmon web page.
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
Surf perch 3
Until the 2024 rockfish season is announced, boats from Morro Bay and Port San Luis will be running whale watching and nature trips until the 2024 rockfish season is open. Regulations are being formulated for the upcoming rockfish season, and significant changes are anticipated once again. 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 2 Striper 2 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
With heavy reservoir releases out of Shasta, Oroville, and Folsom to clear up some room for the anticipated upcoming storms, the California Delta is getting a much needed flush.
The result will be vastly improved water conditions in the system, but during the immediate time, high and muddy water has limited action for largemouth and striped bass. However, sturgeon remain on a tear with six-pack captains putting their clients onto as many as 20 sturgeon to the boat on a single outing.
The combination of warming water temperatures, a plethora of food being washed down the river, and the diamondbacks bulking up before heading upriver to spawn may be the contributing factors, but in any case, the sturgeon bite has been phenomenal. With the Sacramento River running at 160,000 cfs at Rio Vista, the visibility in the north Delta around Liberty Island is less than an inch. The clearest water is found in the central Delta on the San Joaquin side with visibility running from one to three feet near Mildred Island. Sturgeon is the highlight right now, and Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg was out over the weekend, and his clients experienced plenty of action with a total of 11 sturgeon to the boat.
“Sturgeon fishing is outstanding right now even with the big tides and fighting the wind,” he said. “We have been able to find them in shallower water during the periods of heavy water movement as the fish don’t like to fight the current when it is running full out. With all the inflow coming down the river, the outgoing tide is really moving, but the outflow also brings huge logs and debris down the river. There have been logs over 40 feet just under the surface, and you really must pay attention and watch what is coming downstream when you are on
anchor. You also must be very careful while running since some of these logs only have a branch or two sticking out of the water. Our trips have been action-packed as sturgeon fishing is as good as it gets right now, and I think it is going to get even better throughout March and April.”
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors is biding his time in the Delta until the water clears, but he plans on looking for striped bass in the San Joaquin system around Mildred Island. Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing added, “We haven’t been out with the dirty water, but George Wight, one of the few remaining charter members of the California Striped Bass Association, has been limited to anchoring with sardines. Wight prefers to throw swimbaits, followed by drifting live bait, but both techniques have been rendered ineffective until the water clears.”
In the south Delta, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle said, “The south San Joaquin below Mossdale Bridge is high and muddy, and fishing for striped bass is limited to the occasional small keeper striped bass. Numbers of undersized striper along with catfish are possible with bait, but most of our local customers are heading to Bethany Reservoir for stripers to 33 inches. Clifton Court Forebay is along solid location for striped bass at night with live mudsuckers or bluegill. One bit of good news is the continued excellent crappie action off Eight Mile Road east of Stockton. Customers are buying a dozen minnows, but once they locate the slabs, they switch over to Assassin minijigs in white or dark green with a chartreuse tail. The crappie are palm size, and there are also red ear perch and bluegill in the same area. Further west, bank anglers head to Sherman Island or from the shorelines on the Mokelumne River near Isleton where the water is slightly clearer for striped bass.”
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, Soo Hoo Sport Fishing (925) 899-4045.
Events:
March 2
Oak Grove Regional Park – Bob McMillen Memorial Trout Derby
March 7-10
Sacramento Boat and RV Show, Cal Expo
information: https:// www.sacramentoboatshow.com/.
March 15-17
Bakersfield – Central Valley Sportsmen’s Boat and RV Show
information: https://www.calshows.com/.
March 24
Oakley – Bass Hole Tackle Swap Meet – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
April 6
Roosevelt High School Bass Fishing Club Spring Fishing Tackle Faire at The Boat Shoppe, 2125 Ventura Ave Fresno from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Tournament results
Feb. 10
Don Pedro – Sonora Bass Anglers
1st: R.Morris/T. Molzen– 14.55 pounds; 2nd – J.Payne/A. Hatfield – 13.17; 3rd – B. Caldera/S. Caldera– 13.02 (Big Fish – 3.52).
Feb. 24
Don Pedro – Nor Cal Bass
1st: Alex Niapas/Jason Remmers – 18.63 pounds (Big Fish – 4.95); 2nd – Bill Vernon/Jason Hopper – 18.16; 3rd – Charles and Jimmy Welch – 16.59.
Pine Flat – Golden Empire Bass Club– February 24th – 1st: Wes and Roy Neal – 15.20 pounds (Big Fish – 4.80); 2nd – Mason Macabee/Kyle Goldstein – 12.05; 3rd – Nathan Towes/David Childress – 11.65.
Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments
1st: Cole Daniel/Will Duncan – 13.16 pounds (Big Fish – 5.76); 2nd – Yeng Her/Noukhue Vang – 11.83; 3rd – Joshua Steinhauer/Daniel Vega – 10.86.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
March 2
Delta/Russo’s Marina – American Bass Association
New Melones – Angler’s Press
Tulloch – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
Eastman – Kerman Bass Club
Pine Flat – Central Valley Kayak Fishing
March 3
Lake Pardee – Riverbank Bass Anglers
March 5
Santa Margarita – Bakersfield Bass Club
March 9-10
Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club
Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
March 9
Lake Camanche – Central Valley Anglers Team Trout Derby – Information: (209) 479-4172
Bass Lake – 559 Bass Kayak
Santa Margarita – American Bass Association
March 10
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Bass Hole LLC
Pine Flat – California Bass Nation
Kaweah – Kings VIII Bass Club
March 16-17
Pardee – Yak-A-Bass
Kaweah – Lahu Bass Club
March 16
Camanche – 17/90 Bass Club
New Melones – Best Bass Tournaments/Santa Clara Bass Busters Tulloch – Valley Backlashers
Don Pedro – Sierra Bass Club
Hensley – Kerman Bass Club
Bass Lake – Kings VIII
Murry Park Pond – City of Porterville
Success – Kern County Bassmasters
Santa Margarita – Best Bass Tournaments/San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers March 17
Lake Camanche – Best Bass Teen Tournaments
New Melones – Kings River Bass Club
Pine Flat – Bass 101
March 23-24
Don Pedro – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
March 23
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Christian Bass League
Pardee – Bass Anglers of Northern California
Tulloch – Nor Cal Bass
San Antonio – Golden Empire Bass Club
March 24
Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto Ambassadors
Salt Springs – Bass ‘N Tubes
March 29
Don Pedro – E and J Gallo Winery
March 30
Bass Lake – California Bass Federation
Santa Margarita – 805 Bass Addicts
April 6
California Aqueduct - Striperz Gone Wild Spring Memorial Striped Bass Tournament
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
This story was originally published February 27, 2024 at 12:30 PM.