Fishing report, Aug. 31-Sept. 6: Mystery at San Luis; trout available at Bass Lake

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

Delta striper and bass action the best, Alan Fong said. New Melones kokanee continue feast, Kyle Wise reported. Courtright and Wishon trout biting, Kelly Brewer said. Pine Flat catfishing solid, Michael Crayne reported. Bass Lake trout available, Mike Beighey said.

Roger’s Remarks: Another reason to always listen to your wife

It all began as a well-intentioned fishing trip – one I don’t think I will ever live down if my wife, Elaine, has anything to say about it.

We had only been married a year to two (she’ll correct that number later, I’m sure!) when I invited her to go with me to the San Joaquin River to catch some bass. We would walk into a couple of small ponds located just off the main river and do some lure casting. I was excited she was willing to go with me.

We had just finished fishing a small pond and heading to the next stop when we came to a stream blocking the way. It was about 40 feet wide but only about 2-3 inches deep. The bottom of the stream was pure white sand, contrasted by the crystal clear water meandering along the shallow channel.

Elaine told me she was going to cast her Mepps spinner across the stream and fish it before we crossed it. What? I told her I could see the bottom all the way across the stream and it was too shallow to have fish.

Unconvinced, she sidearmed the little lure out into the stream and started reeling. Halfway back, I saw the lure nick some sticks and Elaine set the hook. She was sure it was a fish! In the meantime “the expert” was explaining that she just hooked a stick. She was not happy, but I was not backing down.

We needed to go across the stream and I carried her piggyback to the other side. She still wasn’t happy I was completely discounting her “bite” and determined to prove her point, so she went to take another cast. I pointed out to her that we could see across the whole stream, and that we had just marched through it – as she cast back across the brook.

I watched the lure hit the water and saw a bass about 6 inches long dart out from behind some algae and go streaking toward Elaine’s lure, executing a vicious strike.

I don’t remember much after that, but I learned a couple things. One, just when you think you know something for sure, you find out that the deck was stacked against you and you never had a chance. Two, my wife doesn’t give up.

I know when I’ve been beaten. Just ask Elaine! Never give up…even if your wife has one up on you!

Roger George: rogergeorge8@protonmail.com , Rogergeorgeguideservice on Facebook and @StriperWars

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 2

Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild said, “Our aqueduct cleanup was a huge success on Saturday as we picked up loads of trash ranging from lawn mowers to just everyday trash at and all around the bridges in the Los Banos area. The aqueduct is getting busier as the striped bass are becoming active. Bait fishing with anchovies is working best for around a fish per rod. I witnessed stripers in the 20-inch plus range on Saturday and Sunday. Bass fishing has slowed tremendously in the local canals around Los Banos. I heard most of the flow in the irrigation canals will be coming to a halt this next week.” Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The California Aqueduct below Tracy has been productive for all species as the water conveyance system is loaded with fish migrating south from Bethany Reservoir, and boils are reported in the north sections.”

In the south aqueduct, algae is building up in certain sections, and anglers will need to find clear water for success. Working the bottom with flukes or underspins on a heavy head are the best technique for linesides while cut baits are picking up a few striped bass along with catfish.

Call: Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield (661) 833-8657

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Boats can be launched with caution at Eastman, but at least one trailer has experienced broken leaf springs from falling off of the end of the ramp. Hensley is limited to bluegill or carp while the largemouth bass bite at Eastman has slowed. The run on big swimbaits and deep-diving crankbaits put tremendous pressure on the bass at Eastman, and the fish have been less willing to bite as they have seen every type of gear over the past month.” A 10.13-pound limit won a 12-boat Friday night tournament. Crappie are thick in the submerged brush at Eastman. The lakes are very low at 6%.

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

The bass bite has been brutal, and the kokanee are scarce. Few anglers are trying with the triple-digit temperatures. Trout trolling is fair at best with the possibility of a king salmon below 65 feet. The lake dropped slightly to 56%. 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 3 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

Bass fishing has been solid with topwater action early and late before heading to mid-range with deep-diving crankbaits around rock or wood. There have been some quality largemouths landed in the past month, and big 7- to 12-inch plastics on a Texas-rig have also been effective. The best locations for largemouths remain French Gulch, Piney Point, and Rocky Point. Crappie are holding around certain submerged brush or rock with jigs or small minnows. 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 have dropped from 155 to 104 cfs, and water releases out of the dam have also dropped at First Point from 316 to 261 cfs. The trout in the upper river are holding in the deep pools as the water is becoming very skinny. The lake held at 8%.

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 dropping water levels as the lake has receded from 13% to 9%. Bass fishing has been challenging with the triple-digit temperatures, and few anglers are trying at the present time. The bass are suspended with the rapidly dropping water levels, and they can be taken with jigs, plastics, or deep-diving crankbaits. The Kaweah River dropped from 32 cfs to 20 cfs at Three Rivers.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake receded from 16% to 13% this week. The triple-digit temperatures have slowed angler interest, but a few bass fishermen are working around the submerged trees in the early mornings or evenings with plastics on a Texas-rig, deep-diving crankbaits, or Senkos. Catfish are taken on cut baits while carp are inhaling dough baits in the shallows.

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

McClure Reservoir

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

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bass bite is improving with plastics on the drop-shot at depths from 25 to 35 feet along with spinnerbaits worked along main lake points in the wind. There is a good topwater bite in the evenings with Zara Spooks or the Berkley Choppo along with a decent jig or dart head bite.” The lake continues to drop as it is currently at 27%. The best launch ramp remains at Barrett Cove South, but recreational boaters dominate the lake.

Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Guide Service – 691-7008

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

There hasn’t been much change here as holdover rainbow trout from the original Calaveras Trout Farm plants months ago along with the catchables from the Department of Fish and Wildlife several weeks ago remain in the lake in limited numbers. The best action remains in the deep water up the river arm for trollers pulling blade/’crawler combinations or ruby red Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger while shore anglers have to get out in the early mornings from the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, or the peninsula near the marina with Power Bait, Panther Martin spinners, or ¼- to ⅜-ounce Kastmasters. The river below the dam is also producing fish that have migrated downstream. The lake dropped slightly to 91%

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 best location for spotted bass has been in Winchell’s Cove or the surrounding smaller coves. Spotted bass to 3 pounds have been landed on big swimbaits or dragging plastics on the bottom. Catfishing is best in the back of the lake near the Temperance Flat campground with chicken livers or cut bait.” The lake held at 49%, and the San Joaquin River flows have dropped to 283 cfs at Friant.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3

The lake ramp situation has improved as two lanes are now open at Glory Hole Point. Kyle Wise of Headhunter Guide Service said, “Kokanee action remains excellent for the few trollers trying, and the fish are found at depths from 80 to 125 feet in the main river channel with Apex or J-Pex lures behind a gold hammered dodger.” Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Bass fishing is best with flukes, topwater lures, or small swimbaits, but you have to search for the schools. Slow-rolling a ½-ounce spinnerbait is productive near wood in the wind.” The lake dropped 4 feet from 891.02 to 887.51 this week, and the overall capacity dropped slightly to 27%. Wise continues to find outstanding catfish action on his evening trips, and he is running a special evening catfish trip for $150 including barbecuing Lockeford sausages and sides.

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 3 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Bass fishing is improving near the submerged trees near Trimmer with topwater lures in the early mornings. Catfishing is solid with chicken livers or anchovies. The reaction bite with jerk or crankbaits has been slow. Bluegill or crappie are taken around the docks near Deer Creek.” In the lower Kings, the last trout plant occurred over a month ago, and the action remains slow. A few anglers continue to try with Berkley’s Atomic Tubes or Teasers along with finesse Trout Magnets. The best fishing is occurring far from the easily accessed areas. The flows have dropped once again from 388 cfs to 272 cfs at Trimmer.

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

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “The minnow bite remains solid for school-sized striped bass in the mouth of Portuguese Cove and the rockwall. The trolling bite has slowed down, but there has been a decent topwater bite with Reaction Innovation’s Vixens. Pile worms or anchovies are working in the forebay.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the troll bite has been slow when boaters are able to get out on the calmer days. “We are seeing signs that the bite could improve soon, but anglers are now catching a lot of small stripers in the 9- to 12-inch sizes, which I haven’t seen in quite awhile. Where these smaller fish have come from – the Forebay or from a natural spawn at the lake – has everyone talking. The lake is going down slowly and is at 574,000 acre feet. The Dinosaur No. 1 dock is still in use for now but using caution heading out into the main lake is key. The wind has been a problem a lot of days.”

Bill Sterling of the Sportsmen’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “The forebay remains the hot spot for striped bass from boats,” while Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis added, “Anglers are wading chest-deep in the water to cast out into the forebay to avoid the weeds. Trollers are finding success in the forebay with a technique known as ‘Fly Core’ where large Clowser Minnows are trolled on lead core, and the angler jigs the fly while in motion.” The main lake has dropped to 28% with the forebay also dropping to 88%.

A blue-green algae advisory warning has been posted for San Luis Reservoir near the Basalt boat launch area with another caution advisory in the forebay at boat launch area, Check 13, and the Gianelli Power Plant within the caution range for microcystins.

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

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 0

Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing said, “We have searched all season for kokanee, but we have never found a bite. Fortunately, the trout bite for 13- to 18-inch rainbows has been steady for most of the season, but as the season winds down, we are finding it difficult to meet the needs of fish for our guests. As a result, I plan to finish the season soon. We had a great trout season with most of our action on orange/pink Dick’s Mountain Tubes or Trout Busters along with orange Rocky Mountain Tackle’s Wiggle Hoochies tipped with Maggots behind either a blue/pink Dick’s Mountain Dodger or a RMT Signature Dodger.” Bass fishing is best with jerkbaits. The lake will be releasing water after the Labor Day holiday. The lake dropped slightly to 79%.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

Portal Forebay and Ward Lake were planted at the start of the month, and Edison received a trout plant over the Fourth of July weekend, but all the lakes should be mostly fished out with the catchables by now. Edison dropped to 24%, Florence dropped slightly to 64% with Mammoth Pool dropping from 76% to 64%.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

The final Kokanee Power Team Derby is Sept. 10, and the combination of the kokanee starting to turn and the rising water levels will provide a puzzle for trollers participating in the event. Dick Nichols, Shaver’s retired guide emeritus, said, “Kokanee fishing at Shaver remains slow. One to five kokanee is possible, and I am sure the rapid increase in the water column hasn’t helped the slow bite. Fortunately, the trout bite is good. Most of the earlier-planted catchables have grown and are plump. Our last trip out Friday, I fished with old friend, Bob Hatmaker of Arroyo Grande, and he caught and released two limits of mixed fish with Dick’s Mountain Tubes in pink, tipped with Tom Oliviera’s custom scent behind a blue/pink Mountain Dodger at 72 to 80 feet deep. The side poles with Dick’s Stevenson-style Trout Busters tipped with a piece of crawler behind a weighted Mountain Flasher with a setback of 100 feet put us at the correct level for trout at 20 to 25 feet deep. We marked some good schools of kokanee near the Point and near Shaver Marina, and some very close to the bottom. The trout were in the same area but the majority we found were near the mouth of Dorabella Cove. Jared Romero of Jrods Guide Service picked up limits of mixed fish for his two guests fishing in the same area on the same day. The water is murky with debris and grass from the rapid rise of the lake along with heavy recreational boat traffic. The Boy Scout Cove is loaded with underwater floating grass.” The lake has risen to 79%.

The kokanee at Huntington are getting larger, and small spinners or hoochies are working at depths to 50 feet. The lake has dropped to 67%.

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 2

Kelly Brewer of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store said, “Fishing is picking up with more brown trout being landed. Wishon is up to the first turnaround, but Courtright is way down. I was talking to a boater on Monday morning, and he told me that his boat landed 14 trout on a Tasmanian Devil spoon at 30 feet in depth.”

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 1 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

The salmon are well within reach of the harbor between Pedro Point to Mussel Rock, and boats are averaging around a fish per rod to limits on the best days. A south wind limited action over the weekend, but the bait and salmon are in the region. Rockfishing on the reefs south of the harbor remains outstanding with limits including a few cabezon and ling cod with a bonus halibut possible. The Dungeness crab season ended on June 30th, and the Pacifica Pier is limited to fishing-only until early November.

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 Halibut 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “To everyone’s delight, fishing remains very strong on Monterey Bay, and for a wide variety of species. We’re following a fairly normal pattern for late-summer fishing. The weather is calming down with no significant ground swells for a couple weeks now. The winds have been somewhat gusty, but generally low, with nice calm mornings and a growing tendency to ease off towards sunset. The biggest factor in this equation is the presence of an immense amount of bait in the bay. Mostly anchovies, the bait schools cover broad swaths of water from the beaches out to deep water. We’ve had a few nice squid spawns lately, and should expect more as we move into fall. Also present in big numbers are big jacksmelt, white croakers (kingfish) and an increasing number of mackerel. It’s no wonder then, that our predatory gamefish are on the bite right now. It’s like a buffet out there.

Surfcasters using GULP! Sandworms, grubs and small lures are catching barred surf perch by the dozens at nearly every beach along the bay. A few striped bass make their way into the reports, though we’re resigning ourselves to a poor striper year. One 12-pounder was caught from the wharf in Capitola this week. With calm inshore waters halibut are cozying up nearly to the beach. New Brighton and Seacliff Beaches in Santa Cruz are good spots to cast for flatties. A drop-shot rigged white fluke seems to be the most productive technique for enticing these halibut to bite. Swim baits, KastMasters, Krocodiles and smaller stickbaits like the Lucky Craft 110 in an anchovy pattern are all working well. Tidal flow seems to have a great effect on these close-in halibut. Each location is a bit different, some better on the high tide, some better on the low. Santa Cruzan Isla Hardy took her dad Brook out for some casting last week. They both caught legal halibut from one of the pocket beaches near Capitola.

The halibut bite remains strong and steady in deeper water. The bite seems to have shifted from Pajaro/Capitola last week to Capitola/Mile Buoy in Santa Cruz this week. Over at Santa Cruz Coastal Fishing Charters, skipper Rodney Armstrong continues to bring his clients up to his secret north coast sports for halibut and full bags of good quality rockfish. He’s fishing in the Davenport area and says the conditions have been fairly comfortable this week. In Monterey, the halibut reports keep coming in from various locations centering mostly on the Del Monte Beach area. Look for calm clear water over a clean sandy bottom and it’s likely there are halibut there right now.

We may have some tuna fishing on the horizon as well. A commercial fisherman out of Half Moon Bay caught a couple albacore on his black cod long line last week and Captain Tom Joseph brought in a small bluefin the week before from that same area near the 601 Weather Buoy. The big bluefin bite occurring in Southern California waters is creeping north. We won’t be surprised to see tanker bluefin in our area again, sometime in the fall.”

Rockfishing remains tremendous with the CheckMate and the Caroline out of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching returning with 40 limits of rockfish and two ling cod on Monday.

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 Crab 3

Even in a good year, a fish per rod would be an excellent salmon score, and during the epic Bay Area ocean salmon season of 2022, most boats exceeded this standard for most of the season. The south wind has been blowing on a relatively consistent basis over the past few weeks, and the scores are indicative of what is to be expected in late August. However, after a slow few days, the salmon bit again on the southside near Mussel Rock on Monday with limits the rule.

Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady in Sausalito said, “This is an entirely new school of salmon as they are bright and clear while the recent big fish have been much darker. They are solid in the 15- to 18-pound range up to 25 pounds, and our charter posted 10 limits on Monday. This time of year the salmon bite starts to slow down, and September is a cross-over month between salmon and rockfish with October left for a handful of big fish. We were out near Mussel Rock on Friday, and although we came in with 10 fish for 20 passengers, there wasn’t a single fish less than 15 pounds. I have a feeling that another push of salmon is coming down the coast, and some of the boats out of the bay have been running above Point Reyes for salmon during the past week.”

Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters found great action on Friday with 10 big salmon for five anglers, but Saturday was a different story with the south wind blowing from 12 to 18 knots. He said, “We started out with four in the box right away, and I said, ‘Here we go!’ but we struggled for a single remaining fish. With the rough weather, the salmon were hard to hold onto, and we went five for ten on solid hookups.”

Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions in San Francisco also found quality salmon south near Mussel Rock on Friday with six big salmon on Friday before heading back inside the bay with four salmon on Saturday. It’s that time of year where the clock is ticking quickly on the salmon season, but when you do hook a fish, it is huge.

Rockfishing is getting more steam as Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing took a charter from Snag ‘Em, Bag ‘Em leaders on Wednesday for limits of quality bottomfish along with a healthy ling cod count. The rockfish were biting everything – shrimp flies, bars, and swimbaits while the lings were chomping on live sand dab. As we move towards the fall, rockfishing will take over as the primary species.

Inside the bay, a red tide has been devastating to marine life. “I have never seen it like this before as the red tide is pretty prominent,’ said Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle, a San Rafael standard for over 40 years. Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing in San Francisco added, “I’ve seen the red tides along the coast, but I have never seen it like this inside of the bay. The fish don’t seem to mind since we found good halibut action along the San Francisco shoreline near the Chase Center and the Red Stack while shark fishing remains strong.”

However, in certain sections of the bay with less water movement, the red tide is resulting in a major fish kill. The red tide started in Lake Merritt and the Oakland Estuary in early August, and it is spreading throughout the bay, south to the Dumbarton Bridge and also in the Napa River. At least 50 striped bass have been found floating near the Dumbarton Bridge. In the Loch Lomond Marina, Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters said, “I had at least two scoops of cured anchovies in my bait receiver, and they all came up floating. I have never seen it like this before.” Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing in Berkeley Marina added, “It looks like blood water within the harbor.” The last red tide in the bay even approaching this size occurred in 2004.

In Oakland’s Lake Merritt on Sunday morning, thousands of various species of fish including striped bass, bat rays, anchovies, and flounder came up floating along the shores of the tidal lake within the city. The toxic algae called “Heterosigma akashiwo” is blooming inside the bay, resulting in murky, brown water and creating deadly conditions for marine life. However, the toxins within the bloom do not contain the cyanotoxin found in blue-green algae that are deadly to dogs and sicken humans.

Red tides are caused by a particular group of phytoplankton called dinoflagellates, which seem to prefer warmer and calmer waters, and the bay’s waters clearly meet these criteria. The blooms occur when the nutrients from wastewater treatment plants, including nitrogen and phosphorous, reach a threshold that allows for uncontrolled algae growth. This is not only the largest algae bloom within the bay in memory, it is also the longest lasting, peaking within the past week. There has been an increase in the number of blooms occurring in parts of the world where they never occurred before. The increased red tide activity is most likely related to the amount of nutrients entering coastal waters along with continued hot temperatures.

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 the story out of the San Luis Obispo ports. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot and Phenix were out on ½-day trips on Sunday with 67 anglers for 14 vermilion, 301 assorted rockfish, 2 Boccaccio, and 2 cabezon 319 fish for ½ limits. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Avenger, Endeavor, and Starfire went on trips ranging from ½- to 3/4th – to full day on Sunday with a combined 63 anglers for 134 vermilion, 42 Boccaccio, 374 assorted rockfish, three ling cod, an ocean whitefish, and a 12-pound sheephead. Out of Virg’s Landing, the Black Pearl went on a 1.5-day trip with 20 anglers for 160 vermilion, 195 assorted, 45 Boccaccio, and 8 ling cod while the Fiesta and Rita G were out on Sunday with 44 passengers for 46 vermilion, 338 assorted rockfish, 3 rock sol, and a 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

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3 Salmon 2

Triple-digit temperatures have cooked the Sacramento and San Joaquin Delta over the past week, and it looks like more hot weather is on the horizon. The wind has been blowing on a fairly consistent basis, creating challenging conditions for striped bass trollers, but when the wind is down, both the West Bank of the Sacramento and the shoals around Eddo’s on the San Joaquin are producing.

Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors You Tube channel followed up his punching video with a topwater session with Jackall’s Pomp A Dor or Zara Spooks, and he said, “The Pomp A Dor is easiest to throw, and our videographer, Denise Loo, kept scoring with the Baby Duck lure. With the hot temperatures, you have to find moving water. Punching the weeds is also productive as the bass are holding under the thick vegetation.”

Justin Leonard of Outcast Sport Fishing normally would be targeting salmon in the Sacramento-area at this time of year, but with the slow early season, he has transitioned over to Delta striped bass. He said, “It was windy on Sunday so we started off on the San Joaquin above and below Eddo’s Marina, but we didn’t see many marks. The wind backed off, and we headed over to the West Bank to grind out limits of schoolies from 22 to 29 inches on deep-diving plugs. The bite was actually best on the river side of Decker Island.”

Dennis Cummings of Bay Point Tackle said, ‘Striped bass from 18 to 23 inches are common from the shorelines on pile worms, blood worms, or anchovies, and there have been a few linesides over 40 inches reported in the past week so the big ones must be coming through.”

In the San Joaquin River, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, and Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors returned from a trip to Louisiana for red fish during the week to pair up for the West Coast Bass Cat Owners tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Pringle said, “After sitting in second place after the first day bolstered by Vince’s big fish at 8.19 pounds, we went another direction on Sunday, but we struggled for only four fish to just over 9 pounds. This resulted in a 3rd place finish which wasn’t bad considering the quality of anglers in the tournament and the tough overall action. We thought we could load up with a limit in the 15- to 17-pound range, but it was windy and chilly in the morning. The water looks phenomenal, but even with the wind, the reaction bite wasn’t there on Sunday although we were tossing frogs, paddlefrogs, and the ima Finesse Popper. Punching the weeds with Sweet Beavers or tossing chatterbaits on the high tide was most productive although you could catch unlimited numbers of small fish with a weightless worm or plastics on a drop-shot or Zappu head. After a great start, we ended up with 32 pounds for two days with the winning weight at over 40 pounds. Half of the field struggled with big fish hard to find.”

Dave King of Nor Cal Bass was out in the Paradise Point area on Saturday with his five-year-old son, Oliver, and he said, “We smoked them on the high tide with the River2Sea Whopper Plopper 110 in Bone. I tried the 130, but they wouldn’t take the larger bait. Although we didn’t catch anything of size, the topwater action was constant, but you needed to use the smaller lure. After the tide dropped out, we found them on Senkos, jigs, or plastics on the drop-shot. My son had a huge blow up on a Senko over a mat, and he cast the Senko into a slot, and all I heard was the blow up and the fish on for a brief second. It was pretty exciting.” Nor Cal’s next tournament is September 10th at Ladd’s Marina in Stockton, and it will be the final tournament before the 6-hour window is lifted on September 15th.

Dan Mathisen Outdoors is hosting the ‘Dee Thomas Memorial Tournament’ on September 24th out of Holland Riverside Marina, and all proceeds from the tournament will be dedicated to one of Thomas’s favorite activities – providing youth fishing opportunities. Mathisen said, “The bass are starting to focus on bait fish now instead of crawdads, and punching and blades are working best.”

Brannan Island State Recreation Area is open on weekends-only from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and it has been extended until October 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. Toxic blue-green algae has been present in many areas of the Delta including Frank’s Tract Recreational Area.

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “We have been extremely busy with fresh shad as we are receiving from 80 to 155 pounds per day. Locally, agricultural releases from manure piles in the lower San Joaquin River below Mossdale has resulted in thousands of dead bluegill and shad in the river. Anglers are avoiding the area until the water clears.”

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 story remains the same, but anglers are getting on and off the water early due to the excessive heat. The white and spotted bass action remains strong, and the action is coming on reaction lures along with topwater in the early mornings or evenings with the Berkley Choppo 100, River2 Sea Whopper Plopper, buzzbaits, or similar walking-style lures. Buzzbaits have also been effective. The shad schools are thick, and both species are oriented to the abundant baitfish schools. Trolling remains the best technique for the white bass with white Kastmasters or Roostertails through the submerged schools. Bluegill and red ear perch continue to be taken on red worms, jumbo red worms, or meal worms. The lake held at 20%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, similar to the past weeks, the bass bite remains decent in spite of the launch ramp being out of the water. Quality largemouth and smallmouth bass with underspins, Senkos, crankbaits, or topwater lures early or late. Rental boats are available at the marina, and kayakers are able to launch from the shoreline as the launch ramp is out of the water. The lake dropped to 24.6% of capacity. Anglers can view a live webcam of the lake at https://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, bass fishing is also strong with the best action in the early mornings or late afternoons towards dusk with topwater lures, lipless crankbaits, underspins, squarebill or Pinjack crankbaits in shad patterns. During mid-day, working the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot or jigs remains productive. Catfish have been active with the hot weather, and they have been taken on bass gear, much to the dismay of bass fishermen who think they have gone double-digits. Crappie are found intermittently around submerged structure while bluegill and redear perch are taken on meal worms, waxworms, or jumbo red worms. The lake dropped to 53.8% of capacity. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. At San Antonio, despite the triple-digit temperatures and low water levels, the best fishing of the year has been taking place for crappie, catfish, or carp from the shorelines and off of boats. Carp are thick in the shallows with dough baits while crappie are found around submerged bushes with minijigs. Catfishing is best with mackerel coated with garlic spray. Bass fishing has also improved with a topwater bite in the early morning followed by working the bottom with plastics. 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:

Eastman – Friday Night Shootout (No last names listed – August 26, 2022 - 1st: Larry/Steve – 10.13 (Big Fish – 3.49); 2nd – Vacho/Do – 10.12; 3rd – Kevin/Linda – 9.33

Upcoming Tournaments (subject to change)

September 4th –

Delta/Contra Costa County – Delta Teen Team

September 10/11th –

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

New Melones – American Bass Association

Millerton – Bass 101

September 10th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

Shaver Lake – Kokanee Power Team Tournament

September 11th –

Don Pedro – Kings VIII Bass Club

McClure – Gold Country Bass Team

September 15th-17th –

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Wild West Bass Trails

September 15th –

Delta/B and W Resort – Calvary Christian Center

September 16/17th –

New Melones – Nor Cal Bass

September 17th –

Delta/B and W Resort – Bass N’ Tubes

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Christian Bass League

New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers

Kaweah – Golden Empire Bass Club

Isabella – American Bass Association

Santa Margarita – Bakersfield Bass Club/Orange County Bass Club

Lopez – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

September 18th –

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Hook, Line, and Sinker

New Melones – Nor Cal High School Bass

September 21st – 23rd –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Western Outdoor News

September 24/25th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Angler’s Press

Delta/B and W Resort – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Lopez – California Bass Contenders

September 24th –

Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors ‘Dee Thomas Memorial’

New Melones – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Santa Margarita – Kern County Bassmasters

September 25th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Discovery Bass Community