Fishing report, June 21-27: As roads open, action at Sierra lakes picks up
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
Bass Lake trout bite solid, Mike Beighey reported. New Melones producing huge Kokanee, Monte Smith said. Wishon trout bite good, Kelly Brewer reported. Shaver trout biting, Dick Nichols reported. Don Pedro bass action hot, Ryan Cook said.
Roger’s remarks
Roger George’s column will return.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 3 Catfish 3
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported plenty of catfish taken in the Delta Mendota Canal, but striped bass action in the northern section of the California Aqueduct has been slow. “From Santa Nella south, the striped bass fishing has been better as the current is strong and moving,” he said. Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill added: “Small catfish with a variety of baits has been the story in the California Aqueduct.”
In the southern aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported good striped bass action with cut baits, jerkbaits and extra-large minnows, along with jerkbaits or topwater lures in the early mornings or evenings. Largemouth bass are hitting 6-inch plastics in brown, green, or purple on a Texas-rig around the slower water in the eddies. Catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait, chicken liver or cut sardines.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported the bass at Eastman are feeding on bluegill or baby bass, but they are suspending off the shorelines. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod & Gun said, “Eastman continues to be hammered by fishing and recreational boating pressure, and the bite has slowed down.” At Hensley, Crayne reported a few largemouth bass to 4 pounds taken on the bottom with small jigs or plastics on a Carolina-rig, Texas-rig, or drop-shot. Moua reported holdover trout have been found in the deep water near the dam. Eastman dropped slightly to 572.06 feet in elevation and 83% capacity with Hensley also dropping slightly to 521.20 feet in elevation and 70%.
Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151
Lake Don Pedro
Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 3
The topwater bite remains outstanding as the team of Clara Ricabal and Alex Niapas of St. Croix Rods won Saturday’s Wild West Bass Trails event by throwing the Diawa TD Popper in Red Scale. Said Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing: “We haven’t landed less than 30 fish on any trip over the past several weeks, and we are scoring with 3.5-inch Dry Creek tubes on a quarter-ounce Lunker Daddy jig head, plastics on a Carolina-rig, quarter-ounce G-Money Jigs underspins with a 3.25-inch Strike King Rage Swimmer, or on a half-inch G-Money Jig with a 5-inch Lunker Daddy twin tail trailer in the main lake at depths from 5 to 30 feet. The key is to fish slow, and we are chasing the wind by working banks where the wind is pushing up the bait. The Berkley Choppo and River2Sea Rover have been effective as topwater lures.” Winning limits have been consistently in the 16-pound range.
Trout and king salmon are a possibility at depths from 35 to 50 feet by rolling shad or heavy shad-patterned spoons, but the kokanee are scattered. The lake rose 3 feet to 800.71 in elevation and 83%. You can launch at Mocassin, but there is no access to the main lake from this ramp.
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 3 Trout 3 Crappie 3 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3
The lake held at 2,595 feet elevation and 80% capacity even though the Kern River at Kernville rose from 2,793 to 3,985 cfs. Water releases from the dam are holding strong at 5,320 cfs at First Point. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported a 25.07-pound limit by Alex Theodorou. Also, Mason McAbee took a recent tournament with a big fish of 8.82 pounds, one of two fish over 8 pounds in the tournament. Senkos, crankbaits, and jigs are the top bass offerings. Crappie are found shallow and near structure in the South Fork and off Rocky Point with small to medium minnows or mini jigs, while catfish are taken with chicken liver, Triple S Dip Bait or shrimp. Trout fishing has been outstanding due to heavy plants before the annual derby, and Kastmasters, spinners, or garlic Power Bait are working from the banks. Trollers are loading up with Tasmanian Devils, Flicker Shad, or Needlefish in shad patterns. The flows on the upper Kern remain dangerous, and it is impossible to fish on both the upper and lower Kern with the high flows. In the local lakes, Cope’s reported the trout season at River Walk is over, but there are reports of bass in the amphitheater lake. At Ming, topwater lures are working for bass in the early mornings and late afternoons before heading to the bottom with Senkos in green pumpkin jigs, plastics on the drop-shot or Ned-rig. An occasional crappie is taken on mini jigs or medium minnows, but the bluegill bite is wide open with live worms under a bobber. At Buena Vista, Copes reported fair action for bass with jigs, crankbaits, or stickbaits as the fish are holding tight to cover. Pitching into the weed pockets is the best option. Catfishing is fair with Triple S Dip Bait, chicken liver, or cut baits, but the crappie bite has slowed as schools have been hard to locate. At Hart Park, Cope’s reported fair bass angling with plastics in purple or brown on the drop-shot or Carolina-rig along with jigs are working best, and the larger worms in the 6- to 8-inch range are best. Catfishing is decent with chicken liver, sardines, or Triple S Dip Bait and, similar to the other local lakes, bluegill are taken on worms under a bobber.
Call: Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657; Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; 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 3 feet this week to 693.34 feet elevation and 76% capacity. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported spotted bass are found at depths from 5 to 20 feet with jigs, Senkos, or finesse baits in green pumpkin, Oxblood, or Tequila Sunrise. Secondary points in deep water are working for the largest grade, and these are most likely post-spawn females. Catfishing is best with chicken liver, anchovies, or Triple S Dip Bait. Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported the crappie bite has slowed as fewer Fresno-area anglers are heading south. The best location for the slabs remains Horse Creek with minnows or crappie jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles. The Kaweah River at Three Rivers continues to run high, and it rose this week from 2,793 to 3,985 cfs.
Lake Success
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
Success rose less than a foot to 647.03 feet elevation and 86%. Cope’s Tackle & Rod in Bakersfield reported solid bass action at depths from 5 to 20 feet with plastics on a Ned-rig or Texas-rig along with jigs with the best grade in deep water. Deep-diving crankbaits are also working. Catfishing is best with chicken liver, sardines, or Triple S Dip Bait on Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com
Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Overall, the bass bite has slowed down. But there is a decent topwater bite in the main lake with the Berkley Choppo 90 or River2Sea Rover at depths from 10 to 30 feet. Numbers of small bass remain the rule but finding anything of size is challenging. The lake rose 2 feet to 838.21 feet in elevation and 81% capacity.
Call: Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 2
Minimal change here as the lake continues to spill over at 107%, and the high water is expected through August with all of the snowmelt coming down the Merced River through the Exchequer Dam at upstream Lake McClure. The water clarity is limited, and trout plants are not scheduled as they will be pushed over the spillway by the high water. Bank anglers continue to struggle for the occasional holdover rainbow.
Call: Angler’s Edge Market (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 2 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod & Gun in Clovis said: “There have been a number of striped bass landed within the past week, and instead of being upriver near Finegold, the action has been near the dam. Most anglers are throwing jerkbaits for the linesides. Overall, small spotted bass remain the rule with shad-patterned swimbaits, topwater lures, umbrella rigs or crankbaits.” Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle added: “It’s been just about the same as the fish are suspending with the rising water levels. Dragging jigs or tubes along with small Keitech swimbaits are working best.” Water releases down the San Joaquin remain high, but they have dropped from 6,531 to 3,983 cfs at Friant. The lake rose 27 feet in the past two weeks to 533.73 in elevation and 63 percent. The San Joaquin River from Friant Dam to the Merced County line has reopened for recreational use, but parks that are currently closed along the San Joaquin River will remain closed. Sycamore Park is open seven days per week, and they have a June Bass League currently led with an 18.5-inch smallmouth.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
The lake continues to produce the largest kokanee in the state, currently pushing 19 inches. The lake continues to rise steadily, and the kokanee have made an early run to the south of the lake. In a normal year, kokanee will start to accumulate around Rose Island in July to prepare for an attempt to spawn, but the big ones are already gathering around structure. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said: “Everything is in the south, but the kokanee are scattered. We found a school sitting close to structure at 35 to 40 feet in a point at 100 feet in depth. They were in a tight little area. It does seem early that the kokanee have migrated south, but the lake is still rising. I had eight-year-old Layton Dickens out with his father, and our first kokanee came in at over 2 pounds. We ended up with a limit of fat kokanee for Layton.”
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service has also been finding great success on both his day and evening trips for kokanee. He said: “We are running Apex lures behind a gold hammered dodger at depths from 30 to 35 feet in the south, and the lake isn’t kicking out huge numbers of fish with each trip averaging 7 to 12 fish. But the quality is what we’re looking for. Seven two-pounders is better than anything out of our local lakes. The fishing should get better when the lake stops rising.” Bass fishing remains good for numbers, but finding any size is a challenge. The rising lake and flooded terrain may be reasons for the overall slow bass action for the larger grade of fish. The lake came up 2 feet to 1048.90 and 82%.
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 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod & Gun in Clovis said: “There is a decent catfish and crappie bite, and trout trollers are finding some success running shad-patterned spoons through the shad schools.” Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle said: “There is a lot of water coming in, and the cold water is around 25 feet in depth at both Millerton and Pine Flat. Small fish have been the rule at depths from 15 to 20 feet with 3.3-inch Keitech swimbaits, Senkos, or plastics on a drop-shot or Neko rig in shad patterns.” The lake rose 6 feet this week to 879.45 in elevation and 62%. Flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer are dangerous as they have jumped up from 11,197 to 20,757 cfs with the warmer weather melting the snowpack. The river is closed below the dam for any contact with the water.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
The lake remains extremely high at 99% capacity. Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said: “The troll bite has improved with Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows or P-Line’s Predators close to the bottom in deep water near the Trash Racks. There is still a topwater bite in the early mornings with walking-style baits, and flukes on a scrounger head are also effective. Bank anglers continue to soak anchovies, pile worms, nightcrawlers, or large minnows as access is easy. Extra-large and large minnows are still available. Heavy pumping at Check 12 has led to an excellent bite in the O’Neill Forebay with topwater lures such as walking-style baits. The forebay is at 83%.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the troll bite has been decent — if you can ever get on the water. “You can’t hardly ever get to the pump area due to the heavy wind, so most anglers are staying on the west end. I don’t know anyone who has been able to fish the pump area for awhile and all the real action has been in Portuguese Cove trolling minnow lures at 50 feet. I guided Greg Baronian and Tony Tamburino on Saturday after waiting till after lunch for the lake to open. We ended up with 12 nice fish all from 22” to 25” and all released in just 5 hours. We trolled Lucky Crafts at around the 50 foot depths to get our fish. We had to deal with the 15-25 mph winds. We earned what we caught. The wind has been bad.” 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
Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing said: “The lake is full to the top with plenty of recreational boating action, but this isn’t stopping the solid trout bite. Limits are the rule from the surface to 18 feet with Dick’s Mountain hoochies in pink or orange or Dick’s Trout Busters in pink tipped with white or pink Berkley Maggots behind a Mountain Dodger or Rocky Mountain Signature dodger. The kokanee have yet to show, but there is still hope. The spotted bass are spawning, and swimbaits, tubes, Senkos or plastics on the drop-shot are all working for the spots.” A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/. The lake is at 90% capacity.
Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Kaiser Pass Road is scheduled to open by this weekend, according to a Vermilion Valley Resort Facebook post. Road conditions: (559) 297-0706. Edison is at 44%, Florence at 89% and Mammoth Pool is spilling at 102%.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 2 Trout 3
Shaver guide emeritus Dick Nichols said: “It finally happened as Shaver Lake is kicking out fish again. The lake has leveled off, and most of the debris is gone. Throw in a big trout plant by CDFW, holdover trout, trophy trout from last month’s plant, and the trout bite has improved. And guess what, the kokanee have shown up. A couple limits of 14- to 18- inch kokes are now possible. But the second-year kokanee must be dealt with that are only 10 to 12 inches. On a Thursday trip, Dr. Barbara Stewart hit the lake solo and picked up approximately 3 limits, keeping a limit of kokanee from 14 to 18 inches Brad’s Split plug tipped with corn behind Dicks Mountain Dodgers in either the Doc Barb or Captain J models. Jay and Delinda Irvine took Jim and Lisel Yale of Visalia on Saturday for three limits composed of 6 kokanee and 9 trout using a purple Dicks Mountain Tackle Koke Buster with a Capt. J dodger on both the downriggers and side rods. The downriggers were 12 feet deep with a 60-foot setback. On Father’s Day, Delinda and Jay fished two hours for one limit using Paulina Peak’s orange/green spinner at 12 feet deep.”
Huntington rose to 97% capacity, and the brown trout trollers are launching their aluminum boats. All campgrounds remain closed due to snow levels. A webcam of the Shaver launch ramp is at sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html .
Call: Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Jerad Romero, Jrods Guide Service 392-6994; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 3
Kelly Brewer of the Wishon Village RV Park and Store reported continued excellent trout action at Wishon with trollers scoring with blade/’crawler combinations while bank anglers are also scoring soaking pink Power Bait for rainbows ranging from 12 to 16 inches. Fish and Wildlife planted early in the week.” Courtright is expected to remain closed into July; interested anglers can monitor road conditions for Courtright through the High Sierra Ranger Station in Prather at (559) 855-5355.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Rockfish 3 Striper 3 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said: “Shore anglers are still doing well casting for striped bass and halibut from rocky edges or sandy areas, respectively. From Fort Point all the way around the corner and down coast to the San Mateo beaches, stripers are getting more numerous and bigger. Reports came in this week of bass in the 20- to 25-pound range. Perch fishing is going great guns with a higher ratio of redtails this year being reported.” The weather remains the limiting factor for deepwater rockfishing seaward of 50 fathoms, and this week doesn’t seem to be encouraging. Few boats have ventured out into the deep limiting factor. Rockfish are not be taken in the open zone below Pigeon Point and transported back to Half Moon Bay through the San Francisco Groundfish Management Area until the season opens on July 16.
A total of one million salmon fry will be delivered to the Coastside Fishing Club net pens from the Mokelumne River Hatchery and will be released after acclimating for a few days. The surviving salmon are anticipated to return to the harbor area after three years, and the survival rate is greatly enhanced by direct planting into the ocean.
Anglers should use the following link to access the specific location of the 50-fathom curve: https://cdfw.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c00c82e1f32a49e99c747e2411e3439e. Anglers can view closed areas utilizing CDFW’s Ocean Sport Fishing Interactive Web Map.
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 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Deep water rockfishing out of Monterey continues to be excellent with limits of quality rockfish and a decent ling cod count for the boats running out of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey. Access to deep water seaward of 50 fathoms is close to the Monterey harbor as the edge of the canyon is relatively close compared to other coastal ports.
Alan Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said: “We enjoy a wealth of fishing opportunities here on the Monterey Bay. You don’t need a boat to go out and have fun, work your skills and bring home a tasty and healthy dinner. Surfcasting has been discussed quite often in this column as an easily accessible option, and we will revisit that topic soon. Beach fishing will continue to improve as we move into summer. Last week we covered the opportunities piers and jetties can provide around the bay, to fish deeper water and have a chance at bigger, harder-fighting fish. Another productive choice can be the skiff rentals. Capitola Boat and Bait, located on the Capitola Wharf is closed down this year, due to storm damage from our ferocious winter. Their sister store, Santa Cruz Boat Rentals remains open, and business is booming! All the fishing staff from Capitola are currently working at the Santa Cruz launch right now, so if you are missing Ed Burrell, Mike Hicks or Myron Larson just head out to the Wharf. Rental skiffs are piloted by the renter. With a small outboard motor, they can’t go too fast or too far. Safety is always the number one priority, but it’s a great way to do some solo exploring and fishing, at a very reasonable cost. This week the reports from Santa Cruz Boat Rentals include halibut in the 30 to 36-inch range, loads of rockfish from the West Cliff reefs with an increasing number of lingcod in the mix.
“They were using frozen squid for the halibut and live kingfish for the lingcod in about 60 feet of water on the inside of the whistle buoy,” the boat handlers advised. The next step up to increase the size and number of fish you’ll likely catch are the charter boats. Bigger boats around the bay can carry as many as 30 anglers. They go farther and deeper and provide the expertise and up to date knowledge of what’s biting and where. Most economical are the bigger charter boats from Stagnaro’s Sportfishing in Santa Cruz, the Kahuna in Moss Landing and Chris’ Fishing Trips from Monterey. Slightly more expensive, but usually more comfortable and accommodating are the six-pack charters. Carrying a maximum of six anglers, these operators are faster and usually more adventurous in terms of the fish they are willing to pursue for their customers. Dedicated halibut trips or tuna hunting are examples of the kind of fishing a six-pack charter can provide in our area. So, you have no excuse not to go fishing! If you go this week, look for limits of chili peppers, big vermilion, and Petrale sole on the deep water charter trips. Half-day and inshore outings are finding limits as well, including lots of hefty black and blue schoolie rockfish. Halibut are definitely here, with the larger models hanging out in deeper water still. Try live bait in 50-70 feet of water for the big flatties. Frozen bait including herring, anchovies and squid are also doing the trick for halibut of late. On the beaches, we’re seeing more sandcrabs, always a good sign. The barred surf perch are biting from beaches all around the bay, while striped bass seem to be sticking mostly to those steep beaches between Sand City and the Salinas River mouth.”
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 2 Sturgeon 1
After a relative lull in halibut and striped bass action due to the presence of King Tides muddying up the bay, the water has cleared and limits of halibut and striped bass are once again the rule. However, the next series of big tides is on the horizon, and the wind is expected to blow this week, once again muddying up the bay.
Captain James Smith of the California Dawn said: “We are now getting into a summertime pattern as the fish have transitioned into the traditional locations in the central bay. There are still a few fish in the south bay, but the bulk can be found around Treasure Island, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the Berkeley Flats. We put in 22 limits of striped bass and 22 limits of halibut on our last trip, and there are still male striped bass still milking in the bay. There has been a very interesting situation in the bay, and I haven’t seen this for many years. The anchovies have left the bay, and we aren’t seeing many fin fish in their bellies. We have taken as much as a pound of grass shrimp out of the bellies of the striped bass as they are loading up on the shrimp along with baby Dungeness crab. Right now, we are staying inside the bay, but I think on the next tide set, the halibut and striped bass will head outside the Golden Gate and settle on the bars as the anchovies are in the ocean.”
Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley Marina was out with charters over the weekend, and on Sunday’s annual Father’s Day Nor Cal Fish Whisperers charter, they put in 20 halibut and 42 striped bass for 23 anglers. Smith said: “There was lots of action throughout the day!” Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco continues to work hard for his clients, but they came through with six limits of both striped bass and halibut by 12:30 on Father’s Day. Koyasako said: “It was good to finish early as the wind came up and was blowing between 20 and 30 mph in the afternoon. We have been throwing bait and flylining for the stripers, and we landed two halibut on the flyline. These were an excellent grade of halibut. The bass were a smaller grade, but there are still females with green eggs and milking males. After limiting on stripers, we found some clean water near the barges and were able to scratch out halibut limits. The tides are getting larger, and with the wind, the bay will be muddy for a while, slowing down the halibut action.”
Call: Captain Ron Koyasako Nautilus Excursions (916) 704-4169; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell of 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 September 30. The Endeavor out of Morro Bay Landing had another banner trip full day trip on Father’s Day with 19 anglers returning with limits of rockfish composed of 76 vermilion for sub-limits along with 34 Boccaccio and 80 assorted rockfish to go with 27 ling cod to 23 pounds. Cristal Caldera of Bakersfield took the jackpot with the 23-pound ling at Ragged Point. The Avenger and Flying Fish were out on trips ranging from half- to ¾-th day with 76 passengers for 284 vermilion, 361 assorted rockfish, 56 Boccaccio and one Petrale sole. Out of Virg’s Landing, the Black Pearl and Fiesta were out on half- and ¾-th day trips on Father’s Day with 58 anglers for 202 vermilion, 228 assorted rockfish, 86 Boccaccio, and two ling cod. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, 67 passengers on the Patriot, Flying Fish and Phenix combined for 104 vermilion, 14 Boccaccio, 15 Bolina, 315 assorted rockfish, two ocean whitefish and one Petrale sole.
From October 1 to December 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; Morro Bay Landing
Others
Delta/Stockton
Bass 2 Striper 2 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta continues to be a challenge for largemouth bass anglers as the June conditions are untypical to say the least. Heavy inflow from all of the tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are keeping the waters of the Delta much higher than normal, and finding clear water is a key to success. Winning tournament weights are pushing 17 pounds with most anglers struggling for an average of 7 to 8 pounds.
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors said: “Most of the striped bass are out of the Delta right now as they are either upriver between Knight’s Landing and Colusa or in San Francisco Bay. There are a tremendous amount of stripers in the bay, and many have yet to come up the river to spawn. The water temperature in the north Delta is still too cold at 62 degrees. As a result, I have been bass fishing, and with the high water, I have been able to get into areas in the north Delta that I haven’t been able to access in years for good bass fishing with a variety of techniques.”
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, added: “It has been windy in the afternoons, and the water temperature has been fluctuating in the central Delta as it rose 3 to 4 degrees with the mid-week heat. The Florida-strain largemouth bass don’t like the fluctuating temperature so the fish have just been nipping at the tails of lures or getting hooked sideways on crankbaits. The key has been to slow down as the bite has been so tough that some of the best anglers in the West have been struggling for one to three fish. The water is still very high, and the weeds have gotten knocked down with the high water and cold water temperatures. The weeds are a cleaning factor so finding clear water has been more difficult. The clearest water has been in the central Delta, and I am looking for bank areas where the current is pushing against the shoreline either left or right as the bass will hold here. Crankbaits, popper-style baits, or plastics such as the Berkley General with Max Scent are working, but you have to slow down and keep the bait in the strike zone as long as possible. The Berkley El Choppo has also been another productive topwater lure.”
In the south Delta below Mossdale, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said: “The launch ramp at Mossdale has been reopened, but you have to drive slow as the river bottom is shallow and the current remains very strong. Bank anglers are having difficulty staying down with 5 to 6 ounces in the current. Drifting live mudsuckers in the central Delta has been working for stripers in the 22- to 24-inch range, but the best location for striped bass has been in the Old Sacramento River near Walnut Grove. Shad is just now starting to come in, but we are waiting until July for fresh shad. H and R Bait in Stockton has a limited supply of fresh shad.”
For swimbait anglers, Toxic Day 4 will be held at Russo’s Marina on Bethel Island on Saturday, June 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and over 50 local lure manufacturers will be present. There is a free raffle for all attendees along with guest speakers and on-the-water demos. The sturgeon are still around, but anglers have been scarce, and the high winds haven’t made for ideal conditions on the anchor. The CDFW released a video of their special online presentation on the current status and the upcoming process for regulation changes for white sturgeon. A video and Power Point of the presentation is available via this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtdCzvzJqWE) while slides of the presentation can be downloaded here: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=213229&inline
The stated goal of the CDFW is to implement the new regulations by 2025 through a process of public input along with input during Fish and Game Commission meetings; however, there exists the possibility that Interim Emergency Regulations for a catch and release-only fishery may be needed until harvest rates can be effectively managed with the new regulations. The Department has released an Angler Survey available in English, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Vietnamese, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese. The link for the survey is https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Fishes/Sturgeon. Anglers can add their voice by completing the survey, sending any questions to sturgeon@wildife.ca.gov and attending future meetings of the Fish and Game Commission and Wildlife Resources Committee meetings, either in person or online.
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 3 Striper 0 Catfish 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 2
Nacimiento Lake remains high at 90%. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported excellent bass action for both spotted and white bass. The spots are taken on plastics in dark green, shad, or brown on the drop-shot, Neko-rig, or dart head at depths from 5 to 20 feet. There is a topwater bite with small Poppers in the early morning, but it is inconsistent. White bass are also taken on the surface with shad-imitation lures along with white spoons or spinners such as Kastmasters or Roostertails. Catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait, chicken liver, or nightcrawlers. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/.
Lopez Lake is 100% full. Western Outdoor News reported bass are hanging near flooded vegetation, and a variety of lures are working including weedless Ned-rigs, creature baits, plastics worms, or stickbaits. A weightless presentation is working best. 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, Western Outdoor News reported plenty of 2- to 4-pound bass are taken on Keitech swimbaits, jigs, walking baits, or crankbaits. There are some double-digit largemouths being landed on a regular basis. The lake has dropped slightly to 99.6%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california . At San Antonio, the lake is holding at 70%, and Western Outdoor News reported slow bass action, but the catfish bite has been solid with cut mackerel, Triple S Dip Bait, or chicken livers. With the high water, the action throughout the summer is anticipated to improve.
Reminder: Consuming white bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, or carp are subject to safe eating guidelines due to excessive mercury.
Events
July 1: Free Fishing Day. (No fishing license required.)
Tournament Results
Delta/Russo’s Marina – New Jen – June 17th: 1st – Cesar Laguna/Derek Allred – 17.92; 2nd – Jason Coslovich/Jared Dominici – 15.65 (Big Fish – 4.77); 3rd – Chad Frie/Kenny Schmitt – 14.93.
Don Pedro – Wild West Bass Trails Team Tournament – June 17: 1st – Clara Ricabal/Alex Niapas – 15.37; 2nd –Steve Klein/Troy Henderson – 13.95 (Big Fish – 4.77); 3rd – David and Steven Koerber– 12.62.
McClure – Sierra Bass Club – June 17: 1st – Eddie Espinoza– 8.78; 2nd – Richard Jones – 8.55; 3rd – Carlos Contreras Jr. – 6.82. Big Fish: 2.84 – Randy Rowe
Isabella – Golden Empire Bass Club - June 17: 1st – Mike and Rick Gohr – 15.05 (Big Fish – 5.80); 2nd - Kenny Sims/Brad Upton – 11.70; 3rd – Richard Carrier/David Heine – 11.15.
Upcoming Tournaments (Dates and locations subject to change)
June 21
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bertolli Disposal
June 23-24
Delta/Big Break Marina – Yak A’ Bass
June 23
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Stanislaus County Sheriff’s
June 24
Pardee- Central Valley Angler’s Kokanee Tournament
Don Pedro – Valley Backlashers
Isabella – American Bass Association
June 28
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bertolli Disposal
July 1-2
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
Pine Flat – Bass 101
July 1
Tulloch – 17/90 Bass Club
Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambassadors
July 5
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bertolli Disposal
July 7-8
McClure – Fresno Bass Club
July 8
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
Lake Pardee – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
Lake Amador – Modesto Ambassadors
Pine Flat – Bakersfield Bass Club
Isabella – American Bass Association
July 12
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bertolli Disposal
July 15
Don Pedro – Riverbank Bass Anglers
Pine Flat – Sierra Bass Club
Success – Central Valley Kayak Fishers
Isabella – Golden Empire Bass Club
July 16
Delta/B and W Resort – Best Bass Tournaments
July 19
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bertolli Disposal
July 22-23
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kern County Bassmasters
July 22
New Melones – Yak A’Bass
Santa Margarita – 805 Bass Addicts
July 26
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bertolli Disposal
July 29-30
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Angler’s Press
July 29
Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
