Fishing Report: Week of Sept. 22

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

Coastal rockfishing great, Chris Arcoleo said. Shaver Lake trout still whacking baits, Dick Nichols reported. Courtright and Wishon producing good catches, Chuck Crane said. San Francisco salmon bite sporadic, but improved Jim Smith said. McClure bass and trout await anglers willing to walk, Merritt Gilbert reported.

Key

1-Try dynamite

2-Have to work hard

3-Limits possible

4-Fish jumpin’ in boat

Most Fresno-area striper fishermen are heading to the California Aqueduct or the main lake at San Luis Reservoir. Duo Realis jerkbaits or Lucky Craft Pointer 128’s are working for the few anglers driving along the levees in search of boils. In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Jacob Rutledge of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported largemouth bass to 4 pounds have been taken on a Spro BVZ Rat. Moss is providing structure for the bass. Catfishing is best with super meal worms, nightcrawlers or Katnip Beef Bait. Striped bass is fair with the best action with reaction baits such as Lucky Craft Sammies or Pointer 100’s in ghost minnow.

Boaters can still launch, but the combination of exposed rockpiles and islands mean idling the main motor or using a trolling motor. Bass fishing is best with topwater frogs along the weed mats or working the bottom over structure with Senkos. Catfish are the top species at night with chicken livers, sardines or anchovies from shore. The crappie bite has slowed after a brief spurt a few weeks back. The area above the buoy line is open, but there is little water there, submerged hazards remain unmarked and it is a no-wake zone. The lake held at 467.12 feet in elevation and 7% capacity.

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

Catfishing remains good with anchovies, sardines or mackerel; the best action is in the evenings. Float tubes or kayaks are able to be put into the lake, and the few using these small vessels are finding good action for bass with Senkos over submerged structure. Walking the banks and tossing plastics or crankbaits is also an option. The lake dropped slightly to 447.52 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

Trout action has become very tough, and experienced guides are struggling for the very occasional fish despite breaking out all stops. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing was out Sunday with a party of four. He said, “We had five rods in the water, and we covered plenty of water and depth ranges from 28 to over 100 feet for a total of three bites, landing a spotted bass along with a quality 1.5-pound rainbow. We were on the water early, and I tried everything in the tackle box at different depths. There were fish on the meter at 28 feet, and they looked like rainbows, but they wouldn’t bite. We landed a smallmouth bass at 54 feet, and several hours later, we picked up a rainbow on an ExCel spoon at 53 feet. It is not a good time to be fishing in the Mother Lode, and I think the effects of the drought are the cause as last time at this year we experienced a phenomenal trout bite.” The water temperature is starting to cool, currently at 72 degrees with clarity of at least 7 feet. For bass fishing, Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford reported good action with drop-shot plastics at depths from 50-60 feet. Patterns such as Robo Worms Hologram Shad or Reaction Innovation’s Bad Shad Green are the top producers. The fish are holding deep from 40-60 feet. The minnow bite has been slow. The lake is releasing water, but it is holding at 32% capacity. The launch ramp widens to two lanes near the bottom, and launching a boat is no problem. The lake dropped a half-foot to 674.07 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 catfish remain the top species at Isabella, with local anglers using Sonny’s Dip Bait, 3-inch super meal worms and Katnip Beef Bait. Rutledge said, “The dip bait has been the top seller for Isabella.” The best fishing is in the South Fork along the long flat by Red’s Marina. There is a small window for largemouth bass in the early mornings with crankbaits, but the bite dies by mid-morning with the arrival of the heat. Crappie fishing remains slow. 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 slightly to 2,522.60 feet in elevation and 5% capacity. The lower Kern River has been excellent for largemouth bass with plastics from the mouth of the canyon down to Democrat Beach. Zoom Trick Worms or Deadly Duo custom-poured plastics in green pumpkin or watermelon colors are the top baits. The upper river remained slow for rainbow trout. Buena Vista continues to attract fishermen in search of catfish, bluegill or crappie. There are bass seen in the Riverwalk, but they have been reluctant to bite.

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

Bass fishing is good with topwater lures in the early mornings before switching over to plastics on the drop-shot by midmornings. Live minnows or crawdads are also effective for bank fishermen. Bluegill and crappie are biting live crickets, and even catfish are swallowing the crickets. The lake receded 2 feet this week to 599.88 in elevation and 11% capacity.

Call: Sierra Sporting Goods 592-5212

Chuck Stokke of Sequoia Fishing Co. in Springville said, “Bass fishing is excellent with Zoom lizards in 15-20 feet of water. I fished unconventional by throwing the plastic into deeper water and retrieving it at a slow to medium retrieve while it was swimming. The bass pounded it, and I caught over a dozen from 2-5 pounds.” The bass are feeding on shad, and crankbaits also are effective. The lake is very low at 4% capacity. In the Tule River, Stokke reported low flows, and the trout are concentrated into the deeper holes. The best bets are Woolley Buggers, terrestrials and a stimulator with a non bead pheasant tail Flashback. He said, “The trout are feeding aggressively.”

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

For two years, low water conditions at Lake McClure have taken the reservoir off the Mother Lode fishing map, but the past few months have been productive for the few boats willing to launch at the North Barrett Cove ramp or shore fishermen willing to make the long walk down to the lake. Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “One of our customers went to McClure this week, and he launched his boat in the early morning, and they only went a few yards down the along the banks for over 30 spotted bass from 1.5-2 pounds using plastics on the drop-shot or dart head or with Senkos.” Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said, “Bass fishermen are drop-shotting Reaction Innovation’s Bad Shad Green or Robo Worm’s Hologram Shad at depths from 40-60 feet for the best action, and bank fishermen are also getting in on the action. There is a good bite for trout with trout dough bait or nightcrawlers on a sliding sinker rig with a 4 to 5-foot leader along the banks with deep water access.” The lake dropped 1 foot to 607.99 in elevation and 9% capacity. The Merced River is closed to fishing until Jan. 1 between the Crocker-Huffman Bridge to G Street in Snelling because of warm water conditions.

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

The annual Merced Irrigation Derby Fall Trout Derby has been postponed until April 9-10. With no trout plants for the past several months, action remained very slow. Spotted bass have moved into the lake from water releases from upstream McClure. The McSwain Marina is closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534

Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Numbers of small spotted bass are possible, and the small fish are schooling and boiling on the surface, chasing bait. Kastmasters or small topwater lures are working for the small bass, but a five-fish limit barely weighs over 5 pounds.” Working the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot is another possibility for 8-10 spotted bass per trip. There were no striped bass reports. All vessels must possess a low-emission motor. Millerton rose once again to 488.96 feet in elevation and 35% capacity because of releases from upstream reservoirs – increasing 4 feet in the past week. 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

The Butte Fire had reached 70% containment, but with more than 500 homes lost, area residents are focused on recovery instead of fishing. John Lietchy of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp said, “It has been chaotic around here for the past 10 days as the main firefighting station has been the Calaveras County Fairgrounds across from the shop. Despite the devastation of so many homes being lost, our communities have really come together with support for area residents.” Catfish remain the top species at New Melones for the few fishermen heading to the lake. The whiskerfish are in the shallows with the warm temperatures, and they are feeding on the small shad that are thick throughout the lake. Frozen shad, sardines, or mackerel are the top baits for the catfish. Lietchy took his boat out Friday for bass fishing, and he said, “The fish are tough to find, and we struggled for small fish throughout the day with our best action drop-shotting plastics for the suspended fish. There was a suspended spotted bass landed on a deep-diving crankbait at a depth of 20 feet in 150 feet of water, so the bass are off of the banks following the shad schools.” Few, if any, boaters are launching in search of kokanee or trout, but the kokanee should be over by this time of the year with the spawn on the way. With so few trollers on the lake, it has been difficult to get a read on the action, but the fish should be holding in the deepest locations in the lake such as the spillway, dam and along the main river channel. Crappie fishing is best with live minnows under lights near structure with access to deep water. The lake dropped 2 feet to 12% capacity and 801.101 in elevation. Tulloch dropped 2 feet to 502.96 in elevation and 86% capacity with more water releases anticipated.

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

Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The lake is in the doldrums with only a few small bass or catfish finding their way to the net. Small bass are taken in the daytime with plastics on the drop-shot or dart head along with Senkos or jigs, but the action is very slow.” There are a few bass taken on topwater lures in the early mornings. Catfishing is decent for whiskerfish in the 1.5- to 3-pound range with anchovies or nightcrawlers. Trout trolling is nil with nearly all boats heading for the high country. The lake ends just above Edison Point. The lake dropped 1.5 feet in the past week to 723.66 in elevation and 12% capacity. In the lower Kings River, interest for planted trout has been slow with few fishermen out with the low flows on the lower river. Planters can be taken with Kastmasters, spinners, or Power Bait. 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 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

Anthony Lopez at Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Jumbo minnows are the top draw for boaters launching out of Dinosaur Point and working at depths from 60-90 feet near the trash racks, Quiensabe Point, or the islands in front of the Romero Visitor Center. The launch ramp at Dinosaur Point is on the second ramp, and there is a submerged berm on the left hand side of the cove. Trollers are pulling P-Line Predators, Yozuri Crystal Minnows, Rebels, or Lucky Craft 128’s at similar depths.” Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said it was tough going for trollers, with only 6-7 bites and landing just two fish for the worst results for him this year. “We all think that the huge fluctuation of over 20 degrees in temperatures from high to low then back up again to high in just 2 weeks has changed the patterns and holding areas a lot. It’s easy to find fish, but almost all of them were suspended or completely turned off to any reaction bite in the calm 100-degree weather. Several other guys were also perplexed, with most getting just a few fish for a day’s fishing – mirroring our results. However, one friend had some very good results on minnows a day before things hit the wall for us. The bite could kick back in soon, with some stability and cooling.” George said. In the O’Neill Forebay, spraying operations have halted the weed growth, and the heavy growth is dying off throughout the small impoundment. Pile worms, blood worms, anchovies, or shad are working near Check 12 or the Highway 152 Bridge for small striped bass. A few fishermen are tossing ripbaits, swimbaits, or jerkbaits over the submerged weeds. The main lake continues to release water at a rapid clip for agricultural and domestic uses, though imports from the Delta kept it stable at 20% with an addition of 439 acre-feet Monday.

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

The Sheriff’s Motor Fee is no longer in effect, and bass fishermen will start returning as the water continues to cool. There is minimal fresh water flowing in, and heavy weed growth has formed in the north end. A few rainbows are holding from Miller’s Landing to the dam in the deep water. The launch ramp is nearly out of the water, and there are large potholes on one side of the concrete ramp.

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

The high country along Kaiser Pass has been limited to deer or bear hunters, with few fishermen making the trek. Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “One group of hunters launched a boat into Edison for a handful of brown trout to 15 inches.” Edison held at 4% with Florence at 23%. Mammoth Pool is at 12%, dropping precipitously in the past month.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Kokanee action has started to wind down, but it held out for a decent showing for last weekend’s Kokanee Power Derby. Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “This is normal for this time of year, and a few spawning kokanee will be landed here or there for the next couple of weeks, but it is time to focus upon the rainbow trout. The trout bite continues to look great, and we did pick up a 3.9-pounder and several other 2-pounders to go with the balance of 11- to 12-inch fish this past week. We also found some kokanee and added these to our three limits on both Saturday and Sunday.” Nichols is working around the island, Eagle Point and the Stevenson Creek areas from 20-40 feet deep with orange Apex lures or Koke Busters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind Captain Jack's C.J. Dodgers on the down riggers. On the side poles, Nichols is using Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with a piece of crawler behind a weighted Mountain Flashers on a long setback of 100 feet behind the boat which brings the lure down to 20 feet in depth. Blade/crawler combinations and a variety of spinner lures are working for rainbows, while jigging outside of the island or the Point near the bottom structure could produce a few of the spawning kokanee. Bank fishing has been hit or miss, with the most success near Sierra Marina and Black Rock. Trout dough bait or nightcrawlers are the top offerings for shore fishermen. Smallmouth bass continue to strike just about anything near the rocks, but crickets seem to be the best while small Panther Martin spinners in brown or yellow are also producing. Shaver Lake will only dip slightly for a while. Within the next two weeks, Southern California Edison Co. anticipates lowering it to 5,336.43 feet in elevation for storage of 68,500 acre-feet. Currently, the lake is at 5,341.63 with 77,354 acre-feet. After Oct. 1, the lake is expected to remain above 5,334.56 feet in elevation, or a storage level of 67,900 acre-feet, until December. The boat ramp at Sierra Marina is expected to remain in the water. Nichols said, “As long as the weather holds up, we should be able to fish Shaver Lake into the fall.” Steve Santoro of Fish Box Charters took out deer hunters, father and son Jeff and Michael Smith of Newport Beach, on Monday morning. They had each harvested a buck over the weekend, and they topped off their trip by catching and releasing two limits, with four being trophy trout to 5 pounds. The Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project meets at 9 a.m. Oct. 14 at the Tiffany Pines meeting room. Next year’s planting will be a major discussion. At Huntington, the launch ramp is inaccessible for trailered boats, but if the weather turns cold within the next month, the experienced brown trout fishermen will start their secret society meetings on the lake. Bank fishing remains good for numbers of rainbow trout at the mouth of Rancheria Creek and Dams 1 and 2 with trout dough bait. Shaver dropped to 56% capacity and Huntington to 35%.

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

The Rough Fire was still burning, but moving away from Wishon and Courtright. Smoky conditions that plagued the Fresno area and the high country has dissipated. Chuck Crane of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store said, “The skies have really cleared up the past five or six days with the fire moving away from the area. Trollers at Wishon are finding very good action near the dam and the launch ramp area with quick limits on blade/crawler combinations, Speedy Shiners, or Needlefish at 2-4 colors of lead core, and the larger fish are showing up including a few nice, fat browns to 16 inches.” Shore fishing requires patience, but Lori Hartman and her family from Clovis took a boat to the headwaters for several limits of rainbows in the 14- to 18-inch range with trout dough bait and salmon eggs. Wishon’s levels are fluctuating, but the launch remains on the concrete ramp. The roads on the back side of the lake past the dam remain closed to free up access for firefighting equipment. At Courtright, the launch ramp is inaccessible as the lake has been lowered for maintenance to the dam. Shore fishing continues to be outstanding, with Al and Connie Black of Clovis returning with limits from 14-19 inches using trout dough bait near the dam. Information on the Rough Fire is available at 332-2028.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

“It’s rockcod, rockcod, and more rockcod, with limits every day and from a handful to a few dozen ling cod on all of our trips,” said Sherri Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing. “The salmon are in the harbor, and there is more and more interest in hooking a salmon with anglers either flowing with a long leader and a floatee, pink Mad River worms, or casting barbless spinners for the fish which are averaging from 8-15 pounds.” Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat enjoyed great rockfish action south to Martin’s Beach on Sunday with limits as well as more than a ling cod per rod for an inexperienced crew. The anchovies are thick along the coast, and the Spanish and Pacific mackerel have moved in. Mattusch said, “Our fishermen were jigging up the mackerel, and this contributed to the high ling cod count.” He was out on with a wedding reception Sunday evening, and the humpback whales were breeching just outside the harbor. Ingles confirmed the abundance of whales feeding on anchovies, and she said, “Private boaters need to be careful as the whales are breeching everywhere outside of the harbor.” A few salmon are landed between the buoys by private boats, but the action is limited to the occasional fish.

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, “Rockfish are still the primary species in Monterey Bay with the Star of Monterey out of Chris’s Landing putting in 38 limits of rockfish and 25 lings while the Caroline scored 19 limits and 40 lings. The boats were fishing the local reefs. Whale watching remains spectacular just outside the harbor, with tons of anchovies and mackerel providing feed for the pods of whales. They have room throughout the week.

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

Salmon fishing continues to follow the pattern of a few days of great action followed by stretches of slower action. The action was slow Sunday for salmon party boats, with scores less than a fish per rod, but bite rebounded Monday. Captain R.J. Waldron of the Sundance, a six-pack out of Emeryville Sport Fishing, stated: “It was an epic bite, and we landed limits of quality salmon for our six anglers.” On Friday, Second Captain Jared Davis on the Salty Lady out of Sausalito reported 21 salmon to 20 pounds for 14 anglers trolling at the Channel Buoys. Davis said the fish are in the 10- to 15-pound class, with a few topping out daily at more than 20. Top action has been spread out from the Channel buoys to Duxbury to the Middle Grounds. Captain Jim Smith is back at the helm of the Happy Hooker, and he loaded up with 14 limits of rockfish and 16 lings to 17 pounds working the reefs south of the Golden Gate. Captain James Smith has been traveling to the islands over the past few days, and he put the hurt once again on the ling cod population with 35 limits of both ling cod and rockfish. He said, “The islands are the Holy Grail for rockfishing along our coast.” The tides were less than ideal Sunday with only a 2.5-foot outgoing afternoon tide after a 1-foot incoming tide. He likes the tides for drifting or trolling starting Thursday, and they will be spectacular for the weekend with a “guarantee” of good action. Captain Gordie Hough of the Morningstar was out Saturday with 15 anglers for 7 halibut to 15 pounds working Raccoon Straits. Salmon fishing was once again good Monday, with Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito posting 11 salmon to 14 pounds for 10 anglers working the North Bay. Mike Aughney of USA Fishing.com said, “Now is the time to start booking your crabbing trips as the coming opener looks to be great. This past spring commercial boats saw some of their biggest counts in years and we expect stuffed pots for sport anglers for the start of the season.” Captain R.J. Waldron of the Sundance out of Emeryville Sport Fishing continues to find good action for salmon with nine for six anglers to 22 pounds Saturday and another 10 for six anglers Sunday to 28 pounds. Captain James Smith on the California Dawn went to the Islands for “smoking hot rockfish and ling cod action.” He said, “The bite on Sunday was as good as it gets. The weather was flat, and the fall bite is in full swing. Lings are bunching up getting ready for spawn, they get extremely aggressive this time of year eating the iron and well just about anything you drop down to the bottom.”They put together 25 limits or rockfish and 25 limits of ling cod. Inside the bay, Captain Bill Clapp of Bill’s Sport Fishing took out a mother and her two sons for shark fishing in the South Bay this week, and they experienced great action for 20 shark, releasing all but a leopard and a seven-gill. He said, “We released several quality leopards in the 3- to 4-foot range, and the seven-gill was 5 feet long.” Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “Bass fishing is very good, but the fish are small with around onr keeper for every six or seven stripers.” Trolling at the top of the tide is producing numerous small bass, and although the Brothers is known as “big fish” country, the bass are also small in the area for live shiner drifters. Halibut fishing is winding up, but it has been slow for a while. Sturgeon season should start soon, and he expected more fishermen to start sitting on the anchor once the calendar hits October.

Rockfishing remains outstanding out of both San Luis Obispo County ports as evidenced by Monday’s 12-hour trip on the Endeavor out of Morro Bay Landing. They traveled north to Cape San Martin for 192 vermilion rockfish along with 48 assorted rockfish for limits along with 60 ling cod to 15 pounds for 24 anglers. The San Pedro Special posted 39 limits of rockfish along with 20 ling cod and a pair of bonito. Also out of Morro Bay, the Fiesta from Virg’s Landing returned with 17 limits of rockfish including 119 vermilion along with 19 lings to 10.5 pounds and a bonito. Out of Port San Luis, the Avenger went on a half-day trip Monday for close to limits of rockfish including 90 vermilion and 30 coppers to go with 22 ling cod to 21.6 pounds for 15 anglers. The Patriot scored limits of rockfish for 10 anglers along with eight lings, with Bob Olsen of Bakersfield taking the jackpot with a 10-pound ling. There is live bait at Port San Luis and also at Morro Bay Landing. The Avila Beach Pier is closed, but the Harford Pier at Port San Luis remains open. Virg’s next two-day trip is Sept. 25-27 with a 10 p.m. departure Friday night and returning at 4 p.m. Sunday for $295 per angler. The John Rowley Ling Cod Tournament is Dec. 12, and the largest ling cod of the week serves as a qualifier.

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 becoming the rule rather than the exception in the Freeport area with about a half-dozen fish landed per day from boaters spooning below the Freeport Bridge or from the shorelines with Flying C’s. Johnny Tran of Freeport Bait said, “The salmon are here, and we had five fish brought to the shop on Sunday.” Alan Fong of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Sacramento confirmed the good action at the Minnow Hole or the Brickyard for those jigging spoons, and bank fishermen are scoring at least half-dozen fish with Flying C’s. Further downstream in lower Suisun Bay, Tony Lopez at Benicia Bait said, “There have been loads of salmon that are hooked at the State Park, but the pod of sea lions out there have stripped every hooked fish off of the lines.” For striped bass, Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, was in Broad Slough during the week, and he reported numbers of small stripers in the 18- to 21-inch range with both shallow and deep-diving lures. He said, “The fish were all skinny with the exception of one 21-incher that may have weighed 3.5 pounds.” Do at Dockside Bait in Pittsburg reported striped bass in the 22- to 28-inch range are coming in consistently from Broad Slough, Collinsville, and Sherman Island with frozen shad, live minnows or mudsuckers. The striped bass are holding in the Sacramento Deep Water Channel or around Liberty Island, but Fong said, “The bite is hit or miss as it was very rough at Liberty early in the week with whitecaps from the wind, and the bite was difficult, but the following day, one boat landed 25 stripers to 12 pounds tossing River2Sea SWavers.” Tran added, “The fall striper run has started, and the best action has been in either Liberty Island or the Sacramento Deep Water Channel with live mudsuckers, frozen sardines, or fresh shad.” Sturgeon remained slow with only a few anglers out during the alternating periods of high temperatures or high winds. Grass shrimp has been very difficult to obtain in area baits shops. The Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival, in its 68th year, is Oct. 9-11. Information is available at bassfestival.com. The San Joaquin River is producing striped bass for trollers in the know with the best action from the mouth of the Mokelumne through the shoals toward Antioch Bridge. The occasional sturgeon has been landed near Marker 18 on the San Joaquin, but few fishermen are trying as of yet. Stefan Masters of Lost Anchor Bait and Tackle said, “Salmon fishing has improved near Humphrey’s Pier in Antioch with Vee-Zee or Flying C spinners, and the fish have all been in the 10- to 12-pound range.” Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service reported, “The Delta is producing good numbers of smaller stripers, and the waters will be cooling with each day and the winds are subsiding.” Smallmouth bass fishing is still red hot with opportunities to catch good size stripers and largemouth bass on the surface. Chartreuse over white clousers are catching most of the subsurface fish while Crease flies, Flat Fred’s, and Pole Dancers are the go to top water offerings.” Dan Mathisen of Delta Dan’s Outdoors in Oakley reported an “off the hook” bite for striped bass from Honker Bay to the Antioch Bridge with hair raisers or Bad Bubba Shad’s swimbaits. He said, “This swimbait has a wider profile, and we landed eight stripers on 10 casts on my last trip. We have been averaging 25 to 30 fish per venture, and we have released stripers to 20 pounds already this year.” His shop is sponsoring three catch, photograph, and release Striper Derbies this year with the first occurring on Sept. 26. Largemouth bass action has been the best by punching the weeds with bluegill imitation creature baits in orange or green pumpkin behind a three-quarters to 1-ounce weight. Mathisen said, “The fish are holding within 18 inches of the edge of the weeds and they are very current oriented. The more current, the better.” For largemouth bass, Alan Fong of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Sacramento said, “Bass fishing has been tough within the past week with the changing temperatures. On our last trip, we struggled for 4 bass to 4 pounds punching the weeds with Missle D-Bombs on a 1.5-ounce weight.” Harold Hass of the Fresno Bass Club reported great action during Saturday’s prefishing, but Sunday was a different story with triple-digit temperatures putting the larger fish off the bite and water hyacinth blocking many prime spots. He added, “There were lots of small fish on reaction baits.” Largemouth bass fishing has been best in Big Break and Dutch Slough with live jumbo minnows, and boaters are also drifting the minnows for striped bass. In Stockton, Brandon Gallegos of H and R Bait reported the striped bass bite in the south Delta has slowed down in Whiskey Slough and the Middle River.

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, amid low-water conditions, where boats can be launched. The launch ramp at Lopez is anticipated to remain open for the rest of the season as the lake is holding at 34% capacity. There are a number of upcoming tournaments scheduled there. There have been few reports from either lake. At Nacimiento, anglers once again have increased access to the lake. 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. San Antonio remains closed.

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

• Fresno Bass Club on Sept. 20 at Delta/B and W Resort: 1, Dan Marshall 14.36 pounds; 2, Joe Alanis 11.67 (big fish 4.79); 3, Roy Champ 8.5

• 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
• Oct. 9-11: 65th annual Rio Vista Bass Derby at Rio Vista, bassfestival.com

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Fishing Report: Week of Sept. 22."