Fishing report, Sept. 27-Oct. 3: Delta sturgeon, New Melones trout and San Luis striper action are all good.
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 sturgeon , striper and bass action going, Alan Fong said. Don Pedro trout hitting, Monte Smith reported. New Melones trout still biting and McSwain plants are spurring on the trout action, Dave Hurley said.San Luis striper action good, Mickey Clements reported.Bass lake bass action improved, Michael Crayne said.
Valley
Westside waterways
Striper 2 Catfish 3
Striperz Gone Wild’s three-year anniversary Fall Classic Striper Derby is 5 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Hilldale Bridge with a BBQ, 50/50 raffle, and prizes in the adult and youth divisions. The group is also helping with the upcoming City of Gustine Kid’s Derby at the Schmidt Duck Pond this coming Saturday, Sept. 30. Overall, striped bass action has been tough with the best action in the early mornings or late afternoons into dark with topwater lures or jerkbaits.
In the south aqueduct in Kern County, nightcrawlers, garlic-scented nightcrawlers, lugworms, extra-large minnows, or cut baits are working for both striped bass and catfish near the head gates. Jerkbaits, Rat-L-Traps, or small swimbaits in shad patterns are also effective. Catfish can be taken on nightcrawlers, chicken liver, or cut baits near structure. Largemouth bass are found 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 got hit so hard during the spring that it is still reeling from all of the pressure. There is so much baitfish in the lake right now that the largemouth bass are going out of their way to avoid artificial presentations. The best offerings are to downsize to small swimbaits or crappie jigs on a slow presentation. Hensley is limited to catfish or bluegill as the bass bite remains very slow.” There are some quality fish to be found at Eastman offshore with 4.3-inch Keitech swimbaits in Electric Blue Chartreuse. Eastman held at 551.67 feet in elevation and 63% with Hensley dropping four feet to 487.61 feet in elevation and 29%.
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 said, “Don Pedro is still producing large quality rainbows at depths of 55 to 75 feet with my custom spoons along with Excel lures in various colors. The trout continue to gorge themselves on the small shad in the lake so it’s best to try and match the hatch on the size of your lure choice. The water temperatures range from 72 to 75 degrees with a clarity around 10 feet. The mornings are definitely cooling off temperatures during the day topping out about 78 to 80 degrees. The rainbows are scattered throughout the lake, and usually once you find the balls of bait, the fish are not too far behind. The trout are gorging themselves with the small shad in the 1-inch range. The Tuolumne River arm is open, giving boaters access to the entire lake.
Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “The bite is as tough as I’ve ever seen it. We have been working hard for 6 to 7 fish per day in two trips. We have picked up a few with 3/4-ounce Hopkins Shorties spoons or 2.8-inch Keitech swimbaits on a drop-shot rig along with jigs at 10 to 30 feet.” Saturday’s Nor Cal Bass tournament’s winning limit was taken off of a submerged island at 30 to 40 feet by dragging a worm back and forth. The Tuolumne River arm is open, giving boaters access to the entire lake. There is still some floating driftwood in the upper river, and the cleanup continues. The lake dropped five feet to 805.38 feet in elevation and 85%. 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
Water releases have been ramped up with the lake dropping 4 feet to only 2,587.81 feet in elevation and 67%, and the flows in the North Fork at Kernville have risen to 651 cfs. The releases out of the lake are steady at 2025 cfs at First Point. Catfish are the top draw with the best action near the dam or Camp 9 with Triple S Dip Bait, mackerel, frozen shad, or large nightcrawlers. Crappie are found near structure with offerings such as Keitech swimbaits or minijigs around Red’s Kern Valley Marina and in the South Fork. Largemouth bass can be taken on shad-patterned spinnerbaits or buzzbaits in the trees or walking-style topwater lures such River2Sea’s Whopper Ploppers as they are focusing on the lake’s baitfish schools. Trout action has slowed with the best fishing remaining in the Nork Fork with Power Bait near deep water access or with shad-patterned spoons such as Flicker Shad, Needlefish, or Tasmanian Devils for trollers. The upper Kern was stocked last week at Section 4, Powerhouse #3 to Riverside Park in Kernville, and Section 6, Fairview Dam to Johnsondale Bridge. With the plants and the slower water movement, trout fishing is solid in 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 1 Catfish 2
The lake continues to drop, and it receded 19 feet to 624.04 feet in elevation and to 21% from 33% this past week. With the rapidly dropping water, the bass are suspending in deepwater until the lake finally stabilizes. Kaweah is one of the fastest 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 with minijigs or small swimbaits in shad patterns near the coves around Horse Creek. The Kaweah River is flowing in at 205 cfs.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 3
The lake receded six inches to 638.93 feet in elevation and 66%. Catfishing remains best with chicken livers, anchovies, or Triple S Dip Bait at night. 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. 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 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 3
Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Bass fishing is showing signs of life although there is quite a bit of dead water. A 9.87 kicker as part of a 20-pound plus limit took first during Saturday’s 50-boat Christian Bass League tournament, and the big fish was taken on a 6-inch Roboworm in Morning Dawn in 20 feet of water on a random main lake point. ½-ounce white spinnersbaits, 3.5-inch Lunker Daddy Tubes, ½-ounce brown/purple G-Money jigs with a twin-tail greenpumpkin trailer, and topwater Spooks are all working once you locate the fish. Holdover rainbow trout are found in the deep water near the dam with shad-patterned spoons such as Kastmasters in black/silver, blue/silver, or Cop Car as the rainbows are feeding heavily on the shad schools. Catfishing is solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The lake dropped 4 feet to 825.61 feet in elevation and 74%.
Call: Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008.
McSwain Reservoir
Trout 3
The Merced Irrigation District’s Fall Trout Derby starts at 6 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30 and ends at noon on Sunday, Oct. 1.
Information: https://mercedid.org/fall-2023-trout-derby/.
The lake will be planted this week prior to the derby, Recent trout plants have led to vastly improved fishing for rainbow trout from the banks or from trollers. Kayakers are trolling Flicker Shad in front of the Brush Pile for steady action for rainbows in the 12- to 14-inch range while bank anglers are garlic Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or silver/blue or gold Kastmasters at the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, or the peninsula by the marina.
Call: Angler’s Edge Market (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Millerton
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
The lake is receding, dropping 2 feet this week 511.47 feet in elevation and 48%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “With the low water levels, the bait is being pushed around by the bass, and small presentations such as 2.8-inch Keitech swimbaits or 3-inch Spark Shad are working as it is a matter of dragging the swimbaits on the bottom. A 5-pound spotted bass was landed up the river arm.” The San Joaquin River from Friant Dam to the Merced County line is open for recreational use, and 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 3 Kokanee 2
It’s about holdover rainbow trout at this time of year as the kokanee are all but done. Rainbow trout to 20 inches are found under lights at night at depths from 80 to 100 feet with up to three lights under the surface. Once the shad congregate, the rainbows are thick, and they are biting nightcrawlers or live minnows. Trout trolling is also solid during the daytime by running shad-patterned spoons in the main river channel through the shad schools. Finding birds is a key. Bass fishing remains very tough, but it should improve up the river arm once it gets cooler. The Fresno Bass Club tournament on Saturday was won with a limit at 9.30 pounds by Ron Red Sr., and most teams worked hard for 5 to 6 pounds. The shad is just starting to school up, and this is what is needed to get the action rolling. The lake held at 1043.28 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 is also releasing water heavily, dropping 6 feet this week to 894.64 feet in elevation and 70%. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Boat anglers have the upper hand as they can move around to find the fish. Main lake points have been the best location with plastics on a drop-shot, Neko-rig, or shakey head along with squarebilled crankbaits.” Crappie are starting to ball up, but they have been challenging to find. There are few trout reports. The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have dropped to 849 cfs, and trout plants have taken place over the past two weeks. Successful techniques remain the same with spinners or nightcrawlers with split-shot worked in the confluence of fast to slow water for up to limits of recently planted rainbows.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
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 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 0
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun said, “The bass bite is turning on big as the fish are pushing bait up onto the banks. The waterfall in Willow Creek is a good location, and it is a matter of searching for bait to find the fish. Trout fishing has also slowed with the lack of planting since the annual trout derby in May, but occasional quality holdover landed as evidenced by a 3-pound rainbow taken on Dick’s orange tubes behind a Mountain Flasher over the weekend. 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 still releasing water, but trout fishing remains solid at both Edison and Florence Lake. All the lakes are nearly filled, but they are dropping with Edison from 89 to 83%. Florence holding at 91, and Mammoth Pool from 98 to 89%. Road conditions (559) 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake (559) 259-4000
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee 2 Trout 2
Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said, “As the weather cools, so does the fishing at Shaver. Several Shaver regulars have reported no fish to a few fish in the boat. The kokanee that are being caught are either immature, 3rd year, 2nd year, or spawning reds. Another unusual trait is that they are mostly in the upper 45 feet of water with some spawners near the bottom. Orange remains the go-to color. On my last trip, orange Mountain Tubes tipped with scented corn behind Mountain Dodgers produced a couple limits of kokanee. Highly skilled kokanee fishermen like veteran guide Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net are still producing a couple limits of kokanee. On one of his trips this past week, he noted that the early morning was slow, but when the wind picked up, he was able to put his guests on a couple limits of kokanee and a few trout in the upper 45 feet of water. It’s possible to pick up a couple of mixed limits of kokanee and trout. The trout bite remains slow. Normally, the Stevenson Bay, Tunnel Creek areas produce a good amount of trout with green and orange Trout Busters tipped with crawler.
The second-year kokanee should be left alone to grow for 2024. With the lack of any kokanee planting by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife this year, a healthy spawn is necessary for action three years from now. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun reported slow action 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.
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
The last trout plant at Courtright took place three weeks ago, and no trout plants are scheduled at either lake. The best location for holdovers remains in the upper lake near the inlets for trollers pulling blade/’crawler combinations or Rapalas. At Wishon, the best 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. Interest in fishing the high-country lakes remains down from past seasons.
Call: Wishon RV Park (559) 865-5361.
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
The nearshore rockfish closure along with the previous salmon closure has severely affected this port as the closest access to waters deeper than 50 fathoms are far from the harbor off of Pigeon Point with limited areas at the Farallon Islands. The bluefin tuna have been absent near the Half Moon Bay Weather Buoy, and unfortunately, it is going to be fishing from shore or whale watching as the most consistent action for the remainder of the summer. Crab-only trips will start on Nov. 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
Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
From the surf, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported good surf perch action from the beaches near Watsonville with Duo Realis Tide Minnow 110’s or motor oil grubs while striped bass is best from the Monterey beaches up as early as 3 a.m. to fish until sunrise with Duo Realis’s Tide Minnow 140’s.
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “You might call Nick Rose-Rankin a lucky man. Last Saturday he won first place in the long-running Monterey Bay Kayaks Kayak Fishing Derby. And, he did it in a fashion never seen before in MBK Derby history. His winning entry was not just the fish of the day, but possibly the fish of a lifetime! Rose-Rankin returned to the weigh-n table with a California halibut that measured 44.5 inches and weighed out just a hair under 40 pounds. By far the biggest halibut ever measured for the MBK Derby, and likely the biggest any of the contestants will ever have the opportunity to see. “It is the largest halibut I’ve ever seen, and the biggest fish I’ve ever caught,” Rose-Rankin reported.
Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Halibut 2 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 2 Sturgeon 2
As recreational rockfish anglers are limited to water deeper than 50 fathoms from Point Conception north to the Oregon border, boats out of the San Francisco and Bodega Bays continue to find ‘wide open’ rockfish and lingcod action when the weather is cooperative. There was a brief window over the weekend, and Captain Rick Powers of the 65-foot New Sea Angler out of Bodega Bay put his 21 passengers onto 21 limits of lingcod to 24 pounds and 21 limits of huge rockfish on Saturday. He said, “We were on our way back to the harbor by 11 a.m. as the fishing is just that good. It hasn’t been a typical fall so far as we are only getting small windows to head out to deep water before the winds start up again. Normally at this time of year, we experienced longer periods of flat, calm weather, and we need good weather to make the 23-mile run.”
The run to deep water is even farther out of San Francisco Bay, but limits of monster lings and rockfish remain the rule. Both boats in the California Dawn fleet were out on Sunday with the CD2 returning with 24 limits of rockfish and lingcod to 20 pounds while the CD1 posted 20 limits of rockfish and near-limits at 36 lingcod to 18 pounds. It’s that good when you have the weather.
The California Dawn is combining with Western Outdoor News for a charter on Oct. 13 out of Berkeley Marina. There are still a few spots available on the charter. Information - https://wonews.com/charters/.
Inside the bay, the halibut bite has slowed down, but there is still the opportunity to scratch out near two-fish limits when the tides are right. Striped bass are found in San Pablo Bay with live anchovies. Live bait is available at the San Francisco receiver for the upcoming month with the following schedule - 6-9 a.m. Monday-Thursday and 5-10 a.m. Friday-Sunday until Oct. 8. .
Starting Monday Oct. 9, they will open four days a week, 6-9 a.m. Friday-Monday with a goal of remaining open until the middle of November, but things are always subject to change. Shark fishing is another option, but it is important to release the large sharks to keep the population viable. Crab combination trips are scheduled to start on Nov. 4, but the ability to both fish and pull crab hoops in a reasonable amount of time is at question due to the nearshore rockfish closure.
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 was on a full-day trip on Sunday with 12 passengers for sub-limits of 48 vermilion rockfish along with 22 Boccaccio and 50 assorted rockfish for full limits. The Avenger and Starfire were out with a combined 46 clients on trips ranging from ½- to 3/4th- day, and they returned with 50 vermilion, 10 Boccaccio, and 290 assorted rockfish for a total of 350 fish. Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay sent out the Fiesta on a ½-day trip on Sunday with 16 anglers for 32 vermilion, 58 assorted rockfish, and 16 Boccaccio for a total of 106 rockfish. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot and Flying Fish were out on Sunday with a combined 22 anglers for 66 vermilion, 36 Boccaccio, and 50 assorted rockfish for a total of 152 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 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 2
As the Delta waters start to cool down, striped bass, largemouth bass, and sturgeon action continue to improve, and the best is yet to come. Striped bass take top bill, but sturgeon anglers are on their way back from San Francisco Bay in a final attempt to fill out their tags before the regulations change on Jan. 1. Largemouth bass, which has been sketchy through the summer months, is also improving with some larger fish showing up in the mix.
Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley said, “Striper action has been really good in spite of high winds that have kept us from drifting live bait. We trolled deep-diving lures on the Sacramento side on Saturday morning for quick limits. There are a number of small fish in the mix, and we had a number of doubles while trolling three rods. The grass was tough in certain areas, but once the tide picked up, we found a better grade of lineside.”
Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, added, “The Delta is still happening, and even more so. Drifting perch in Empire Cut or Mildred Island along with extra-large minnows at the Duck Pond, Prisoner’s Point, or behind Venice Island are all producing stripers. My nephew went into Disappointment Slough for largemouth bass, and the fish are chasing shad. There are shad all over the place in the Delta.”
Alan Fong of Alan Fong’s Outdoors has been finding great action in the north Delta punching the weeds with Denise Loo, and after I landed a five, Denise topped me once again by pulling one out at 6.9 pounds. The bass bite is really turning on as it is getting good. The striped bass bite is starting, but there are a lot of small ones out there. You have to move around to find the better fish since it has been very windy every day. We got on a school on Thursday where we landed a striper on every drop. You could see the fish attack the spoons on the LiveScan.”
The striped bass bite is picking up, and it should be red hot by the 75th Annual Rio Vista Bass Festival and Derby on the weekend of Oct. 13-15. The top payout for the target-length striped bass has risen to $4000, and all rules and information is available at https://bassfestival.com/.
The east Delta near Fourteen Mile Slough has been heavily sprayed, and all of the grass is dead. There is little life in the region.”
Information on the spraying schedule is available at https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29465. The herbicide spraying occurs throughout the Delta, and it will continue through November.
Sturgeon six-pack operators have returned to Pittsburg Marina, and Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing found plenty of action on Saturday, saying, “The one tide we were able to fish brought out plenty of opportunities as we brought three to the boat composed of one slot-limit fish and two undersized. The action was there as the fish are there, and we lost another good one after hooking up.”
White sturgeon regulations will be changing starting January 1, 2024, and the final opportunity to keep a sturgeon for over a year will be until December 31.
The 19th Annual Northern California Delta Club Classic will be held on Sept. 30 out of Russo’s Marina in Bethel Island, and it is a club versus club tournament hosted by the Delta Bass Club. Participating clubs are the Bass Busters of Santa Clara, Bass Anglers Northern California, Contra Costa Bass Club, Fresno Bass Club, Manteca Bassin’ Buddies, Modesto Ambassadors, Sacramento Bass Wranglers, Valley Backlashers, Sierra Bass Club of Clovis, Great Basin Bassers of Reno, and the host, Delta Bass Club. Each club has a maximum of 6 teams. Information: http://www.deltabassclub.com/uploads/1/0/2/8/102806244/2023_club_classic_flyer.pdf.
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, water releases have started, and the lake dropped to 64%. Spotted bass are taken on a morning and dusk topwater bite with River2Sea Whopper Ploppers or poppers while white bass are also hitting the topwater lures. The most consistent bite is with small plastics in crawdad patterns on the drop-shot, dart head, or Ned-rig in 10 to 20 feet of water. Catfishing is best with anchovies or Triple S Dip Bait while crappie are found in the submerged structure with live minnows or minijigs. White bass are holding around the shad schools, and trollers are scoring with white Roostertails or Kastmasters or similar spoons.
A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. Lopez Lake dropped slightly to 96.6%, and there hasn’t been much change with best bass action remaining 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 90.6%, and several tournaments are scheduled during the month of October. The bass bite is solid with jerkbaits, chatterbaits, or topwater lures over the flooded vegetation as there is still plenty of flooded grass with the high water levels. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california. At San Antonio, the lake held at 67%. Still not much change here as catfishing remains best with chicken liver, mackerel soaked in garlic scent, or Triple S Dip Baits. With the high water, the bass are spread out throughout the lake, but a pattern can be developed with search baits such as jerkbaits or underspins.
Reminder: consuming white bass, black bass, crappie, catfish, or carp are subject to safe eating guidelines due to excessive mercury.
Events
Sept. 30
City of Gustine Kid’s Fishing Derby at the Duck Pond
Oct. 7
Striperz Gone Wild Three-Year Anniversary ‘Fall Classic’ Striper Derby - 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hilldale Bridge with a BBQ, 50/50 raffle, and prizes in the adult and youth divisions.
Oct. 14
Fishapalooza at Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop in Bakersfield 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Meet factory representatives from all your favorite brands and save on tackle during our biggest sale of the year.
Oct. 14
Kid’s Fishing Derby – California Striped Bass Association – West Delta Chapter – Antioch Fishing Pier in Antioch – prizes, lunch, and raffle.
Tournament results
Sept. 16
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
1st – Austin John/Justin Fenn – 20.48pounds; 2nd – Toua Xiong/Timothy Vang – 18.59; 3rd – Vincent Mina – 17.57. Big Fish – Mark Gomez/Juan Acosta – 7.11 pounds.
Sept. 23
New Melones – Fresno Bass Club
1st – Ron Red Sr. – 9.30 pounds (Big Fish – 2.94); 2nd – Jose Guzman – 9.22; 3rd –Kyle Reynolds– 7.78.
Don Pedro – Nor Cal Bass
1st – Jimmy and Dave Gentry – 10.10 pounds; 2nd – Joe Head/Ryan S. – 8.38; 3rd – Kyle and John Gentry – 7.83. Big Fish – 3.96 – Josh and Bobby Anderson.
McClure – Christian Bass League
1st – Nick Sanchez/Jordan Portress – 18.50 pounds (Big Fish – 9.76); 2nd – Angelo Queirolo/A.J. Azevedo – 11.62; 3rd – Tony Horner/Jorge Alvarez – 10.76.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Sept. 23
New Melones – El Dorado Bass
Don Pedro – Nor Cal Bass
McClure – Christian Bass League
Isabella – American Bass Association
Sept. 24
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Hook, Line, and Sinker
Lake Camanche – Gold Country Bass Tour
New Melones – Fresno Bass Club
Sept. 30
Don Pedro – 17/90 Bass Club
Nacimiento –3rd Annual Cope’s Customer Appreciation Bass Tournament
Oct. 1
Delta/Contra County – East County Student Anglers
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – 17/90 Bass Club
Oct. 7-8
McClure – Kings River Bass Club
Oct. 7
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Sonora Bass Anglers
New Melones – Valley Backlashers
Santa Margarita – Golden Empire Bass Club
Oct. 8
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto AmBASSadors
Bass Lake – Kings VIII Bass Club
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. 28/29th –
Don Pedro – California Bass Federation
Oct. 28
Hensley – Central Valley Kayak Fishing
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
