Central California fishing report: Lake Isabella bass and crappie biting

Fishing report 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.

Best bets

Don Pedro king salmon, trout and Kokanee hitting, Monte Smith said. New Melones kokanee still hanging in there, Kyle Wise reported. Wishon trout action good, Doc Barb Steward said. Isabella bass and crappie biting, Copes Tackle reported. Delta stripers on the prowl, Jeff Soo Hoo said.

Rankings key below: 4: Fish are jumping in the boat. 3: Good fishing. 2: Decent fishing. 1: Poor fishing. 0: Don’t bother

Unless noted, area code is 559

Valley​​​​​​​​​/Westside waterways​

Striper 2 Catfish 3

In the northern section of the California Aqueduct, Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported striped bass and catfish have been taken around moving water at the check gates and near bridge pilings with chicken liver or anchovies while umbrella rigs or jerkbaits are producing stripers. In the southern section of the aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported striped bass anglers are finding decent action during the cooler parts of the day on cut sardines, anchovies, or live jumbo minnows on one- to three-ounce sliding sinker rigs while topwater and jerkbaits also accounted the occasional school-sized stripers. Carolina-rigged chicken liver, cut baits, or Triple S dip bait are working for catfish while largemouth responded well to poppers, Whopper Ploppers, or weightless Senkos.

A map of the 16 designated fishing locations on the California Aqueduct can be accessed through this link: https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DsWR-Website/Web-Pages/What-We-Do/Recreation/Files/230424_SWP-Fishing-Guildines-Locations_Online_FINAL.pdf.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; Cope’s Tackle and Rod, Bakersfield (661) 679-6351.

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake​

Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

At Eastman, Tas Moua reported the best action occurs in the evenings with crankbaits or wakebaits as the bass are holding in the rocks or pulling off and suspending during the middle of the day. The period before sunset has been optimal. At Hensley, Moua reported bluegill and catfish are the top species as bass fishing has been slow in the hot, low lake. bait fish are pushing up along the shorelines, but overall, the action has been slow for bass. Both lakes are heavily releasing water, and Eastman dropped to 476.95 feet in elevation and 11% of capacity with Hensley dropping to 455.60 feet in elevation. One tournament is scheduled at Eastman through the end of September.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151.

Lake Don Pedro​

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 3 Crappie 2

Don Pedro continues to kick out king salmon, rainbow trout, and the occasional second-year kokanee. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing has been targeting kings and rainbows with his custom shad-patterned spoons without a dodger at depths from 90 to 95. He said, “The kings have been in the 2- to 3-pound range, and I predict there will be kings pushing double-digits next year. Saturday’s trip produced 17 kings, 3 rainbows, and a 12-inch fat second-year kokanee. We also hit a marauding school of spotted bass that hit every line in a brief moment of chaos.” For bass, Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle reported a decent topwater bite throughout the day with Poppers working in the mornings and evenings with walking baits during the middle of the day. There is a shallow crankbait bite in the morning followed by nail-weighted Senkos, plastics on the drop-shot, or jigs at depths from 25 to 40 feet. There is a deep-diving crankbait bite deeper than 25 feet. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake dropped to 799. 51 feet in elevation this week. Three bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of September. A self-inspection is required for launching.

Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area​

Bass 3 Trout 2 Crappie 3 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3

The lake dropped less than a foot to 2,571.56 feet in elevation and 43% of capacity. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported fishing action remains very good across the lake with an excellent bass bite has been excellent, especially from the shoreline and in the North Fork areas around rocks and trees. Most of the fish have been on the smaller side, but more quality bass are beginning to show with 4-inch Keitech swimbaits, plastics on a drop-shot, small jigs, squarebill crankbaits, or shallow crankbaits along with Flukes, spinnerbaits, or Senkos in shad patterns. Larger worms in the 8- to 11-inch range in darker colors have also been effective as well as plastics in Oxblood or purple at depths to 20 feet along points. The topwater bite has been solid in the early hours, and Rocky Point has been producing some of the better fish. The crappie bite continues to be steady, especially in the marina, where small shad jigs or live shiners are working well. Trout action has also been consistent in the North Fork and around both dams for boaters trolling Needlefish, Tasmanian Devils, and Berkley’s Flicker Shads on lead core line. Catfish are showing up more often this week, with the best action coming in the evening and nighttime hours with frozen shad, Triple S Dip Bait, or nightcrawlers after dark. In the upper Kern River, Cope’s reported due to the lack of plants in the past several weeks, anglers are starting to see more native trout showing compared to holdovers. In the popular 20-mile stretch, trout are being caught on artificials, mini jigs, worms, crickets, or salmon eggs. Fly anglers are reporting good results using attractor nymphs, bead head Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Parachute Adams, or small streamers, especially in deeper pockets and behind boulders. On the Lower Kern, the smallmouth bass bite remains steady, on twin-tailed grubs on finesse jig heads as well as Roostertails. Catfish action is also consistent with worms, chicken liver, or cut bait producing fish. The flows in the upper Kern River dropped slightly to 394 cfs at Kernville while water releases out of the lake have dropped from 1010 to 843 cfs at First Point. One bass tournament is scheduled through the end of September.

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 dropped around a half foot to 591.73 feet in elevation and held at 8% of capacity. Cope’s reported the stable water levels could help the otherwise tough bite. Bass are holding on main lake points and over submerged rock piles, and Hula Grubs, plastics on a shakey heads, or Ned rigs in Oxblood and Aaron’s Magic are producing bites. Topwater lures and crankbaits have been effective in the mornings and evenings. Crappie fed on live minnows and minijigs around submerged structure, and catfish were caught on cut sardines or Triple S Dip Bait. The Kaweah River rose slightly to 71 cfs at Three Rivers. Only a single bass tournament is scheduled through the end of September.

Lake Success​

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake dropped less than a foot to 601.75 feet in elevation and 16% of capacity. Cope’s reported continued fair to good fishing with largemouth bass holding along rocky shorelines, in trees, and on points with plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, or Senkos on slow to dead-stick retrieves. There is a limited topwater and crankbait bite in the early mornings and evenings. Small live minnows, mini jigs, or small crankbaits near the submerged trees are the best bet for the lake’s crappie.

McClure Reservoir​

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

Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait in Modesto reported a decent topwater bite throughout the day with Berkley’s Choppo 90 or similar small walking baits while jerkbaits have been effective in the mornings and evenings. Once the bass drop in the water column from 25 to 40 feet, jigs, plastics on the drop-shot, lipless crankbaits, or Senkos on a nail weight are your best bet. Spoons or flukes are working for suspended bass while deep-diving crankbaits can find the fish deeper than 25 feet. Small fish continue to dominate as the larger fish have been scarce. The lake dropped to 818.69 feet in elevation and 71% of capacity. Tournament action has slowed down with three tournaments on the schedule in late September.

Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

Lake McSwain

Trout 2

The Splash and Dash water feature still dominates the lake, and with the triple-digit temperatures, the lake will be extremely busy during the coming Labor Day Holiday Weekend. Information https://mysplashndash.com/knowbeforeyougo/#hours.

Trout action has slowed after a plant a few weeks ago, but bank anglers are picking up a few planters in the 12-inch range in the early mornings or evenings with Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters or similar spoons from the normal locations of the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, or the peninsula between the Marina. Trollers in the river arm are finding a few holdovers with the regular suspects of Ruby Red Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler, Rapalas, or spoons at depths from the surface to 30 feet. The lake rose to 88% of capacity.

Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River​

Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2

Tas Moua reported small bass continue to be the rule with plastics such as Hologram Shad, Prism Shad, or green pumpkin on a drop-shot rig at depths to 40 feet. Recreational boating dominates here with the triple-digit heat. The lake dropped to 512.85 feet in elevation and 49% of capacity. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant remain steady at 248 cfs. Sycamore Island is open every day from 6 a.m.-5:30 p.m. No bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of September. Call: Fresno 559 Bait and Tackle 515-6273.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch​

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3

Kokanee are winding down quickly, but Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service said, “There is still time to fill the smoker. We put in two limits by 9:30 a.m. running pink/purple Apex lures tipped with Pautske’s Fire Corn behind a 5½-inch Paulina Peak’s gold dodger coated with Pautske’s Herring at depths to 100 feet. The larger third- year kokanee are rapidly turning, and they are hugging structure in the southern portion of the lake. Stick weights are necessary to keep from getting hung up on the bottom at depths from 80 to 120 feet. For bass, Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported a decent topwater bite throughout the day with Poppers best in the mornings or evenings with small walking baits working in the middle of the day. Once the fish move out of the shallows, plastics on a Carolina-rig or drop-shot, jigs, Senkos on a nail weight, or lipless crankbaits are effective at depths from 25 to 40 feet. Deep-diving crankbaits are another option deeper than 25 feet. All boats must be quarantined for 30 days or decontaminated for golden mussels. A decontamination unit is available at the New Melones Marina, and boaters are advised to schedule a decontamination via https://musseldecon.com/ with a deposit of $60. Costs will vary from a minimum of $60 to $180 up depending upon the size and complexity of the vessel. Boats not making a reservation will be charged as much as $180. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the Glory Hole and Tuttletown ramps are open from 6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. From Monday through Thursday, only the Glory Hole ramp is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The hours are subject to change after the Labor Day Holiday Weekend. Downstream Lake Tulloch established the 30-day quarantine process to allow boating for inspected boats after the quarantine period is completed. The lake dropped to 1,020.57 feet in elevation and 69% of capacity with downstream Tulloch at 97% of capacity.

Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; 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 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Tas Moua reported an improved bass bite for spots to 6 pounds with topwater lures in the mornings or evenings in the shallows. Small keeper bass are found suspended with spoons, jigs, shaking a minnow, or Senkos on a Neko-rig along points, rocky shorelines, or large boulders. Jim Tartaglia searched for king salmon with Stephen Thiessen and Terrel Estes, launching before sunup hoping to catch kings feeding in the early sunrise because of the extremely low lake water resulting in soaring water temperatures. Tartaglia said, “We found no kings or trout feeding in the hot water even though we fished the deepest water we could find at 200 feet. At this depth, we found king salmon sitting lethargically on the bottom. Trolling over these fish on the bottom for seven hours produced only 5 of larger kings with at least a half-dozen who were 2025 plants. We released all the small kings very carefully. In my opinion, the water is just too warm for the kings to be active and want to feed. Trout can survive slightly warmer water conditions than the king salmon, and if we get cooler temperatures soon, the trout bite will improve.” In the lower Kings River, the flows rose slightly to 356 at Trimmer this week. Trout plants over the past two weeks have improved action for planters with a variety of presentations including: Roostertails, Panther Martin’s, Joe’s Flies, salmon eggs, or Power Bait. With the slower flows, the rainbows are holding in the transition from fast to slow water. No plants are scheduled for this week. The catch-and-release section is located below the Alta Weir (also known as Cobbles Weir) extending downstream to the Highway 180 bridge. This area is considered a zero limit, catch-and-release zone where only artificial lures with barbless hooks are allowed. The lake dropped another 5 feet to 780.31 feet in elevation and 26% of capacity. Only one bass tournament is scheduled through the end of September, the Bass 101 Night Tournament on Sept. 15. The blast off for this event will be at 6:30 p.m., and it will end at 7:30 a.m. The Pine Flat staff will host a recognition ceremony at 5 p.m. at the Deer Creek launch ramp to honor the six fishermen involved in the lifesaving rescue on Jan. 1. Call: 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273; ‘Fishing with Jimmy T’ on YouTube.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay​

Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

The water level in the main lake has been stable at 40% of capacity. Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the troll and jig bite require a lot of scouting to find the active biting schools of moving fish. “ The overall bite continues to struggle and finding fish in the coves isn’t a problem but finding biters is the problem. I scouted with a buddy and we found fish holding shallow at 30-40’ , and deeper at 60-70’ but the bite window was short around noon for us. My buddy picked up a 17.2 lber at 70’ with a Shad colored jig. The fish came out of nowhere with no sonar marks showing . The algae is getting thicker and water temps are up to 80 degrees. Guys working the shore with ripbaits are also finding it tough to get on a steady bite. Shore anglers throwing bait are still doing well off areas like the Romero and Dinosaur areas. It’s been the weirdest weather and bite pattern I’ve seen in 14 years of guiding. “ George reported

. In the O’Neill Forebay, Tas Moua reported anglers are wading out past the shoreline grass to toss Storm swimbaits or River2Sea Rig Walker 100’s or 120’s. Catfish are found around Check 12. The forebays is at 86% of capacity. Boat inspections at San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay, and Los Banos Creek Reservoir in Merced County are required when exiting these lakes to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. At O’Neill Forebay, golden mussels were detected. Boats leaving these San Luis Recreation Area lakes will not be granted a “clean boat” tag. After boating in waterways, always remember to clean, drain, and dry to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. To check the real time 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

The trout bite is slowing down for trollers, mostly due to heavy recreational boat pressure, but there are still trout taken from the banks with deep water access. Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported bluegill to 11 inches are taken on big nightcrawlers while crappie in the 8/9-inch range are located on 2-inch Keitech swimbaits in Sexy Shad on a 1/16^th-ounce jig head tossed into the grass. Bass fishing has been fair, but there has been some quality spotted or largemouth bass hooked on 7-inch Deps Sakamata Shad soft swimbaits. A live webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. One bass tournament is scheduled through the end of September.

Call: Tas Moua, Fresno 559 Bait and Tackle 515-6273.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool​

Portal Forebay is scheduled to receive a trout plant this week, but this may be modified due to the recent fire activity in the Central Sierras. Travelers to the high country must be aware of current road conditions as evacuations may be in order. All the High Sierra lakes are dropping with Edison at 57% of capacity, Florence at 54% of capacity, and Mammoth Pool at 64% of capacity. Southern California Edison (SCE), in partnership with the Sierra National Forest are rehabilitating the boat launch and campground. According to the Sierra National Forest’s press release, “The campground and boat launch have recently been turned over to SCE’s control to begin the rehabilitation work. To complete this work, SCE will need one year for the boat launch-related work (until May 2026), and two years for the campground (May 2027), keeping in mind that given the elevation, there is only a limited window of time to complete this type of work during the year. Forest Order 05-15-51-25-06 covering SCE’s rehabilitation work will be released soon.” Road conditions are available at the High Sierra Ranger Station – 855-5355 or https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.

Road conditions 297-0706.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake​

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2

Visitors to the Central Sierras need to be aware of any road closures or evacuations due to the number of fires occurring from the recent lightning strikes.

The final Kokanee Power Team Tournament of the season is annually held at Shaver Lake in early September, and this year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6. This year’s conditions are expected to be challenging as the numbers of third year fish are severely limited, and the remaining second-year fish have been off the bite for the past few weeks. The tournament will come the weekend after heavy recreational boating pressure will arrive at the lake over the Labor Day Holiday.

Although there are a few third- year kokanee to 17 inches still in the lake, the restricted numbers are due to the Department of Fish and Wildlife opting not to plant in 2023 due to a limited number of eggs. The expectation was a natural spawn would compensate for the lack of planting.

Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charter reported, “The Shaver Lake slowdown may now be categorized as poor fishing for both trout and kokanee. A limit is possible, but that’s about all that can be expected. The lake continues to drop, and the kokanee are going deeper. With the mountain temperatures higher than normal, the kokanee may make their final run to near the bottom.”Shaver is still fairly slow. A few third-year fish are caught, but not many. Most second-year kokanee are in the 13- to 14-inch range, but limits have been scarce.”

On Saturday, guide Captain Paul Brown, of ‘Fishin’ with Paul’ Charters took out for anglers for close to 3 limits of kokanee on Saturday working at depths from 60 to 72 feet with a variety of tackle in green or purple in the Sierra Marina area.

At Huntington, Jay and Delinda Irvine were out with Jody and Lisa Allen from Visalia trolled Huntington on Saturday for four hours starting at 7 a.m., landing three mixed limits, keeping three kokanee and seven rainbows. They were running Dick’s Texas Tea Trout Busters behind a Pink Lemonade Paulina Peak dodger at a setback between 115 and 125 feet on the side rods. Their downriggers were loaded with pink/green Paulina Peak’s Spinners on a 50-foot setback at depths from 45 to 45 feet at 1.4 mph.

Check the Sierra Marina webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Shaver dropped to 72 with Huntington also dropping slightly to 97% of capacity.

Call: Paul Brown 300-4001; Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100.

Wishon/Courtright​

Trout 3

Travelers to Wishon and Courtright must be aware of current road conditions as evacuations may be in order due to the Village Fire adjacent to Wishon. Prior to the recent lightning strikes, trout fishing at both reservoirs has been strong. Doc Barb Stewart and her husband Doane of Prather spent most of the week camping at Wishon, fishing three days at Wishon and two at Courtright. Stewart reported, “Both lakes are up in the water column and are producing multiple limits, and Courtright was on fire. We caught and released over 90 trout in the 12- to 14-inch range fishing at depths from 20 to 25 feet with Dick’s Jimbo or Stevenson Trout Busters behind my namesake, Doc Barb, or Lagoon Mountain dodgers. We experienced several double hook ups. Wishon was not as good, but it still produced over 6 limits of catch-and-release trout in the 12-to 14-inch range. Green seemed to be a good color at both lakes.” Jay and Delinda Irvine with Jody and Lisa Allen also trolled Courtright for the first time in two years, and they weren’t disappointed with their trip as they kept 11 rainbows for dinner and the smoker, releasing another 15 to 20 trout running Dick’s Texas Tea Trout Busters at a setback between 100 and 110 feet on the side rods with Dick’s Mountain Hoochies in white or pink/blue stripes at 20 feet in depth on a setback of 50 to 70 feet at 1.2 to 1.4 mph. Wishon is scheduled for a trout plant his week, but the current fire may eliminate access to the region.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361.

Ocean

Half Moon Bay​

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

Albacore outside the Farallon Islands was the story at the start of the week, but offshore weather kept boats from heating out again until this coming Tuesday. While the bulk of California’s albacore are off the Mendocino coastline, there are signs of the warm water moving south, bringing albacore and bluefin tuna within reach. Bay Area party boats continue to head south along the San Mateo coast for quality rockfish and lingcod. Half Moon Bay party boats are returning with limits of rockfish and a handful of lingcod. Rock crab and rockfish are possible from the North or South Jetty with surf perch from the beaches. There will be a 7500-fish quota salmon season from Sept. 4-7 from Point Reyes south to Point Sur, and the all-ladies trip on the New Captain Pete on Sept. 6 sold out within 24 hours. Interest in albacore is also high as the New Captain Pete is already sold out for Thursday’s trip. Rock crab and rockfish are possible from the North or South Jetty with surf perch from the beaches.

Call: Captain Melynda Dodds, New Captain Pete (512) 825- 8225; Captain Chris Chang, Ankeny Street (650) 279-8819;

Monterey/Santa Cruz​

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

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “Historically speaking, these next eight weeks or so might provide the best fishing for anglers on Monterey Bay. Especially with the rectification of the crazy depth restriction matrix imposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife last year. In an emergency announcement, DFW says they are abolishing the depth restrictions for the remainder of rockfish season. Besides our mainstay rock cod, all our relevant species are in attendance, including a couple that have become rather rare lately. Top of the list for gamefish must be tuna. Yes, we have both bluefin tuna and albacore tuna in our area now. Though catches a few and far between, conditions are ripe for these fish, and the coin just might flip to heads instead of tails. If so, expect to fish albacore from 15 to 60 miles offshore. Some boats will travel 200 miles on an albacore trip as they search for fish. The albacore can be anywhere from off Point Sur up to the Point Reyes area. Bigger boats with lots of fuel can make that attempt and often are rewarded for trying. We’ve had reports from boats launching at Half Moon Bay who have gotten into fairly decent albacore bites, putting double digit fish counts on the boats. The longfin tuna bite just improves as one head further north, toward Ft. Bragg, Crescent City and the Oregon Coast. Occasional bluefin catches have been noted for a couple months now, usually 15 to 30 miles offshore, off Pt. Sur, near the 601 buoy and from the “Fingers” area off Davenport. One of our favorite skippers, Tom Joseph on the Sara Bella went on the hunt last week from Half Moon Bay and landed one bluefin. But, it was a 100-pounder! Inshore fishing is still booming. Limits are most common even on shorter trips. J&M Sportfishing from Monterey reported full limits of rockfish (260) on their four-hour evening trip on Friday, while Chris’ Fishing Trips counted 200 rockfish and 15 lingcod for the 20 anglers aboard the Check Mate that same day. Halibut hinting is still going to and heavy especially towards the Santa Cruz side of the bay. Private boats and charters are reporting regular limit of flatties caught from below Moss Landing up to the sandy north coast beaches above Santa Cruz. Fall is the season to see big halibut pulled in. Flatties in the 25- to 36-pound range are being caught daily. Surfcasting is also taking off on Monterey Bay. Beaches are clearing after our last powerful south swell, and the amount of bait inshore is astounding. Striped bass anglers would be wise to go with big stick baits or poppers at this point, while perch anglers have all the free bait they might need right now under their feet. The sand crab populations are booming all around the bay.”

Both Monterey and Santa Cruz will be able to participate in the next window for ocean salmon on Sept. 4-7, and the boats are filling up fast.

Call: Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay​

Halibut 2 Albacore 2Striper 3 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 white sea bass 2

Albacore got hearts beating, and the private fleet along with the California Dawn 2 are headed out on Tuesday to take advantage of the coming weather window. The presence of live bait makes these trips a hit. Fewer boats have been targeting halibut outside the Golden Gate, opting for rockfish and lingcod either along the San Mateo or Marin coastlines. The quality of both species has been greater on the San Mateo coast, and party boats have been willing to make the long trek south for quality. Shallow water rockfish less than 20 fathoms will last until Sept. 30, and changes to the allowable depth are anticipated to open by Oct. 1. There will be a 7500-fish quota salmon season from Sept. 4-7 from Point Reyes south to Point Sur, and many of the local party boats and six-packs are booked. With the solid rockfishing south of the Golden Gate, few party boats have been focusing inside the bay, but there are still massive schools of school-sized striped bass working the surface in the central bay. Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charter out of Paradise Cay was out on Sunday morning in the Central Bay, and he said, “We found the most insane surface striped bass bite that I have ever experienced my 50 years of fishing in the area. We caught and released over 60 stripers within a few hours of tossing swimbaits, and only three of them were under the legal 18-inch range. If a striper missed the bait, another would pick it up. We got hit on every strike.”

Halibut action has slowed with the best scores continuing outside the Golden Gate. Leopard shark are another possibility, and a few boats are targeting seven-gill and six-gill sharks in the deep water near the Golden Gate Bridge. White seabass are starting to make a showing, and the next two months will reveal if the seabass arrive in numbers. Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco is locally known as the ‘Ghost Whisperer,’ and for good reason. The bay’s captains defer to Koyasako for all things white seabass, and he said, “It was flat calm with clear water inside the bay last week, and I found them in the middle of the week, but they weren’t up to biting. I left for Fort Bragg for albacore fishing, and Captain Ricky Acosta of Feeding Frenzy Sport Fishing went to the spot the following day for a single seabass, and he ended up with 5 of the ‘ghosts’ the next day from 11 to 30 pounds. Commercial anglers have been picking them up in the Half Moon Bay area to 90 pounds, and if I had a squid tank on my boat, I would be right down there with them. We went out in the bay after I returned from Fort Bragg, and I didn’t like what I saw as the water turned muddy from the larger tides. We will see what takes place in the next few months, but I will keep looking.”

Call: Captain Trent Slate – Bite Me Charters, (415) 307-8582; 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

It’s still all about rockfishing out of the San Luis Obispo County ports, but there is optimism that the warm water will slide even further down the coast, bringing albacore once again into play. One Sunday, the Black Pearl out of Morro Bay went north on a 12-hour trip for a steady bite for lingcod along with assorted hard head rockfish of vermilion, coppers, starries, and olives. Also on Sunday, three boats went out from Morro Bay Landing with 63 anglers for 496 assorted rockfish, 58 vermilion, 52 Boccaccio to 11 pounds, 24 copper, and 17 lingcod. Out Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, two boats were out on Sunday with 24 passengers for 232 assorted rockfish, 16 vermilion to 6 pounds, 55 Bolina, 9 cabezon to a whopping 13 pounds, 4 copper, 14 lingcod, and a bonus California halibut.

Call: Virg’s Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing

Others

Delta/Stockton ​

Bass 2 Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

Striped bass continue to flood into the Sacramento side of the California Delta, and Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing found 19 keepers by 11:00 am along the West Bank trolling deep-diving lures. The striped bass are found in Montezuma Slough and along the West Bank from Collinsville to Rio Vista. In the Liberty Island, largemouth bass are taken on punching the weeds or flipping in the tules around submerged wood. Sturgeon catch-and-release fishing is closed until Oct. 1. Striped bass are found on the western edge of the San Joaquin system from the Antioch Bridge toward the mouth of the Mokelumne River over the Santa Clara and San Andreas Shoals. Trolling deep-diving lures is the best possibility. Tournament limits remain in the 15- to 19-pound range as unlimited numbers of smaller bass have been the norm. Punching the isolated mats has been the top techniques for quality largemouth bass including a 9.11-pound bass landed by young Trevor Watanabe on his first-ever attempt at punching during Saturday’s Nor Cal Bass tournament. 36 boats arrived at Ladd’s Marina on Saturday for the Nor Cal Event, and director Dave King said, “Overall it was a very tough bite for most, and the best limits came on punching the weeds. There are still plenty of mats out there, and with the triple-digit temperatures, the bass are holding under the thick grass.” Crappie are showing up at the 1s^t Bridge at Eight Mile Road or at Bacon Island Road east of Stockton. With the recent heat wave, recreational boat traffic will be intense in the narrow channels of the south and central Delta, especially during the upcoming Labor Day Holiday Weekend.

A proposed 18- to 30-inch striped bass slot limit will be discussed during the October meeting of the Fish and Game Commission.

The public may submit written comments on or before 5 p.m. Sept. 25, at the address given below, or by email to FGC@fgc.ca.gov. Written comments mailed, or emailed to the Commission office, must be received before noon Oct. 3. If you would like copies of any modifications to this proposal, please include your name and mailing address. Mailed comments should be addressed to Fish and Game Commission, PO Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090.

Call: Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Vince Borges, Vince Borges Outdoors (209) 918-0828. Soo Hoo Sport Fishing (925) 899-4045.

Events

Saturday, Aug. 30

Free Fishing Day

Sept. 13

Roosevelt High School’s Bass Fishing Club annual tackle sale at the southwest corner of Huntington Blvd. and 6^th from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. There will be bass tackle, fly-fishing tackle, rods, reels, tackle boxes. Prices are bargain basement like $5 for a pound of plastics.

Tournament Results

Aug. 23

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

1^st – Vincent and Javier Linares – 19.93 pounds; 2^nd – Aron and Trevor Watanabe – 15.71 (Big Fish – 9.11); 3^rd – John Garrett/Tony Vaughn -15.02.

Aug. 22-23

Clear Lake – West Coast Championships

1^st – Damian Thao – 198.00 inches (Big Fish – 23.50 inches”; 2^nd – Obedie Williams – 196.75 inches; 3^rd – Thomas Willingmyre – 193.00 inches.

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)​

Note – tournaments scheduled for New Melones, Camanche, Tulloch, or Pardee are subject to change and will not be listed

Aug. 30

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association

Sept. 6

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association

Sept. 13-14

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

Sept. 13

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association

New Hogan – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

Pine Flat – Bass 101

San Antonio – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

Nacimiento – Bakersfield Bass Club

Sept. 14

Bass Lake – Kings VIII Bass Club

Sept. 20-21

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Sierra Bass Club

Sept. 20

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

Don Pedro – Tri Valley Bass Masters/All American Bass Club

McClure – Stanislaus County Sheriff’s

Kaweah – Golden Empire Bass Club

Isabella – American Bass Club

Sept. 21

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Riverbank Bass Anglers

McClure – Fresno Bass Club

Sept. 27-28

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

Sept. 27

Eastman – 17/90 Bass Club

Sept. 28

McClure – Valley Backlashers

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.

This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: Lake Isabella bass and crappie biting."