Fishing report, Jan. 10-16: Delta striper and sturgeon are full action, so are trout at Don Pedro and Lake McSwain, and bass at Lake McClure.
Compiled by California Outdoors Hall of Fame member 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
Best bets Delta striper and sturgeon action full throttle, Jeff Soo reported. Don Pedro trout continue to slam lures, Monte Smith said. McClure bass hitting , Ryan Denner reported. McSwain trout is providing angler limits, Carlos Gonzalez said. New Melones bass and rainbows on good bites, Kyle Wise reported.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Not too much happening at the California Aqueduct during the cold and rainy weather as Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “bait fishing with cut sardines or pile worms are working for both striped bass and catfish in the section of the aqueduct around Tracy while from Patterson to Santa Nella, jerkbaits, flukes, or glide baits are best.”
Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; Cope’s Tackle and Rod, Bakersfield – (661) 679-6351; Bob’s Bait Bucket, 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 reported, “The largemouth bass bite at Eastman is getting a bit better, and there have been double-digit largemouth bass reported on big swimbaits such as Hawg Hunters or Huddlestons in rainbow trout pattern. The best action remains close to the bottom at 30-to 40-feet with big plastics or jigs on a ‘dead stick’ presentation. Leave the bait on the bottom and let it sit. The lake doesn’t seem to have turned over yet, and the fish are deep.”
There has not been much change at Hensley as it remains very slow for bass with most fishermen targeting either catfish, crappie, or bluegill. Eastman rose slightly to 550.62 feet in elevation and 62% of capacity, Hensley rose six-inches to 470.94 feet in elevation and 16%. A double trout plant is scheduled at Eastman this week with a single plant at Hensley.
Call: Eastman Lake (559) 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam (559) 673-5151.
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
The Fleming Meadows launch ramp will be busy on Sunday, Jan. 14 with a large gathering expected for the Ryan Cook Memorial Tournament. The bass community is coming together for Cook’s family.
With the lake in winter mode, most bass are holding deep near the shad schools. Similar to Lake McClure, bass fishing should be perking up with big swimbaits or glide baits due to the recent trout plants. Trout fishing has been solid at Jeff Boyle and Steve Wirfs of Salida finding great action on a recent trip with Wirfs landing a brown trout at 7 pounds in the river arm near Moccasin on a small Needlefish. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing continues to score rainbow trout to 3 pounds for his clients pulling shad-patterned spoons on lead core line near the surface.
“Running near the points and over structures close to the shoreline has been most productive, and the rainbows are ranging from one to three pounds. We have been releasing the smaller planters when possible, and there was another plant this past week as there are rainbows all around the shoreline at the Fleming Oaks launch ramp,” Boyle said.
Pedro has a daily vehicle fee of $20 and with an additional $15 for boat launch. The lake dropped slightly to 796.35 feet in elevation and 80% of capacity. Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/. 2024 annual permits are available now.
Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734.
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2
The lake rose slightly to 2,565.32 feet in elevation and 35% of capacity as water releases from the dam dropped from 186 to 68 cfs at First Point. Crappie remain the top draw, but boaters have the upper hand as the slabs have moved out into deep water.
They are holding in select structure, and you have to hunt them down to find the schools. Trout fishing remains decent from the banks with deep water access with Atomic Tubes, Berkley Mice Tails, garlic-scented Power Bait, pinched crawlers, or Kastmasters. Thomas Buoyants, Needlefish, or Flicker Shad in shad patterns have been most effective for trollers from the surface to 20 feet in depth. A trout plant is scheduled this week. Bass fishing requires some finesse with 7- to 10-inch plastics on a slow presentation.
Catfishing remains decent with frozen shad, cut baits, or Triple S Dip Bait. In the Kern River, the water has muddied up a bit from the recent rain, but planters are still taken from Kernville upstream with salmon eggs, live crickets, or nightcrawlers. Nymphs and dry flies on a dropper are working best for fly fishermen in the 20-Mile stretch. A double trout plant is scheduled in Section 5 from Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge. Trout plants are scheduled in Sections 1, 2, and 3 below the dam with a double plant at Section 5 and a single at Section 6 next week. Largemouth and smallmouth action on the lower Kern remains fair with small crankbaits or small plastics. The flows on upper Kern at Kernville are steady at 457 cfs. Trout plants are scheduled at River Walk and Brite Valley next week.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657; North Fork Marina (760) 376-1812; Golden Trout Pack Station (559) 542-2816.
Lake Kaweah
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 0 Catfish 3
The lake rose 2 1/2 feet to 603.86 feet in elevation and 12% of capacity. Crappie are found in the deepest water on a submerged structure near Horse Creek. Catfishing is another solid option with cut bait, chicken livers, or Triple S Dip Bait, and the planted trout to 18 inches have been taken from the banks on spinners. Bass fishing is fair at best as the fish are holding deep over main lake points. Plastics on the drop-shot, Carolina rigs, or Ned rigs at depths from 15 to 30 feet while deeper fish are taken on vertical spoons or ice jigs are best for the deep fish. The flows in the Kaweah River are holding steady at 160 cfs. A trout plant is scheduled at Murry Park Pond this week and at Kaweah the week of Jan. 21.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake held at 600.39 feet in elevation and 15% of capacity. The largemouth bass bite has been fair at best with finesse baits, jigs, deep diving crankbaits, or vertical spoons. Crappie anglers are taken with minijigs or small live minnows on submerged structure spots in deep water while catfishing is best with fresh shrimp, chicken liver, or Triple S Dip Bait. A trout plant is scheduled at Success the week of Jan. 21.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 3 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
The 17/90 Bass Club held a tournament on Saturday, and the winning weight came in at over 25 pounds. A double-digit largemouth at 13.50 pounds was landed recently, and the big fish are coming on rainbow trout-patterned glide baits or swimbaits. Ryan Denner of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto said, “the lake is starting to fish very well, and most of the bass are found at depths from 20-to 80-feet with jigs, underspins, plastics on the drop-shot, Senkos, or spoons with the big fish coming on swimbaits.”
Holdover trout from the recent trout plants are moving away from the shorelines, and most bank anglers are heading to McSwain due to a 6,500-pound plant this past week. Trolling is the best option near the surface with shad-patterned spoons such as Needlefish, Kastmasters, Speedy Shiners, or T-Bone’s spoons.
Crappie can be found in deep water inside submerged trees in coves with live minnows or minijigs. Catfishing remains solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The lake held at 806.90 feet in elevation and 64% of capacity.
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 3
Carlos Gonzalez of Carlo’s Fishing Page said, “limits of planted rainbow trout continue to come from the shorelines, but with the huge plants from Calaveras Trout Farm over the past few weeks, the pressure at the normal locations of the Brush Pile, the Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula near the marina has been intense. Trout plants will continue through the spring months.”
Berkley Mice Tails, rainbow garlic Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters in gold or blue/chrome are also working. Holdover rainbows can be found in the river arm near the Second Fence Line with Ruby Red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler along with spinners. The lake is at 94% of capacity.
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 2 Crappie 2
“Overall, the bass bite remains slow, but it is improving slightly. The bass are all very skinny, and they don’t look healthy,” said Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis. “The fish are deep, and plastics on the drop-shot, Ned-rig, or Neko-rig along with finesse jigs or small spoons are working best as the fish are hugging the bottom.”
The lake rose 3 feet to 507.26 feet in elevation and 46% of capacity. Sycamore Island is currently closed for a winter break, and the park is scheduled to reopen Friday, Jan. 12.
The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are steady at 447 cfs. Trout plants are scheduled at Sycamore Island this week and Woodward Park next week.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service participated in the Costco Trout Derby on Saturday, Jan. 6.
“There were a number of outstanding trollers in the event, and we had a spirited competition. I fished with Jay Winchester, and we came in first with a five-fish limit at 12.70 pounds taken by rolling shad from the surface to 7 feet,” Wise said. “Our big fish was around 3 pounds, and there were several quality rainbows at the weigh in. The water temperature is 50 degrees, and the fish are right on the surface. The recent cold spell should cool things down even further.”
John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service said, “bass fishing has been very good with Huddleston swimbaits in rainbow trout pattern. I figure out where the ‘bullseye’ is, and I will determine which rate of fall will work best. We have been catching a number of healthy bass in the 3- to 4-pound range, but we are seeing signs of the double-digit bass getting active. You can pick up numbers with finesse presentations, but these are smaller bass.”
The Kokanee Power net pens at New Melones were recently loaded with trout from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and these fish will be fattening up during the winter months. New Melones has a daily use fee of $8 with a boat launch of $ 10 (day use included). The lake rose 3/4 feet to 1051.11 feet in elevation and 83% of capacity.
Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments held a New Year’s Day tournament, and the winning weight was consistent at more than 13 pounds with the first annual Fresno Hmong New Year Bass Tournament which drew a whopping 56 boats the previous Saturday.
The winning weight came in at 14.06 pounds for Joe and Mike Ploharz while the big fish at 6.50 pounds was landed by the 3rd place team of Xong Her/Yohan Cheng.
“There has been a lot of pressure on the lake over the past week, and overall, the bass bite has been tough,” said Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis. “There has been the occasional quality bass in the 6-pound range taken by slow-rolling Huddleston swimbaits in rainbow trout patterns on the bottom. Finesse presentations of jigs, plastics on a Ned-rig, deep-diving crankbaits, or underspins have been the best options above Windy Gap.”
Trolling for trout has been hit or miss, but Rick and Rob Schiedt of Clovis limited out recently on rainbows using Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with crawler behind purple mix Dick’s Mountain Dodgers at depths from the surface to 20 feet near Trimmer.
The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer are steady at 465 cfs, and trout action is also hit or miss with spinners, Atomic Tubes, Power Bait, or nightcrawlers below the dam. Trout plants are scheduled at both Pine Flat and Avocado Lake this week with another plant at both lakes during the week of Jan. 21. The lake rose a foot to 875.48 feet in elevation and 61% of capacity.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273. Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
“The main lake is producing limits of school-sized striped bass for boaters drifting jumbo minnows near Dinosaur Point,” Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said. “Most of the action has been around the Dinosaur Point side of the lake as the pumps have been off for a few days. Trollers are pulling P-Line’s Predator Minnows or broken-backed Rebels for stripers in the 18- to 26-inch range. There hasn’t been anything large reported recently, but the numbers are good.”
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the troll and reaction bite were tough right before the rain hit Saturday.
“I guided three guests earlier in the week and we picked up 19 stripers to 24 inches working the 40-60 foot depths, but on my next trip scouting with a friend on Friday it was very hard getting the suspended fish to bite,” George said. “Other anglers were telling me they were only getting one or two , but we released 11 , with several nice 24-25 inch fish in the mix. It was a grind finding active fish. The unseasonably clear water with a visibility of almost 12 feet – and a very warm water temp around 59 degrees – are both very unusual for January. The water is coming up slowly right now at about a half day. The passing storms are keeping the bite from being steady- with big barometer swings,“ he said.
Anchovies and grass shrimp have been the top baits from the banks. The jumbo minnows are around extra-large size, but they are working. In the O’Neill Forebay, Mesa said, “Largemouth bass have been the best bite for boaters or kayakers with swimbaits, jerkbaits, or flukes. Striped bass fishing has slowed down.” The main lake rose to 57% of capacity with the forebay rising to 90%.
To check the wind conditions on the lake - use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir.
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George, rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954.
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0
The water level is very low, and launching a boat is problematic. Kayak anglers have been able to access the lake, but the bass bite remains a challenge. Kayak trout trollers are finding a few holdover rainbows per rod with blade/’crawler combinations near the surface. A trout plant is scheduled next week. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/. Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing (559) 676-8133.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
The gate to Kaiser Pass Road closed on Nov. 15. The Kaiser Pass lakes are starting to release water with fewer anglers heading over the pass to fish the small impoundments. Edison held at 30% capacity with Florence at 26% while Mammoth Pool dropped to 37%.
Road conditions (559) 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake (559) 259-4000.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Snow fell heavily during the past storm, leading to traffic challenges heading up to the high country.
Shaver guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Jay Irvine of Visalia was out with Jody Allen in the freezing cold on Sunday, and they ended up with two kokanee and one trout, losing another pair. Irvine’s action came on Paulina Peak’s chartreuse/orange spinner with a Paulina Peak pink lemonade dodger at a setback of 115 feet between Fisherman’s Club and the mouth of Stevenson Creek.”
Clovis firefighter David Geil his young sons, Owen and Ostin, and friends Morgan and Mason Bushell of Sanger, fished up to Fisherman’s Club using Dick’s Mountain Hoochies in Doom, (orange/purple) tipped with corn behind a Sling Blade at depths from 25-to 40-feet at 2 mph. and found a good bite of kokanee to 14 inches and yearling trout to 16 inches, keeping a total 10 kokanee and trout for dinner.
Clovis brothers Rick and Rob Schiedt could not keep the freshly planted browns off their Dick’s Mountain Trout Busters tripped with a piece of crawler behind Dick’s Mountain Flashers from 6:30 a.m. to noon, releasing all fish.
The Shaver Marina is closed, but the Sierra Marina launch ramp is open. A webcam of the Shaver launch ramp is at sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html and for Huntington at http://www.shaverlakewebcams.info/huntington.html. Huntington remains very slow for both rainbow trout and kokanee. Shaver has dropped to 61 with Huntington dropping to 40%. A trout plant is scheduled for Shaver this week.
Call: Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service (559) 288-8100; Jerad Romero, Jrods Guide Service (559) 392-6994; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing (559) 802-8072.
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 0
The gate to McKinley Grove Road closed on Dec. 1, limiting access to the high elevation lakes. The road is anticipated to be reopened in April. Call: Wishon RV Park (559) 865-5361.
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 2 crabs 2
Shore line rockfish or surf perch will dominate action on the Central Coast until rockfish season opens up once again. Party and private boats will continue to drop the hoops for limits of Dungeness crab, and some boats will also target sand dabs and Petrale sole. The New Captain Pete will continue to offer crab-only trips throughout January. Crabbing with snares off of the San Mateo and San Francisco County shorelines remains productive, but the Pacifica Pier will remain closed until Jan. 26 because of storm damage. Beach Boulevard is also closed because of damage from the recent storms and was scheduled to be reassessed. Please do not remove barricades and signage for your safety.
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
Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch crabs2
Chris’s Whale Watching and Fishing Trips in Monterey will offer sand dab and Petrale sole trips with the possibility of Dungeness crab for the upcoming months until rockfish season opens once again.
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “Gigantic swells poured through the California coastline over the past week with waves from the West along our Central Coast. That makes the exposed beaches even more vulnerable, especially when the waves are combined with king high tides as they were last week.”
Swells were measured exceeding 40 feet at 23 seconds.
“We received no reports from Dungeness crabbers, and these boats remained tied to the dock. The Santa Cruz area got hit especially hard with extensive damage reported from the West Cliff area, Capitola Village and the cliffside flats near Rio Del Mar. On a positive note, this swell is providing the bonus of actively creating “structure” that anglers look for while hunting the wily surfperch, a wintertime fishing favorite.” he said.
The 20th Annual Sand Crab Classic Perch Derby slated for March 9 sold out with 300 participants in less than 24 hours on Saturday, Jan. 6.
All proceeds are donated to the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, a volunteer organization that continues hatchery and advocacy operations supporting native runs of steelhead and salmon on the Central Coast. The Derby features a great number of raffle and silent auction items, BBQ lunch plus trophies and prizes for winning entries in both Barred Surf Perch and Sea Perch categories.
For Dungeness crab, currently only hoops or snares are allowed in Zones 3 and 4 from Point Arena on the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to Point Lopez south of Monterey.
Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732.
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Halibut 2 Striper 2 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2 Crab 2
With the closure of rockfish season, it will be a particularly long winter for northern California ocean-going recreational fishermen as the chances of an open salmon season in 2024 are dimming daily along with the distinct possibility of significant changes in rockfish regulations. With the commercial Dungeness crab season still on hold in Zones 3 and 4 below Point Arena, party boats will be able to load up with crab limits with hoop nets when the weather allows. The recreational crab trap restrictions will continue in Zones 3 and 4 until at least the next risk assessment scheduled to occur on or around Jan. 11. Commercial crabbing in Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 are also on hold until the next risk assessment.
Coastal recreational party boats are limited to whale watching, sand dab/Petrale sole/Dungeness crab combinations, or crab-only ventures until new rockfish regulations are adoption. Once again, there will be significant changes in rockfish regulations for 2024 based upon the possible addition of fishing at depths to 20 fathoms in addition to deeper than 50 fathoms. The regulation changes are based upon the population estimates of one species: the quillback, but the shallow water opening will be a major step in the right direction. It’s not an easy time to be a commercial or recreational charter boat operator for certain.
Inside the bay, herring hunters continue to focus upon the Richardson Bay/Sausalito area as there is a tremendous amount of bird activity in the middle of Richardson Bay. The spawns should continue for the next few weeks, and they generally spread throughout the bay into locations such as Oyster Point in the south bay or Richmond in the east bay.
Herring spawns are a catalyst for white sturgeon to migrate from their comfortable haunts in Suisun Bay into San Francisco Bay, and since there was a significant amount of poaching occurring during the period of the herring spawns, regulation changes advocated by Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle and United Anglers were adopted several years ago.
The annual central bay sturgeon closure runs Jan. 1-March 15. During this time, white sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area: A portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita.
It remains to be seen if the sturgeon make an appearance in San Pablo Bay this winter as the migration has been limited over the past few years. Striped bass fishing in the Petaluma and Napa River has been outstanding as the majority of linesides are congregated in San Pablo Bay.
As long as the striped bass hang around, boats will have something to target in San Francisco Bay, and the herring hunting season is just getting started as the peak arrives around mid-January. The limit on Pacific herring is ten gallons per day which is approximately 100 pounds or 520 fish.
Call: Captain Ron Koyasako, Nautilus Excursions (916) 704-4169; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388.
San Luis Obispo
Surf perch 2
The final day of the 2023 rockfish season was December 31, and during the winter months, boats from Morro Bay and Port San Luis will be running whale watching and nature trips until the 2024 rockfish season is open. Regulations are being formulated for the upcoming rockfish season, and significant changes are anticipated once again. 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 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill
Striped bass and sturgeon fishing remains tremendous with most of the action on the Sacramento side of the California Delta. The water temperature remains unseasonably warm around 50 degrees, but the recent cold storms are expected to lower the water temperature.
For striped bass, Johnny Wang, Manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, was out with his Paul Cruz and his son Gabe. They anchored on the Sacramento River between Lights 7 and 18 for a total of 13 keepers on either mudsuckers or frozen shad. Wang said, “These were all fresh-run fish with blue haze, and the water temperature was from 50 to 52 degrees.”
Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor reported, “the bite is still on, and there is a big group of stripers out there on the Sacramento River. The birds are working in a wide area, but on Sunday, we found stripers where the birds were absent. The fish are deep, and the bite started once the tide slowed down. The water temperature has dropped to 50 degrees, and we continue to score by drifting live mudsuckers or minnows.”
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was on the Sacramento River off of Sherman Island. He said “birds were working the surface, and we had a ball tossing Optimum’s Bad Bubba Shad swimbaits on a ½ ounce head on 15- to 17-pound 100% Trilene fluorocarbon on 6-to 7-feet of water. The key was working the lure slowly along the bottom. We also scored with a 1-ounce Blackmore Roadrunner with an Optimum Double AA swimbait trailer as the Roadrunner has good vibration to entice strikes. The 1.5-ounce P-Line Laser Minnows was also effective, but it was a lot more work than the swimbaits. Most of our fish came on the main Sacramento River, but we also poked around the mouths of Sherman Lake for some action as well.”
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors was also on the main Sacramento near Sherman Island.
“The stripers are moving north, but most of the linesides are still in the main channel from Pittsburg to Rio Vista,” he said. “It will take some more rain to get the stripers to move into Liberty Island and beyond, but there are some up there already. The stripers have moved out into deeper water from 25 to 30 feet in depth, and spooning has been the top technique. We are also finding crappie in the north Delta around Snodgrass Slough and in the Mokelumne River. Largemouth bass fishing has also improved over the past few weeks as the water temperature has ranged from 50 to 54 degrees.”
In the San Joaquin River stripers are everywhere from the Antioch Bridge to Prisoner’s Point. Frank’s Tract, Mildred Island, Empire Cut, and around Rough and Ready Island, Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton said.
“The key is finding the working birds, and the stripers are sure to be pushing up shad,” he said.
For sturgeon, Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg continues to put his clients on to plenty of action. About Sunday’s trip, he said, “It was another fun day on the sturgeon grounds with a fantastic group of couples who were first timers, but made it look like it was a breeze. They were able to fight slots, oversized, and undersized diamondbacks, not to mention the three giants that got away. I had 95-year-old Joel Matriano and his sons and grandsons out recently, and Joel started off our day by catching and releasing a 55-inch oversized. From there on, we had steady action with slots, oversized, and shorts with singles and doubles throughout the day.The sturgeon have been biting on both tides on cured salmon roe.”
The emergency regulations of 42 to 48 inches with a two fish limit per boat seem to be making a difference as a number of sturgeon that previously were keepers are now being released.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife will review sturgeon regulations for 2025 during the Jan. 16 meeting of the Wildlife Resources Committee. Meeting agenda available via this link - https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=218003&inline=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “Most of our bank anglers have been heading upstream of Windmill Cove on the San Joaquin River as it has been ‘it or miss for striped bass in the river below the Mossdale Bridge. Most of the stripers are coming from Pittsburg to Sherman Island.”
Fong, Pringle, and Mitchell will all be featured seminar speakers at the International Sportsmen’s Exposition in Sacramento Jan. 18-21. For information go to https://www.sportsexpos.com/attend/sacramento/
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
Events
Jan. 18-21
International Sportsman’s Exposition – Cal Expo/Sacramento – information:
www:sportsexpos.com.
Jan. 26-27
– Pittsburg Marina – 17th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Sturgeon Derby – information – Olivia Ortega (925) 439-4958.
Tournament results
Dec. 30
Pine Flat – First Annual Fresno Hmong New Year Tournament
1st: Joe and Mike Ploharz – 14.06; 2nd – Yeng Her/Fong Vang/Nick Thao –
13.88; 3rd – Xong Her/Yohan Cheng – 13.31 ). (Big Fish – 6.50
Jan. 1
Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
1st: Justin and Mahayla Ryan – 13.01 (Big Fish – 6.35); 2nd – Brandon and Danny King – 12.17; 3rd – Scott and Austin Burns – 11.26.
Jan. 6
Lake Camanche – Nor Cal Bass Lake Series
1st: Brett and Brian Barber – 16.97; 2nd – Chris and Darrell Peters – 16.48; 3rd – Kent Simpson/Corey Hilton – 14.51.
New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers
1st: B. Hemphill/D.Hemphill – 13.84 (Big Fish – 4.76); 2nd – N. Vantrece/A. Pearson– 13.28; 3rd – D. Murphy/A. Snyder – 12.96.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Jan. 6
New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers
McClure – 17/90 Bass Club
Millerton – Kerman Bass Club
Jan. 7
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association
Millerton – Bass 101
Jan. 13
McClure – Christian Bass League
Nacimiento – Golden Empire Bass Club
Jan. 14
Don Pedro – Riverbank Bass Anglers
Jan. 20
New Melones – Contra Costa Bass Club
McClure – Sierra Bass Club/Tri-Valley Bass Masters
Jan. 21
Millerton – Fresno Bass Club
Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club
Jan. 27
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Millerton – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments
Jan. 28
Millerton – California Bass Federation
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
