Lets Go Fishing by Jay Sorensen, courtesy of Cecile Giacoma and the River News Herald

Sturgeon fishing seems to be on everyone’s agenda, especially with the upcoming Original, aka “Super Bowl” Sturgeon Derby slated for the weekend of the Super Bowl, Saturday and Sunday, February 2nd and 3rd out of McAvoy Boat Harbor in Bay Point, Ca. The event begins at 7:00 am on Saturday, February 2 and ends on Sunday, February 3 at 1:00 pm. The entry fee is $30.00 per person. All persons in the boat must be entered in the derby as shoreline fishing is not allowed. The target length well be the same on both days and will be announced on Saturday, February 2 at 7:00am. All sturgeon must be measured and they are required to be alive. This will take place at the Foundation Sportsman’s Club located on site at McAvoy’s Boat Harbor in Bay Point, Ca. McAvoy’s Bait and Tackle Shop has changed hands, but the new owners are committed to being open for the weekend of the Original Sturgeon Derby. If you are planning to participate in the derby you are advised to call ahead and reserve your bait. The two day event offers some very large payoffs for the top seven fish weighed each day of the derby that are close to the target length.

The waters are cloudy and in some locations muddy. If traveling by boat you are advised to keep your eyes open for debris floating on the surface. It has been reported that good numbers of sturgeon are showing up on the western edge of the San Joaquin Delta, Middle Ground, Suisun Cut,

Suisun Bay and Montezuma Slough.

The striped bass fishing has been very slow and your best bet is to head over into the south Delta and look for water with better clarity. In the absence of fresh shad some of the bait shops still have good supply of frozen bait. In the interim garlic scented sardine fillets are drawing a favorable bite. For largemouth bass, the key is to work areas with current and weed beds. Try to keep your lure in the strike zone as long as possible with baits with scent such as the Bottom Hopper with Max Scent on Zappu head with a slow presentation with rip baits such as the ima Flit 120 in the color pattern of American Shad or Oliver Herring.

Sturgeon and striped bass seem to be the ticket for those fishing the outgoing tides in San Pablo Bay. Some anglers are having banner days on both species catching as many as seven legal sturgeon to 59.5 inches and two fish limits of striped bass to 10 pounds. Mud shrimp seems to be the preferred bait. Some of the best action is taking place from the Pumphouse to Sonoma Creek with no reports coming from the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge area.

Charter boats continued to offer their clients good numbers of sand dabs and full Dungeness crab limits. Last week the commercial crab season took off with most commercial vessels selling live crab at the docks.

Take time to go and enjoy the great outdoors. Until next tide stay safe to fish another day.

American River – (steelhead);

Feather River – (steelhead, striped bass);

Amador Lake – (trout, catfish);

Camanche Lake – (trout, largemouth bass);

Suisun Bay – (sturgeon, striped bass)

San Pablo Bay – (sturgeon, striped bass);

San Francisco Bay – (leopard shark, seven gill shark); Ocean – (sand dabs, Dungeness crab).

There are only three basic jokes, But since the mother-in-law joke Is not a joke but a very serious question, there are only two.

…..George Ade

SANTA ROSA FISHING TACKLE & DUCK DECOY SHOW

March 8 – 9, 2019.  At this annual event there will be an array of antiques, collectibles, new and used fishing tackle and much more.  This event will take place at 1351 Maple Ave. in Santa Rosa.  For more

information call (707) 888-

7935.

SACRAMENTO BOAT SHOW

March 7 – 10, 2019 at Cal Expo. Opens on Thursday and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  For more information, contact sacramentoboatshow.com or call (916) 372-4239.

RENO RV, BOAT &

RECREATION SHOW

March 14 – 17, 2019.

If you enjoy outdoor sports

and recreation you will want to attend the Reno Boat & Recreation Show.  This event boasts the latest outdoor gear and accessories, adventure and travel, boats, RV’s, camp trailers and much more.  The event will be held at the Reno Convention Center.  For more information call (775) 882-2222.

2019 SACRAMENTO

INTERNATIONAL SP0RTSMEN’S

EXPOSITION

I attended the ISE Show on Saturday, January 19 for the purpose of paying tribute to a very good friend of mine whose name is Dick Pool who was voted into the California Outdoor Hall of Fame. This honor has been long overdue. For the past 40 years Dick worked diligently for Water4Fish and has worked for the conservation of salmon and steelhead in the Sacramento River. Dick has also served on

numerous state and federal salmon advisory committees and has testified as an expert witness on salmon issues before the California Legislature and the U.S House of Representatives. In the late 1980’s, he served for five years on the Sacramento Fish and Games Upper Sacramento Salmon and Steelhead

Advisory Committee scoping improvements for the upper Sacramento River.

Beginning in 1990, he served two years on the National Marine Fisheries Service advisory committee working to avoid a

listing of the winter run salmon as being

endangered. He is currently heavily involved in the California coalition working to find ways to

restore the severely depressed Central Valley salmon runs.

In 2006, Dick Pool was one of the founding members of the grassroots fisheries organization Water4Fish. Pool also assisted in founding of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, a Northern California

non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of the Central Valley salmon. Pool is the

President and principal owner of Pro-Troll Fishing Products involved in the production of sales and fishing equipment. Pro-Troll was founded in 1978 and specialized in salmon lures and attractors. His contributions to the fishing

industry and our California fisheries are immeasurable. Pool’s induction to the California Outdoor Hall of Fame is a victory for all anglers to continue to advocate for our fisheries.