Fishing report, Nov. 1-7: Courtright and Wishon trout action excellent, good bites at Delta and New Melones

Compiled by California Outdoors Hall of Fame member Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.

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Best bets

Delta stripers , bass and sturgeon on good bites, Johnny Wang reported. New Melones bass and trout biting, John Liechty said. San Luis stripers boiling, Mickey Clements reported. Courtright and Wishon trout action excellent, Michael Crayne reported.

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 3

In the north section of the California Aqueduct, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle reported a decent striped bass bite with 3/4th-ounce Rat-L-Traps or umbrella rigs while Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The key is to find the boils, and anglers are driving up and down the aqueduct looking for the boils around the headgates or areas with cover. The best striper action has been on the curves instead of the straight sections since the stripers will corral the bait along the curves. There is a decent largemouth bass bite with plastics and bluegill and sunfish are also a possibility.”

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported fair to good fishing for both striped bass and catfish. Cut sardines, lugworms, or jumbo live shiners after check gates along with flukes on a jig head, tube baits, or lipless crankbaits on a slow presentation for the linesides. Largemouth bass are taken on plastics on the drop-shot, Senkos, or jerkbait in the eddies before and after the check gates. Catfishing is best with chicken livers, Triple S Dip bait, fresh shrimp, or cut baits.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 1 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Crappie have been the best thing going with small profile jigs or swimbaits in the submerged brush. The bass are starting to bite better, and the larger fish are also holding in the brush piles or heavy cover. One of our customers landed a 4.5-pound largemouth, but the remainder of his bass couldn’t even qualify at ‘rats’ as they were ‘mice’ in the 8-inch range. Hensley remains slow for bass with bluegill, crappie, or catfish the best option. Bluegill can be taken on red worms or meal worms while catfishing is best with chicken livers, cut baits, or stink baits. Eastman dropped 1.5 feet to 549.81 feet in elevation and 61% with Hensley also dropping 1.5 feet to 475.19 feet in elevation and 20%.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam (559) 673-5151.

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported a tough troll bite for rainbow trout over the past few trips, saying, “The Mother Lode lakes are normally in a funk prior to turnover, and we worked hard for a few rainbows this week. I will start running trips at New Melones where the troll bite is much better right now.” For bass, the bite continues to be challenging with only a few fish taken on shad-patterned plastics or spoons over the submerged island tops or main lake points at depths to 90 feet. The bait is just now starting to school. The lake dropped just over 1.5 feet to 797.54 feet in elevation and 81%. Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/. Trout plants are scheduled during the week of Nov. 5 and Nov. 12.

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 2 Trout 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3

The lake held at 2,578.47 feet in elevation and 53%, despite steady releases of 1964 cfs at First Point. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported good numbers of largemouth bass including a few in the 3- to 4-pound range on crankbaits, Senkos, jigs, or spinnerbaits along with walking-style topwater lures in the early mornings. The crappie bite has been consistent with small Keitech swimbaits, Panfish Assassins, or live shiners near Reds Marina and in the South Fork. Catfishing is best in French Gulch and the South Fork with Triple S Dip bait or mackerel. Trout have been showing in good numbers around the North Fork with garlic Power Bait, spinners, nightcrawlers, or trout jigs, and trollers are scoring the best grade with Flicker Shad, Tasmanian Devils, or Needlefish on lead core line near the dam. In the Kern River, Cope’s reported holdovers and an occasional brown trout have been coming on minijigs, trout worms, spinners, or salmon eggs in the upper Kern while fly fishermen are finding success later in the day with dry dropper rigs. In the Lower Kern, the bass fishing is solid on Roostertails, Get Bent Baits, or soft plastics, and catfish can be caught with SSS Dip Baits, clams, and worms. Bluegill have been coming on live worms. The Kern River at Kernville is at 511 cfs.

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 3

The lake has stabilized at 600.60 feet in elevation and 11%. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported spotted bass are taken on plastics on brown, dark greens, or baitfish patterns along with crankbaits at depths from 10 to 25 feet over main lake points, rocky structure, or along the riprap. Bass picked up finesse baits in brown, dark green, and baitfish colors. Bass have been holding from 10 to 25 feet deep over rocky structure and along the riprap. Small live minnows, small swimbaits, and minijigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles are best for crappie while catfish are biting Triple S Dip Bait, cut baits, or chicken liver. The flows in the Kaweah River are stable at 123 cfs.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Water releases have begun in earnest as the lake receded another 10 feet this week to 614.48 feet in elevation and 28%. Cope’s Rod and Tackle reported improved action for bass with plastics in Aaron’s Magic, Oxblood, or green pumpkin on the drop-shot, Ned-rig, or shakey head at depths from 10 to 20 feet. Ten-inch ribbon tailed worms fooled bigger fish near submerged brush and trees, but there are schools of small fish in the shallows. Crappie are taken on small live minnows while dip baits, garlic nightcrawlers, or chicken livers are best for whiskerfish.

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 3rd Annual Ed Lacy Memorial Tournament is this coming Saturday, Nov. 4 at Barrett’s Cove South at Lake McClure with the proceeds from the event dedicated to the Reel Warriors Foundation. Cook said, “We have been receiving more and more donations for the raffle thanks to our many sponsors, and we expect close to 40 boats.” The cost is $200 per team “all in”, and it is designed for a two-person team, but a third member is possible in the boat if one is a veteran or an angler 15 years old or younger. There are no pre-sign ups, and registration will be open at 4:30 a.m. the morning of the event. Afterwards, there is a barbecue with weigh in at 2 p.m., followed by the award ceremony. Cook added, “The bite has been unusually tough right now so it will be anyone’s game. The key is finding one big fish as there are numbers of smaller fish. The best bite remains from 20 to 60 feet with 3/4th-ounce Hopkins Shorties in hammered metal along with small shad-patterned plastics or tubes in green pumpkin or shad patterns on the drop-shot or Neko-rig.” Trout plants are scheduled during the week of 111/5 and 11/12, and there are holdover rainbows taken near the dam with shad-patterned spoons such as Kastmasters in black/silver, blue/silver, or Cop Car. Catfishing is best at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The lake dropped 4 feet this week to 808.21 feet in elevation and 65%.

Call: Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008.

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

A Department of Fish and Wildlife trout plant is scheduled this week, and this will help out the action as the overall trout bite has slowed with the lake of recent plants. There are some quality holdovers remaining in the lake as a 6-pound rainbow was landed from the Brush Pile this week along with other large trout in the river below the reservoir. Limits are possible, but patience and persistence is necessary. The Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, or peninsula near the marina remain the top shore locations with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters in blue/silver or gold. The lake is at 84%, and the water level will remain relatively stable throughout the year.

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

The lake continues to recede, dropping nine feet this week 473.52 feet in elevation and 28%. Due to the low water, the Tulare Police Activities League Fundraising Bass Tournament on Nov. 4 is postponed until Dec.2 due to the current low water conditions. The tournament will be held at the same lake due to the number of anglers who have been pre-fishing for the event. The lake is anticipated to start rising from upstream water releases during the first two weeks of November, and the water level will be much higher in early December. This tournament boasts a guaranteed $5,000 first-place payout. There are still some large striped bass remaining in the lake as Jeff Erwin caught and released a 20.54 lineside on 12-pound fluorocarbon. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The water level is very low, but if you could get a kayak on the lake, the spotted bass bite could be solid with small Keitech swimbaits or plastics on the drop-shot as the bass are loading up on the small shad.” Entry is free at Sycamore Park Pond from Monday through Friday, and $9 per vehicle on weekends. Bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish can be caught in all of them. Drinks, snacks, live worms, lures, and tackle are available onsite at the bait shop. Canoe and kayak rentals are available on the ponds for $10 per hour or bring your own hand-launched boat. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are steady at 410 cfs. A trout plant is scheduled at Woodward Park in Fresno the week of Nov. 12.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service said, “Bass fishing is really on the upswing with quality, healthy spotted bass that are loading up on shad. The bait schools are scattered, but if you land on a pod of bait, flukes, plastics on the drop-shot, small Keitechs, or topwater lures are all working. The fish are out in open water at depths from 30 to 45 feet, and you will find boils over submerged island tops or main lake points. These fish are footballs, and they are very healthy and fun to fight on 4-pound line on a medium rod. The temperature dropped 4 degrees to 66 degrees this week with the cold nights.” Similar to the bass bite trout trolling has been outstanding with Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service putting his customers on to quick limits to 4 pounds running Speedy Shiners without a flasher at depths from 40 to 80 feet in the main river channel. He said, “I run the Speedy Shiners naked on a 3.5-foot fluorocarbon leader. The bait is deep from 60 to 90 feet, but it is starting to school up. If I trolled above 40 feet, we started landing spotted bass.” The lake is at 1042.07 feet in elevation and 79%. Trout plants are scheduled the week of Nov. 5 and a double-plant the week of Nov. 12.

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

The lake continues to release water, dropping 41/2 feet this week to 864.41 feet in elevation and 56%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “There is a decent spoon bite as there are shad schools throughout the lake. Windy Gap and the dam area have been two of the best areas. 3/8th-ounce Cotton Cordell’s, 3/8th to ½-ounce Kastmasters or Krippled Herrings, or Blade Runner spoons are all working for the bass. You can give a slight bend to the Blade Runner jigging spoons, and it gives a good action for a wounded baitfish.” Catfish are possible near the Power Lines with chicken livers, cut baits, or Triple S Dip Bait. The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have dropped from 849 to 498 cfs, and the last trout plant was well over a month ago. The action has slowed for bait casters.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

The striped bass beat goes on at both the main San Luis Reservoir and the O’Neill Forebay. Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported “It has been really good out there, and boaters have the upper hand working the early morning boils with anything in shad patterns. 3/8th to ½-ounce paddletail swimbaits, umbrella rigs, Duo Realis jerkbaits in Neo Pearl or similar shad patterns are working in the normal locations of Portuguese Cove or Goosehead Point. Shore fishing is best near the Romero Visitor Center, and small 5-inch swimbaits in bone or Sixth Sense Speed Wakes wake baits or Fishing Trace swimbaits are working. The forebay has been excellent in the early mornings as the gates are open and the water is moving. Jumbo minnows, anchovies, or pile worms are all effective.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that even though the water is falling over a foot a day, ripbait and shore casting anglers are doing well. “ The full moon doesn’t seem to have slowed the bite as much as usual. Minnow fisherman are doing good if they can find the fish that are scattered. I was out of action this week with boat service, but I’ll be out a bunch with guests this week!” George said.

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis added, “Anglers are walking miles from Dinosaur Point in search of boils, but limits have been the rule. However, it is a long walk back, In the forebay, River2Sea Swavers glide baits, hard swimbaits, or jerkbaits are all working in the boils.”

The main lake has dropped to 66% with the forebay at 87%.

To check the wind conditions on the lake - use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir.

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) 905-295

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0

Overall fishing is very slow, but bass are found near the docks with finesse presentations such as plastics on the drop-shot, small swimbaits, or crankbaits. Trout fishing has also slowed with the lack of planting since the annual trout derby in May. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/. Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The Kaiser Pass lakes are starting to release water with fewer anglers heading over the pass to fish the small impoundments. Edison has dropped to 52, Florence at 45, and Mammoth Pool at 44%.

Road conditions 297-0706.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Trout 2 Kokanee 2

Shaver guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Shaver was good for more than one limit of mixed fish this past week as my good friend and Shaver Lake Trophy Trout Project director, Dave McGlothlin of Clovis, squeezed in a solo trip this week. Starting at 7:30 a.m., he spent the first couple hours without any action before moving over to the Black Rock area. Upon arrival at Black Rock, he found 3 rainbows to 16 inches, releasing two, and four kokanee to 15 inches fishing in the top 15 feet of water with dark colored hoochies tipped with corn behind Dick’s Mountain Dodgers. He said the bite fell off at 11:00 a.m. He then headed back to the tunnel where he marked many fish but did not fish the area. The marinas are closed for the season, and there is little fishing pressure.

Fishing remains slow at Huntington. Shaver is at 83% and Huntington at 75%. 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 3

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “We fished the base of the dam at Courtright this week, catching and releasing over 30 trout within 1.5 hours using custom-made inline spinners or spy baits. We started out with two rods, casting one and setting one up with nightcrawlers, but after we had to reel in two rods at one time since both rods were loaded up with trout, we only went to a single casting rod. I lost a big brown within sight of the shoreline.” Both lakes have relatively high water levels, and trollers are doing best at Wishon with blade/’crawler combinations or Rapalas. ourtright has been very strong for holdover rainbows for trollers pulling blade/’crawler combinations or hoochies at depths to 30 feet while shore anglers are scoring with Power Bait or nightcrawlers near the dam.” Both lakes have been much fuller than normal, but the lakes are starting to release water. The Wishon RV Park and Store is closed for the season, and anglers need to come prepared with all supplies.

Call: Wishon RV Park (559) 865-5361.

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Rockfish 3 Bluefin tuna 2 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Bluefin tuna continue to be the rage throughout the northern California coastline, but the majority of action has been taking place north of Bodega Bay to Eureka with the tuna as close as four miles off of Fort Bragg. Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito was out on Monday southwest of the Half Moon Bay Weather Buoy, and he said, “We spotted several jumpers and foamers, and there were fish caught on other boats in the same area, but after scoring a total of five bluefin on our last trip, we came up empty today.”

The Department of Fish and Wildlife’s press release on October 27th states, “The recreational take of Dungeness crab using crab traps will be temporarily restricted between the Sonoma/Mendocino county line and Lopez Point, Monterey County (Fishing Zones 3 and 4) when the season opens on Saturday, Nov. 4 due to presence of humpback whales and potential for entanglement from trap gear.

In addition, if adopted, proposed regulations for recreational groundfish will allow the deployment of Dungeness crab traps shoreward of the 50-fathom Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary line (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart G) when groundfish are onboard. Until the emergency regulations are in place, no fishing gear of any type may be deployed shoreward of the 50-fathom RCA line when shelf rockfish, slope rockfish or lingcod are onboard. CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or before Nov. 17, 2023, at which time the Director will re-evaluate risk for the Dungeness crab fisheries. That risk assessment is expected to inform the potential for a statewide commercial fishery opener on Dec. 1 and the potential to modify the recreational trap restriction.”

As a result of the trap restriction, Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete will be using hoop nets at the start of the season. Crab/rockfish combination trips are highly unlikely out of this port as the closest deep water over 50 fathoms is at least 18 miles from the harbor, and a few boats have been heading to the deep for limits of big chili pepper rockfish along with black cod.

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 Bluefin tuna 2 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 2 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey continues to load up with limits of rockfish and a few lingcod as the Check Mate scored 19 limits of big deepwater rockfish and a pair of ling cod on Saturday. They will be running rockfish trips until the close of the season on Dec. 31, and will offer crab trips once the trap restriction is lifted in Zone 4. Currently only hoops or snares are allowed in Zone 4 from Pigeon Point to Point Lopez.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “We’ve been fielding reports of big bluefin tuna in our area for months now, it seems. Sadly, despite numerous sightings of jumpers and bluefin feeding events, very few have actually been hooked and landed. Last week a number of dedicated local anglers who have put in the time and effort as well as footing the fuel bills finally saw the bite start to open up. A good number of fish were reported caught over the past two weeks. The Davenport ‘Fingers’ area seemed to be the spot for hooking tuna. About ten miles offshore from Davenport, three deep water submarine canyons poke eastward into the deep offshore shelf. The shelf is about 800 feet deep with the intruding canyons diving down to 3000 feet. This creates a perfect habitat for baitfish, with cold nutrient rich water upwelling in the canyon areas. Right now, the area is a hotspot for feeding birds, whales, and fish. ’Whales, bait, birds, and foamers. Full on Nat Geo.’ said Captain Joe Baxter, referring to the Fingers tuna grounds last week.

Baxter is one of the local Santa Cruz fishermen who have put in their time and effort for months now, heading up the coast when the weather allows and dealing with the frustration of knowing there are giant tuna in the area that just won’t bite. Who knows what variable changed just enough to get these fish biting, but we finally got a flurry of bluefin catches. Baxter counted two fish over the weekend. One was a hundred-pounder caught while flylining a live mackerel with 80-pound fluorocarbon leader. He was fishing with Nick Castillo and the tuna weighed in at 100 pounds. On Sunday, Baxter was out with another local, Chris Woerner. They fished live mackerel deep, trolling slow about 100 feet down to find their fish. Getting points for understatement Baxter added, ‘Sunday’s fish was a rat at 80 pounds.’ Weather and sea conditions have kept most anglers off the tuna grounds this week, but hopes are high these fish will stick around and give the bluefin hunters another shot.”

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “The beaches are picking up for both numbers and size of surf perch as anglers are reporting from 15 to 20 fish per outing. Lucky 13 grubs in motor oil or red, Crappie Sliders, or jerkbaits such as Battlestar’s 115 in Sardine or Duo Realis Sprint Tide Minnows in GHA0327 or Sardine are working best.”

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 2

Crab/rockfish combination trips start this Saturday, Nov.4, and despite the crab trap restriction until at least Nov. 17 and most likely beyond, the Bay Area boats are well versed in pulling the crab hoops for 10-crab limits. There is great anticipation for this year’s crab season as it is expected to be one of the best in memory. Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito will be offering rockfish/crab combinations along with the California Dawn 1, California Dawn 2, and Pacific Dream out of Berkeley Marina. A fast boat is necessary for the combination trips since the closest deep water is past the Farallon Islands. Rittenburg Bank remains the place to be for rockfish as the Pacific Dream put in 21 limits by noon after leaving the harbor at 8:00 a.m. Rittenburg is closer to Bodega Bay than the Golden Gate, and Captain Rick Powers of the New Sea Angler out of Bodega Bay put his clients onto 13 limits of huge rockfish along with limits of lingcod to 21 pounds. He said, “There were yellowtail, Boccaccio, vermilions, and canaries in the sacks, and most of the sacks averaged 70 pounds with the lingcod included.” Bluefin mania remains, but the majority of action is north of the Golden Gate from Cordell Banks outside of Bodega Bay north to Eureka.

Inside the bay, the halibut bite has started to slow down, but limits of striped bass remain the rule throughout San Francisco Bay.The availability of live bait is important for all three species, and live bait is available at the San Francisco receiver, the receiver is open 6 a.m.-9 a.m. Friday-Monday with a goal of remaining open until the middle of November, but things are always subject to change.

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

Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3

The rockfish season in this section of coast is open seaward of 50 fathoms through December 31 in both the Central Management Area above Point Conception and in the Southern Management Area below Point Conception. Similar to the other ports in northern California, the boat-based nearshore rockfish season above Point Conception ended on September 1, forcing boats out of Morro Bay to either fish nearshore below Point Conception or deep water of 50 fathoms or more. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Starfire was on a full-day trip on Sunday with 25 anglers for limits of rockfish consisting of 10 vermilion, 230 assorted rockfish, and 10 Boccaccio while the Starfire. The Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay was on an overnight trip on Saturday night with 22 anglers for 88 vermilion, 75 assorted rockfish, 45 Boccaccio, and 18 lingcod. The Rita G went on a 12-hour trip on Sunday with 25 passengers for rockfish limits consisting of 100 vermilion (sub-limits), 115 assorted rockfish, 30 Boccaccio, 5 canary rockfish, and 19 lingcod. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot, Flying Fish, and Phenix were out on Sunday with a combined 41 passengers for 145 vermilion to 10 pounds, 9 Boccaccio to 9 pounds, 214 assorted rockfish, and 3 lingcod. 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 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

The emergency sturgeon regulations have yet to go into effect as interested parties have been provided five working days to submit comments on the proposed emergency regulations to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL). Written comments must be received at the OAL within five days after the commissions submits the emergency regulations to the OAL for review. As a result, the emergency regulations have been delayed since they were approved by the Fish and Game Commission during their Oct. 11 meeting. With the previous regulations remaining in effect for at least another week, white sturgeon in the current 40- to 60-inch range have been flying over rails for the six-pack and private boaters working from Pittsburg to past Martinez. Boats are reporting up to 11 sturgeon of various sizes caught and released, and since the sturgeon remain concentrated in a small area of their overall range, catching a sturgeon has been far easier than in the past. Once the emergency regulations go into effect, it will be far more challenging to land a legal sturgeon as the slot-limit is reduced from 42 to 48 inches with a total of one fish harvested per year. But for at least the next week, it’s still ‘Open Game’ on the white sturgeon front. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg has been putting on a clinic with a combination of slot-limit, shakers, and oversized sturgeon using his custom cured salmon roe.

For striped bass, Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, said, “There are lots of stripers in the San Joaquin system, and the bank areas around Tracy including the Sugar Mill, Tracy Boulevard, and Grimes Road are all producing with topwater lures or swimbaits. Union Point is also a good point for topwater when the current isn’t moving in the hyacinth. The Railroad Bridge on Rough and Ready Island near Stockton has been good at night for those drifting live bait or casting lures while the main San Joaquin adjacent to the Stockton Country Club is solid for trolling. There are tons of small shad in the river, and the terns have moved into the Turning Basin to dive bomb on the shad schools. Limits of stripers have also been found at the mouth of the Calaveras River.

For largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “We had a great day of action for both largemouth bass and stripers in the central Delta this week, and there are three keys. You have to keep the bait in the strike zone as long as possible, you have to find moving water, and you have to work over the tops of the moving weeks – I call it ‘ticking the weeds’” I have been scoring with spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, or crankbaits, and the ima Shaker has been a solid offering since it has a big wobble with lots of water movement. Before the storms arrive, these fish are loading up, and the movement of the Shaker acts like an injured baitfish. The Evoke crankbait is another good choice, and we have been also catching stripers to 9 pounds on the Evoke, the Bad Bubba Shad or Boom Boom swimbaits. Finding moving water has been the key also for the stripers as you need current to push the weeds over. On the high tide, we have been working the outside of the weed line. Rocks and weeds are a good combination.”

The emergency white sturgeon regulations will be as follows:

• Harvest will be reduced to one white sturgeon for 2023 and 2024. Catch and release fishing for white sturgeon will still be allowed with a valid sturgeon report card after one sturgeon is kept except for closures outlined in California Code of Regulations, title 14, sections 5.80(opens in new tab) and 27.95(opens in new tab).

• The slot limit was reduced to 42-48 inches, and a limit of two fish per vessel per day was added.

• Fishing for white sturgeon will also be closed seasonally upstream of the Highway 50 bridge on the Sacramento River and Interstate 5 bridge on the San Joaquin River from January 1 to May 31, 2024. This upstream area will re-open to catch and release fishing on June 1, 2024, once spawning season is over.

• Sturgeon Report Cards purchased in the 2023 calendar year remain valid for the remainder of 2023. All reporting, tag and report card requirements remain in effect. Only one sturgeon harvest tag will be valid.

• Any remaining sturgeon harvest tags beyond one still in possession for the 2023 calendar year will be invalid for the remainder of 2023 once the new regulations take effect.

• Anglers that have already harvested one or more fish in 2023 will still be allowed to catch and release sturgeon for the remainder of 2023 with a valid Sturgeon Report Card.

• The changes to sturgeon harvest regulations may cause a delay in availability of 2024 sturgeon report cards and the single harvest tag. Report cards for 2024 will be available for sale as soon as possible after Nov. 15. and before Jan. 1, 2024. Sturgeon Report Card requirements will remain in effect for 2024.

• CDFW is currently working on a white sturgeon regulation package to allow for limited harvest. The regulation package is scheduled to go through the Commission regulation setting process with a target effective date of January 2025.

Fresh shad is available in Stockton-area bait shops.

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

At Nacimiento, the lake dropped to 56%. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported decent action for spotted bass with plastics in green, brown, or purple on the drop-shot or Ned-rig at depths from 10 to 25 feet. White bass are taken on white inline spinners or spoons on the troll or cast while catfishing is best with cut mackerel, chicken liver, or Triple S Dip Bait.

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

Events

Nov. 4-5

City of Pittsburg Fishing Derby – information: www:Pittsburgmarina.com/Fishderby/.

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)

Nov. 4-5

Delta/San Joaquin County – Valley Backlashers

Nov. 4

Delta/Brannan Island – Central Valley Anglers Striped Bass Derby

Delta/Contra Costa – Bass Anglers of Northern California

New Melones – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

McClure – 3rd Annual Ed Lacy Memorial Bass Tournament

McClure – Kerman Bass Club/River Rat/Oro Madre Bass Club

Nov. 5

Don Pedro -Modesto Ambassadors

Millerton – Big Valley High School Anglers

Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club

Nov. 11th –

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

Delta/Contra Costa – Delta Bass Club

Delta/B and W Resort – Santa Clara Bass Busters

Don Pedro – Sonora Bass Club/American Bass Association/

McClure – Fresno Bass Club/Angler’s Press

Pine Flat – Cope’s Tackle and Rod

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club

Nov. 12

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Hook, Line, and Sinker

New Hogan – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Don Pedro – Stanislaus County Sheriff’s

Kaweah – Kings VIII Bass Club

Nov. 18

Camanche – Yak-A-Bass

Don Pedro – Sierra Bass Club

McClure – Gilroy Bassmasters

Pine Flat – California Bass Nation

Nov. 19

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Delta Teen Team

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association

Nov. 24

Nacimiento – 805 Bass Addicts

Dec. 2

Millerton – 3rd Annual Tulare Police Activity League Fundraising Bass Tournament – contact Mark Corrente at 284-2768 or Sgt. Ed Hinojosa at 331-4920 for details. $180 per team with a huge number of prizes available

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.