Fishing report, Sept. 6-12: The bass are hitting at Don Pedro, night trout fishing at New Melones and Pine Flat bass action is the area’s best.

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.

Photo gallery

Show off your success! Share your fish photos and videos with Bee readers. Please share only jpeg images and Mp4 video files. Include “Fishing Report” in the subject line and a full caption and email to sports@fresnobee.com.

Best bets

Don Pedro bass still hitting, and New Melones trout fishing at night producing, John Liechty said. Pine Flat bass action best in area, Edison and a Florence on good trout bites, Dave Hurley reported. San Luis stripers biting, Mickey Clements reported. Shaver Kokanee running smaller but active, Dick Nichols said. Delta stripers headline the action, Randy Pringle reported.

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 3

Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild reported, “I fished near Check 10 on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. without a bite. The water is still raging, and I didn’t see a single boil in the fast water. I did fish the dirt canals in the area for four small largemouth bass.” Mickey Clements at Coyote Bait and Tackle in San Jose confirmed the slow action in the California Aqueduct, but there has been the occasional striped bass to 30 inches taken on glide baits.

Striperz Gone Wild’s Three-Year Anniversary ‘Fall Classic’ Striper Derby is 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Hilldale Bridge with a BBQ, 50/50 raffle, and prizes in the adult and youth divisions. They are also helping with the upcoming City of Gustine Kid’s Derby at the Schmidt Duck Pond on Sept. 30

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait, sardines, or anchovies while stripers are taken on lugworms, topwater lures, Rat-L-Traps or flukes. Largemouth bass are taken on plastics near the headgates or bridge pilings.

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

Both Eastman and Hensley remain tough for largemouth bass with the best option for a larger fish at Eastman as the fish are feeding heavily on baby bass, crappie, or bluegill fry. Hensley is producing a few bass in the 1- to 2-pound range, but the lake is dropping rapidly. Eastman dropped slightly to 551.94 feet in elevation and 63% with Hensley dropping 6 feet to 496.61 feet in elevation and 39%.

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

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

At Don Pedro, there are few trollers out, but the best months for rainbow trout and king salmon are on the horizon. The high water should pay dividends this fall into the winter months, and while rainbows are found around 60 feet in depth with shad-patterned spoons, the king salmon are deeper in the water column. Both species are feeding heavily on the shad schools. Kokanee are all but over for the season.

For bass, John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service said, “Don Pedro has been one of the most consistent lakes throughout the year given the major influx of water in all of our Mother Lode reservoirs. This is where we have been catching our best quality fish. Some topwater, good finesse for size and numbers and an occasional giant bite for the swimbait tossing. Getting an early start is very important during the warmer months. Each morning we offer topwater, walking baits and Whopper Ploppers. As the sun comes up switching to finesse has been a good choice. Wacky-rigged stick baits, tubes or Texas-rigs are a good selection. Once the wind starts to blow a crankbait or spinnerbait can do the trick. And, for those looking for a big swimbait bite, that is all to toss for the trip. We are looking for one big bite. If you stick with it you have a chance for a big one! Berah McSwain landed a 9-pound giant while tossing a trout patterned swimbait on an evening half day. Look for stained water (mudlines) created by boating traffic. Bass will use the low visibility to hunt. Baits that rattle, vibrate or flash work best.”

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 contractor continues to clean up the remaining debris. The lake dropped 2 feet to 812.29 feet in elevation and 89%. 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 lake is releasing water, and it dropped 2.5 feet to 2,596.83 feet in elevation and 83%, and the flows in the North Fork at Kernville have dropped to only 50 cfs. The releases out of the lake are up from 2825 to 3250 cfs at First Point. The bass and crappie are both focusing on the shad schools, and a variety of lures in shad imitations are working for both species. The slabs can be found offshore in submerged trees, rock, or brush, but not every tree is holding a school of crappie. Bass fishing has slowed down as the fish seem to be offshore. The most consistent action is for catfish with Triple S Dip bait, nightcrawlers, or chicken livers. Trout can be found on lead core line in the North Fork with Flicker Shad, Rapalas, or Tasmanian Devils on four to five colors in the deeper portions of the lake. The trout action is starting to slow. The upper Kern will be stocked this week at Section 4, Powerhouse #3 to Riverside Park in Kernville, and a double plant in Section 5, Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge. Section 6 will also be planted this week while both Sections 5 and 6 will be planted the week of Sept. 10. With the plants, trout fishing will improve considerably above the lake.

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 continues to drop, and it came down 11 feet to 663.30 feet in elevation and from 58 to 48%. There is a topwater bite in the early mornings and late afternoons, but the most consistent technique has been plastics on a Ned-rig, drop-shot, or dart head on a slow presentation on the bottom. Crappie are taken on minijigs, Keitech swimbaits, or small minnows in Horse Creek while catfishing is best with garlic-scented nightcrawlers, cut bait, or Triple S Dip Baits on a long soak. The lake will be dropping water rapidly within the next few months. The Kaweah River at Three Rivers has dropped from 451 to 362 cfs this week.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake dropped less than a foot to 641.85 feet in elevation and 73%. Largemouth bass are found on a variety of reaction baits including crankbaits, spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, or topwater lures before heading ot the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot or Ned-rig. Crappie and bluegill are taken on red worms, small live minnows, or minijigs near the the marina and over submerged brush. Catfishing is best with chicken livers or Triple S Dip Bait at night.

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 3 Catfish 2

A few bass tournaments are upcoming during the month of September after a lengthy break over the summer. There has been an excellent crappie bite in the coves over submerged structure for experienced anglers using a variety of minijigs in light weights from 1/32 to 1/16-ounce. The key is finding the right tree and staying with the school. Holdover 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 as the rainbows are feeding heavily on the shad schools. Catfishing remains solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. Bass fishing remains slow overall, but there have been some larger fish taken at night. The lake dropped over 4 feet to 836.30 feet in elevation and 80 percent.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

The lake dropped from 93 to 86%, but the water level will remain relatively stable throughout the year. There are still holdover rainbow trout in the lake, but you have to get out early to find success with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, and the peninsula by the marina. Silver/blue or gold Kastmasters, garlic Power Bait, or nightcrawlers are good for a fish or two per rod. Trout plants will continue throughout the fall months prior to the October Merced Irrigation District Trout Derby.

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 rapidly, dropping another 11 feet to 533.68 feet in elevation and 63 percent. Recreational boating will start to back off after this weekend’s holiday, but the bass bite remains challenging with small fish being the rule. Crankbaits or small swimbaits remain the top techniques while catfishing up the river with dip baits or mackerel is most likely the best bet. Sycamore Island is open seven days per week from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Entry is free from Monday through Friday, and 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. Water releases down the San Joaquin rose slightly to 442 cfs at Friant.

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

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2

Rainbow trout under lights remain the top draw, and boaters have to be cautious of the wind picking up at night. Anchoring at depths from 80 to 100 feet and sending up to three lights down at around five feet are attracting shad schools, and the trout are hungry for nightcrawlers or live minnows. Kokanee fishing has slowed to a crawl with only the occasional big fish in full spawn mode scraped off of the bottom of the lake at depths to 100 feet.

Bass fishing remains a grind, but working the bottom with plastics remains the top technique as the reaction bite remains slow. The action should improve as the water stabilizes and the fish come out of the deep water. Water releases are in full swing, and the lake dropped just over 3 feet to 1044.95 feet in elevation and 80%.

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

The lake is also releasing water heavily, dropping seven feet this week to 920.90 feet in elevation and 83 percent. Pine Flat is the best local option for spotted bass with jigs, crankbaits, or topwater lures on the reaction side while working the bottom with plastics or jigs by mid-morning are producing. Shad-patterned spoons are working best for trout. The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer have dropped from 2164 to 1618 cfs, and there have been some holdover trout taken in the slower water near the shorelines along with a healthy population of spotted bass that have pushed over from the lake’s spillway. A trout plant is taking place the week of Sept. 10.

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

Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported a consistent striped bass bite in the main lake, saying, “I’ve never seen it this good at this time of year, and this is leading up to a great fall. Anglers are there early in the morning when the gates are open, and they are soaking anchovies or large minnows from the banks along with tossing flukes, Heddon’s Spooks, River2Sea Whopper Ploppers, or Evergreen’s Shower Blows along with glide baits such as Spro’s KGB’s in bone or threadfin shad patterns. Trollers are pulling umbrella rigs along with Lucky Craft 128’s, or P-Line’s Predator Minnows while 1.75-ounce Duh! Spoons in shad patterns are also effective.” The forebay remains good, but it has been tough for bank anglers with only the areas around the 33 and 152 Bridge along with the beach accessible due to heavy weed growth. Both areas have been crowded recently. Check 12 is choked with weeds. Where you can fish, anchovies and pile worms are producing.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the troll bite has picked up for experienced anglers.“ The bite seems to be going up and down each day and this cooling trend slowed things down some- but it will get warmer this week. I’m getting a lot of reports that conscientious anglers are releasing more fish- and a lot of the bigger fish this year. Hopefully anglers realize that the future of the lake depends on catch and release. Selective harvesting of the legal sized injured or smaller replaceable fish as part of CNR- is a great idea “ he said.

Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild was at the big lake on Thursday, and he said,” With the high water levels, it is a steep and dangerous climb down to the water level. It’s tough to get down unless you know where the trails are. Boaters have the best access right now to the area.” The main lake held at 87% while the forebay dropped from 90 to 80%.

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

Mike Beighey has shut down for the season other than an exploratory occasional trip due to slow trout fishing along with no kokanee for the past two years. There are still trout in the lake at depths to 28 feet with Dick’s Mountain Tubes or Mountain Hoochies behind Rocky Mountain or Dick’s Mountain Dodgers. Bass fishing continues to be slow with plastics on the drop-shot as the best option. Recreational boating should slow down after this holiday 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

Trout 3

The Kaiser Pass lakes are rising, and trout fishing remains solid at both Edison and Florence Lake. Edison has is kicking out multiple browns and rainbows for trollers with the high water level. All the lakes are nearly filled, but water releases have started with all lakes dropping with Edison at 94, Florence at 88, and Mammoth Pool at 95%. Road conditions 297-0706.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake (559) 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 3 Trout 2

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters, Shaver’s Guide Emeritus, said, “The final Kokanee Power tournament of the year is this coming Saturday, Sept. 9, and there will be plenty of boats on the lake pre-fishing this week. The upcoming Kokanee Derby set for this Saturday may be producing smaller fish with a couple of winners in the mix. Mother nature brought in rain and dense fog to Shaver mid-Labor Day weekend. The weather put a damper on many activities at the lake. Sunday morning brought a mass exodus of campers leaving the inclement weather. Kokanee fishing continues to shine at Shaver. There are not a lot of big fish, but a good supply of 13- to 15-inch fish is available. The kokanee remain in the 30- to 45-foot deep column which is surprising. This time of the season when the mature kokanee are at the pre-spawn stage, they are normally found from 80 to 100 feet deep. Cooler weather and cold incoming water have dropped the surface water temperature to 69 from 74 degrees a two weeks ago. On our last trip out, we found the kokanee near the island and the Point at 31 to 35 feet down. Long time Shaver ace, Earl Taniguchi, of Fowler and his friend, Mark Saito of Fresno, hit the Point and island areas and picked up their limits of kokanee to 14.5 inches using pink or orange hoochies and spinners.”

Huntington continues to produce a few small kokanee and some small trout, and the brown trout action should improve as the water temperatures continue to cool down. 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 is at 95 and Huntington at 97%.

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

Trout plants are scheduled for both lakes the week of Sept. 10, and this should improve the bite considerably. Both high elevation lakes have been best for trollers as bank fishing has slowed with the exception of the far side of the lake. The lack of trout plants over the summer months has contributed to the overall slower action for bank anglers. Courtright has been the more productive lake for trollers running speeds from 1.25 to 1.5 mph for rainbows or browns to 14 inches from the dam to the eastern shoreline at depths from 15 to 30 feet with various spinners or spoons in purple or pink.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

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

Several boats have been running out to the Half Moon Bay Weather Buoy or Pioneer Canyon in search of bluefin tuna, but the action has been slow overall. Along the coastline, limits of rockfish and a handful of ling cod are the rule, but the nearshore rockfish season less than 50 fathoms will closed on Sept. 1. The nearshore closure will hamper the ability for crab/rockfish combination trips starting the first Saturday in November. For the remainder of the season, boats will have to head far offshore off of Pigeon Point or to the reefs in deep water beyond the Farallon Islands.

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

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

Bayside Marine in Santa Cruz reported solid deepwater rockfishing from Wilder Ranch to Davenport in the northern part of the county while halibut are also taken up the coast from Four Mile to Davenport. Boaters working around Capitola also picked up a few thresher shark along with California halibut. The anchovies are thick in this part of the bait, and there are bonita feeding on the anchovies in 50 to 100 feet of water.

Albacore have been missing in action in these waters as the best action is up along the North Coast from Fort Bragg to Eureka. Plenty of boats are heading out in search of bluefin tuna, but the success rate has been sparse.

Out of Monterey, boats from Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching continue to score limits of rockfish, and fortunately, access to deep water is far closer to the harbor than along the San Mateo or San Francisco coastlines. However, rockfish season in the Central Groundfish Management Area from Point Conception to Pigeon Point closes on Sept. 30.

On the beaches, Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill said, “Monterey is kicking out some stripers from the beaches, but the perch bite is slowing. Generally, the surf perch bite will pick up again in January and February leading up to the big Santa Cruz Derby in March.”

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

The salmon closure and now the nearshore rockfish closure in waters less than 50 fathoms provide few options for Bay Area boaters when the ocean doesn’t accommodate a trip 25 miles or more offshore. Fortunately, the weather was acceptable over the past week, and boats such as the Pacific Dream or California Dawn 1 or 2 out of Berkeley have been able to make the long run to the hallowed grounds of Rittenburg Bank for limits of huge rockfish along with limits to near limits of ling cod up to 30 pounds. The action in the deep water has been phenomenal to say the least, but the effects of both closures are leaving the majority of recreational charter boats tied up to the docks. On a typical weekday in San Francisco, Berkeley, Sausalito, or Emeryville, only a handful of boats, at the most, have enough customers to make a trip viable. This is in spite of the fact that fishing has been ‘as good as it gets.’ September is one of the best weather months in the ocean. The nearshore rockfish season less than 50 fathoms will close on Sept. 1, and this will hamper the ability for crab/rockfish combination trips starting the first Saturday in November.

Captain James Smith of the California Dawn 2 will host Western Outdoor News combination trip on Friday, Oct. 13 with a Diawa giveaway packed with hooks, leader, and Costa swag along with assorted jackpot prizes. To sign up - https://wonews.com/charters/.

Inside San Francisco Bay, two-fish limits of California halibut remain the rule as Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions in San Francisco, Captain Jonathon Smith of the Happy Hooker, and Captain Steve Mitchell of the Malia Kia all put their customers onto limits during the week along with a healthy striped bass count. The striped bass are found primarily in San Pablo Bay, and this bodes well for the months of September and October. White sea bass are showing up in greater numbers, and the prime months for white sea bass inside the bay are from late September until mid-November. Leopard shark are an option on the anchor in the south bay with salmon bellies or midshipmen.

In response to the closure of salmon season, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife released a total of 23 million juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon from the four Central Valley anadromous fish hatcheries of Feather River Fish Hatchery, the Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River, the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery, and the Merced River Hatchery. This was an increase of 15 percent over 2022, and the increased water flows on the upper river could lead to a higher survival rate for those released in the upper rivers. Approximately 3.5 million fall-run Chinook salmon were released at either Fort Mason or in Tiburon, close to the Golden Gate. Fish released closer to the Golden Gate have a significantly higher survival rate. It will be three years before the effects of the increased planting are known, but based upon the current state of affairs in the harbors, the salmon closure is having a massive economic impact.

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

Surf perch 3

Similar to the other ports in northern California, the boat-based nearshore rockfish season above Point Conception ended on Sept. 1, forcing boats out of Morro Bay to either fish nearshore below Point Conception or deep water of 50 fathoms or more. The rockfish season in this section of coast is almost over as the season is open all depths through Sept. 30 in the Central Management Area above Point Conception while the Southern Management Area below Point Conception ends on Sept. 15. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Endeavor was on a full day trip on Sunday with 25 passengers for limits of rockfish composed of 100 vermilion rockfish for sub-limits, 80 Boccaccio, and 70 assorted rockfish.

These all-day trips have consistently produced limits. The Avenger and Starfire were out on ½- day trips with 75 passengers for a combined 187 vermilion, 251 assorted, and 49 Boccaccio. The Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay when overnight on Saturday with 25 anglers for sub-limits of 100 vermilion along with 74 assorted rockfish, 46 Boccaccio, 12 lingcod and two rock sole for full limits of rockfish. The Fiesta and Rita G were on trips ranging from ½- to 3/4 -day on Saturday with a combined 55 anglers for 108 vermilion, 200 assorted rockfish, 30 Boccaccio, and a ling cod. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot, Flying Fish, and Patriot were out on Sunday on trips ranging from ½- to 3/4th day with 57 passengers for near-limits of rockfish composed of 228 vermilion, 34 Boccaccio, 280 assorted rockfish, and a solitary 10-pound 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 2 Striper 3 Sturgeon 2 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

Striped bass continue to spread out in the California Delta, and the action in both the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers is getting really good. Largemouth bass remains a grind with the exception of the north and west Delta as the effects of heavy herbicide spraying along with the influx of sea lions appears to be taking a toll in the southern and eastern regions of the Delta. The first indication of the regulation changes for white sturgeon will be unveiled by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife during the Sept. 19th Wildlife Resource Committee meeting, and it is clear that the department may advocate for an emergency closure in 2024 and perhaps as early as the remainder of 2023.

For striped bass, Captain Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley found great action on the San Joaquin side drifting live bluegill for limits of striped bass within 45 minutes on Saturday morning. He said, “We left at 6 a.m., and by 6:45 a.m., we had two limits in the boat, releasing a number of other stripers. We only had one shaker at 17 inches as everything else was legal. There is a tremendous amount of shad in the system, and I haven’t seen this much bait for years. The stripers aren’t busting on the shad, but they are feeding heavily on the bait fish. We will be drifting extra-large minnows now as they are back in local bait shops such as Gotcha Bait in Antioch.”

For largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the fishing instructor, said, “Catching fish isn’t a problem but hooking into a larger grade of bass is a challenge. With the quality of anglers on the water during the recent West Coast Bass Cat Owners tournament, you would expect a big fish much larger than 5.90 pounds, but it was tough. The best bets are to work near current where it is making a bend around a corner. I would avoid the central Delta right now as there is a lot of dead water and focus north or west. There are no good weed bunches in Frank’s Tract in the central Delta right now, and the lack of weeds has a major effect on the entire ecosystem from the insects to the predators like stripers and largemouth bass. I recommend having a few baits at the ready – a bladed jig with a red/blue, green pumpkin/red, or dark Chigger Craw trailer, a Dep’s Evoke squarebill crankbait in crawdad patterns, or flipping a creature bait like a Chigger Craw or a Pit Boss. The Evoke squarebill crankbait caught a lot of fish, and it landed the better fish the day prior to the tournament. We were culling throughout the day, but it was only a matter of ounces. It is a matter of making multiple casts tight to the banks. The change to cooler weather won’t help in the short run as the Florida-strain bass don’t like a weather change, but the overcast skies are bringing them out into open water instead of holding under cover.”

Dave King of Nor Cal Bass said, “We smashed them on Saturday on a Whopper Plopper 110 in bluegill pattern along with a black frog on the high tide in the main sloughs around Tower Park. The east Delta around Stockton where I normally fish has been very slow with dead vegetation all around. I was out for 12 hours on Saturday, and we didn’t find anything in the east Delta and were forced to move further west to find a bite. The sea lions are moving in, and I counted 14 on one dock in the main river channel.”

Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors continues to find solid action in the north Delta near Liberty Island with chatterbaits, and he put his client onto a combined 21-pound limit this week. Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors has also been working the north Delta at least once during the week, and it is either tossing chatterbaits or flipping the tules for limits in the 20-pound range.

Sturgeon anglers are few and far between, but the last opportunity to keep a sturgeon for up to a year may be during the remainder of 2023. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will release the soon-to-be proposed regulation changes will be during the Wildlife Resources Committee Meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at the San Jose Scottish Rite Center. The agenda will be posted just prior to the meeting at https://fgc.ca.gov/Meetings/2023. Instructions to join the meeting either in person or by Zoom are also shared on this website. The next meeting where regulations changes may be formally proposed will be the Fish and Game Commission on Oct. 11. Regulation changes for white sturgeon in 2024 include the possibility of catch-and-release only for the calendar year until new regulations can be adopted for 2025 reflecting a harvest rate of 4 percent.

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, water releases have started, and the lake dropped from 71 to 67%. Spotted bass are taken on Roboworms in Aaron’s Magic, Bait Fish, or Tequila Sunrise or grubs on the drop-shot or dart head stick baits at depths from 10 to 20 feet. Topwater lures or small swimbaits are producing a few bass in the early mornings or late afternoons into the evenings. White bass are taken by trollers pulling white Roostertails or Kastmasters or similar spoons. 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 97.5%, and finesse presentations are your best bet with plastics on the drop-shot, Ned-rig, dart head, or split-shot along with Brush Hawgs on a slow presentation. Tournaments are scheduled at several coastal lakes in the coming months. Anglers can view a live webcam of the lake at https://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, flooded vegetation remains the key with jerkbaits, chatterbaits, or topwater lures. The lake is releasing water, and it dropped slightly to 91.7%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california. At San Antonio, the lake dropped slightly to 67%. 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. Catfishing remains best with chicken liver, mackerel soaked in garlic scent, or Triple S Dip Baits.

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

Events

Sept. 9

Roosevelt High School Bass Fishing Club Swap Meet on Huntington’s Mile Long Block Sale on the corner of Huntington Boulevard and 6th Street from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Come out and support the Bass Fishers!

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 - 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Hilldale Bridge with a BBQ, 50/50 raffle, and prizes in the adult and youth divisions.

Oct. 14

Kid’s Fishing Derby – California Striped Bass Association – West Delta Chapter – Antioch Fishing Pier in Antioch – prizes, lunch, and raffle.

Tournament results

Aug. 19

Bass Lake – Sierra Bass Club

1st – Tony Lopez/Darren Harper – 12.10 (Big Fish – Lopez – 3.59); 2nd – Chris and Nathan Jones – 10.04; 3rd – Joe Ploharz/Traci Lucchesi– 7.83.

Aug. 27

Delta/Big Break – American Bass Association

1st – Mark Young/Kenny Graham – 17.71 pounds (Big Fish- 5.27); 2nd – Christian Ostrander/Marc Jang – 16.06.

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)

Sept. 9-10

Santa Margarita – Orange County Bass Club

Sept. 10

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kings River Bass Club

Tulloch – Kings VIII Bass Club

Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments

Sept. 16-17

Delta/B and W Resort – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

New Melones – Bass Anglers of Northern California

Sept. 16

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass Club

Delta/Contra Costa – Sierra Bass Club

Amador – American Bass Association

New Hogan – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

New Melones – Sonora Bass Club

Kaweah – Golden Empire Bass Club

Nacimiento – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers/Bakersfield Bass Club

Santa Margarita – Central Valley Kayak Fishing

Pyramid Lake – Kern County Bassmasters

Sept. 17

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Tulloch – Stanislaus County Sheriff

Santa Margarita - American Bass Association

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

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.