Central California fishing report: Delta stripers and bass bites going strong

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

Delta stripers and bass bites going strong, Jeff Soo Hoo said. New Melones trout and bass hitting, Kyle Wise reported. Pine Flat bass improved, Tas Moua said. Don Pedro trout and bass still active, Monte Smith reported. Lake Isabella rainbows and largemouth bass on good feeding cycle, Cole’s Tackle 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 2

The northern section of the California Aqueduct has been fair for both striped bass and catfish this week, but the coming hot weather will impact fishing during daytime hours. Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported boils are showing up in the aqueduct, and Duo Realis 120 jerkbaits or umbrella rigs are picking up mostly undersized striped bass around the moving water near the check gates. Within a few weeks, the Striperz Gone Wild 5-Year Anniversary Fishing Tournament on October 4 will draw out the anglers pre-fishing for the event. The tournament starts at 6 a.m. with the weigh in at 2 p.m.

There are prizes for first through third place in both the adult and youth divisions. Several tackle vendors will be present along with a bounce house and food vendors. In the southern section of the aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported hit or miss action at the aqueduct as some anglers reported striped bass limits while others struck out. Cut mackerel, sardines, or jumbo live minnows are best for striped bass after the check gates while early morning topwater lures produced both striped and largemouth bass. Largemouth bass has been best near outtake grates with plastics on a drop-shot rig along with stick baits while Santee-Cooper rigs with cut mackerel or chicken liver was effective for catfish.

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 water has a green tint which is fairly common in the late summer as algae forms on the lake. He said, “Fishing has been good with four- to five-inch swimbaits as the bass are coming into the shallows chasing baby bass, bluefill, or small crappie.” The reaction bite is picking up, but there are still bass to be taken on large plastic worms dragged over the humps and island tops. At Hensley, catfishing at night is your best bet with chicken liver, nightcrawlers, or cut bait. Eastman dropped two feet to 474.69 feet in elevation and 10% of capacity with Hensley also holding at 455.30 feet in elevation and 8% of capacity. One tournament is scheduled at Eastman through the end of September with none in October.

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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Trout trolling is taking center stage as the kokanee are well on their way in their attempt to spawn while king salmon are holding deep. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “We have been picking up a lot of rainbows to nearly four pounds along with a handful of king salmon to four pounds trolling custom shad-patterned or ExCel’s spoons at depths from 40 to 65 feet. There is a tremendous amount of bait in the lake, and the bait is coming up, but it is still on the deep side. The trout are spitting up shad, and a 2-inch shad came out of one rainbow, and it was still wriggling. The bait balls have been large, and hundreds of grebes are forming on the surface, feeding on the shad. The water temperature is 75 degrees, and it is starting to cool down at night.” For bass, Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle reported a largemouth bass at 9 pounds was landed on a jig with a 7 pounder on a spoon. He said, “Jigs have been the top bait, but spoons, and flutter spoons are also working as the bass are chasing bait in the main lake and in the coves.” Spoons or jerkbaits are picking up suspended bass holding along bluff walls. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake dropped 2 feet to 793.77 feet in elevation this week. Three bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of September with another three on the books in October. 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 2 Bluegill 3

The lake dropped a foot to 2,569.39 feet in elevation and 40% of capacity of capacity with a surface temperature pushing 80 degrees. Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported excellent crappie action with live shiners or crappie jigs at depths from five to 10 feet near submerged structure. The bite has been strong both shallow and deep with super small dagger-style mini jigs, Indian crickets, Get Bent Baits, or 2-inch Keitech swimbaits in a variety of colors although the productive colors and depths have been changing daily. Red’s Marina, the North Fork trees, and the cages around Kissack Cove have been consistent areas. Bass are showing in great numbers, although size has been mixed with 6-inch Roboworms on the drop-shot or Senkos in shad patterns at depths from 15 to 25 feet. The rocks or trees in the North Fork have been productive with some better fish showing at Rocky Point. Early mornings are bringing good topwater action on prop baits, Whopper Ploppers, or Spooks, while later in the day the bite has shifted to points down to 20 feet with 8-inch Oxblood or purple worms. Reaction and finesse bites have both been hot, and while bigger bass are less frequent, tossing large swimbaits has been the best bet for a quality fish, although even smaller bass have been chewing on them. Catfish are showing later in the day and into the evening on SSS dip bait, frozen shad, or nightcrawlers. Trout anglers are finding fish near the North Fork with floating baits while boaters trolling deeper near the dam are scoring with trolling Tasmanian Devils, Needlefish, or Berkley’s Flicker Shad. In the upper Kern River, Cope’s reported steady action for both holdover and wild trout along the 20-mile stretch. Section 4 received a CDFW plant two weeks ago, and anglers are finding trout in deeper pools and slower eddies near river bends with yellow or gold bead head nymphs, salmon eggs, or small trout jigs. In the Lower Kern, bass fishing has been strong in the canyon and around Democrat, with Zman’s or Crush City’s Ned rigs, small crankbaits, or Roboworms on the drop shot. Catfish are taken on nightcrawlers, chicken liver, or cut baits. The flows in the upper Kern River held at 380 cfs at Kernville while water releases out of the lake have dropped to 404 cfs at First Point. One bass tournament is scheduled at Isabella through the end of September with one more in October.

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 nearly a foot to 590.26 feet in elevation and 8% of capacity.

Cope’s reported fair too good fishing, but while many anglers reported a tougher bite, others managed decent action. Spotted bass are taken on finesse baits fished with a very slow presentation such as plastics on the drop-shot, Carolina rig, or small jigs in Natural Shad, green pumpkin, and Sequila Sunrise. A few anglers also picked up fish on small crankbaits and topwater lures. Crappie were found over rock piles in 10 to 20 feet of water with small live minnows or minijigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles worked for bites, but reports were mixed.

The Kaweah River rose slightly to 71 cfs at Three Rivers. Only a single bass tournament is scheduled through the end of September with none scheduled in October.

Lake Success​

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake dropped 1½ feet to 597.45 feet in elevation and 13% of capacity. Cope’s reported fishing is following a typical late-summer pattern as largemouth bass are holding around submerged trees, the dam, and points in 5 to 20 feet. Senkos, plastics on a drop-shot, or jigs in brown, dark green, and purple are drawing strikes while crankbaits, underspins, or topwater poppers produced better in the mornings and evenings. Crappie provide decent action near submerged vegetation and docks, while catfish remain a steady option for anglers using cut bait, fresh shrimp, or chicken liver.

McClure Reservoir​

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

Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait in Modesto reported McClure is producing a smaller grade of bass, and like Don Pedro, jigs have been the top bait. There is a topwater bite with walking baits in the early mornings and evening along with Senkos, or plastics on the drop-shot or shakey head in addition to jigs on a finesse presentation. The lake dropped five feet to 807.88 feet in elevation and 46% of capacity. Tournament action is picking up with three on the books for September and six more in October. Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

Lake McSwain

Trout 2

A trout plant occurred two weeks ago with another plant scheduled for next week. A third plant is scheduled for the week of Oct. 6, and McSwain is preparing for Merced Irrigation District’s Fall Trout Derby on Oct. 4-5. The derby format is changed this year with no derby registration, and no FishDonkey. Just a full day of fishing, fun, and community. If you catch a tagged fish between 7 a.m.- 3 p.m., you could score surprises like cabin stays, camping trips, annual passes, Splash-n-Dash tickets, lunch at the Reel Deal, and more. A $20 vehicle entry fee applies on Oct. 4 and covers all passengers for derby participation. Free vehicle entry for active/veteran military, first responders, and Merced & Mariposa County students! With the plants, the normal conditions of bank anglers scoring a few trout per rod with the Power Bait, inflated nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters from the Handicapped Docks, the Brush Pile, or the peninsula between the Marina. A trout plant is scheduled in the Merced River Section 1 during the week of the 22^nd. The lake is at 86% 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 improved action for spotted bass with an occasional fish over 3 pounds in the main lake. He said, “The better fish are coming in the shallows with Senkos on a Neko-rig or shaking a minnow. If you don’t have Forward Facing Sonar, find structure like a rockpile and shake a minnow over the rocks. The bite has picked up.” The lake dropped slightly to 507.88 feet in elevation and 46% of capacity. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant remain steady at 215 cfs. Sycamore Island is open every day from 6 a.m. to 5:30 pm. No bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of October.

Call: Fresno 559 Bait and Tackle 515-6273.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch​

Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2

It’s trout and bass time at New Melones as the spectacular kokanee action enjoyed throughout the spring and summer months has come to an end. Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service has been pulling spoons at 3 mph over the main river channel at depths from 50 to 75 feet for rainbow trout to four pounds. He said, “These fish are just gorging themselves on small 1-inch shad, so we have downsized to smaller spoons. The bait is holding from 60 to 80 feet, and we have been having to fight off the pesky spotted bass that are down there with the shad schools.” For bass, there is a topwater bite in the low-light periods in the mornings and evenings, but the most consistent action has been with spoons, deep crankbaits, or plastics on the drop-shot, Senkos on a Neko-rig, or jigs for the suspending fish.” 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 am to 8:30 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. From Monday through Thursday, only the Glory Hole ramp is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The hours are subject to change. Downstream Lake Tulloch established the 30-day quarantine process to allow boating for inspected boats after the quarantine period is completed. The lake dropped 1½ feet to 1016.93 feet in elevation and 68% of capacity with downstream Tulloch at 98% 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 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Tas Moua reported a good bass bite prior to Saturday’s Bass 101 tournament, and jigs on main lake points, crankbaits in the shallows, or plastics on the drop-shot are all producing. He said, “Quality spotted bass in the 3- to 4-pound range have been showing up, and the bass are chasing shad into the main lake and secondary points.” In the lower Kings River, the flows are at 396 cfs at Trimmer this week. The next scheduled trout plant is the week of Sept. 22 with an additional plant the week of October 6. There are still rainbows in the river from plants earlier this month. Roostertails, Panther Martin’s, Joe’s Flies, salmon eggs, or Power Bait are effective in the transition from fast to slow water. 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 three feet to 767.45 feet in elevation and 22% of capacity. 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 risen to 46% of capacity with increased pumping out of the south Delta. Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported bank anglers are concentrating on two primary areas – Dinosaur Point or Portuguese Cove with extra-large minnows, pile worms, or anchovies. He said, “We won’t receive jumbo minnows until sometime in October, but the extra-larges seem to be working well. When the pumps are on near the Trash Racks, limits of striped bass have been coming quickly. The topwater and reaction bite seems to be slow in the main lake.”

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported a continued slow troll bite in the main lake- as well as a tough early topwater and ripbait bite along the shore by boat anglers. “ We are trying to figure out why the bite has been so slow- and we think that the very bright full moon last week was one factor, but the constants winds this year could be the other culprit. I guided 2 guests last week and we scratched out 11 fish to 23” -but it was a grind. Other anglers were reporting getting just 1 or 2 fish as they checked out. We are hoping for things to go back to normal this week with some warmer temps.” George said.

In the O’Neill Forebay, Clements reported small stripers are the story near Check 12 with pile worms or anchovies. He added, “This has been the most consistent area, and a lot of our customers have been using tray anchovies instead of bag anchovies.” Also in the forebay, Tas Moua reported a good topwater bite for mostly undersized striped bass to 17 inches, adding, “The best quality is coming at night for keepers.” The forebays is at 87% 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. Los Banos Creek Reservoir will be closed to the public until April 17, 2026, due to a multiagency project. More information on the closure and the project is available on the California State Parks website.

Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George, rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954

High Sierra

Bass Lake​

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 2

Captain Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing reported the long lost search of Bass Lake kokanee is finally showing signs of life, saying, “ I have been looking and waiting for a couple years now, but I actually found kokanee on Friday’s trip bringing four to the boat along with some trout. The kokanee are in the dam area at 30 feet in depth with a small green squid tipped with pink maggots behind a Dick’s Big Blue Mountain dodger.” A lake’s webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. One bass tournament is scheduled in September with one in October.

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

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool​

Portal Forebay was scheduled to receive a trout plant last week, but this may have been 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 51% of capacity, Florence at 39% of capacity, and Mammoth Pool at 55% 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

Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols, reported, “Following the kokanee derby last week, the lake has shown a sharp decline in boat fishermen with only two to four boats per day. Friday was well off the normal count as smoke is hovering over the lake. Dave Loftin of Visalia was out on Friday, and he trolled along the Sierra Marina and south towards the point with one rod at 30 feet on a 100-foot setback loaded with an orange Dick’s Mountain hoochies with a pink hoochie trailer tipped with scented corn on a 4-foot leader a Dick’s Sunrise dodger for nine 2^nd-year kokanee in the 9- to 13-inch range. His second rod was running at 12 to 15 feet for trout on a setback of 100 feet with a Dick’s Texas Tea Trout Buster tipped with a Gulp! Nightcrawler behind a silver Dick’s Mountain flasher on a 4-foot leader. Loftin landed six rainbow trout to 19 inches including a 3-pound brown”. Check the Sierra Marina webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Shaver rose from 67% of capacity to 70% with Huntington also dropping from 96% of capacity to 79%.

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

Wishon/Courtright​

Trout 0

The Garnet Fire has closed access to both Wishon and Courtright Reservoirs. The closure starts at the intersection of Trimmer Springs Road, continuing north along Big Creek Forest Road 10S69, and then up to the intersection with Dinkey Creek Road. It also includes the McKinley Grove Road at Camp Fresno to the north, and areas with no public access to Courtright, Wishon or east to the trailheads to the John Muir Wilderness and beyond, to the south. The Sierra National Forest has issued Forest Order No. 05-15-52-25-12 on Sept. 13 expanding the Garnet Fire closure area. This supersedes previous Forest Order No. 05-15-52-25-11. The expansion of the Forest Closure Order aligns with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office evacuation orders, modifying existing closures with the aim of enhancing firefighters and public safety. Trout plants are scheduled at Wishon next week and the week of Oct. 6.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361.

Ocean

Half Moon Bay​

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

Rockfishing is back to being the story out of this port as the short salmon season is over for 2025. The newly opened state waters are a boon to local private and party boats as limits of rockfish and a solid lingcod count are the rule. Boats running out to the Farallon Islands are routinely returning with limits of rockfish and lings to over 20 pounds, but the coastal waters have also been productive.

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

Monterey/Santa Cruz​

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

Mickey Clements from Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill reported early morning has been the best time for striped bass with jerkbaits such as the Duo Realis Tide Minnows in Midnight Black or Blurple are the top lures. Perch fishing is also on the upswing with the surf is small as the larger waves have been grassing up the coast. Gulp! Sand Worms or motor oil/red flake grubs from Mekini Baitz or Lucky 13 continue to locate various species of surf perch.

It’s back to rockfishing for the Monterey and Santa Cruz party boats, and with the new areas to fish, limits of rockfish and a few lingcod have been the story. Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey checked in with 29 limits of rockfish and 8 lingcod on Sunday while J and M Sport Fishing also posted 11 limits of rockfish and a single lingcod. Dungeness crab season opens on Saturday, November 1, and hoop nets will most likely be required once again. Rockfish season lasts until December 31.

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 Striper 3 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3

Multiple species remain the story inside and outside the Golden Gate with most party boats focusing upon rockfish at the Farallon Islands or along the southern coast, but bluefin tuna were taken offshore on Monday along with striped and white seabass inside San Francisco Bay.

The waters at the Farallon Islands were opened on August 28 for the first in over 2 years, and the action has been nothing short of spectacular when the weather cooperates. Both boats out of California Dawn Sport Fishing were out on Sunday with 45 passengers for near limits of rockfish at 435 along with 59 lingcod to 21 pounds and 250 sand dabs. Monday’s trip produced 20 limits of rockfish, 20 limits of lingcod to 20 pounds, and 200 sand dabs. Captain James Smith said, “We start off by filling the bait tank with sand dabs before making our drifts for rockfish, followed by using the sand dabs as live bait for the lings. The fishing has been nothing short of phenomenal.”

Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Berkeley also loaded up with limits of lings and rockfish at the Farallons over the weekend. When the offshore weather was too rough, Mitchell opted to work the San Mateo coast for limits of quality rockfish.

Fishing inside the bay has been just as good as Captain Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters was out on Sunday, and he said, “We threw swimbaits for between 60 and 80 striped bass in the 20-inch range in San Pablo Bay. It was a wide-open bite, and these were long, skinny fish like they were coming out of the river system.” Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco has been picking up limits of striped bass on the anchor in the central bay, but he made a few drifts for white seabass, landing a single keeper before moving on from the school. Nearly all of the seabass were under the 28-inch minimum size, and unfortunately several boats were sitting on the school with barbed J-hooks, resulting in a high mortality for the undersized seabass. These would be next year’s fish if they were able to make it.

Similar to second-year kokanee, these special fish should be left to grow to legal size since landing a seabass in San Francisco Bay is a rare treat.

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 all about rockfish out of the San Luis Obispo County ports. On Sunday, one boat went out of Morro Bay Landing with 14 anglers for limits of rockfish consisting of 136 assorted rockfish, 2 vermilion, a copper, a cabezon and 2 lingcod. The Black Pearl out of Morro Bay went up the coast on 12-hour private charter for limits of quality rockfish and near limits of lingcod. Cope’s Bait and Tackle in Bakersfield has a private charter on the Black Pearl on September 26 with 20 spots at $210/angler.

Information: Fernando Villegas (559) 972-0250.

Out Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, two boats were out on Sunday with 41 passengers for 207 assorted rockfish, 52 vermilion, 34 Bolina, 17 Boccaccio, five copper, a 7-pound cabezon, and 11 lingcod to 15 pounds.

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

Others

Delta/Stockton ​

Bass 3 Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

Striped bass are schooling on the Sacramento side of the California Delta, and when the winds are down, trolling has been solid along the West Bank from Rio Vista to Collinsville, Broad Slough, and Montezuma Slough.

Chris Ditter of Head Rush Guide Service has been running shallow-diving Rat-L-Traps along with either shallow- or deep-diving Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows for good action for small, legal striped bass. Ditter said, “There have been a lot of smaller fish in the 19- to 21-inch range, but we have had a lot of action. When it has been windy, we have been heading into Montezuma with Rat-L-Traps, and we even caught and released a king salmon.”

With all the salmon coming in from the ocean, trollers and lure tossers will incidentally hook into salmon, and if you are on the Sacramento or San Joaquin Rivers or sloughs, they must be released without bringing the fish out of the water.

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley has also been trolling the Sacramento side of the Delta since the San Joaquin side has been loaded with grass, particularly on the outgoing tide. He said, “Depending upon the tide, we are running shallow- or deep-diving lures, and these are all skinny downstream fish, but there are plenty of them.”

Spooning in Broad Slough has also been productive for striped bass, and since the waters of the Port of Sacramento have been clear, spoons in the port have brought out some much larger stripers.

For largemouth bass, Best Bass Tournaments held a two-day Tournament of Champions for the open ‘Golden Mussel’ Division out of Russo’s Marina, and Randy Pringle, tournament director, said, “Anglers caught plenty of fish, but it was a challenge to find anything of size. The top anglers were either using weightless worms, punching the weeds, or bladed jigs in green pumpkin. The large fish of the tournament was 7.17 pounds, and it was taken by flipping ledges off a deep slope. There were unlimited numbers of fish in the 1/2 to 1½-pound range.”

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

Oct. 4

Striperz Gone Wild Fifth Year Anniversary Fishing Tournament – 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. – California Aqueduct at the Volta Road Bridge. Free registration. Vendors, bounce house, and food trucks on site.

Oct. 10-12

77t^h Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival – information- https://www.bassfestival.com/.

Tournament Results:

Sept. 13-14

Delta – Best Bass Tournaments Golden Mussel Division Tournament of Champions (10 Fish Weigh in)

1^st: Lorenzo/Lucca Rossetti – 46.04 pounds; 2^nd – Tyler Bussart/Aaron Sapp – 34.00 (Big Fish – 7.17); 3^rd – Robert Cloutier/Chris Berrett – 33.02.

Trinity Lake – Bass Angler Magazine Kayak Tournament of Champions:

1^st – Jesse Hoover – 187.50 inches; 2^nd – Damian Thao – 185.75 inches (Big Fish – 22.00 inches; 3^rd – Max Lee – 176.00 inches.

Sept. 13

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

1^st – Ronnie Heil/AJ Moitoso – 18.18 pounds; 2^nd – Nick Sanches/Jordan Poytress – 17.44 (Big Fish – 6.72); 3^rd – James Parker/Jason Divird – 17.30.

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

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

Oct. 3-5

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Bass Angler Inc.

Oct. 4-5

McClure – Riverbank Bass Club

Oct. 4

New Melones – Angler’s Press Outdoors

Don Pedro – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies

Pine Flat – Golden Empire Bass Club

Oct. 5

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesto AmBASSadors

Oct. 11-12

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments

Oct. 11

Delta/Big Break – 17-90 Bass Club

Don Pedro – Christian Bass League

McClure – Sonora Bass Anglers

Bass Lake – Kerman Bass Club

Isabella – Cope’s Bait and Tackle

Oct. 12

McClure – Kings River Bass Club

Oct. 18-19

Delta/Russo’s Marina – Angler’s Press Outdoors

New Melones – Bass Addicts of SoCal

Success – Ducks Unlimited

Oct. 18

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass

Tulloch – Yak A’Bass

McClure – Sierra Bass Club

Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

Oct. 25-26

Delta/Russo’s Marina – The Bass Hole Inc.

Oct. 25

Delta/Big Break – Delta Bass Club

Santa Margarita – Bakersfield Bass Club

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.

This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: Delta stripers and bass bites going strong."