Fishing report, Aug. 10-16: Shaver Lake trout ‘more abundant’ than past four years
Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.
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Shaver trout lead the bite, Dick Nichols said. New Melones kokanee and bass active, Kyle Wise reported. Eastman kicking out big bass, Michael Crayne said. Delta stripers still hitting, Dave Houston reported. Wishon and Courtright trout bits holding up, Kelly Brewer said.
Roger’s Remarks: Big little lies are part of fishing
If you were to ask someone on the street if it was reasonable and fair to accuse most all anglers of exaggerating, the answer would be a resounding, “Yes!” But it’s an oft-maligned skill. (Of course I’ve never ever exaggerated myself.)
I’ve done fishing shows with tons of young kids in the audience and I’ve asked them to hold their hands out to show the biggest fish they’ve ever caught. Every child will get a huge smile, look around at the other kids to see how far their hands are apart, then make sure their big fish is bigger than anyone else’s. So it begins!
Exaggeration is a fine skill where trying to impress your audience is a narrow path between stretching the truth without breaking it while making plausible-sounding explanations of dubious facts. It takes years of experience to know when and who you’re able to share your story and conclusions without completely losing your credibility.
Some anglers will catch (or lose) a fish and they know the exact buddy to share the tale with because that fisherman will let any questionable “facts” and small exaggerations slide by. In fact, the listening angler won’t challenge the story of the monster because they do the same thing and want an uncritical audience, as well. Each angler will bolster their own story with the “fact” that their buddy endorses it. And so another epic fishing story becomes a legendary event.
To be fair, Most anglers just want to be respected and considered to be a good fisherman by their peers. Ego and status are strong drivers, but at the end of the day I think we all want someone to say, “He’s a good fisherman!” That says a lot, doesn’t it? Especially when it’s not an exaggeration! Keep your integrity, stay humble and love others. Never give up!
Roger George: rogergeorge8@protonmail.com, Rogergeorgeguideservice on Facebook and @StriperWars
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 3 Catfish 2
Bill Sterling of the Sportsmen’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “Aqueduct fishing has slowed a bit, but we are only about a month away from some big striper fishing! Boils will start in late September. Now would be the time to get your lures and replace your line on your reels. I’ll be out chasing stripers this next week out on the aqueduct.”
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported continued good fishing for striped bass, largemouth bass, and catfish. The linesides are taken on reaction baits in the early mornings or evenings along with cut baits or pile worms. Anchovies are working for whiskerfish while largemouth bass are taken on a variety of lures including large plastic worms.” The best action remains where the current transitions from fast to slow.
Call: Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield (661) 833-8657
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 3 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 1
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Heavy boat pressure has descended upon this very limited body of water, but big bass over 10 pounds continue to be taken on deep-diving crankbaits or spoons. Some anglers are getting on the water as early as 2 a.m. to get to the limited spots. We have been selling out of all sorts of deep-diving crankbaits as they have been in high demand for Eastman. One angler has already caught and released two largemouths in the 13-pound range along with others in the 10-pound range.” Hensley remains quiet which either means Eastman is receiving all the attention or anglers aren’t talking about it. Catfish or carp along with bluegill in the shallows are available at both lakes. Catfish are taken on chicken livers, cut baits, or nightcrawlers. Eastman held at 7% with Hensley dropping from 8 to 6%. Algae blooms are forming with the low water conditions and triple-digit temperatures.
Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; Valley Rod Gun, Clovis 292-3474; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “The kokanee have gone on hiatus, scattering into very small groupings, and perhaps heading up the river arm toward the logjam. Trout and king salmon are the top species now, and the rainbows are loaded with copepods. The kokanee bite has really slowed down as the fish seem to have moved into the river arm, and we ended with a kokanee, a 4-pound king salmon, three rainbows, and a spotted bass on a recent trip. The kokanee certainly moved out quickly.” The bass bite remains extremely challenging with most bass fishermen heading further north to New Melones The lake dropped slightly to 59%. The Fleming Meadows, Blue Oaks, and Moccasin launch ramps remain open, but the Fleming launch requires a long walk to the parking lot.
Call: Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Kyle Wise – Head Hunter Guide Service – (209) 531- 3966; Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing – 691-7008
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2
The lake continues to release water, and it has dropped to 8%. Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported catfishing as the top draw at the lake with Triple S Dip Bait working best. Bass are taken on Brush Hogs or large plastic worms on a finesse presentation. Crappie are holding around certain submerged brush or rock with jigs or small minnows. Few trout are being landed, and they are mostly found by trollers working the river arm. In the lower river, catfish, bass, and carp are possibilities, and the smallmouth bass are taken on plastics on the drop-shot, deep-diving crankbaits, or live minnows. The river at Kernville rose from 192 to 527 cfs, but water releases out of the dam have been steady at First Point at 463 cfs. The trout in the upper river are holding in the deep pools, and even without recent plants and low water conditions, working the deep pools remains productive in low-light conditions. The Johnsonville area has been productive for holdover trout in the deep pools. Buena Vista is kicking out crappie on live minnows.
Call: Bob’s Bait Bucket in 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 2
Not much change with the exception of heavy recreational boating pressure and dropping water levels. The bass bite is challenging in the dropping water conditions, but there is a reaction bite in the early mornings before dropping to the bottom with ice jigs, spoons, or jigs. The lake is starting to release water, and it dropped to 17%. The flows in the Kaweah River have risen from 53 to 98 cfs at Three Rivers.
Lake Success/Tule River
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
Bass fishing is decent in the mornings and evenings, but the lake is dropping fast. Anglers are working around structure such as submerged trees or rock with plastics on a Texas-rig, deep-diving crankbaits, or Senkos. The lake dropped from 23% to 21%. The flows on the Tule are low, but trout action is excellent for fly fishermen with terrestrial dry flies or Woolly Buggers. Spin casters are scoring larger holdover browns or rainbows in the deeper pools in the lower Tule with Panther Martin spinners.
Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
The lake continues to drop as it is currently at 31%. The best launch ramp remains at Barrett Cove South. The bass bite has been tough. Trout trolling has been productive at depths to 80 feet near the dam with shad-patterned spoons.
Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Guide Service – 691-7008
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 2
Shore fishing is best in the early mornings or late afternoons with Power Bait, Panther Martin spinners, or ¼- to ⅜-ounce Kastmasters at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula around the marina. Holdover rainbow trout are found in the deepest and coolest waters in the river arm with blade/’crawler combinations or ruby red Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger. As the summer progresses, the rainbows will work their way up the river arm in search of cooler water. The lake held at 92%.
Call: Angler’s Edge Market – (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Spotted bass fishing remains slow with the best action in the main lake with finesse plastics. I have been scoring with either a drop-shot or a Tokyo-rig with three more on a crawdad and Missile Baits’ Baby D Stroyer. Winchell’s and the Rocky Point campground have been good locations.” Catfishing is best near the Courthouse with chicken livers or cut baits. The lake dropped from 56% to 53%, and the San Joaquin River dropped slightly to 259 cfs at Friant.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
The lake dropped to 29% and from 899.22 to 896.28 feet in elevation this week. The only launch ramp is the left side of Glory Hole, but there is still 40 feet of ramp left once the lake drops further. Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service has been finding easy limits of kokanee to 17 inches by 8 a.m. at depths to 80 feet with gold Apex or pink J-Pex lures behind a gold hammered dodger. He said, “The action is great, but the launch ramp is a challenge right now. Once the lake drops further, the ramp will open up once again.” The bass bite is solid around wood with topwater lures, bluegill-patterned glidebaits, crawdad-imitation jigs, or plastics as the bass are holding next to submerged wood. Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp, an area staple for 38 years, is set to close on Aug. 20.
Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; John Liechty Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun said, “Night action remains the best with big 10- to 12-inch plastics or big 7- to 8-inch crawdad plastics on a Carolina-rig with a bead. Catfishing is a good option with chicken livers, dip baits, or cut bait, but the trout have gone into the deepest part of the lake near the dam.” In the lower Kings, a trout plant occurred three weeks ago, and the action is best far from the easily-accessed areas. The flows have risen from 330 to 1,372 cfs at Trimmer, creating dangerous conditions. The lake dropped from 24% to 20%.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Bill Sterling of the Sportsmen’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “This week fishing for stripers has picked up in the San Luis Reservoir and the O’ Neill Forebay with topwater Spooks early morning and flukes in the afternoon.”
Roger George of Roger George Guide service said that the overall bite is decent at times but the weather has been going from hot dead calm to very windy. “I fished with a guest on Saturday and it was actually cold and windy early with the fish non-active. Later in the day we finally found some active fish and ended up with over 10 nice fish trolling at 40 to 60 feet with blue Shad minnow lures. There is some topwater early, but it’s done by the time boat anglers get on. Dinosaur dock is in good shape for now. Water temps are about 71 degrees early and the water is falling about a half-foot a day now. The big fish have been missing lately.” Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill said, “The O’Neill Forebay remains the top location for schoolie striped bass with pile worms or anchovies near Check 12. The striped bass bite in the main lake has picked up as extra-large minnows are now available. Mooching the minnows in the early mornings have been productive. Jumbo minnows will not be available until October. Magnum flukes in white or topwater lures are also productive before the sun rises.” The main lake has dropped to 31% with the forebay at 86%.
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com 905-2954
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1
Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Guide Service said, “Trout are still around the Sheriff’s Tower at depths to 20 feet with Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. We have been seeing some signs kokanee are headed to the deeper water in the dam area. After we caught some trout in the Tower area, we headed down to the dam just to see and run some lines. We caught another quality rainbow before losing a nice-sized kokanee. The best stuff to use is still orange or pink Dick’s Spinner Hoochies behind a Dick’s Big Blue Dodger or Rocky Mountain Tackle’s pink Plankton spinners in pink tipped with pink or white Berkley Maggots.” Bass fishing is best with reaction baits or jerkbaits near the rock structure near the dam. There is a finesse bite with plastics or jigs. The lake dropped to 80%.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Edison is at 32%, Florence dropped to 65% with Mammoth Pool also dropping slightly to 79%.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 2 Trout 3
Shaver Lake is gearing up for the onslaught of kokanee fishermen to arrive at the lake prior to the Sept. 11 Kokanee Power tournament, the final event of the season. Shaver has been producing the largest kokanee found this year in any of California’s lakes at over 20 inches, but the kokanee bite has slowed down considerably within the past week. However, it is anticipated to pick up once again as the fish are in the process of preparing for an attempt at spawning.
Dick Nichols, Shaver’s retired guide emeritus, said, “The roller-coaster bite of Shaver’s kokanee population is becoming more downgrade than uphill. Almost every good kokanee fishermen is reporting the same – things are slow. I believe it’s that time of year when the kokanee enter their pre-spawn mode. My last trip out with my neighbor Brady Stovall of Prather kind of proved that to me. We were fortunate to limit out with nice kokanee. The evidence to my theory was in all kokanee were male with half scales, half slick sides, and snouts that were bending downward. We were using Dick’s Mountain Tubes in pink, Mountain Koke Busters in pink and Mountain Candy behind Mountain Dodgers in gold/orange and blue/pink. Guide Jared Romero of Jrod’s Guide Service, reported a similar story on this week’s action. The kokanee bite lessened as the weekend approached. On Saturday, his party did not get a koke, and they like many had to rely on a good trout bite. The trout are more abundant than in the past four years. Although the majority are catchable CDFW plants, there are many yearlings out there, also. Most trips we have picked up at least a couple to 16 inches. The trout are hitting in the upper 25 feet of water with an occasional 35-foot hit. I’m using Dick’s Mountain Flashers to get down to the 25-foot area on my side poles. The Stevenson-style Mountain Trout Buster’s tipped with crawler and corn are working with a hit about every ten minutes. Dorabella Cove, the island, Black Rock and Boy Scout Cove have good schools of trout. It is most certainly not the koke bite we had last year; but if history prevails, they will go deeper and the bite will be good to excellent mid-August to mid-September.” Huntington continues to produce small kokanee on small spinners or hoochies at depths to 30 feet. Huntington held at 97% with Shaver held at 64%.
Todd Wittwer – Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Jerad Romero – Jrods Guide Service – 392-6994; Tom Oliveira – Tom Oliveira Fishing – 802-8072
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 3
Kelly Brewer of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store said, “Everything is basically the same in both lakes with 10- to 14-inch trout taken on green, pink, or rainbow Power Bait off of the banks. Speedy Shiners are also working for shore casters.” Trollers continue to work at depths from 20 to 30 feet with Rapalas, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger, or blade/’crawler combinations. Holdovers are found in Wishon near the mouth of Short Hair Creek and the inlet at the back of the lake. Both lakes have been crowded with campers. The dock is back in at Wishon.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Pick your species out of Half Moon Bay as the waters north of the harbor from Egg Rock to the Pacific Pier are holding a mixed-grade of salmon with some truly big fish in the mix while rockfishing remains a limiting proposition along the coastal reefs.
The Bay Area salmon boats have been heading south for numbers of fish off of the San Mateo coastline, demonstrating the good salmon fishing within close reach of the Pillar Point Harbor. The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing posted a fish shy of 12 limits to 27 pounds on Friday trolling between Egg Rock and Pedro Point. The Ankeny Street, normally a rockfish boat, went salmon fishing on Sunday for 12 salmon for 9 anglers.
Rockfishing remains the top draw with the Ankeny Street working the coastal nearshore reefs for 15 limits of rockfish including a cabezon, 7 ling cod to 7 pounds, and 3 halibut to 16 pounds on Saturday while the Queen of Hearts posted 20 limits of rockfish including three ling cod. The Riptide had a similar score with 15 limits of rockfish including two cabezon to 6 pounds and 5 ling cod, also on Saturday.
The New Captain Pete will be conducting rockfish research trips for the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program out of Moss Landing Laboratory this week, and they will fish the waters in the closed zone off of Ano Nuevo to measure, monitor, and tag every fish brought to the boat. Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete put his clients onto scores ranging from limits to a fish per rod on the salmon north of the harbor this week.
Call: Captain Michael Cabanas – New Captain Pete (510) 677-7054; Captain Chris Chang – Ankeny Street – (650) 279-8819; Captain Bill Smith – Riptide – (650) 728-8433; Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing – Queen of Hearts – (510) 581-2628
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Salmon 2 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “Anglers all around Monterey Bay are enjoying the heights of summertime fishing. All of our normal species are well present and accounted for. And, some exotics may be on the way.
Charter boat operations continue to report limits of rockfish and an increasing number of ling cod for their daily trips. Weather conditions have been mild. The gentler winds and waves not only make ocean fishing more comfortable, but also allow boats to travel farther from the harbors to improve both quantity and quality of fish being caught. Chris’s Whale Watching and Fishing Trips in Monterey has no problem getting around the corner at Point Pinos to steam south past Carmel and towards Big Sur, where the fish are bigger and quicker to bite. Chris’s reported full limits of rockfish for every trip aboard the Caroline and Check Mate this week.
In Santa Cruz, Stagnaro’s Charters has enjoyed near-limit fishing on their half-day trips to the local reefs, and full limits on their whole day trip to the North Coast. Their catches this week included 2 to 3 lingcod per trip and one halibut reported. The smaller six-pack boats are reporting limits on rock cod as well, both from local reefs as well as the North Coast spots. JT Thomas from Go Fish Santa Cruz reported on Sunday’s trip aboard the beautiful Miss Beth saying, “We fished locally today for rock cod. The bite was wide open. The clients had early limits of quality rock fish including big vermillion. They landed four nice ling cod.” Rodney Armstrong, skipper for Santa Cruz Coastal Charters has been traveling up towards Davenport and finding great success on the larger rock cod. On Tuesday Armstrong reported, “Today we went back to Davenport. The fishing was great as we landed two lingcod keepers and lost four more lings along with rockfish limits for boat and crew.” Tom Dolan on the six-pack Mega Bite had an adventurous charter group who opted for halibut on Tuesday. Their choice paid off as Dolan explains, “Our first halibut trip of the season and WOW! Our Nebraska team of three nailed the halibut today. We boated nine and kept the biggest seven. Fresh squid was the ticket!”
Meanwhile, if that’s not enough, salmon are still in the bay and still on the bite. Trollers working various south bay spots found the fish deep, near the bottom in 180 to 220 feet of water. The bite was decent for big king salmon near the Sand Plant, Mulligan’s Hill and Soldier’s Club this week. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine also reported a few salmon were caught north of Santa Cruz as well, near Wilder’s Beach.
Tom Joseph on the Sara Bella of Fish On Sportfishing, may have the best fishing news of the week. Joseph trailers his boat so he can launch from a variety of harbors. He often launches from Moss Landing, Monterey, or Santa Cruz. On Tuesday he took off from Half Moon Bay with clients, looking for albacore tuna. They caught no albacore but did troll up a bluefin tuna, the first reported caught this season. This is big news indeed. We may enjoy another year of tuna fever on the Monterey Bay if the bluefin start biting. The thought of bluefin AND albacore fishing offshore should make local anglers heads swim. Fingers are crossed.”
Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell – Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Salmon 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2
Salmon is king, and the king salmon have been attracting fishermen to the Bay Area fleet. This week was no exception with scores consistently ranging from a fish per rod to limits with the numbers of big fish over 30 pounds continuing to climb. Rockfishing is no slough either, and there have been some tremendous ling cod scores in the remote locations along the Marin coast.
Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito went south on Friday for 18 limits of big fish to 35 pounds on Friday for a regular charter, and he said, “We started off at the Pacific Pier for a mixed grade of salmon with some big ones in the mix, but Captain Wallace Klugher of the Queen of Hearts called me down to the coast between Pedro Point and Egg Rock, and there were all big fish down there. Salmon fishing has been very good to say the least.”
Salmon fishing is salmon fishing, and to anticipate limits is a mistake since every day is a new day as conditions can change overnight. Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond mooching up 5 big salmon on Sunday, and he said, “We could have easily limited out as there were more than enough bites for limits. We trolled on Saturday, but the conditions were even better for mooching on Saturday. We have been heading north from Muir Beach to Duxbury, and the fish are there. It’s just a matter of capitalizing on your opportunities. There are salmon up north, at the Channel Buoys, and off of the San Mateo coastline.”
Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco is putting in work as he took out his longest chartering guest on Saturday, and they put together limits after starting with a bang in the morning, going through a slow period, and moving to find the remainder of the limits.
Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing also has his boats in the ocean either mooching or trolling for salmon, and they have been averaging around a fish per rod before working the reefs for rockfish limits.
Rockfishing has also been tremendous, and Captain James Smith on the California Dawn II took out the second Phenix Rods/Optimum swimbait trip of the year on Friday, and they went north to Point Reyes for 34 limits of ling cod to 25 pounds, 240 rockfish including 5 cabezon, and a bonus 30-pound Pacific halibut, all on swimbaits. The halibut action has been centered on the North Bar, and the scores have been ranging from a fish to two-fish per rod.
Inside San Francisco Bay, shark fishing remains the best thing going, and Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing said, “It’s a no-brainer as we are landing leopards shark to nearly 5 feet along with the occasional soupfin along the deep edge of the channel near the opening of the Alameda Channel with salmon roe or midshipmen. We upgraded to wire leaders after getting sawed off by soupfins earlier in the week.”
Call: Captain Trent Slate Bite Me Charters (415) 307-8582; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388
San Luis Obispo
Rockfish 3 Salmon 2 Surf perch 3
Rockfishing remains a good option with limits taken the Patriot on Monday with near-limits on most trips. The ling cod count remains limited with the exception of long-range trips far from the harbors, but even the overnight trip on the Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing only returned with 2 lings. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot was out on Monday with 17 anglers for 8 vermilion and 162 assorted rockfish for limits. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Avenger, Endeavor, and Starfire were out on Sunday from ½-day to 12-hour trips with 77 anglers for 116 vermilion, 19 copper, 80 Boccaccio, 345 assorted rockfish along with 9 ling cod to 12 pounds. Out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay, the Black Pearl was out on Saturday evening on an overnight trip with 21 anglers for 84 vermilion, 51 assorted rockfish, 15 Boccaccio, 80 canary, 2 ling cod, and a halibut. The Fiesta and Rita G were out on Saturday with 50 passengers for 40 vermilion, 440 assorted rockfish, one ling, and a cabezon. Webcams of many of the coastal locations are available at https://805webcams.com/.
Call: Virg’s Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing
Others
Delta/Stockton
Bass 2 Striper 3 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3 Salmon 2
The summer pattern on the Sacramento-Delta is somewhat atypical as striped bass have stayed in the system throughout the summer despite hot water temperatures in the high 70-degree range. Other than the striped bass, the action on the Sacramento side is typical with few salmon landed from the access points this early in the open season along with few anglers targeting sturgeon. Smallmouth bass are found along the rocky banks in the Old Sacramento River towards Walnut Grove and in Steamboat Slough with plastics on the drop-shot, live minnows, or deep-diving crankbaits. The San Joaquin side remains very typical with largemouth bass and catfish dominating action.
The big news on the Delta is the August 24th meeting hosted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. within CDFW’s Fisheries’ Branch headquarters at 1010 Riverside Parkway, West Sacramento, 95605, in the California Poppy Conference Room to receive input on a proposed regulation changes for a striped bass slot limit. Those interested can attend and participate either in person or remotely (online or by phone). Participants can visit the following link to join the meeting online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81676220423. Those wishing to listen or participate by phone can do so by calling (866) 390-1828.
Tony Lopez of Benicia Bait reported no salmon have been landed from the Benicia shorelines as of yet, but striped bass to 35 inches have been taken from the shorelines at the Dillon Point State Park on Vee Zee spinners intended for salmon. He said, “It’s very early here, and the action normally doesn’t state until the water cools by late August.”
Striped bass trolling remains productive for boats working from Sandy Beach towards Collinsville on the West Bank with shallow-diving P-Line’s Angry Eye Predator Minnows or Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows.
Dave Houston of Livermore was out trolling twice this week out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley, and he said, “I took out Pat Scott, Dave Dillard, and Jim Foley on Friday, and a new wave of fish have moved in on both the Sacramento and San Joaquin. We caught most of our fish shallow in the morning and as the day went on the fish move deeper. By 1:00 p.m., we were targeting fish between 14 and 18 feet, ending up with 18 keepers to 9 pounds along with 17 shakers. Earlier in the week, I took out Clyde Wands and Chester Linton the day prior to Clyde’s 89th birthday. He is still catching them. We stayed in the lower San Joaquin today and the water was mostly clear and grass was not a problem which made for very nice trolling conditions. We caught them both shallow and deep. Light colored lures with a white tail work best today. Ended up with 18 keepers to 7 pounds and 8 undersized linesides.”
Brannan Island State Recreation Area is open on weekends-only from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. until September 1st. A new concessionaire is being recruited for fulltime duty. Only the launch ramp and nearby day-use area is open as the other parts of the park remain closed.
On the San Joaquin side, the original frog tournament, the Snag Proof Open was held this past weekend out of Russo’s Marina on Bethel Island. The Snag Proof has been around for nearly two decades, and anglers are limited to topwater Snag Proof or Scum frogs. 156 teams participated in the event, and tournament director, Randy Pringle said, “The frog bite was much tougher on Sunday morning as the wind came up, and it was cold. The high winds made it difficult. We did end up with a number of big fish with two 9’s along with some in the 7- and 8-pound range. The best action occurred with the darker colors of frogs, and you had to be around current to get bit with the optimum time right at the switch. Bobby Barrack was present at the event during the two days, and he was able to provide anglers his deep knowledge of frog fishing.”
The team of Jamond Andrews and Harvey Pulliam were consistent, and they won the pro side with a two-day six-fish limit at 25.02 pounds while Bill and Clif Wentworth took the amateur side at 23.83 pounds. The day one leader had 18 pounds, only to weigh in a single small fish on the following day.
Dave King of Nor Cal Bass fished the Snag Proof, and he confirmed the tough bite on Sunday, saying, “We had great action on Saturday with a white topwater Scum Frog but finding quality fish was a challenge. It wasn’t difficult getting bit, but it was a challenge to find big fish. Sunday was very tough as we ended up with a total of 10 pounds for the weekend. I learned a lot, and I look forward to the event again next year.”
Nor Cal Bass is holding a tournament out of Ladd’s Marina in Stockton this coming weekend.
Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors found great action on the San Joaquin this week with over 40 bass on a guide trip with the best five going 24 pounds. He said, “We were crushing them on the Reaction Innovation’s Sweet Beaver and the new 8.5 Flirt, ending up with 12 bass over 4 pounds.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, went bass fishing in Disappointment Slough this week, and he reported good action for a small grade of largemouths pitching plastics into the shoreline. He said, “There is a huge algae bloom from downtown Stockton all the way to Ladd’s Marina, and you have to go west to get out of the algae. Drifting bluegill in Disappointment Slough was also producing stripers, and there are some salmon being caught and released on Rat-L-Traps intended for largemouth bass near Frank’s Tract.”
Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Steve Mitchell – Hook’d Up Sport Fishing – (707) 655-6736; Vince Borges – Vince Borges Outdoors (209) 918-0828
Lake Nacimiento/San Antonio/Santa Margarita/Lopez
Bass 3 White bass 3 Striper 0 Catfish 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 2
At Nacimiento, the bass bite remains outstanding with reaction baits including buzzbaits, topwater lures such as Whopper Ploppers, ima and Finesse Poppers. The bass are loading up on shad, and spoons are working over the shad schools in deep water. Find the shad, and the bass will be there. White bass are also keying on the shad, and trollers are picking the whites with white Roostertails, lipless crankbaits, or Kastmasters. The whites are holding in big schools in the river arms. Bluegill and red ear perch continue to be taken on red worms, jumbo red worms, or meal worms. The lake dropped slightly to 21%. Recreational boating is taking over on the weekends. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, the bass bite is solid despite the launch ramp being inaccessible. Rental boats are available at the marina, and shore anglers, kayakers, and those on rental boats are scoring with topwater lures or reaction baits in the early mornings before going to the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot or Ned-rigs at depths to 20 feet. Jumbo red worms or red worms are working for bluegill or red ear perch. The launch ramp remains closed, but anglers can rent a boat at the marina. The lake is at 25.3% of capacity. Anglers can view a live webcam of the lake at https://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, bass action is improving with a good reaction bite early and late with crankbaits, topwater lures, underspins, or Rat-L-Traps. When the reaction bite is slow, heading to the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs from the banks to 20 feet are working. Catfish are picking up the bass lures as well as inhaling mackerel soaked in garlic. Crappie are holding in certain trees, and you have to find the submerged brush to locate the slabs. The lake dropped to 55.5% of capacity. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. At San Antonio, crappie, catfish, or carp are providing action, and the bass bite is improving with a variety of offering including topwater lures, jigs, or plastics on the drop-shot. Mackerel soaked in garlic is best for the whiskerfish while carp are taken on dough bait. The launch ramp is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekends and from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Fridays. The lake held at 10%.
Call: Lake Nacimiento Marina (805) 238-3256; Lopez Lake Marina (805) 489-1006; Santa Margarita Marina Store (805) 438-1522; Lake San Antonio Marina (805) 472-2313
Reminder: consuming white bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, or carp are subject to safe eating guidelines due to excessive mercury.
Events
Tournament Results:
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Snag Proof Open Pro Division (Six Fish limits) – August 6/7th: 1st – Jamond Andrews/Harver Pulliam – 25.02; 2nd – Cameron Cardoza/Jeremy Wright – 24.65; 3rd – Christian Ostrander/Marc Jang – 23.61 (2nd Big Fish – 9.45).
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Snag Proof Open Amateur Division (Six Fish limits) –August 6/7th: 1st – Bill and Clif Wentworth – 23.83; 2nd – Don and Drake Laughlin – 22.64; 3rd – Ben Lorencz/Zach Spriggs – 22.09.
Tulloch – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies – August 6th: 1st – Bill and William Vernon – 11.56; 2nd – Robert Hernandez Sr. and Jr. – 10.44; 3rd – Wes Marks/Gabriel Contreras – 9.85 (Big Fish – 4.83).
Upcoming Tournaments (subject to change)
August 13th –
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
Don Pedro – Modesto Ambassadors/Riverbank Bass Anglers
Pine Flat – Fresno Bass Club
Bass Lake – Sierra Bass Club
Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
August 14th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Stanislaus County Employees
August 20th/21st –
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails
August 27th –
Delta/Big Break – Bass N’ Tubes
