Fishing report, Aug. 3-9: Decent bass bite in the trees at Millerton; High Sierra trout hot
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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Best bets
Eastman kicking out big bass, Michael Crayne said. Don Pedro kokanee producing limits, Monte Smith reported. New Melones kokanee and bass bites good, Dave Hurley said. Shaver trout top the bill, Dick Nichols reported. Courtright and Wishon trout hitting, Kelly Brewer said.
Roger’s Remarks
Roger George’s column will return.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Bill Sterling of Stripers Gone Wild said, “The California Aqueduct has slowed down with Hilldale being the best spot with anchovies or blood worms. Largemouth bass fishing is solid with frogs or topwater lures in the early mornings.” Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “Striped bass and catfish are landed in the California Aqueduct closer to Tracy now with anchovies or pile worms.”
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, anglers are working around the heat by heading out in the early mornings or close to dusk with anchovies, mackerel, chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or Triple S Dip Bait for the whiskerfish and with Keitech swimbaits or jerkbaits for striped bass. 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 2
To say that Eastman has been slow for months has been an understatement, but during the last week, we reported a “sneaky good” largemouth bass bite. As many as 30 boats have been crowding around a small area around the dam for the opportunity to catch-and-release the big bass from 8 to 13 pounds, and some boats will sit on the spot throughout the day. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “I would switch over to a swimbait on a slow-roll as they have been seeing plenty of Strike King’s XD6s or XD10s in the past few weeks. The Mega Bass Dark Sleeper or Savage Gear’s Structure Gill in bluegill patterns are a good option. The key is getting on the lake very early and getting to your spot as there are only a few locations where you can actually fish with the low water levels and the algae bloom. The left side of the Cordoniz launch is inaccessible due to low water.”
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 is at 7% and Hensley dropped from 10% to 8%. 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 3 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “Kokanee remain the top draw here, but the fish are on the move toward the upper bay as they are starting to prepare to attempt to spawn. Limits of kokanee to 18 inches have been the rule for experienced trollers pulling Apex lures behind big 5.5-inch dodgers. The fish are in tight schools of less than 100 yards, and you have to find them and stay on top of them.” The bass bite remains extremely challenging with most bass fishermen heading further north to New Melones. The lake dropped slightly to 60%. 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 2 Bluegill 2
The lake continues to release water, and it has dropped to 9%. Bass fishing remains the top draw with deep-diving crankbaits in bluegill or shad patterns along with 7- to 10-inch plastic worms around structure in the exposed rocks or trees. The water temperature is high at 80 degrees. Catfishing is a good option with Triple S Dip Bait, anchovies, frozen shad, or shrimp. Trout fishing is very slow as the holdovers have headed up the river arm in search of cooler water temperatures. The river at Kernville rose from 108 to 192 cfs, but water releases out of the dam have pushed the flows at First Point at 498cfs. 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.
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
The bass bite is challenging in 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 from 25% to 18%. The flows in the Kaweah River have risen from 31 cfs to 53 cfs at Three Rivers.
Lake Success/Tule River
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
Chuck Stokke of the Sequoia Fishing Company in Springville reported, “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 26% to 23%. The flows on the Tule are low, but Stokke reported excellent fishing 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 32%. The best launch ramp remains at Barret Cove South. Not much change as the bass bite has been tough. Trollers have been scoring up to three limits of holdover trout with Speedy Shiners or similar spoons in the deep water near the dam at depths from 40 to 60 feet.
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 1/4 to 3/8-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 91%, and lake levels will remain high throughout the year.
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, “The overall action remains slow with the best quality found in the main lake and also in the rocks on the north side. Finegold Bay and Sky Harbor have been producing spotted bass, and there is a decent bite in the trees on the Madera side with crankbaits in the trees. Catfishing is best near the Courthouse with chicken livers or cut baits.” The lake dropped from 59 to 56%, and the San Joaquin River rose slightly to 272 cfs at Friant.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2
The lake dropped to 30% and from 902.20 to 899.22 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. In the meantime, boaters have to be both prepared to drop their boats in the water quickly along with being patient. Kokanee fishing remains outstanding for the few boats trying, and big lures such as Apexes behind a Paulina Peak’s gold hammered dodger at depths to 100 feet over structure. 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 August 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, “The best bass fishing is occurring at night with big plastic worms or dark topwater lures. The overall reaction bite is very slow. 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 or attempting to migrate up the river arm. Big Creek and Sycamore Creeks are the best location for trout trolling along with the dam, but the number of trollers has been limited with the triple-digit temperatures.”
In the lower Kings, a trout plant occurred two weeks ago, and there are some brook and rainbow trout in the river, but you will have to walk aways from the easy access points. Atomic Tubes or Joe’s Flies are working for the holdovers along with Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Small crappie jigs and mini-crankbaits are another solid option. The flows have dropped from 372 cfs to 330 cfs at Trimmer. The lake dropped from 29% to 24%.
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 1
The lake continues to drop, receding to 32% this week with the O’Neill Forebay rising to 86%. In the main lake, anglers are walking the banks as close to the closed Basalt Recreational Area as possible for largemouth bass. In the Forebay, trollers are using the technique of trolling Clouser Minnows and jigging the line up and down and back and forth for lineside to 30 inches in a technique known as “fly core.” There is an excellent early morning topwater bite before switching to white flukes at the Forebay.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the constant wind has made it tough to troll or cast lures as the water slowly falls about half-foot a day. “I fished with a guest on Sunday and we trolled up over 10 nice fish, losing one over 10 pounds right at the boat for a quick release! I had to hit the fish on the head and the depths we worked were from 40-60 feet most of the time with minnow lures in shad colors. I would call the bite a slow one right now. I’m not sure when the wind will finally subside.”
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com 905-2954
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0
Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing said, “There are still no kokanee showing, but there are quality rainbows over 16 inches in the mornings at depths from 8 to 18 feet from the Sheriff’s Tower to the Forks with Dick’s Trout Busters or Mountain Tubes tipped with white maggots behind a Dick’s Big Blue Dodger or Rocky Mountain Tackle’s Signature Dodgers. The water temperature has risen to 80 degrees, and there is a lot of grass floating in the shallow end of the lake. The shallow end is difficult to fish after the recreational boats start in after 8 a.m. 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. With the heavy recreational boating until at least Labor Day weekend, few bass boats are heading to the lake. The lake held at 81%.
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
The lake has been overwhelmed with anglers trying for the lake’s big kokanee along with the plentiful rainbow trout planters. As many as 60 boats have been trolling on the weekends. Bass Lake continues to pump out rainbow trout. Dick Nichols, Shaver’s guide emeritus, said, “I fished with old friends David Borgatello and David Schiffen of the Santa Barbara area along with Mission Ventura pastor Father Tom for two days this past week, and the trio picked limits of mixed fish, kokanee and trout both days. I think the kokanee bite has been like a roller-coaster with one day better than others. The trout bite still is excellent, but many are on the smaller size. Dora Bela Cove has an abundance of trout at 20 feet in depth. The Stevenston-style Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with a piece of crawler and corn are working on the side poles while most of the kokanee are taken at depths from 38 to 67 feet with blue/white Dick’s Mountain Hoochies, Mountain Tubes in pink or orange, and Mountain Candy in pink, all tipped with scented corn behind a Mountain Dodger in perch color or blue/pink. Shaver regular Earl Taniguchi of Fowler and his buddy Roger Keir of Fresno fished Tuesday and reported only five kokanee for the two of them, and they are both expert Shaver Lake anglers. At the other end of the roller-coaster, guide Jared Romero of JRod’s Fishing Guide Service picked up mixed fish for two days with clients and then fished with Brian Thomas and crew from Three Sons Tackle to limit out on kokanee using Thomas’ WhipperSnapper which mimics a J-Pex lure.”
Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service said, “There are still some big ones left up to 19.5 inches, and we had limits of kokanee by 6:50 a.m. one day with another three limits by 7 a.m. on the following day. The Father Murphy’s Magic in blue glow, orange/black, or pearl is working along with the pink Radical Glow Tube first thing in the morning at depths from 50 feet to 65 feet. Tubes and squids are working best in the morning with the larger Apex or J-Pex lures in the afternoons. The trout are holding on top of the kokanee, and you have to get through the rainbows to get to the kokanee. The majority of rainbows are the small planters.”
At Huntington, it is tough to get through the kokanee at 20 to 30 feet to get down to the trout. Small hoochies or spinners at depths from 25 to 35 feet on the wire or with a setback of 125 feet with a half-ounce weight are working for both species. Huntington held at 97%, resulting in Shaver rising slightly to 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, “Fishing is really good at both lakes for rainbow trout in the 12- to 16-inch range for trollers working at depths from 20 feet to 30 feet with Rapalas, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler behind a dodger, or blade/’crawler combinations. Bank fishing near the launch ramp and the dam at both lakes are producing rainbows in the 10- to 12-inch range while holdovers are found in Wishon near the mouth of Short Hair Creek and the inlet at the back of the lake.” Courtright received a trout plant last week.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
The salmon are holding north of Half Moon Bay from Pedro Point to Mussel Rock, and the larger party boats have been picking up decent scores while private boaters have been staying in front of the entrance buoys for the return of the net pen fish. Kayakers frequent the area in front of the harbor to troll for salmon, but there was a serious accident this past week where a kayaker was run over by a power boat, resulting in serious injuries requiring hospitalization. Rockfishing remains outstanding with limits on every trip on the reefs south of the harbor.
Sherri Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing said, “Our big boat, the Queen of Hearts, has been trolling between Pedro Point and Egg Rock, and the conditions are so good in the area with brown water, bait, and birds that our captain, Wallace Klugher, continues to stay in the area. He had a small charter of three anglers for limits by 8:30 a.m. on Saturday after posting 14 salmon for 10 people the previous day. The signs are all there, and it is a matter of being there at the right time and the right spot. Our six-pack, the Reel Screamer, has been working from Pedro Point to the Channel Buoys for a fish per rod on the average. Private boaters are still out in front of the Pillar Point Buoy to the Green Can, and this is the time of year when the salmon start trickling into the harbor. The grade of salmon has been mixed, but there have been plenty of 20 and 30 pounders out there. Rockfishing remains ‘lights out,’ and limits are easy.”
Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete returned with 11 limits of salmon to 22 pounds on Thursday fishing north of the harbor.
Mid-week, it was all about rockfishing with It’s all about rockfishing right now as the Queen of Hearts posting 17 limits, the Riptide returning with 7 limits, and Ankeny Street loaded up with 12 limits including a cabezon, a ling, and a bonus halibut. The Ankeny Street posted 16 limits including 5 ling cod on Saturday.
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 Crab 3 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
While salmon scores have plummeted in Monterey Bay, rockfish, halibut, and even white sea bass are filling the void. The best rockfishing continues to be farther and farther from the harbors with Santa Cruz boats heading north to Davenport or Ano Nuevo with Monterey boats taking the trek south to Point Sur.
Captain JT Thomas of the six-pack Miss Beth said, “We have been focusing on rockfish and ling cod over the past week, and we are making the run north to Davenport or Ano Nuevo, weather permitting. After scoring rockfish limits, if there is time left in the day, we are trolling up halibut using fresh dead squid in front of our harbor.
Myron Larson of Capitola Boat and Bait said, “There have been quite a few halibut in the 10- to 17-pound range landed in the sandy flats outside of Capitola, and the top baits are fresh dead squid or king fish. The squid is by far the best bait for all of our beaches from Capitola south through Moss Landing and Monterey.”
Out of the Santa Cruz Wharf, Stagnaro’s Sport Fishing has been rockfishing closer to the harbor for half-limits to full limits of assorted rockfish.
In Monterey, Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing Trips said, “We went to Point Sur on Saturday and just smashed the rockfish with some quality ling cod. Our local trips are returning with rockfish limits, but the quality is nothing special. There are some huge schools of white sea bass in the bay, but they aren’t biting. One private boat landed two legal sea bass, but they left our side of the bay to travel towards the Pajaro and Soquel Holes near Moss Landing. There are tons of anchovies in the bay along with a scattering of market-grade squid. The squid boats picked up 15 to 20 tons over the weekend. Halibut are showing up along the beaches, but salmon have been holding deep on the bottom. We had a decent score with a half-fish per rod with 7 for 14 anglers during the week, but Sunday’s score really dropped off. We are also getting reports of schools of restricted black sea bass for the first time in memory.”
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 fever continues to have a grip on Bay Area anglers, and the scores continue to range from limits, limits, limits to merely a fish per rod. Salmon fishing is the best it has been in decades, and interest is very high with most party boats and six-packs targeting salmon. This doesn’t mean the other species aren’t available as rockfishing has been fantastic, both up the Marin coastline and at the Farallon Islands, and at least one boat ran far offshore for a shot of tuna.
On Saturday, Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters went north to Duxbury Reef, and both six-packs returned with salmon limits of huge fish with Slate loading up with three over 25 pounds with all salmon above 18 pounds. He said, “It is just spectacular out there, and if you want to find the ‘Mega Hawgs,’ you have to head to the northside. Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions said, “We went hog hunting on Saturday, and our crew fish were commercial-grade with three salmon over 30 pounds. Sunday was a different story with Koyasako saying, “We had 8 salmon to 25 pounds and lost enough for limits after starting with three right away at Duxbury Reef. The bait really wasn’t there today, and we went as far north as Arch Rock to find the bait.”
Typical of the bite, limits of salmon were the story out of the Bay Area Fleet on Thursday, and Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito posting limits for a charter won during the Golden State Salmon Association’s April 3rd fundraising dinner. Friday was another story as Davis said, “We had to work for them, and we endured a long period mid-day where they completely stopped biting, but we had a decent shot early and another shot late to end up with 28 salmon to 20 pounds for 22 anglers.”
Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Berkeley had posted up to limits during the week, but he had to work hard for a fish per rod for 15 anglers on Sunday with most of the fish coming at the Channel Buoys. He has been switching between the Channel Buoys and the San Mateo coastline near Mussel Rock.
Captain Chris Smith on the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley had four great days from Thursday through Sunday with salmon limits on Thursday and Friday before heading up the Marin coastline for 19 limits of rockfish and 24 ling cod before the group wanted to drift for halibut. Smith said, “We could have ended up with ling cod limits as our last drift was the best as we left them chomping. We picked up 10 halibut at the North Bar on our way home. We went to the Farallon Islands on Sunday, and we found an exceptional grade of rockfish with limits of both ling cod and rockfish.” Unfortunately, both the Happy Hooker and Pacific Dream will be out of the water for up to three months to be repowered with new engines, but they will be ready for the opener of the crab combination season on November 5th.
There was a shot of albacore during the middle of the week with Captain Ross Corbett of Pacific Angler Sport Fishing traveling 60 to 65 miles to the Gumdrop to find 61- to 63-degree blue water, white-sided dolphins, pilot whales, and flying fish. Corbett said, “We were 10 to 15 miles north of the Pioneer when we found our first albacore, and it took us most of the day to find them so we only landed 4 out of 8 bites the first day. We had a charter from Nathan Gunther and friends the following day, and we landed nine ranging from 18 to 25 pounds on Mexican Flag clones, cedar plugs, or Nomad deep-divers.”
Captain James Smith of the luxury vessel, California Dawn II, is planning a run for albacore within the next two weeks if the conditions are right, and it will be a live bait trip for $500/angler.
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, but the ling cod count remains limited with the exception of long-range trips far from the harbors. 12-hour long range trips continue to produce the most vermilions and improved opportunities for ling cod. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot, Phenix, and Flying Fish on trips ranging from ½- to full days on Sunday with 58 anglers for 23 vermilion, 248 Bolina, 300 assorted rockfish, 6 cabezon, 3 ocean whitefish a copper, a Boccaccio 11 ling cod, and a bonus 25-pound halibut. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Avenger, Endeavor, and Starfire were out on trips ranging from ½-day to 12-hour on Sunday with 96 anglers for 131 vermilion, 18 Boccaccio, 721 assorted rockfish, 12 Bolina, and 2 ling cod to 15 pounds with the big ling taken by Jeremy Russett of Hanford at Ragged Point. Out of Virg’s Landing, the Black Pearl, Fiesta, and Rita G were out on Saturday on trips ranging from ½- to full day with 74 fishermen for 64 vermilion, 479 assorted rockfish, 6 ocean whitefish, and 6 ling cod. 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
Other
Delta/Stockton
Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3 Salmon 2
In spite of water temperatures pushing 80 degrees, striped bass continue to be found in the Sacramento-Delta while salmon aren’t slowing down at all on their way to the upper rivers in search of cool water.
Delta anglers are requested to mark their calendars for a public meeting on August 24th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 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).
The meeting is hosted by the CDFW and the Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association within CDFW’s Fisheries’ Branch headquarters, 1010 Riverside Parkway, West Sacramento, 95605, in the California Poppy Conference Room.
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.
At the meeting, the public is invited to ask questions of both CDFW and the Nor Cal-Guides and Sportsmen’s Association. CDFW staff will provide updates on the current state of the striped bass fishery along with existing angler survey data.
CDFW has developed a Striped Bass Angler Preference Survey to solicit input. Anglers can participate by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SPJL6DR
Pam Hayes of Benicia Bait reported only a single foul-hooked salmon has been reported from the shorelines around Benicia, but there haven’t been many fishermen trying as of yet. She said, “We are starting to get some striped bass action, but no one is out targeting sturgeon right now.”
Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors continues to find northern largemouth bass under the weed mats punching with Brush Hogs with a 3/4th to 1-ounce punch weight. Fong produced a frog video that will release this week on his YouTube channel, and he reviews the techniques used for successful frogging. He will cut one of the legs on the frog ½-inch in order to create an erratic movement.
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 this week for the first time in months, and he said, “I knew it was going to be windy, but I did not expect it to be storming with white capping 4-foot swells. Today we fished from Three Mile Slough to Broad Slough and it took us almost 4 hours before we found our first fish. The water temperature was 72 degrees, which is cooler than it has been, and there was a lot of grass/hyacinth floating on top. We quickly caught 25 fish, shallow on chartreuse lures and headed back to the marina at 12:00.”
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.
The first of the two large frog tournaments in the California Delta took place this past weekend with a total of 99 pro teams and 94 amateur teams for a total of 193 teams. The frog game isn’t for the light of heart as over one-fourth of the teams (46) didn’t weigh in a single fish on Day One. The tournament is arranged by fishing in the late afternoon on Saturday and back out in the morning on Sunday to work two different tides. The tournament was won in the pro division by the team of Avalos/Evans with 28.16 and in the amateur division by Chao and Chao with 20.63 pounds. 17 pro teams and 31 amateur teams, nearly a fourth of the field, did not weigh in a fish either day. The UFC allows any manufacturer’s soft plastic frog baits that float on top of the water without assistance, and it cannot be modified to allow it to sink. No added weights, rattles, or leaders are allowed with the exception of painting dots on the belly or trimming the legs. Trailer hooks are allowed.
The original frog tournament, the Snag Proof Open, will take place out of Russo’s this coming weekend, and this tournament is limited to Snag Proof and Scum Frogs only. Changing hooks, a single trailer hook if attached directly to the frog without a leader, painting, marking, or dipping the frog is allowed, and adding rattles is also permitted. No weights are allowed as the lure is to be fished on top of the water.
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor and director of the Snag Proof Open, said, “We are expecting a number of participants as the original tournament has been in place for nearly two decades. Our results will be posted as soon as the competition is over since we understand that the public wants to see the results as soon as possible. I was out on the Delta this week with a father and his young son, and we caught and released at least 45 bass using a variety of lures including the ima Finesse Popper, the Berkley Choppo 110, or ima’s squarebill or Pinjack crankbaits. The bass are feeding heavily on either orange crawdads or shad, and the topwater lures are all shad patterns while the crankbaits are in Red Craw or similar color patterns. The Choppo 110 is the real deal, and it is easy to throw on a spinning rod with 50-pound Berkley Big Game. You have to do what the fish want, and with the loads of small silverside minnows and shad in the Delta, the fish are wanting to chase the bait fish.”
Dave King of NorCal Bass will be participating in the Snag Proof Open on the pro side, and he was out on Sunday for a wide open bite with the River2Sea Whopper Plopper or white Scum Frogs on the high tide before switching over to Rat-L-Traps on the outside weed line along with Senkos on slack tide. He said, “We found steady action throughout the day in the east Delta for largemouth bass to 3.5 pounds.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, went drifting bluegill in False River and Frank’s Tract, and he said, “There are plenty of stripers in the Delta. Who knows why they are here now, but they are here. The water temperature ranged from 74 to 76 degrees, and we consistently landed linesides in the 6- to 8-pound class on the outgoing tide. Bass fishing remains very good with chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, punching, or flipping as there are plenty of mats and weeds out there in the central Delta.”
In the south Delta below the Mossdale Bridge, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The stripers are starting to come in below the Mossdale Bridge as I was out there twice this week, and linesides in the 22- to 25-range are being caught. Pile worms or anchovies are working for both striped bass and catfish. There is plenty of shad in the river, but it has been falling through the shadder’s nets as it is too small right now. We get dozens of calls for fresh shad every day, and we hope to have it in the shop soon, but it has to get larger.”
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, in spite of hot temperatures, spotted and white bass continue to be cooperative with reaction baits along with topwater Whopper Ploppers or similar walking baits, buzzbaits, or small ima Finesse Poppers. Crankbaits in both lipless or squarebill bounced off of structure are also working for the spots. By mid-morning, anglers are dropping to the bottom with small shad-patterned spoons or ice jigs over the shad schools. The white bass have been boiling more frequently with the hot temperatures, and the best action is by slow-trolling small white Kastmasters or Roostertails through the shad schools. Bluegill and red ear perch continue to be taken on red worms, jumbo red worms, or meal worms. The lake held at 22%. 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, in spite of no launch ramp available, anglers are renting boats from the marina or launching kayaks to find decent bass action with topwater lures or reaction baits in the early mornings before pounding the bottom with plastics on a drop-shot or Ned-rig 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 25.5% of capacity. Anglers can view a live webcam of the lake at https://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, limits of bass to 3 pounds have been a regular feature with a good topwater bite in the early mornings before transitioning to working the bottom with Senkos, plastics on the drop-shot, or jigs. Bluegill and red ear perch are taken on jumbo red worms or red worms around structure, and catfishing continues to improve with the warm water conditions with cut baits scented with garlic. The lake dropped to 55.8% of capacity. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. At San Antonio, fishing has clearly improved with crappie taken around structure off shore with minijigs or small swimbaits while catfish are taken on mackerel or cut bait scented with garlic. Bass fishing has improved with a topwater bite in the early morning before heading to the bottom with plastics or jigs. Carp are throughout the shallows and easy to catch on dough baits. 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 is 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 – Ultimate Frog Challenge Pro Division (Six Fish limits) – July 30th/31st: 1st – Avalos/Evans – 28.16; 2nd – Simpson/Plaza – 26.53; 3rd – Hume/Kuchman – 25.85.
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Ultimate Frog Challenge Amateur Division (Six Fish limits) – July 30th/31st: 1st – Chao/Chao – 20.63; 2nd – Lee/Lee – 19.46; 3rd –Salle/Flood – 19.44.
Upcoming Tournaments (subject to change)
August 6/7th –
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Snag Proof Open ‘The Original Frog Tournament’
August 6th –
Tulloch – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
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
