Fishing report, May 25-31: Roger on making memories; Bass Lake trout a hot bite

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.

Photo gallery

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Best bets

Delta stripers, sturgeon and shad bites good, Johnny Tran reported. Monterey salmon still in area, Allen Bushnell said. Wishon trout action hot, Kelly Brewer reported. New Melones trout, kokanee and bass hitting, Kyle Wise said. Don Pedro kokanee, trout and king salmon biting, Monte Smith reported. Bass Lake trout on a hot bite, Mike Beighey said.

Roger’s Remarks: Don’t let the ‘last fishing trip’ slip away

I’ve had several guided trips that have made me realize just how important “the last fishing trip” can be. Many times when an angler passes away, the close friends and family will quietly ask around to find out when they took their last trip, who they were fishing with, and where. It’s almost a sacred duty for the fishing buddy to fill the family in on just how that “last trip” went.

My dad’s health was failing, and I knew time was running out to take him fishing one last time. I picked him up in front of the assisted care facility, pulling my boat behind me, and we took off for Millerton. He was very excited and I was praying the day would be special for him.

We began fishing and I couldn’t believe how energetic my dad was, casting his lure to the shoreline without stopping. He was in his world and life was flowing through him. We kept the pace up for two hours as the sun began setting, but no bites.

We only had time for a couple more casts when I threw up a quick prayer. Would there ever be another chance? I didn’t think so. I told Dad we had to leave soon.

I was down to my very last desperation cast and it was getting dark. I threw my lure up near some rocks on a point, and as I began reeling, something whacked the lure hard. I was hooked up! As the striper took off, I gave the pole to Dad. It was a good one. The fish went around the boat three times as Dad followed it. I was concerned it might come off. We needed to catch this fish!

When I finally netted the 12-pounder, we both roared!

I got out my camera to record this special moment of joint victory. It was a beautiful fish, and we released it over the side to seal the deal. I felt a sudden sense of completion.

Later, the real magnitude of the trip hit me.

It was my father’s last fishing trip, and I got to share it with him. On top of that, to be able to hook a nice striper on literally the very last cast of his last trip, and then to jointly fight and land that fish together, is beyond belief. I also got the picture. What are the odds? It was too perfect.

It’s a treasure and a miracle I visit every time I think of him. I still tear up when I think of it. I think It’s the way we would all want to go out — and be remembered.

No one knows when life may end, and you certainly can’t plan it, but I’ve seen the impact that “last fishing trip” can have on families and friends. My suggestion: Go fishing, make good memories, love all you can and help everyone you can because life is short. Yes…it all counts. Never give up!

P.S. while fighting the striper, my father tripped and fell hard against the top of my chair. He never let go of the pole. Said he was OK. Later, we found out he broke two ribs in the fall! That’s a farmer for you.

Roger George: rogergeorge8@protonmail.com , Rogergeorgeguideservice on Facebook and @StriperWars

Proposed new bag limit

The Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed eliminating the two-fish 15-inch size limit at Eastman, Hensley, Kaweah and Success since efforts to create a trophy fishery have been unsuccessful. The recommendation is to return to the state standard of a bag limit of 5 fish with a 12-inch size limit.

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 2

Bill Sterling of the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “The aqueduct is still producing but most for those baiting and waiting, using pile worms or blood worms. Bass fishing in the local canals is still steady for bass in the 2- to 5-pound range using swim baits. I went out Wednesday for 10 hours and Sunday for 14 hours and only produced one striper the whole time, but watched 10 stripers get pulled in, all between 18 inches and 22 inches out on Hilldale Road using blood worms and pile worms. The flows in the aqueduct seem to be moving more but this is causing a lot of moss to be moving in the water. The Delta Mendota canal is still producing a lot of smaller stripers.”

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The Delta Mendota had been producing numbers of catfish and striped bass a few weeks ago, but it has slowed for both species. The California Aqueduct above Patterson is producing both catfish or stripers.”

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said, “The aqueduct is still happening for striped bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. Largemouth bass are taken with topwater lures, Senkos, or plastics on the drop-shot. Catfishing is best with live minnows, cut bait, or Triple S Dip Bait on the bottom of the aqueduct. The best action occurs where moving water stops to a crawl.

Call: Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield (661) 833-8657

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Not much change here with bluegill trying to invade the fry balls along the shorelines. Eastman held at 10% with Hensley holding at 21%.

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 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 3 King salmon 3 Crappie 2

Even though kokanee action has been red-hot at Whiskeytown, Bullards Bar, and Stampede, don’t sleep on the Mother Lode reservoirs of New Melones and Don Pedro as quality kokanee pushing 16.5 inches have been the story over the past few weeks. Tournament action is heating up in the Mother Lode with the upcoming Kokanee Power Team Tournaments on June 11 at Don Pedro and July 9 at New Melones. With the high price of fuel, boaters are opting for reservoirs nearer to home, and the Mother Lode lakes have been a solid destination.

Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing continues to find great action for kokanee, rainbow trout, and king salmon at Don Pedro although he is primarily focusing upon the lake’s healthy kokanee. He said, “I went into a new area on Sunday, and we found 10 kokanee, 13 rainbows, and a king salmon, letting several other fish go. Fishing was really good throughout the day although there were a few slow periods. We continue to run Pro-Troll’s Kokanee Killers behind a Vance’s or Mack’s dodger, but the kokanee have dropped between 50 and 70 feet in the water column with 55 feet being the most productive. The kokanee are all in great shape, but the rainbows are fuzzy with copepods. I haven’t been specifically targeting king salmon, but we are still picking up at least one on the kokanee gear.”

The Nor Cal Bass Club held their last Lake Series tournament on Saturday, and catching bass wasn’t a challenge, but finding size was. There are bass feeding on shad in open water, and topwater lures are finding good action for fish to 3 pounds. The lake rose to 66%. The Fleming Meadows, Blue Oaks, and Moccasin launch ramps remain open.

Call: Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Kyle Wise – Head Hunter Guide Service – (209) 531- 3966; Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Fishing – 691-7008

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2

Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported fair bass fishing with the best action on jigs, plastic worms, or jerkbaits. Crappie action has also been fair, leading Cormier to say, “It’s not wide open, and it’s not as good as it should be right now. We have been selling a number of small to medium minnows for Isabella crappie, but it is a matter of finding the right tree or bush.” Trout fishing is also decent, and there have been some anglers who have cashed in up to $120.00 in tagged fish from the Kern County Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby which will last until July 4th. Tagged fish worth $20 to $5,000 have been planted. The registration is closed. Power Bait, Pinched Crawlers, Kastmasters, or crappie jigs from the shorelines are working best for the planted rainbows. The lake rose held at 13%. The river at Kernville held at 654 cfs, and it is also stable below the dam at 472 cfs at First Point. The 20 Mile stretch along with the river above Kernville have been producing limits with nightcrawlers, spinners, live crickets, or salmon eggs due to heavy plants in the spring.

Call: Bob’s Bait Bucket in 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 has risen to 60%, and Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield reported improved action for both bass and crappie. The slabs are found near rocky structure or submerged trees by Horse Creek. The bass are moving out into deeper water in post-spawn mode. The Kaweah River dropped slightly to 425 cfs at Three Rivers.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The bass bite continues to be a challenge as the fish are moving into post-spawn. Swimbaits, jigs, or plastics on either a Carolina-, Ned- or Texas-rig are your best bets as the bass are moving out into deeper and cooler water. Crappie are holding at the marina with minijigs or small to medium minnows. The lake held at 38%.

Call: Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com

McClure Reservoir

Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2

There is a topwater bite with the Berkley El Choppo or Super Spook in shad patterns along with a 3.3-inch swimbait fished weedless on a Ned-rig on an EWG hook as the bass are holding in the flooded grass. It is a matter of looking for the grebes or the herons working the bait, and the bass will be underneath. Recent trout plants have spurred on action for both trollers and bank fishermen. The lake rose to 43%, and the best ramp continues to be at Barrett Cove South.Call: Ryan Cook – Ryan Cook’s Guide Service – 691-7008

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait in Lathrop reported a number of customers have been heading to the lake for planted rainbows, and the action has slowed down to a degree with the warmer weather. There are still rainbow and Lightning trout remaining in the lake, and the best action remains in the early mornings or late afternoons with Power Bait, Panther Martin spinners, or ¼- to 3/8-ounce Kastmasters at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula around the marina. As the summer progresses, the rainbows will work their way up the river arm in search of cooler water, trollers are scoring with blade/’crawler combinations or red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler at depths to 20 feet near the 2nd Fence Line. The lake dropped from 94% to 82%, but lake levels will remain high throughout the year. During the summer months, the water park feature will dominate the lake.

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

A 60-boat tournament was held on Sunday, and the winning team of Lee and Neng Yang lapped the field at 17.56 pounds buoyed by a 7.00-pound kicker. The limits backed immediately off to the 10-pound range as the overall bite was tough. The spotted bass are suspending with the constantly rising water. The lake rose to 72%, and the San Joaquin River held at 1,579 cfs at Friant.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 3

At New Melones, Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Guide Service continues to find quick limits of kokanee, saying, “It’s wide-open as we had 20 fish by 10 a.m. pulling J-Pex lures or the new platinum Flutter Bug from Paulina Peak at depths from 40 to 50 feet near the dam and spillway. The kokanee are super clean, averaging 14 to 15 inches, but we have landed them to just over 16 inches. The trout have also been clean compared to Don Pedro, and the only way I have been catching them is to run Paulina Peak’s micro-spinners on planer boards as they are near the surface.”

The kokanee will be moving south toward Rose Island soon, but for now, the action is best in the main lake. Bass fishing remains excellent for numbers of suspended fish with plastics on various presentations, though the larger fish have been difficult to find. The lake dropped to 37%, and numerous unmarked hazards remain throughout the lake. The Glory Hole and Tuttletown ramps are on the low-water ramps, and they will be accessible until the lake drops below 900 feet in elevation.

The high and middle water ramps at Glory Hole Point are closed with the concrete lower ramp at the end of Glory Hole Point remaining launchable with two courtesy docks. Driving down to the ramp, the road is slightly bumpy, but manageable. This ramp is in the water from 940.00 to 900.00. Angels Cove boat ramp and parking lot will remain closed for the foreseeable future due to low water levels. The high and middle ramp at Tuttletown are closed with the lower concrete ramp open with courtesy docks in place until the lake reaches 900 feet in elevation.

Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; John Liechty Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

The bass got a break this week with the majority of boats focusing upon Millerton, but the bite remains tough as the fish are fully into post-spawn. Deep-diving crankbaits or topwater lures are working along with finesse presentations in the deep water. Trolling for trout near the dam at Zebe Creek with Apex lures or Needlefish has produced limits from 14 to 18.5 inches. Catfishing is improving, and crappie are showing up in the trees near Island Park and Deer Creek.

In the lower Kings, there is less interest in the river. Planted rainbow or brook trout are taken on Power Bait or nightcrawlers along with small Rebels or crankbaits. Finding slower water is the key as the flows are still high, although dropping from 3,079 to 2,436 cfs at Trimmer, creating potentially dangerous conditions for waders. The lake rose from 55% to 58%.

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

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “The forebay near Check 12 has been the location of several reported big striped bass. Pile worms or blood worms have been the top baits. The fishing pressure has been intense.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the overall bite in the big lake between wind storms closing the lake has been very slow. “There is some very early morning shore action casting ripbaits before the sun comes up, but finding active fish in the regular locations in the big lake hasn’t been very productive. I’m getting a lot of calls from trollers, minnow anglers, flyfishermen and reaction anglers on why the bite has been so slow. When good minnow anglers and experienced trollers are telling you it’s tough and I’m having similar results – it’s tough. We hope that between the windy days and the full moon going down that things will get back to normal. Water temps are running about 64 and up to 70 degrees on hot days. It’s been a weird past month.”

Bill Sterling of the Sportsmen’s Warehouse in Fresno said, “The O’Neill Forebay is still the place to go to catch a lot of stripers from a boat. Topwater lures and jerkbaits are working the best as well as trolling umbrella rigs.”

The lake held at 45% with the Forebay also holding at 80%.

Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com 905-2954

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2

The lake will be inundated with recreational boaters starting this coming weekend, but prior to the arrival of the flotilla, Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing reported hot trout fishing while kokanee to 17 inches are starting to show up. He said, “We have been limiting out on quality rainbows each trip and picked up our first kokanee this week. You have to cull through the 12-inch trout to pick up limits of 16- to 18-inch keepers. The trout have dropped in water column to 25 feet. We have been targeting the Sheriff’s Tower mostly. I continue to use Dick’s orange or pink Mountain Tubes and Rocky Mountain cotton candy Wiggle Hoochie, tipped with white maggots behind a Dick’s Mountain Dodger in blue.” The Grand Prize in the Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby in is worth $500 for derby entrants until June 30. Spotted bass are cruising the shorelines, and the spawn is happening. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at basslakeca.com. The lake rose from 77% to 80%.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The gates at Kaiser Pass will not reopen until Memorial Day at the earliest. Edison rose slightly to 29%, Florence rose to 29% with Mammoth Pool also rising slightly to 85%. Access to Mammoth Pool is closed until June 15 for the annual deer migration.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 2

The trophies released by the Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project are moving out into the lake, and trollers are picking them up on kokanee gear at depths to 30 feet. The Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project invested $23,000 to plant the approximately 900 to 1,200 trophies. All monies for the trophy plants are raised through the annual Sportsmen’s Dinner in August. Shaver has become a destination due to the huge 19.5-inch kokanee that have been landed this year, but Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service said, “It has been tough the past few days, but we have landed seven of the trophies so far along with kokanee to 19.5 inches. Rocky Mountain spinners in pink have been the magic ticket behind a Vance’s Dodger at depths to 30 feet along with the Radical Glow Tube in Cotton Candy behind a Brandon’s Glow dodger. The paint on this dodger is used in mines, and it really stands out. A pearl hoochie behind a Vance’s Double Cut dodger is also picking up fish.” The bite has gotten tougher as the weather turned cold during the week with a high of 36 degrees. The brown and golden trout that were planted several years ago have grown to nearly 18 inches. A single dock is in at the Shaver Lake Marina, and the store is open. Huntington is clear for those willing to walk the shorelines near Rancheria Creek with spinners, nightcrawlers, or Power Bait for the opportunity for a quality brown trout to 20 inches. Shaver’s launch ramp conditions can be checked via webcam at sierramarina.com/camera.html. Huntington rose to 90%, with Shaver also rising slightly to 55%.

Todd Wittwer – Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Tom Oliveira – Tom Oliveira Fishing – 802-8072

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 3

Kelly Brewer at the Wishon RV Park and Store said, “Fishing is really good with trollers finding rainbows and browns from 14 to 16 inches with regular rigs at depths from 25 to 30 feet. Bank anglers are scoring with rainbow or pink Power Bait. The best action from the banks is across the lake at the mouth of the inlet. Courtright will open for fishing access on Thursday according to PGE Recreation Facilities, but it has been very low. Wishon RV Park and Store will a;lsp open this Thursday. Information on road conditions is available at fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

The northwest wind remains ‘horrendous,’ but even when the winds are somewhat cooperative, salmon limits remain the rule south of the harbor out of Half Moon Bay. The salmon season above Pigeon Point has a temporary closure from June 1st through the 22nd, but the waters below Pigeon will remain open, leaving the possibility for the Half Moon Bay boats to make the 18-mile run south. The Bay Area salmon boats continue to make the long run south to the area around the Deep Reef, and this is a clear indication that the Marin coast bite has yet to emerge.

Sherry Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing said, “We tried to get out on Thursday and Friday, and we did make it down to the grounds on Thursday, and after landing two salmon out of 10 hookups, it was clear that the conditions were too rough. We also tried on Friday, but we didn’t even make it far south. The wind on Saturday was more cooperative, and our big boat, The Queen of Hearts, returned with 15 salmon to 16 pounds for 12 anglers with plenty of opportunities to return with limits. The Queen went rockfishing to San Gregorio on Sunday for limits of rockfish composed of browns, coppers, and canaries with very few school fish along with 3 ling cod to 12 pounds. Joe, aka ‘Beav’ Schwark of San Leandro ended up with the jackpot ling. Our six-pack, the Reel Screamer, posted 5 limits of salmon plus three crew fish on Sunday, and they got out before the winds came up. We cancelled on Sunday with the wind predicted at 23 to 35 mph at 7:00 a.m. During the temporary salmon closure, we will take some trips south of Pigeon for salmon along with our regular rockfish trips.”

Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete had a great day on Sunday with 19 limits of salmon to 15 pounds near the Deep Reef. He said, “It started off slow, but we found some dark water at the edge of the Deep Reef, and we started getting them. We tacked back up for multiple hookups, but the bite slowed at slack tide. Once the tide started moving again, we finished off our limits including some crew fish. There were a number of 22-inch salmon, but there are mixed fish in the schools with some who have been feeding on krill with others on anchovies. This was a different school than we found earlier in the week when the wind let up as the grade was smaller. Former owner of the New Captain Pete, Dennis Baxter, showed that he still has it as he was out on Saturday with his son and sometime deckhand, Braden, for limits along the starboard side. They made us look good.”

Anglers can check the status of the Pacifica Pier via https://www.cityofpacifica.org/depts/pw/parks/pacifica_pier.asp. There is also a live feed from a web cam available at https://www.pacificaview.net/livecam/index.php.

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

Salmon 3 Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service said, “No one is complaining about the glut of king salmon in Monterey Bay these days. But, the cooler water has made catches of some nearshore species a bit scarce. Looks like the expected change is happening now as we move closer to June. Finally, we’re getting more consistent reports of halibut caught in the usual springtime areas.

Private boater Terry Eckhardt reported in on Wednesday with a nice halibut picture and good news. Fishing from his boat the DenTer II, Eckhardt said, “Landed this beauty, lost two others near the Mile Buoy today.” Halibut, once hooked, are notoriously easy to lose but we just had to ask. Eckhardt replied, “Oh well, but to answer your questions, squid was the bait and we lost one because my buddy’s salmon rod exploded, and one because the 20-pound leader broke.” Ed Burrell from Capitola Boat and Bait reported two halibut on one foray earlier in the week, saying, “More and more halibut are coming in,” Todd Fraser from Bayside Marine is fielding an increasing number of reports of big flatties being caught as well. He reported, “The Capitola Mile Buoy is producing some nice halibut.” Fraser also cites the Santa Cruz Mile Buoy as the best location for flatties this week. Staff at Santa Cruz Boat Rentals on the Wharf reported “The fishing is on fire over here, lots of halibut. The average size of the halibut coming in are 33 inches and 10 to 15 pounds. There is so much bait in the water, come get some live bait and get yourself a halibut!”

Bottom fishing for rockfish, ling cod, and cabezon is still best from the deeper reefs of 70-120 feet. As usual, the best bottom fishing is around the corners outside of the bay. This means towards Carmel and Big Sur for the Monterey boats and north towards Davenport or Franklin Point for Santa Cruz vessels. The ongoing blustery weather makes it more difficult for smaller boats to make that kind of commitment. Those same weather conditions are fostering an immense amount of bait in the bay, however. And that in turn is working to keep our outstanding salmon fishing going well. Fraser at Bayside gave us his latest report on Sunday saying, “The salmon are still on the bite from the Soquel Hole to Davenport. There were anglers back here weighing 20-pound salmon by 9:00 today. The anglers are catching limits 40 to 100 feet down. The winds were calm this morning.”

Chris’ Fishing Trips in Monterey had a great report on Sunday saying, “We landed 19 big salmon for 18 anglers aboard the Check Mate.” The six-pack boats out of Santa Cruz continue to catch limits or near-limits every day they can make it out. JT Thomas from Go fish Santa Cruz reported from the beautiful Miss Beth, “We fished the Monterey Bay. We were surrounded by jellyfish but managed to land two big salmon. We made a move and caught limits of king salmon. On Saturday, we had a great day of fishing. We had early limits of salmon. Done and tied to the dock by 10:00 a.m.!” Rodney Armstrong on the Knot Alone had a quick day on Thursday. Armstrong was happy to report, “We were done at 8:20 a.m. with crew fish as well. The bait and whales were in the area we fished. The fish were all in the top 90 feet. Lots of fun and action.” Sunday’s trip for Armstrong didn’t sound quite as easy. He reported, “Well I must say, today was a hair pulling out kind of day! We lost eight behind the boat, but we did manage to land seven. It was a fun day with lots of action. Some of the fish just got the best of us. You can’t bat a 1000% every day I guess.”

Nearshore waters are cleaning up nicely after the wave train we experienced a few weeks ago. Surfcasters are finding more surf perch and even a few striped bass here and there from all the beaches stretching around the bay. Anchovy schools are thick, and this week saw an increasing number of bait balls close to shore. Some frantic bird feeding action took place even at the inner surf line. This looks like promising conditions for stripers so hopefully we’ll have some pictures and reports of bass action soon.”

Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell – Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay

Salmon 3 Halibut 3 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2

The northwest winds have been horrendous with gale force gusts throughout the week, but there was a window on Saturday and Sunday when the salmon boats were able to make the long run south to below Half Moon Bay. Once the wind lays down, salmon limits are possible, and the action will only get better and better as we move towards the temporary salmon closure from June 1st through the 22nd. Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito took the weekend off due to the winds, but he said, “I’m scheduled to go out from Tuesday through Friday, and it looks like we have a window as the week progresses.”

The New Ray Ann and Hog Heaven out of Sausalito made the long run south on both Saturday and Sunday, and the New Ray Ann posted a combined 33 limits to 19 pounds while the Hog Heaven came through with a combined 47 salmon for 32 anglers for a fish and a half per rod. On a big party boat, the difference between limiting out and a fish per rod is the ability to bring in the fish that are hooked. There is great optimism for late June through July as the salmon traditionally move closer to the Golden Gate off of the Pacifica Pier and up the Marin County coast towards Duxbury.

The Sea Wolf out of Emeryville Sport Fishing was able to head out for rockfish on Sunday for 23 limits and 6 ling cod. This was the first rockfish trip within the past two weeks as the weather has been the limiting factor.

After several weeks of speculation, live bait finally made the first appearance in the net pens at Pier 45 in San Francisco. The pens will be open seven days a week with the hours from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 5:00 to 10:00 a.m. on Friday through Sunday with a price of $35 for a half scoop and $55 for a full scoop, but the prices are subject to change.

Ironically, the live bait arrived during the largest tides of the summer, and the halibut scores dropped off the table until an improvement on Sunday when the tides are starting to back off.

Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley Marina was the highliner on Sunday with 45 halibut and 2 striped bass for 24 anglers. Smith said, “We left early and went looking away from the fleet, and we found a spot of fish. Most of the boats were near the barges around the Bay Bridge, but we decided to go hunting. The tides are backing off, and the scores will be improving.

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing was out on Sunday with a small group of 7 anglers, and they returned with 8 striped bass and 7 halibut with the big fish landed by Alex Niapas of Boulder Creek. Clara Ricabal, Western Outdoor News columnist, was also on board, and she said, “We started at Crissy Field off of the San Francisco Marina District first thing in the morning, but the bite wasn’t happening so we moved over to F Buoy near the Bay Bridge for the majority of fish. There were more stripers than halibut so the linesides are moving into the bay.”

Knowing the big tides would affect the halibut bite, Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco went searching for striped bass, and he found limits on both Saturday and Sunday toward the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge. Koyasako said, “I took out 2.5 scoops of live bait since I really enjoy throwing bait and getting the stripers up on the surface, and there were singles in several places including Red Rock, the Brickyard, and Paradise. Those of us who remember the great days of fishing the Pacifica-area beaches love to see the stripers boiling on the surface, and it’s too much fish when the stripers are hitting on everything. The anchovies are in good shape and larger than last year. The stripers should make it to the rockpiles with the smaller tides this week.”

Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Fishing out of San Francisco has either been running combination trips for halibut and leopard shark or concentrating solely on the shark. He said, “After banging the sharks for a few hours, we went over toward the Alameda Channel to get away from the halibut fleet, and once the tide slowed down, we picked up 6 halibut. The key was bumping the motor to give some movement to the bait when the tide slows, and the halibut were climbing on. Now that live bait is available, we will be focusing more and more on halibut and striped bass.”

In San Pablo Bay, Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “Despite the huge minus tides and the high winds, halibut fishing is impressive. Those are two factors that will slow down the bite as the water becomes muddy, but boaters are still picking up fish as a 30 pounder was reported at Southhampton Shoals this week. We had a group drifting live bait between the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge and San Quentin this week for three legal halibut, releasing 15 shakers. This is about the ratio of legal fish to undersized expected not. Striped bass are also making a greater showing, and this week’s tides are much better for halibut.”

Call: Captain Trent Slate Bite Me Charters (415) 307-8582; 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 Salmon 2 Surf perch 3

Rockfishing clearly improved over the weekend with the Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing taking an overnight trip with 22 anglers for 14 ling cod, 88 vermilion rockfish, 45 Boccaccio, and 87 assorted rockfish. The Fiesta went on a 12-hour trip with 19 anglers for 4 ling cod, 76 vermilion, 94 assorted, and 20 Boccaccio while the Rita G went on a ½-day trip on Sunday with 17 passengers for limits consisted of 15 vermilion and 155 assorted rockfish. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Endeavor, Avenger, and Starfire went out with 50 passengers on Sunday for 128 vermilion, 32 Boccaccio, 340 assorted rockfish, and 13 lings. 12 of the lings were taken on the 12-hour trip with Jason Littrell of Taft taking the jackpot at 14 pounds at Ragged Point. Out of Port San Luis, the Patriot, Flying Fish, and Phenix went out on Sunday for trips ranging from ½-day to full day with 64 anglers for 78 vermilion, 3 Boccaccio, 43 Bolina, 508 assorted rockfish, and 6 ling cod to 5 pounds for a few fish shy of full limits. 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 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3 American Shad 3

The wind blew again with a vengeance, and the less-protected side of the California Delta is on the Sacramento side. As a result, most of the fishing action is occurring on the junior side of the Delta in the San Joaquin, but if the winds ever decide to cease, striped bass are moving through the Sacramento River on their way to their summer haunts in San Francisco Bay. Sturgeon are finally receiving a respite from the intense fishing pressure during the winter and summer months, but there are still boats out there in search of removing every legal sturgeon possible from the system.

Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport said, “Shad and striped bass are the story right now, and shad fishing is very good with shad darts or small jigs as the American shad are everywhere from below the Freeport Bridge to the upper Sacramento River. Striped bass are moving back down after spawning, and pile worms or sardines coated with garlic spray are working best for the linesides.”

Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors was out in the wind in Liberty Island early this week, and he said, “The striped bass are in the grassy flats feeding on crawdads, and the bite is really good with chatterbaits such as Z-Man’s Jackhammers in Red Craw.”

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing was out sturgeon fishing on the Top Gun out of Pittsburg on Thursday, and he said, “I went all over from Sherman Lake to Roe/Ryer Island, and the only place I found a concentration of sturgeon was out the mouth of Montezuma Slough. We caught and released three oversized sturgeon, but the outgoing tide is huge.”

Captain Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures out of Pittsburg remains in Pittsburg on his catch-and-release white sturgeon trips, but he will be heading to San Francisco Bay for halibut and striped bass in the bay before the salmon season reopens in late June.

The wind on the Sacramento side of the Delta has been a boon for the San Joaquin side as most lineside hunters are holding in the central Delta from the mouth of the Mokelumne River towards Frank’s Tract. The schools are starting to spread out as it is getting time to make a move back to San Francisco Bay, but there are still plenty of fish in the system. Largemouth bass are in all stages of the spawn, and the bite will continue to improve for the next few weeks as the reaction bite improves.

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor said, “Striped bass fishing remains fantastic, and there are still stripers moving into the system. The water temperatures are 65 degrees, and normally it would be in the low 70’s at this time of year. It has been a great season for stripers, but we will be wrapping up our Delta operation by Memorial Day. We went through 70 baits by 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning with mostly keeper and only a few undersized striped bass. We have been staying on the San Joaquin as there hasn’t been any reason to head over to the windy Sacramento side. We couldn’t even get out four rods over the weekend even though we had five anglers on board. They wondered why we only set out four rods, but after three of the four were on the hook, they understood that tangles would be a problem with an extra rod. We are drifting live bait since the spoon bite has never emerged and it has been tough to troll with all of the grass from the big tides. Jumbo minnows are unavailable so we have been using extra-large minnows, but live bait will be scarce within the coming weeks.”

Bob Sparre of Bob Sparre’s Guide Service continues to take near daily limits of fish to 7 pounds trolling Yo-Zuri Crystal 3D minnows. He said,

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service will also be wrapping up his Delta operation just after Memorial Day as he is heading for Stampede and Boca kokanee. He said, “We have been struggling with the big tides, but we put in limits on Sunday including stripers at 8 and 10 pounds. The weeds have been thick, and I might switch over to live bait for the rest of the week. Deep-diving Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows have been the best method with the big tides and grass, but the big schools of fish have dissipated. The Sacramento side would be very good with all of the downstreamers right now, but the wind has been tough.”

For largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, ‘The Delta is still difficult with lots of people complaining about the weather. One day, it is warm, and the following day it is cold, only to be following by wind, and then followed by overcast conditions. The key is to slow down and keep the bait in the strike zone as long as possible as moving baits are not producing enough bite. You have to slow down on the outside weeds lines as the bass are in deeper water. These are your ‘meat and potatoes’ as when it comes to the bite. When you go shallow, the%age goes down as these fish are just not active. Earth tones in greens or brown along with crawfish patterns are your best bets right now. Once the weather balances out, the bite will be on.”

Dave King of NorCal Bass has a tournament out of Ladd’s Marina this Saturday, and he said, “There are still bed fish, but I have been finding my best action on frogs. The black Scum Frog has been producing along with the Snag Proof frog in bluegill or black. It is either frogs or slowing down with jigs or plastics.”

Dan Mathisen of Dan Mathisen’s Outdoors held their 5th event at Holland Riverside Marina on Saturday, and he said, “With the wind laying down after what seems like weeks without a break, it ended up being a beautiful day. The team of Ron Smith and Lonnie Woodlief edged out Marc Young and Dave Newton by 0.01 pounds at 19.66 for first place. The action for big fish was sparce, but overall, there were two over 7.5 pounds brought to the scales. Our next tournament is June 11th out of Holland Riverside.”

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoors in Stockton, said, “It’s been windy, but fishable, and those drifting bluegill around the Duck Pond, Mildred Island, Connection Slough, Empire Cut, and Union Point are picking up striped bass. There are some stripers in the back of White’s Slough along with in the Mokelumne towards the mouth of the Consumnes River. The majority of striper fishermen are concentrating on the main river from Prisoner’s Point to Venice Island. Eight Mile Road east of Stockton still has largemouth bass on the beds.”

The 10th Costa Bass-N-Fly is less than a month away on June 9th/10th out of Sugar Barge RV Resort and Marina on Bethel Island, and the two-day even will feature prizes, awards, and swag from the top gear companies. The event hasn’t been held in two years due to the pandemic. This is a fly-fishing only event for largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass with a daily weigh in at 2:00 p.m. before fun-filled afternoons. Registration is available at http://bass-n-fly.com/registration-page/.

In the south Delta, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “The south San Joaquin River below Mossdale continues to be slow for legal striped bass, but there have been some small keepers to 5 pounds taken out of the main river from Pirate’s Lair towards the Stockton Channel. We most likely will not have fresh shad until late June or July as the hyacinth has been bad in the San Joaquin River.”

Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Steve Mitchell – Hook’d Up Sport Fishing – (707) 655-6736; Chris Ditter – HeadRush Sport Fishing – (916) 284-9236; Vince Borges – Vince Borges Outdoors (209) 918-0828

Lake Nacimiento/San Antonio/Santa Margarita/Lopez

Bass 3 White bass 2 Striper 0 Catfish 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 2

At Nacimiento, spotted bass action remains solid with up to 50 fish per rip including white bass. The best action has been with topwater lures in the early mornings before working the bottom with jigs or plastics on the drop-shot. There is a reaction bite with Rat-L-Traps or squarebilled crankbaits along with small swimbaits on an underspin. White bass continue to jump on board for trollers pulling white Kastmasters or Roostertails, and they are boiling on occasion at the mouths of coves. The crappie bite is slow overall, but the size of the slabs is impressive at up to 2 pounds. lake dropped held at 26%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. At Lopez, the launch ramp is out of the water, but bass fishing remains good with jigs or plastics on the drop-shot. Rental boats are available at the marina. Trout plants have provided additional action with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters or similar spoons from the banks with deep water access. Bluegill and redear perch are located with meal worms or red worms. The lake level continues to drop slightly, and it is currently at 28.0%. A webcam of the lake is available at http://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. Lopez is at a record low. At Santa Margarita, trout from the recent plants continue to provide action with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or spoons from the shoreliens along with trollers pulling small crankbaits, spoons, spinners, or stickbaits. Bass fishing is fair at best as the fish are moving into deeper water in post-spawn mode. Bluegill and red ear are biting meal worms at depths to 10 feet, and crappie are loading up on minijigs in shad patterns. Bass fishing remains decent with crankbaits, either lipless or squarebilled, around structure. Catfish are taken on mackerel soaked in garlic with the best fishing occurring in the evening hours. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california/. The lake continues to drop to the 60% range. At San Antonio, bass fishing continues to improve with reaction baits along with shad-patterned swimbaits or plastics. The lake is filled with threadfin shad, and the bass and crappie are gorging themselves. Crappie remains very good with minijigs from either a boat or from shore with deep water access, and catfish to 17 pounds have been are taken on mackerel soaked in garlic scent. Carp are in the shallows, and dough baits are working. The launch ramp is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekends and from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Fridays. The lake held at 11%.

Call: Lake Nacimiento Marina (805) 238-3256; Lopez Lake Marina (805) 489-1006; Santa Margarita Marina Store (805) 438-1522; Lake San Antonio Marina (805) 472-2313

Reminder: consuming white bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, or carp are subject to safe eating guidelines due to excessive mercury.

Events

Tournament results

Delta/Holland Riverside Marina - Dan Mathisen Outdoors - May 21st: 1st –Ron Smith/Lonnie Woodlief – 19.66 pounds; 2nd – Marc Young/Dave Newton – 19.65; 3rd –Rich and Reagan Fonbuena – 18.64.

Delta/Big Break Marina - American Bass Association - May 22nd: 1st –Hulen Johnson/Obedie Williams – 24.92 pounds; 2nd – Marc Young/Dave Newton – 23.47; 3rd –Ryan German/Nick Nourot – 20.80.

Millerton –-- May 22nd: 1st –Leng Yang/Neng Yang – 17.56 pounds (Big Fish – 7.00); 2nd – Craig Gong/Ryan Reynolds – 10.51; 3rd – Jason Yang/Thai Vue – 10.03.

Upcoming Tournaments (subject to change)

May 28th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – NorCal Bass

May 29th –

New Melones – California Bass Federation

June 5th –

Delta – Major League Fishing California High School State Championship