Central California fishing report: Delta sturgeon leading the parade
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.
Best bets
Best bets Delta sturgeon leading the parade, Steve Mitchell said. Don Pedro multi-species bite going, Monte Smith reported. McSwain plants lead to trout limits, Dave Hurley said. New Melones anglers on good trout and bass bites, John Liechty 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
Valley/Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported continued slow fishing in the northern section of the California Aqueduct and the Delta Mendota Canal. The water remains cold, and the flows have been high. Striperz Gone Wild Annual Memorial Aqueduct Tournament is tentatively scheduled for April 5 at Volta Road near Los Banos.
In the southern section of the aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported striped bass were taken on both bait and lures as sardines, anchovies, and bloodworms were effective along with Magnum Flukes on a jig head. Sculpin imitation tube baits are scoring while jigged off the bottom. Cut bait, Triple S Dip Bait, or chicken liver are working for catfish while finesse techniques of plastics on the drop-shot or shakey head in the eddies are working for largemouth bass.
Aqueduct anglers are always advised to use caution as well as wearing a PFD as the water is swift, cold, and dangerous.
A map of the 16 designated fishing locations on the California Aqueduct can be accessed through this link: https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DsWR-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 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Quality largemouth bass continue to be landed at Eastman with rainbow trout-patterned swimbaits in the early mornings before heading to the bottom on a slow presentation with large profile jigs or plastics from 7 to 10 inches.” The algae bloom dissipated slightly with the cold weather this week. Not much change at Hensley as it remains low and slow for largemouth bass. Catfish and the ever-present carp continue to be the best bets. Eastman held at 535.11 feet in elevation and 48% of capacity with Hensley rising slightly to 477.26 feet in elevation and 21% of capacity. The Kerman Bass Club has tournaments at Eastman in February and March along with one at Hensley in March.
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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 1 King salmon 3 Crappie 2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing continues to find great action for both rainbow trout over 3 pounds along with king salmon to 14 inches. “We had non-stop action on a recent trip for kings from 12 to 14 inches along with a couple of limits of rainbows running custom shad-patterned spoons on lead core line from 3 to 4½ colors. In the afternoons, we dropped down to 6 colors, and we continued to catch fish. Having Live Scope is a huge advantage as my clients watch the fish head up to the lure. The water is clear with 15 feet of visibility at 52 degrees, and a dodger isn’t necessary to entice a bite.” Bass fishing remains very good with large profile jigs, tubes, or plastics on shakey head at depths to 40 feet. The fish are up into the shallows in the mornings before heading back to deep water. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake dropped slightly to 773.80 feet in elevation and 69% of capacity. As the ongoing status of New Melones is uncertain, Pedro will be very busy in the coming months with ten tournaments scheduled in February and five more in March.
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 3 Bluegill 3
Cope’s reported fair bass fishing within the past week with the best action off main lake points with deep-diving crankbaits, jigs, large plastic worms, or crawdad-imitation chasebaits at depths from 30 to 40 feet. Crappie action has improved in deep water around structure offshore with live medium minnows or crappie jigs at depths from 15 to 40 feet. Minijigs with a chartreuse tail have been particularly effective. The shad schools are thick in certain areas of the lake. Catfishing remains best with Triple S Dip Bait, cut baits, or nightcrawlers, but the overall bite has been tough. Water releases dropping from 385 to 291 cfs at First Point. The trout bite in the upper Kern remains consistent due to the number of plants along the easily accessed areas throughout the 20-mile stretch. Salmon eggs, live crickets, minijigs, or nightcrawlers are all working.
“The Upper Kern River was stocked this week in Section 4, River side Park in Kernville to Powerhouse #3 and Section 5, Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge. In the Lower Kern, trout have been coming throughout the canyon on salmon eggs, trout jigs and panther martins. There have been no trout plants in the Lower Kern this year, but it’s still holding good numbers of trout. The bass bite in the lower Kern is fair on crankbaits, jigs and spinners. Catfish can be found on dip baits, nightcrawlers and cut baits. At the time of reporting, the Upper Kern River was flowing at 464 cfs at Kernville. CFS and the Lower Kern River was flowing at 464 CFS.
At Buena Vista Lake, periodic plants will continue until April 23. An annual trout fishing season pass is $125 payable by debit or credit card as no cash is accepted at this lake. Cope’s Rod and Tackle is hosting the 1st Annual Bakersfield Kid’s Outdoor Fishing Derby at the River Walk, 6 a.m.- noon Feb. 8. There will be 25 tagged fish with the top prize at $1000. Entry is $20. Trout plants are scheduled for Ming and River Walk this week. At River Walk, the lake was stocked last week with both Lightning and rainbow trout. The bite has been excellent with garlic-scented Power Bait, trout jigs, Berkley Mice Tails, or Pinched Crawlers.
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 3
After last week’s trout plant, Cope’s reported some decent stringers of rainbows with Power Bait, minijigs, Kastmasters, or spinners. The bass remain deep from 20 to 50 feet, and plastics on the drop-shot or spoons are the best approach. spoons to boat fish. A “dead stick” approach was an effective way to get bites. Catfish ate sardines, anchovies, and dip bait. Only a single tournament is scheduled in February with one more in March.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
Cope’s reported decent bass fishing with finesse techniques, spoons, or deep diving crankbaits working for the largest grade while numbers of smaller bass are found on Senkos in the shallows. Anchovies, chicken liver, or dip bait on a bait rig are effective for catfish. There are no bass tournaments scheduled in February, but three are scheduled in March.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Numbers of spotted bass are the rule as the spots are holding in the shallows early before moving as deep as 60 feet around steep bluff walls, main lake points, or rockpiles by mid-morning. Jigs, plastics on a drop-shot, or tubes are all effective for numbers, but there have been quality spots in the 3- to 4-pound range landed regularly. During Saturday’s Central Valley 17/90 Bass Club tournament, there were big fish over 7 and 8 pounds in the top two limits in excess of 18 pounds. Trout trolling is fair with shad-patterned spoons near the surface on side planers near the dam. Crappie are showing up around submerged structure in the coves with jigs or live minnows. The Reel Deal Market and Barrett’s Cove Marina will only be open on 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays during the winter months. The lake dropped slightly to 803.69 feet in elevation and 63% of capacity.
Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake McSwain
Trout 3
About 3,000 pounds of Calaveras Trout Farm rainbows and Lightning trout were planted on Jan. 13, and the action was outstanding from the shorelines within a few days of the plant. Limits were the rule at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, or the peninsula near the marina with rainbow glitter Power Bait, garlic Power Bait, Kastmasters, or inflated nightcrawlers.
After a few days, the remaining trout started migrating toward the river arm, and bank anglers found their best action near the mouth of the river. Trolling is also effective with red Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger or blade/’crawler combinations in the river arm above the First Fence Line. The lake is at 94% of capacity. 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 2Crappie 2
Michael Crayne reported a typical slow reaction bite with plastics on the drop-shot or dart head at depths from 20 to 30 feet near points and rockpiles. He said, “The bass are looking for the warmest water which is usually around large boulders or rock. Football head jigs are also effective. During Saturday’s Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournament, a nearly 12-pound limit won the event with a big fish at 3.59 pounds for a typical Millerton Lake winning limit. The lake rose three feet to 509.06 feet in elevation and 47% of capacity. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant rose from 392 to 438 cfs. Millerton will also be busy in the coming months with three tournaments in February and one in March. Sycamore Island reopened its gates a few weeks ago, and a trout plant is scheduled this week. The park will be open 6 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily.
The park is free Monday through Friday, and $9 per vehicle on Saturday and Sunday. Yearlong passes are available for $85. Two-person canoes and one-person kayaks are available for rent on the ponds for $10 per hour with lifejackets and paddles included. The gate is at 39664 Ave 7 ½ in Madera, or you can hike or bike in through the entrance across from the Valley Golf Center.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3
Few boats have been on the lake, but those who have complied with the 30-day quarantine are finding tremendous fishing for either bass or trout. John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service has been targting big bass, and he was rewarded with a 14.74-pound largemouth this week on a rainbow trout-patterned swimbait.
“Clients have been willing to throw the big 8- to 10-inch swimbait all day, and the bass are eating trout,” Liechty said. “We had a recent trip with 27 fish on either Hawg Hunter or Huddleston swimbaits, mostly spotted bass from 2½ to 7 pounds, but the swimbait bite has slowed with the colder water. I haven’t seen the lake fishing this well in seven or eight years, and the water clarity is outstanding, perhaps due to the lack of boat traffic and the lack of recent winds. We are also scoring with spinning rods with plastics on the Ned-rig or dart head along with tubes or Float N’Fly at depths from 10 to 25 feet. We also released a 6-pound largemouth on a jig. There are only seven to 12 boats on the lake daily, and the water temperature has been stable at 52 to 53 degrees. For trout, Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service over 30 rainbows on Sunday with multiple double hook ups using a variety of lures from stick baits to Wee Tad’s to spoons at depths from the surface to 25 feet.
Only the Glory Hole launch ramp is open 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. to obtain a red tag to start a 30-day quarantine period. Boats must be off the water by 4 p.m. to receive a green tag to relaunch without quarantining or decontamination. Bank fishing is allowed. Non-motorized watercraft, such as kayaks and paddleboards, may also be subject to inspection. The lake held at 1039.77 feet in elevation and 78% of capacity. There are two bass tournaments scheduled in February and another four in March, but these are subject to change.
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
Michael Crayne reported a good reaction bite in the mornings with jerkbaits, crankbaits, or similar moving baits before heading to the bottom once the sun comes out with plastics on a shakey head, Texas-rig, or drop-shot along with jigs at depths from 10 to 40 feet.” Brian Klassen was out with his brother, cousin, and a few friends on Friday for a total of 6 rainbow trout to 16 inches, but they were unable to raise a single king salmon.
“We launched at Deer creek at daylight and fished toward to the dam right out of the Marina. We fished by the dam passing Zebe Creek up to the Power Lines before we even marked any fish or any bait at all,” Klassen said. “We slowly started seeing bait as we trolled all the way to Sycamore Cove. Needlefish, Speedy Shiners, or blade/’crawler combinations were the trick at depths from 20 to 35 feet on a setback of 50 feet on the downrigger. Even though we were unable to find any kings by rolling shad, we released a 13-inch spotted bass on the shad.” In the lower Kings River, another trout plant is scheduled this week, and interest in trout fishing remains high in the easily accessed locations such as Winton Park. Limits of planted rainbows remain possible with Joe’s Flies, Atomic Tubes, trout jigs, nightcrawlers, Power Bait, or live crickets. Citations remain a common occurrence for fishing with barbed hooks or in possession of trout. The catch-and-release section is located below the Alta Weir (also known as Cobbles Weir) extending downstream to the Highway 180 bridge. This area is considered a zero limit, catch-and-release zone where only artificial lures with barbless hooks are allowed. The flows have dropped to 392 cfs at Trimmer. The lake rose 2 feet to 843.72 feet in elevation and 47% of capacity. There are five club bass tournaments scheduled in February with one more in March.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
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 reported the water level in the main lake has come up, and most boaters are spooning 1.75-ounce. Duh! Spoons in shad patterns or drifting live minnows near the corner of the dam, around Romero Visitor Center, and the mouth of Portuguese Cove.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the reaction bite has been slow overall in the slowly rising big lake. “ Water temps are in the 57’s now and the water clarity continues to be around 10’ or more- which is unusually clear for now. The fishing improves later in the morning as the sun comes up. I scouted alone this week after a cancel , and I released 15 fish , most in the 21-24-inch range with three bigger fish in the mix up to eight pounds trolling Rapalas over 70-feet plus flats in the main lake and Portuguese Cove. Every trip lately has required finding active fish. It’s been a grind, although I got some higher end schoolies,” George said.
In the O’Neill Forebay, a small grade of striper from 16 to 18 inches is coming from the banks with bait along with white flukes on a scrounger head. The main lake and forebay held at 74% of capacity and 85% of capacity, respectively. 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
Captain Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing said, “Snow arrived on Saturday night into Sunday, and fishing is best from the shoreline with power bait across from the Sheriff’s Tower. There have only been a few boats out trolling, but the troll bite has slowed. There have been some quality rainbows caught in the past week.” 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
Kaiser Pass Road is closed to vehicle traffic with only snowmobile access available. Edison is at 24% of capacity, Florence at 9%, and Mammoth Pool at 18%.
Road conditions are available at the High Sierra Ranger Station – 855-5355 or https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
Road conditions 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Sunny weather at Shaver gave way to snow starting Saturday afternoon and into Sunday, and since the weather has been as cold as 18 degrees on Sunday morning, few boats have been on the lake. For hardy trollers, a couple limits per boat is the norm working from Black Rock to the mouth of Boy Scout Cove. On Friday prior to the storm moving in, Shaver Lake regulars Jay and Delinda Irvine along with Eric and Christine Dehaan, all of Visalia, put in a couple of limits after starting from the Sierra Ramp and working out to the Black Rock area. It was primarily the ladies fishing trip, and of the 10 rainbows, two were over 3 pounds. In the afternoons, orange and green Dick’s Trout Busters were the trick on a setback of 100 feet using a ½-ounce weight while Irvine set the downriggers at 14 feet. In addition to the Trout Busters, and orange and gold trolling fly was also effective with all lures ran between 11/3 and 1½ mph. Irvine said, ‘The bite was good between 9 and 10 a.m. before coming back on the afternoon between 2 and 3 p.m. The lake has come up in column making it possible to launch at the Edison ramp according to Dana Powell of Shaver Lake Sports.”
Check the Sierra Marina webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions Snow and rain is possible this coming weekend.
There hasn’t been any additional snow along the shorelines at Huntington, and fishing interest is left to the most dedicated brown trout trollers. Shaver is at 61 and Huntington at 46% of capacity.
Call: Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072; Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100.
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 0
McKinley Grove Road is closed, limiting access to both reservoirs. McKinley Grove Road will remain closed until the regularly scheduled reopening on Memorial Day weekend, depending upon weather.
Road conditions – Sierra National Forest Ranger Station 297-0706.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361.
Half Moon Bay
Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 Crabs 2
Crab-only trips for Dungeness crab or crab/sand dab trips are the only game in town, but interest remains slow for the crustacean ventures. Surf perch action has been limited by the high surf over the past few weeks. Berkley Sand Worms in New Penny along with Honey Badger or Lucky 13 grubs are effective for surf perch when the swell is down. The Pacifica Pier has reopened as of last week.
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
Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 crabs 3
From the beaches, Mickey Clements reported an excellent perch bite from the beaches around Watsonville and Pajaro with Berkley Sand Worms in New Penny along with Lucky 13 or Honey Badger grubs in motor oil/red flake. Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported charter boats out of Monterey were able to max out on sand dabs and Dungeness crab despite a large swell. Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching returned with up to 20 Petrale sole per trip plus ‘lots of Sand dabs.’ J&M Sportfishing is doing great with their Crab “N Dab trips, counting up to 80 Dungies and over 500 dabs per trip. Out of Moss Landing, private boaters report a significant number of baitfish right out in front of the harbor, a mix of anchovies and mackerel. Most boaters are concentrating on Dungeness crab, counting limits most days with three to 10 keepers per pot on a two-day soak. In the Santa Cruz area, Dungeness crabbing is getting better as the crustaceans crawl closer to the Pajaro and Soquel canyon edges. Crab are shallower than usual, with the best counts coming from waters 140 to 160 feet deep. Plenty of sand dabs in those same sand flat areas edging the canyons.
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 4 Striper 2 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2 Crab 2
Emeryville Sport Fishing has been offering crab-only trips, and Saturday’s trip returned with just over half-limits of Dungeness with 161 crab for 23 anglers. Earlier in the week, they came up with three-quarter limits with 148 Dungies for 19 anglers. The crab counts have dropped since the commercial season opened on Jan. 5, and many commercial boats are already stacking out due to low counts. The next season for boat-based fishing should be in April for rockfish. The annual Salmon Information Meeting in March should give a clue as to whether any sort of salmon season is possible. Inside the bay, halibut trolling season is only a few weeks away with boaters gearing up to head out of the south bay locations around Oyster Point by the end of February. A few flatfish to 24 inches have already been landed. Herring spawns remain intermittent along the Marin County shorelines near Sausalito, and fishing is either ‘feast or famine’ for dedicated herring chasers who are willing to drop everything to make a run when the word is out. The daily limit on herring is 10 gallons (approximately 10 pounds or 520 fish).
Leopard shark are the best option for action, and there are several locations throughout the bay where the sharks can be found. There is a seasonal sturgeon closure from Jan. 1 through March 15 within the following boundaries in San Francisco Bay: 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. Leopard shark and striped bass from the shorelines are the constant while sturgeon action has improved in the south bay.
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
It’s boat maintenance, whale watching, nature cruises, and surf perch time on San Luis Obispo County coast. The next party boat trips will take place in April for rockfish. 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 2
Striped bass action is best in the north Delta where the water has cleared up to 15 inches, but there are still linesides taken off of Decker and Sherman Islands on the anchor in 35 feet of water with frozen shad. The stripers are just picking up the bait in a typical winter bite in the 49- to 52-degree water. Despite the cold water, sturgeon fishing remains strong with Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing putting his clients onto 4 sturgeon caught and released out of seven bites this week. Largemouth bass action remains slow, but the water is just starting to cleqar up. Sturgeon Report Cards are due Friday, Jan. 31, and information on returning your report card online or via mail is available at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Fishes/Sturgeon/Report-Card.
The 18th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Derby is Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Pittsburg Marina, and this derby is unique in weighmasters are on the water to verify each sturgeon, and a successful catch is rewarded with a raffle ticket. The derby runs 7 a.m.-4 p.m. with specific boundaries in Suisun Bay, and each raffle ticket is placed into a hat, so each successful catch has an equal opportunity for the payouts running from firs to fifth.
Entry fee is $25 cash, and anglers can register at either the Pittsburg Marina at 51 Marina Blvd. (925) 439-4958 or the Fishermen’s Catch Bait and Tackle at 27 Marina Blvd. (925) 267-2535. In addition to the 100% payout for adult anglers, the derby is designed for youth participation. Youth 5- 12 are invited to participate in the free Kid’s Derby on Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Riverview Park Jetty, 2 River Park Drive in Pittsburg. Rods, rigs, and bait are available, and youth must be accompanied by a parent/guardian to sign a photo release.
Registration is required in advance, and participants can register by phone at (925) 439-4958 or the same venues as the Diamond Classic. All youth will receive a prize/award at the Award Ceremony. Entry to the Diamond Classic includes the Friday, Jan. 31 pre-derby seminar from 6 – 8 p.m. a large raffle to raise funds for youth prizes along with presentations by local six pack captains. The tournament award ceremony will be held at the Pittsburg Yacht Club at 5 p.m. on Feb. 1. There are encouraging signs in the south Delta as a 23-pound limit took Saturday’s 35-boat Nor Cal Bass event out of Ladd’s Marina. Senkos or lipless crankbaits were the key for the top three limits, but after dropping around 18 pounds for third, the remaining limits were in the 13-pound and less range. Punching the weeds inside of Frank’s Tract is producing largemouth along with tossing crankbaits for striped bass. Crappie continue to be taken at Paradise Cut and the Old River with live minnows or minijigs. Striped bass have also been taken in the Tracy area. In the south San Joaquin, the river is in good shape, and you can stay down with 4 ounces of lead, but fishing has been very slow with bait. A few resident striped bass are taken further downriver near the mouth of the Stanislaus. Fresh shad is unavailable with the cold water, but Stockton-area bait shops have plenty of frozen shad.
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
Tournament results
Jan. 18
Pine Flat –Sierra Bass Club
1st- Ron Orbaker – 11.87; 2nd –Dan Folia – 9.57 (Big Fish – 4.57); 3rd – Joe Ploharz – 8.86.
Jan. 25
Delta/Russo’s Marina –Nor Cal Bass
1st- Ian Maynard – 23.68 (Big Fish – 6.44); 2nd – David and Jessica Wild – 19.77; 3rd – Lorenzo and Luca Rossetti – 17.67.
McClure – Central Valley 17/90 Bass Club
1st- Dennis and Daniel – 18.56 (Big Fish – 8.15); 2nd – Andrew and Mike – 17.63 (2nd Big Fish – 7.68).
Millerton – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
1st- Tony and Danny Lopez – 11.89(Big Fish – 3.59); 2nd – Joe and Mike Ploharz – 10.19; 3rd – Rod and Scott Burns – 9.90.
Nacimiento – Golden Empire Bass Club
1st: Wyatt Moore/Austin Bonjour – 13.98; 2nd - Butch and Jeannie Graham – 11.75; 3rd – Dennis and Denny Polm – 11.74. Big Fish – Jim Myers – 4.14.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Feb. 1
Delta/Pittsburg Marina – 18th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Sturgeon Derby – Information: Pittsburg Marina (925) 439-4958.
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments/Kerman Bass Club
Feb. 2
Millerton – California Bass Federation
Feb. 8
Don Pedro – Sonora Bass Anglers
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Pine Flat – Bass 101
River Walk in Bakersfield – 1st Annual Cope’s Rod and Tackle Bakersfield Kids Outdoor Fishing Derby from 6 am to 12 noon.
Santa Margarita – American Bass Association
Feb. 9
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments/Kings River Bass Club
Millerton – Kings VIII Bass Club
Feb. 15
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
Don Pedro – Bay Area Bassbusters
Eastman – Kerman Bass Club
Pine Flat – Golden Empire Bass Club
Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments
Feb. 16
Delta/Russo’s Marina – The Bass Hole Inc.
Don Pedro – California Bass Federation
Feb. 22
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
Amador – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
Tulloch – Outlaw Bass Club
Don Pedro – Christian Bass League
McClure – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Millerton – Sierra Bass Club
Pine Flat – Kern County Bassmasters
Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
Feb. 23
Don Pedro – Riverbank Bass Anglers
Pine Flat – Fresno Bass Club
Feb. 28-March 2
Don Pedro – Bass Angler Inc.
March 1
Lake Pardee- Westside Bass
Eastman – Kerman Bass Club
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: Delta sturgeon leading the parade."