Fishing report for week of July 19-25: Chance for stripers improves at California Aqueduct and Mendota

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

Monterey Bay rockfishing ‘off the hook,’ Chris Arcoleo said; San Francisco Bay halibut remains outstanding, Chris Smith reported; Shaver Lake trout bite solid, Dick Nichols exclaimed; California Aqueduct catfish bite hot, Josh Mesa said; Don Pedro rainbows to be had, Monte Smith reported; Delta sturgeon bite ‘outstanding’, Steve Mitchell reported.

Roger’s remarks

Roger George’s column will return.

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

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 3

Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “The California Aqueduct continues to improve for striped bass in the 26- to 28-inch range with Duo Realis jerkbaits in the boils or anchovies or pile worms for bait soakers. Catfish are taken chicken livers, anchovies, or large minnows.

Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild added, “The Delta Mendota canal is starting to kick out some nice sized stripers along with a lot of catfish. Bass in the local canals is still a bit slow and we will see how this heat affects them. The catfish bite still seems to be good as well! Use anchovies, chicken liver, or night crawlers.” Triple-digit heat has made sitting at the shadeless aqueduct difficult during the day. Stripez Gone Wild Three-Year Anniversary ‘Fall Classic’ Striper Derby is October 7 from 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.

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, heat has been the big issue as fishing is only taking place in the early mornings or late evenings. The algae is starting to form in certain areas of the aqueduct, but where the water is moving, cut sardines, jumbo live minnows, and lugworms are working for stripers along with jerkbaits, flukes on a jig head, or glide baits. Catfishing is best with Triple S dip bait, chicken liver, or cut baits.

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

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 1 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod & Gun in Clovis said, “Eastman remains very slow with the water heating up and an algae bloom forming in the coves. The largemouth bass have gone deep towards the submerged islands and humps. Deep-diving crankbaits, plastics on a Texas-rig, or jigs in the brush piles are your best bet. Hensley is also tough, and most reports indicate small bass are the story in the back of the reservoir.” Eastman dropped 3 feet to 561.83 feet in elevation and 73% with Hensley also dropping 2 feet to 514.44 feet in elevation and 61% as water releases continue.

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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Ryan Cook of Ryan Cook’s Fishing said, “Bass action remains the best in the Mother Lode with jerkbaits such as the Megabass Vision 100 + 1 along main lake points or steep bluff walls at depths from 20 to 30 feet. The bass are coming up from deep water to strike the lures. Punching the forming vegetation with Sweet Beavers on a 1-ounce weight or tossing frogs in the submerged grass are producing largemouth bass. There is dead vegetation submerged throughout the coves. Green submerged brush are holding fish. There is a topwater bite in the early mornings with the River2Sea Rover in main lake pockets. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing added, “Rainbow trout provide the best possibility for trollers at depths from 50 to 65 feet as the kokanee and king salmon remain scattered with the high water. The opportunity for a big king or kokanee over 19 inches is there as some of the largest kokanee in the state have come out of the lake.” The Blue Oaks ramp has been closed intermittently due to high water, but it reopened as the lake rose 15 feet to 822.30 feet in elevation and 95%. The river arm is expected to peak at 827 feet on July 20.

Due to the rapid increase in reservoir elevation, boaters are requested to adhere to all posted signage and take the following measures to ensure their safety and the safety of others:

• No overnight parking on the Blue Oaks Lower Launch Ramp

• Do not park near the lake adage and the shoreline

• Be prepared for intermittent launch ramp closures at Blue Oaks

• Follow the navigation buoys when using the Blue Oaks Upper Launch Ramp

• Be cautious of floating debris

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 1 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3

The lake rose 1.5 feet to 2,602.10 feet in elevation and 93%. The Kern River at Kernville has dropped from 3375 to 1996 cfs while water releases out of the dam dropped from 4350 to 3422 cfs at First Point. Not only the weather has heated up, but bass action continues to improve with buzzbaits, crankbaits, or plastics on a Texas-rig or shakey head around solid action Rocky Point, French Gulch, The Flume, and Pine Point at depths from 5 to 25 feet. The high water has been a boon for crappie, but it has made it difficult to locate the slabs with all of the submerged brush and trees. Catfishing is perhaps the best option with Triple S Dip Bait, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. With the heat, the trout are moving into the river arms to find the coldest water, and trollers continue to score with spoons or Rapalas at depths to 40 feet. Bank anglers need deep water access in the early mornings or evenings to be successful for a few fish per rod. The flows on the upper Kern are dropping, and it is getting closer to becoming fishable, but the high water remains dangerous. The current heat wave is finishing off the remaining snowpack.

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 rose just over a half-foot this week to 711.07 in elevation and 96%. The stable water levels have created an improved opportunity for bass with stick baits, crankbaits, or plastics on a Ned-rig or drop-shot at depths from 5 to 35 feet. The heat has been the limiting factor for anglers. Crappie action continues to be fair near the submerged brush in Horse Creek with Keitech swimbaits, minijigs, or live minnows, but there is so much area under water that the crappie are spread out in various structure. Catfishing remains best in the early evenings at and night with cut baits, chicken liver, or Triple S Dip Bait.

The Kaweah River at Three Rivers remains high, but it dropped from 2682 to 2224 cfs this week.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

Success rose less than a foot to 648.56 feet in elevation and 90%. Central Valley Kayak Fishing held a tournament in triple-digit heat on Saturday, and they experienced hot and miserable conditions, contributing to a ‘brutal’ bass bite. Of the 43 participants, only two five-fish limits were logged in with 31 anglers reportedly getting skunked. John Lopez won the tournament with a limit measuring a total of 72.50 inches while the big fish came in at 17 inches by Steven Johnson who placed third with 47.50 inches. Similar to Kaweah, catfishing is best with sardines, shrimp, or Triple S Dip Bait.

Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.

McClure Reservoir

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

The bass bite remains challenging as a recent night tournament took just over 17 pounds for 10 fish to place first. A variety of techniques at night are working best including deep-diving shad patterned crankbaits, topwater Spooks, spinnerbaits, or plastics on the drop-shot. There have been some very large bass caught and released at night by local anglers. Triple-digit heat has made fishing during the day difficult. The lake rose 2 feet to 859.04 feet in elevation and 95%.

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

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 1

The lake has risen once again to 99% with water releases out of Exquecher Dam at Lake McClure. Without trout plants, bank anglers continue to struggle for the occasional holdover rainbow. The reservoir is generally close to full, but the extended period of extremely high water is expected to remain through August. Trout plants should resume in the fall months prior to the October Merced Irrigation District Trout Derby, but the lake is dominated by recreational activity during the summer months.

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

Michal Crayne of Valley Rod & Gun in Clovis said, “The best action remains in the river arm as the main lake is overwhelmed by recreational boat traffic. Small fish have been the rule with crankbaits or flipping jigs in water less than 15 feet. There is a decent bass bite with small swimbaits or plastics on the drop-shot in the main lake.” The lake has risen to 100 percent of capacity, coming up 18 feet in the past two weeks to 878.39 feet in elevation. Water releases down the San Joaquin have dropped from 5419 to 2219 cfs at Friant. The San Joaquin River from Friant Dam to the Merced County line has reopened for recreational use, but interested individuals should check the local parks for availability. Sycamore Park is open seven days per week.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2

John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service said, “Bass fishing has been limited to the early morning hours with a brief window for topwater along with small squarebilled crankbaits at depths from 12 to 20 feet. Plastics on the drop-shot are also effective once the sun hits the water. With the heat, I have been running half-day trips starting at 5:30 in the morning.” Kokanee continue to draw boats to the lake in search of the largest landlocked sockeye salmon in the state. Most trollers are struggling for a few fish per rod, but Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service continues to locate big fish pushing 3 pounds with Apex lures behind a gold hammered dodger at depths from 40 to 60 feet from the spillway south to Rose Island. Wise took out Ken Bacchetti, President of the Isleton Chapter of the California Striped Bass Association and his wife, Katherine, on Monday, and they had two limits in the box by ten o’clock with the biggest going 2.77 pounds. Water releases will start soon, but the lake came up three feet in the past two weeks to 1058.56 feet in elevation and 86%.

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 extremely high as it has risen another 6 feet in the past week to 940.46 feet in elevation and 94 percent. The restrooms are now under water, and there is limited parking with the high water levels. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Deep-cranking, plastics on the drop-shot, or topwater in the mornings and evenings are best techniques for the numerous spotted bass. Trolling for trout slowed with the hot weather.” The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer remain dangerous despite dropping from 19,955 to 10,296 cfs. Portions of the lower river were closed during the holiday weekend, but interested individuals should check for accessibility as the river is scheduled to reopen soon.

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

The lake is finally releasing water, and it has dropped from 99 to 95 percent. Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “There is a good topwater bite in the main lake with Evergreen’s Shower Blow SB1500 in bone as the striped bass are chasing bait in the coves. Lipless crankbaits or jerkbaits such as Duo Realis 120’s in Neo Pearl or red head/white are also effective along with Magnum Flukes in white ice or pearl on a 1/2 – to 1-ounce jig head. In the O’Neill Forebay, pile worms or anchovies are effective for striped bass in the early mornings or evenings around the moving water at Check 12.” Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild added, “Striper fishing has slowed just a bit, but those that have the patience are being rewarded! The bigger stripers seem to be hitting right now as I’ve gone out a few times over the last couple weeks, and they have ranged from 20 inches to 26 and a half inches. Morning seems to be the best time, and Lucky Craft Pointer 120’s in Sexy Shad are effective. The O’Neil forebay has been producing schoolie stripers as well, and fish Fishing under the 152 Bridge with anchovies seems to be the ticket.” The forebay is at 88 percent. Roger George said, “San Luis is going down very gradually with water temps close to 80 degrees, but the bite is holding at a decent level. The 100-degree heat has hit, and the troll and minnow anglers are doing well at times with limits possible for experienced anglers. Portuguese Cove and the Trash Racks continue to be the hot spots. Depths from 50 to 70 feet seem to be the best overall place to pull plugs or soak minnows. I scouted alone last Monday in the 100-degree heat and picked up 16 fish to 25 inches working the 60-foot range trolling with shad-colored Lucky Crafts in Portuguese Cove and near the dam area. I had to work for the fish. I rate the bite about 2.5 stars out of 4. The algae is exploding.”

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 of Bass Lake Fishing said, “The lake is good for a limit of trout if you don’t lose any. The hot weather has slowed down the trout bite, but it will pick up again. There are still no kokanee showing yet. The water is 78 degrees, and the trout are holding from the surface early in the morning to 25 feet in front of Miller’s Landing to the jet ski area. We continue to score with Dick’s Mountain Tubes in orange, Dick’s Mountain Hoochies in orange or pink, Dick’s Trout Busters in orange or pink, or Rocky Mountain Radical Glow Tubes in pink or blue behind either a Dick’s Mountain Dodgers in blue/silver or a Rocky Mountain Tackle Signature Dodger. All terminal tackle is tipped with pink maggots Dicks Trout busters in Orange or pink tipped with pink maggots. tipped with pink maggots are doing good. The bite is over by 10 so start early. Boat traffic will be heavy throughout the holiday week. The heat has slowed the bass bite. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/. The lake is at 90 percent.

Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing (559) 676-8133

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The Kaiser Pass lakes are rising, and trout fishing has been solid at both Edison and Florence Lake. All the lakes are nearly filled with Edison at 84, Florence at 86, and Mammoth Pool at 100 %. Road conditions 297-0706. A trout plant is scheduled for Ward Lake next week.

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

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Kokanee 2 Trout 3

Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters, Shaver’s Guide Emeritus, said, “We continue to locate mixed limits of trout and kokanee, but here is a noticeable drop in a constant bite. I fished this week with Clovis residents Jo-Linda, Lennox, Titus and Dempsey Garud with Austin and Brody Gejeian, catching multiple limits of mixed fish. Jo-Linda caught a champ kokanee, and Austin picked up a trophy trout. As the water level has dropped during the past week, we had to change from Mountain Dodgers to weighted Mountain Flashers. At a setback of 100 feet, we were able to move down in the water column to 20 to 25 feet deep. There we found a constant bite on Dick’s Trout Busters in orange/green or Koke Busters in purple tipped with crawler behind a weighted Mountain Flasher. The down riggers stayed the same with Dick’s Mountain Candy or Mountain Tubes tipped with pink colored corn behind Doc Barb, Captain J, or Sun Tea Mountain Dodgers at 28 to 36 feet down. We circled in front of Black Rock most of the morning, catching most of the fish. Although the water level has dropped from 97 to 88 percent, the surface water temperature remained at 70 degrees.” Lead core at four to five colors is also working as Brian Barron of Auberry and Mark Kaufman of Fresno picked up two mixed limits near the dam and Point with a Needlepoint Lure.”

At Huntington, the lake remains high and 98 percent, and the launch ramp is accessible. The last of the summertime sailing regattas ended last weekend. Small kokanee and trout remain the rule. 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. A trout plant is scheduled for Shaver next week.

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 0

The big news is the opening of Courtright Reservoir, and the first access to this high elevation lake occurred over the weekend. Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “Wishon had been outstanding for trout since its opening several weeks ago, but trout bite slowed down with the hot weather.” Trollers are finding the best action in the upper end of the lake with blade /’crawler combinations or Rapalas at depths to 30 feet. Wishon and Dinky Creek are scheduled for a trout plants next week.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Rockfish 4 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

The nearshore rockfish season opened on Sunday, and the New Captain Pete went down the coast for 9 limits of rockfish including 4 cabezon, three ling cod, and a bonus 30-pound California halibut. This was a typical score for both private and party boats working the coastal reefs south of the harbor. Bluefin tuna hunters are on hold until the next weather window, but that might arrive this week. Rockfishing is open at any depth until December 31.

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

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey said, “Rockfishing remains outstanding as we are running the Caroline into the deep water for limits of chilipepper and vermilion rockfish while the Check Mate headed down to Point Sur on Monday for limits of quality rockfish and a healthy ling cod count.”

Alan Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “Big game anglers are thrilled these days. A massive influx of bluefin tuna has moved into Northern California waters, including Monterey Bay. Reports of bluefin sightings and catches range from Big Sur up to Fort Bragg. We’ve been graced with the presence of bluefin over the past couple years. This year, they are here earlier, and seemingly in greater numbers. Besides being one of the most valued fish in the world for consumption, these bluefin are BIG, ranging from 50 to 200 pounds! Fish this big and this strong require entirely different techniques and equipment. Tuna fishing is not for the faint of heart. While the bluefin anglers in Southern California rely on nighttime fishing with heavy jigs or live bait fishing during the day, in NorCal trolling seems to be the best option we’ve found so far. The bluefin can be finicky. In years past when the tuna were around, most local anglers trolled live mackerel at slow speeds, around two miles per hour. Last year, with more fish available, many local anglers switched out to a fast troll using big plugs, in particular the Nomad Mad Macs. Whether trolling fast or slow, the baits or lures need to be far behind the boat, at least 200 feet for slow trolling and 500 feet or more for the fast troll. Heavy duty rods and reels are a necessity, with drag settings from 30-50 pounds, and leaders up to 100 or even 200 pounds. Private boaters from Monterey, Moss Landing, and Santa Cruz are gearing up and getting out for the bluefin as weather allows. This past week has been rather windy on the tuna grounds, to the frustration of big game hunters. Half Moon Bay Boats have enjoyed a good measure of success, fishing out towards the Farallons. In Monterey Bay, Catches and sightings were reported near the Soquel Hole and other canyon edges, and in particular near the “Fingers” area some ten miles off of Davenport. Most charter boats are not prepared to provide tuna gear and trips. One exception is Tom Joseph on the Sara Bella. Tom runs Fish On Sportfishing and has loads of tuna experience in our waters. Last week he was joined by Chris Tran. They trolled Mad Macs and boated three bluefin. The final fish was caught only 13 miles from Half Moon Bay Harbor. Joseph recounted, “Made my first trip today and we went looking for bluefin. Got our first one around 11a.m. Back on the troll, the rod went off, unfortunately this one spit the hook. Thirty minutes later we hook another one, a beast at 185 pounds. Everyone is stoked. Back on the troll about 45 minutes later and 13 miles from the harbor, the rod goes off again and we put number three in. My clients were exhausted and told me they had more than enough BFT for one day. A day everyone will remember!”

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

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay

Halibut 4 Striper 3 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 0 Crab 0

The rockfish opener was Sunday, and with choppy weather, party and private boats opted for the Marin coast, only to find a tough bite. Boats that stuck with it came through with rockfish limits along with a few ling cod, but the swell created a problematic situation as coastal rockfish do not like swell. Inside the bay, the tides have nearly everything to do with success inside San Francisco Bay, and after the last series of big tides that limited anglers to just over a fish per rod, a set of smaller tide movement has led to halibut sliding all over the decks of party and private boats. A fish per rod would have been a tremendous score during past years, but with the incredible bay fishing all spring/summer long, anglers are getting spoiled with limits of halibut and the possibility of limits of striped bass. Throw coastal rockfish into the mix starting this past Sunday, and you have a true bay/coast potluck trip.

Even though fishing has been tremendous, interest in bay fishing continues to wane with only a few party boats working daily out of each harbor. The California Dawn 2 out of Berkeley is one boat that is able to run most days, and Captain James Smith brought in 25 limits of halibut to 23 pounds and 5 striped bass followed by 11 limits of halibut to 15 pounds with a single striped bass for a small charter. Since bay anglers prefer halibut over stripers, the majority of time is spent drifting over the flats. Improved weather arrived over the weekend, just in time for Sunday’s nearshore rockfish opener, and Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco took advantage of the weather window to put on a halibut and striper clinic with limits of large halibut in the teens and twenties outside on the bar along with limits of stripers flylining anchovies inside the bay. All on a half-day trip!” Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Berkeley has been toggling between sturgeon trips in the Delta and halibut/striped bass trips in the bay, and he sent his 10 customers home with limits of halibut to 24 pounds and three striped bass working Alcatraz and Angel Islands. He said, “The halibut are everywhere in the central bay, and it really doesn’t matter where you go since the fish are there.” The Happy Hooker out of Berkeley is another boat that found excellent halibut action on a recent trip with 20 limits of halibut and 8 striped bass. They will also add shallow water rockfishing to their agenda starting on July 16.

When the boats head outside the Golden Gate for rockfish, they generally will stop for a few drifts on the bars or inside the central bay on the way back to the harbor – leading to the opportunity for a bonus halibut or bass.

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

Rockfish season is now open all depths through September 30. The Endeavor out of Morro Bay Landing in Morro Bay had another banner trip full day trip on Sunday with 25 anglers returning with limits of rockfish composed of sub-limits of 100 vermilion, 150assorted rockfish, and 8 ling cod to 18.2 pounds. The Avenger and Flying Fish were out on trips ranging from ½- to 3/4th – day with 64 passengers for 206 vermilion, 214 assorted rockfish, 103 Boccaccio, a Petrale sole, and 2 ling cod for a total of 526 fish. Out of Virg’s Landing, the Black Pearl went on a full day trip on Friday with 25 anglers for sub-limits of 100 vermilion, 132 assorted rockfish, 18 Boccaccio, and 2 ling cod. The Rita G and Fiesta were out on trips ranging from ½- to 3/4th day on Friday with a combined 35 anglers for 118 vermilion, 188 assorted rockfish, and 44 Boccaccio. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot and Flying Fish were on ½-day trips on Sunday with a combined 45 passengers for 6 vermilion, 176 assorted rockfish, and a 6-pound ling cod.

From October 1 through December 31, the take of shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod is open seaward of the 50-fathom line. Take is prohibited shoreward of the 50 fathom RCA line. Boats out of Morro Bay and Port San Luis are filling up for the opening week. 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 Delta Cross Channel Gates at Walnut Grove have been opened, but they may be closed from time to time on a short-term basis. Updated information on the status of the gate is available through this link - https://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/vungvari/dcc_chng.pdf.

Triple-digit heat plagued the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta over the past weekend, and even though the famous Delta Breeze cools temperatures slightly, the thermometer reached in the high 100’s. The heat creates specific challenges for fishermen, but the hot weather is just what is necessary for the success of the upcoming frog tournaments. The end of July is a highly anticipated time for the Ultimate Frog Challenge and the original frog tournament, the Snag Proof Open. The 8th Annual Ultimate Frog Challenge will be held at Russo’s on July 29/30 followed by the original frog tournament, the Snag Proof Open on August 5/6.

Largemouth bass remain the top species in the Delta, but there is a renewed showing of striped bass in both river systems. Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors has been working the grassy flats north of the Rio Vista Bridge, and he found great success working crawdad-patterned chatterbaits in the shallow water. He said, “I watch the crawdads darting through the grass, and I see that they move fast in spurts so I hold my rod up, rip it, and then reel fast for a few turns. The erratic retrieve is the key. We landed plenty of bass and quality stripers working the flats.”

Randy Pringle, tournament director for the Snag Proof Open, said, “Before this hot spell arrived, the wind improved the largemouth bass bite with both spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. There haven’t been many large fish taken lately, but a 10 pounder was landed during our recent tournament on a spinnerbait working a wind-blown bank.”

Danny Berbuena of Nor Call Bass was out on Saturday in the triple-digit heat, and he put in a 17-pound limit drop-shotting a shad-patterned worm along a single back. He said, “I caught all of my fish within a small area on the outgoing tide as there are shad everywhere, and these are the small shad in the 1- to 2-inch range.”

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsmen in Stockton, reported a solid striped bass bite in the east Delta around Disappointment Slough by drifting live bluegill.

Few anglers continue to sturgeon, but the diamondbacks are still thick in Suisun Bay. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing put on another summertime clinic this week with two trips scoring multiple sturgeon. Friday’s trip resulted in 9 sturgeon to 175 pounds between oversized, undersized, and slot-limit fish, but the highlight of the week was a four-generation trip with a great-grandfather one month short of his 100th birthday. Mitchell said, “The patriarch of the family really knew how to fish, and even though he was nearly 100 years old, he handed a jumbo shaker with no problem. He used to fish bass tournaments, and he was no stranger to a fishing rod and knowing how to fight a fish.” They ended up with four shakers, two slot-limit, and an oversized, only missing one bite throughout the day.”

White sturgeon regulations are slated to be revised in 2025, and a video and Power Point of the Department’s special online presentation on the current status and the upcoming process for regulation changes for white sturgeon is available via this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtdCzvzJqWE while slides of the presentation can be downloaded here: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=213229&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 3 Striper 0 Catfish 3 Crappie 2 Bluegill 2 Trout 1

At Nacimiento, water releases have started, and although the lake is historically full, it has dropped to 84%. Triple-digit heat has limited fishing to the early morning or late afternoons into the evenings, but the spotted bass action remains very strong with plastics on a Carolina-rig along with Keitech swimbaits on an underspin. White bass have been boiling in the Narrows and in the Las Tablas Arm, and small topwater lures along with white Roostertails or Kastmasters continue to work. Catfishing remains best with Triple S Dip Bait, chicken liver, or nightcrawlers. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/lake-nacimiento-live-webcam/. Lopez Lake held at 99.4%, but it is basically still full. Bass fishing continues to be strong with creature baits, Senkos, or crawdad-imitation jigs in the flooded areas. Trout plants will continue, and this should spur on the swimbait bite for the quality largemouth bass. Anglers can view a live webcam of the lake at https://805webcams.com/lopez-lake-webcam/. At Santa Margarita, the reaction bite is solid in the heat with chatterbaits, Senkos on a wacky-rig, or walking-style topwater lures. The bass are holding around the flooded vegetation in the nearly filled lake. The lake held at 97.4%. A webcam of the lake is available at https://805webcams.com/santa-margarita-lake-webcam-california. At San Antonio, the lake dropped slightly to 69%. Catfish remain best bet with cut mackerel, Triple S Dip Bait, or chicken livers. Bass fishing remains very slow. With the high water, fishing should be the best it has been in recent memory, particularly after the disappearance of striped bass due to extreme low water conditions several years past. Triple-digit temperatures have limited fishing to the early morning or late afternoons into the evenings.

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

Events

Tournament results:

Delta/Russo’s Marina – New Jen – July 15th: 1st – Richard Rodriguez/Tim Meeks -19.09; 2nd – Dan Sweat/Ken Phillips – 18.29; 3rd – Russ Graves/Shane Pierson – 17.55.

Salt Springs – California Slay Nation Kayak – July 15th: 1st – Jarrod Henderson - 82.50 inches; 2nd – Mick Albright – 80.75 inches; 3rd – Jesus Reyes Silva – 69.25 inches.

Success – Central Valley Kayak Fishing – July 15th: 1st – John Lopez- 72.50 inches; 2nd –Robert Yamamoto – 68 inches; 3rd – Steven Johnson – 47.50 inches.

Delta/B and W Resort – Teen Tournaments – July 16th: 1st – Noah Nguyen/Colton Knapp – 14.33 (Big Fish – 5.65/Nguyen); 2nd – Zackary Anderson/Niko Mirante – 12.59; 3rd – Melinda Neumann/Austin Barnes– 9.29.

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)

July 19

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bertolli Disposal Wednesday Night Shoot Out

July 22/23

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kern County Bassmasters

July 22

New Melones – Yak A’Bass

Santa Margarita – 805 Bass Addicts

July 26

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Bertolli Disposal

July 29/30

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Angler’s Press

July 29

Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

More online

For Ocean, Delta, Central Coast and Kern County reports plus trout plants and tournament results/schedules, go to fresnobee.com/fishing