Central California fishing report, Sept. 11-17: Delta stripers hitting, New Melones kokanee and trout are filling limits and the McSwain trout plants improve action.
CORRECTION: An incorrect version of this report was initially published. The correct version appears below.
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.
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Delta stripers hitting, Alan Fong said. New Melones kokanee and trout filling limits, Kyle Wise said. McSwain trout plants improve action, Dave Hurley reported. Wishon trout kicking out limits, Kelly Brewer 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
With the continued hot temperatures, fishing remains limited to the early morning or evening hours along the California Aqueduct and Delta Mendota Canal. A few anglers have been working outside of Check 13 outside of the O’Neill Forebay. Most fishermen are driving up and down looking for boils around the headgates. There have been some large catfish up to 18 pounds landed from the aqueduct. Anglers need to check to see if access is available since several sections of the Delta Mendota Canal along with dirt canals have been closed within the past few weeks due to vandalism and excess debris. Striperz Gone Wild Fall Derby will be occurring in the Los Banos area in October.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; Cope’s Tackle and Rod, Bakersfield – (661) 679-6351; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported Eastman is experiencing heavy bass fishing pressure on the weekends, and this has slowed down the bite for the big fish. The best fishing is taking place during the week in the afternoons from 5 to 9 p.m. with lipless crankbaits, 4.8-inch Keitech swimbaits on an underspin, Senkos, or jigs off main lake points, drop offs, or rock piles.
At Hensley, there has been a sporadic bite for bass to 5 pounds off points with deep water access, but the most consistent action is for catfish with chicken liver or dip bait along with carp with dough bait. Both lakes are releasing water, and Eastman has dropped to 534.82 feet in elevation and 48% of capacity with Hensley receding to 484.43 feet in elevation and 27% of capacity. At Eastman, no tournaments are scheduled in September with only one in October. At Hensley, the next scheduled tournament is in mid-November.
Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; 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 2 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
It took a few days for the water to settle down after the Labor Day weekend. Ryan Denner of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported bass fishing will improve as the water cools as the fish are holding in deeper water feeding on threadfin shad. The kokanee are moving into the river arms, but they can be scraped off the bottom with large profile lures such as Apex offerings behind a 5½-inch dodger as the fish are now attacking the big lures in spawning mode. The king salmon bite will continue to improve as the water temperatures cool, and both rainbow trout and king salmon will be found around the shad schools. Shad-patterned lures such as Needlefish in black/chrome or Cop Car are your go-to lures. Rolling shad is another option for the kings. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. A fundraising tournament ‘Live Like Mason’ Memorial for the family of Mason Ferrulli will be held at Fleming Meadows on Oct. 26 with a $200 entry fee. There are five bass tournaments scheduled through the end of October. The lake is releasing water, and it dropped to 798.21 feet in elevation and 81% of capacity. Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 2 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Landlocked king salmon to 4 pounds have been landed on spinners at depths from 35 to 45 feet within the shad schools. Limits of rainbow trout are also possible for trollers working the bait balls with shad-patterned lures. Bass fishing remains a challenge, but small fish are taken along steep bluff walls with tubes, plastics on the drop-shot, or Senkos. . There are no bass tournaments scheduled in September or October. The lake dropped over 6 feet to 823.94 feet in elevation and 73% of capacity.
There are no bass tournaments scheduled in August and September. The Merced River has dropped to 1,270 cfs at Merced Falls downstream of Lake McSwain. The Reel Deal Market and Barrett’s Cove Marina are open only on weekends and holidays through October.
Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake McSwain
Trout 3
Another 1,000 pounds of Calaveras Trout Farm trout were released last week, and bank fishing produced quick limits with some anglers reporting catching and releasing up to 60 trout. The bite will last for a few more days before the fish are either caught or have headed upriver to find cooler water temperatures. Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters are working from the normal bank locations of the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, or the peninsula around the marina. Trollers continue to find both recently planted and holdover rainbows up the river arm. . The lake is at 91%. The Lake McSwain Fall Trout Derby is scheduled for the first weekend of October.
Call: Angler’s Edge Market (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
The holiday weekend was loaded with recreational boaters, and it will take a few days for the lake to settle down once again. Another hot spell is forecast, and boat traffic may remain heavy.
The lake dropped over 2 feet to 513.45 feet in elevation and 49% of capacity. Sycamore Island is open once daily from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are stable at 457 cfs. No tournaments are scheduled through August.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 3
The kokanee season is rapidly winding down, but Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service has been scraping up limits to 18 inches off the bottom at depths more than 100 feet with large profile Apex lures coated with scent behind a Paulina Peak’s gold hammered dodger. Rainbow trout are the more realistic target, and the trout are found in the middle of the shad schools at depths around 65 feet.
Shad-patterned spoons on a fast-troll are working for rainbows to 6 pounds, and the trout are in great shape. Catfish provide another option in the banks around the creek inlets and coves with anchovies or chicken liver. The bass bite continues to be challenging for large fish, but numbers of smaller bass can be taken offshore as they are feeding heavily on the abundant shad. The lake is releasing water, and it dropped to 1,038.95 feet in elevation and 77% of capacity.
Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Alex Niapas, Catching California Guide Service (209) 728-4225; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.
Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Crayne reported crappie are starting to show up around the docks near Trimmer and by the Deer Creek boat launch with Crappie Stingers or similar minijigs or grubs. Bass fishing remains a challenge, but there is a decent jig bite at depths from 35 to 45 once the schools are located. There is a topwater bite in the early mornings with small shad-patterned lures such as Rico Jrs. A few trollers continue to work the lake, but the action has slowed down although a few trout are taken with shad-patterned spoons at depths to 50 feet. King salmon are deeper than 100 feet with large profile plugs scented with gel or an anchovy fillet behind an 8-inch dodger. In the lower Kings, the last plant occurred in mid-August.
The flows at Trimmer are becoming more comfortable for fishing at 307 cfs. The lake is releasing water, and it has receded 10 feet within two weeks to 824.73 feet in elevation and 40%. One club tournament is scheduled in September, none in October, and two in November.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Anthony Lopez of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported striped bass action has been best for school-sized linesides in the main lake with pile worms, blood worms, or jumbo minnows from the banks, particularly around Dinosaur Point.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the heat and heavy algae blooms have not helped the bite for reaction anglers and trollers. “ The fish are holding in the 50-60 foot range but finding active fish in the heat has trollers managing just a few fish per day. Since it’s been so hot this week- I moved my guests forward into the coming forecast cooling period - but I still scouted this week. I’m finding my fish from 35-60’ in the main lake using various silver/ black Shad type lures-. I picked up a nice 20½ pound, 38-inch striper , followed by a hefty 35-inch 18 pounder . I’m having to fish hard for these single bites- then releasing them quickly in the 80 degree water. I’ve been on a big fish tear lately. “ George said.
Grass continues to be a limiting factor in the O’Neill Forebay with the only clear areas around the Highway 152 Bridge or Check 12. Kayakers are working away from the grass in the middle of the lake for schoolie stripers. The main lake and forebay rose to 46% of capacity with increased pumping out of the south Delta while also rose to 86% of capacity. 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 3 Kokanee 0
Quality rainbow trout to 5 pounds continue to be taken on Dick’s Trout Busters in orange or Mountain Tubes in pink/orange tipped with piece of nightcrawler behind a Blue Fin or pink Mountain Dodger were the hottest setup for the season. Despite heavy plants of 50,000 kokanee fry over the past three years, the landlocked salmon did not show again this year. The water level and surface temperature are dropping. Michael Crayne reported a decent topwater bite for bass along with working the bottom with plastics on the drop-shot or a shakey head. A live webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1.
Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
The cooling waters of the high elevation lakes are bringing the rainbows and browns toward the surface, and Edison remains the best of the Kaiser Pass lakes for both bank anglers and trollers. All of the high Sierra lakes are releasing water. Road conditions are available at the High Sierra Ranger Station – 855-5355 or https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra. Fire danger is extreme in the high country. Edison to 64% of capacity, Florence to 46% of capacity, and Mammoth Pool to 24% of capacity.
Road conditions 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Trout 2 Kokanee 2
Shaver Lake has been the traditional final event of Kokanee Power’s summer circuit, and as anticipated, the overall bite was a challenge as the kokanee are well on their spawning journey. And with no kokanee planted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife at the lake in 2023, the lake is dependent upon a healthy spawn.
The team of Brian Thomas and Jack Schultz found enough of the “Big Uglies” to take first at 5.72 pounds with the second big fish at 2.01 pounds. Seven teams weighed in three-fish limits over 5 pounds, but only 33 of the 51 teams were able to weigh in fish with many only having a single kokanee. Bearett Gil repeated with a first place in the Junior Division with a one-fish limit at 1.79 pounds. At Huntington, easy limits of small kokanee are found trolling Dick’s Mountain Hoochies in Doom tipped with corn behind dodgers at depths from 25- to 35-feet. Shaver dropped to 62% with Huntington dropping slightly to 96% of capacity.
Call: Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072;
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 3
Kelly Brewer of the Wishon RV Park and Store reported excellent trout action at Wishon with trollers catching and releasing up to 30 fish at depths from 30- to 50-feet with a variety of spoons, spinners, blade/crawler combinations, or Rapalas. Bank fishing has been excellent as well with Power Bait or inflated nightcrawlers. Wishon is full as Courtright is being drained to allow work on Helms Powerhouse Intake and discharge gates. Access to the reservoir is restricted. Boats are not allowed to launch at Courtright, but fishing access is allowed although it is a long walk to the shoreline.
The Wishon RV Park and Store will close for the season on Oct. 7.
Road conditions – Sierra National Forest Ranger Station 297-0706.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361.
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Albacore 3 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Albacore have been the rage, and there is a stretch of longfins along the Continental Shelf around the Guide, the 601, and Pioneer Canyon for those willing to make the run. Captain Melynda Dodds of the New Captain Pete found great action on her first albacore trip with 21 longfins for a limited load of female anglers. The schools are moving daily, and it is a matter of location in the big ocean. Captain Tom Mattusch was out on a bluefin hunt on Monday on the Que Sera Sera, and they landed one well over 100 pounds at the Pioneer Canyon. The wind is expected to blow this week, and this should keep boats from making the trip offshore.
After Oct. 31, the rockfish season transitions once again to water less than 20 fathoms before finishing off the season during the month of December over 50 fathoms
Call: Captain Melynda Dodds, New Captain Pete (512) 825- 8225; Captain Chris Chang, Ankeny Street (650) 279-8819; Captain Bill Smith, Riptide (650) 728-8433; Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, Queen of Hearts (510) 581-2628.
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 3 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3=
Anthony Lopez of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported solid striped bass action from Marina to Monterey with Duo Realis jerkbaits in 170 or 175 in a variety of color patterns. He added, “Mazumi Sardine or white have been the most desired color pattern, but when we run out of these colors, anglers are buying up anything in stock in these sizes. The striped bass bite has also been strong north of Half Moon Bay to Ocean Beach.”
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service reported, “Serious anglers from the Monterey Bay area have been trailering boats up to Fort Bragg and the southern Oregon area to get in on the stellar bite up there lately as the tuna are as close as five miles from the beach in that region. They are a little further away from our harbors, but we finally have schools of long fin to chase locally. We’ve received some rumor/reports of bluefin tuna in our immediate area as well. Namely, near the “Fingers” canyon complex 12 to 15 miles west of Davenport. The best longfin bite seemed to be about 30 miles out of Half Moon Bay. Many boats counted double digits of albies last weekend before the winds came up and kept most anglers inshore.
Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732
Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay
Halibut 2 Albacore 3 Striper 3 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 2
After a 13-year wait, albacore have come within range of central and northern California ports to provide a much-needed shot in the arm for party boats and bait and tackle shops amidst the second year of the salmon closure. The longfins are moving along the Continental Shelf, and the tuna chasers are running inside and outside along with north or south to keep tract of the albacore. However, the pelagic species are on the move every day, and after the pattern of moving further north, the fish did an about face on Saturday. Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito has put as many as 50 albacore for 10 passengers in the past week, and he said, “It’s great to see the long stretch of tuna from Monterey north along the shelf.” The boats out of San Francisco Bay have a huge advantage with the ability to bring out a tankful of live anchovies, and the most fun you can have on tuna trip is during an extended bait stop fly lining live bait. Captain James Smith of the California Dawn 2 said, “It doesn’t matter if you go north, south, east, or west as you are going to run into a school of albacore. It’s a big vast area both north and south of Pioneer Canyon, and there are scattered schools of albacore for hundreds of miles starting south near the Pioneer Canyon. A 200-pound bluefin was landed outside of the Half Moon Bay Weather Buoy, and this is a good sign that the bluefin might be showing up.”
Call: 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
Rockfishing remains the only game in town with two boats out of Morro Bay Landing taking out 62 passengers on Sunday for a total of 461 fish composed of 216 vermilion, 211 assorted rockfish, and 34 Boccaccio. Out of Virg’s Landing, the Fiesta was out on a three-quarter-day trip on Saturday with 20 anglers for 70 assorted, 6 vermilion, and 4 lingcod. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, one boat was out on Sunday with 35 passengers for 139 assorted rockfish, 4 Bolina, 4 copper, 3 vermilion, and 3 lingcod. Rockfishing below Point Lopez through Sept. 30 is limited to 50 fathoms inshore while from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, the regulations are from 50 fathoms offshore. Webcams of many of the coastal locations are available at https://805webcams.com/.
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 move through the Delta, but with the cooler waters along the western edge of the system, trollers are heading past Collinsville to find smaller linesides to 4 pounds. Captain Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley said, “There have been several small stripers on the Sacramento side, but George Wight found piles of linesides on the San Joaquin side, spooning up 30 fish with 10 being of legal size. There are more fish still to come from the ocean and the bay.” Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors has also been migrating to the western edge near Winter Island for striped bass, and he said, “It’s a matter of learning the tides, and the stripers will move into the shallows from 1 to 3 feet with swimbaits.” Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, reported a good striped bass bite with the 5-inch Optimum Bad Bubba Shad swimbait, the Blackmore Road Runner with a curly-tail, or the ima Big Stick. He said, “There aren’t as many stripers in the central San Joaquin Delta so you have to travel closer to Antioch where the water is cooler. I think the recent hot weather pushed any big fish through to the upper river. There are loads of threadfin shad in the river, and the linesides are feeding on shad. There hasn’t been much bait in Sherman Island, but you can pick a few fish out of there.” Dave King of Nor Cal Bass will be hosting tournaments this coming Saturday and Sunday out of Ladd’s Marina in Stockton, and he found a solid largemouth bite on white spinnerbaits or the River2Sea Whopper Plopper on the east Delta. Big largemouth bass remain scarce, but numbers of smaller bass are abundant.
Oct. 1 is the anticipated day for sturgeon fishing to be reopened within for catch-and-released only, no harvest.
Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain 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
Sept. 14
Roosevelt High School’s Bass Fishing Club Fall Tackle Sale from 7a.m.-3 p.m. at the southwest corner of Huntington Boulevard and 6th Street during the annual Mile-Long Block Sale.
Sept. 14
Holland Riverside Marina in the Delta – Family Fishing Day – Bluegill and Sun Fish Derby – live entertainment, food trucks and vendors.
Tournament results
Sept. 7
Shaver Lake – Kokanee Power Adult Team Tournament (Three Fish Weigh In)
1st –Jack Schultz/Brian Thomas – 5.72 pounds; 2nd – Kevin and Karla Smith – 5.49; 3rd – Mikey and Jen Mullin– 5.32 (Big Fish – 2.38).
Shaver Lake – Kokanee Power Junior Team Tournament (One Fish Weigh In)
1st –Bearett Gil – 1.79 pounds; 2nd – Derek Apuy – 1.61; 3rd – Riley Contreras – 1.56.
Shaver Lake – Kokanee Power Junior Team Tournament Big Trout Side Pot
1st – Justin Ross Team – 2.42 pounds; 2nd – Rod Brown Team – 0.88; 3rd – Mikey Mullin Team – 0.69.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Sept. 14-15
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Bass Fest
Clear Lake – Modesto Ambassadors
Millerton – Bass 101
Sept. 14
Delta/B and W Resort- Valley Backlashers
Isabella – Central Valley Kayak Fishing/American Bass Association
Lopez – San Luis Obispo County Bass Ambushers
Sept. 12
Lake Amador – 17/90 Bass Club
Sept. 15
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kings River Bass Club
Sept. 21-22
Delta/B and W Resort – Fresno Bass Club
Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Sierra Bass Club
Sept. 21
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass Delta Series/Sonora Bass Anglers
New Hogan – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies
New Melones- Bass N’ Tubes
Don Pedro – Christian Bass League
Pine Flat – Golden Empire Bass Club
Santa Margarita – Kern County Bass Masters
Sept. 22
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass Lake Series
Sept. 28-29
New Melones - BABC
Delta/B and W Resort – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Sept. 29
Tulloch – Stanislaus County Employees
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
This story was originally published September 10, 2024 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report, Sept. 11-17: Delta stripers hitting, New Melones kokanee and trout are filling limits and the McSwain trout plants improve action.."