Fishing report, May 8-14: Shaver kokanee bite has rebounded, Isabella crappie bite wide open, Wishon opening trout action is hot.
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 striper and sturgeon bites going, Allen Fong reported. Eastman bass still active, Michael Crayne said. Don Pedro bass and trout hitting, Rob Denner reported. New Melones trout action solid, Monte Smith said. Isabella crappie bite wide open, Copes Tackle reported. Wishon opening, trout action hot, David Geil said. Shaver kokanee bite rebounded this week, Dick Nichols reported.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
In the northern section of the California Aqueduct, the water flows have slowed down considerably, and with high lake conditions along the State Water Project systems, the flows will remain slow for the next several months. Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild reported continued slow action in the Westly, Patterson, and Los Banos sections of the aqueduct. Striperz Gone Wild is holding a Clean Up Day on the aqueduct on Saturday, May 18 starting at Volta Road beginning at 8 a.m.
They are renting a U-Haul and planning on cleaning the sections of the aqueduct along the bridges from Highway 33 and 152 to South Creek Road.
“We are trying to avoid having additional areas of the aqueduct closed to fishing since there was an easily accessed area at Sullivan Road that was trashed, and access is now closed. Volunteers are encouraged, and we will have a free BBQ afterwards,” Sterling said.
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported bite has arrived with anglers reported catching good numbers of smaller line-sides with cut baits or live worms after the check gates. Adjusting your weight to match the flow is important as during low flow conditions. anglers have been doing well flylining. Flukes on a jig head, paddletailed swimbaits, or jerkbaits are effective at first light. Catfish anglers took advantage of lower flows with cut anchovies, dip bait, or fresh shrimp. The lower flows have also helped the largemouth bass bite with Roboworms on a Texas-rig, Carolina-rig, drop-shot, or weightless Senkos.
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 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
“Eastman continues to kick out quality largemouth bass, but there are several small fish in the 1- to 11/2-pound range,” Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said. “You must wade through a number of smaller fish to find fish to 5 pounds. Finesse presentations of plastics on the drop-shot or shakey head, jerkbaits, or squarebilled crankbaits are working as the bass are holding in the shallows.”
There is a small window for swimbaits for the larger fish. Trout fishing remains limited despite a heavy plant a few weeks ago. Hensley remains loaded with carp in the shallows, and anglers are enjoying removing the carp from the lake with various doughbait concoctions. Eastman is at 88 with Hensley at 60% of capacity. There are two bass tournaments on Eastman and one on Hensley scheduled through the end of May.
Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Ryan Denner of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto said, “bass fishing has improved considerably with numbers of 3-pound spotted and largemouth bass at depths from 5 to 15 feet with plastics on a Neko-rig or shakey head along with Senkos on a wacky-rig or 2.8 Keitech swimbaits on an underspin. Glide baits or big soft plastics swimbaits are picking up the larger fish for those willing to throw the big baits for hours. “Quality rainbow trout are there for the taking for trollers working depths from 25 to 55 feet with shad-patterned spoons or kokanee gear, but the kokanee have been few and far between. There is daily vehicle fee of $20 and with an additional $15 for boat launch. The lake rose to 808.82 feet in elevation and 87% of capacity.
Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/. 6 bass tournaments are scheduled at the lake through the end of May.
Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The lake rose 2 feet to 2582.37 feet in elevation and 59% of capacity despite water releases rising to 1109 cfs at First Point. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported the wind has been the biggest challenge, but during periods of calm, the crappie action has been wide open for up to limits of slabs from kayaks, boats, or from shore. Submerged structure in the South Fork near cages or trees at depths from 5 to 15 feet, and 2-inch Keitech swimbaits in chartreuse, white, Electric Shad, or purple on a 1/16 ounce jig head.
White minijigs or small or medium live shiners are also effective. The bass bite has been mediocre at best evidenced by the winning limit at 12.66 pounds during the previous weekend’s American Bass Association tournament. Mid-diving jerkbaits, crankbaits, Zoom Trick worms on a shakey heads or Senkos in Natural Shad are fooling bass. Trout fishing has been steady the last few weeks with minijigs, garlic-scented Power Bait, or spinners. Trollers have done well with Flicker Shad, Tasmanian Devils, or Needlefish on leadcore with the best scores when the wind is down. Catfish are becoming more active with Triple S Dip Bait, cut mackerel, or frozen shad with good reports from Camp 9.
In the upper Kern River, it has been since April 14 without a plant, and high flows are creating challenging conditions in some areas along the 20-Mile Stretch. Stockers and natives have been found from Riverside Park in Kernville to Johnsondale Bridge by split-shotting salmon eggs, minijigs, or spinners while fly fishermen are scoring in the afternoons with nymphs, stripping streamers, or dry flies. In the lower Kern River, salmon eggs, minijigs, or Panther Martin spinners. largemouth and smallmouth bass action has been very good in the canyon and along the stretch leading into Bakersfield with jigs, worms, or small crankbaits. Catfish is best with cut sardines or Triple S Dip Bait. The flows on upper Kern at Kernville dropped from 2536 to 2195 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 11 feet to 695.97 feet in elevation and 79% of capacity with heavy inflow from the Kaweah River. Cope’s reported the rapid rise of the reservoir has created challenging conditions for bass anglers. Weightless Senkos, spider jigs, or finesse baits are working for spotted bass in 5 to 30 feet of water with larger bass found deeper. Catfishing continues to be best with Triple S Dip Bait, cut anchovies, or chicken liver while crappie are found at depths from 10 to 15 feet with small live shiners, small swimbaits, or minijigs in the coves. The Kaweah River at Three Rivers is high at 2195 cfs. There are no bass tournaments scheduled on the lake through May 31.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake rose just over a foot to 642.75 feet in elevation and 75% of capacity Cope’s reported a steady bass bite with larger females taken on small swimbaits or jigs while smaller bass are hitting Senkos or plastics such as Aaron’s Magic, Oxblood, or Salt N’ Pepper at depths from 5 to 15 feet. Crappie anglers are finding the schools with electronics to find biting fish holding over submerged brush or rocks at depths from 5 to 20 feet. Small live minnows are working best. Catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait or cut bait. There is one bass tournament scheduled on the lake through May.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
The lake will host two days of tournament action from the Best Bass Tournament circuits this coming weekend, and it has been several weeks since a tournament has been held on the lake. Ryan Denner of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto said, “The bass bite has been ‘hit or miss’ with smaller spotted bass being the most consistent with plastics on a Neko-rig, Senkos or 2.8-inch Keitech swimbaits on an underspin.” The lake rose 17 feet within two weeks to 848.78 feet in elevation and 88% of capacity. Several bass tournaments are scheduled in May.
Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake McSwain
Trout 2
Limits of rainbow trout remain possible from the shorelines at tehe locations of the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula in front of the marina with nightcrawlers, Power Bait, spinners, or Kastmasters. Most bank anglers are picking up a few fish per rod, but there are those limiting out with catchables from the recent plants. The McSwain Marina is now open weekends through May 31.
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
Mike Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The lake is completely full, and the bass are holding in shallows less than 20 feet in all stages of the spawn. Finesse techniques with plastics on a Neko-rig or shakey head, Senkos on a wacky-rig, or small jerkbaits are working.” There are no tournaments on the lake through the end of May, and most bass anglers continue to head to Eastman or Pine Flat. The lake rose 13 feet in the past two weeks to 578.00 feet in elevation and 100% 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 have risen from 540 to 875 cfs. Sycamore Island is open once daily from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sycamore Island received a trout plant last week.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2
The kokanee are scattered with the greatest concentration from the spillway north to Angels Creek, and heavy boat pressure has limited action as the fish are still high in the water column with the 62-degree water. The good news is that it is quality over quantity with the larger fish consistently in the 16- to 18-inch range. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing put in kokanee to 2 pounds this past week.
“There are three separate groupings of kokanee: 7 to 9 inches, 12 to 14 inches, and 16 inches and above, and the smaller fish are becoming far more active,” Smith said. Rainbow trout remain a sure thing at depths to 30 feet, but most trollers are in search of a huge kokanee.
Alex Niapas of Catching California Guide Service said, “shad are spawning in the backs of coves, and Keitech swimbaits are working for numbers while there is a window for topwater with Spooks or Pop-R’s in the early mornings.” There is a daily use fee of $8 with a boat launch of $10 (day use included). The lake rose just over a foot to 1057.37 feet in elevation and 87% of capacity. There are six bass tournaments scheduled at Melones and 9 at Lake Tulloch through the end of May.
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 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
“Trout trolling has improved as the fish are stabilizing around the shad schools from 20 to 40 feet. King salmon have dropped as deep as 100 feet, and the key is to find the shad schools,” Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said. “Bass fishing has been quiet as the inclement weather conditions keep them on the move. Crappie are starting to school up around submerged structure. Plastics on a Texas-rig or drop-shot along remain the top techniques for bass.” The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have risen to the dangerous level of 4568 cfs, and the lack of trout plants over the past several weeks has slowed trout action.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273. Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported high winds have limited boaters in both the main lake and the O’Neill Forebay during the past week, but bank anglers are scoring school-sized stripers with G-Ratt’s Sneaky Pete’s or soft plastic swimbaits in white or bone near Dinosaur Point. Bank anglers are soaking pile worms or anchovies, but there has been a shortage of bag anchovies in local shops. Information on the wind stations - https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30713.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the high winds, the recent storm, falling water and increased milting slowed the bite last week.
“I fished with two guests and we put in a long day trying to find active fish. We ended up with over 20 nice fish to 24 inches but it was one fish here and another there all day. The fish were definitely affected by the storm front in the afternoon Friday as the bite died. A tough long day of scratching out fish that were mainly over structure in 50-foot plus depths. Covering ground to find the moving fish remains the biggest thing for now,“ George said
The aqueduct is starting to show signs of life, but anglers are driving along the levees in search of active stripers. The main lake and forebay both dropped to 69 while the forebay rose to 87% 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
Despite Saturday’s rainstorm, 1,335 registered participants entered the annual Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby. A total of 323 tagged fish were landed including a $5,000 fish on Saturday morning by Marcus Brown of Oakhurst with one of the $10,000 trout was landed on Sunday by Morgan Masuen from Prunedale. Out of the $55,000 available, a total of $24,700 worth of tagged trout were landed. Miller’s Landing Bass Lake, The Forks Resort, The Pines Market at the The Pines Resort, Bass Lake all were major sponsors of the event.
Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Guide Service said, “This week’s warm front will spur back on the trout trolling bite from the Sheriff’s Tower and in front of the Forks while bank anglers should have a week or so of action due to the pre-derby plants.” The bass are also pushing into the shallows, and as the water’s warm, the spawn should start. The lake is rising. There are 4 bass tournaments scheduled on the lake through the end of May. A live webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1.
Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
The gate to Kaiser Pass Road remains closed, and is not expected to reopen until after Memorial Day weekend.
Road conditions 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Shaver Lake Shaver Lake Guide Emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters and Mountain Tackle said, “The kokanee bite picked up this week at Shaver despite the water column coming up. Lucas Padmos and his dad, Steve of Visalia fished Wednesday and picked up two limits of kokanee and threw back smaller kokanee and trout using an orange spinner tipped with corn behind a dodger at 25 to 30 feet running back and forth from the dam to Edison Camp. They reported the strikes were short therefore missing several fish. Brian Barron of Marshall Station and his friend, Mark Kaufmann of Fresno hit the lake before Saturday’s storm and found good success near the Point with chartreuse Needlefish spoons on leaded line at 3 colors out for 7 kokanee, 2 browns, and a nice rainbow. The next day, Shaver regulars Jay Irvine and Jody Allen of Visalia found a slower bite, picking up a mixed limit of kokanee and brown trout between their four rods They were using orange and green spinners behind a Paulina Peak Dodger for the browns and Dick’s Mountain Tubes behind a dodger for kokanee. A storm moved into the region mid-day Saturday, but it was clear by Sunday. Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service put his clients onto two limits within a few hours trolling Orange Radical Glow Tubes behind Rocky Mountain Tackle’s Sunburst Moonshine dodgers at 18 to 28 feet. The marinas are in place.
The Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project will be planting it’s 2024 allotment of 7,000 pounds of trophy-sized rainbows within the next few months. Shaver is at 54 with Huntington at 69% of capacity.
Call: 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 3
The gate to McKinley Grove Road remains closed, limiting access to the high elevation lakes. The road is expected to reopen soon as the snow melt has accelerated in the past week. Road information: Sierra National Forest, 297-0706.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361.
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 crab 3
The May 1 opening of shallow water rockfishing brought out the kayakers, small private boats, and the charter boats back outside the harbor to work the coastal reefs north and south.
With April limited to deeper than 50 fathoms, few, if any, boats were willing to make the 25-mile plus run to deep water. The next five months will be shallow water only, and this will breathe some life back into the harbor’s fleet. The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing was out on Sunday with 10 passengers for near limits of rockfish consisting of 90 assorted rockfish, 10 ling cod to 9 pounds, and a bonus 17-pound halibut. Captain Melynda Dodds of the New Captain Pete will return from San Francisco Bay to run coastal rockfish trips. Bluefin tuna have been on hold due to high offshore winds, but boats are ready to launch when a weather window arrives. 10-crab limits remain a possibility, but the crab are turning soft. Only hoops or snares are allowed until the Dungeness season ends on June 30. The City of Pacifica Pier is open, and snares are the best option for crab.
Call: Captain Melynda Dodds, New Captain Pete (512) 825- 8225; 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
Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
“Every year, as anglers, we travel through the seasons enjoying what this month might have to offer in terms of species and prey and with a pretty good idea of what the next month or two is going to bring. There are always some surprises and anomalies in the mix,” Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said. “That’s part of fishing fun, dealing with the unexpected. This year is shaping up differently.
“This year’s transition from winter through spring and heading towards summer has been just a little bit weird. Instead of steady northwest winds coming up in the afternoons and dying out in the evenings, we’ve seen a series of mixed wind events over the past two months with strong gusty events switching back and forth from north to west to south. Likewise, the ocean swells have been less predictable. Typically in spring, the wintertime northwest swells give way to west before settling into the usual south swells of summer. Again, what we’ve observed has been an odd mix of swell directions ping-ponging as if the ocean cannot make up its mind.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency information, strong El Nino conditions are dissipating right now, with a 65% prediction of a La Nina developing soon, and a 35% of capacity chance of that La Nina being a significantly strong event.
“Starting with bait in the bay, we’re seeing big early blooms of squid spawning near Monterey and Pacific Grove, as well as near Capitola and Pleasure Point on the northern end of the bay. The terns and pelicans are getting busy diving for bait along the inshore areas. We might be seeing the start of a sardine year, as opposed to an anchovy year, Bushnell said.
Local anglers in Santa Cruz have reported catching a mix of sardines, market squid and mackerel while using the Sabiki in 60-80 feet of water locally.
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported an excellent striped bass bite with Duo Realis jerkbaits along with Lucky Craft Flash Minnows near the mouths of the Salinas or Pajaro Rivers. He said, “Perch fishing is also going off for both quantity and quality near Manresa Beach with Honey Badger, Lucky 13’s, or Mekini BaitZ plastics in motor oil/red flake.
Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732.
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Halibut 3 Striper 3 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2
Continued delays with the skiff supporting the bay’s only live bait operation have led to a delay in the availability of live bait out of the San Francisco receiver, but fortunately, the California halibut and striped bass don’t seem to mind. While most anglers prefer to drift live bait, trolling has been extremely effective with two-fish limits of halibut routinely returning to the marinas. The delay is related to the anticipated arrival of a new transmission. Captain James Smith of the California Dawn II out of Berkeley Marina has been taking advantage of the good tides, and both the California Dawn I and II combined for 39 limits of halibut to 26 pounds and 18 striped bass to 12 pounds on Friday trolling in San Pablo Bay. Heavy wind and rain arrived on Saturday, leaving only the largest boats to be able to deal with the conditions. Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco loaded up with halibut and striped bass with limits of halibut for passengers and crew by 7:40 a.m. Friday before searching around for white sea bass.
Koyasako specializes in white sea bass in the bay as he is referred to as ‘The Ghost Whisperer.” He said, “There have been several white sea bass landed around the Berkeley Flats with 4 on Friday and 7 more on Thursday that I know about. I am very encouraged about the showing of sea bass, and with the appearance of 6- to 8-inch sardines in the bay, I’m looking forward to the availability of live bait. I’ve never seen as many sea lions that are in the bay right now, and the bait is running scared. The sardines are on the surface, and the pelicans are diving while the bass, halibut, and sea lions are pushing them up.” White sea bass are making a showing as California Maritime Academy cadets, Cadyn Zeutenhorst and Kayla Wegesend, were in the Berkeley Flats on his Cadyn’s 12-foot Klamath, and Kayla landed a 28.7-pound ghost trolling a frozen herring.
Koyasako added, “I watched them land this fish, and they were pretty happy when this fish came to the net.” Coastal rockfishing in less than 20 fathoms opened on Wednesday, May 1, and Captain Jared Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito took a small group out for limits of rockfish before returning to the bay for limits of halibut along with a fish per rod on striped bass. Davis refers to these trips as the ‘Salty Lady Super Combo Potluck.’ Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley Marina was out in Saturday’s ‘brutal’ conditions with a 25-year charter group, and they managed to return with 2 fish per rod with 33 halibut and 11 striped bass. Smith said, “The wind and rain were steady, but we hit a squall where it just dumped. The tides are good, and when the conditions are right, it has been a tremendous bite.” The future in San Francisco Bay looks bright on the halibut and striped bass front, and white sea bass are lurking.
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
Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3
Rockfishing is starting to pick up steam as Morro Bay Landing sent out one boat on Sunday with 11 anglers for limits of rockfish consisting of 21 vermilion, 70 assorted rockfish, 10 Boccaccio, and 9 copper to go with 4 ling cod. Also out of Morro Bay, the Fiesta and Rita G out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay were out on Sunday on trips ranging from 3/4th day to 12 hours, and their 46 passengers combined for 19 lingcod, 58 vermilion, 138 assorted rockfish, 26 Boccaccio, 2 cabezon, and a single rock and Petrale sole. The Patriot out of Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis was also out on Sunday with 10 anglers for 54 assorted rockfish, 32 Boccaccio, 10 vermilion, and two lingcod to 5 pounds. Rockfishing is allowed at any depth in 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 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
Striped bass just keep on moving rapidly through the San Joaquin and Sacramento River systems in the California Delta on their way upstream to spawn. With stripers in the ocean, San Francisco Bay, and Suisun Bay along with the upper Sacramento River above Colusa, the Delta is a conveyor belt of linesides coming and going, and they just keep on coming with the high water. Sturgeon fishing remains tremendous although few anglers are targeting the diamondbacks, American shad are on their way into the Sacramento, American, and Yuba River systems, and largemouth bass action continues to be ‘hit or miss.’ The wind has been the big story on the Delta throughout the week, and the winds both cooled and dirtied the water in certain locations.
Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley found great action on Sunday after postponing Saturday’s trip due to the intense rainstorm.
“We located several smaller fish in the morning on live bait, and the live bait bite is wide open. Starting off on the San Joaquin, we bounced all over, ending up trolling along the West Bank at the bottom of the tide,” he said. “We did find a larger grade of striper, and we ended up releasing a 17-pound hen.” Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors was targeting striped bass on the San Joaquin on Sunday, and after jigging up numerous linesides to 22 inches, they switched over to trolling on the West Bank for stripers to 8 pounds on Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows.”
For largemouth bass, the action has been up and down with 20 pounds the standard weight to win a tournament, but the weights drop off quickly. “The winning weight during the Wednesday Night Shootout at Ladd’s Marina in Stockton was close to 20 pounds, but it dropped to 14 for second,” Dave King of Nor Cal Bass said. “I put in over 13 pounds within a couple of hours throwing black spinnerbaits with gold blades in the east Delta sloughs in the middle of the week as the bass were biting. The water clarity was around two feet, and there are fish on all stages of the spawn as several females aren’t locked in on beds yet. In Disappointment Slough, the bass are on the beds.”
Nor Cal’s next Delta event is this coming Saturday out of Ladd’s Marina. The American Bass Association held a tournament on Sunday out of Ladd’s, and the team of Jamond Andrews and Harvey Pulliam took first at 21.67 with three limits out of 20 boats over 18 pounds. Successful anglers are using a variety of techniques including punching the weeds, topwater frogs, or heavy plastics such as the Berkley General in bluegill or crawdad patterns. With males guarding the fry, numbers have been found in area holding bluegill.
There aren’t many anglers targeting sturgeon, and with the emergency and proposed white sturgeon regulations, it will be interesting to see if anglers return in the fall to target the species which will be primarily catch-and-release. A new mindset is necessary as harvesting a white sturgeon will be more and more limited. However, perhaps the tremendous action for numbers this spring has been due to the decrease in harvest with the emergency 42- to 48-inch slot length. The water temperatures are ideal in Suisun Bay, and the numbers are impressive. The habits of white sturgeon seem to have changed with far fewer fish in the south bay, San Pablo Bay, and up the Sacramento 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. Soo Hoo Sport Fishing (925) 899-4045.
Events
May 18
Striperz Gone Wild California Aqueduct Clean Up Day- Volta Road – Free BBQ afterwards.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
May 8, 15, 22, 29
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Wednesday Night Shootout
May 10, 17, 24, 31
Tulloch – Friday Night Shootout
May 11
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
Delta/Big Break – American Bass Association
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Bass Lake – Bass 101
Isabella – American Bass Association
May 12
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
May 18
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bass Anglers of Northern California
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Sierra Bass Club/Santa Clara BassBusters
New Melones – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments/Gilroy Bassmasters/Contra Costa Bass Club
Don Pedro – TriValley Bassmasters/Folsom Bass Team
McClure – Yak ‘A Bass
Success – Golden Empire Bass Club
San Antonio – Best Bass Tournaments
Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
Lopez – Kern County Bassmasters
May 19
Don Pedro – Stanislaus County Employees
Tulloch – Modesto Ambassadors
Bass Lake – Fresno Bass Club
Eastman – Kings River Bass Club
Pine Flat – Bass 559
May 25
McClure – Kerman Bass Club
Lopez – Bakersfield Bass Club
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
