Fishing report, Jan. 24-30, Bass lake pumping out big rainbows, Pine Flat trollers catching trout and Don Pedro rainbows on a tear
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.
Photo gallery
Show off your success! Share your fish photos and videos with Bee readers. Please share only jpeg images and Mp4 video files. Include “Fishing Report” in the subject line and a full caption and email to sports@fresnobee.com
Best bets
Delta stripers and sturgeon bites headline the action, Alan Fong reported. New Melones trout on a solid bite and McSwain trout plants spur on limit fishing, Dave Hurley said. Bass lake pumping out big rainbows, Mike Beighey reported. Pine Flat trollers catching trout, Michael Crayne said. Don Pedro rainbows are on a tear, Monte Smith reported.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 3
“With all of the rain and cold weather, fewer anglers have been heading to the aqueduct system,” said Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill.
In the south aqueduct, Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported striped bass action is best with cut sardines while jumbo live minnows, lugworms, or anchovies are also effective. The artificial action is slower as it takes several casts with flukes, tube baits, or jerkbaits to entice a strike. As usual, the best location is after the check gates and near the outlets. Catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait, chicken liver, or cut baits before and after the check gates. Largemouth bass are taken in the slower moving water with 4-inch plastics on the drop-shot.
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 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
“Eastman remains consistent for small bass, but you must find them,” said Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis. “Deep-diving crankbaits, dragging jigs, or finesse techniques with plastics are working best on the bottom, and some larger bass have been taken on trout-patterned swimbaits or glide baits thanks to the recent trout plants. Eastman is also one of the best crappie lakes right now, but like the bass, you must hunt around and find them in deep water in the right tree or rockpile.”
Hensley remains basically the same with carp, catfish, bluegill, or bass under two pounds possible. At both lakes, shore anglers are picking up some of the recently planted rainbows with Mice Tails, Power Bait, or nightcrawlers. Eastman rose slightly to 551.52 feet in elevation and 63% of capacity with Hensley over a foot to 473.30 feet in elevation and 18% of capacity.
Call: Eastman Lake (559) 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam (559) 673-5151.
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Don Pedro will be hosting a few tournaments in the coming months, and the winning weights will be increasing as the recent trout plants are bringing out the big boys and girls to feed. The water temperature remains warm for January, and a full lake is a great sign for the coming spring for rainbow trout, kokanee, and king salmon.
For rainbow trout, Monte Smith of Gold Country is getting ready for the upcoming kokanee season by making lures, and he reports a solid trout bite for fish to 3 pounds with shad-patterned spoons on lead core from the surface to 10 feet.
Don Pedro has a daily vehicle fee of $20 and with an additional $15 for boat launch. The lake rose a half-foot to 795.79 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 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3
The lake basically held at 2,565.89 feet in elevation and 36% of capacity despite water releases from the dam rising 269 to 429 cfs at First Point. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported the best action has been for crappie with live minnows or minijigs from Red’s Marina and in the South Fork over submerged rockpiles or wood.
A Department of Fish and Wildlife trout plant has improved action for planters with Get Bent Baits, garlic Power Bait, spinners, or pinched crawlers. Bass fishing has been best around primary lake points at depths to 35 feet with deep-diving crankbaits, plastic worms in the 7- to 10-inch range, or Chasebaits in crawdad patterns.
Quality bass can be taken on rainbow-trout patterned swimbaits or glide baits due to the recent trout plants for those willing to make unlimited casts. Catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait, cut mackerel, or nightcrawlers.
In the Kern River, Cope’s reported a solid trout bite with limits possible, particularly along the access points in the 20-mile stretch with salmon eggs, crickets, minijigs, or nightcrawlers. Heavy trout plants over the past few weeks have the river loaded with fish.
A double plant in Section 5 is scheduled this week. Section 5 is from Fairview Dam to the Lazy River Lodge. Last week’s trout plants in the lower Kings in Sections 1,2, and 3 has spurred action for the planters. The bass bite remains fair with crankbaits, jigs, or spinners while catfish are taken with Triple S Dip Bait, cut bait, or nightcrawlers. The flows on upper Kern at Kernville have risen are steady at 511 cfs. Trout plants are scheduled at River Walk and Ming the week of Jan. 28.
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 nearly 7 feet to 612.22 feet in elevation and 15% of capacity. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported main lake points, underwater humps, or submerged rock piles at depths from 15 to 40 feet are the best locations for both largemouth and spotted bass. Finesse baits in green pumpkin, Oxblood, or purple on a slow retrieve have been the most reliable technique while bass holding deeper are taken on ice jigs, spoons, or underspins on a vertical presentation.
Small live minnows, minijigs, or small Keitech swimbaits are working for crappie in deep water near Horse Creek. Catfishing remains best with cut baits or dip baits. The recent trout plants have brought out the shore anglers soaking Power Bait or tossing spinners. Another trout plant is scheduled this week. The Kaweah River at Three Rivers is at 261 cfs.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake rose two feet to 603.80 feet in elevation and 18% of capacity. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported fair bass action with plastics on a Ned-rig or drop-shot along with jigs working best at depths from 10 to 40 feet. Vertical spoons or deep-diving crankbaits are picking up a few bass as well. Small swimbaits or minijigs are working over submerged structure for crappie while catfishing is best with fresh shrimp or Triple S Dip Bait in deep water. A trout plant is scheduled this week.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
The most consistent action remains with jigs, plastics on the drop-shot, Ned-rig, or Neko-rig in deep water over main lake and secondary points, but there is the occasional quality largemouth or spot taken on swimbaits or glide baits in trout patterns. Heavy trout plants early in the season have brought out more of the big fish. Crappie remain in deep water inside submerged trees in coves with live minnows or minijigs, and there have been some solid scores. Trolling is the best way to pick up the holdover rainbows with shad-patterned spoons near the dam while most bank anglers are heading to downstream McSwain due to another 6500-pound plant this week. Catfishing remains solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The lake rose slightly to 807.27 feet in elevation and 65% of capacity.
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 3
Another 6,500 pounds of Calaveras Trout Farm rainbows have been released, and limits from the shorelines have been the rule within days of the plant. There are plenty of fish in the lake, but the pressure from the shoreline remains intense, particularly at the Brush Pile, the Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula near the marina. Berkley Mice Tails, rainbow garlic Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters in gold or blue/chrome are your best bets for limit-style action. Trollers are heading up the river arm near the Second Fence Line with Ruby Red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler or blue/chrome Kastmasters. The lake is at 90% of capacity.
Call:Angler’s Edge Market (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
The Fresno Bass Club held a tournament on Sunday, Jan. 21.
“It was a tough day of fishing as the weights are way down this year,” Bill Kunz of St. Croix Rods said. “It reminds me of the late 80’s and early 90’s when limits in the 7- to 8-pound range would win a tournament. I was fortunate to find a few fish and grind out a second place finish at 8.26 pounds with finesse tactics using a Pro Worm on a 1/0 Spearpoint offset worm hook on 6-pound P-Line’s Tactical line on my St. Croix Legend 7’3” Tournament MXF rod.”
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Everything has been deep at 50 feet or greater, and anglers are dragging the bottom with Hula Grubs, jigs, or plastics on the drop-shot on a slow presentation. The reaction bite is absent. Millerton has also been solid for crappie for those willing to put in the time to find the slabs in deep water with a variety of minijigs. Electronics are important right now.”
The lake rose nearly 6 feet to 518.39 feet in elevation and 53% of capacity. Sycamore Island reopened on Jan. 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 428 cfs. A trout plant is scheduled at Woodward Park the week of Jan. 28.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1
Bass fishing continues to improve, and with the trout plants earlier in the season, swimbaits in rainbow trout patterns are starting to get more play for those willing to throw the baits for an extended period.
Huddleston or Hawg Hunters in rainbow trout pattern are some of the most popular swimbaits. It’s only a matter of time before a double-digit bass emerges. Numbers are found on finesse presentations of plastics on the drop-shot or jigs in deep water. Trolling for trout remains strong with Apex lures, Speedy Shiners, or Wiggle Hoochies from the surface to 7 feet as the trout are moving closer to the shorelines and in the coves. The Kokanee Power net pens at New Melones have been loaded with trout from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and these fish will be fattening up during the winter months before release in April. New Melones has a daily use fee of $8 with a boat launch of $10 (day use included). The lake held at 1050.80 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 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
“The bass bite has been sporadic as the fish are either holding from the banks to 20 feet or deeper than 50 feet,” Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said. “With the inclement weather, they have been all over the place, and it’s either a finesse bite on the bottom with plastics or jigs or a deep bite with small shad-patterned spoons or ice jigs. Trout trolling has been very good with Dick’s Mountain Tackle, Needlefish, or similar shad-patterned spoons from the surface to 20 feet around the Power Lines and up through Lefever Creek.“
In the lower Kings, a trout plant is scheduled for this week, and the best action remains with spinners followed by nightcrawlers or Power Bait in the eddies from fast to slow water. The open section of the river gets busy within days of the plant. The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have risen from 540 to 791 cfs while the lake rose 2 feet to 879.31 feet in elevation and 63% of capacity. Avocado Lake is also slated for a trout plant this week.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 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
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “The striped bass bite has been best in the main lake about 50 yards off Dinosaur Point with jumbo minnows. Overall, the action in the main lake has been slower over the past few weeks. The O’ Neill Forebay has been the better of the two options as anglers are tossing Rat-L-Traps, umbrella rigs, or Duo Realis or Lucky Craft jerkbaits in 120 or 130 size in Chartreuse Shad or Neo Pearl. Most of the stripers are school-sized.”
In the main lake, there have been reports of schools of active stripers inside of Portuguese Cove or the Lone Oak Area as the baitfish is thick with sculpin, grass shrimp, or silversides. Birds are working on the surface as the stripers are chasing up the bait fish. Umbrella rigs with shad-patterned swimbaits are working at depths from 50 to 55 feet.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the bite has generally been tougher for most all anglers for the last two weeks. Experienced trolling anglers are having to work hard to get average sized fish using more Shad finessed colored Lucky Crafts in the 128 sizes . The clear water is not usual for this time of year and it’s affecting all the bites. I had a canceled trip, so I alone went on a scouting trip to see if I could figure out the bite. After almost two hours of looking I found some active fish at 50 feet to 65 feet in the main lake - and ended up landing (some) on several different shad type lures in silver. Started out tough but ended up very good . The coming full moon may be a factor later this week with the clear water conditions. “George said.
The main lake held at 59% of capacity with the forebay rising to 93% 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 3 Kokanee 0
A recent Department of Fish and Wildlife trout plant included quality rainbows in the 31/2 pound range.
Veteran Bass Lake guide Mike Beighey said, he, his son, Bobby ,and his fishing partner picked up two limits to nearly four pounds a few days after the plant with a variety of Dick’s Mountain Tackle including tubes, hoochies, Koke Busters or Trotu Busters in orange, pink, or purple behind a Dick’s Mountain Dodger.
“This plant, combined with a plant a few weeks prior, will make fishing for the upcoming trout derby much more interesting,” Beighey said. “Coupled with normal big plants before the derby, this could be a dynamite year. The water level continues to be low, keeping boaters from launching at the ramp. However, for a fee, boats can be launched from the Pines Resort ramp. This plant could make the fee worth it. I will start taking reservations soon for the upcoming season.” A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/.
Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing (559) 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) 97-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake (559)259-4000.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Trout 2 Kokanee 2
With the arrival of snow, fewer anglers have been venturing to Shaver Lake, but the big news is the 18-pound, 5-ounce German brown trout caught and released by veteran brown chaser Byron Stickler of Fresno.
A trout plant took place at Shaver the week of Jan. 14. 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 (559) 288-8100; Jerad Romero, Jrods Guide Service (559) 392-6994; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing (559) 802-8072.
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 0
The gate to McKinley Grove Road closed on Dec. 1, limiting access to the high elevation lakes. The road is expected to reopen in April.
Call: Wishon RV Park (559) 865-5361.
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Striper 2 Halibut 1 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 crabs 3
The New Captain Pete continues to run crab-only trips depending upon weather and interest, and with the addition of crab traps, 10-crab limits are pulled up in no time. They will continue to run crab-only trips throughout January. The commercial Dungeness season is open, and live crab is being sold off the docks at the harbor. The Pacifica Pier will continue to close until Jan. 26, due to damage from the recent storms. A structural analysis is being performed as a portion of the closed L section collapsed. Beach Boulevard may also be closed due to damage from the 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 continues to return with bucket loads of sand dab along with a handful of Petrale sole on their recent fishing trips. They are running whale watching on a daily basis along with the occasional fishing trip depending upon interest and weather conditions.
“It’s a great relief for commercial crabbers to finally be able to get out and start earning some money catching Dungeness from our Northern California waters.” said Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service. “Sadly, with no salmon season last year and severe restrictions in 2023, an increasing number of commercial operations have gone out of business. The outlook for a 2024 salmon season looks bleak,” he said.
“The numbers of Sacramento fish returning to spawn is abysmally low. It does not look good for either commercial or sport salmon season in our area this spring,” he added.
Recreational crab anglers are now allowed to resume using traditional crab pots, as the number of humpback whales feeding in our area has dropped. Catches of Dungeness are good right now in Monterey Bay and on up the coast to Half Moon Bay and Marin County, perhaps because of reduced pressure on the biomass of crab so far this year with no commercial fishing and recreational anglers limited to hoop nets or snares, he said.
Local charter operations running “crab and ‘dab” trips are going to find it a lot easier to get limits for their clients of the tasty crustaceans. Sand dabs are plentiful in the 120- to 250-foot depths, and easily caught using Sabiki rigs tipped with squid bits. The tasty sole are small, but there is no bag limit. Anglers targeting the sand dabs commonly return with 20 or 30 fish, which make for fine table fare. Larger Petrale sole can be found in those same areas and caught with the same gear, though they are not as numerous.
The weather for the weekend of Jan. 27-28 looks a bit iffy with rain forecasted. However, strong southerly winds and a combination of wind waves and a large swell can make things messy though and make for tough fishing as well, Bushnell said. “At a certain point, it becomes a safety issue, but the fish usually stop biting before conditions get to that level. Fishing from the beaches is getting better and better as we move into the gut of winter. Barred surf perch are the main prey. They are getting bigger and more numerous at most beaches ringing Monterey Bay. We are seeing an uptick of small stripers caught in the surf as well, usually close to the central bay river mouths,” he said
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill confirmed the excellent perch bite. “Perch fishing remains very strong, and there have been some striped bass taken near the mouth of the Salinas River or along Pajaro Dunes. Perch grubs from Mekini Baitz or Lucky 13s in motor oil/red flake remain effective as lures have been less popular,” he said.
Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732.
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Halibut 2 Striper 2 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2 Crab 3
There hasn’t been much change on the Golden Gate front as crab-only or Petrale sole/sand dab/crab combination trips remain the only game in town until the reopening of rockfish season. The commercial crab season has opened, and live crab are being sold off the docks in San Francisco and Berkeley. Recreational Dungeness crab trips continue to return with 10-crab limits, and the use of crab traps has made for a short trip once you get to the pots. New rockfish regulations for 2024 will be upcoming soon with the possibility of opening to 20 fathoms. This will be beneficial for kayak anglers as well as giving more ground when crab/rockfish combination season starts in November. Inside the bay, sharks, rays, and striped bass remain possibilities during the winter months until halibut hunters start showing interest in the south bay toward the end of the month. Herring spawns continue an intermittent basis, mostly in the north bay near Sausalito, but once word of a spawn breaks out, boats congregate where the birds are feeding, and the piers become crowded with anglers tossing cast nets. The annual central bay closure for white sturgeon continues through March 15. During this period, white sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area between Jan. 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
Intermittent storms have created challenging conditions on the California Delta, but the striped bass and sturgeon don’t seem to mind. The big event of the weekend is the 17th Annual Diamond Classic out of Pittsburg Marina 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27 out of the Pittsburg Marina. A seminar will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26 at the Pittsburg Yacht Club, 3 Marina Blvd, Pittsburg. The pre-derby seminar annually features several six-pack captains providing information on successful white sturgeon techniques. A fundraising raffle is also held at the seminar, and the funds raised to provide prizes for both adults and youth. Youth participation has grown over the years, and in addition to youth being taken out on boats, the shoreline around the Pittsburg Marina will be lined with young anglers with assistance from volunteers. The entry fee is $25/adults and free for youths 15 and under. Information and registration is available at Fisherman’s Catch Bait and Tackle, 27 Marina Blvd, Pittsburg (925) 267-2535 or at Martinez Bait and Tackle, 95 Tarantino Street, Martinez, (925) 299- 299-9420. Additional information is available at http://www.diamondclassic.org/info.html or at via tournament organizer, Olivia Ortega at the Pittsburg Marina (925) 439-4958.
The Delta is broken into four zones with weighmasters patrolling each zone, and all legal sturgeon in the 42- to 48-inch range are given a ticket. Once all the tickets are collected, a random draw of all legal fish will determine the finishers from first through seventh.
With the water temperature holding in the 47- to 50-degree range, sturgeon fishing remains outstanding with cured salmon roe while ghost shrimp, grass shrimp, and lamprey eel is starting to perk up.
Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg said, “we continue to find great action on both tides, but with the emergency sturgeon regulations of 42 to 48 inches with a two fish limit per boat, many of our six-pack fleet has been left tied to the docks. It’s springtime action right now, and the sturgeon are stacked up from the Carquinez Bridge to above Pittsburg.”
For striped bass, Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors continues to find excellent action tossing 5-inch swimbaits in shad patterns in the shallows up north in the Delta near Liberty Island.
He said, “The water temperature is in the 48-degree range, but the fish are on a feeding frenzy. We also picked up a few bass on chatterbaits.”
Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing was out in the rain on Saturday, and he found 48-degree water on the San Joaquin side. He said, “I was just out for a few hours since I didn’t want to venture far from my home base at Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor, and although I saw plenty of stripers on the meter, I only landed one keeper soaking cut sardines. The undersized striped bass really like the sardines, and I released several small fish.
“Most of the action came at the last of the incoming tide as there was lots of submerged debris on the outgo. Boaters must be extremely cautious as there are some huge, waterlogged trees hiding just below the surface. If I would have ventured further downriver, I think I would have found a larger grade of stripers.”
During periods of heavy rain pushing debris off of the shorelines, boats on the anchor must be cautious of what is moving downstream as a huge log can capsize a boat on the anchor in seconds.
In the central Delta, striped bass schools remain scattered, and there are very few boats trying. Largemouth bass action remains very slow with the few recent club tournaments weighing in as few as 6.5 pounds for first place. The Florida-strain largemouth bass have great difficulty with a rapid change in water temperature.
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. 26-27
Pittsburg Marina – 17th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Sturgeon Derby – information – Olivia Ortega (925) 439-4958.
Tournament results
Jan. 20
McClure – Sierra Bass Club – Jan. 20– 1st: Ron Orbaker – 12.32 (Big Fish – 3.70); 2nd – Dan Folia – 11.11; 3rd – Joe Ploharz – 11.01.
Jan. 21
Millerton – Fresno Bass Club
1st: Bob Jones – 9.63; 2nd – Bill Kunz – 8.26; 3rd – A.J. Duncan – 8.23. Big Fish – Justin Barton – 2.88.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Jan. 27
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Millerton – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments
Jan. 28
Millerton – California Bass Federation
Feb. 3
New Melones – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
McClure – Kerman Bass Club
Santa Margarita – American Bass Association
Feb. 4
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association
New Melones- Riverbank Bass Anglers/Christian Bass League
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Pine Flat – Bass 101
Feb. 10
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
Camanche- Bass Anglers of Northern California
New Melones – 17/90 Bass Club
Don Pedro – Sonora Bass Anglers
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Pine Flat – California Bass Federation/Bakersfield Bass Club
Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Feb. 11
New Melones – California Bass Federation
McClure – Fresno Bass Club
Feb. 17
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association
Don Pedro – Christian Bass League/Gilroy Bass Masters
McClure – Oro Madre Bass Anglers
Millerton – Sierra Bass Club
Pine Flat – Kerman Bass Club/Kern County Bass Masters
Feb. 18
McClure – Kings River Bass Club
Feb. 24
Don Pedro – Nor Cal Bass
Millerton – Best Bass Tournaments
Pine Flat – Golden Empire Bass Club
Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments
Lopez – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
Feb. 25
Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation
March 2
New Melones – Angler’s Press
Tulloch – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
Eastman – Kerman Bass Club
Pine Flat – Central Valley Kayak Fishing
March 3
Lake Pardee – Riverbank Bass Anglers
Santa Margarita – Bakersfield Bass Club
March 9
Bass Lake – 559 Bass Kayak
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing
