Central California fishing report: Delta bass and striper action 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 bass and striper action good, Alan Fong reported.new Melones catfish, trout and bass biting, Kyle Wise said. McSwain trout plants producing easy limits, Dave Hurley reported. Don Pedro kicking out king salmon, trout and bass, Monte Smith said. Isabella is the place for multi- species action, CopesTackle 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 3

Increased pumping out of the south Delta down the California Aqueduct has led to much higher flows, requiring more than 6 ounces of lead to hold the bottom. The overall striped bass bite has been slow, but this Saturday is Striperz Gone Wild’s 5-Year Anniversary Fishing Tournament at Volta Road near Los Banos. The event should draw over 100 anglers to this section of the aqueduct. The tournament starts at 6 a.m.with the weigh in at 2 p.m. There are prizes for first through third in both the adult and youth divisions. Several tackle vendors will be present along with a bounce house and food vendors. In the southern section of the aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported aqueduct remained consistent for most anglers with little to no change from the previous week as catfish and largemouth bass remain the best bets. SSS dip bait, cut bait, or chicken liver where faster-moving water met calmer sections for the whiskerfish while largemouth anglers used poppers and Whopper Plopper-style baits along the water’s edge along with Senkos and Texas-rigged green pumpkin plastics producing bites in the eddies. Striped bass anglers found success using cut sardines, mackerel, or fresh shrimp while jerkbaits and topwater walking baits drew bites at sunrise.

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’

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake​

Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

At Eastman, Tas Moua reported the overall bite has been slower with 4 to 6 fish a good day with one or two big ones in the mix. He said, “It is a grind. Targeting ledges in 10 to 15 feet of water with crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, or shaking a minnow using Live Scope. The thermocline seems to be between 10 and 20 feet.” At Hensley, Moua reported catfish and carp continue to be the top species. Both lakes have stopped releasing water, and Eastman is at 474.51 feet in elevation and 10% of capacity with Hensley at 455.24 feet in elevation and 8% of capacity. No tournaments are scheduled at Eastman through the end of October.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; 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 2 King salmon 3 Crappie 2

Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported continued strong action for both king salmon and rainbow trout at depths from 40 to 75 feet with the best action between 55 and 65 feet. He said, “Optimizer Jr., Excel’s, or my custom shad-patterned spoons are working, but the trout are starting to scatter. We worked around a stretch of water about 3/4ths of a mile for our fish. The spotted bass are like wolfpacks, and when you see a few on the meter, an entire pack will start moving in and all the rods light up. The water temperature is cooling off, and it is around 74-75 degrees. We had hundreds of grebes last week working the shad schools, but they were in small groups of 4 or 5 birds this week.” For bass, Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle reported Don Pedro is the most productive of the Mother Lode lakes as the bass are chasing shad schools throughout the lake and into the coves. Flukes, spoons, topwater lures, or small paddletailed swimbaits are working. He added, “Covering water with a mid- to deep-diving crankbait is effective to locate the fish for those without sonar.” Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake dropped to 791.30 feet in elevation. Three bass tournaments are scheduled in October. A self-inspection is required for launching.

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

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area​

Bass 3 Trout 3 Crappie 3 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3

The lake dropped a half foot to 2,568.47 feet in elevation and 39% of capacity with surface temperatures around 80 degrees. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported finding submerged structure is the key for crappie which are plentiful throughout the lake. The best numbers are found near Red’s Marina with minijigs, live shiners, or small Keitech swimbaits. The bass bite remains solid with most fish in the 1– to 2-pound range along with the occasional larger catch. Early mornings have produced well on topwater around isolated stick-ups and rock piles using poppers, walkers, or prop baits. As the day warms, anglers are switching to 6– to 9-inch worms in purple, Aaron’s Magic, or red craw on a Texas-rig at depths from 15 to 25 feet of points. Trout action for rainbows to 3 pounds remains steady at the North Fork and around the dam with Kastmasters, Thomas Buoyants, trout jigs, or floating baits while trollers using Needlefish, Tasmanian Devils, or Berkley’s Flicker Shad on lead core. Catfish are showing in good numbers on frozen shad, Triple S Dip Bait, live shiners, or nightcrawlers. In the upper Kern River, trout plants are scheduled in the upper Kern sections 4, 5, and 6 the week of Oct. 6, section 4 the weeks of Oct. 13 and 20, and sections 4 and 5 the week of Oct. 27. Cope’s reported plantings usually happen at the easy access points, so if you’re chasing planters, that’s the best place to start. Anglers continue to locate trout in eddies and river bends along the 20-mile stretch on salmon eggs, trout jigs, or black/gold Panther Martins. Attractor patterns are best for fly fishermen. In the Lower Kern, trout are being caught in the canyon up to Keysville with jigs and spinners while bass anglers are picking up both largemouth and smallmouth on small plastics, Get Bent Baits, or spinnerbaits. Catfish action remains steady on nightcrawlers, chicken liver, or cut bait.

The flows in the upper Kern River held rose slightly to 424 cfs at Kernville while water releases out of the lake have also held at 517 cfs at First Point. One bass tournament is scheduled at Isabella in October.

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

​The lake dropped a half foot to 589.17 feet in elevation and 8% of capacity. Cope’s reported bass anglers are finding fish over 10 pounds targeting deeper structure with jigs or deep-diving crankbaits. One local angler reported landing several bass to 5 pounds working a spinnerbait in 20 feet of water. Numbers are taken on plastics in brown, purple, or baitfish on a shakey head or drop-shot. Few reports for catfish or crappie. The Kaweah River rose slightly to 86 cfs at Three Rivers. No bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of October.

Lake Success​

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake dropped a foot to 595.30 feet in elevation and 12% of capacity. Cope’s reported a good bite for bass with Senkos or plastic worms on a finesse rig along with the occasional topwater or crankbait fish. The bass are holding in deep water to 30 feet. Catfish continue to be taken on cut baits, nightcrawlers, or chicken liver while crappie bit small live minnows near the submerged trees.

McClure Reservoir​

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

Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait in Modesto reported jigs, Senkos, or plastics on the drop-shot are the top producers for numbers of spotted bass. Like Don Pedro, covering water with a mid- to deep-diving crankbait is an effective technique to locate fish for those without sonar. The lake dropped 2 feet to 802.86 feet in elevation and 62% of capacity. There are six bass tournaments scheduled in October.

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

Lake McSwain

Trout 3

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife planted 1,500 pounds of rainbow trout on Sept. 25 with an additional plant the week of Oct. 6. With the recent plant, bank anglers are scoring up to five fish limits with Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters from the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, or the peninsula between the Marina. This weekend is the Merced Irrigation District’s Fall Trout Derby, and the derby format is changed this year with no derby registration, and no FishDonkey. Just a full day of fishing, fun, and community. If you catch a tagged fish between 7 a.m.-3 p.m., you could score surprises like cabin stays, camping trips, annual passes, Splash-n-Dash tickets, lunch at the Reel Deal, and more. A $20 vehicle entry fee applies on Oct. 4 and covers all passengers for derby participation. Free vehicle entry for active/veteran military, first responders, and Merced & Mariposa County students. 500 pounds of rainbow trout were also planted in the Merced River Section 1, and another trout plant is scheduled here during the week of Oct. 6. The lake is at 85% of capacity.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River​

Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2

Tas Moua reported spotted bass in the 1- to 1½-pound range are found up in the river arm with plastics on a shakey head or drop-shot. 10 to 15-fish days are possible. Brush Hogs on a Texas-rig have been working for bass around the Courthouse. The lake rose 6 feet to 513.19 feet in elevation and 49% of capacity. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant remain steady at 211 cfs. Sycamore Island is open every day from 6 a.m.-5:30 p.m. No bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of October.

Call: Fresno 559 Bait and Tackle 515-6273.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch​

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

It’s trout and catfish time at New Melones, and Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service said, “It’s stupid good right now as we put in 10 rainbows within an hour and a half running custom painted Speedy Shiners or T-Spoons in pink/purple or red/gold at depths from 60 to 90 feet. After limiting out on trout, we have been bringing the downriggers up between 30 and 50 feet, and there are tons of spotted bass in deep water feeding on the shad schools.” Catfishing remains solid in the evenings in the coves with cut mackerel scented with garlic. For bass, Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto said, “It sounds like the shad schools haven’t developed yet as they have at Don Pedro, but a variety of techniques can be used for success.” All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated for golden mussels. A decontamination unit is available at the New Melones Marina, 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 to $180 up depending upon the size and complexity of the vessel. Boats not making a reservation will be charged as much as $180. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the Glory Hole and Tuttletown ramps are open from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. From Monday through Thursday, only the Glory Hole ramp is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.. The hours are subject to change. Downstream Lake Tulloch established the 30-day quarantine process to allow boating for inspected boats after the quarantine period is completed. The lake dropped nearly a foot to 1015.97 feet in elevation and 68% of capacity with downstream Tulloch at 93% 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 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Tas Moua reported the bass are suspending at depths from 15 to 30 feet, chasing bait and schooling up. There is a topwater bite with a wing-style topwater lure like a Megabass I-Wing or Imakatsu Dragonfly worked slow with pauses. He added, “Chatterbaits are also working.” In the lower Kings River, the flows dropped slightly to 311 cfs at Trimmer this week. A trout plant of large brooders occurred this week, and additional plants are scheduled the weeks of Oct. 6, 20, and 27. Trout fishing for the planted rainbows remains strong with some limiting quickly after the plant with Roostertails, Panther Martin’s, Joe’s Flies, salmon eggs, or Power Bait. The conditions are excellent with the lowered flows. 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 1½ feet to 768.65 feet in elevation and 22% of capacity. No more tournaments are scheduled through the end of September with one in October.

Call: 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273; ‘Fishing with Jimmy T’ on YouTube.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay​

Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

The water level in the main lake continues to rise to 51% of capacity with increased pumping out of the south Delta. Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported the striped bass bite is picking up a bit as sales of pile worms and anchovies were high over the weekend. He said, “It’s mostly wait and bait right now, but there are some scoring with jerkbaits Duo Realis 120 jerkbaits or Diawa’s SP Minnows. The topwater bite hasn’t taken off yet, but if the weather stabilizes, it should take off in another week.” In the O’Neill Forebay, Tas Moau reported boils continue to happen in open water, but these are mostly undersized striped bass. The larger, legal, fish are taken in the flats without too much grass with topwater lures or jerkbaits. He added, “The largemouth bass are mixed in with the stripers, and they are hanging around in the grass. There are baby bass around as well as a late spawn took place in July.” The forebay is at 83% of capacity.

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the overall troll and reaction bite continues to be slow for numbers.” It’s taking a lot of work to find the active fish that will bite lately- and we’re not sure why it’s not better. I took out a guest ,Guy Miller of San Lorenzo, last Friday and I tried everything I could to find active fish most of the day- ending with only 4 fish for the effort. The funny thing is – my guest was just sitting there holding his pole – when he started yelling out that he had a big fish on that was ripping out line. We were lucky to land and release his new personal best striper going 38 inches, and 23.1 pounds. That big fish saved the day for us as we worked the 60-70 foot depth range. . I’m hoping for the unusually slow bite patterns to change soon.” George said.

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. Los Banos Creek Reservoir is closed to public access through April 2026.

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

Bass Lake guide, Truong Nguyen, put a family of customers onto a dozen trout on Sunday trolling pink or orange squids at 20 feet deep. Captain Mike Beighey, of Bass Lake Fishing reported slow trout action overall, but a few trout can be found around the dam at 30 feet with Dick’s Jimbo Trout Busters tipped with a nightcrawler or a Gulp! Worm behind a blue Mountain Dodger. With the overall slow trout bite, Beighey will resume guiding in March 2026.

For bass, Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported a 9-pound largemouth was landed on a swimbait worked mid water column. He added, “Topwater lures, Brush Hogs, or plastics on a drop-shot are picking up bass here and there.” A live webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. One bass tournament is scheduled in September with one in October. Call: Tas Moua, Fresno 559 Bait and Tackle 515-6273.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool​

Travelers to the high country must be aware of current road conditions as evacuations may be in order. Water releases during at the High Sierra lakes slowed down with Edison dropping slightly to 50% of capacity, Florence holding at 39%, with Mammoth Pool dropping to 49%. 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.

Road conditions 297-0706.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake​

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2

Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols, reported, “Shaver fishing is slow at best as good fishermen like Jarrett Watson, the tackle manager at Shaver Lake Sports, was only able to land one small kokanee out of just a few hits while out with a friend on Friday. Watson said, Of the four or five boats out, no one reported any trout or kokanee to the boat, but the small mouth bite was hot. This has been going on for a few weeks now. Dave Loftin of Visalia was the last known successful troller two weeks ago bagging nine kokanee and six trout including a 19-inch/3-pound brown. Since then, the bite has been off. Loftin said this week that the cool weather should increase the trout bite, and I agree. At Huntington, few fishermen are on the lake, but recently, most were connecting with small kokanee and planter size trout at 35 feet deep.”

Check the Sierra Marina webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Shaver dropped slightly to 68% of capacity with Huntington holding at 69% of capacity.

Call: Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Paul Brown 300-4001.

Wishon/Courtright​

Trout 0

The Garnet Fire continues to close access to Wishon and Courtright Reservoirs. The latest update from the Sierra National Forest on September 19 states, “The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and fire officials working the Garnet Fire have elected to modify zone K27, which was previously in an evacuation order. K27 has been divided into two zones, K27A and K27B. K27A has been placed into an evacuation warning. This zone includes Courtright and Wishon Reservoirs. K27B will remain in an evacuation order. Although K27A is now in a warning, access to this area is still restricted through K27B. Only those with a proof of residency in K27A will be allowed to pass through K27B, with an escort. In addition, the Sierra National Forest still has a forest closure in effect. A FS-7700 form will be required to enter the closed portion of the forest. Contact the District Ranger’s Office at (559) 855-5355 to request the FS-7700 form.

Link to the Fresno County Sheriff’s evacuation map: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html... More detailed information can be viewed on the Facebook page of the U.S. Forest Service – Sierra National Forest. https://www.facebook.com/SierraNF

The public may access the U.S. Forest Service fire information line by dialing (559) 490-7329.” The closure starts at the intersection of Trimmer Springs Road, continuing north along Big Creek Forest Road 10S69, and then up to the intersection with Dinkey Creek Road. It also includes the McKinley Grove Road at Camp Fresno to the north, and areas with no public access to Courtright, Wishon or east to the trailheads to the John Muir Wilderness and beyond, to the south. A trout plant is scheduled for Wishon the week of Oct. 6.

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

With the newly opened federal and state waters, rockfishing continues to be outstanding as pinnacles and rocks that haven’t been touched in years are now available. Captain James Smith of the California Dawn 2 out of Berkeley made the long run down the San Mateo coastline on Sunday for for 23 lingcod to 15 pounds and 20 limits of rockfish. The Bay Area fleet continues to head south when the ocean is too rough to travel to the Farallons. Captain Melynda Dodds of the New Captain Pete out of Half Moon Bay is loading up on their coastal trips, and the Riptide, also out of Half Moon Bay, posted eight limits of rockfish and 4 lingcod over the weekend. Dungeness crab/rockfish combination trips start on Saturday, Nov. 1, and there is high anticipation for a solid season.

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 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch

From the beaches, Mickey Clements from Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill reported striped bass are moving north up the coastline on their migration through San Francisco Bay into the Delta, but there are some stragglers taken in the early morning with Duo Realis Tide Minnows in dark patterns. Surf perch fishing is best around Monterey with Lucky 13 or Honey Badger’s grubs in motor oil/red flake on a Carolina-rig.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “Rockfish is going strong both for nearshore and deep water species. Most productive areas are from Point Pinos, south past Carmel, and to Big Sur of course. Charter boats from Monterey continue to report full limits most days with Chris’ Fishing trips counting 250 cod and 110 lings for 25 anglers aboard the Check Mate. Fisherman’s Wharf neighbors J & M Sport Fishing posted full limits of rockfish for the Chubasco with 22 anglers, as well as the Kahuna on a four-hour trip with 13 guys fishing. Moss Landing anglers are doing well on a variety of species while fishing the edge of the big submarine canyons. They reported a good mix of rockfish, lingcod and big sand sole. Reports indicated a good mix of rockfish, lingcod, sand dabs and bigger sand sole. Large size bluefin and even albacore tuna are still on the menu for Monterey Bay boats. Windy conditions offshore limited the number of days boats could commit to ranging long from the safety of our harbors. Boats from Moss headed out 60 miles this week, when the weather cooperated. Reports trickled in through the week of bluefin caught in the ones and twos every other day or so. Bluefin in the 170- to 200-pound range were reported caught by a few boats. Anglers are trolling Mad Macs or jigging up live mackerel for the slow troll. They are also seeing but only occasionally catching big tuna near the Davenport “Fingers” area, where the water is holding steady at 65 degrees. The Fingers are submarine canyons about 10 to 12 miles offshore, and the bluefin caught have been in the 150- to 200-pound class. Albacore along with a mix of smaller bluefin were caught further out, near the 601 Weather Buoy. For the surfcasters, things are looking up. Winter is approaching and conditions will get rougher but that also means nearshore structure becomes more dramatic, giving our target species more feeding opportunity. The transient stripers are moving back towards the San Francisco Bay and then towards the Delta right now. A good flow of fish remains in the salt, feeding as they move. The bass are biting in low-light or nighttime conditions. Most beaches are seeing a great influx of barred surf perch with a mix of calicos and occasional schools of walleye perch. All baits are working well, including stick baits for the larger perch. Sand crabs are abundant. Both the crabs and the perch are averaging an increase in size as we head towards winter. Limits are not unusual and the average size ranges from 12-14 inches.”

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

Rockfishing at the Farallon Islands continues to be outstanding, and Captain James Smith of the California Dawn 2 from Berkeley said, “We put in 50 lingcod on a single drift on Friday along with picking up 25 limits of rockfish and 200 sand dabs. We had a 40 lingcod drift the day before. Monday’s trip was just as epic with 31 limits of lingcod to 17 pounds, 31 limits of rockfish, and 330 sand dabs.”

Smith stops short of the Farallons to fill the bait tank with sand dabs which are used as live bait for the lingcod. The Pacific Dream out of Berkeley also ventured to the islands for 24 limits of rockfish and 46 lingcod. When the weather is uncooperative offshore, party and private boats are working the coastal reefs for limits of rockfish along with a solid lingcod count. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Berkeley put his six clients onto limits of rockfish and eight lingcod to 25 pounds.

Striped bass remain a strong possibility inside San Francisco Bay, and Captain Jonathan Smith of the Happy Hooker posted 10 limits of striped bass inside the bay before heading outside the Gate for limits of rockfish and 10 lingcod. Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco has been loading up on striped bass to 8 pounds, and on Sunday, he added limits of halibut in addition to limits of striped bass working the deep flats in the central bay. He said, “We found a school of white sea bass and sat on anchor over them for an hour, but with the very slow current, they weren’t in a mood to bite.” This bodes well for the coming month.

The popular Dungeness crab/rockfish combination trips start in less than a month on Saturday, Oct. 1, and party boats throughout the Bay Area are filling up for the opening weekend.

Call: Captain Trent Slate, Bite Me Charters, (415) 307-8582; 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 Black Pearl out of Morro Bay took a 12-hour limited load charter from Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield, and they reported, “The fishing was fast-paced from the start, with rods bending all around the boat. Anglers hauled in huge reds that filled sacks quickly along with a wide variety of assorted rockfish that kept everyone busy. To top it off, the day ended with a bang—12 big lingcod made it over the rail, adding plenty of heft to the coolers and excitement to the derby standings. As always, Cope’s went above and beyond with giveaways for every angler, and a brand-new rod given away on every trip.” On Sunday, two boats went out of Morro Bay Landing with 48 anglers for limits of rockfish consisting of 329 assorted rockfish, 57 vermilion, 85 Boccaccio, 9 copper, and 7 lingcod. Out Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, one boat was out on Sunday with 12 anglers for ¾-limits of rockfish consisting of 32 assorted rockfish, 19 vermilion, 12 copper, a cabezon, a lingcod, and a 12-pound California halibut.

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

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 3 Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

Striped bass continue to hang out on the western edge of the California Delta, and trollers are scoring from Collinsville through Broad Slough and into Montezuma Slough. Chris Ditter of Head Rush Guide Service took an instructional trip with legendary striped bass troller, Mark Wilson of Sacramento, and Ditter said, “The bite started out slow, but we found schools of fish near Collinsville and also in Broad Slough on deep-diving Yo-Zuri’s before heading into the San Joaquin for a shallow troll, ending up with 32 fish with many being undersized. Two days later, Wilson was back out again, and he found a larger grade of striper with 19 keepers in Broad Slough and Fraser Shoals.”

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley posted seven limits drifting live mudsuckers on the western edge of both the San Joaquin and the Sacramento Rivers. He said, “You have to bring plenty of live bait since there are several shakers in the mix. Mudsuckers are $4/each, but if you take care of them, you can get three or four fish out of one bait.” Extra-large minnows are not available in area bait shops for a few more weeks.

In the north Delta, Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors has found a solid largemouth bass bite flipping plastics near wood. He said, “The fall bite is getting ready, and with the water temperatures dropping, the bass are hanging around wood.”

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, confirmed the bass moving toward structure, saying, “It’s important to keep your bait in the strike zone as the bass are holding tight to structure. If you see a stump or some wood, there should be bass hanging around. Right now, the water hasn’t cooled down enough for shad so everything we are throwing is in crawdad patterns.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced the white sturgeon sport fishing season opens Oct. 1, and goes through June 30, 2026, for catch-and-release fishing in the ocean, San Francisco Bay, Delta, and lower Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. Anglers need to refer to current regulations for clarification of open waters. The press release stated, “Catch-and-release fishing for white sturgeon will continue to be available for anglers under new regulations enacted by the California Fish and Game Commission in August 2025. Previously, catch-and-release fishing was permitted by emergency regulations that were set to expire in September 2025. The enacted regulations also include changes to the Sturgeon Report Card. The changes include shifting from a calendar-year approach to aligning with the sturgeon fishing season. Other changes to the card include the kinds of data anglers are asked to record. Anglers will be able to get a sturgeon report card at no fee this new season to help accommodate this change. Starting with the 2026-27 season, sturgeon report cards will be $8.13, reduced from the previous fee of $11.06.”

Call: Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, (209) 543-6260.

Events

Oct. 4

Striperz Gone Wild Fifth Year Anniversary Fishing Tournament – 6 a.m.- 2 p.m. – California Aqueduct at the Volta Road Bridge. Free registration. Vendors, bounce house, and food trucks on site.

Oct. 10-12

77^th Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival – information- https://www.bassfestival.com/.

Oct. 18

Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield presents ‘Fishapalooza 2025’ at 1654 Calloway Drive, Bakersfield. Information - https://www.tackleandrod.com/.

Tournament Results

Sept. 27

Delta/Ladd’s Marina –Central Valley 17/90 Bass Club

1^st: George/Sam– 13.60 pounds; 2^nd – Kevin/Ed – 13.50; 3^rd – Bob/Mark – 12.87 (Big Fish – 7.59).

Sept. 27-28

Delta/ B and W Resort – Cen Cal Elite Tournaments Tournament of Champions (10-fish limits)

1^st: Tim Turner/Rick Leadholm – 36.04 pounds; 2^nd – Dean Miller/Darrel Masterson – 31.90; 3^rd –Dave Simpson/Randy Burger – 31.66 (Big Fish – 7.66).

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

Oct. 3-5

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Bass Angler Inc.

Oct. 4-5

McClure – Riverbank Bass Club

Oct. 4

New Melones – Angler’s Press Outdoors

Don Pedro – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Pine Flat – Golden Empire Bass Club

Oct. 5

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto AmBASSadors

Oct. 11-12

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

Oct. 11

Delta/Big Break – 17-90 Bass Club

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

McClure – Sonora Bass Anglers

Bass Lake – Kerman Bass Club

Isabella – Cope’s Bait and Tackle

Oct. 12

McClure – Kings River Bass Club

Oct. 18-19

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Angler’s Press Outdoors

New Melones – Bass Addicts of SoCal

Lake Success – Ducks Unlimited

Oct. 18

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

Tulloch – Yak A’Bass

McClure – Sierra Bass Club

Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

Oct. 25-26

Delta/Russo’s Marina – The Bass Hole Inc.

Oct. 25

Delta/Big Break – Delta Bass Club

Santa Margarita – Bakersfield Bass Club

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.

This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: Delta bass and striper action good."