Central California fishing report: Delta sturgeon, stripers and bass bites are good.

Fishing report 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, stripers and bass bites good, and Don Pedro trout active, , Kyle Wise said. San Luis stripers on a fall surge , Josh Mesa reported. Shaver trout leading the action, Dick Nichols said. New Melones crappie hitting, Omega Nguyen reported.

Rankings key below: 4: Fish are jumping in the boat. 3: Good fishing. 2: Decent fishing. 1: Poor fishing. 0: Don’t bother

Unless noted, area code is 559

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.

Valley/Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 3

Omega Nguyen said the northern California Aqueduct striper bite has been slow for lots of undersized stripers for shore anglers but Boat anglers are getting a better grade of fish drifting Shad. Catfishing has been good, but fresh Shad in the northern aqueduct has been the best striper bait. Striperz Gone Wild ‘Toys for Tots’ tournament is scheduled for Dec. 14 at Volta Road on the California Aqueduct. The entry fee for this tournament is an unwrapped children’s toy that will be donated to youth in Merced County. In the southern aqueduct, schools of striped bass remain on the move, and the best location has been around the moving water around the check gates. Anchovies, lugworms, chicken liver, Flukes, swimbaits, top water walking baits, or small jerkbaits are all effective. Triple S Dip Bait or cut baits are best for catfish.

A map of the 16 designated fishing locations on the California Aqueduct can be accessed through this link: chttps://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 292-3474; Cope’s Tackle and Rod, Bakersfield – (661) 679-6351; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657.

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 3 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Brandon Grimsley of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported Eastman remains solid for quality largemouth bass as the cooler weather is creating more active conditions for the bass. “The fish have been going deeper during the day, but dropshotting is a good choice. Swimbaits should be kicking in soon . There has been an improved early and late bite window lately too. . The low water at Hensley has kept a lot of anglers away.” There are no tournaments for the remainder of the year with only one in mid-November at Hensley. Lake level is currently at 47% of capacity for Eastman and 17% of capacity at Hensley.

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

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Kyle Wise says that Rainbow trout trolling remains outstanding for fat, healthy trout to 5 pounds in the Hitch Creek area at the 50-65’ level trolling with Tbone spoons and Speedy Shiners in chartreuse with a red head. . Monte Smith reported that the falling water temps has slowed down the trout bite in this transitional period. He did the best using leadcore line in his presentation . “ There are a ton of small 10” kings that you have to wade through right now – but that’s a positive sign for the next 2 years. They are also picking up some bass that feeding on the shad schools as they move up into the water column. updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake is currently at 69% of capacity.

Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

McClure Reservoir

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

Anglers are reporting good numbers of bass , but finding any size remains a challenge.

Catfishing has been solid with live minnows in the coves, and holdover rainbows are moving closer to the surface around the shad schools. The Reel Deal Market and Barrett’s Cove Marina will only be open on Wednesdays from 10 am to 2 pm during the winter months. McClure is at 63% of capacity.

The Reel Deal Market and Barrett’s Cove Marina will only be open on Wednesdays from 10 am to 2 pm during the winter months.

Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

Lake McSwain

Trout 2

Since the Merced Irrigation Trout Derby in early October,Omega Nguyen said the trout bite has slowed to a crawl. The holdover rainbows have moved into the cooler waters of the river arm up to the Exchequer Dam.

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

Brandon Grimsley of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported not much has changed here as the bass bite remains very slow. Dropshot seems to be the best bet now

The Big Valley High School Anglers hosted 45 teams representing 11 different clubs from around the state for the Student Angler Federation sanctioned California High School Anglers Tournament Trail Open at Millerton on Sunday. As has been the unfortunate trend on the lake, the young anglers were met with a very tough bite and the near impossible task of finding decent fish. One team, however, managed to beat the odds convincingly. Brayden Baker and Brody Chait from the Folsom Lake Student Anglers club posted the biggest tournament bag on Millerton for quite a while with 10.18 pounds that included the tournament’s Big Fish at 3.4 pounds.

The pair said they kept a drop shot in their hands all day and shook a 4” shad colored worm to victory. Drop-shot seemed to be the dominate pattern from the top three teams with a small spoon as the only other acknowledged successful pattern. Second place went to Oakdale High School’s David Onsagar and Giovannie Story with 7.24 pounds, and local Austin Burns from Big Valley HSA took third with 7.1 despite having to fish alone because his partner was unavailable to fish. The Junior Division had 5 teams fishing on Sunday with Logan Joudrey and Kylen Cruz from the Delta Teen Team weighing 2.87 pounds for the win. The top teams were rewarded with prizes from Big Valley HSA sponsors 559 Bait and Tackle, Sanger Custom Lures, Visionomyx, Orange’s Outrageous Baits, Valley Rod and Gun, Sportsmen’s Warehouse, PC Custom Baits, Fizz-A-Fish, and Pro Worms.

This opportunity for the area’s young anglers does not happen without support from the local fishing community. The BV HSA wants to thank and acknowledge the incredible generosity of volunteers Todd Hayse, Brian Orange, Elena Tsuchiya, Michael Murphy, Ron Red, Dan Marshall, Bob Jones, Danny Lopez, Dave L’Argent, Mike Pawlowski, Mike Haider, Vacha Vang, Bandon Lum, and Mitch Mitcheltree who gave their time, equipment, and expertise so the Fresno area students can host and participate in one of the premier youth fishing competitions in the state.

The lake is at 41% 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 held at 442 cfs. One remaining tournament is scheduled in November along with one in December.

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

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 3 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

Omega Nguyen reported that there’s a good crappie bite going on minnows and small jigs. Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Sport Fishing said the rainbow trout bite remains challenging- with only a couple fish per trip. The bait fish are starting to move into the shallows with the cooling water temperatures. Bass, trout, and catfish are all loading up on shad, and it is a matter of finding the bait to find success. Numbers of bass remain the rule but finding size has been challenging. The lake held at 1033.23 feet in elevation and 75% of capacity.

Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

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

Brandon Grimsley reported that the bass bite has been decent with a consistent reaction bite on spoons and jerks. “ There is also a good jig / dropshot bite at 30-50’ in the middle of the day at the lake.

The lake is at 40% of capacity. Two club tournaments are scheduled in November with four in December.

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

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said that the big lake fishing has been fishing pretty good.” Anglers are doing well drifting large minnows by the dam, however we’ve been sold out of jumbos this week. Shore anglers have been doing well off Dinosaur Point. Trollers working the dam with Pline Predators and Arigs are catching school sized fish. Early topwater action on Whopper Ploppers and Zara Spooks is working in the coves too

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the bite in the main lake continues to produce limits of schoolsized stripers on flukes, topwater and ripbaits fished in coves. “ I’m getting reports from my buddies that the fishing can be really good on shallow fish one day, but slow the next. There are boiling fish at times, but it’s usually early in the back of coves. Anglers need to be aware that there are new rules at the lake on inspections. I’m finding the active fish holding at the 40-50-foot range on various silver colored / Shad lures, like Lucky Crafts and Rapalas. The Fresno Bee Fishing Expo was a lot of fun and I think this event will lead to another one next year. . Water temps are around 68 degrees and the algae is decreasing some. The water level seems to be holding about 51% right now with little water inflow during the last week.“

In the O’Neill Forebay, the grass is dying off with the colder water temperatures, and striped bass are taken on topwater early and big 5-inch paddletail swimbaits on jig heads ranging from 1/2 to 1-ounce. Bass fishing has been good for fish in the 2 pound range Nguyen reported. The main lake held at 51% of capacity balanced between water imports and exports .

Boat inspections at San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay, and Los Banos Creek Reservoir in Merced County are required when exiting these lakes to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. At O’Neill Forebay, golden mussels were recently detected. Boats leaving these San Luis Recreation Area lakes will not be granted a “clean boat” tag. After boating in waterways, always remember to clean, drain, and dry to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. To check the real time 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 2 Kokanee 0

Mike Beighey said ”Bass lake is dropping and it won’t belong till you won’t be able to launch your boat. Theres a lot of holdover Trout that were not caught during the summer that will be starting to hit in May , and there’s Kokanee this year and the comeback of the Salmon to Bass lake is very possible. We will have to see how it is this May.”

The Bass lake fishing derby the first weekend in May is when the fishing begins. “

The lake is now being drawn down. A live webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1.

Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

Few anglers heading up Kaiser Pass as the fall months continue to advance. Road conditions are available at the High Sierra Ranger Station – 855-5355 or https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra. Despite the light snow and rain, extreme fire danger remains in the high country.

Road conditions 297-0706.

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

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Trout 3 Kokanee 2

Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Shaver continued kicking out multiple limits of trout this past week. The Fishing Club and Stevenson Bay are the best locations currently.Most trout are found in the upper 30 foot water column. Dave Loftin, of Visalia, fished alone Friday. He launched at the Sierra ramp, dropped down in front of the marina and picked up a couple of small rainbows. He texted me that it was a little slow. I directed him to the Fishing Club where he dropped down 10 to 30 feet and quickly began catching trout. When he quit, Lotlin had caught and released 13-12 to14 inch rainbows, 4 golden trout to 16 inches 3 trophy sized rainbows and a 14 inch kokanee. The kokanee is great news as it had scales and most likely a natural spawned koke from Stevenson Creek. A good indication that there might have been a good lake spawn two years ago. With no planted kokanee fingerling two years ago many kokanee fishermen are concerned with the 2025 kokanee season. DF&W management said that there should be an abundant amount of 2nd year kokanee in the 14-inch class. My concern there is thinning out the 2026 crop. Loftin said he was using a combination of tackle early then switched to Dick’s Trophy Trout Busters, tipped with corn and Crawler behind a Dick’s weighted Mountain Flashers with a 100 foot setback.

After a two-year hiatus, the four-year old goldens have been found lately. A DFW plant is scheduled for this week.

The Edison ramp is out of the water, but the Sierra ramp is good to launch.

I enjoyed being a part of the 1st annual Fresno Bee Fishing Expo that was successfully produced by Bee editor Don Blount and Bee fishing editor Roger George.

The Sierra ramp is doable, and the marinas are closed.

Check ramp conditions at the Sierra Marina via their webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html.

At Huntington, a few anglers are trying for rainbows with Power Bait or nightcrawlers in the shallows. Shaver held at 54% of capacity with Huntington also dropping to 62% of capacity.

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

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 2

Few anglers are heading up to Wishon, but there are still rainbows to be had. The dock may or may not be in the lake, so boaters must be prepared to get wet while launching from the banks or ramp. Courtright is all but drained to to allow work on Helms Powerhouse Intake and discharge gates. The gate Courtright Way just past the turnoff for McKinley Grove Road will remain closed until the regularly scheduled reopening on Memorial Day 2025 Weekend, depending upon weather. The Wishon RV Park and Store has closed for the season so anglers will have to come prepared with supplies.

Road conditions – Sierra National Forest Ranger Station 297-0706.

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 Crabs 3

November’s rockfish regulations require less than 20 fathoms before finishing off the season during the month of December over 50 fathoms.

Call: Captain Melynda Dodds, New Captain Pete (512) 825- 8225; 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

From the surf, Josh Mesa reported most of the striped bass have left the Monterey/Santa Cruz area to head north and into San Francisco Bay on their way into the California Delta. Surf perch fishing has been solid along Santa Cruz-area beaches with grubs .

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

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay

Halibut 2 Striper 3 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 2 Crab 3

The Lovely Martha reported great fishing for easy limits of crab , but a slower rockfish bite this week.

The halibut bite has slowed down considerably, but once again, this is November. White sea bass remain scarce, but leopard shark are another solid option. J and P Bait in San Francisco remains open Friday through Monday from 6 to 9 am, but it is closed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

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

The regulations for rockfishing below Point Lopez are from 50 fathoms offshore from October 1 through Dec. 31, Webcams of many of the coastal locations are available at https://805webcams.com/.

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

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

Kyle Wise reported a very good sturgeon bite out of the Pittsburg area using roe. “ we hooked 13 fish and landed/ released 9 for the day. The overall sturgeon fishing is excellent right now. “ The big bag limits at the TOC showed a healthy bass bite .

Vince Borges and Chad Fries won the Nor Cal Delta TOC with a 30.61 bag for the Championship. The Delta bass bite is definitely going for now.

With all of the salmon in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River sections of the Delta, the fish must be released while in the water. White sturgeon must also be released, but the action remains tremendous in Suisun Bay for the few anglers trying. Six-pack operators continue to catch-and-release up to a dozen diamondbacks per trip. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has released a video demonstrating proper release techniques for white sturgeon at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6XluYMW_vA.

The Delta Series TOC championship was won with a 30.61 total by Vince Borges and Chad Frie.

Call: 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

Nor Cal Bass TOC 1. Vince Borges and Chad Frie 30.61 pounds

Central Valley Anglers – Delta Fall Striper Derby, 1. Fernando Vasquez 25-inches, 2 &3rd tie Jack Naves and Darryl Dennis 24½ inches

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations)

Nov. 16

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Club

New Melones – Tri-County Bassmasters

Don Pedro – Westside Bass Club

McClure – Christian Bass League

Hensley – Sierra Bass Club

Lake Evans – Taft Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby

Nov. 17

New Hogan – Riverbank Bass Anglers

McClure – Fresno Bass Club

Nov. 23

Delta/Russo’s Marina – East County Student Anglers

Nacimiento – 805 Bass Addicts

Nov. 29

Pine Flat – California Bass Nation

Dec. 14

California Aqueduct/Volta Road – Striperz Gone Wild annual ‘Toys for Tots’ Tournaments

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.

This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: Delta sturgeon, stripers and bass bites are good.."