Fishing report, Aug. 2-Aug. 8: Patience and perseverance are virtues for catching stripers this time of year.
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
West side waterways striper and catfish bites good, Bill Sterling said. Don Pedro king salmon on a tear, Monte Smith reported. New Melones kicking out big Kokanee and catfish , Kyle Wise said. Pine Flat bass action steady, Michael Crayne reported. Delta bass and stripers active, Alan Fong said.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 3 Catfish 2
Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild said, “I went out twice this last week and caught and released my limit both times, but it did take me a while to do so. Patience and perseverance kept me going. I landed all stripers on a Lucky Craft Pointer Sexy Shad pattern by fishing the sides of the headgates. The bite is still good, but like I said, you are not going to be able to catch them very quickly. The aqueduct before the O’Neill Forebay seems to be the best as there isn’t all that moss and weeds floating in the water from the forebay. There is a lot of floating debris in the water south of the forebay still. Catfish are still being caught in the California Aqueduct, Delta Mendota, and surrounding canals on bait and some are even chasing lures! We are also seeing a lot of bass being taken in the aqueduct in the south valley.”
Striperz Gone Wild’s Three-Year Anniversary ‘Fall Classic’ Striper Derby, from 5 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Hilldale Bridge with a BBQ, 50/50 raffle, and prizes in the adult and youth divisions.
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, the striped bass bite is strong with pile worms, cut bait, or nightcrawlers coated with garlic scent. Catfishing remains solid with Triple S Dip Bait, cut baits, or chicken livers. Largemouth bass are active around the floating mats with plastics or topwater lures.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657.
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun reported both lakes have been absolutely brutal for fishing as triple-digit heat combined with a growing algae bloom along with heavy fishing pressure at Eastman this year are contributors to very slow action. Eastman dropped 4 feet to 557.25 feet in elevation and 68% with Hensley also dropping 4 feet to 510.51 feet in elevation and 55% as water releases have begun.
Call: Eastman Lake (559) 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam (559) 673-5151.
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 3 Crappie 2
The bass bite is getting tougher although there is a solid jerkbait bite early with the Megabass Vision 110 + 1 in shad patterns along shade lines in the early mornings. There have been periods of bass schooling on the surface in 40 to 80 feet of water along main lake points. A 1/4th-ounce Kastmaster in blue/silver is also working along with a 5-inch Senko thrown out into open water. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing has been loading up on king salmon to 4.4 pounds on kokanee gear at depths around 40 feet. There are large bait balls holding from 15 to 40 feet in depth. Kokanee in the 18-inch range are taken on occasion along with rainbow trout at the same depths. It is a matter of hunting around to find where the schools are located. The Blue Oaks ramp has been closed intermittently due to high water, but it reopened as the lake rose 3 feet to 825.07 feet in elevation and 97%.
Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Kyle Wise, Head Hunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Fishing (559) 691-7008
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The lake held at 2,603.77 feet in elevation and 97%. A largemouth bass at 14.96 pounds as part of a winning limit of 24.24 pounds was caught and released by the team of Justin and Wesley Neal during a recent American Bass Association tournament. There have been several largemouth bass in the double-digit range landed within the past month. The South Fork continues to be the best location in the shallows with shallow-diving crankbaits, plastics on the drop-shot, or topwater lures. Crappie are out in open water, but you have to find the schools within the submerged brush or rock. With the high water, trout fishing is best in the North Fork with garlic Power Bait, Get Bent Baits, or spinners while trollers are pulling spoons on leadcore. Catfishing improved this week with Triple S Dip Bait, nightcrawlers, or cut baits.
The Kern River at Kernville dropped from 1595 to 622 cfs while water releases out of the dam have held steady at 2916 cfs at First Point.
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 3
The lake dropped 4 feet to 706.51 feet in elevation and 90%. Most anglers are reporting slow action, but there are reports of solid bass action with plastics on the drop-shot with 4.5-inch shad-patterned Roboworms along secondary points or coves at depths from 15 to 25 feet. Crappie are found over submerged rockpiles or brush with small live minnows, small swimbaits such as Keitechs, or minijigs. Triple S Dip Bait or chicken livers are best for catfish. The Kaweah River at Three Rivers is dropping, and it came down from 1690 to 1092 cfs this week.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake dropped slightly to 648.16 feet in elevation and 89%. Bass continue to hold near main lake points or submerged vegetation with spider jigs, jerkbaits, jigs, or plastics on a variety of presentations. Crappie are found near the docks in the marina or over submerged vegetation, and minijigs, small swimbaits, or small live minnows are working for the slabs. Catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait or cut anchovies.
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 3
Triple-digit temperatures along with better bass action at the other Mother Lode lakes have resulted in fewer anglers targeting this lake. Catfishing is solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The bass bite remains challenging, but the best action has been coming on deep-diving shad patterned crankbaits, topwater Spooks, spinnerbaits, or plastics on the drop-shot. The lake is 856.59 feet in elevation at 93 percent.
Call: Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008.
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 2
The lake dropped from 99 to 93% with water releases down the Merced River. With the lack of trout plants and extreme heat, there hasn’t been much change here as recreational swimming and boating dominate activity at McSwain during the summer months. Trout plants should resume in the fall months prior to the October Merced Irrigation District Trout Derby.
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
Michal Crayne of Valley Rod & Gun in Clovis said, “Bass fishing has been limited to small spotted bass as the fish are pushing bait into the shallows. The best action remains in the river arm as the main lake is dominated by recreational boating pressure. Water releases down the San Joaquin have dropped dramatically from 2219 to 525 cfs at Friant. The San Joaquin River from Friant Dam to the Merced County line is open for recreational use. Sycamore Park is open seven days per week. Bass action at Sycamore has been strong with a variety of techniques including plastics or crankbaits The lake is holding at 577.61 feet in elevation and 100 percent.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service continues to find limits of big kokanee for his clients, and he said, “Kokanee over 3 pounds are showing up, but the action is far from hot and heavy. The kokanee are concentrated in a small area, but they are still high in the water column at 35 to 45 feet. Paulina Peak’s orange/gold spinner behind a gold Indiana dodger has been our most productive set up. After loading up with kokanee, we have been finding great catfish action soaking cut baits near the inlets. We filmed an episode on a combination trip for kokanee and catfish for Angler West, and it will air soon.” John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service said, “Numbers of small fish have been the rule, but there are lots of them. I don’t know why the lake has been in such a funk for big fish this year, but it has been down all year long. The topwater bite has yet to emerge, and if you get 10 blowups in the morning, you are doing very well. This is far below what is expected at this time of year. We are throwing topwater in the morning until this bite dies down, and then we switch over to plastics on the drop-shot. When there is boat traffic, we are able to work the mudlines with shallow-diving crankbaits in shad patterns. The dropping water level has been helpful as the dead grass is being exposed. When the submerged grass was green, there were fish in it, but once the grass died, there were no fish in the area. We are getting back to the Melones dirt and rock structure.” Water releases have started, and the lake has dropped 2 feet to 1056.16 feet in elevation and 85%.
Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
The lake has risen 7 feet in the past two weeks to 947.93 feet in elevation and 98 percent. Most area bass anglers are focusing on this lake due to solid action for numbers. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The restrooms are now under water, and the structure of the restroom has been a good location for spotted bass with jigs. The bass are pushing bait into the shallows, and the best action is in shallow water with crankbaits or plastics on various presentations. Trout fishing has been slow as few trollers have been on the lake with the triple-digit heat. The parking lots are under water, and boat trailers are parked alongside the road for a long walk back to the launch.” The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have dropped from 10,296 to 5359 cfs.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
The lake is releasing water, and it has dropped from 95 to 92 percent. Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “In the main lake, the topwater bite has been the best bet with Evergreen’s Shower Blow SB1500 in bone along with jerkbaits such as Duo Realis 120’s in Neo Pearl or red head/white. The stripers are chasing bite into the coves, and trollers are scoring with shad-patterned umbrella rigs.” Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild added, “The big lake heating up for huge striped bass as three over 20 pounds were caught this week from shore.” A 47-pound striped bass was caught and kept from the shoreline.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the anglers fishing at night from the shore are taking advantage of the full moon action. “ Boat anglers aren’t doing that well during the day since the stripers are feeding heavily at night under the bright full moon- then suspending during the day. I took out Dale Rhine of Hollister and his dad, John Rhine (80) of Salinas, along with son in law Dale Self for 12 nice released fish to 25” last week . The troll bite was definitely affected by the full moon but we found our fish in the 50-60’ depth range on minnow lures. The regular bite should resume as we get past this moon phase. Water temps are in the 72-78 degree range. “
Mesa added, “The forebay has been excellent for largemouth bass with frogs, flipping, or punching the thick weeds with crawdad-imitation plastics. Magnum Flukes in white ice or pearl on a 1/2 – to 1-ounce jig head are working for striped bass.” The forebay dropped from 88 to 80 percent.
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 Fishing said, “The lake is on one day and slow the next. The best trout action in front of Miller’s Landing to in front of the Forks at holdover rainbows to 19 inches with Apex lures behind a blue Rocky Mountain Signature Dodgers or Dick’s Mountain Dodger along orange Dick’s Mountain tubes. There is lots of boat traffic, but this doesn’t bother the bite. The trout are at the surface in the morning before dropping down when the boats take off after 8:00 a.m. The kokanee remain MIA.” Boat traffic will continue to be heavy until school opens once again in southern California. The heat has slowed the bass bite. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/.
Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
The Kaiser Pass lakes are rising, and trout fishing has been solid at both Edison and Florence Lake. Edison has is kicking out multiple browns and rainbows for troller with the high water level. All the lakes are nearly filled with Edison at 92, Florence at 86, and Mammoth Pool at 89%. Road conditions 297-0706. A trout plant took place at Ward Lake last week.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake (559) 259-4000.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 2 Trout 2
Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters, Shaver’s Guide Emeritus, said, “The water rose slightly, and fishing dropped a tad. But overall, the bite remains fairly consistent at Shaver. Mike Reddin of Fresno and his 9-year-old grandson, Tyler Gromowsky, fished with me during the middle of the week, By 8:30 a.m., I felt there was a chance of my second skunk in 18 years. But Tyler came through with the first fish he had ever caught, a 14-inch kokanee. From there, it was up hill with Tyler scoring a couple limits of mixed fish as it was a late bite day. Tyler provided the fish for the family barbecue that night. On Friday, Bob Hatmaker of Arroyo Grande was with me, and we found the bite to be mostly yearling trout and a few kokanee as Hatmaker caught and released three limits. The kokanee bite remains slow, with trout having the edge 3 to the kokanee at three to one. With the water surface temperature at 72 degrees, we ran our side poles with weighted Mountain Flashers at a set back of 120 feet for a depth of about 25 feet. In front of the weighted Mountain Flashers were purple Dick’s Mountain Koke Busters or Dick’s Stevenson Trout Busters tipped with a piece of crawler.
The downriggers were placed at approximately 35 feet deep on average with pink or orange Dick’s Mountain Tubes or a purple Koke Buster tipped with scented corn behind Dick’s Captain J and Doc Barb Mountain Dodgers. However, the side poles provided most action. Part-time Shaver resident, Mike Giubinni, fished near me both Wednesday and Friday with basically the same setup. He, too, experienced a dead bite before 9:00 a.m. before catching his limit. Friday was a better day as he caught and released two limits.” At Huntington, the lake remains high and 98 percent, and the launch ramp is accessible Small kokanee or catchable rainbow trout are found at depths around 25 feet for trollers working near Dam 2. Both lakes received trout plants last week. 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.
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 2
Courtright Reservoir is open, but the bank action is slow. Derric Tucker from Tulare and his son, Brennan, trolled Courtright on Saturday for only three catchables in choppy conditions. They went back again on Sunday in the early morning and worked the west side of the lake with Dick’s Trout Busters in the Stevenson Patter behind a weighted Dick’s Mountain Flasher at depths from the surface to 40 feet for two limits within two hours. Despite last week’s trout plant, Wishon has slowed as well, but a trout plant last week should spur on improved action from the banks. Trollers continue to have the upper hand with spoons or Rapalas with the best action at the far end of the lake near the inlet. Fly fishing in the river inlet has been solid.
Call: Wishon RV Park (559) 865-5361.
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Rockfish 3 Bluefin tuna 2 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Limits of coastal rockfish with the occasional ling cod and halibut have been the rule since the weather has kept the boats for heading offshore in search of deepwater rockfish or bluefin tuna. The bluefin fever rages, but it has been put hold by high winds offshore for the past three weeks. Calmer weather is expected over the next two months so the offshore opportunities should open up. In the meantime, there are plenty of local reefs to lift limits from. Rockfishing is open at any depth until Dec. 31.
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
Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Rockfishing remains tremendous out of Monterey Bay as the boats out of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey continue to find limits of quality rockfish on their deep water trips to the Monterey Canyon while rockfish and ling cod are found further south at Point Sur. Bluefin tuna mania is simmering, but it will boil once the weather window opens up.
Alan Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “Fishing all around Monterey Bay has hit its summer stride. Surfcasters are seeing an increase in both number and size of barred surf perch from nearly all the beaches that ring our bay. Hit the right spot at the right time, and you have a very good chance at hooking up with a fish that carries a bit more weight and a lot more fight. Striped bass seem to be making the leap past Moss Landing and some of the southern Santa Cruz County beaches are featuring flurries of activity for anglers using larger stickbaits and topwater jigs. The striper bite from Moss to Monterey remains consistent. When the waves stay calm for a few days in a row, it’s a good bet right now to cast for beach halibut as well. Look for protected areas with warmer water and low wave action. The dropshot technique is reported to work best for these small flatties, usually with a white fluke or small swimbait. Please remember to release any short halibut quickly and safely with no handling if possible. Keep them in the water if they’re obviously not of legal size. Bigger halibut are also hitting all around the bay for boaters. Any flat sandy area from 30 to 70 feet of water can be hosting larger fish right now. It’s the height of the season for anglers drifting bait or trolling with a dodger/hoochie setup. Live bait is always the best for big flatties and there is plenty around, including anchovies, sardines, smelt, mackerel and kingfish. It’s well worth the time to sabiki up fresh live bait to lure the big flatties. Using bigger baits (live) will also decrease the chances of hooking up unintended species. Just give that halibut or big lingcod enough time to chew on your offering before trying to set the hook.”
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 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2 Bluefin tuna 2
Halibut and striped bass action inside San Francisco Bay has been at an all-time high during summer 2023, but the opening of rockfishing at any depth along with the halibut migration to the coastal beaches has created even more opportunities for northern California anglers.
Traditionally, large halibut exit the bay to feed on the coastal beaches around mid-July through August, and this year has been no exception as the North Bar outside the Golden Gate has been consistently producing when the conditions are right. Since the North Bar is shallow at 23 feet in depth and is situated towards the predominate swell from the northwest, it can be too rough to fish under certain conditions. Halibut will be found throughout the coastal beaches from Tennessee Cove through Muir Beach, Bolinas, and Drake’s Bay. The presence of halibut on the beaches makes for the opportunity for a few productive drifts after loading up with limits of rockfish and a healthy ling cod count.
This is the time of year when party boats run their ‘coastal combination’ trips to either the Marin coast or the Farallon Islands for rockfish before targeting halibut and striped bass either inside or outside San Francisco Bay.
Vince Borges of Phenix Rods hosted a coastal trip on the Happy Hooker out of Berkeley this week, and their 16 anglers returned with 16 limits of rockfish, 8 ling cod, and 9 halibut to 15 pounds. Their next Phenix Rods trip is on their sister vessel, the Pacific Dream on August 8th. Borges had a busy week as he followed up this trip with the annual Phenix/Optimum Baits swimbait trip on the California Dawn 2 the next day where 33 limits of ling cod to 25 pounds, 33 limits of rockfish including 15 cabezon to 10 pounds, and 27 halibut to 22 pounds were taken strictly on artificial lures. These trips attract the top lure throwers in northern California, and Captain James Smith puts in his best effort to keep the anglers satisfied. Not to be outdone, Borges hosted another combination trip with Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing on the Malia Kai at the end of the week.
Coastal combination trips will continue through October depending upon weather and the diminishing presence of halibut, but another combination window opens on the first Saturday in November with the arrival of recreational Dungeness crab season for crab/rockfish combinations.
Although northern California anglers are riled up about heading offshore for bluefin tuna, they have having to learn patience as Mother Nature has neglected to turn off the offshore fan for the past few weeks. After a week of furious activity at the start of July, anglers have been benched for weeks waiting to get offshore. Rest assured, once the first weather window opens up, an entire flotilla will be on the move from Monterey, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, the Golden Gate, Bodega Bay, and Fort Bragg. Anticipation is high, and patience is at an all-time low.
In the meantime, anglers are gearing up with Nomad’s Madmac’s along with yards of 200-pound braid and100-pound hollow core to go on their new heavy rods and reels. A few boats tried Mother Nature within the past weeks, but their trips were aborted by extremely rough conditions offshore.
Most boats will be burning fuel by fast trolling the Madmac’s, but Captain James Smith of the California Dawn 2 has been taking a waiting list for the ideal opportunity to use his new sonar unit to hunt tuna on an overnight trip. This will be the first northern California vessel to attempt the same techniques used in southern California waters. His trips are limited to 12 anglers on his spacious boat with its huge cabin. If, and when Smith finds success, others are sure to follow his lead.
August and September are two of the best weather months in northern California, and if the fish gods are with us, we should soon see numerous photos of happy anglers holding quality bluefin tuna out of every port. However, despite all of the enthusiasm, there is no substitute for boaters to understand their ability as well as the capability of their vessel and gear as ‘The ocean giveth, and the ocean taketh away.’
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
Rockfish season is now open all depths through Sept. 30. The Endeavor out of Morro Bay Landing in Morro Bay had another outstanding fully day trip on Sunday with 22 anglers returning with limits of rockfish composed of sub-limits of 88 vermilion, 100 assorted rockfish, and 32 Boccaccio. The Avenger and Flying Fish were out on trips ranging from ½- to 3/4th – day with 51 passengers for 30 vermilion, 351 assorted rockfish, 20 Boccaccio to 9 pounds, and 3 ling cod for a total of 403 fish. Out of Virg’s Landing, the Black Pearl was on a ½-day trip on Monday for 29 limits of rockfish composed of 15 vermilion, 274 assorted rockfish, and three ling cod.
Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot and Flying Fish were on ½-day trips on Sunday with a combined 48 passengers for 4 vermilion, 330 assorted rockfish, and 69 Bolina for 3/4th limits with 403 fish. From Oct. 1 -Dec.. 31, the take of shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod is open seaward of the 50-fathom line. Take is prohibited shoreward of the 50 fathom RCA line. Boats out of Morro Bay and Port San Luis are filling up for the opening week. 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.
Others
Delta/Stockton
Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The big news out of the California Delta is the upcoming Fish and Game Commission Meeting to take place in San Jose on Oct. 11 as according to James Stone, president of the Nor Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will recommend to the commission a complete closure to the take of white sturgeon for 2024. Fishing would be limited to catch and release throughout 2024, and new regulations to allow at 4% harvest will be adopted for 2025. Interested sturgeon anglers should put this meeting date on their calendars now, but in the meantime, anglers have until Aug. 15 to complete the white sturgeon survey from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Fishes/Sturgeon.
The first of the big frog tournaments occurred this past weekend out of Russo’s Marina with the Ultimate Frog Challenge 9. During this tournament, anglers can use frogs from any manufacturer, and in spite of the recent hot weather and the ability to use a wide variety of gear, the overall frog bite was challenging for both numbers and size. The tournament attracted a total of 173 teams combined into pro and amateur divisions, and on day one, a third of the field, 67 teams, weighed in a three-fish limit with the top weight at over 4 pounds. Ultimately, the best two-day limit was brought in by the amateur team of Chua and Zay Yang at 23.08 pounds with the largest fish of the event at 8.68 pounds. The original frog tournament, the Snag Proof Open, will take place this coming weekend, August 5/6, at Russo’s, and there is hope for an improved frog bite for size.
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors continues to work up north, and he was out with Pete Jensen this week for a healthy 19-pound largemouth limit, catching and releasing over 25 fish by flipping Brush Hogs or tossing crawdad-patterned chatterbaits. Fong said, “We have been targeting heavy current in 10 feet of water, and we also picked up several stripers to 8 pounds on the chatterbaits. We saw stripers in the 15- to 20-pound range swirling, but they wouldn’t take the lures. I also had a 6-foot sturgeon trying to eat a chatterbait, and this was a first for me. Although the north Delta has the clearest water, we were working in around one foot of visibility.”
Dave King of Nor Cal Bass found an excellent frog bite for numbers while out in the east Delta outside of Stockton on Friday with his young son, Oliver. King said, “I was using the black Scum Trophy Series frog in the sloughs. He said, “We caught around 25 bass out of 50 hookups, and a number were in the 2- to 3-pound range, Oliver was following me by dragging a worm, and he had a big fish around 5 pounds come off on a jump. The water of the east Dela is stained with clarity around 2 to 3 feet.”
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, is the tournament director for this coming weekend’s Snag Proof Open, and he said, “Anglers are just now starting to adjust to the change in conditions on the Delta. High water flows throughout the winter, spring, and summer have changed the way the current hits the banks, and the flows are at a different angle with the sand bars reforming. You have to look at the water as if it is a new body of water and not be afraid to adjust to the different conditions as the fish are not in the same places as in the past. The flows pushed the weeds out of the sloughs, and areas such as Sherman Lake and Big Break are now open water where in the past they were choked with weeds and sand. The creeks are now available, and the fish are positioning themselves differently. I was out with Matt and Tony Paino of Optimum Baits, and we found frog fish to 5 pounds along with crankbait fish in the 5- to 6-pound range. We were working tule patches in 5 feet of water along with sand bars or eddies where the current was pushing up against the banks.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, reported a solid striped bass bite in Mildred Island for those drifting live bluegill along with linesides in the Old Sacramento River from Walnut Grove to Isleton by casting Lucky Craft Pointer 120’s or similar jerkbaits. Bass fishing is solid around the second bridge at Eight Mile Road along with inside of White’s Slough.
The Wednesday Night Shoot Out’s at Ladd’s Marina in Stockton remain popular with over 50 boats showing up on a regular basis, but a high school angler was relieved off all of his rods from his boat while retrieving his boat trailer with the boat in the water. The water temperature on the San Joaquin has climbed up to between 80 and 84 degrees with visibility ranging from 5 feet in the central Delta to 1 to 2 feet in the south Delta. Cooler water is found in the north Delta. Small striped bass are showing up in the main San Joaquin, but the larger linesides are found north of the Rio Vista Bridge with paddletail swimbaits or glide baits such as Sneaky Pete’s. There is a solid largemouth bite on the flats in the evenings with topwater lures such as River2Sea’s Whopper Ploppers or Bubble Walkers in dark colors. Between the improvement in water clarity and the coming full moon, largemouth bass action should improve this coming week.
Sturgeon remain a strong possibility in Suisun Bay, but few anglers are out there on the anchor. Those putting in the time are being rewarded with a mixture of oversized, undersized, and slot-limit diamondbacks.
The Delta Cross Channel Gates at Walnut Grove have been opened, but they may be closed from time to time on a short-term basis. Updated information on the status of the gate is available through this link - https://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/vungvari/dcc_chng.pdf.
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 2 Striper 0 Catfish 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 2
At Nacimiento, water releases have started, and although the lake is historically full, it has dropped to 80%. Boat traffic remains heavy, and anglers have to work around the heavy wakes thrown off by recreatioanl boaters. Spotted bass are taken on plastics on a Carolina-rig or Keitech swimbaits in shad patterns on an underspin. White Kastmasters, small topwater lures, or Roostertails are working for the whites who are boiling on occasion, and. Catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait, anchovies, or fresh shrimp while crappie are taking with small live minnows or minijigs in submerged structure. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. Lopez Lake dropped slightly to 98.9%, but it is basically still full. Working flooded vegetation is the key to success here, and creature baits, Senkos, or crawdad-imitation jigs are all effective. Trout plants will continue, and this should spur on the swimbait bite for the quality largemouth bass. Anglers can view a live webcam of the lake at https://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, area with flooded vegetation is the key for largemouth bass, and chatterbaits, Senkos on a wacky-rig, or walking-style topwater lures are working best. The lake is releasing water, and it dropped slightly to 95.3%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california. At San Antonio, the lake dropped to 68%. Finding the shad schools are the key, and shad imitation lures are most effective. Recreational boat pressure remains high. Catfishing remain best bet with cut mackerel, Triple S Dip Bait, or chicken livers.
Reminder: consuming white bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, or carp are subject to safe eating guidelines due to excessive mercury.
Events
Striperz Gone Wild Three-Year Anniversary ‘Fall Classic’ Striper Derby - 5 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Hilldale Bridge with a BBQ, 50/50 raffle, and prizes in the adult and youth divisions.
Tournament results
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Ultimate Frog Challenge 9 Pro Division – July 29-30: 1st – Hunter Schlander/Vince Bernal - 19.71; 2nd – Cotta/Goodman – 19.37 (Big Fish – 7.02); 3rd – Tyler/Howe – 18.32.
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Ultimate Frog Challenge 9 Amateur Division – July 29-30: 1st – Chua/Zay Yang – 23.08 (Big Fish – 8.68); 2nd –Giles/Johnson – 16.48; 3rd – Chapman/Chapman – 13.97.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Aug. 2
Delta/Ladd’s Bertolli Disposal Wednesday Night Shoot Out
Aug. 2-3
Tulloch – Grumpy Old Men
Aug. 5-6
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Snag Proof Open
Santa Margarita – Bass Addicts of SoCal
Aug. 5
Stampede Reservoir – Kokanee Power
New Melones – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
Aug. 6
Delta/Big Break – American Bass Association
Aug. 9
Delta/Ladd’s Bertolli Disposal Wednesday Night Shoot Out
Aug. 9-10
Tulloch – Grumpy Old Men
Aug. 12
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bass Anglers of Northern California/Tri Valley Bassmasters
New Hogan – Outlaw Bass Club
Isabella – Golden Empire Bass Club
Lopez – Kern County Bassmasters
Aug. 13
Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments/Modesto Ambassadors
Aug. 16
Delta/Ladd’s Bertolli Disposal Wednesday Night Shoot Out
Aug. 16-17
Tulloch – Grumpy Old Men
Aug. 19-20
Millerton – Fresno Bass Club
Aug. 19
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Call Bass
Bass Lake – Sierra Bass Club
Isabella – American Bass Club
Santa Margarita – 805 Bass Addicts
Aug. 20
Delta/Russo’s - Angler’s Press
Pardee – Gold Country Bass Tour
Aug. 23
Delta/Ladd’s Bertolli Disposal Wednesday Night Shoot Out
Aug. 26-27
Millerton – Bass 101
Aug. 26
Delta/Big Break – Bass N’ Tubes
Santa Margarita – 805 Bass Addicts
Aug. 27
New Melones – Riverbank Bass Anglers
Aug. 30
Delta/Ladd’s Bertolli Disposal Wednesday Night Shoot Out
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
