T_boy
09-28-2011, 02:21 PM
VALLEY
NEW MELONES RESERVOIR — Trout are biting better than they have "in years," says Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods. She reports trollers picking up easy limits of rainbows from 1 to 3 pounds and 16 to 17 inches, as the fish feed on shad. The key is finding the shad then trolling bait through them. Guide Gary Burns has been scoring with Shasta Tackle Cripplures or Needlefish in red or blue at 32 to 48 feet in Carson and Coyote coves. Jim Munroe of Jackson landed a 5.5-pound brown on a Rapala Shad Rap trolled at 60 feet near the dam, and a Morgan Hilll angler landed a 5.5-pound brown on a shad-patterned spoon at 55 feet near Carson Cove. Night fishing with minnows, night crawlers, or Power Bait under lights are producing holdover rainbows, and Lewis expects the bank bite to take off soon. The bass bite has slowed, though some are being caught on 6-inch Roboworm Hologram or Prism Shad plastics in the early mornings or late evenings. Catfishing is very good in the shallow parts of coves. Weightless offerings on an open bale work best with the catfish able to run with the bait without detection. It's best to move baits often, rather than letting it sit still. The best action is at night, but there are fish caught during the day, too. Crappie are biting under submersible lights with small minnows or minijigs. They are also hiding under and around large boulders up the river arm. Call: (209) 736-4333, Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne (209) 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.
SAN LUIS RESERVOIR and O'NEILL FOREBAY — The main lake at San Luis has improved for striped bass, both from the shore and boats. Mickey Clements at Coyote Bait in San Jose said it hasn't been this good "for a long time, especially with the water still being high." Anglers are lining up along the rockwall or at Dinosaur Point with to pull shallow running crankbaits such as the Lucky Craft Fat CB3 or ghost minnows or the Heddon Swim N' Image just below the surface. Lucky Craft Pointer 128s are effective, and there is a top-water bite in the early mornings with Zara Spooks or PopRs. Guide Merritt Gilbert said said anglers have been trolling at 15 to 20 feet to find the fish then dropping live jumbo minnows to catch stripers from 18 to 30 inches. In the Forebay, weeds still limit the action. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711.
McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Stephanie Powell of the McSwain Marina said trollers are finding action near the floating restrooms on Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of night crawler behind a dodger or blade/crawler combinations at 25 feet. Most anglers were coming back with near limits. Calaveras Trout Farm will be planting early this week. Call: (209) 378-2534
McCLURE RESERVOIR — Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said catfishing from the banks is great in the evenings using anchovies, sardines or chicken livers. For bass, try drop shotting Reaction Innovations Bad Shad Green or Pro Worms Pro Gold at 20 feet. The Mega Strike MegaBug creature bait on a half-ounce are working well. Diana Mello at A-1 Bait in Snelling said live crawdads are the hot sellers. A 4.25-pound spotted bass was taken on a PopR, but minnow action has slowed. Trout fishermen have deserted the lake for Don Pedro, but rainbows and the occasional king salmon can be taken around McClure Point near the dam at 25 to 50 feet. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505, Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.
LAKE DON PEDRO — Trout fishing is outstanding. Guide Monte Smith took out Cal Kellogg of the Fishsniffer Magazine to shoot some video, and they caught and released over 20 rainbows by fast trolling heavy Chucker T spoons at 25 to 45 feet near Middle Bay. Smith said the fish were in open water. He credits the high water the past two years for the quality of rainbows, which are fattening up on the shad. Guide Danny Layne confirms the hot bite with rainbows over 20 inches and 4 pounds filling limits in the past week. He has targeted Woods Creek Arm, Six Bit area, Middle Bay and Fleming Bay at 25 to 40 feet with ExCels, Kastmasters, Triple Teasers or Apex lures in silver. He added that a few king salmon to 16 inches can be found in Woods Creek at 60 to 100 feet with rolled shad. Catfishing is very good from the banks with frozen shad or anchovies, particularly in the evenings. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne (209) 586-2383, Bait Barn (209) 874-301.
DELTA/STOCKTON — Mike Pipkins of Gotcha Bait in Antioch confirmed the improvement in striped bass fishing with one boat scored four limits ranging from 8 to 18 pounds using live mudsuckers or frozen shad. Guide Randy Pringle said with cooler temperatures in the mornings with hot afternoons have sent bass on feeding binges until they completely shut down. Fall-like temperatures are bringing stripers deeper into the river system. Swimbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits in chartreuse shad or crawdad patterns are working with the chartreuse or bluegill patterns on overcast days and the crawdad imitations in sunny conditions. Hyacinth clumps are extremely thick in the back sloughs of the central Delta, making access problematic.Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Stan Koenigsberger (925) 570-530; Jolly Jay's Guide Service (209) 478-6645; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550.
OCEAN
SAN FRANCISCO BAY — The six packs and private boaters got limits of salmon this weekend, with the larger party boats scoring over a fish per rod. Capt. R.J. Waldron on the Sundance went to Duxbury on Sunday for six limits to 20 pounds. The Emeryville boats trolled up a combined 80 salmon to 23 pounds for 52 anglers Sunday after putting in 73 salmon to 24 pounds for 52 fishermen Saturday. The Sausalito boats also had good scores with 42 salmon to 33 pounds for 25 anglers Sunday after scoring 53 salmon to 25 pounds for 37 anglers Saturday. They trolled both days from Muir Beach north to Duxbury. Capt. Chris Smith of the Happy Hooker started mooching for salmon along the Marin coast Sunday, and put in 10 fish to 23 pounds before switching over to rockfish for the rest of the day. He had 150 rockfish and 2 lings for 18 fishermen. Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait in San Rafael reported the best halibut action around Red Rock. California City was "on fire" for salmon in the middle of the week, but has since slowed.
HALF MOON BAY — Peggy Beckett said the Tigerfish went to the islands Saturday for 30 limits of rockfish and 12 ling cod, and both the Tigerfish and the New Captain Pete stayed local with small loads Sunday, working the buoys to the Ritz for limits of school fish, as the bottom fish were more reluctant to bite. The Connie O went salmon fishing up the Marin coast Saturday for six limits, trolling from Rocky Point to Duxbury. Several boats went tuna fishing Sunday, and one boat came home with 18 albacore to 35 pounds. Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Huck Finn Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133, Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040, Don Franklin, Soleman (510) 703-4148.
MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ — The "Dogbone" at 36'20 and 122'20 was the hot area Sunday for albacore. One boat came home with 32 longfins. Thursday's conditions appear to be good enough for another tuna run, and private boats are gearing up for the weather window. Todd Arcoleo of Chris's Landing in Monterey reported outstanding rockfishing at Point Sur over the weekend with 30 limits taken Saturday and Sunday. They will be running rockfish trips throughout the week. Call: Chris' Landing (831) 375-5951.
NEW MELONES RESERVOIR — Trout are biting better than they have "in years," says Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods. She reports trollers picking up easy limits of rainbows from 1 to 3 pounds and 16 to 17 inches, as the fish feed on shad. The key is finding the shad then trolling bait through them. Guide Gary Burns has been scoring with Shasta Tackle Cripplures or Needlefish in red or blue at 32 to 48 feet in Carson and Coyote coves. Jim Munroe of Jackson landed a 5.5-pound brown on a Rapala Shad Rap trolled at 60 feet near the dam, and a Morgan Hilll angler landed a 5.5-pound brown on a shad-patterned spoon at 55 feet near Carson Cove. Night fishing with minnows, night crawlers, or Power Bait under lights are producing holdover rainbows, and Lewis expects the bank bite to take off soon. The bass bite has slowed, though some are being caught on 6-inch Roboworm Hologram or Prism Shad plastics in the early mornings or late evenings. Catfishing is very good in the shallow parts of coves. Weightless offerings on an open bale work best with the catfish able to run with the bait without detection. It's best to move baits often, rather than letting it sit still. The best action is at night, but there are fish caught during the day, too. Crappie are biting under submersible lights with small minnows or minijigs. They are also hiding under and around large boulders up the river arm. Call: (209) 736-4333, Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne (209) 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.
SAN LUIS RESERVOIR and O'NEILL FOREBAY — The main lake at San Luis has improved for striped bass, both from the shore and boats. Mickey Clements at Coyote Bait in San Jose said it hasn't been this good "for a long time, especially with the water still being high." Anglers are lining up along the rockwall or at Dinosaur Point with to pull shallow running crankbaits such as the Lucky Craft Fat CB3 or ghost minnows or the Heddon Swim N' Image just below the surface. Lucky Craft Pointer 128s are effective, and there is a top-water bite in the early mornings with Zara Spooks or PopRs. Guide Merritt Gilbert said said anglers have been trolling at 15 to 20 feet to find the fish then dropping live jumbo minnows to catch stripers from 18 to 30 inches. In the Forebay, weeds still limit the action. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711.
McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Stephanie Powell of the McSwain Marina said trollers are finding action near the floating restrooms on Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of night crawler behind a dodger or blade/crawler combinations at 25 feet. Most anglers were coming back with near limits. Calaveras Trout Farm will be planting early this week. Call: (209) 378-2534
McCLURE RESERVOIR — Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said catfishing from the banks is great in the evenings using anchovies, sardines or chicken livers. For bass, try drop shotting Reaction Innovations Bad Shad Green or Pro Worms Pro Gold at 20 feet. The Mega Strike MegaBug creature bait on a half-ounce are working well. Diana Mello at A-1 Bait in Snelling said live crawdads are the hot sellers. A 4.25-pound spotted bass was taken on a PopR, but minnow action has slowed. Trout fishermen have deserted the lake for Don Pedro, but rainbows and the occasional king salmon can be taken around McClure Point near the dam at 25 to 50 feet. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505, Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.
LAKE DON PEDRO — Trout fishing is outstanding. Guide Monte Smith took out Cal Kellogg of the Fishsniffer Magazine to shoot some video, and they caught and released over 20 rainbows by fast trolling heavy Chucker T spoons at 25 to 45 feet near Middle Bay. Smith said the fish were in open water. He credits the high water the past two years for the quality of rainbows, which are fattening up on the shad. Guide Danny Layne confirms the hot bite with rainbows over 20 inches and 4 pounds filling limits in the past week. He has targeted Woods Creek Arm, Six Bit area, Middle Bay and Fleming Bay at 25 to 40 feet with ExCels, Kastmasters, Triple Teasers or Apex lures in silver. He added that a few king salmon to 16 inches can be found in Woods Creek at 60 to 100 feet with rolled shad. Catfishing is very good from the banks with frozen shad or anchovies, particularly in the evenings. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne (209) 586-2383, Bait Barn (209) 874-301.
DELTA/STOCKTON — Mike Pipkins of Gotcha Bait in Antioch confirmed the improvement in striped bass fishing with one boat scored four limits ranging from 8 to 18 pounds using live mudsuckers or frozen shad. Guide Randy Pringle said with cooler temperatures in the mornings with hot afternoons have sent bass on feeding binges until they completely shut down. Fall-like temperatures are bringing stripers deeper into the river system. Swimbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits in chartreuse shad or crawdad patterns are working with the chartreuse or bluegill patterns on overcast days and the crawdad imitations in sunny conditions. Hyacinth clumps are extremely thick in the back sloughs of the central Delta, making access problematic.Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Stan Koenigsberger (925) 570-530; Jolly Jay's Guide Service (209) 478-6645; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550.
OCEAN
SAN FRANCISCO BAY — The six packs and private boaters got limits of salmon this weekend, with the larger party boats scoring over a fish per rod. Capt. R.J. Waldron on the Sundance went to Duxbury on Sunday for six limits to 20 pounds. The Emeryville boats trolled up a combined 80 salmon to 23 pounds for 52 anglers Sunday after putting in 73 salmon to 24 pounds for 52 fishermen Saturday. The Sausalito boats also had good scores with 42 salmon to 33 pounds for 25 anglers Sunday after scoring 53 salmon to 25 pounds for 37 anglers Saturday. They trolled both days from Muir Beach north to Duxbury. Capt. Chris Smith of the Happy Hooker started mooching for salmon along the Marin coast Sunday, and put in 10 fish to 23 pounds before switching over to rockfish for the rest of the day. He had 150 rockfish and 2 lings for 18 fishermen. Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait in San Rafael reported the best halibut action around Red Rock. California City was "on fire" for salmon in the middle of the week, but has since slowed.
HALF MOON BAY — Peggy Beckett said the Tigerfish went to the islands Saturday for 30 limits of rockfish and 12 ling cod, and both the Tigerfish and the New Captain Pete stayed local with small loads Sunday, working the buoys to the Ritz for limits of school fish, as the bottom fish were more reluctant to bite. The Connie O went salmon fishing up the Marin coast Saturday for six limits, trolling from Rocky Point to Duxbury. Several boats went tuna fishing Sunday, and one boat came home with 18 albacore to 35 pounds. Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Huck Finn Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133, Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040, Don Franklin, Soleman (510) 703-4148.
MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ — The "Dogbone" at 36'20 and 122'20 was the hot area Sunday for albacore. One boat came home with 32 longfins. Thursday's conditions appear to be good enough for another tuna run, and private boats are gearing up for the weather window. Todd Arcoleo of Chris's Landing in Monterey reported outstanding rockfishing at Point Sur over the weekend with 30 limits taken Saturday and Sunday. They will be running rockfish trips throughout the week. Call: Chris' Landing (831) 375-5951.