Lets go Fishing! with Jay Sorensen and the River News Herald

Striped bass continued to move into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region and there seems to be more interest by anglers targeting this popular sport fish. The stripers being caught are fair sized averaging 24 to 30 inches in length. Bait dunkers tossing archovies, cut sardines and threadfin shad. Another good method for hooking striped bass is drifting live blue gills or casting Zara Spooks or Optima’s Bad Bubba Shad swim baits. Trollers dragging YoZuri’s either the deep diving or shallow running models are also scoring on some decent stripers. Presently, anglers fishing from the Antioch Public Fishing Pier have been taking fish up to 30 inched in length on cut baits. Two other locations now producing fish are Brown’s Island area tossing Zara Spooks and False River between Jersey Island and Bradford Island on the outgoing tides at anchor tossing cut baits.

Large mouth bass fishing has been best in shaded areas where there are some currents. The current is best for those casting spinnerbaits or chatter baits. Striped bass fishing on the Sacramento River is picking up with reports coming in from the Decker Island section of the system, especially for bait dunkers using the basic offerings, such as cut sardine, anchovies and shad. Most of the recent catches are in the 22 to 26 inch range, up to an occasional 25 to 30 incher. The fishing will only get better as we move into the fall months. Sturgeon fishing reports are nil with very little interest in targeting the species.

Salmon fishing is still slow in the Sacramento River north of the Rio Vista Bridge due to warm water conditions in the 73 degree range. As soon as the water temperatures drop into the 60 degree range the salmon fishing should improve on the Old Sacramento River up to Walnut Grove. Stay tuned for the periodic updates on the local salmon fishing prospects. Up around the Freeport Bridge anglers are still hooking and landing an occasional salmon, trolling spinners or casting spoons from the shoreline. Again, the water temperatures are slowing down some better action at this location. The fish are moving through in good numbers, but they want to swim further up stream into the cooler waters of the American and Feather rivers and beyond.

The salmon fishing at this popular site has been limited to only an occasional fish landed at the most and the Discovery Park area. Get on the water early for the best chance to hook up back trolling a Kwikfish with a sardine wrap or trolling with a doubled bladed Silvertron spider.

The salmon fishing action is much better upriver on the Feather River near the Oroville Outlet Hole fishers casting spoons or spins or trot with Kwikfish with a sardine wrap. Most of the recent catches have been in the 15 to 22 pound category. Just a reminder, this year the daily limit is one fish per day with no more than two in possession.

Trout plants continue at Lake Pardee with another 1000 pounds of Calaveras Trout Farm rainbows to 5 pounds placed in the impoundment on a weekly basis. The kokannee fishing remains decent for those willing to work the early morning around the mouth of the Mokelumne river.

Hitting the water early is bringing some nice catches of salmon into the boat off the mouth of the American River up to Discovery Park for anglers using Flatfish of spinners.  On the Feather River off the Oroville Outlet Hole and angler tossing spinners or back trolling Kwikfish with a sardine wrap kicking a few bright charmers to 22 pounds.  Remember, the daily limit this season is one fish per day and two in possession with no size restrictions.

Anglers tossing chicken livers, cut bits or nightcrawler are hooking and landing some good catches of catfish along the shoreline in the early evenings and after the sun sets. Some of the recent catches have weighed more than 10 pounds. Largemouth bass are holding in deep water to 45 feet during the day. At night or early in the mornings they will move into shallower water as deep as 15 feet. Plastics or drop shooting with jigs or Senkos are the top bass lures. The lake remains at only 15 feet from spilling.

The largemouth bass bite has been slow with fewer anglers willing to target the species. Recreational boating continues to dominate the lake. Holdover rainbow trout fishing is relatively in good shape and they are available early and late working the main river channel near the dam with spoons from 45 to 55 feed. Just a reminder, if you decide to fish Camanche Lake there will be no gasoline available at either marina at this time due to shutting off the pumps to repair a gas leak. The Mokelumne River and Camanche Reservoir Clean up day is Saturday, September 15, 2018 from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Volunteers will have the opportunity at noon to attend a free BBQ at Camanche South Shore. East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) well provide latex gloves, trash bags, and trash pickers. The lake is presently holding at 85 percent of capacity.

The halibut fishing is still rated good with reports of plenty still in the bay waters. Reports indicate there seems to be more undersized fish in the system than there was earlier in the year. There are striped bass still holding off the rock piles and other locations, including Red Rock and The Brothers. Halibut taken on the flats drifting live anchovies. Salmon showing off California City at the top of the high tides with the top fish weighing in at 15 pounds which is much lower in weight than most fish in this section of the bay.

The salmon bite has been slowing down with party boats returning with as many as 16 salmon for 21 anglers with the big fish weighing in at a whopping 26 pounds. Most of the action is taking place off the Marin coastline with some of the hogs weighing up to 30 pounds. The rock fishing and ling cod fishing has been excellent with many of the kings weighing over 15 pounds. The Happy Hooker out of Berkeley returned with 28 two fish limits of ling cod for 14 clients. Good numbers of rockfish in them as well.

Take time to go out and enjoy a day of fishing the rivers, lakes, bay or off the coast of California. some time in the great outdoors along with some good fishing. Until next tide stay safe to fish another day.

“A good cure for a hangover is to drink black coffee the night before instead of the morning after”.

……… Laurence J. Peter

San Joaquin River – (Striped bass, largemouth bass); Sacramento River – (striped bass, smallmouth bass, salmon); Pardee Lke – (kokanee, trout, catfish, largemouth bass); American River – (Salmon)

Feather River – (Salmon)

Amador Lake – (catfish, largemouth bass);

Hogan Reservoir – (largemouth bass, striped bass);

Lake Camanche – (largemouth bass, trout);

Ocean – (salmon, rockfish, ling cod);

WATER FOR SALMON ANGERS FARMERS

Protests took place at the State Capitol in Sacrament over plans to release more water flows in the San Joaquin River to aide the declining salmon population which has dwindled from 70,000 in 1985 to 10,000 in 2017. The proposed plan would double the amount of water that must flow freely through the lower San Joaquin River and three of its tributaries. The time frame for the water releasees will be between February to June meaning that less water cannot be diverted for farming or other needs. Again, this change in water management is meant to attempt to mimic natural flows that help the salmon thrive State water officials have called the Delta an “ecosystem in crisis”

The Trump administration also has weighed in on the matter. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is calling this a “watergrab” that would cripple the Central Valley’s economy, farms and communities. After visiting the region with U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, last July he urged the state water board to delay its vote. The water board has postponed it’s final vote on the plan to an unspecified date.

Supporters of the plan, however, had a different take. “The salmon are on the brink of extinction in the Central Valley,” Peter Drekmeier, policy director of the Tuolumne River Trust, said. “It’s not just for the environment – it’s for the fishers and all the people who enjoy salmon.

UPCOMING EVENT

CALIFORNIA STATE DUCK CALLING

CONTEST

August 25- 26, 2018 – The City of Colusa and Kittle’s Outdoor & Sport Co. will once again have the honor of hosting this yearly event. The State Duck Calling Championship gives California sportsmen and women the opportunity to test their duck calling skills in a competitive matter, and possibly qualify for the prestigious 82nd Annual World Duck Calling Championship in Stuttgart, Arkansas. The calling contest will be held at Colusa’s Veteran’s Memorial Park across the street from Kittle’s located at 888 Market St. in Colusa, California. For more information or to reserve booth space at the Outdoor Expo, call (530) 458-4868 or go to www.kittleoutdoor.com

KOKANEE POWER SHAVER LAKE TEAM DERBY

CRAWDAD & CATFISH FESTIVAL

71st RIO VISTA BASS DERBY AND FESTIVAL

FUTURE PRO LAKE

McCLURE BASS

TOURNAMENT

are invited to be part of the west coast’s hottest bass fishing circuit by participating in the Future Pro event. For more information, call

Vince Harris at (916) 768-0938.

FUTURE PRO LAKE OROVILLE

TOURNAMENT

SHASTA FALL TROUT DERBY

DUNGENESS CRAB POT PULLING SEASON OPENER

The recreational crab pot pulling season opens on Saturday, November 3, 2018followed by the commercial season on Saturday, November 17, 2018.  The forecast for this years crabbing season looks like it will be less productive as we experienced last year reports say.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife(CDFW) is encouraging all Californians to give fishing a try for free on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018.

CDFW annually offers two Free Fishing Days, typically around the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends (the first in 2018 was held July 7). On these two designated days, people can fish without having to buy a sport fishing license. Free Fishing Days also provide an easy opportunity for licensed anglers to introduce non-angling friends and children to fishing and the outdoors. All fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements and fishing hours and stream closures, remain in effect. Every angler must have an appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead, sturgeon or spiny lobster anywhere in the state, or for salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems.

Anglers residing in urban areas also have opportunities to fish close to home. Some CDFW regions also offer Fishing in the City, a program that allows children to learn to fish in major metropolitan areas. For more information on the Fishing in the City program, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing-in-the-city.

All anglers should also check the rules and regulations at