Central California fishing report: Delta stripers and sturgeon bites 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.
Best bets
Delta stripers and sturgeon bites are good, Alan Fong said. Wishon trout bite wide open, Kelly Brewer reported. Shaver kokanee and trout action good, Dick Nichols said. McClure bass and trout action solid, Aaron Jones reported. New Melones kicking out Kokanee limits and bass, Kyle Wise said. Don Pedro a multi-species Mecca, Monte Smith reported. Pine Flat bass on a solid topwater bite, Tas Moua said.
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 3
High winds over the weekend created challenging conditions on the aqueduct, but Yahir Leon of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said,
”The bite is starting to pick up with baitfish imitation lures such as flukes, jerkbaits, or paddletailed swimbaits.”
In the southern section of the aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported smaller striped bass are taken on cut sardines, anchovies, or live worms on a Carolina rig with a one ounce or heavier sliding sinker after check gates when the water was flowing. During lower flows, fly-lined cut baits seemed to attract more attention. White jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits, or small swimbaits also fooled striped bass around sunrise. Largemouth bass hit jerkbaits, PopR’s, or Senkos in the eddies before and after check gates and along and location with reduced current. Catfish anglers had great success using bait rigs with cut sardines, chicken liver, or dip bait.
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
Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported a good morning largemouth bass bite with most anything before the action slows about 10 a.m. before turning on about sunset. After 10 a.m., Moua said, “It’s time to work the offshore rockpiles at depths from 20 to 30 feet with finesse techniques of 6½-inch Trick Worms on the drop-shot.” At Hensley, Moua reported topwater lures along the banks are working before moving out to the rockpiles for bass in the 2- to 3- pound range. Eastman dropped over 3 feet to 548.10 feet in elevation and 60% of capacity with Hensley dropping 2½ feet to 499.67 feet in elevation and 42% of capacity. Only two events are scheduled at Eastman through the end of June.
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 3 King salmon 3 Crappie 2
With New Melones restricted to quarantined or decontaminated boats, Don Pedro was extremely busy over the holiday weekend. Prior to the weekend, Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing found good action at depths from 45 to 90 feet for brown trout, rainbow trout, king salmon, and kokanee. He said, “James Hollister of Turlock caught and released a 7½-pound/28-inch brown trout on ProTroll Kokanee Killer, and this fish fought hard. Every time we got it in sight of the boat, it started burning line once again. We have been rolling shad for the kings and rainbows, but kokanee gear has been working for all species. The kokanee are averaging from 14/15 inches, and they are fat and healthy. We haven’t found numbers of kokanee yet, but I know they are there. We have landed kings to 3 pounds, and although we aren’t seeing lots of bait, it had a 3-inch shad in its belly along with several smaller shad. The shad schools must be deep.” Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle reported a good morning topwater bite with River2Sea’s Whopper Ploppers or similar walking baits before heading down between 10 to 25 feet with plastics on the drop-shot or Senkos. Jones added, “Trollers are scoring limits of rainbow trout around the dam with spoons at 30 feet.” Launch ramp updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake rose to 818.20 feet in elevation, and the Blue Oaks may be closed temporarily without notice due to rising water. The lake will be very busy with 7 tournaments scheduled through the end of June.
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
The lake rose nearly 2 feet to 2583.72 feet in elevation and 61% of capacity. Cope’s reported fishing has been excellent across multiple species. Bass are demonstrating positive trends in shallow waters in the Camp 9, North Fork, and South Fork areas with Senkos, jigs, or reaction baits. Topwater lures such as white Spooks or prop baits are working well during early morning hours while jigs, plastics on the drop-shot, or creature baits keep the bite going throughout the day. Crappie continue with limit-style fishing around Camp 9, the Cages, and brushy areas in the South Fork with live shiners, small white or yellow minijigs, or 2-inch Keitech Easy Shiner swimbaits. Trout anglers saw good results near the marina with Power Bait while catfish are active cut bait, nightcrawlers, or Triple S Dip Bait.
In the Kern River, Cope’s reported excellent fishing conditions with both the upper and lower sections offering productive opportunities for anglers. In the upper Kern River, trout plants took place in Sections 4 (Powerhouse #3 to Riverside Park in Kernville), 5 (Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge), and 6 (Fairview Dam to Johnsondale Bridge). These stockings contributed to robust trout activity along the 20-mile stretch, particularly in easily accessible areas and deeper pools. Conventional anglers are finding success using spinners, trout worms, and salmon eggs, while fly anglers reported steady action with attractor nymphs and streamers especially during afternoon hours. The lower Kern River also saw favorable conditions, with all three canyon sections—Section 1 (Democrat Beach to Lower Richbar), Section 2 (Sandy Flat to Democrat Beach), and Section 3 (Sandy Flat to Isabella Dam) having been stocked two weeks prior. Trout fishing remained strong with salmon eggs, GULP! Pinched Crawlers, chartreuse garlic Power Bait, or spinners. Bass fishing remains solid, particularly in the canyon and stretches leading into Bakersfield, with soft plastics, jigs, or crankbaits. Catfish were also active, responding well to cutbait, nightcrawlers, or Triple S Dip Bait.
The flows in the upper Kern River rose again from 2065 to 2294 cfs at Kernville while water releases out of the lake are steady at 784 cfs at First Point. Three bass tournaments are scheduled during the month of June.
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 3 Crappie 2 Trout 2Catfish 3
The lake rose 6½ feet to 713.22 feet in elevation and 98% of capacity. Cope’s reported water temperatures are good for spring bass action with largemouth and spotted bass active throughout the water column, especially during early mornings and late afternoons. Small jigs, plastic on a shakey head or Carolina-rig along with Senkos are effective along rocky shorelines, bluff walls, and in the backs of coves at depths from 5 and 25 feet deep. On windy days, jerkbaits and crankbaits are also proving effective. Crappie anglers are found with live minnows around the Horse Creek and Slide Rock areas in submerged structure at depths from 10 to 15 feet. Cut anchovies, chicken liver, or dip bait near the marina and other shoreline access points are best for catfish. The Kaweah River held steady at 1,156 cfs at Three Rivers with consistent snow melt. A single bass tournament is scheduled through the end of June.
Lake Success
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake rose 1¼ feet to 651.75 feet in elevation and 100% of capacity. Cope’s reported
the newly submerged structure and vegetation have created prime ambush points for largemouth bass. Small crankbaits, blade baits along with plastics on the drop-shot or Carolina -rig are effective for bass while crappie are found near the docks on small live minnows or small swimbaits. Cut bait or Triple S Dip Bait are best for catfish.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 3 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported bass fishing has been solid for smaller fish with topwater lures in the mornings, saying, “Whopper Ploppers of similar walking baits are working early before heading out to around 20 feet in depth with plastics on the drop-shot or shakey head along with jigs. The entire lake is producing rainbow trout for trollers pulling spoons around 35 feet in depth, and bank anglers are scoring with Chunky Cheese Power Bait.” The Central Valley 17/90 Bass Club held a tournament over the weekend, and a three-pound average was necessary to place in the top three. The Reel Deel Market at Barrett’s Cove is open with summer hours. The lake rose 2½ feet to 854.06 feet in elevation and 91% of capacity. Tournament action has slowed down with only 4 tournaments scheduled through the end of June.
Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake McSwain
Trout 2
Bank fishing has slowed with the lack of plants over the past several weeks. Trollers have the upper hand as holdover rainbows have moved into the river arm. Rapalas, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler, or spoons at depths from the surface to 15 feet have been effective for a few quality holdovers per rod. The Reel Deal Market at McSwain opened for summer hours over the Memorial Day Weekend. The lake is at 77% of capacity. The Splash and Dash opened over Memorial Day weekend, and the lake is rapidly transitioning to a summer swimming location. Information: https://mysplashndash.com/knowbeforeyougo/#hours.
Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 2 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
As anticipated, American shad are migrating up the river arm as is the case in late May/early June and taking shad darts . Tas Moau of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported the best action for better grade of bass is in the river arm past Temperance with topwater lures. The main lake remains slow for fishing with heavy recreational boat pressure. The lake rose two feet to 565.43 feet in elevation and 89% of capacity. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are steady at 571 cfs. Sycamore Island is open every day from 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Only one bass tournament is scheduled through the end of June.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Quick limits of quality kokanee remain the rule as Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service scored three limits for his clients within 1 hour/45 minutes on Sunday evening running Brad’s Cut Plugs or Wiggle Hoochies behind a gold dodger at 50 feet in the main lake.
“Fishing is absolutely stupid right now as we limited out on three consecutive trips on Sunday,” he said. “By August, some of the kokanee will be pushing 20 inches.” Bass fishing remains outstanding with a morning and evening topwater bite before working offshore with plastics on the drop-shot or wacky-rigged Senkos at depths from 10 to 25 feet. Most bass are in post-spawn mode now. The Glory Hole and Tuttletown ramps are open from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Tuttletown ramp is closed from Monday through Thursday, but the Glory Hole ramp will be open their normal hours from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Thursday. A decontamination unit will be available at the New Melones Marina on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and boaters are advised to schedule a decontamination via https://musseldecon.com/ with a deposit of $60. Costs will vary from a minimum of $60 up depending upon the size and complexity of the vessel. Downstream Lake Tulloch has established the 30-day quarantine process to allow boating for inspected boats after the quarantine period is completed, and the first day the lake was open for quarantined boats was May 16.
New Melones is releasing water, and it is currently at 1,047.10 feet in elevation and 81% of capacity. Tulloch is at 96% 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 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
“The bite is picking up as the water is stabilizing, and there are small bass roaming around in the main lake, but the best action is in the upper reservoir around Trimmer or Sycamore with a solid topwater bite along with 3.8-inch Keitech swimbaits, underspins, plastics on a drop-shot or Neko-rig or Senkos,“ Tas Moau of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle said. In the lower Kings River, the flows rose over 500 cfs to 4279 cfs at Trimmer, and anglers must be very careful and wear a properly functioning life vest in the high flows. Anglers have been leaving the bank areas littered with debris, and all fishermen should leave the area cleaner than went they arrived. 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 lake rose nearly four feet to 923.55 feet in elevation and 84% of capacity. No tournaments are scheduled at Pine Flat through the end of June.
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
Yahir Leon of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported the main lake continues to outproduce the O’Neill Forebay, and both boaters and bank anglers are tossing paddletailed swimbaits, flukes, jerkbaits, or umbrella rigs around submerged rocky banks. Anchovies or jumbo minnows are also effective from the banks.Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the main lake continues to fall nearly a foot a day – with the level falling to 1.38 million acre feet now— a 30-foot drop in the last month.
“The falling water levels added to the overall windy conditions -has the fish moving around a lot right now. I’m covering water with regular minnow lures in the 50-70 foot range and deeper, searching for active schools. The fish are still in spawning mode too. The wind continues to be a huge factor right now- which is common for the May- June period. It looks like some very hot weather is forecast this coming weekend followed by a sharp temp drop …again! It’s been tough fishing for reaction anglers and trollers lately. The algae is also growing like crazy!” George said.
In the forebay, small, undersized striped bass remain the rule with the best action on topwater lures in low light conditions. Largemouth bass fishing remains solid with chatterbaits or spinnerbaits. The wind has been a concern at both reservoirs. On San Luis Reservoir, there are 3 wind warning and lake closure lights near the Basalt entrance station, Quien Sabe Point, and Romero Visitor Center, and on the O’Neill Forebay, wind warning lights are located near the old Medeiros boat ramp and above the South Beach area. Amber lights signify caution conditions for winds or other concerns. Red lights indicate the lake is closed to boating and all vessels are required to immediately vacate the lake when the red lake closure lights are on. The main lake dropped to 67% of capacity with the forebay rising slightly to 79% of capacity. 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 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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 0
Captain Mike Beighey, of Bass Lake Fishing has been scoring full limits of trout every day this week, saying, “It’s time to fish Bass Lake as we e are getting almost constant action each trip with ample fish to cull out the smaller trout, keeping the larger ones for limits for my clients. We put 5 limits in the box on Saturday.” Beighey is using a combination of Fin Leaper lures, Dick’s Trout Buster’s, or orange Apex lures behind blue Dick’s Mountain Dodgers at depths from 20 to 30 feet near the dam. Tas Moua reported an excellent weightless Senko bite for bass on the grass flats, and trout fishing from the banks across from Ducey’s has been outstanding with several tagged trout landed from the early May Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Fishing Derby. 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 rose to 48% of capacity, Florence rose to 52% of capacity, and Mammoth Pool rising to 99% of capacity due to snowmelt. Mammoth Pool is closed through June 15 for the annual deer migration, but there is some excellent news as Southern California Edison (SCE), in partnership with the Sierra National Forest are rehabilitating the boat launch and campground. According to the Sierra National Forest’s press release, “The campground and boat launch have recently been turned over to SCE’s control to begin the rehabilitation work. To complete this work, SCE will need one year for the boat launch-related work (until May 2026), and two years for the campground (May 2027), keeping in mind that given the elevation, there is only a limited window of time to complete this type of work during the year. Forest Order 05-15-51-25-06 covering SCE’s rehabilitation work will be released soon.” Road conditions are available at the High Sierra Ranger Station – 855-5355 or https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra. Kaiser Pass was anticipated to open over Memorial Day weekend.
Road conditions 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle, said, “The lake has been kicking out multiple limits of second-year kokanee to 12 inches with some reporting a great bite while others think the bite has slowed a bit over the past two weeks. Dave McGlothin of Clovis and Doc Barb Stewart of Prather hit the water on Wednesday, and McGlothin said it was not the same bite that was the week before, but they managed to pick up and release 4 limits of second-year kokanee to 12 inches using Dick’s Mountain new Jimbo Trout Busters or Dick’s Pink Tube’s behind either D-MAC or Doc Barb Dick’s Mountain Dodgers 25 feet deep trolling from the Point to the island and Black Rock to Eagle Point. On Friday, Dave Loftin of Visalia trolled from the dam toward the Point., and he caught and released 14 kokanee to 12 inches and 10 rainbow trout to 16 inches with Dick’s pink Koke Buster tipped with two kernels of scented corn behind a Dick’s Mini Mountain Flasher with a 100 foot setback on the downrigger along with a Dick’s purple Mountain Tube tipped with a Gulp! night crawler behind a Dick’s Mountain Flasher at a 100 foot set back on a side pole. He found most of his fish from the dam to the Point and Edison Bay with most fish holding near the point. Captain Paul Brown of Fishing with Paul Guide Service pre- fished solo on Saturday, and he caught and released 14 kokanee out of 28 hookups using pink Dick’s Mountain Tube’s behind a D- MAC Mountain Dodger at 28 to 40 feet deep. Brian Klassen and crew found similar results over the weekend.” Both ramps are open. Check the Sierra Marina webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. At Huntington, bank fishing should be picking up soon at the mouth of Rancheria Creek. Check the Sierra Marina webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. A trout plant took place at Huntington last week, and Jay and Delinda Irvine along with Jody and Lisa Allen Visalia found a hot trout and kokanee bite for 35 fish, mostly released. They trolled Dick’s Texas Tea Trout Buster’s behind a Doc Barb Mountain Dodger for good action prior to sunrise before switching over to Paulina Peak’s pink and nickel beaded spinner with Moon Jelly Glow spinner blades behind a Paulina Peak gold plated dodger with pink stripe at 23 feet in depth at 1½ MPH on the downrigger. On side rods, Irvine ran Paulina Peak P-Lite dodgers in gold plated with pink/purple scales with either a Paulina Peak pink and gold bead spinner or pink/purple Micro Minnow with Moon Jelly Spinner weightless at a setback of 90 feet. Shaver held at 77% of capacity with Huntington rising to 99% of capacity with snowmelt flowing down the inlets.
Call: Paul Brown 300-4001; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072; Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100.
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 3
Kelly Brewer of the Wishon RV Park and Store reported Courtright is now open, and both Wishon and Courtright are wide open with fish biting everything that is thrown in the water for trout to 14 inches at Courtright and 12 to 14 inches at Wishon.” The lake levels are coming up, and he is hoping P. G. and E. will put the docks in soon. He added that launching boats is no problem at either lake, and Wishon continues to rise.
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
Few party boats have been out in search of rockfish, but Captain Bill Smith of the Riptide put his 15 customers onto limits of rockfish and a solitary lingcod on Sunday. This port and surrounding campsites and hotels should be busy for the first of the two-day openers on June 7-8. The recreational quota for the early season is 7,000 salmon, and it may be reached within two days. Shallow water rockfishing is open until Sept. 30.
Call: Captain Melynda Dodds, New Captain Pete (512) 825- 8225; Captain Chris Chang, Ankeny Street (650) 279-8819.
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 3 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch
Shallow water rockfish remain the rule with boats from Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey returning with limits of rockfish and around a half-lingcod per rod. Monday’s trips produced 44 limits along with 19 lingcod combined on the CheckMate and the Caroline. Shallow water rockfishing in 20 fathoms or less lasts until Sept. 30. The June 7-8 salmon opener will be very busy out of Santa Cruz, Moss Landing, and Monterey as traditionally the salmon schools congregate early in the season in deep water around the Soquel and Pajaro Holes. From the beaches, Yahir Leon of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported outstanding striped bass fishing around Monterey, Marina, and Watsonville with Duo Realis jerkbaits in sizes from 130 to 160 in the sardine pattern. Perch fishing is also strong around the Watsonville beaches with motor oil/red grubs on a Carolina-rig.
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 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2
Thursday and Friday were some of the best days for halibut action this year as the party boats found a mass of fish in San Pablo Bay, but the wind and big tides arrived on Saturday, shutting the halibut bite down to a crawl.
Captain Jonathan Smith of the Happy Hooker out of Berkeley Marina posted an excellent score of 34 halibut and 21 striped bass for 23 anglers on Friday before the water turned dirty. They worked hard for just over a fish per rod on Saturday with 12 halibut and 13 striped bass for 19 passengers. Captain James Smith of the California Dawn 2 out of Berkeley posted a similar score with some of the best halibut fishing in both numbers and grade on Thursday and Friday before the bite became a grind over the weekend. On Sunday, the California Dawn 2 scored over a fish per rod with 13 halibut and 11 striped bass for 12 anglers while the California Dawn 1 returned with 24 striped bass and 3 halibut for 21 customers. Over the past few years, the halibut bit even on the larger tides, but this year is a different story with tide movement making a huge difference with a limited quantity of flatfish in the bay. The California Dawn 2 found a spot of halibut on Monday morning, and they returned with well over a fish per rod with 25 halibut to a whopping 28 pounds and 19 striped bass to 9 pounds for 30 anglers. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing confirmed the challenging bite over the weekend with high winds churning up the dirty water from the minus tides. He said, “You must work your windows and hope that the water is clear enough for the halibut to find your bait. The live bait is in great shape, and we have been averaging a bit over a fish per rod.”
Along the Marin coastline, Captain Jon Yokomizo of the Sea Wolf out of Emeryville put in a combined 45 limits of rockfish and lingcod over the weekend. Boat-based rockfishing is limited to 20 fathoms until Sept. 30.
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 2 Surf perch 2
It’s all about rockfish from the San Luis Obispo ports, and the score are averaging around half-limits per rod. From Morro Bay Landing, three boats were out on Sunday with a combined 74 anglers for 356 assorted rockfish, 102 vermilion, 70 Boccaccio to 13 pounds, 18 copper, and seven lingcod. The Black Pearl out of Morro Bay was also out on Sunday with 33 passengers for 150 assorted rockfish, 8 vermilion, and 7 lingcod to 10 pounds. From Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, two boats were out with 44 anglers on Sunday for 81 assorted rockfish, 13 Boccaccio, 9 Bolina, 5 vermilion, and a copper. The local rockfish season below Point Lopez is open at all depths through June 30.
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 3
Wind has been the daily story on California Delta, and it has put a damper on fishing over the past week. Memorial Day Weekend is the start of the transition for the California Delta to be a summer destination for waterskiers, jetskiers, and wakeboarders, Few anglers are targeting sturgeon, but the diamondbacks are thick in Suisun Bay. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing will be concentrating on tagging as many fish as possible this week with Passive Indicator Transponder (PIT) tags as the survey ends on May 30. The Fish and Game Commission recently adopted an additional 90-day period for emergency regulations for catch-and-release only, and they are prepared to make a regulatory decision during their June meeting. It remains to be seen if there will be a limited harvest for white sturgeon or remain a catch-and-release fishery.
Striped bass remain throughout the Delta, but many of the linesides are heading back into San Francisco Bay and out the Golden Gate to feed along the coastline. There may be another two to three weeks of striper fishing as the linesides are moving out. Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, reported a solid striped bass bite in the east Delta from Ladd’s Marina upstream to Fourteen Mile Slough with a variety of techniques.
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors posted limits to 11 pounds in the north Delta, and he said, “There are still a lot of stripers in the Delta.” Fong added, “The American shad run is just starting, and it will be ‘off the hook’ in a couple of weeks. Freeport and the mouth of the American River are top locations for American shad with 1-inch champagne grubs or Sabiki rigs, but you must remove all but three hooks on the Sabikis.”
Bass fishing is best around an hour and a half on either side of the high tide with chatterbaits or spinnerbaits in the windy conditions. Overall, bass action has been fair.
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
May 17-18
Don Pedro – Sierra Bass Club
1st – Ron Orbaker/Darrell Barnett – 31.24 (Big Fish –Orbaker- 5.89); 2nd – Carlos Contreras Sr. and Jr. – 29.18; 3rd –– Michael Pair/Jamal Lane – 27.93.
May 24
Delta/ - Yak A Bass
1st – Matthew Brannon – 103.75 inches (Big Fish – 24.75 inches); 2nd – Obedie Williams – 98 inches; 3rd- Casey Remy – 89.75 inches.
McClure – Central Valley 17/90 Bass Club
1st – Chris/Destiny – 12.56 pounds; 2nd – George/Sam – 12.46 (Big Fish – 3.69); 3rd- Quincy/Juan – 11.43.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Note – tournaments scheduled for New Melones, Camanche, Tulloch, or Pardee are subject to change and will not be listed
May 24
New Hogan – 17/90 Bass Club
Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
May 25
Delta/Big Break Marina – California Bass Federation
May 30 – June 1
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Bass Angler Magazine Inc.
Don Pedro – Modesto Ambassadors
June 7-8
Delta/B and W Resort – Fresno Bass Club
Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments
June 7
McClure – Kerman Bass Club
Isabella – Golden Empire Bass Club
June 8
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesta Ambassadors/Riverbank Bass Club
Los Banos Creek – Kings VIII Bass Club
June 14-15
Don Pedro – California B.A.S.S. Nation
June 14
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Angler’s Press
Delta/Big Break Marina – Bass N’ Tubes
Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation
Don Pedro – 17/90 Bass Club
Shaver Lake – Greg Mark’s Youth Fishing Tournament
Eastman – Sierra Bass Club
Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Isabella – Kern County Bassmasters/American Bass Association
Lopez – Bakersfield Bass Club
June 15
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association
Millerton – Bass 101
June 21
Delta/Russo’s Marina – The Bass Hole Inc.
Don Pedro – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies/Oro Madre Bass Club
McClure – Yak A’Bass
Eastman – Kings River Bass Club
Santa Margarita – Best Bass Tournaments
June 22
Delta/B and W Resort – Best Bass Tournaments
San Antonio – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
June 28
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
June 29
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: Delta stripers and sturgeon bites good."