Fishing report, Oct. 11-17: Trout still biting at Don Pedro, bass and catfish active at McClure Lake
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
Best bets Delta bass, stripers and sturgeon available, Vince Borges said. Don Pedro trout bite still going, Monte Smith reported. McClure bass and catfish active, Ryan Cook said. San Francisco halibut, stripers and rockfish hitting, Ron Koyasako reported. McSwain trout plants spurring on bite, and Kaweah catfish on the prowl, Dave Hurley said.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 3
Striperz Gone Wild’s Three-Year Anniversary ‘Fall Classic’ Striper Derby on Saturday at the Hilldale Bridge attracted a whopping 263 participants. Bill Sterling, club spokesman, said, “The striper bite has picked up a bit, but you have to get out there early morning or late evening right now with this heat. Glide baits, jerk baits and topwater lures are working the best. The aqueduct is ‘hit and miss,’ but Migz Padilla picked up a 24- and 25-inch striped bass within an hour. Michael Xiong came in first in the adult division in the tournament with a 29-inch striper while Donald Kellogg was only a half-inch behind for second place at 28.5 inches. Jose Olivas took the youth division at 26 inches.”
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported slow striped bass in the north aqueduct as maintenance on a headgate near Patterson is resulting in high flows. He said, “The Delta Mendota Canal is kicking out some huge catfish in the 10- to 15-pound range on cut baits, nightcrawlers, or stink baits.”
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, the recent hot weather has contributed to more grass and debris, but nightcrawlers, garlic-scented nightcrawlers, lugworms, extra-large minnows, or cut baits on a heavy weight are working for both striped bass and catfish near the head gates. The key is finding moving water. There is a reaction bite with jerkbaits, Rat-L-Traps, or small swimbaits in shad patterns. Catfish are taken on nightcrawlers, chicken liver, or cut baits on the bottom. Largemouth bass are another option with plastics on the drop-shot or grubs the slow water either before or after the head gates.
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, “Eastman continues to improve with the best action with finesse presentations with small profile Senkos or plastic worms near rocks or brush piles. There is still a tremendous amount of crappie and bluegill fry in the lake, and the bass are feeding heavily on the fry. Small profile offerings such as minijigs are best right now to match the small baitfish.” Hensley remains slow for bass, but bluegill are plentiful on red worms or meal worms while catfishing is solid with chicken livers, cut baits, or stink baits. Eastman held at 551.60 feet in elevation and 63% with Hensley dropping 3 feet to 483.33 feet in elevation and 26%.
Call: Eastman Lake (559) 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 3 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported trout fishing has been solid most days with rainbow trout to 4 pounds taken by fast-trolling spoons at depths from 60 to 80 feet. He said, “The key is finding the bait schools and switching up presentations until the trout are willing to bite. King salmon are holding below the shad schools, and as the water cools into the 60-degree range, the kings should become more active.” Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing added, “Bass fishing remains brutal with only a few suspended fish taken on 3/4-ounce Hopkins Shorties in stamped metal over the bait. The bite has been as tough as in recent memory.” The lake dropped 2 feet to 802.23 feet in elevation and 84%. Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/.
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 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3
The water releases picked up a bit this week as the lake dropped 2 feet to 2,584.55 feet in elevation and 62%. The flows in the North Fork at Kernville dropped slightly to 556 cfs., but the releases out of the lake have risen from 1797 to 2363 cfs at First Point. There is a topwater bite for bass in the early mornings and late afternoons before targeting the bait schools with shad-patterned swimbaits or jerkbaits. Working the bottom with shad-patterned plastic worms on a Texas-rig or drop-shot is good option by mid-morning. Trout are taken by trollers pulling shad-imitation spoons or spinners in the deep water near the dam. Catfishing remains solid near the dam or Camp 9 with Triple S Dip Bait, mackerel, frozen shad, or large nightcrawlers. The upper Kern was stocked three weeks ago at Section 4, Powerhouse #3 to Riverside Park in Kernville, and Section 6, Fairview Dam to Johnsondale Bridge. The flows are ideal, and trout fishing is very good around Kernville and in the upper river with spinners, crickets, nightcrawlers, or Power Bait.
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 0 Catfish 3
The lake continues to drop, and it receded 13 feet this week to 604.18 feet in elevation and from 16 to 12%. There have been some quality largemouth bass in the 4-pound range landed from the banks with finesse presentations in deep water off of main lake points. lakes to rise and fastest to drop in the state. Catfishing remains best with garlic-scented nightcrawlers, cut bait, or Triple S Dip Baits on a long soak. Crappie are taken with minijigs or small swimbaits in shad patterns near the coves around Horse Creek. The flows in the Kaweah River have dropped once again from 323 to 183 cfs.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake receded 11/2 feet this week to 637.07 feet in elevation and 62%. There is a topwater bite for bass early or late before heading to the bottom with twin-tailed grubs, or Roboworm’s on a drop-shot or Carolina-rig at 10 to 20 feet in depth. Catfishing remains best with chicken livers, anchovies, or Triple S Dip Bait at night. Crappie are found around the docks in the marina or near submerged brush with small live minnows, Keitech swimbaits, or minijigs.
Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 3 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 3
Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Bass fishing has improved considerably with numbers of small fish taken off of the bottom at depths from 30 to 50 feet with 2.75-inch Strike King’s Rage Swimmer in shad patterns on a one-fourth ounce G-Money underspin. Small shad-patterned plastics on the drop-shot are also working.” Trolling for holdover rainbow trout has been excellent for those trying, and the rainbows are found in the deep water near the dam with shad-patterned spoons such as Kastmasters in black/silver, blue/silver, or Cop Car. Catfishing remains solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. Crappie are taken in the coves at depths from 15 to 25 feet over structure with various minijigs including Notorious Jigs. The lake dropped 4 feet to 821.49 feet in elevation and 72%.
Call: Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008.
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 3
The Merced Irrigation District’s Fall Trout Derby was a huge success with over 200 participants vying for the 4000 pounds of rainbow trout planted prior to the derby. Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters in blue/silver or gold are working from the normal bank locations of the Brush Pile, the Handicapped Docks or the peninsula by the marina. Anthony Marquez landed the largest trout at 20.75 inches and stringer of three trout at 20.75, 18, and 17.5 inches worth a total of $4000 while Nick Brocchini came through with Wild Card Trout at 16 inches for $500. Josiah Millan took the Wild Card Kid’s Trout at 10.75 inches for a fishing rod and a tackle box package from the Reel Deal Market and Café. The lake rose to 96%, 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 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
The lake is receding, dropping 10 feet this week 492.33 feet in elevation and 37%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The lake continues to dump water, and the bass are suspending with the rapidly dropping water levels. The key is to find the bait balls as the bass are keying on the shad. Shad-imitation plastics on a drop-shot or Neko-rig or small jerkbaits are working best. The striped bass action has slowed to a crawl.” The launch ramp is down to the third boat ramp.” Sycamore Park is open seven days per week. Sycamore Park Pond continues to kick out quality largemouth bass. Entry is free 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.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 1
John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Bass Guide Service said, “Bass fishing is starting to improve as the topwater bite in open water is taking off as the bass are boiling on shad in the ½- to one-inch range. The best quality is taken on large topwater Spooks or other big walking-style baits. There are also bass on the submerged island tops with shad-patterned plastics on the drop-shot. The bass bite has improved considerably over the past two weeks.” For rainbow trout, fewer trollers are working the lake, but this is prime time for running shad-patterned spoons within the bait balls at depths from 60 to 80 feet. Finding the bait is the key. The lake level has been stable, dropping only ½-foot to 1042.78 feet in elevation and 79%. 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 7.5 feet this past week to 883.52 feet in elevation and 64%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “The trout trolling bite has slowed, but there are still anglers out there working upriver and near the Power Lines with shad-patterned spoons such as Needlefish in Cop Car. Bass fishing is best with topwater lures in the mornings before heading to the bottom with jigs or plastics on the drop-shot by mid-morning. Small fish are found in the shallows while the larger fish are found off of points in deep water. Crappie can be found around the docks or in the submerged brush.” The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have risen from 914 to 1465 cfs, and although the last trout plant was three weeks ago, trout fishing for holdover is good with spinners or nightcrawlers in the confluence of fast to slow water. A number of limits have been landed.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “In the main lake, striped bass action continues to be solid with anchovies from the banks in the early mornings along with topwater lures such as the Cotton Cordell’s 110 or 120 in red head/white near Check 12. A legal limit is possible, but there are plenty of undersized fish.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the overall bite has been up and down for trollers and ripbait anglers working the shores. “ The hot weather seemed to improve the bite for a couple days then things slowed down in the hot calm conditions. I fished the lake last Wednesday with Sonny Johansen of Clovis after being out of commission for 2 weeks , and we worked hard all day and only managed to release 10 fish in the tough bite but things turned around suddenly- when he told me he had a bigger fish on that turned out to be 36-inches and right at 20 pounds - that we released quickly. A little later I wasn’t paying attention when I got a huge hit and the fish took off on a 50 plus yard run. The big striper was 45 inches and 35.4 pounds in great shape, my biggest this year. It was a miracle I got it in since the hooks bent out pretty good. We used the Seaqualizer tool on my Downrigger to put it down as soon as we could. The quicker the better for their survival. The day had looked pretty bleak , until we stumbled into the big fish window, but it’s San Luis- you never know. I got the fish in the 40-50-foot zone .” George said.
In the O’Neill Forebay, striped bass are chasing bait balls in the early mornings, and topwater lures are effective along with ripping the grass with Rat-L-Traps or flukes. Umbrella rigs are also effective. The lake is releasing water, and it has dropped to 81% in spite of continued pumping from the south Delta. The O’Neill Forebay is at 62%, and the weeds started to grow once again with the hot weather.
To check the wind conditions on the lake - use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir.
Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George, rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954.
High Sierra
Bass Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun said, “The bass bite is picking up a bit as the water is cooling down as there is a finesse bite with plastics or jigs along with a reaction bite with crankbaits or jerkbaits.” 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 (559) 676-8133.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
The Kaiser Pass lakes are starting to release water with Edison at 70%, Florence at 86%, and Mammoth Pool at 64%. Road conditions (559) 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake (559) 259-4000.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 2 Trout 2
Shaver Guide Emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “Beautiful weather over the weekend will drop into the upper 50s beginning Tuesday. Approximately a dozen boats were out each day of the weekend, and most trollers found slow fishing for both kokanee and trout. However, a mixed limit per boat was possible. The kokanee are in the 28- to 58- foot depth or on the bottom, and the bottom fish mostly have been red spawners as they are schooling. The best bet for kokanee remains in the island to Black Rock and the mouth of Boy Scout Cove. Orange has been the best color. On our last trip out, we used Dick’s Mountain Tubes and Hoochies tipped with tuna scented corn. Most trout will be found in Stevenson Bay and Tunnel Creek areas. All Shaver guides have quit for the year. The marinas are emptying for the winter. Shaver Marina will close Oct. 15.” Fishing remains slow at Huntington with high water limiting shore access along with heavy flows at Rancheria Creek.
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. Shaver dropped to 78 and Huntington at 91%.
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 2
With the lack of trout plants, fewer anglers are heading ot the high country. The last trout plant at Courtright took place a month ago. The best location for holdovers at both lakes remains in the upper lake near the inlets for trollers pulling blade/’crawler combinations or Rapalas. Wishon received a trout plant two weeks ago, and bank fishing is up near the mouth of Short Hair Creek or in the back of the lake near the inlet with inflated nightcrawlers or Power Bait. The Wishon RV Park and Store closed for the season on Oct. 9.
Call: Wishon RV Park (559) 865-5361..
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
With the nearshore rockfish closure, it’s all about surf fishing in this section of the coast as the closest available water for rockfish is at least 20 miles southwest off of Pigeon Point or north of the Farallon Islands. Bluefin tuna are still on the minds of local anglers, and there were some encouraging signs of action on Monday for the boats taking the long ride. Crab-only trips will start on November 4, but crab/rockfish combination trips are in jeopardy as the closest deep water is over 20 miles from the harbor.
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 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “This week featured some fine calm mornings for fishing. Even the afternoons didn’t get too windy, but mornings were best. As in the past month or so, most of the action and bags of filet came from the deep water fishery beyond 300 feet of water. Chris’ fishing Trips in Monterey boasted full limit on every trip plus up to 10 Petrale sole and 27 lingcod on their rockcod trips. Six pack charters out of Santa Cruz posted similar results.
Rodney Armstrong on the Knot Alone from Santa Cruz Coastal Fishing Charters remains stoked, saying, “Deep water rock fish still as good as it gets. We had limits of rock fish and two nice lingcod today in about 30 minutes.” JT Thomas from Go Fish Santa Cruz detailed his trip on Tuesday reporting, “We fished the deep waters today. The clients caught limits of quality rock fish including big vermillion, green spots, yellowtail and chili peppers. The whales were out putting on a show for everyone.”
Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine had some promising tuna news. Fraser related, “The tuna anglers jigged up mackerel today and are planning on looking in the morning. There was one boat out near the Weather Buoy who found bluefin. The anglers saw a nice school of jumpers but they could not get them to bite. The water temperature was around 58 degrees. The weather conditions look good for a few days.”
Fraser added that halibut are still showing up and biting baits near the west side of Santa Cruz. With last week’s full moon, they enjoyed big tides, good for surfcasting as well as for halibut action. The local striper bite is dying down while the surfperch action is heating up. Stripers start heading towards their freshwater spawning areas this time of year.
For the stripers in Monterey Bay that could mean the Salinas or Pajaro Rivers, or all the way back to San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento River system. Beaches north of Santa Cruz and near Half Moon Bay might be a good choice for striper hunting these next few weeks. Most beaches around the bay are holding schools of barred, walleye and some calico surfperch. And they are getting bigger as the year progresses.
The Monterey and Moss Landing boats will have the upper hand for crab/rockfish combination trips starting November 4th since access to water deeper than 50 fathoms is relatively close to the harbor as opposed to Half Moon Bay, San Francisco Bay, and Bodega Bay which will have to travel close to 20 miles or longer to get to the 50-Fathom curve.
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 3 Sturgeon 2
With rockfishing limited to water deeper than 50 fathoms, offshore trips are heavily dependent upon the weather and ocean conditions. It’s not a matter of limiting out on rockfish and ling cod, but whether the boats are able to make it to the offshore mecca of Rittenburg Bank, 23 miles outside of Bodega Bay and 38 miles from the Golden Gate at 37° 53’ 0” N/123° 20’ 0” W. The California Dawn II was able to make it to the Bank on Sunday scoring 18 limits of rockfish and 30 lingcod to 25 pounds. Western Outdoor News inaugural northern California charter is this coming Friday, Oct. 13 on the California Dawn 2, and our fingers crossed for flat enough weather to make the trek to Rittenburg or another deep water location short of Rittenburg since rockfishing is only allowed over 50 fathoms. In normal times, the Marin coast would be an option if the conditions are unsuitable to a long boat ride to the Farallons or north of the island. If not, it’s halibut and striped bass fishing inside of the bay.
The opening of deep water has created some incredible opportunities for northern California rockfishing, but the distance traveled is a major limiting factor even when the weather is calm. The long distance to deep water will be a significant barrier to the popular crab/rockfish combination trips out of Half Moon, San Francisco, and Bodega Bay upon the Dungeness crab opener starting Nov. 4.
Inside the bay, Fleet Week is a major event in San Francisco Bay, and the highlight in addition to the caravan of vessels, is the daily aerial show by the Blue Angels.
Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursion out of San Francisco took out a regular charter on Saturday for limits of striped bass along with a respectable score of halibut, but he has been finding some very encouraging signs of white sea bass. Koyasako is known as the ‘Ghost Whisperer’ for his ability to anchor and entice strikes from the bay’s ‘ghosts.’ He said, “It seems like the sea bass are spawning as we are seeing hundreds of fish in a line in the mid-water level. They are broadcast spawners like striped bass, and they seem to be reluctant to bite while they are spawning. Once the spawn is over, we should have a window for white sea bass as late October into November are prime time. There are still halibut in the bay, and the action is good if you key on them. The tides are getting larger, and this always shortens the window of opportunity for halibut.”
Captain Chris Smith of the Pacific Dream out of Berkeley spent the weekend inside the bay targeting halibut and observing the Blue Angels, and he said, “We had a fun Blue Angels/ halibut charter in the bay on Saturday as we landed 22 quality halibut while the Jets flew right over our boat. These are fun trips that we plan to do every year in October. We followed this up with another 16 halibut on Sunday.” Smith’s son, Captain Jonathon Smith on the Happy Hooker also posted up to 20 halibut for the boat while the Blue Angels were overhead. The California Dawn II also stayed in the bay on Saturday for 16 limits of striped bass, and 13 halibut to 22 pounds before heading offshore to Rittenburg Bank for rockfish on Sunday.
Halibut remain a possibility into late October, and striped bass are a solid option, but white sea bass in northern California are a highly desired species. The availability of live bait is important for all three species, and live bait is available at the San Francisco receiver, but starting Monday, Oct. 9, the receiver will remain open four days a week, 6-9 a.m. on 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 Dec. 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 Endeavor, Starfire, and Avenger were out on trips ranging from ½- to full day Saturday with a combined 68 anglers for a total of 90 vermilion, 82 Boccaccio to 10 pounds, and 361 assorted for a total of 553 fish. Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay sent out the Black Pearl and Rita Git on Saturday on trips ranging from half to three-quarters of a day with a combined 46 passengers for 45 vermilion, 187 assorted rockfish, and 11 Boccaccio.
Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Flying Fish, Patriot, and Phenix came through with 44 limits of rockfish consisting of 176 vermilion, 60 Boccaccio, 233 assorted rockfish, and one lingcod to 10 pounds for a total of 441 fish. 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 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The 75th Annual Rio Vista Bass Festival and Derby is this coming weekend starting on at 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 13 and ending at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15. The target length for both striped bass will be selected at the start of the tournament, and the measurement will be somewhere from 25-to 32-inches measured from the tip of the nose with the mouth closed, to the fork of the tail. For white sturgeon, the “Target Length” will be selected at the start of the tournament from 40-to 60-inches measured from the tip of the nose to the fork of the tail. Anglers may fish from San Francisco Bay to Sacramento, and all fish must be weighed in at the Official Weigh Station at 1 Main Street in Rio Vista. The target lengths will be posted at 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 13 on the Facebook page, “Rio Vista Bass Derby & Festival”, and the webpage: www.bassfestival.com. The top payout for the target-length striped bass has risen to $4000, and all rules and information is available at https://bassfestival.com/.
At noon Saturday, Oct. 14 the Rio Vista Boat Launch, the California Striped Bass Association – Isleton Chapter will dedicate a plaque honoring the late Captain Barry Canevaro.
The week before the Rio Vista Bass Derby is traditionally a slower time for striped bass fishing, and the numbers of linesides in the Delta has slowed down while the temperatures need to cool before the next wave of stripers arrive from San Francisco Bay. The water temperature in the Sacramento River is in the high 60s while the temperatures in the San Joaquin are still in the low 70s.
For largemouth bass, Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors found a solid bite with chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and punching. He was out with his son, Josh, on Saturday in the north Delta near Liberty Island, and they put together a 20-pound limit with fish in the 3 – to 4.5-inch range. There is a lot of shad in the water, and the bait fish are boiling on shad, but I was using a Bloody Mary chatterbait which was outfishing a shad-patterned spinnerbait 10 to 1. The bass aren’t feeding on crawdads, but there are big crawdads in the 5-inch range floating on the surface. Hyacinth clumps are all over, and there is a lot of debris on the surface. You have to be careful since the debris will hide logs and wood. We ended up with 60 fish overall with at least 15 over 3 pounds.”
Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop said, “In the south Delta below the Mossdale Bridge, striped bass fishing has been hit or miss, but catfish, bluegill, and red ear perch are all over. Nightcrawlers are working for the catfish while red or wax worms for panfish. There are stripers upstream of the bridge, but you have to have a jet boat to navigate the San Joaquin River. Fresh shad is in the shop, and blood worms, shad, or jumbo minnows are all working for stripers from the banks of the San Joaquin near Windmill Cove or on the Sacramento River from Rio Vista to Sherman Island.
For sturgeon, with the potential shutdown of the fishery to catch-and-release, possibly occurring as early as Nov. 1, six-pack operators are in a rush to take as many fish out of the system as possible for their clients. Up to 6 limits of sturgeon have been the rule for boats fishing from Pittsburg to Martinez with cured salmon roe, and the interest in the fishery is high with the potential restrictions.
The Fish and Game Commission is scheduled to discuss white sturgeon emergency regulations at 1 p.m. Wed., Oct. 11. Information on how to join the meeting is available at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=215026&inline.
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 2 Striper 0 Catfish 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 2
At Nacimiento, spotted bass are found with finesse presentations at depths from the banks to 20 feet. Plastics in crawfish or shad patterns on the drop-shot, dart head, or Ned-rig are working best. A few white bass are taken on small white Kastmasters or Roostertails once the bait balls are located. Catfishing is best with anchovies or Triple S Dip Bait while crappie are found in the submerged structure with live minnows or minijigs.
A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. Lopez Lake dropped slightly to 96.0%, and the best bass action remains on the bottom with finesse presentations of plastics on the drop-shot, Ned-rig, dart head, or split-shot. Anglers can view a live webcam of the lake at https://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, the lake is at 90.1%, and several tournaments are scheduled during the month of October. Working the flooded grass with weeds with reaction lures such as chatterbaits, jerkbaits, or swimbaits remain the best technique. With the high water levels, there are plenty of flooded vegetation. Catfishing remains best with cut mackerel scented with garlic. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california. At San Antonio, the lake dropped slightly to 66%. Catfish remain the best option with chicken livers, mackerel soaked in garlic scent, or Triple S Dip Baits. The Bass are still spread out throughout the lake with the high water levels.
Reminder: consuming white bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, or carp are subject to safe eating guidelines due to excessive mercury.
Events
Oct. 14
Fishapalooza at Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop in Bakersfield from 10 a.m.-4p.m. Meet factory representatives from all your favorite brands and save on tackle during our biggest sale of the year!
Kid’s Fishing Derby – California Striped Bass Association – West Delta Chapter – Antioch Fishing Pier in Antioch – prizes, lunch, and raffle.
Oct. 13-15
Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival – information: https://bassfestival.com/.
Nov. 4-5
City of Pittsburg Fishing Derby – information: www:Pittsburgmarina.com/Fishderby/.
Tournament results
Sept. 30-Oct. 1
Lake McSwain – Merced Irrigation Fall Trout Derby
1st: Anthony Marquez – Largest trout at 20.75 and stringer of three trout at 20.75, 18, and 17.5 inches; Nick Brocchini - Wild Card Trout at 16 inches; Josiah Millan – Wild Card Kid’s Trout – 10.75 inches.
Oct. 7
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Sonora Bass Anglers
1st –B. Hemphill/D. Hemphill – 15.00 pounds; 2nd – J.Wood/J.Smith – 14.00; 3rd –D.Tarap/D.Tarap – 13.60.
California Aqueduct – Striperz Gone Wild Three-Year Anniversary ‘Fall Classic’ Striper Derby Adult Division
1st – Michael Xiong – 29 inches; 2nd – Donald Kellogg- 28.5 inches; 3rd – Kong Yang – 27.5 inches.
California Aqueduct – Striperz Gone Wild Three-Year Anniversary ‘Fall Classic’ Striper Derby Youth Division
1st – Jose Olivas – 26 inches; 2nd – Jade Walker - 24.75 inches; 3rd – Caleb Ewing – 24 inches.
Santa Margarita – Golden Empire Bass Club
1st – Mike and Larry Merlo – 11.20 pounds; 2nd – Juan Verdugo/Don Luna – 9.10; 3rd – Sam and Damon Mead – 8.95 (Big Fish – 4.20).
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Oct. 13-15
Delta/Rio Vista – 75th Annual Rio Vista Derby and Bass Festival
Oct. 14-15
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bass Addicts of Southern California
Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
Oct. 14
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
Tulloch – Christian Bass League
Pine Flat – Bakersfield Bass Club
Bass Lake – Kerman Bass Club
Kern River – Southern Sierra Fly Fishermen
Oct. 15
Pine Flat – Fresno Bass Club
Oct. 20-21
Camanche – Nor Cal Bass Lake Series TOC
Oct. 21-22
New Melones – Kern County Bassmasters
McClure – Riverbank Bass Anglers
Oct. 21
New Melones – Delta Bass Anglers
Oct. 22
Delta/Russo’s Marina - Hook, Line, and Sinker
Oct. 28-29
Don Pedro – California Bass Federation
Oct. 28
Hensley – Central Valley Kayak Fishing
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
