Fishing report, July 6-12: Shaver Lake guide says, ‘Perhaps the best trout bite in years’
Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.
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Best bets
Delta bass and striper bites going, Alan Fong reported. New Melones kokanee on the prowl, Monte Smith said. Pine Flat bass hitting, Michael Crayne reported. Shaver Lake trout action tops bite, Dick Nichols said. Wishon and Courtright rainbows biting, Kelly Brewer reported. Bass lake trout action solid, Mike Beighey said. Lake Success bass fishing good, Dave Hurley reported.
Roger’s Remarks: Fight the lazy bug
One of my main nemeses is just feeling lazy. “Mr. Never give up!” admits moments where I just don’t want to do what I know I should be doing.
So many times I’ve thought to myself, “You really need to retie that knot, check your line, make sure my lure is running correctly…but deep down I really don’t want to do it. One part of my mind knows exactly what the right thing to do is, while the other voice is telling me I can get by without doing it.
Whenever I’m having an internal encounter with these two mental forces, I almost always need a few minutes to let things settle and then confront what’s creating my “lazy attack.” We are all experts at generating brilliant and powerful justifying reasons to “not do the right thing.” Funny how in these cases of making the wrong choice the law of karma always seems to come full circle and bite me.
Couple years ago I was out scouting San Luis, trolling some lures in hope of getting a big striper. Incredibly I hooked one that I fought for five minutes before my line went slack. I reeled in the lure and found that since I hadn’t changed my splitrings or put on bigger hooks the fish had been able to get away. I remember looking at the lure and making the decision to just replace the front and back equipment on the lure but leave the middle hook alone.
I’m trolling again and just five minutes later I get hit hard again, and the fish began one of the most powerful all-out runs I’ve ever had. I’m thinking to myself, “I’ve been waiting for this bite for the last year.” The run finally slowed a good 80 yards or so later and I could feel the fish going back and forth when I felt the line go slack. My middle hook and splitring (the one I didn’t change!) had been torn off the lure. Seemed so strange that it could have been that specific of a failure – almost like someone was trying to teach me a lesson.
Every time my little friend pops up with all kinds of great ideas on taking a shortcut, my loss of that big striper flashes into my mind.
It’s tempting to let the lazy bug bite you, but it seldom gets you where you want to go. Never give up!
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 2 Catfish 3
In the California Aqueduct, Bill Sterling of the Sportsmen’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “Striper fishing has slowed just a bit. We are still seeing bait and wait with anchovies catch more fish this week than any other method. Fishing off the bridges in the Los Banos area is producing the best, and Hilldale is still the hot spot. Only seeing one fish for every two anglers. Catfishing at night seems to be doing really well. Chicken livers are the go-to bait in the local canals around Los Banos.”
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported catfishing has been best below the Clifton Court Forebay as the majority of the stripers have moved south toward Patterson.
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, striped bass, catfish, or largemouth bass are taken on large minnows along with blood worms while catfish are biting Triple S Dip Bait, nightcrawlers, chicken livers, or cut baits. Largemouth bass are taken with topwater lures, Senkos, or plastics on the drop-shot. 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 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne at Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Eastman remains more productive than Hensley with holdover rainbow trout near the water pipe near the dam with Power Bait or nightcrawlers. 10-inch plastic worms or Senkos are working for bass. Catfish are taken at both lakes at night on chicken livers, cut baits, or nightcrawlers. Hensley continues to produce carp in the shallows or bluegill in the brush in the back of the lake.” Eastman held at 10% with Hensley dropping from 20% to 18%.
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 lake was inundated with recreational boaters over the weekend, but with it holding more water than the other Mother Lode reservoirs, the boat traffic did have some areas in which to spread out. Fishing will return to normal within a few days of the holiday weekend. Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing reported the best bass action has been coming on ⅜-ounce G-Money jigs in brown/purple with a brown/green twin tailed trailer with the skirt cut down at depths from 5 to 30 feet on main lake points. When the wind is blowing, the Berkley Choppo or Strike King’s Sexy Dog topwater baits are working. The kokanee bite has become challenging as the schools are scattered throughout the lake. Additionally, the majority of rainbow trout are loaded with copepods. The lake dropped slightly to 65%. 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
Similar to every other lake in California, recreational boating was heavy over the weekend. Crappie fishing remains slow as you have to be in the right place at the right time with small to medium minnows or small Keitech swimbaits. Catfishing remains the best thing going with Triple S Dip Bait. The threadfin shad have had a successful spawn in the low waters of the lake, and shad-patterned medium- to deep-diving crankbaits are working along with 7- to 10-inch plastics in shad patterns. There are still holdover rainbow trout to be landed from the shorelines with deep water access with Power Bait or nightcrawlers while trollers are pulling shad-patterned spoons at depths to 40 feet. There is a shad spawn in the lake, and the best lures for bass have been shad-patterned crankbaits or plastics. The Kern County Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby ended on July 4. The lake held at 13%. The river at Kernville dropped from 268 to 179 cfs, but water releases out of the dam have pushed the flows at First Point from 508 to 645 cfs. The Kern Section 4 received a plant last week with Section 5 in the Kernville area receiving a double plant. The trout are holding in the deep pools.
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 pressure over the holiday weekend. The crappie bite is decent with small to medium minnows or minijigs around the submerged wood, brush, or rockpiles near Horse Creek. 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 53% to 47%. The Kaweah River dropped from 95 cfs to 71 cfs at Three Rivers.
Lake Success/Tule River
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Trout 3 Catfish 2
Heavy recreational boating took place over the weekend, but the lake will settle down within a few days. The morning and evening bass bite is good with plastics, topwater lures, crankbaits, or jigs around points and around submerged trees. The lake held at 37%.
The Tule River is fishing excellent with stimulators, hoppers, and ant patterns. The natives are also hitting black Woolly Buggers aggressively. Trout plants at Balch Park Upper Campground and the Middle Fork of the Tule River were scheduled last week.
Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
It was extremely busy at the lake with recreational boaters, and it will take a few days for the water to settle down before fishing returns to normal. Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “There still hasn’t been much change, but the bass bite has been tougher than at the other Mother Lode reservoirs. ¼-ounce Kastmasters, 2.8-inch Keitech swimbaits on a ⅛-ounce G-Money Ned-rig head or a ⅛-ounce G-Money underspin are effective along with topwater lures or jigs in a light sculpin pattern.” The trout have gone deep, and the best action is for trollers pulling shad-patterned spoons near the dam. The lake dropped from 41% to 39%, and the best ramp continues to be at Barrett Cove South.
Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Guide Service – 691-7008
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 2
The water feature is taking center stage at the lake, but 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. Shore fishing is picking up a trout or two 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. As the summer progresses, the rainbows will work their way up the river arm in search of cooler water. The lake dropped from 94% to 89%, but lake levels will remain high throughout the year.
Call: Angler’s Edge Market – (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “With the heavy recreational boat traffic, there hasn’t been much incentive to fish the lake. Crappie are found in Winchell’s Cove with small Keitech swimbaits or minijigs with bluegill around the Rocky Point campground in the brush. Spotted bass to 3 pounds are possible on 3-inch MegaBass Hazedong on a small jig head over the rocks.” The lake dropped from 68% to 66%, and the San Joaquin River dropped from 1,315 cfs to 644 cfs at Friant.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
New Melones will be the host lake for the July 9 Kokanee Power Team Tournament, and after struggles at Lake Pardee and Don Pedro, there is great anticipation for some quality three-fish limits at Melones. The boat traffic was extremely heavy over the Independence Day weekend as the lake is lowered to 33%, but after the holiday week, the best kokanee fishermen in the western United States will descend upon the lake to pre-fish for several days prior to Saturday.
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing has been on the lake several times in the past week, and he said, “Some of the teams during the event will find some big kokanee while others will struggle as the fish are on the move. They are schooling up and holding on structure, and I have switched over to my stick weights to keep from hanging up on the bottom as they are starting to hold tight to structure. We continue to score at depths from 45 to 65 feet with Paulina Peak’s Flutter Bugs behind a Peak Performer dodger. I won’t be surprised if there are kokanee over 19 inches brought to the weigh-in during the tournament.”
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service has been working nearly non-stop on the lake as he has added twilight kokanee trips, and he said, “We are smashing out limits within 2 hours with Apex or J-Pex lures behind a gold hammered dodger at depths from 40 to 65 feet. I went searching south of Rose Island for two hours this week, and I didn’t find a fish as the kokanee are still not in numbers south of Rose Island.”
The lake dropped to 33%, and there are islands popping out 20 feet above the surface that are normally 100 feet below the water line. The Glory Hole and Tuttletown ramps are on the low water ramps, and they will be accessible until the lake drops below 900 feet in elevation. It dropped nearly 3 feet this week to 910.06.
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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun said, “There is a topwater bite for spotted bass in the early mornings before working the bottom with deep-diving crankbaits, creature baits, plastic worms or Senkos on a Texas-rig. Trout trolling remains a good bet with shad-patterned spoons or blade/’crawler combinations up the river arm or around Deer Creek. Crappie are found near Deer Creek and in the trees near Lake Park with minijigs or small swimbaits.”
In the lower Kings, the trout action has slowed down 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 855 cfs to 697 cfs at Trimmer. The lake dropped from 54% to 48%.
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, “Bank fishing is taking precedence with the lack of jumbo or extra-large minnows, and blood or pile worms have been the top baits. The new blue-brined anchovies from J and P Bait have also been a top seller. With the Basalt Recreation Area launch closed, most bank fishermen are heading to Dinosaur Point. In the Forebay, the fluke bite remains solid on an Owner underspin along with Sixth Sense, Duo Realis, or Spro’s swimbaits.” The main lake dropped slightly to 39% with the forebay also dropping to 82%.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the wind continues to be an ongoing issue but if anglers can get out during a calm day the chances of getting a few school-sized fish trolling at 60 feet is possible. “I fished Monday with a friend hoping the wind wouldn’t be too bad and I was surprised when it turned out to be a mild day. My friend, Sonny Johansen of Clovis, got off to an incredible start with his first fish going 19 pounds and 39 inches working a shad-colored lure at 60 feet in the main lake released on the Seaqualizer tool. We ended up with over 25 released fish to 26 inches for eight hours work. The bite can turn on and off very quickly and it’s an experienced anglers’ game right now. Many of the males are still milting, telling me they are still showing spawning behavior which can affect the bite. I still think that the fish are holding more in the main lake, and not the coves so far. The water continues to fall at ½-foot a day and is currently at 772,000 acre feet. The algae is pretty much mixed into the water for now. The Dinosaur Point dock is in good shape so far and is the only dock at the lake. I rate the bite as just decent for now.”
There are warning and lake closure lights on the main reservoir near the Basalt Entrance Station, Quien Sabe Point, and the Romero Visitor Center. In the O’Neill Forebay. Warning lights are located near the old Medeiros boat ramp and above South Beach.
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com 905-2954
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1
Trout trolling remains solid at depths to 28 feet with pink or orange Dick’s Mountain Hoochies or Rocky Mountain Tackle’s Wiggle Hoochies tipped with maggots and or a little piece of nightcrawler behind a Dick’s Mountain Dodger in front of Miller’s Landing and also in front of the Forks Resort. The kokanee have yet to show, but there is hope for the coming weeks. Bass fishing is plastics on a shaky head or dart head along with reaction lures. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at basslakeca.com. The lake held at 82%.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Portal Forebay received a trout plant last week.
Edison is at 34%, Florence has risen to 80% with Mammoth Pool at 84%.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 2 Trout 3
Most Shaver regular trollers remained off of the water for the weekend. Dick Nichols, Shaver’s guide emeritus, was out with his friends, Paul Racine and Robert Navarro, prior to the weekend, and he said, “The trout bite remains fantastic. Within five hours of fishing between 5:30 and 10:30 a.m., we caught and released 32 trout and kept six 15- to 16-inch kokanee. We also got into some smaller brown trout, and they must be returned to the lake carefully while in the water. We primarily trolled the island where we found a decent kokanee bite at 33 feet for three fish before 7:45 a.m. before the bite stopped. After this, we switched back to targeting trout with Dick’s Mountain Tubes in orange and Mountain Hoochies in pink tipped with scented corn at 45 feet before returning to the island at 8:45 a.m. for three more kokanee in the 15/16-inch. All in all, we had nine kokanee hook-ups, but only landed six. For the trout fishermen, a Dick’s Mountain Trout Buster in either the Stevenson or Trophy models behind a Dick’s Mountain Dodger tipped with a piece of nightcrawler and corn with a 120-foot set back until 8 a.m. before extending the setback to 135 feet back or something equivalent. I can’t believe the trout action as it helps with the slower kokanee action.
“In five fishing trips this month, we have caught over 160 trout including four trophies, releasing all but 20 trout. Before the weekend, Wade Obermann and Jill Kovacich fished a couple days at Shaver, and they targeted kokanee and quality rainbows near the dam at 50 feet with a Kevorkian Apex tipped with plain corn behind a dodger. Shaver is showing signs of a kokanee bite, but this is perhaps the best trout bite in years.”
If the big kokanee hold out, the Sept. 10 Kokanee Power Team Tournament could be the best in years.
At Huntington, limits of kokanee are taken on purple/copper or purple/pink/copper action bugs behind copper dodgers on downriggers at 25 to 35 feet or on the side rods with a setback of 125 feet with a half-ounce weight. Shaver’s launch ramp conditions can be checked via webcam at sierramarina.com/camera.html. Huntington is at 98%, with Shaver at 62%.
Todd Wittwer – Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Tom Oliveira – Tom Oliveira Fishing – 802-8072
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 3
Kelly Brewer at the Wishon RV Park and Store said, “Both lakes are producing limits of trout for trollers, and there was a plant of smaller catchable rainbows at both lakes this week. Trolling at 30 to 40 feet is producing 14-inch-plus trout with Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a dodger or a blade/’crawler combination on a faster troll than normal. Bank fishing is best with Power Bait or nightcrawlers, and the action is best the farther from the normal access points. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis advises moving as far away from the dam as possible in order to locate better action. Wishon has been extremely crowded from the banks.”
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
– Half Moon Bay has been in the vortex of some of the best salmon fishing in recent memory, and this week was a repeat of the past two weeks with limit-style action on nearly every trip. Sunday’s fishing took a bit longer than the 25 limits in 45 minutes experienced earlier in the week, but limits were still the rule. Rockfishing remains excellent along the reefs south of the harbor, and its limits all around there as well.
Sherry Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing said, “Most of the week it was limits within a half-hour up to an hour and a half, but it was a bit slower on Sunday. Captain Wallace Klugher on our big boat, the Queen of Hearts, returned with 18 limits of salmon to 17 pounds on Sunday, but he had to work a bit harder for them. Captain Don Giberson on the six-pack, Reel Screamer, returned with 6 limits of salmon to 22 pounds on Saturday while the Queen of Hearts posted 19 limits of rockfish including 4 cabezon and 2 ling cod on Saturday. It wasn’t as busy on the private boat front as the trailers weren’t parked up and down Highway One like last weekend, but this was most likely weather-related. We think a number of salmon stayed offshore last year, and this is the reason why so many big fish have been caught this year with the number of four-year-olds.”
The salmon remain in a large area from below Pigeon Point to north of Half Moon Bay, and the fish are moving in all directions, following the feed. There are still a tremendous number of whales feeding on either krill or anchovies, and once you find the whales, you will find the salmon. Early in the week, boats such as the New Captain Pete were on a tremendous roll with the following scores – 22 limits by 8:46 a.m., 17 limits in 25 limits, 23 limits by 10:00 a.m., and 19 limits by 10:00 a.m. Captain Michael Cabanas said, “We were back at the harbor early, and the passengers were getting off in order to go out for breakfast.” The boat is down for untimely engine repairs for a few days, and this is the only thing that can possibly slow down the action. The Riptide posted 14 limits of salmon to 22 pounds on Saturday, and the Bay Area fleet continues to head south off of the San Mateo County coastline to get in on the most consistent salmon action in the state.
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 Halibut 3 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “Nuisance wind and a small south swell shouldn’t have too much of a negative effect for boat-based anglers this week. Surfcasters might have to hunt the beaches for some clean water though as the kelp and seaweed in the surf line was vexing for many over the weekend. Underlying those weather and water conditions however are two very positive factors for fishing on Monterey Bay as these days there are tons of bait and plenty of hungry fish. It’s a banner year for anchovies with huge schools and bait balls both offshore and close to the surf line. When there’s a lot of bait, we find a lot of fish! Salmon anglers all around the bay had a fantastic week of fishing. While scores varied from day to day, the highliners amongst the fleet managed limits of fish every day. It’s a mixed grade of king salmon, ranging from “pinner” shaker fish to hogs in the 20- and 30-pound range. There are quite a few silver salmon in the mix as well so be sure of your fish ID before you bonk that salmon on the head. Best practice is to take a good look before even netting the fish and release any silvers without removing them from the water at all. A slack line is often enough for a silver salmon to pop the hook and swim away. You might have to reach down with long-nosed pliers and flip the hook yourself. This can be easily done without touching the fish. Another technique is to slide your gaff down the line, giving a little tweak or twist once the gaff touches the hook. The water temperatures remain relatively cool. This, in conjunction with a hefty biomass of king salmon making their way to spawning waters, has resulted in a very good salmon season so far. Some of the scores this week include the Check Mate out of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching out of Monterey posting 21 kings for 20 anglers aboard the on Friday. Chris’s boats mooch for salmon, drifting baits under a banana weight around the edges of dense bait balls, of which there are plenty in the bay at this time. Mooching is a very exciting and rewarding technique. The angler fishes with rod in hand, feels the bite and sets the hook. It’s a bit more sophisticated in terms of angler IQ than trolling, and lighter equipment makes a successful fight that much more satisfying. Six-pack charter GO Fish Santa Cruz is taking maximum advantage of the salmon bite in the bay. On Thursday, Skipper JT Thomas reported, “We had crew limits of salmon, short by one, with fifteen big king salmon.” For Wednesday, Thomas said, “The bite was slower, but the clients caught four big king salmon up to 23 pounds.” Private boaters are reporting frequent early limits, often running for home before 8:00 a.m. Big fish in the 20’s and even 30-pound class are not uncommon catches this week. Capitola Boat and Bait reported on Friday, saying, “The water conditions have been beautiful in the mornings with slight wind picking up in the afternoons.” We’ve seen a steady stream of halibut picked up around Capitola both New Brighton side of the big kelp beds as well as to the west towards Pleasure Point. Halibut are on the inside all the way to shallow water near the beach. Calm protected areas with clean water are perfect for surfcasting flatties at low tide using a Kastmaster, stickbait, or smaller white swimbaits. You might have to weed through multiple short halibut before hooking a keeper, but it’s all fun action. Treat the shorts gently and release quickly to keep the mortality rate down. Halibut that have been hooked can develop infections when their body is scraped against sand or rocks. Using a fine mesh rubber net will avoid splitting the halibut tails, another common source of infections for released halibut.” Don’t overlook the very valid halibut fishery from the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Santa Cruz Boat Rental reported some good flatty fishing on Thursday saying, “Bait is back at the wharf! The halibut are as well, we witnessed seven keepers landed on the wharf. The largest one was 36 inches!” Anglers there are using swimbaits or jigging up live anchovies used to hook the wharf halibut.”
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
It didn’t seem possible that the salmon bite could get any better than it was last weekend, and although it’s hard to fathom, the action became even ‘hotter and heavier’ with large party boats limiting out for up to 25 passengers within 45 minutes. In addition to early limits, there have been some absolutely huge salmon reported this week with the Sundance out of Emeryville returning with one salmon that reportedly bottomed out a 50-pound scale with another weighing 44 pounds. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing returned with 15 limits to 36 pounds with a few other fish in the 30’s while six-pack operator, Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters out of Loch Lomond Marina, loading up with limits to 31 pounds. Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito has limited out on every trip, including 25 limits to a season’s best 32 pounds on Friday. Captain Ron Koyasko of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco posted 8 limits of big salmon on Sunday trolling near Duxbury on the Marin coast, and he said, “We could have mooched with the fish starting to school.” The bulk of salmon are found south of the Golden Gate, and the Bay Area fleet has been able to travel a shorter distance as the massive school is moving north and out into deeper water. Along the Marin coastline, the grade is large, and there are signs that the salmon are schooling up. Action like this hasn’t been seen for decades, and it appears that there is no end to the numbers of salmon coming over the rails. It was slower on Sunday, but the boats that stuck it out, returned with limits.
‘Salmon fever’ has become so prevalent that the regular large party boats who stay in the bay on potluck trips are now running salmon trips on a daily basis in response to customer preference. In the words of the late legendary Captain Roger Thomas, ‘Salmon is king!’ and there isn’t much doubt about the truth of his wisdom.
The epic salmon fishing can only be attributed to excellent cold water ocean conditions, the possibility of four-year old salmon that stayed out on deep water last summer, and the increased survival of salmon smolts released closer to the Golden Gate over the past few years. The releases have been in response to low and hot water in the Sacramento River, and although the river returns continued to be plagued, this year’s spectacular salmon fishing proves the releases are working. None of this would have been possible without the consistent efforts of the Golden State Salmon Association who has been advocating for the releases closer to the Golden Gate. According to their latest press releases, “CDFW recently finished releasing about four million fish at Sausalito’s Ft. Baker this year. GSSA helped smooth things with the federal National Park Service, which administers the site, to win approval of the releases. The current Park Service agreement allows release of up to two million fish a year but after conversations with GSSA, they agreed to relax that limit this year to accommodate drought-stressed fish. Survival of fish released at night at the Ft. Baker site is among the highest of any release site used by CDFW.”
Limits have been the rule by far, but since this is salmon fishing, they aren’t guaranteed as the party boats had to work harder on Sunday in order to return with limits. It wasn’t the 25 limits in 45 minutes with 4 and 5 fish on at a time fishing, but the boats that got located rewarded their clients with two salmon apiece. The weather looks great for the start of this week, and several boats will be mooching on the north coast. The Pacific Dream out of Berkeley is running a salmon mooching trip on Tuesday with the possibility of a few halibut drifts on the South Bar.
Rockfishing remains tremendous with limits the rule for boats heading up either the Marin coastline or out to the Farallon Islands. while the California Dawn II is holding their annual Phenix Rods/Optimum Baits swimbait tour on Friday with a focus on big rockfish and ling cod.
With most Bay Area anglers firmly in the grip of ‘salmon fever,’ halibut, striped bass, and shark have been primarily on hold with most boats heading outside of the Golden Gate for salmon limits.
Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing out of San Francisco has been staying inside the bay for halibut or shark, but he will soon be heading outside the Gate to mooch for salmon. He said, “We continue to find good action for the sharks in the south bay, and the Flash 1 was out on a half-day trip on Sunday for 4 keepers and a load of shakers in the south bay near Alameda. The water has been stained from the larger tides, but when the tides are smaller, we have been scoring up to limits of halibut inside of the bay. We have been mostly running shark trips in the south bay or half-day halibut trips. We even landed a sturgeon this week on salmon roe on a shark trip, and although the anglers on board had Sturgeon Report Cards and we were using barbless hooks, the sturgeon was released as it was oversized at 65 inches.”
The striped bass should be on the rockpiles at this time of year, and there were a few boats that were out there on the incoming tide within the past few weeks, but with the great salmon and halibut action, striped bass are low priority right now.
Even Talmadge can’t resist the allure of salmon as he is starting his mooching trips up the Marin coastline this week.
Call: Captain Trent Slate Bite Me Charters (415) 307-8582; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388
San Luis Obispo
Rockfish 3 Salmon 2 Surf perch 3
Rockfishing continues to be stellar the farther away you travel from the harbor and on the longer trips, and the Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing went on an overnight trip on Friday with 22 anglers for 12 ling cod, 88 vermilion, 97 assorted rockfish, 35 Boccaccio, and 4 rock sole. The Fiesta and Rita G were out on ½- and full-day trips with 47 anglers on Saturday for 20 vermilion, 449 assorted rockfish, a cabezon, 7 ocean whitefish, and 7 ling cod. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Avenger and Endeavor were out on Saturday from ½- to 3/4th- day trips with 29 passengers for 270 assorted rockfish, 15 vermilion, and 5 Bolina for rockfish limits to go with three ling cod. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot, Flying Fish, and Phenix were out on trips ranging from ½- to 3/4th day trips on Saturday with 83 anglers for 26 vermilion, 34 Bolina, 413 assorted rockfish, 2 treefish, one ocean whitefish, two ling cod, and three halibut. 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
The Sacramento-Delta turned into a recreational wonderland over the Independence Day holiday weekend, but surprisingly, striped bass continue to hold in the warm waters of the north Delta. Few anglers are targeting this side of the Delta with the best largemouth bass action on the San Joaquin side, but a few striper fishermen continue to score up north in the Liberty or Prospect Island areas. It’s bank fishing from the Benicia and Rio Vista shorelines for the remainder of the Sacramento River system, but optimism reigns supreme for the river salmon opener on July 16th. The river salmon opener used to be a big event around Benicia and Freeport, but the poor returns over the past few years have dampened enthusiasm.
Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors said, “There are still a lot of striped bass in the 5- to 7-pound range in the north Delta, and they are still in the shallow grass loading up on crawdads. They should be leaving soon for the bay, but for now, chatterbaits like Z-Man’s Jackhammer crankbaits in Red Craw are pulling them out of the grass.”
As the water has cleared, trollers are finding downstream lineside from the Rio Vista Bridge to Collinsville along the West Bank with either deep-diving Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows, P-Line’s Predator Minnows or shallow-diving plugs.
The 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.
Sturgeon fishing remains extremely slow due to a lack of interest, but the diamondbacks are still in the Delta. The ancient fish must be enjoying the break after being pounded throughout the winter and spring. The banks around the Dillon Point State Park near Benicia continue to produce the occasional lineside on pile worms or blood worms.
Unseasonably cold summertime weather drastically changed conditions on the San Joaquin-Delta for largemouth bass, but for those fishermen willing to adapt to the conditions, fishing remains outstanding.
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “The temperature changed 2.5 degrees within a day this week, dropping from the 76/78-range to 75/76 degrees, and the bass don’t like this type of swing. After finding great topwater action with the ima Finesse Popper or the Berkley Choppo early in the week, the change in conditions resulted in switching over to plastics on a slow presentation. We scored with the Berkley Bottom Hopper Fatty in crawdad patterns on a Texas-rig on the outside weed line. The bass are choking on crawdads, and red chatterbaits are another option. Most of the bass are coming up with whiskers still out of their craw. The key to the Bottom Hopper Fatty is to hook the flat side as you want the flat side of the plastic dropping to the bottom as it will displace more water, creating a shimmy on its way to the bottom. The more water movement, the better the action, and Max Scent is also a plus. The Delta has been very windy, and once you see the fog line coming over Mt. Diablo, you know the wind is coming. We are hoping the temperatures will stabilize, and it doesn’t matter if they stabilize hotter or colder, but stable will help the bite.”
Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors put his client onto a 27-pound limit despite an overall tough bite. He said, “I was throwing a Strike King Rage Toad, and the fish were swirling on it, but not taking it. I told my client to be ready to follow the swirl up with Reaction Innovation’s Pocket Rocket or a chatterbait. We found a huge stretch of duckweed, but we couldn’t get the fish to commit to a frog so we started punching for bass to 4.5 pounds. However, the best action was on a red chatterbait in the flats with grass and current. Once we found this bite, we consistently loaded up with 4.5-to 6.5-pound bass. Early in the day, our limit was around 17 pounds, but once we found the chatterbait bite, we culled up to 27 pounds. Not bad for my first time on the Delta in three weeks.”
Dave King of NorCal Bass was out with his wife and young son over the weekend, and he said, “We found a good topwater bite with Zara Spook Jrs. in Baby Bass or a shad PopR. There are shad busting everywhere in the sloughs off of the main San Joaquin River toward Stockton, and the bite started happening on the incoming tide, and we caught topwater fish throughout the tide for a 15/16-pound limit. The key was finding grass as the bass are holding in the grass. We have an open tournament out of Ladd’s Marina in Stockton, and we are expected somewhere in the range of 30 to 35 boats.”
Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen Outdoors reported a good frog bite along with chatterbaits, punching the weeds, or crankbaits in the south Delta. He said, “The dams are in in the Old River and Grantline Slough, and you have to portage around the salt-intrusion dams. The big fish that used to be in the south Delta can’t make it around the dams until the fall when they are removed. Italian Slough was a good location before the winds set in this week.” Mathisen’s next tournament is July 23rd out of Holland Riverside Marina.
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “Eight Mile Road east of Stockton is still producing bass and stripers, and I don’t have any idea why the striped bass are still in the warm waters of the Delta. Downtown Stockton has been solid for bass with spinnerbaits, plastics, or small topwater lures, but there is a major algae bloom downtown.”
In the extreme south Delta, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle reported good numbers of anglers were out on Saturday’s Free Fishing Day, but other than catfish, the action out below Mossdale is limited to small undersized striped bass. He said, “I expect to have fresh shad in the shop this coming week as the shad are making their move towards the surface in the San Joaquin River.”
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 0
At Nacimiento, there is a good reaction bite with lipless or squarebilled crankbaits and underspins along with topwater action early with Whopper Ploppers or similar walking-style baits. Spotted bass to 3 pounds have been reported, and numbers are taken on plastics on a drop-shot. The bass are targeting the shad schools, and ice jigs or spoons are also effective within the shad schools near the bottom. White bass are taken on the troll with white Kastmasters or Roostertails, but they have been boiling on the surface more frequently, and small shad-imitation topwater lures are effective. The lake held at 23%. 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, there is a decent bass bite with topwater or subsurface reaction baits early in the mornings before working the bottom with plastics or jigs at depths to 15 feet. Jumbo red worms, meal worms, or wax worms are working for bluegill and red ear perch from the shorelines or from a boat near structure. The launch ramp is closed, but anglers can rent a boat at the marina. The lake is at 26.5% 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 fair with a variety of topwater or subsurface reaction baits in the mornings and evenings before working the bottom with plastics or jigs. The overall bite is slow, but there have been some quality largemouths landed. Bluegill and red ear perch are taken on red worms, mini crawlers, or meal worms in the White Oak area. The trout plants earlier in the summer continue to pay dividends for shore anglers with deep water access with Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Trollers are picking up a few holdovers with spoons or blade/’crawler combinations. Limits of planted rainbows are possible. Catfishing is best with mackerel soaked in garlic as scent is a key to success. The lake is at 57.4% of capacity. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. At San Antonio, with the low and warm water conditions, catfish are the top species with mackerel or similar cut baits coated with garlic. Bass fishing has improved slightly with plastic worms, Senkos, or jigs working best. Bluegill and red ear perch are a possibility with meal worms, wax worms, or red worms. 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 held at 11%.
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) 472-2313In the California Aqueduct, Bill Sterling of the Sportsmen’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “Striper fishing has slowed just a bit. We are still seeing bait and wait with anchovies catch more fish this week than any other method. Fishing off the bridges in the Los Banos area is producing the best, and Hilldale is still the hot spot. Only seeing one fish for every two anglers. Catfishing at night seems to be doing really well. Chicken livers are the go-to bait in the local canals around Los Banos.”
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported catfishing has been best below the Clifton Court Forebay as the majority of the stripers have moved south toward Patterson.
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, striped bass, catfish, or largemouth bass are taken on large minnows along with blood worms while catfish are biting Triple S Dip Bait, nightcrawlers, chicken livers, or cut baits. Largemouth bass are taken with topwater lures, Senkos, or plastics on the drop-shot. The best action occurs where moving water stops to a crawl.
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
None
Upcoming Tournaments (subject to change)
July 9th/10th –
Pine Flat – Bass 101
Isabella – Golden Empire Bass Club
July 9th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
New Melones – Valley Backlashers
New Melones – Kokanee Power Team Tournament
McClure – American Bass Association
Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club
July 13th –
Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
July 16th/17th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kern County Bass Masters
Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club
July 16th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Gold County Bass Tour
Pine Flat – Bakersfield Bass Club
Kaweah – Sierra Bass Club/Kings VIII Bass Club
Santa Margarita – Best Bass Tournaments
July 17th –
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal High School Bass
July 23rd –
Delta/Holland Riverside Marina – Dan Mathisen Outdoors
Delta/Big Break Marina – Bass N’ Tubes
July 24th –
Delta/Big Break – Bass N’ Tubes
July 30th/31st –
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Anglers Press
July 30th –
New Melones – Oro Madre Bass Angler
