Anglers relieved with solid opening day of salmon season on upper section of Sacramento River

After the very slow opening day of salmon season on the Sacramento River below Red Bluff on July 16, the solid opener on the upper section of river from the Deschutes Bridge to the Red Bluff Diversion Dam on Monday, Aug. 1 was greeted with relief by anglers and guides.

“It was a really good opener,” reported Robert Weese of Northern California Guide Service. “I estimate a total of 150 fish were caught from the Barge Hole to the Bend Bridge by the 50 or so boats on the river. Lots of fish were biting because of the cold water temperature of 58 degrees.”

The hole is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and Battle Creek near the town of Cottonwood. The fish stage at the confluence before going up Battle Creek, a Sacramento River tributary, to spawn in Coleman National Fish Hatchery or the creek

His two clients, Chuck Harrison of Oroville and John Webb of San Bruno, and Weese landed a total of 5 salmon ranging from 25 to 30 pounds by 9 a.m.

“We hooked all of the salmon while backtrolling with Kwikfish and Flatfish lures in the Barge Hole,” he stated. “In addition, we hooked and released 3 quality wild rainbow trout in the 4 to 5 pound range.” Information: (530) 755-7196.

Jacob Frye of Jacob Frye’s Guide Service reported getting off the river by 9:30 am. with eight salmon for his four anglers.

“It was a good morning of fishing,” said Frye. “David Guerra of Buckethead Barbecue in Roseville and three other anglers landed eight fish and lost about six others. We caught four on Flatfish and four on roe. The fish ranged from 12 to 30 pounds. We had one 30 pounder, four others in the 25 to 30 pound range, one right at 22 pounds and two around 15 pounds. They were very nice, bright fish.”

“I used my go-to technique for the opener – starting off by backtrolling plugs right above the drop off of the hole and then switching over to hanging salmon roe above the bottom as soon as sun hit the water,” he said.

“During the first half hour of fishing, it was a little slow and I was a little worried,” he stated. “But we hooked the first fish at 6:06 a.m. and took just an hour to land the first four salmon.”

“Everybody was getting opportunities - two other guides were limited out before we were done. Boats were getting around 3 to 5 fish per boat.”

“These fish knew where they were going – rather than stopping with the fish congregating at the mouth of the American, they just kept on trucking through upriver,” he stated. Information: (530) 410-3174.

Discovery Park Chinooks: Far downriver at the mouth of the American in the City of Sacramento, anglers continue to hook salmon while back trolling and jigging although the bite has slowed down since July 16.

“There are tons of salmon in the river rolling every day near the mouth of the American,” noted Alan Fong of Fisherman’s Warehouse in Sacramento. “A lot of fish are going up the American. There is a big bunch of fish in the system now.”

Fong went out himself recently in his boat with Bob Prinzo and Denise Loo, hooking three and landing one salmon weighing 20 pounds while spooning with 3 ounce P-Line and Blade Runner spoons, outfitted with single hooks, from the Interstate 80 Bridge north. Information: (916) 362-1200.

Justin Leonard of Outcast Guide Service and fellow guide Pete Franco and ended up catching a 30 lb. salmon on Monday while back trolling plugs up the American River just above the mouth. “We had two other bites that didn’t stick,” said Leonard.

“However, it was a slow day. I didn’t see any other fish caught while we were fishing,” he added. Information: (530) 277-6870.

Farallon Island Rockfish/Lingcod: The California Dawn 2 and California Dawn out of Berkeley found great rockfish and lingcod action at the Farallon Islands on Sunday, July 31.

“The weather was spectacular and the jumbo rockfish and lingcod were on the chomp,” said Captain James Smith. The California Dawn 2 checked in with 21 limits of rockfish (210), 21 limits of lingcod (42) to 25 pounds and two cabezon to 9 pounds, while the California Dawn returned with 21 limits of rockfish (210) and 21 lingcod to 25 pounds. Information: (510) 417-5557.

Contact Stockton Record Correspondent Dan Bacher at danielbacher53@gmail.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Record: Salmon season opening day on upper portion of Sacramento River