Fishing report, July 27-Aug. 2: Psst, ‘sneaky good’ bite for large bass at Eastman

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 bass and salmon on solid bites, Randy Pringle reported. New Melones kokanee and bass hitting, John Liechty said. Don Pedro kokanee active, Monte Smith reported. California Aqueduct kicking out stripers and catfish, Pete Cormier said. Shaver kokanee getting bigger, Jerad Romero reported.

Roger’s Remarks: Kids do the darnedest things

One of my favorite things to do is to take kids fishing. They don’t usually have a bunch of preconceived ideas when they get in the boat; they are living in the moment.

“I can’t do that,” “I’ve never done that before,” “Will it hurt?” and many other excuses built on avoiding trying something new almost never occur to a child when we’re on a trip. Adults use them a lot.

I’ve had a 12-year-old learn to expertly run a downrigger in less than three hours because unlike most adults, he wasn’t afraid to fail. An open, sharp mind, no self-imposed barriers, a thirst to really succeed at something and positive adult feedback supercharged this child.

I also love that kids aren’t usually superficial – they know when something is real. You can’t pretend you caught something you didn’t. You catch the fish, you succeeded; you didn’t, maybe next time. Kids know what integrity looks like.

Yes, kids can be a handful on a fishing trip. But if you understand short attention spans and how to keep them moving from one thing to the next, they’ll surprise you later by telling you how wonderful it was catching that fish. It will also probably remain with them the rest of their life.

Kids are usually excited, fearless and willing to absorb almost anything you throw at them – more than you may realize. Sometimes we project our limitations and fears on our children rather than stepping out and letting them experience what you know is a good thing. Never give up … taking your kids fishing!

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

Proposed new bag limit

The Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed eliminating the two-fish 15-inch size limit at Eastman, Hensley, Kaweah and Success since efforts to create a trophy fishery have been unsuccessful. The recommendation is to return to the state standard of a bag limit of 5 fish with a 12-inch size limit.

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 3 Catfish 3

At the California Aqueduct, Striperz Gone Wild is holding a Meet and Greet Saturday, July 30 at South Creek Road in Los Banos for fishing and a BBQ. Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “Striped bass and catfish are taken on the California Aqueduct from Patterson to Santa Nella with anchovies, chicken livers, or pile worms.”

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported continued excellent striped bass, catfish, bluegill and largemouth bass action in the California Aqueduct, and they are selling out of Triple S Dip Bait for catfish within a day of its arrival in the shop. The best action occurs where moving water stops to a crawl.

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

There is a “sneaky good” bite for large bass at Eastman, but anglers are trying to keep this quiet. Michael Crayne at Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Topwater lures, 10-inch plastic worms or Senkos are working for bass around humps, saddles, or rocky structure. Hensley remains slow with the exception of catfish or carp along with bluegill in the shallows in the back of the lake.” Catfish are taken on chicken livers, cut baits, or nightcrawlers. Eastman held at 7% with Hensley dropping from 13% to 10%. 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, “The kokanee bite remains excellent for the few boats trying with the big fish over 18 inches holding tight to structure while open water has also been productive at depths from 65 to 90 feet. The triple-digit temperatures have led the kokanee to drop in the water column. Pro-Troll’s Kokanee Killers in purple, Apex lures, or Paulina Peak’s hoochies or Flutter Bugs are all working for the kokanee and an occasional king salmon.” The bass bite has been very tough. The lake dropped slightly to 61%. The Fleming Meadows, Blue Oaks, and Moccasin launch ramps remain open, but the Fleming launch requires a long walk to the parking lot.

Call: Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Kyle Wise – Head Hunter Guide Service – (209) 531- 3966; Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing – 691-7008

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2

Few fishermen have been hitting the lake with the low water levels and hot temperatures, and catfish remain the top species with Triple S Dip Bait, anchovies, frozen shad, or shrimp. Shad imitations continue to work best for largemouth bass with medium-diving crankbaits in shad patterns or dropping to the bottom over the rockpiles with shad-patterned plastics on the drop-shot by mid-morning. Trout fishing is very slow as the holdovers have headed up the river arm in search of cooler water temperatures. The lake dropped to 10%. The river at Kernville dropped from 136 to 108 cfs, but water releases out of the dam have pushed the flows at First Point relatively high at 527 cfs. The trout in the upper river are holding in the deep pools, and without recent plants and low water conditions, fishing has been very slow.

Call: Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield (661) 833-8657; North Fork Marina (760) 376-1812; Golden Trout Pack Station (559) 542-2816

Lake Kaweah

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Not much change with the exception of heavy recreational boating pressure and dropping water levels. The bass bite is challenging in the dropping water conditions, but there is a reaction bite in the early mornings before dropping to the bottom with ice jigs, spoons, or jigs. The lake is starting to release water, and it dropped from 39% to 25%. The flows in the Kaweah River dropped from 54 cfs to 31 cfs at Three Rivers.

Lake Success/Tule River

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Triple-digit temperatures and dropping water levels have driven the bass into the submerged trees. Bouncing crankbaits off of the wood or dropping plastics on a Ned-rig near wood are good options along with topwater lures in the early mornings. The lake dropped to 26%. The flows on the Tule are dropping, and anglers have to be stealthy with dry flies, Woolly Buggers, ants, or stimulators while spin casters are using 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 34%. The best launch ramp remains at Barrett Cove South. Not much change as the bass bite has been tough with most anglers opting for New Melones or Eastman.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 3

Last week’s trout plant helped the bite. The best action remains in the early mornings or evenings before the sun hits the water. Shore fishing is best in the early mornings with Power Bait, Panther Martin spinners, or ¼- to ⅜-ounce Kastmasters at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula around the marina. Holdover rainbow trout are found in the deepest and coolest waters in the river arm with blade/’crawler combinations or ruby red Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger. As the summer progresses, the rainbows will work their way up the river arm in search of cooler water. The lake is at 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 1

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Striped bass to 29 inches have been landed in the river arm near Temperance Flat, and the presence of smaller striped bass is encouraging. Catch and release of these fish is encouraged due to the low numbers. Bass fishing is best in the river arm due to heavy boat pressure in the main lake, but the best quality is found in the main lake along the Madera side at depths from 30 to 50 feet off of points or rockpiles with plastics on the drop-shot or similar finesse techniques.” The lake dropped from 61% to 59%, and the San Joaquin River held at 248 cfs at Friant.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2

Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp – a fixture at New Melones for 38 years – is scheduled to close with the final day on Aug. 20 due to the inability to negotiate a lease. With exceedingly slow bass action at Don Pedro and McClure, New Melones is presently the top bass lake in the Mother Lode. With the lake dropping 3 feet on a weekly basis, the Tuttletown launch ramp was closed recently, leaving the Glory Hole Ramp as the only option. The ramp is currently in very bad shape with only the left side of the ramp accessible, but once the lake drops further, the entire ramp will be available once again. The lack of access to the lake has led to hot tempers and even a fistfight or two by recreational boaters putting in or taking out ski boats in the afternoons. There is a rockpile hidden at the ramp along with a cable, and at least two boats have damaged props on the rocks.

John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service said, “This is a good time of year to catch big fish, but you have to find them as there are many spots that aren’t holding fish. We have been tossing topwater lures or bluegill-patterned glide baits in the mornings as the bass are either chasing shad or bass fry. To mimic the bass fry, we are drop-shotting tiny flukes, and there is a decent crankbait bite, as well. The bass are holding in the wood as the baby bass and shad are holding tight to structure for protection. The bass are using the cover of the wood as an ambush point, and we are tossing topwater lures over the wood or squarebilled crankbaits that seem to bounce off of the wood. Smaller fish are suspended at depths from 10 to 15 feet in 80 feet of water. Little Keitech swimbait are also working.”

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The only lake I can find big fish is at Melones right now as it is brutal at Don Pedro and McClure. The bite is decent, and we are dropping ¼-ounce G-Money jigs in light brown with a green pumpkin trailer through the wood as the jigs go through the wood better. Small 2-inch custom creature bait trailers by Lunker Daddy behind a 5-inch twin-tail grub are also effective as well 4-inch Oxblood plastics on a Ned-rig. For suspended fish, we are using a 3.25-inch Strike King Rage Swimmer in shad patterns along with Brabec’s double buzz bait. We found bass to 6 pounds this week, and young Aiden Rodriguez stuck the big fish on a Rage Swimmer.”

Kokanee fishing remains excellent, but with the launch ramp conditions, the number of trollers has dissipated. Apex lures behind a Paulina Peak’s gold hammered dodger at depths to 100 feet over structure.

The lake is at 902.20 feet in elevation and 31% of capacity.

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 key to the bass bite is finding the shad schools and 10-inch plastics dragged along the bottom are producing along with Hula Grubs at night. There is a spoon bite in deeper water over the shad schools if you can find the bait fish. Finesse presentations along with deep-diving crankbaits effective along the rock piles, but with the dropping water levels, the fish are suspended, and you have to search for them. Few trout trollers continue to work the lake.” The lake dropped from 35% to 29%.

In the lower Kings, a trout plant occurred last week, but the trout action has slowed due to the lack of recent plants and most anglers heading for the high country. Fly fishermen continue to score in the catch-and-release section. The flows have dropped from 452 cfs to 372 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 1

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “There is a good topwater bite in the morning before the sun comes up with Zara Spooks, Whopper Ploppers, or Berkley Choppos along with ripbaits such as Jackall’s ReRage in American Shad or Lucky Craft Pointer 120s in Neo Pearl. The bite shuts down as soon as the sun hits the water. Anchovies or pile worms are working best in the Forebay near Check 12.”

The lake continues to drop water, receding to 34% this week with the O’Neill Forebay rising to 85%.

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the wind is still the limiting factor causing boaters to have to carefully choose calmer days to fish. “The troll bite has been very tough, and the window for any topwater action is done by the time boat anglers can get on the water most days. The water is slowly falling about a half-foot a day and the water temps are holding around 71 degrees in the morning. I decided to go scout the lake on Monday in the forecast windy conditions with Sonny Johansen of Clovis and the bite was terrible in the heavy wind and waves., Sonny only got one bite at 60 feet, but the fish surprised me going 37 inches and 18.3 pounds. We released it on the Seaqualizer. The bite has been all over the board for the last two weeks for us and the anglers I get reports from.”

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

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1

The kokanee remain a no-show, and Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing said, “The fish are showing on the meter, but not biting well on Saturday. A few days prior, they were hitting Dick’s Mountain tubes or Trout Busters in pink or orange and Rocky Mountain Tackle’s Wiggle Hoochies tipped with a nightcrawler behind a Dick’s big Blue Mountain Dodger at depths from 15 to 30 from the Sheriff’s Tower to Miller’s Landing.” Bass fishing is best with plastics on a shaky head or dart head along with reaction lures. The lake dropped slightly to 81%.

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. There haven’t been many reports from either lake. 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 3 Trout 2

Jerad Romero of JRod’s Guide Service said, “We landed eight kokanee on Saturday with two at 19.5 and 18.7 inches. The blue J-Pex lures are working great along with white hoochies at depths from 36 to 55 feet. We are finding less trout and more kokanee at this depth as the trout are plentiful higher in the water column.” Smallmouth bass are plentiful around the rockpiles near the shorelines.

At Huntington, Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The kokanee are thick, and they are starting to get larger. 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 dropped to 97%, resulting in Shaver rising slightly to 63%.

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, “The trout bite at both lakes has really slowed down with only recent planted fish being caught. The water level at Courtright is very good as it’s full of water, but the bite is not there.” Both lakes have been crowded with campers. Courtright is scheduled for a trout plant this week.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

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

Half Moon Bay has experienced a tremendous boost with the schools of salmon holding from Pigeon Point to above the harbor, but after weeks of solid action, the salmon moved on once again by the end of the week. During the middle of the past week, limits were the rule of a mixed-grade of salmon to over 20 pounds north of the harbor along the Pacifica coastline from Mussel Rock towards Linda Mar, but by week’s end, the school headed to the Channel Buoys and then further north to Point Reyes. The brown ‘salmon water’ was thick off of Pacifica, and the boats were loading up prior to the salmon’s latest exit from the scene.

On Thursday, the Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing landed 29 salmon to 24 pounds for 16 anglers while the New Captain Pete scored 11 limits to 28 pounds. This was the last day of great salmon action out of the harbor as Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete said, “I was bird watching over the weekend, but the high boat was the Riptide with 9 salmon for 12 anglers as the fish have moved up towards Point Reyes.”

With the salmon on hiatus, the boats went rockfishing over the weekend with the Ankeny Street working the coastal reefs for a combined 31 limits of rockfish including 4 cabezon and 5 lings to 12 pounds on Saturday/Sunday while the Queen of Hearts brought home 6 limits of rockfish. Until the salmon show up in numbers once again, the party boats will concentrate on rockfishing while private boats and even six-pack operators will try and locate the salmon from the entrance buoys north to Pacifica. There should be enough salmon holding in the area for the private boaters, but the big party boats need access to the larger schools.

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

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “The saltwater is settling down nicely after a week of long period south swell that had things roiled up. Monterey Bay continues to enjoy productive summertime fishing. Salmon are still in the mix though getting a bit spotty while rockfish, lingcod, and halibut fishing is getting better and better.

Half Moon Bay and Pacifica enjoyed a furious, close-in salmon bite over the past week. These are fish staging for their entrance to San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento Delta/River systems for spawning. Those fish may circle north toward the Marin Headlands before heading to the freshwater. In the meantime, the big schools are still getting pushed by new arrivals from Monterey Bay. There’s been a steady stream of salmon schools breezing through the bay, feeding on super-abundant anchovy schools as they head northward. Anglers from Monterey had a few days of limit-style fishing from the 200- to 250-foot spots near Soldier’s Club and Mulligan’s Hill. The Moss Landing fleet is finding fish to the south, straight out front of the harbor and north towards the Pajaro and Soquel Holes. Santa Cruz salmon hunters had luck on the east side of the Soquel Hole and down towards Pajaro and Moss this week. Most salmon netted in Monterey Bay this week were caught by trolling deep, near the bottom. The quality of salmon is high with many in the 20-to 30-pound range reported lately.

JT Thomas from Go Fish Santa Cruz has been switching back and forth between rockfish and salmon trips, according to the wishes of his clients. His salmon trip on Thursday brought home six big king salmon for the anglers aboard the beautiful Miss Beth. Monday’s trip garnered full limits for all clients and two crew. All the fish were big, in the 25-pound range. They found success trolling near the bottom in 240 feet of water, near Pajaro and towards Moss Landing.

Rockfish are numerous throughout the bay. The shell beds off Del Monte Beach in Monterey are producing well for bottom fish and schoolie blues, blacks, and yellows. For bigger fish and quicker limits, boats are heading around the corner towards Carmel and Big Sur. Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching Trips in Monterey listed the ‘usual’- limits for all clients on all boats for all rockfish trips this week despite the south swell. In Santa Cruz, the big charter boats from Stagnaro’s Sport Fishing are pulling limits or near-limits from the local reefs. Their north coast trips are pulling in bigger fish and an increasing number of ling cod. Private boater Joe Baxter checked in on Sunday after fishing near Ano Nuevo. Baxter and friends scored on bigger bottom-dwelling rockfish and pulled in some hefty ling cod as well.

As the south swell dies, we are seeing halibut back on the bite in shallower water. Bounce-balling hoochies or bait behind a dodger is a proven technique from 30 feet of water out to 70. Jigging up live anchovies, smelt, or kingfish is easy, and the live bait makes for excellent drift-fishing for the halibut. On the more placid beaches, some surfcasters are pulling in smaller ‘chicken’ halibut with perhaps one out of three reaching the required size limit of 22 inches. Surfcasting for perch is good and getting better as this year’s crop of fish grows bigger and stranger. By the weekend, most beaches around the bay were clean and clear of kelp or seagrass, excepting those little ‘corners’ that collect the flotsam in their eddies.”

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 2 Sturgeon 2

Salmon fever has been all of the rage out of the Bay Area fleet for the past several weeks, and party boats that normally specialize in other species are now offering salmon trips in response to the outbreak. However, this is salmon fishing, and every day is a new day out on the water. The schools of salmon have been on the move in rapid fashion, and they were moving north towards Point Reyes as of Sunday evening. On Thursday, Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters headed north along with Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions and Captain Ryan Ash of Chasin’ Crustacean only to find clear water, no bait, and flipped conditions from the previous day. Koyasako said it first, “I’m out of here,’ and Slate wasn’t far behind as they made the 17-mile run south to Mussel Rock in order to put in limits of a mixed-grade of salmon to 25 pounds on Thursday. Friday was even better with Slate posting limits for six by 8:30 a.m. while the other boats were also loading up with limits. The water is the perfect salmon brown color, and the action came in spurts of ‘fast and furious.’ However, by Saturday, a school of big salmon showed up north of Mussel Rock at the Channel Buoys, and both Slate and Koyasako posted limits of big fish in the 15- to 25-pound range. Slate said, “When we found them, it was on, and they were tight enough that we could have mooched.” It was a different story on Sunday with the arrival of 15 knots of southerly winds slowing down the bite at the Channel Buoys. Boats that had been averaging limits of salmon scratched for a fish per rod while six-packs that were on the fish early in the morning were able to post limits. The ocean conditions were rough to the point of boats having to head down the main channel into the Golden Gate instead of going over the North Bar on the incoming tide.

Slate said, “It was so choppy on Sunday, but we were able to pick up six big fish from 15 to 22 pounds along with another small legal fish, but we took a beating with the southerly.” Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing had been scoring up to 15 limits on his 15-pack, the Malia Kai, but he settled for a fish per rod to 20 pounds on Sunday working the Channel Buoys.

“Fantastic, tremendous, phenomenal, amazing, and I am running out of superlatives to describe the salmon fishing this year,” said Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito. They loaded up with up to 26 limits throughout the week with over a fish and a-half per rod on Saturday with 32 salmon to 33 pounds for 20 anglers on Saturday.

Koyasako went north on Sunday towards Duxbury to finish off limits for his clients, and he said, “We have been able to limit out on salmon on every trip this year. It’s been phenomenal.” The six-pack boats are getting filled up fast, and some of the boats are full through August while party boats have more availability.

Salmon aren’t the only thing happening, and Captain Chris Smith took the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley to the Farallon Islands on Sunday for 24 limits of rockfish and 28 ling cod. He said, “The rockfish bite was as wide open as it could be, and the limits were taken within a few drifts. We’ve been mixing it up between rockfish and salmon trips, and we will be targeting salmon throughout most of the coming week.”

Although most boats are heading outside of the Golden Gate to take advantage of the tremendous salmon and rockfish action, the bay is starting to show signs of life as a few striped bass are showing up for the first time this year on the rockpiles. San Pablo Bay is also holding some stripers around the islands, and the water has cleared to some degree after being muddied by king tides last week.

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing out of Pier 45 in San Francisco said, “The bay is picking up due to the slower tides. There were striped bass off of the rockpiles, and maybe it was just fish moving their way outside the Gate, but they were there this week. We started with five legal halibut in the morning before heading outside the Gate for rockfishing at Tennessee Cove. Shark trips continue to be a big hit as the bite is wide open. We had a group out this week that wanted shark meat, and they kept 11 male leopard sharks before tapping out and calling it a day early. Captain Charles Kimberly only allowed keeping the males, releasing all females. The North Bar has been too rough to target halibut so we have to stay in the bay for the flatfish.”

Inside the bay, Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond Marina had a bay trip on Friday, and they loaded up with limits of striped bass to 10 pounds anchoring in San Pablo Bay. Slate gets the stripers to boil on the surface by tossing a combination of live or dead bait. Slate said, “It’s all current related as the tides will dictate whether the stripers will be holding around the islands.”

For the remainder of the summer through the fall and winter months, the majority of boats will continue to head outside the Gate depending upon the weather as prime time for halibut on the beaches starts towards the beginning of August.

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 2 Salmon 2 Surf perch 2

Rockfishing remains up-and-down, and the ling cod remain scarce with the exception of an incidental catch on the reefs closer to the harbor. 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 were out on Sunday with 49 anglers for a total of 502 bottom fish composed of 36 vermilion, 149 Bolina, 291 assorted rockfish, 4 cabezon, 11 ocean whitefish and 11 ling cod to 8 pounds. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Avenger, Endeavor, and Starfire were out on trips ranging from ½-day to 12-hour on Sunday with 59 anglers for 134 vermilion, 45 Boccaccio, 311 assorted rockfish, 20 Bolina, a rock sole, and 10 ling cod to 18 pounds with the big ling taken at Ragged Point. Out of Virg’s Landing, the Black Pearl, Fiesta, and Rita G were out on Saturday with 85 fishermen for 136 vermilion, 311 assorted rockfish,24 Bolina, 12 ocean whitefish, 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 2 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3 Salmon 3

The Sacramento-Delta continues to hold striped bass despite 78-degree water temperatures, and the salmon are making a rapid run in search of cooler waters further upstream.

Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait in Freeport said, “Salmon fishing has been solid from Freeport to Discovery Park, and we are off to the start of a good season. Anchoring with Kwikfish or spinners such as Silvertrons or Slammers along with trolling with spinners are working while bank anglers are lined up tossing heavy spinners. The water releases out of Folsom have really cooled down the American River, and the salmon are slowing down at the mouth. Smallmouth are found along rocky structure with deep-diving crankbaits, plastics on the drop-shot, or Senkos. Stripers continue to be holding around Liberty Island or the DeepWater Channel with blood worms, sardines, or frozen shad.

Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors continues to find northern largemouth bass under the weed mats punching with Brush Hogs with a 1-ounce punch weight.

Benicia is still waiting for their first salmon of the year, but there was a large fish lost when they tried to drag the fish up the shoreline instead of using a net.

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 is this coming weekend with the Ultimate Frog Channel following by the original frog tournament, the Snag Proof Open, will take place out of Russo’s Marina on August 6/7th.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor and director of the Snag Proof Open, said, “We aren’t seeing as many big fish since we are concentrating on numbers on our guide trips as if you target the big fish under the mats, the numbers will go down. We have been tossing topwater lures such as the ima Finesse Popper or Furbet the Frog for the larger fish holding under the mats in the heat, but numbers can be taken on the 5-inch Berkley Bottom Hopper Fatty on a Zappu Head on the outside weed line on the low tide. The Fatty has a flat edge, and I rig the flat edge coming down so it will wobble just right. We are using red/black Fatties at depths from 5 to 15 feet as 50% of the bass either have tentacles or clippers in their craws.”

Dave King of NorCal Bass continues to find great action for bass in the 2-pound range on the white Scum Frog along with a weightless fluke on a flipping hook outside of the weeds.

In the south Delta below the Mossdale Bridge, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported very slow action with the exception of catfish in the low waters loaded with hyacinth. Fresh shad is still missing in action despite the best efforts of the shadders.

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, there hasn’t been much change as with topwater lures such as Whopper Ploppers along with squarebilled and lipless crankbaits in the early mornings and just before dusk are working for spotted bass. As the shad schools are dropping to the bottom in deep water, ice jigs or flutter spoons are working for the spots. White bass are chasing shad, particularly as the water is warming up, and when the boils are located, small white spoons, spinners, swimbaits, or topwater lures are working. Trollers continue to work the subsurface schools of whites with similar lures. Bluegill and red ear perch continue to be taken on red worms, jumbo red worms, or meal worms. The lake dropped slightly to 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, bass action remains solid despite having to rent a boat with the launch ramp out of the water. The best bite has been with plastics on a drop-shot or Carolina-rig from the banks while kayakers and rental boats are finding similar action on plastics. A Ned-rig or swimbait is also effective. 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 25.7% of capacity. Anglers can view a live webcam of the lake at https://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, the bass bite is picking up with a few quality largemouth taken on topwater lures in the early mornings or late afternoons along with crankbaits or jerkbaits. After the initial early morning bite, its back to the bottom with plastics 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 planted rainbows have gone deep, and they are reluctant to bite. The lake is at 56.2% of capacity. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. At San Antonio, it’s still all about whiskerfish with a variety of baits including mackerel scented with garlic, Triple S Dip Bait, frozen shad, or chicken livers. The crappie bite is slow overall, but there are still a few slabs to be had. Bass fishing is slow overall, and it has been for some time. Carp are throughout the shallows and easy to catch on doughbaits. 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 dropped to 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

Upcoming Tournaments (subject to change)

July 30th/31st –

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Anglers Press Ultimate Frog Challenges

July 30th –

New Melones – Oro Madre Bass Anglers

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