Fishing report, Jan. 17-23, Delta stripers and sturgeon on the bite, so are Don Pedro bass and trout and McClure catfish
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 stripers and sturgeon bites continue, Johnny Wang reported. Don Pedro bass and trout bites good, Bryan Cox said. McClure catfish and bass hitting, and McSwain trout limits possible, Dave Hurley reported. New Melones trout and bass- best bets , Kyle Wise said. Millerton crappie on a good bite, Michael Crayne reported.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 2
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Rat-L-Traps or bait is working best in the aqueduct south of the forebay.”
In the south aqueduct, Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported fair bait action with cut sardines, lugworms, or jumbo minnows for keeper-sized striped bass. Tubes, jigs, or flukes on the bottom are the best lures. Catfishing is decent with Triple S Dip Bait, fresh shrimp, or cut baits. Largemouth bass action is a grind with the best action on finesse plastics.
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 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Bass Nation held a kayak tournament on Saturday with 20 boats won with a five-fish limit measuring 83.50 inches by Damian Thao. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported, “The bass bite has been improving with finesse techniques for mostly smaller fish, but the occasional quality largemouth is found for those willing to throw large swimbaits or glidebaits in rainbow-trout patterns. Crappie are found deep in the rockpiles or brush piles with minijigs. You have to work to find the isolated schools of slabs. There isn’t much happening at Hensley other than catfish, crappie, or bluegill.” Shore anglers are picking up a. few planted rainbows with Mice Tails, Power Bait, or nightcrawlers. Eastman rose 0.75 feet to 551.19 feet in elevation and 62% with Hensley rising 1.75 feet to 472.06 feet in elevation and 17%.
Call: Eastman Lake (559) 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
About 114 boats came out on Sunday to honor and support the family of Ryan Cook. Bryan Cox of Riverbank pulled a permit for Don Pedro, and within eight days, the Northern California bass community responded in an unprecedented way for the Cook family. with 40% of the proceeds from the $200 entry fee designated to be donated to the Cook family, and many of the winners additionally donated their payout.
An additional seven teams did not participate, but sent in an entry fee. A raffle and silent auction. A trip from Roger George of Roger George Guide Service for up to three anglers on San Luis Reservoir sold for $1,000 along with numerous other prizes.
In addition to donating all the plaques, Don Hole carved a beautiful burlwood plaque for Diana Cook, and every participant signed the plaque. The bass community continues to amaze. The weights in the Mother Lode have been improving with the recent trout plants, and the team of local guide Christian Ostrander and Scott Taylor took first at 20.56 with Kevin Davidson and Bryan Cox in second at 18.03.
“We had four fish in the box when I went back to the dock at 11 to get ready for the weigh in and the raffle, and Kevin went back out to the same spot for three fish in three casts at 4.88, 4.5, and 4.5,” Cook said. The junior division was taken by Coop Wainwright at 15.18 with Justin Vinson in second at 14.36.
For rainbow trout, Monte Smith of Gold Country was out in stormy weather on Saturday, and after boating six trout to3 pounds and a pair of bass, they had to fight three-foot waves and fog to make it back to the dock. Pedro has a daily vehicle fee of $20 and with an additional $15 for boat launch.
The lake dropped nearly a foot to 795.21 feet in elevation and 80% of capacity. Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/. 2024 annual permits are available now.
Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734.
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass 2 Trout 3 Crappie 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2
The lake rose six inches to 2,565.72 feet in elevation and 36% of capacity with water releases from the dam rising from 68 to 269 cfs at First Point. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported a solid crappie bite in between storms with slabs over 2 pounds taken on various minijigs or live minnows working over structure in 15-to 20-feet of water near Red’s Marina and along the South Fork. Largemouth bass fishing is fair with the best action over main lake points at depths to 35 feet with deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs, or plastics on the 7- to 10-inch range. It is quality over quantity right now. The catfish bite is good for some and a struggle for others. The best action has come on Triple S Dip Bait, cut mackerel, or nightcrawlers.
The second trout plant of the season took place last week, and planted rainbows are taken on garlic-scented baits, spinners, trout jigs, or GULP! pinched crawlers. Trout action in the 20-Mile stretch of the upper Kern River is very good with salmon eggs, crickets, or trout jigs along access area. Heavy trout plants over the past few weeks have the river loaded with fish. A double trout plant occurred last week in Section 5 from Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge with trout plants scheduled in Sections 1, 2, and 3 below the dam with a double plant at Section 5 and a single at Section 6 this week. An additional double plant in Section 5 is scheduled for next week. Section 1 is from Democrat Beach to Lower Richbar; Section 2 is from Sandy Flat to Democrat Beach; and Section 3 is from Sandy Flat to Isabella Dam. The lower Kern bass bite is fair on crankbaits, jigs, or spinners. Catfish can be found on dip baits, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The flows on upper Kern at Kernville have risen slightly to 502 cfs. Trout plants are scheduled at River Walk and Ming the week of Jan. 28. Lake Evans at Buena Vista is holding an excellent crappie bite with Notorious Jigs.
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 11/2 feet to 605.38 feet in elevation and 14% of capacity. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported bass anglers are using finesse techniques in 15-to 30-feet of water while jigs or spoons are working in deeper water. Catfish are landed on fresh shrimp, cut mackerel, and dip bait while crappie are holding deep water with minijigs or small live minnows enticing bites. A trout plant is scheduled at Kaweah next week.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake rose over a foot to 601.61 feet in elevation and 16% of capacity. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported bass fishing is fair with the best action in deep water with plastics on the drop-shot, spoons, or deep-diving crankbaits. Catfishing is best with dip bait, chicken liver, or garlic-scented nightcrawlers. Crappie are taken near the marina with small minnows..A trout plant is scheduled at Success next week.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 3 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 3
Heavy limits of bass have been the story here over the past few weeks with a 20-pound plus limit winning the recent 17/90 Bass Club tournament. 38 boats showed up in the rain on Saturday, Jan. 13 for the Christian Bass League event taken with a 15.84-pound limit buoyed by a 4.76-pound kicker.
The swimbait bite has improved, and bass at over 13 pounds and 10.25 pounds have been landed recently. Most of the action has been deep from 40 to 50 feet. Crappie can be found in deep water inside submerged trees in coves with live minnows or minijigs, but most crappie anglers are heading south to south valley reservoirs. Holdover trout from the recent trout plants have been landed by trolling near the surface with shad-patterned spoons. Catfishing remains solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The lake rose slightly to 807.04 feet in elevation and 65% of capacity.
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 3
Limits of planted rainbow trout continue to come from the shorelines, but with the huge plants from Calaveras Trout Farm over the past few weeks, the pressure at the normal locations of the Brush Pile, the Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula near the marina has been intense. Trout plants will continue through the spring months. Berkley Mice Tails, rainbow garlic Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters in gold or blue/chrome are also working. Holdover rainbows can be found in the river arm near the Second Fence Line with Ruby Red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler along with spinners. The lake is at 96%.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 3
Crappie have been the highlight here, but you must find them in the rockpiles in the main lake. The slabs are hugging the bottom, and you can see them come up with your electronics once you drop a lure over the rockpile,” Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said. “Small bass are the rule with shad-patterned plastics on a finesse presentation such as a Texas-rig, Ned-rig or drop-shot for the small spotted bass. “ The lake rose 8 1/2 feet to 512.60 feet in elevation and 49% of capacity. Sycamore Island reopened on January 12, and a recent trout plant in the pond should bring out the anglers. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are steady at 424 cfs. A trout plant is scheduled at Woodward Park the week of Jan. 28.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1
The recent Costco Trout Derby brought out several experienced trollers, and the winning weight was a five-fish limit at 12.70 pounds by Jay Winchester and Kyle Wise rolling shad from the surface to 7 feet. The water temperature is below 50 degrees, and the fish are right on the surface. Bass fishing has been very good with Huddleston swimbaits in rainbow trout pattern for numbers in the 3- to 4-pound range with some double-digits starting to follow. Small bass can be taken on finesse presentations. The Kokanee Power net pens at New Melones were recently loaded with trout from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and these fish will be fattening up during the winter months. New Melones has a daily use fee of $8 with a boat launch of $10 (day use included). The lake held at 1050.72 feet in elevation and 83% of capacity.
Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Bass 559 held a tournament on Sunday Jan. 14, with the winning weight coming in at 11.90 pounds with a big fish at 3.29 pounds. “Most of the bass are coming deep with spoons or ice jigs. Trout fishing from the banks has improved with nightcrawlers or Power Bait around the Lakeside Marina or upriver past Trimmer,” Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said.
In the lower Kings, a trout plant is scheduled for next week, and the action changes daily. Spinners have been the most effective presentation followed by nightcrawlers or Power Bait in the eddies from fast to slow water. The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have risen slightly to 540cfs while the lake rose 3 feet to 877.30 feet in elevation and 61% of capacity. Trout plants are scheduled on the lower Kings and at Avocado Lake next week.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273. Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
“The shoreline around Dinosaur Point continues to produce school-sized striped bass with 1-ounce Rat-L-Traps, flukes, umbrella rigs, pile worms, or anchovies. Action for boaters is focused inside of Portuguese Cove or the dam are with live jumbo minnows or vertical jigging with 1.75-ounce Duh! Spoons in shad patterns,” said Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill. “The forebay has been producing better than the main lake with a solid largemouth bass bite with jigs, Senkos, or tubes near the grass while striped bass are taken on Duo Realis or Lucky Craft jerkbaits in 120 or 130 size. Chartreuse Shad or Neo Pearl are popular patterns. Pile worms or anchovies are also a possibility near Check 12.” A 46-inch striper was caught and kept near Check 12.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the overall fishing has improved for experienced anglers in the slowly rising lake. “ The water temps are in the 57-58 degree range and the water clarity is an amazing 10 plus feet- both unusual conditions for January. The troll and reaction bite have been inconsistent with the passing storm fronts, so hitting the right bite windows is critical. Trollers are working the 40-70’ depths with silver minnow lures in the regular brands. I took out three guests on Sunday and we got lucky and hit the right pattern- with several different silver lure patterns in the main lake. We ended the day with over 30 released fish to 25” – working from spot to spot off points all day. A buddy of mine who’s very experienced and successful went out on Monday doing the same thing - and only got 4-5 school fish. The day to day bite changes quickly it seems. Minnow anglers are doing good in the clear water if they can find fish. “ George said.
The main lake rose to 59% with the forebay also rising to 87%.
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
The water level is very low, and launching a boat is problematic. A trout plant is scheduled this week, and this should bring out the shore bite near the Sheriff’s Tower with nightcrawlers, Power Bait, or spoons. Kayak anglers have been able to access the lake, but the bass bite remains a challenge. Kayak trout trollers are finding a few holdover rainbows per rod with blade/’crawler combinations near the surface.
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 gate to Kaiser Pass Road closed on Nov. 15. The Kaiser Pass lakes are starting to release water with fewer anglers heading over the pass to fish the small impoundments. Edison held at 30% of capacity, with Florence at 26% while Mammoth Pool dropped to 37%.
Road conditions (559) 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Heavy snow fell over the past two weekends, limiting access to the region. A few trollers have been on Shaver for limited action for kokanee and rainbow trout working the surface to 10 feet with various spinners in purple. A trout plant took place at Shaver last week. The Shaver Marina is closed, but the Sierra Marina launch ramp is open. 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 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
After the longest delay in the past several years of delays, the commercial Dungeness crab season will finally open in Zones 3-6 from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to the U.S./Mexico border on January 18 with a 50% reduction in crab traps. The commercial season had opened in Zones 1 and 2 from the Oregon border to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line a few weeks earlier with a similar reduction in traps. The presence of endangered humpback whales in coastal waters during the months of November and December have led to the delay, and each progressive year, the delay has been longer and longer. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) release, “This management decision is a balanced approach that achieves two outcomes. First, this trap reduction will help reduce entanglement risk for humpback whales by reducing the amount of gear and vertical lines in the water. Second, the decision gets the commercial fishery open statewide.”
The crab trap restriction has also been lifted as of January 12 for recreational anglers in Zones 3 and 4 from the Sonoma/Mendocino County Line. The New Captain Pete continues to score 10-crab limits, and they will run crab-only trips throughout January. The Pacifica Pier will continue to close for another three weeks through Jan. 26 due to damage from recent storms. Please do not remove barricades and signage for your safety.
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
Chris’s Whale Watching and Fishing Trips in Monterey has been returning with bucket loads of sand dab and a healthy Petrale sole count on their recent trips.
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “It’s a new year and as always, we can expect new variations on the rules and regulations for both recreational and commercial fishing in the State of California. Last year the regs and in-season changes disappointed many anglers. For the Monterey Bay area, the biggest hit was a cancelled salmon season. Stocks were determined to be too low to allow fishing for ocean salmon, so none was allowed. Fishing for salmon in the spring and early summer months has always been a mainstay for sport and commercial fishers in our area, probably the number one in terms of passion, enjoyment, and for generation of revenue from both commercial catch sales as well as associated and peripheral businesses in the area serving angler and visitors’ needs. Added to that major ruling, in-season changes from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife closed all nearshore rock fishing at the height of that season and limited recreational crabbers to using hoop nets only, barring the use of crab pots, while closing commercial crabbing altogether. Crab season for this year began in 2023 with those limitations in place, including no commercial crabbing. An in-season change recently lifted those limits for the fishing regions of far Northern California, and we just received word the restrictions for commercial crabbers will be lifted for our area on Jan. 18. Recreational anglers got the OK to resume using crab pots as of Jan. 12.
Expectations for the 2024 salmon season are murky as well. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council will make and announce decisions regarding 2024 king salmon season by April 15.
The state DFW usually has an inkling of the PFMC’s direction each year, and they open salmon season April 1 each year, with the final outline for the season contingent on PFMC’s assessment and announcement mid-April. Similarly, 2024 rules for fishing in the rockfish, cabezon and greenling complex (RCG) remain obscure at this point. We are most likely to operate under the three depth zones as last year, nearshore, shelf and slope rockfish. Concerns for protection of quillback rockfish may throw a wrench into the works, as it did in 2023, when inshore fishing was completely closed two months before season’s end, to protect quillback numbers.
More will be revealed. In the meantime, Former commercial fisherman Charles Lambert III reminds us that sand dabs are not only numerous in our area, especially in the 120 to 200-foot depths, but that they are a prized delicacy for consumption. “They don’t have a long shelf life, so restaurants pay a pretty penny for fresh-caught ‘dabs.” The fish are small, but when you find them out on the sandy flats of Monterey Bay, they are there in the hundreds. There’s no limit on the number of ‘dabs that can be legally kept by sport anglers, but 20 fish will feed a family of four very well indeed. Don’t take more than you need. As expected, surfcasting for perch is on the upswing, and in a big way. Despite the ongoing big swells hitting our coastline, even the big broad beaches of central Monterey Bay are producing good numbers of perch for anglers using grubs, GULP! worms or organic bait like sand crab or shrimp. And, the fish are getting bigger, seemingly by the day. Whereas most perch caught last month were in the 10-inch range, this week we received good reports of 12-14 inchers, and even some slabs in the 15-inch ‘“trophy” range.”
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill confirmed the excellent perch bite, saying, “Perch action has been phenomenal as the huge waves opened new holes for the fish. Mekini Baitz Carlos Perch Killer grubs, Lucky 13’s in motor oil/red flake, or Charlie Brewer’s Crappie Sliders have all be effective.”
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 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2 Crab 3
Outside the Golden Gate, crab-only or Petrale sole/sand dab/crab combination trips remain the only game in town until the reopening of rockfish season. New rockfish regulations for 2024 will be upcoming soon with the possibility of opening to 20 fathoms. Inside the bay, sharks, rays, and striped bass are all possibilities during the winter months until halibut hunters start showing interest in the south bay toward the end of the month. Flash II out of San Francisco has been scoring up to limits of striped bass in the central bay, and there are plenty of leopard shark. Herring spawns continue, mostly in the north bay near Sausalito, but they are fickle with the fish rising one day and absent the next. The piers have been crowded from shoulder-to-shoulder at the mere mention of a spawn breaking out. The annual central bay closure for white sturgeon starts on January 1 through March 15. During this period, white sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area between January 1 and March 15: That portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita.
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 3
During the winter months, boats from Morro Bay and Port San Luis will be running whale watching and nature trips until the 2024 rockfish season is open. Regulations are being formulated for the upcoming rockfish season, and significant changes are anticipated once again. 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
Cold weather conditions along with significant rainfall have changed the water conditions in the California Delta, and the bite is changing in response. Within the week, the water temperature dropped 5 degrees, and inflow has changed the visibility.
Johnny Wang, Manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, has had two successful trips in the main Sacramento River between Collinsville and Light 18 soaking live mudsuckers or frozen shad on the anchor at 30 feet in depth.
“These are new fresh-run fish with a blue haze, and they are picking up the bait and pulling the rod down to the water off of the balance beam even though the water temperature dropped to 47 degrees,” Wang said.
In the San Joaquin, Wang added a solid crappie bite off Eight Mile Road with live minnows or minijigs along with stripers around Bacon Island, Tracy Oasis, and Empire Tract with swimbaits or flukes. Largemouth bass have been taken on chatterbaits in Frank’s Tract.
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors said, “The water temperature of the Sacramento side of the Delta dropped from 54 to 48 degrees within the week, and the visibility has also dropped to 12 inches due to the dirty water flowing into the Delta. Fishing is getting a bit tough, but I moved upriver to shallow water and found stripers to 7 pounds. The fish are tightening up, but they are still biting. We also found some quality largemouth bass in the north Delta on jerkbaits.”
Trolling overall has been slow with the dirty and cold water, but Kenneth Robison and Chris Fenton ran deep-diving Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows along the West Bank for a handful of stripers including a 36-inch lineside landed by Fenton.
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was on the main San Joaquin River out of Ladd’s Marina, and Sacramento River off Sherman Island, and he said, “We found scattered schools of 20 to 60 fish around the birds, and we were able to pick off seven or eight from 3 to 5 pounds before they scattered and had to search for them again. P-Line’s Laser Minnows or Optimum’s Bad Bubba Shad swimbait in white/chartreuse tail did the trick. Several areas on the San Joaquin are being dredged, and this changes the water clarity, and you must move around.”
For sturgeon, Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg reported outstanding sturgeon action with cured roe on both tides, but with the new emergency sturgeon regulations of 42 to 48 inches with a two fish limit per boat have been a major deterrent to angler interest. He said, “Several of the six-packs have been tied up with lack of interest, and a few of the captains are now working day jobs. If the quota system alternative goes into effect in 2025, the six-pack sturgeon fishery will be in danger of extinction.”
Fong, Pringle, and Mitchell will all be featured seminar speakers at the International Sportsmen’s Exposition in Sacramento from January 18 through 21 – information on the seminar schedule is available at https://www.sportsexpos.com/attend/sacramento/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.
Events:
Jan. 18-21
International Sportsman’s Exposition – Cal Expo/Sacramento – information:
www:sportsexpos.com.
Jan. 26-27
Pittsburg Marina – 17th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Sturgeon Derby – information – Olivia Ortega (925) 439-4958.
Tournament results
Jan. 13
McClure – Christian Bass League
1st: Vic Geis/Russ Pierson – 15.84 (Big Fish – 4.76); 2nd – Mark Weighlein/Scott Burke – 13.56; 3rd- Nick Sanches/Jordan Poytress – 12.30.
Eastman – Bass Nation Kayak Tournament
1st: Damian Thao – 83.50 inches; 2nd – Steven Johnson – 76.50 inches (Big Fish – 19.50 inches); 3rd – Calvin Vang – 62.25 inches
Jan. 14
Don Pedro – Ryan Cook Memorial Tournament Adult Division
1st: Christian Ostrander/Scott Taylor – 20.56; 2nd – Kevin Davidson/Bryan Cox – 18.03; 3rd – Mike and Even Bearden – 15.43.
Don Pedro – Ryan Cook Memorial Tournament Junior Division
1st: Coop Wainwright – 15.18; 2nd – Justin Vinson – 14.36; 3rd – Cooper Scarborough– 13.26.
Pine Flat – Bass 559
1st: Yeng Her/Fong Vang – 11.90 (Big Fish – 3.29); 2nd – Michael and Anthony Her – 10.62; 3rd – Dou Vang/Yue Lee – 10.42.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Jan. 20
New Melones – Contra Costa Bass Club
McClure – Sierra Bass Club/Tri-Valley Bass Masters
Jan. 21
Millerton – Fresno Bass Club
Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club
Jan. 27
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Millerton – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments
Jan. 28
Millerton – California Bass Federation
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing
