Fishing Report: Week of Sept. 8

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a former Olympic-class decathlete at Fresno State and striper record-holder at Millerton Lake and who now guides in the greater Fresno area. Telephone numbers are in 559 calling area unless noted. Have a photo of a recent catch to share? Email it to sports@fresnobee.com with “fish photo” in the subject line.

Best bets

Delta stripers, bass and salmon bites good, Randy Pringle said. Shaver trout action still hot, Dick Nichols reported. San Francisco salmon bite improved, Captain Jay Lopes said. Wishon and Courtright rainbows hitting, Chuck Crane reported. Coastal rockfishing hot, Chris Arcoleo said.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

Most Fresno-area striper fishermen continue to head north to San Luis Reservoir, but a few are still driving along the California Aqueduct looking for striper boils in low light. Sales of Duo Realis jerkbaits or Lucky Craft Pointer 128’s remain solid. Mendota Slough is producing largemouth bass for fishermen punching the weeds with creature baits such as Baby Brush Hogs under 1- to 1.5-ounce tungsten weights. In the south aqueduct, Jacob Rutledge of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported a 15-pound red tail catfish was landed on a double hook rig loaded with a sardine and anchovy. The big fish took both baits. A red tail is a common aquarium fish from South America and must have been illegally released into the aqueduct. Striped bass action has been best with topwater lures such as Lucky Craft Sammies or Pointer 100’s in ghost minnow.

Largemouth bass are holding around rockpiles at depths from 20-30 feet with jigs, but most fishermen are tossing frogs on the submerged mats in the evenings. Brush Hogs, Senkos or ripbaits also are working. Catfishing remained productive with chicken livers, sardines, or anchovies from the shore, with the best action in the evenings. Launching a boat isn’t easy, and there are hazards of unmarked rockpiles throughout the lake. Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Most boaters are either running their trolling motors or idling slowly when in transit.” Bluegill are an option with red worms or wax worms around submerged structure. The lake fell to 7% capacity and 467.38 feet in elevation.

Call: Six Star Tackle Box 673-5688; Eastman Lake 689-3255

The lake has receded to the point of no return for trailered boats, but kayaks, canoes and float tubes are still a possibility for getting on the lake. Kayakers are finding a few bass, but the best action has been found by walking the banks with small swimbaits along the dam. Catfishing is solid with anchovies, sardines, or mackerel with the best action in the evenings. The lake dropped slightly to 447.74 feet in elevation and 5% capacity.

Call: Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse 225-1838; Valley Rod Gun, Clovis 292-3474; Six Star Tackle Box 673-5688; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151

Launching a boat is doable, but there is a slight curve on the left on the way to the water. Few boats are launching, but there are late-season kokanee to be had with hoochies at depths from 90-110 feet from Middle Bay to the Graveyard. Heavy spoons are working for rainbow trout higher in the water column, and the fish will continue to move up as the evenings cool. There is a small window for largemouth and spotted bass in the mornings and evenings with topwater lures before switching over to plastics on the bottom. The lake dropped three-quarters of a foot to 674.75 in elevation and 32% capacity.

Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne-Fish’n Dan (209) 586-2383; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550; Bait Barn (209) 874-3011

Jacob Rutledge of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported catfishing remains solid with garlic shrimp, Sonny’s Dip Bait, Kat Nip Beef Bait or the 3-inch super meal worms. Crappie fishing is slow, but there have been a few quality slabsides to 2.5 pounds landed near submerged structure with minijigs or small to medium minnows. Bass fishing is best in the mornings from the banks with crankbaits or lipless cranks, but the window is short. With the low lake levels, it is necessary to use a four-wheel-drive vehicle to launch from the dirt ramp near Red’s Marina. There are no marinas or courtesy docks in the lake. The lake dropped a half-foot to 2,522.81 in elevation and 5% capacity. In the upper Kern River, recent trout plants from the evacuation of the San Joaquin Hatchery have improved conditions, with the rainbows hanging tight to the pools in the warm water. In the lower river, Rutledge reported good smallmouth and largemouth bass action with soft plastics such as Zoom Trick Worms or Deadly Duo custom-poured plastics in green pumpkin or watermelon colors or topwater Poppers in low light conditions. The best locations have been behind Hart Park or upriver at the edge of the canyon. Buena Vista is kicking out a few catfish, including a 42-pounder in the past week. Brite Lake in the Tehachapi Mountains is kicking out huge bluegill on wax worms or jumbo red worms.

Call: Bob’s Bait (661) 833-8657; North Fork Marina (760) 376-1812

The occasional large bass is taken on live minnows, live crawdads or a reaction bait, but small bass are the rule with the best fishing in the early mornings or late evenings. Numbers can be taken on drop-shot plastics, jigs or crankbaits, but the fish are suspended off structure and chasing shad schools. The occasional crappie is taken near submerged structure with live minnows or minijigs. The lake receded 2 feet to 604 in elevation and 12% capacity.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Chuck Stokke of Sequoia Fishing Co. in Springville reported bass fishing has improved for smaller fish, with the occasional quality bass taken on Senkos, Brush Hogs, jigs or crankbaits. Casting Panther Martin spinners from the shore is producing a smaller grade of bass. Carp fishing is good in the shallows with dough baits or prepared Powder Bait. The lake dropped three-quarters of a foot to 580.65 in elevation and 5% capacity. In the Tule River, Stokke reported the flows have improved slightly and the water has cooled. He said, “The best bet for trout is using a hopper pattern with a non-bead head nymph. I am seeing a few larger trout, but they seem to be spooked due to the clear water and slower flow.”

Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com

Few fishermen are heading to the lake given the low water conditions, but there are spotted bass and catfish for the taking with live crawdads or plastic worms for those willing to make the long walk to the lake. The Merced River is closed to fishing until Jan. 1 from the Crocker-Huffman Bridge to G Street in Snelling because of warm water conditions. The lake fell 1.5 feet to 61.89 in elevation and 9% capacity.

Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505; Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053

A few holdover rainbows have been taken from the banks in the early mornings before the sun hits the water. Spotted bass have moved into the lake from water releases from upstream McClure. McSwain Marina is closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Large bass in excess of 6 pounds were landed during the recent 101 Bass Open tournament, and fishing in the shallows at night with plastic worms produced the larger fish. Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “It is important not to fish too deep at this time of year; the bass are moving into the shallows to feed on crawdads. With the lake fluctuating, the crawdads are constantly on the move.” Recreational boating will slow after the holiday weekend. All vessels must possess a low-emission motor. Millerton actually rose 2.5 feet to 480.36 in elevation and 31% capacity amid releases from upstream reservoirs. Regulations on the lower San Joaquin, and from Friant Dam downstream to the Highway 140 Bridge, allow only two hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead with a total of four in possession.

Call: Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse 225-1838; Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

It’s all about catfish at present, given the low lake conditions, although the launch ramp is easily accessed by experienced boaters. John Lietchy of Glory Hole Sporting Goods said, “I can get my boat in and out within two minutes, and we have 70-year-old men putting in their boats solo.” There have been a few catfish over 10 pounds landed in the past week, and frozen baits such as anchovies, shad, mackerel or sardines remain the top baits. The whiskerfish are cruising the shallows and loading up on the abundance of small shad. Lietchy advised using a slip-float rig with a bobber stop to target catfish in the middle of the water column by setting the bobber stop to the desired depth near structure when catfish will ambush the small baitfish. There have been good reports of the occasional crappie to 2 pounds with live minnows under lights, particularly for those anchoring outside of structure in deep water. Bass fishing remains fair, but Lietchy reported, “There are windows of opportunity than can be capitalized upon, especially in the early morning before the sun rises with topwater plugs and also in the evenings with soft plastics on the bottom such as Wright Baits’ 6-inch ST worm on a shakeyhead on a weedless presentation. The fish can be difficult to locate and target.” Trout fishing remains very slow, with few anglers targeting trout or kokanee with the launch conditions. Lietchy said, “We can only assume the fish are feeding somewhere and can be caught with some sort of presentation. The outside edges of the dam and toward Rose Island are good areas to try as are some of the deepest areas of the old lake. The kokanee are starting to move toward Carson Creek and up toward the Highway 49 Bridge.” The lake fell 3 feet to 12% of capacity and 804.38 in elevation. Tulloch held at 507.20 and 95%, but water releases are expected to begin this week.

Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne-Fish’n Dan (209) 586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023

The bass bite remains very tough overall. Patrick Movey of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “There is a reaction bite in the very early morning, but all action stops after 11 a.m. A few small fish are taken in the early mornings on topwater lures along with ripbaits before working the bottom with Senkos or plastics on the drop-shot or dart head.” Catfish are found near the Houseboats with anchovies, chicken livers or night crawlers. Trout trolling is nil with nearly all boats heading for the high country. The lake ends just above Edison Point. The lake dropped 1 foot in the past week to 725.60 in elevation and 13% capacity. In the lower Kings River, trout fishermen are working the banks below the dam for planters with Kastmasters, spinners or Power Bait. The spinners are working best in the fast water as bait has a tendency to get hung on the bottom. Regulations in the Kings River above and below Pine Flat Dam set the season as running from the last Saturday in April to Nov. 15 from Pine Flat Dam downstream to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bridge on Pine Flat Road with a five-fish limit. The bridge is the first one to the west of the dam.

Call: Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse 225-1838; Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626; The I Forgot Store 787-3689

San Luis is holding at 20% capacity with daily inflow of water from the Delta along with corresponding releases. There have been several large striped bass landed over the past few weeks, in particular by anglers targeting the big fish at night with large swimbaits or 4-inch Storm swimbaits in bluegill. The fish are boiling on the surface in the mornings, chasing the bait toward the shore in the shallow reservoir, and ripbaits or topwater lures have been effective in low light conditions. Roger George of Roger’s Guide Service is one of the only guides targeting stripers on the lake, and he said, “The overall bite until this last week has been lethargic but we are seeing good numbers of fish throughout the lake. The bite has been tough for numbers for some reason, but the most experienced trollers are getting a few big fish – and releasing almost all of them. It’s tough fishing for the average angler and the bite windows are very small. Los Banos dentist Jordan Combs told me he only caught a few fish, but one was a nice 27-pounder he released. The average fish remains in the 20- to 24-inch range but I expect to see more fish pushing the 25-27 range this late fall. This puts the upper range average fish up in the 5.5- to 7-pound class if things hold to form.” On a recent trolling trip, he caught and released 10 stripers in the average size range. He added, “The fishing is not easy now, however I think we may see an early season bite that most anglers waiting till late October and November are going to miss.” Paul Jolley at Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill confirmed the stripers in the shallows, and the fish have moved up between 30 and 40 feet for those drifting extra-large to large minnows or trolling larger plugs. Patrick Movey of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “There is a decent bite at night as the fish are schooled up, but there is lots of dead water out there and you have to keep moving in order to find the schools.” October and November have traditionally been the top months for the larger stripers, but George thought September would be a productive month, particularly after he released two 30-pound linesides last September. In the Forebay, ripbaits, swimbaits or jerkbaits are finding schoolie stripers despite the weed growth along the edges of the impoundment. Fishermen are wading far into the lake in order to get outside of the weed line, but the action has been slow overall. Mackerel, anchovies, chicken livers or sardines are working for catfish near Check 12. The main lake continues to release water at a rapid clip for agricultural and domestic uses, but imports from the Delta brought it up to 21% with an addition of 2,638 acre-feet Monday.

Call: Coyote Bait andTackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954

Labor Day Weekend brought out a final rush of recreational boaters. The Sheriff’s Motor Fee was halted after the holiday, and bass fishermen will start returning. A few are tossing K-Tech swimbaits or plastics worms off the dam for largemouth bass to 2.25 pounds. The launch is nearly out of the water, with large potholes on the concrete ramp. The lake has dropped to 48% capacity, continuing to close on the no-return line for launching larger boats.

Call: Todd Wittwer 288-8100; Mike Beighey 642-3748

At Mammoth Pool, the lake has dropped precipitously in the past two weeks; currently at 26%. Edison has receded to 5% after holding at nearly 20% for several weeks. Florence held at 33%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake continued to be the hottest trout reservoir in the central Sierra, and crowds of anglers are leaving in a happy mood. Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “We have limited every day for the past five weeks, and we continue to land quality rainbows to 4 pounds along with five or six kokanee per trip.” He has been working as deep as 82-85 feet near the bottom with orange, pink, or purple Apex lures tipped with corn behind a C.J. Dodger on the downrigger with side poles at 20 feet in depth. Nichols said, “I have never seen so much fishing boat activity on the lake as occurred over the Labor Day Weekend.” The kokanee are preparing to spawn, and the red fish need to be culled, but there are plenty in harvestable shape. The point to the island has been the top area for Nichols. For the sixth straight year, 93 year-old Bob Clark Sr., along with Bob Clark Jr. of Clovis, fished with Nichols, and they went home with mixed limits of kokanee and rainbow trout. Bob Clark Sr. wasn’t the only senior angler on the lake, as Captain Jack Yandell of Captain Jack’s Tackle landed limits of kokanee fishing with Chris Hanson of Fresno using a combination of Wee Tad’s or his Fat Bug in green behind a C.J. Dodger. Regular kokanee fishermen Earl Taniguchi and Carl House of Clovis continued limiting out on kokes this week using Terry Walton Banana Spinners behind a Captain Jack’s C.J. Dodger. The duo were fishing in the same area as Nichols and at the same depth. Steve Santoro of Fish Box Charters also been getting his clients in on hot action with limits of rainbows to 4 pounds along with kokanee to 18 inches using orange Apex lures or Shasta Tackle spinners in orange along with blade/crawler combinations. The Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project meets the third Wednesday of September at the Edison Tiffany Pines meeting room at 9 a.m. Everyone is invited. Future trophy trout plants will be on the agenda. The project recently held its fifth annual fundraising dinner and netted more than $29,000 to go toward the 2016 plant of trophies. At Huntington, the launch ramp is inaccessible for trailered boats, and there have been no reports from boaters at the lake. Bank fishing is good at the mouth of Rancheria Creek or from Dam 2 with trout dough bait for rainbows to 16 inches. Shaver dropped to 58% capacity, but Huntington actually rose to 41%.

Call: Dick’s Fishing Charters 841-2740; Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435; Rancheria Marina 893-3234; Shaver Lake Sports Inc. 841-2740; Fish Box Charters 871-3937

Getting to Wishon was an issue with an evacuation warning in place during part of the past week amid the Rough Fire in Kings Canyon. Chuck Crane of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store said, “Fishing remains excellent for trollers pulling Speedy Shiners in copper/red, Needlefish, or blade/crawler combinations at depths from 2-4 colors. The lake is up, and boats are able to be launched off the concrete ramp.” Shore fishing also has been very good with pink or orange trout dough bait near the launch ramp or along the dam. At Courtright, the lake remains very low, and the launch ramp is out of the water. Putting in a boat is very difficult, but kayakers have been paddling and trolling or drifting nightcrawlers along the bottom for decent scores. Shore action has been very good with trout dough bait in several colors. The Rough Fire is still a threat, and smoky conditions remain. Fire updates, including possible evacuation information, is available at 332-2028.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Salmon are spread from Pedro Point south to the area in front of the Pillar Point Harbor, and several skiffs have been out on the weekends trolling from the Red Can to the Green Can buoys in search of salmon. Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete said on Sunday, “I am thinking about going out this evening with my son Braden after our bird-watching trip as Captain Tom Joseph on the Serra Bella put in five salmon in the morning before running north to meet up with the pods of humpbacked whales feeding in the area in response to the heavy weekend boat traffic. The salmon extend all the way to Pedro Point and there are big fish right outside the harbor.” The overall counts are more applicable to a light load on a six-pack or a private boat than the larger party boats; however, the Huli Cat ran up with a small load of fishermen on Monday for eight salmon to 20 pounds for five anglers. A few salmon also are inside of the Pillar Point harbor, but these fish are reluctant to bite. An occasional white sea bass has been a surprise for salmon trollers, including a 70-pounder landed near the Green Can. A more consistent white sea bass bite has been in the early mornings near Egg Rock, but the window shuts at first light. Squid boats have moved in to mop up the market-grade squid that has moved north from the Monterey Bay area. Sherry Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing said, “Rockfishing is still a sure bet, and we are returning with limits to near-limits on a regular basis along with a few cabezon and an average ranging from a handful to a dozen lings. The larger lings are moving in, and there have been fish at 18 and 22 pounds landed within the past week.” Striped bass fishing has been good along the beaches from San Gregorio north to Ocean Beach, and Ingles advised fishermen to watch for working birds along the shore. Pucci Chovy jigs in 2-3 ounces, Poppers and hair raisers have been been effective for the beach linesides. A few halibut are also showing up, and second Captain Mike Cabanas of the Huli Cat put client Michael Nazareno from Pacifica onto a 25-pounder on a shrimp fly rig while targeting rockfish off Martin’s Beach. Farther north near Pacifica, Rob Chaney of the Rusty Hook reported good action at Ocean Beach, with his niece catching and releasing a quality striper on a Diawa SP Minnow at night. There are still big fish in the area, including a 41-pounder caught on sand crabs.

Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Roger Thomas, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Bait and Switch Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133726-7133; Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040; Don Franklin, Soleman (510) 703-4148

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’ Landing in Monterey said, “The rockfish action remains lights out with the Star of Monterey coming back with 12 ling cod and 25 limits on Sunday while the Caroline posted 18 limits and 25 lings. Both boats were fishing the local reefs.” They have plenty of room throughout the current week. Arcoleo added, “There are tons of anchovies here, and there are so many whales and anchovies in the bay.” They posted a short video of the incredible whale watching at their Youtube Channel youtube.com/watch?v=MsrJUBSixe4. In Santa Cruz, Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing said, “Deeper waters are still producing well, and we are seeing an increasing number of ‘exotics’ in our local waters. Local Angler Travis Blymer reported a 36-inch barracuda washed up on the beach near Pleasure Point midweek. While not unknown for Santa Cruz or Monterey, these fish cruise through only occasionally in warm water years such as we are experiencing currently. A surfcaster working the beach near Franklin Point also reported catching a small yellowtail jack pulled in from the surfline. Not knowing what it was, he released the fish successfully.”

Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173; usafishing.com

The salmon bite was back on Labor Day, with six-pack boats returning with near-limits to limits trolling off the Marin coast. The Sundance out of Emeryville Sport Fishing scored six limits plus a crew limit of big fish. The six-pack Right Hook also got in on the action with 10 salmon to 31 pounds for six anglers. Captain Jay Lopes of the Right Hook said, “All of the fish were big, and they were hard to hold onto today.” The action has been excellent throughout the week with the exception of Saturday and Sunday when the scores dropped from a fish to a half-fish per rod for the party boats. This has been the best salmon fishing all season long. The Happy Hooker out of Berkeley went rockfishing on Sunday up the Marin coast for 24 limits of rockfish along with 21 ling cod. Ron Zolezzi of Menlo Park helped out with four ling cod to 13 pounds, but he was denied the jackpot fish by Sarah Stevens of Sacramento with a 16-pounder on her first-ever ocean trip. Devon Sanders, also of Sacramento, landed a 14.5-pound ling. Inside the bay, Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “There are no complaints about the wind on Sunday, but Friday was very windy.” Striper fishing has been very good for trollers at the top of the tide with one in five fish being of legal size, and those finding best action are doing a combination of drifting on the moving tides and trolling at the top of the tide. Small bass are the rule, even at the Brothers. An experienced angler thought he had the “Lord of the Sea Summer Striped Bass/Halibut Derby” winner with an estimated 40-pounder off Angel Island, but after playing the fish for over a half hour and making a couple of attempts to net it, the fish came off, much to the dismay of the anglers on board. Captain Trent Slate of Shelter Cove Sport Fishing is back in San Rafael for the winter season, and he will be running combination trips including crab combos out of Loch Lomond Marina.

Rockfishing is the still the top bill off the San Luis Obispo County coast, and the Endeavor out of Morro Bay Landing had a spectacular day over the holiday weekend on a 12-hour trip to Cape San Martin with 78 ling cod to 24 pounds, 196 vermilion rockfish, and 58 assorted rockfish for 28 anglers. Gary Lynch of Bakersfield returned with the jackpot ling cod. The Patriot and Avenger out of Patriot Sport Fishing combined for 52 ling cod to 15 pounds along with 760 rockfish for 82 anglers on Labor Day. Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay similarly scored with 37 ling cod to 16.2 pounds, 239 vermilion rockfish, 696 assorted rockfish and five cabezon for a combined 94 fishermen Saturday. Chelsea White of Taft landed the largest ling cod. Virg’s next two day trip is Sept. 25-27 with a 10 p.m. departure on Friday night, returning at 4 p.m. Sunday for $295 per angler. The John Rowley Ling Cod Tournament is Dec. 12, and the largest ling cod serves as a weekly qualifier. There is live bait at Port San Luis and also at Morro Bay Landing. Avila Beach Pier is closed, but Harford Pier at Port San Luis remains open. Jacob Rutledge of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported Valley fishermen are flooding to the coast with blood worms for surf perch to escape the heat.

Call: Virg’s Landing, (805) 772-1222; (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sports Fishing (805) 595-4100; Port Side Marine Sports Launch (805) 595-7214

Salmon are starting to move into the Delta in greater numbers as evidenced by the improved action from the Benicia shore and near Freeport. Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported the parking lot at Dillon Point State Park was filled Saturday and Sunday, and the shoreline is nearly shoulder-to-shoulder. There were eight salmon landed at the State Park on Saturday with another five at First Street in Benicia. Vee-Zee or Flying C spinners are the lures of choice for the salmon casters. Stripers to 27 inches are commonplace off the banks with blood worms or pile worms. The main river has been rough due to the winds, and there have been few sturgeon fishermen out. Do Doung at Dockside Bait in Pittsburg reported larger striped bass are showing up near the Pittsburg PGE Plant at depths from 20-30 feet with live mudsuckers or frozen shad. Stripers from 32-36 inches have been landed. Sturgeon fishing has been slow. In the upper Delta, Alan Fong of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Sacramento reported improved action for salmon for trollers pulling Silvertron spinners or Brad’s Killer Fish near Freeport. Spooning with heavy jigs are another solid possibility as the fish are starting to slow a bit with cooler water conditions. Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport reported striped bass fishing has been very good in the Sacramento Deep Water Channel or Liberty Island with live mudsuckers. Rio Vista Bait and Tackle reported good striper reports are coming in from Liberty Island with a number of 10- to 15-pound linesides taken on live mudsuckers. Decker Island, Three Mile Slough, Sherman Lake, and Eddo’s Boat Harbor on the San Joaquin are all locations where stripers are being caught. Also for striped bass, Fong added, “Rick Tetz, owner of Blade Runner spoons, released 60 stripers using his spoons near Light 55 this week, and although there were no big fish, you couldn’t get through the smaller fish to find more quality.” Mark Wilson, striper trolling expert, has been finding exceptional action for large fish during the past week, releasing stripers at 21, 15 and 14 pounds along with several linesides in the 12- to 7-pound range. He said, “The larger fish are coming on deep-diving Yozuri Crystal Minnows at 14-16 feet in depth, but I have released three fish in the 12-pound range on light tackle in the shallows with Rat-L-Traps, and this is great fun.” He has been focusing from Decker Island west to Sherman Island, near Collinsville, and along both sides of Broad Slough. The best action has been on the end of the outgoing tide and the beginning of the incoming tide, and he continued to advise anglers to hang in there and continue to search for the schools of fish since they are moving from one day to the next. The striped bass run is picking up steam in the San Joaquin River with the best action remaining in the west Delta closer to Antioch. Largemouth bass are a great bet, and bluegill are thick in a variety of locations. For largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, reported solid action on the ima floating Flit or jerkbaits for reaction baits while working the bottom with the Chigger Craw or Havoc Flat Dog has been another productive method. He said, “There are more and more striped bass moving into the river, and we caught and released a number of keepers in the 3- to 5-pound range tossing the ima Big Stick topwater lure or the Optima Double AA swimbait in shad patterns in the shallows. Since we are working only at depths to 13 feet, the half-ounce jig head works best. As the weather continues to cool down, the stripers will start flooding into the San Joaquin.” Fong confirmed the solid largemouth bass bite with topwater lures early in the morning before dropping to the bottom with Senkos or plastics on the drop-shot in the east Delta. Doug Chapman of Gotcha Bait in Antioch reported live bait such as Sacramento pike, bluegill or mudsuckers are producing larger striped bass. One regular customer landed stripers at 36 and 30 inches off Antioch Fishing Pier with live bluegill. Brandon Gallegos at H and R Bait in Stockton said, “The striper action in the south Delta has slowed up, but largemouth bass to 6 pounds are coming out of Whiskey Slough with Senkos in watermelon/red or greenpumpkin.”

Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Stan Koenigsberger – Quetzal Adventures (925) 570-5303; Intimidator Sport Fishing (916) 806-3030

Lopez and Nacimiento are the only coastal lakes where boats can be launched given the low water conditions. The launch ramp at Lopez is anticipated to remain open for the remainder of the season as the lake is holding at 34% capacity. Heavy boat traffic over the holiday weekend limited fishing activity, although there are a number of upcoming tournaments scheduled for Lopez. Spinnerbaits worked in deep water are working for quality bass at Lopez. At Nacimiento, recreational boating should slow considerably after this week, but the heat wave in Northern California may have something to say about bringing out the jet skis once again. At Santa Margarita, kayakers are tossing frogs on the weed mats or punching the weed mats with creature baits. Santa Margarita is very low, and terrestrial wildlife has reclaimed the exposed section of the lake. Santa Margarita is less than 15% capacity, but the marina store is open for supplies and rental vessels.

Call: Lake Nacimiento (805) 238-1056, ext. 3; Lake San Antonio Marina (805) 472-2818; Central Coast Bass Fishing.com (805) 466-6557

• Sept. 12: Forrest L. Wood LLC at Delta/Russo’s Marina; Visalia Bass Club at Pine Flat; Kokanee Power Trout/Kokanee Derby at Shaver; Lake Isabella Bass Club at Isabella
• Sept. 13: Success Bass Club at Success
• Sept. 19: Alameda County Deputy Association at Delta/Russo’s Marina; Tracy Bass Club at Delta/Tracy Oasis; American Bass Association at Isabella; Golden Empire Bass Club at Nacimiento; West Valley Bass Masters at Lopez
• Sept. 19-20: Taft Bass Club at Delta/B and W Resort; Stockton Bass Club at Delta/Ladd’s Marina
• Sept. 20: Fresno Bass Club at Delta/B and W Resort; Hook, Line, and Sinker at Delta/Russo’s Marina; Kings River Bass Club at Pine Flat; Success Bass Club at Success
• Sept. 26: Future Pro Tour at Delta/Ladd’s Marina; Glory Hole Sporting Goods at New Melones; Bakersfield Bass Club at Lopez
• Sept. 26-27: Sierra Bass Club at Delta/Russo’s Marina
• Sept. 27: Bakersfield Bass Club at Delta/Ladd’s Marina; Tracy Bass Club at Delta/Tracy Oasis
• Oct. 1: Glory Hole Sporting Goods Catfish Derby at New Melones

This story was originally published September 8, 2015 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Fishing Report: Week of Sept. 8."