Fishing report, March 20-26: Delta sturgeon are biting, Shaver Lake kokanee rebound and the New Melones trout bite is excellent.

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

Delta sturgeon biting, Steve Mitchell said. Shaver Lake Kokanee rebound, Dick Nichols reported. New Melones trout on a excellent bite, Kyle Wise said. Eastman bass drawing anglers, Michael Crayne reported.

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 2

“The aqueduct is heating up for striped bass as one angler landed five linesides within a few hours. Anchovies, blood worms, or jumbo minnows continue to be the best bet in the stained water. Reaction baits must have a combination of noise and vibration to entice strikes, and Rat-L-Traps or jerkbaits with rattles are most effective,” Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild said. “With temperatures in the 70’s expected this week, the striper bite should improve.”

Striperz Gone Wild is holding their Spring Memorial Striped Bass Tournament on April 6 at a location on the aqueduct yet to be determined. The entry fee is 10 cans of unexpired food, and there is a prize for whomever brings the most cans. As Merced County has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the country, this event provides much needed food for the Los Banos and surrounding community. Food, awards, a raffle, and a photo booth will be present at the event.

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, striped bass continues to be fair with dirty water creating tough conditions. Cut baits, fresh shrimp, live worms, or chicken liver on the Carolina and sinker rig are the best option for both striped bass and catfish.

A map of the 16 designated fishing locations on the California Aqueduct can be accessed through this link: https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/What-We-Do/Recreation/Files/230424_SWP-Fishing-Guildines-Locations_Online_FINAL.pdf.

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 3 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

“The fishing pressure has been intense at Eastman after the limits in the 25-pound range were posted on social media, and the parking lot has been full of trailers even in the middle of the week, Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said. “The pressure has clearly affected the action as the bite has slowed considerably. The warm weather has been bringing the big fish closer to the shorelines, and they are moving around in packs of smaller fish as well. You have to find them to be successful. Lipless crankbaits, rainbow trout patterned swimbaits, and finesse presentations have been the best options.” Crappie and bluegill continue to be taken deep in the rockpiles or brush piles with minijigs. Hensley has been decent for bluegill, crappie, and catfish along with small bass in the 1- to 1.5-pound range in the shallows. Eastman rose to 566.44 feet in elevation and 78% of capacity with Hensley also rising almost 2 feet to 497.45 feet in elevation and 39% of capacity. The annual passes for the US Army Corps of Engineers lakes of Eastman, Hensley, New Hogan, Pine Flat, Kaweah, and Success are now available for $40/year. They are available from the park office at the lake, the pay booth, or several gas stations or bait shops near the lake. A double trout plant is scheduled at Eastman next week along with a single plant at Hensley.

Call: Eastman Lake (559) 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 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 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing will be searching for king salmon, kokanee, and rainbow trout this week.

“I will be running a variety of offerings including side planers, lead core, and rolling shad, and I am mixing up corn for kokanee’” he said. “There are kokanee in there, and it’s just a matter of finding them.” Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service found abundant king salmon to 12 inches this week at depths from 35 to 50 feet along with a few kokanee in the 10- to 12-inch range.”

He said, “The kokanee and kings were holding at the same depths while the rainbows were from the surface to 30 feet. We just went over there to scout, and I will be back since I see the potential.” For bass, Dylan Vos Kinser of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto said, “With these warm temperatures, the topwater bite in the evenings should be picking up as the largemouths are moving in the shallows, but the spotted bass remain deep.” The Silveria/Cree Mother Lode Division held a 26-boat tournament on Saturday with an impressive 20-pound plus winning limit.”

There is daily vehicle fee of $20 and with an additional $15 for boat launch. The lake rose a foot to 801.57 feet in elevation and 83% of capacity. Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/. 11 bass tournaments are scheduled at the lake through April 30.

All the temporary mooring lines have been removed from the west bay and the 5 MPH buoy lines have been placed back in their original locations.

Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3

The lake rose less than a foot to 2,572.18 feet in elevation and 44% of capacity of capacity with water releases from the dam at 451 cfs at First Point. A trout plant is scheduled this week, and this should help the action for planted rainbows for both bank anglers and boaters. The shorelines around Red’s Marina remain best with garlic scented Power Bait, spinners, or nightcrawlers while trollers are picking up a handful of holdovers in the North Fork near the inlets with shad-patterned spoons or small crankbaits. The 33rd Annual Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce Isabella Lake will be held from March 23rd through March 25.

Adult entry is $40 with youth entry at $15. Information and registration is available at https://www.kernrivervalley.com/isabellalakefishingderby. Crappie continue to hold in deep water within structure, and small to medium minnows or a variety of minijigs are picking up a few slabs. The best action for bass remains off primary lake points and offshore structure in 15 to 35 feet of water with deep-diving crankbaits along with jigs. Catfishing has improved with Triple S Dip Bait or cut mackerel.

A trout plant is scheduled this week at Brite Valley Reservoir in the Tehachapi Mountains. In the upper Kern, the 20-Mile stretch remains best with live crickets, salmon eggs, or minijigs. Fly anglers continue to do better later in the day with either nymphs or streamers. In the lower Kern, salmon eggs, pinched crawlers, Power Bait with garlic, or minijigs are picking up the occasional trout while bass fishing remains best with crankbaits, jigs, or spinners. Catfish can be found on Triple S Dip Bait, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The flows on upper Kern at Kernville dropped from 957 to 878 cfs.

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 2 Catfish 2

The lake rose one foot to 623.78 feet in elevation and 21% of capacity due to water releases despite heavy inflow from the Kaweah River. Bass continue to move into the shallows in preparation for the spawn, and plastics on the drop-shot or Ned-rig along with other finesse techniques are most effective. The crappie bite continues to be fair as the slabs are holding in deep water with small live minnows, or minijigs.

Catfish anglers are taken on Triple S Dip Bait or cut baits. Trout fishing has slowed, but a few holdovers are taken with Power Bait, minijigs, spoons, or spinners. The Kaweah River at Three Rivers held steady at 456 cfs. There are two tournaments scheduled on the lake through April 30. A trout plant is scheduled at Kaweah next week along with Del Lago Park Lake in Tulare.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake held at 628.64 feet in elevation and 47% of capacity. The Kern County Bass Masters held at 21-boat tournament on Saturday, and 12 boats weighed in limits to nearly 19 pounds. Similar to Kaweah, finesse techniques remain best with plastics in earth tones on the drop-shot or Ned-rig in the shallows. Catfishing and crappie action has been slow. Two bass tournaments are scheduled on the lake through April 30.

Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.

McClure Reservoir

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

King salmon from 12 to 16 inches are the story at McClure, and these are the first reports of kings in years. Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service went searching for kings and kokanee during the middle of the week, and he said, “We found a good king bite as the lake is loaded for kings. We had heard rumors of kokanee, but we weren’t able to land any. I thought we might have hooked some, and it was enough to make us come back.”

For bass, Dylan Vos Kinser of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported the largemouth bass are moving into the shallows while the spots are holding into deeper water. Small Keitech swimbaits on an underspin, jigs, tubes, or plastics on the drop-shot are working for numbers as the spotted bass are moving into the shallows. Crappie are found in deep water inside submerged trees in coves with live minnows or minijigs, but the action has slowed.

The lake rose just over a foot to 808.00 feet in elevation and 65% of capacity. Barrett’s Cove will be closed for NICA bike races April 5-7. The Barrett Cove South Marina and Café will open under new ownership weekends-only through Memorial Day starting March 30. Only two bass tournaments are scheduled on the lake through April 30.

Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

Lake McSwain

Trout 2

The trout action slowed down this week, but more fish will be dumped in prior to the annual Merced Irrigation Spring Trout Derby April 6-7. Berkley Mice Tails, rainbow garlic Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters in gold or blue/chrome continue to be effective.

Entry to the tournament is $35 in addition to a $10 vehicle and a $9 launch fee. The derby begins at 6 a.m. on Saturday and ends at noon on Sunday with $2,000 for the heaviest stringer, $2,000 for the longest trout, and $500 for the Wild Card. There is also a wild card and a custom prize in the Kid’s Division with a free raffle at noon on Sunday. Derby entrants must download the Fish Donkey app to participate.

The McSwain Marina is closed through March 30 before opening for weekends only from April 1 through May 31. It will be open for the tournament weekend, and the Real Deal Market and Café is open for breakfast and lunch for sale during the derby. The lake is at 91% 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 3 Crappie 2

No bass tournaments are scheduled at the lake through April 30, and bass fishing interest is focused upon Eastman or Pine Flat. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun said, “The finesse bite remains the best bet for spotted bass around 20 feet in depth. The reaction bite is starting to pick up, but most anglers are heading to other reservoirs. Crappie remain in deep water structure, and electronics are a must.” The lake rose 1.5 feet to 541.45 feet in elevation and 69% of capacity.

Sycamore Island is open once daily from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are steady at 550 cfs. Trout plants at Woodward Park the next two weeks.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2

Trollers congregated on Melones after the news of the 18-inch kokanee landed by Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service last week. Wise said, “I will be on the lake all week long in search of another big kokanee, but we have only found them to 16 inches this week. There are plenty of guys trying right now, but you have to know where the fish are holding right now. Trout fishing remains excellent with Rapalas on a side planer along with Wiggle Hoochies on the downrigger. The trout are still in the top 30 feet.”

For largemouth and spotted bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was the tournament director for the 83-boat Best Bass Tournaments Mother Lode Division event on Saturday.

He said, “most of our teams worked ½-ounce jigs in brown/purple or green pumpkin along with worms like Morning Dawn on a drop-shot rig at depths from 20 to 30 feet. It was very windy on Friday, and the big fish pushed back out into deeper water, but with the past few days of warm weather, the lake is ready to rock and roll. There were some big fish landed on a spinnerbait or a Senko.”

Nearby Lake Tulloch has also been hot for bass as the winning weight in Saturday’s Valley Backlashers event was just shy of 25 pounds. New Melones has a daily use fee of $8 with a boat launch of $10 (day use included). The lake held at 1052.73 feet in elevation and 84% of capacity.

Seven bass tournaments are scheduled through April 30. Several club bass tournaments are scheduled at afterbay Lake Tulloch in March/April including this Saturday’s Nor Cal Bass event.

Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Alex Niapas, Catching California Guide Service (209) 728-4225; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

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

“Bass fishing is picking up here as the fish are staging in the mouths and the backs of coves along with the secondary points as the fish are moving into pre-spawn mode,” Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said.

“The largemouth bass are transitioning into the shallows while the spots are holding deeper. Jerkbaits are working in the morning along with plastics on a Texas-rig. drop-shot, or shakey head. Jigs are another option. Crappie fishing remains fair as the slabs remain in deep structure. We haven’t heard many trout reports lately,” he said.

A trout plant is scheduled in the lake the week of March 24, and this should create some excitement from the banks. In the lower Kings, both the river and Avocado Lake were planted during last week. It’s been the same story with the majority of anglers on the banks below the dam near the bridge while others have been heading to Avocado Lake. Atomic Tubes, spinners, nightcrawlers, or Power Bait remain the best options. The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have risen from 1100 to 1296 cfs while the lake rose 2.5 feet to 908.33 and 76%. The Kings River from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bridge on Pine Flat Road downstream to Cobbles (Alta) Weir is open to fishing all year. The Kings River, from Cobbles (Alta) Weir downstream to the Highway 180 crossing is open to fishing all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Pine Flat is hosting two remaining bass tournaments through April 30. Trout plants are scheduled on the lower Kings the next two weeks with a plant at Avocado Lake the week of March 24.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273. Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Trolling has been doing the best bet with Duo Realis 120’s or 130’s or Lucky Craft Pointer 128’s in chartreuse/white or hologram shad along with umbrella rigs in deep water. The stripers have dropped in the water column around 40 feet. Drifting jumbo minnows or vertically jigging 1.75-ounce. Spoons. sardines are working best in the dirty water as blood worms and pile worms are scarce. In the O’Neill Forebay, the action has been best on the 33 side and near the Old Medeiros boat launch with pile worms and anchovies.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the males are already milting and that the warm 58-60 degree water temps are pushing the fish towards the spawn mode earlier than usual.

“I scouted twice this week with friends for some upcoming guest trips and I found that the bite is either on and off some days with the fish moving around a lot,” he said. “We worked quite a few different areas looking for active fish - but once we found them we did well. There are a lot of groups of fish that are at 40-50 feet and moving . We’ve had the most luck trolling flats areas at 50 plus feet in the bright calm warmer days we are having now. Shad silver and white minnow lures like Lucky Crafts have continued to work for us. We released over 30 fish to 25 inches on each trip . There are a lot more school fish in the 16-18 inches showing up this year . The overall bite is just above decent right now for most anglers. ... The algae is growing very quickly now - clouding the water,” George said.

The main lake rose to 73% of capacity with the forebay dropping to 84% of capacity.

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

Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Guide Service said, “Bass Lake experienced a fishing slow down this past week. Several experienced trollers found the trout bite off, and scores were from 0 to 4 trout to 2 pounds per boat. The high winds were most likely the cause for the slow down. Prior to the past week, rainbow trout were active in front of Miller’s Landing to The Forks.” The annual Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Bass Derby is the first weekend in May. Beighey is accepting reservations now for the upcoming season. Bass fishing remains slow in the cold water. The public boat ramp is back in the water. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/. A trout plant is scheduled for this week.

Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing (559) 676-8133.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The gate to Kaiser Pass Road remains closed through most likely Memorial Day Weekend. The Kaiser Pass lakes are starting to release water with fewer anglers heading over the pass to fish the small impoundments. Edison receded slightly to 30% of capacity with Florence also dropping to 7% of capacity while Mammoth Pool rose to 60% of capacity.

Road conditions (559) 297-0706.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake (559) 259-4000.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Trout 2 Kokanee 3

Shaver guide Emeritus, Dick Nichols of Mountain Tackle said, “Shaver Lake recovered from recent inclement weather to provide sunny days and limits of fish. There was a good turnout for both trollers and bank fishermen over the weekend. The negative is that it’s difficult to traverse through the shallow water and the Sierra Marina which is close to the ramp. Lucas Padrnos of Visalia fished with his wife Stephanie and son Easton over the weekend, landing a total of 19 kokanee, 3 rainbows, and a brown trout, keeping three limits of kokanee. On Sunday, I joined Dave McGlothlin of Clovis for a morning of fishing, and we jumped on the kokanee fairly fast near the Point and island at depths between 20 and 30 feet down with Dick’s Koke Busters in purple. The bite then switched to orange Dick’s Mountain Tubes and pink Mountain Candy tipped with scented corn behind Dick’s Mountain Dodgers in Doc Barb, Popsicle, Captain J, or Doom. The last of our 20 kokanee was a triple at the island that were released as were 10 others during the morning. Earl Taniguchi, Darrell Hanson, and Mark Saito also limited out on kokanee ranging from 13 to 16 inches with a combination of Rocky Mountain Tackle’s Radical Glow Tubes, hoochies, or spinners.” The Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project will be planting approximately 7000 pounds of trophy sized rainbows from an Oregon hatchery before summer. The Sierra ramp is a little congested near the Sierra Marina, and the Gills reported that launching was difficult. They would not recommend boats 24 feet or larger to attempt a launch. The water continues to be low, and there are huge rocks just under the surface while passing from the ramp into open water. The auxiliary ramp is best. 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. Shaver dropped to 43 with Huntington rising to 41% of capacity.

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 2024.Call: Wishon RV Park (559) 865-5361.

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Party boats are taking reservations for the rockfish opener deeper than 50 fathoms starting April 1, but with the long ride of over 20 miles to deep water, most operators will be waiting until the season opens from May through September in less than 20 fathoms. The coastline both north and south of Half Moon Bay has plenty for rock structure in shallow water. There are six-packs and large party boats still opting for crab-only trips for the remainder of the month, and 10-crab limits remain a possibility. The City of Pacifica has reopened the pier, a popular location for crabbing with snares.

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 3

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Perch fishing continues to be very good with motor oil/red flake grubs from a variety of tackle manufacturers including Mekeni Baits, Lucky 13’s, or Honey Badger. Striped bass action has been slow, but we are starting to sell more of the Lucky Craft Flash Minnows for the linesides along with perch.” Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching Trips in Monterey will start rockfish trips in water deeper than 50 fathoms on April 1, and this harbor is close to deep water without a long ride. Monterey will benefit from the new rockfish regulations as there is an abundance of structure both deeper than 50 fathoms and less than 20 fathoms close to the harbor. For the remainder of the month, they are still running the occasional sand dab/Petrale sole/Dungeness crab combination trip depending upon weather conditions and interest.

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

The south bay remains the location for halibut along with a handful of striped bass. Trolling frozen herring, anchovies, or hoochies behind an 8-inch dodger have been effective for a few resident fish per boat. The action isn’t hot and heavy as the influx of fresh water has pushed most of the bait outside the Golden Gate. It remains to be seen if this will be another banner year on halibut similar to the past two years, but one thing will be certain, with the salmon season either closed or severely limited, the pressure will be intense. Party boats from Half Moon and Bodega Bay have already moved into the bay’s harbors, and the migration of sturgeon captains from the Delta will start in earnest at the end of the month. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing will start halibut trips on April 1st, and he is bringing the six-pack Top Gun down from the Delta to join his 15-passenger Malia Kai to provide trips for a small group of six or up to 15 passengers. The California Dawn I and II and the Happy Hooker out of Berkeley will start their bay operations this coming Friday, March 22nd. The daily bag limit for California halibut is two-fish a minimum of 22 inches in length. Striped bass in San Pablo Bay has been solid with ghost shrimp, mud shrimp, or grass shrimp on the anchor. This part of the bay remains muddy from the inflow and drifting and trolling have been much slower for the linesides. An occasional sturgeon has been landed in San Pablo and in the south bay, but it is nothing like the ‘good old days’ when most of the sturgeon action was in the bay instead of the Delta. The annual central bay sturgeon restriction for the herring spawn was lifted on March 15.

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

Until rockfishing opens on April 1, boats from Morro Bay and Port San Luis will run whale watching and nature trips. Party boats out of both harbors are taking reservations for the April 1 opener in waters at any depth in April and May before being limited to less than 50 fathoms for the remainder of the season. 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 2 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

The San Joaquin side of California Delta is clearing up while the Sacramento side remains dingy, and up until Sunday, striped bass fishing was taking off from the Antioch Bridge toward the mouth of the Mokelumne River. Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Oakley said, “I was out on Sunday to check things out, and the schools of stripers that were here disappeared. The scores during the week were up to 30 legal linesides along with a number of shakers, but the fish were absent on Sunday. Trolling or casting has been the best bet, but the fish are deep from 20 to 30 feet in small groups. It’s only a matter of time before the bite breaks out again with the stretch of good weather allowing the rivers to clear.” Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, said, “I’ve heard good reports of anglers casting umbrella on the flats near Pirate’s Lair at the mouth of the Mokelumne River, and we will be launching out of Brannan Island on Tuesday to troll Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows along with umbrella rigs on the San Joaquin. There were reported of green water on Monday on the Sacramento side along the West Bank.” Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors said, “The water is still too dirty up at Liberty Island but watch out because the bite will bust open in another two weeks with this weather. Right now, I would be heading to the central Delta near Mildred Island or Frank’s Tract for stripers along with in the Mokelumne River around Hog, Beaver, or Sycamore Sloughs.” Dave King of Nor Cal Bass was in the east Delta sloughs north of Stockton on Thursday, and he was able to stick a 6-pound largemouth on a black spinnerbait. He said, “I have never caught anything on this lure before, but the water was kind of dirty, and the lure had big gold thumping blades. However, the bite shut down with only a few other bass in the 3-pound range.” In the south Delta, largemouth bass dominate striped bass, and the fish are starting to stage in the flats. Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported the waters of the south Delta are clearing up, saying, “My brother launched at Mossdale with 2.5 dozen minnows, and he used every single one to put together a limit of stripers in the Old River. The striped bass are coming in.”

Sturgeon fishing in Suisun Bay remains outstanding, and even Friday’s high winds couldn’t keep Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing down. Hiding in the sloughs, they were able to hook a pair of sturgeon. In much better weather conditions on Saturday and Sunday, the action was strong as Mitchell said, “All six passengers were able to fight a fish, and some were able to bring two to the boat.” The other six-pack operators have reported as many as 12 sturgeon to the boat over the weekend as the spring bite is some of the best of the year. However, most of the six-pack sturgeon boats will be transitioning to bay halibut and striped bass by April 1. The 3rd Annual California Striped Bass Association- Isleton Chapter Barry Canevaro Memorial Striper Derby will be April 6 at the Rio Vista Boat Ramp. This event is a fundraiser for Rec4Vets, a veteran’s fishing organization. Rec4Vets will hold their own event specifically for veterans on May 4 out of Brannan Island State Park.

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. Soo Hoo Sport Fishing (925) 899-4045.

Tournament results

March 9

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

1st: Obedie Williams/Clint Eastwood – 22.90 pounds; 2nd – Lloyd Dassonville/J.P. Lindbo – 17.77 (Big Fish – 7.20); 3rd – Jamond Andrews/Harvey Pulliam – 16.97.

Tulloch – Sonora Bass Anglers

1st – M. Bye/J. Fernandes – 14.89 pounds; 2nd – R. Morris/T. Molzen – 14.58; 3rd – K. Stewart/D. Lawson – 14.09.

March 16

New Melones – Best Bass Tournaments Mother Lode Division

1st – Robert Sandoval/Nick Williamson – 17.08 pounds (Big Fish - 8.61); 2nd – Lonnie Woodlief/Ron Smith – 16.66; 3rd – Brian and Jeremiah Payne – 15.18.

Don Pedro – Silveira-Cree Mother Lode Division

1st – Randy and Glenn Pierson– 20.26 pounds; 2nd – George Rosales/Ray Grammer – 17.69 (Big Fish – 5.44); 3rd – Kohlman Goff/Dillon Garcia – 15.79.

Santa Margarita – Best Bass Tournaments Coastal Division

1st – Justin Goodman/Brianna Gesler – 21.74 (Big Fish – 6.92); 2nd – Tray and Jerry Williams – 20.49; 3rd – Damon Meeks/Jay Short – 19.88.

Success – Kern County Bass Masters

1st – Beau and Drew Dyson – 18.97 (Big Fish – 6.83); 2nd – Dave Coy/Dave Simpson – 15.30; 3rd – Brian and Ray Kennemer – 14.13.

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)

March 23-24

Don Pedro – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

March 23

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Christian Bass League

Pardee – Bass Anglers of Northern California

Tulloch – Nor Cal Bass

San Antonio – Golden Empire Bass Club

March 24

Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto Ambassadors

Salt Springs – Bass ‘N Tubes

March 29

Don Pedro – E and J Gallo Winery

March 30

Bass Lake – California Bass Federation

Santa Margarita – 805 Bass Addicts

April 6

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass/Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Delta/Rio Vista - 3rd Annual California Striped Bass Association- Isleton Chapter Barry Canevaro Memorial Striper Derby

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

California Aqueduct - Striperz Gone Wild Spring Memorial Striped Bass Tournament Pardee – Sonora Bass Anglers/17-90 Bass Club

Tulloch – Kerman Bass Club

Santa Margarita- San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

April 7

Pardee – California Bass Federation

April 12, 19, 26

Tulloch – Friday Night Tournament

April 13-14

Tulloch – Yak A’ Bass

April 13

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments

McClure – California Bass Federation

Eastman – Central Valley Kayak Fishing/Bass 559 Kayak

Lopez – American Bass Association

April 14

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – California Bass Federation

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments

McClure – Stanislaus County Employees

Bass Lake – Kings VIII Bass Club

Kaweah – Bass 101

April 16

Don Pedro – Mid Valley Agriculture

April 20-21

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kern County Bass Masters/Riverbank Bass Anglers Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Santa Margarita – Golden Empire Bass Club

April 20

Tulloch – Sierra Bass Club

Don Pedro – Angler’s Press

Eastman – Sheet Metal Worker’s Local 104

Lopez – Best Bass Tournaments

April 21

Delta/B and W Resort – Best Bass Tournaments

Tulloch – Fresno Bass Club

April 27

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Valley Backlashers

Delta/Wimpy’s Marina – Central Valley Anglers Spring Striper Derby Don Pedro – Yak A’ Bass/Bakersfield Bass Club

Bass Lake – Kerman Bass Club

Success – United States Army Corps of Engineers Isabella – American Bass Association

April 28

Bass Lake – Kings River Bass Club

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.