Central California fishing report: New Melones bass and kokanee on exceptional bites
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 bass, stripers and sturgeon hitting, Alan Fong said. Don Pedro king salmon and trout active, Monte Smith reported. Isabella multi species action good, Copes Tackle said. New Melones bass and kokanee on exceptional bites, Kyle Wise said. Millerton spotted bass on a tear, Aaron Vang reported.
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
The northern section of the California Aqueduct continues to garner minimal interest from area anglers due to the continued high and fast flows. Bethany Reservoir has been a solid bet for striped bass, but the remainder of the upper section of the aqueduct is slow. Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported most area anglers are finding better action on the south San Joaquin River and staying away from the aqueduct system with the heavy pumping out of the south Delta. Striperz Gone Wild Annual Memorial Aqueduct Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, May 17 at Volta Road near Los Banos. The entry fee is 10 cans of unexpired food to be donated to residents of Merced County. In the southern section of the aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported anglers flocked to the golf course and other hot spots along the southern aqueduct for a mixture of striped bass ranging from undersized to school-sized keepers with cut baits, live worms, or minnows after the check gates. Flukes or jerkbaits worked better in the mornings and evenings. Catfishing has been excellent for anglers using dip baits, cut sardines, or chicken liver. Largemouth fishing was good with Texas rigs, drop shot, or flukes in the eddies.
Aqueduct anglers are always advised to use caution as well as wearing a PFD as the water is swift, cold, and dangerous.
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; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657.
Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake
Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Aaron Vang of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported the big fish bite has slowed down as a good percentage of the fish are now in post-spawn mode. There is a solid topwater bite as the smaller bass are blowing up on small Spooks or similar lures. An 11-pound largemouth was caught and released on a Senko off a bed. Numbers of smaller fish are possible. Hensley is sporting a spinnerbait or Senko bite along the banks as the bass are either in spawn or post-spawn mode. Carp are thick around the shorelines. Eastman rose over a foot to 553.68 feet in elevation and 65% of capacity with Hensley rising two feet to 504.88 feet in elevation and 48% of capacity. Only one event is scheduled at Eastman through the end of May.
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 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 3 Crappie 2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing continues to roll shad for king salmon and rainbow trout, and they also landed a quality brown trout on shad this week. He said, “The kings were in front of the dam, but the larger kings have moved out from this area. We are working as deep as 75 to 80 feet, and the rainbows are mixed in with the kings. They might be down there for the shad schools, but most of their bellies have been empty.” Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle confirmed the shad bite, saying, “I have been selling bags and bags of small shad for Don Pedro.” The bass are in all phases of the spawn, but most fish are either on beds or moving out in post-spawn mode. 75 teams participated in Saturday’s Angler’s Press Top 75 Western Tour, and the wining weight came in at 18.48 pounds. The lake continues to rise, and largemouth bass are at a disadvantage as their beds become inundated several feet under water with the lake rising. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake rose 3 feet to 809.28 feet in elevation and 87% of capacity. The lake will be very busy with 11 tournaments scheduled through the end of May.
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 3 Crappie 3 Catfish 3 Bluegill 3
The lake rose 2 feet to 2573.03 feet in elevation and 45% of capacity. Cope’s reported excellent fishing for multiple species. The crappie action has been non-stop with live minnows in 5 to 10 feet of water. Anglers are locating the slabs with minijigs in white and chartreuse, black shad, or electric shad, small Keitech swimbaits, Gent Bent Baits or Berkley jigs before following up with the live bait. Bass action took off this week with flipping plastics around the submerged trees or plastics on the drop-shot or jigs on drop off points. Bass have also been chasing swimbaits in less than 5 feet of water. Holdover rainbow trout continue to fall on minijigs, garlic scented Power Bait, GULP! Pinched Crawlers, spoons, or Berkley Mice Tails. Trollers faired well with Berkley’s Flicker Shad crankbaits, Tasmanian Devils, or Needlefish from the surface to 20 feet. In the upper Kern River, Cope’s reported steady trout action due to the regular plants. Riverside Park to Powerhouse #3 remains one of the best sections in the Upper Kern. Along the 20-mile stretch anglers have had success with a mix of stocked, holdover, and wild trout with salmon eggs, minijigs, or spinners while fly anglers have done well with various nymphs and streamers. The upper Kern River was stocked this week in Section 4, Powerhouse #3 to Riverside Park in Kernville, and Section 5, Fairview Dam to Powerhouse #3. In the lower Kern, all three sections were stocked last week and the bite improved for the recently planted trout with salmon eggs, Berkley Pinched Crawlers, Garlic scented Power Bait, or spinners. The smallmouth bass bite improved this past week with soft plastics, jigs, or crankbaits. Catfish can be found with sardines orTriple S Dip Bait. The upper Kern River have dropped from 2025 to 1763 cfs at Kernville while water releases out of the lake rose from 294 to 455 cfs at First Point. Only two bass tournaments are scheduled through the end of May. Trout plants are scheduled at Isabella and at Brite Valley Reservoir in the Tehachapi Mountains this week.
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 rose 10 feet to 683.55 feet in elevation and 67% of capacity. Cope’s reported anglers had to adapt to the rapidly rising water level. The best bet has been wacky rigged weightless Senkos as these plastics pick up fish from the surface to the bottom including the suspended bass. Plastics on the drop-shot or Hula Grubs are also effective. Crappie anglers are scoring with minijigs and minnows after locating schools of fish, but the challenge has been locating the schools from day to day due to the constantly rising water level. There were few reports from catfish anglers. The Kaweah River bumped up from 1466 to 1763 cfs at Three Rivers. Only one bass tournament is scheduled through the end of May. A trout plant is scheduled at Kaweah this week.
Lake Success
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake rose 3½ feet to 641.93 feet in elevation and 73% of capacity. Cope’s reported Bass anglers using finesse techniques of Senkos or Fat Ikas in the submerged trees for fish in the 1- to 2-pound range. Crankbaits fooled bass in 5 to 10 feet of water at first light, and jerkbaits got some grabs with the overcast skies. The crappie bite continued to improve with small live minnows producing the best. There were few reports from catfish anglers last week. Trout plants are scheduled at Balch Park this week.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Finesse techniques remain the story with Senkos or plastics on the drop-shot, shakey head, or Texas-rig at depths from 15 to 18 feet for numbers of spotted bass. Catching fish isn’t a problem, but finding fish of a larger grade is challenging. With a good percentage of bass moving into postspawn, the topwater bite is starting to take off. The Reel Deel Market at Barrett’s Cove is open weekends to May 18; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Sundays. It opens daily on May 24.
The lake rose to 80% of capacity. McClure will also be busy with 8 tournaments are scheduled through the end of May.
Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake McSwain
Trout 2
The plants prior to the April 5-6 derby has anglers grinding it out for up to limits of trout with rainbow glitter Power Bait, garlic Power Bait, Kastmasters, or inflated nightcrawlers from the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, or the peninsula near the marina. Trollers are finding a larger grade of holdover rainbow up the river arm near the Exchequer Dam. The Reel Deal Market at McSwain is open weekends on Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday until Memorial Day Weekend. The lake is at 90% of capacity.
Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 3 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Aaron Vang reported a strong topwater bite with everything else working for up to 50 spotted bass from a half pound up to 4 pounds. With the topwater bite being so strong, everything else is working including, plastics on the shakey head or drop-shot. The lake rose to 550.32 feet in elevation and 76% of capacity. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant have dropped to 638 cfs. Sycamore Island is open every day from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm. A trout plant is scheduled at Sycamore Island Trout Pond this week. No tournaments are scheduled through the end of May.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Boat traffic at New Melones has been limited due to the requirement for a 30-day quarantine before a boat can be launched, but with the early season showing of kokanee to nearly 19 inches, there suddenly may be a run to quarantine boats. Bass fishing has also been outstanding, and with the lack of tournament action, the fish have been able to enjoy a relatively unmolested spawning period. Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service said, “It’s been crazy good for kokanee, and we have landed three big ones so far that have been pushing 19 inches. It’s going to be a spectacular season as the kokanee bite has turned on in the past couple of weeks. We are scoring with pink Wiggle Hoochies behind a gold hammered Paulina Peak dodger at depths from the surface to 40 feet. If you stay out there long enough, the kokanee will come back up to feed by mid-morning. We have also been picking up from 2 to 5 rainbows per trip on kokanee gear, and we aren’t even targeting them. The shad has gone deep, but the trout are there for the taking. However, everyone wants kokanee right now.” For bass, most consistent action remains with Senkos, tubes, or jigs as a good portion of the fish are on the banks. For post-spawn bass, flukes or Keitech swimbaits are working, and the topwater bite is starting to take off. Only the Glory Hole launch ramp is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to obtain a red tag to start a 30-day quarantine period. Boats must be off the water by 4 p.m. to receive a green tag to relaunch without quarantining or decontamination. Bank fishing is allowed. Non-motorized watercraft, such as kayaks and paddleboards, may also be subject to inspection. The lake rose to 1,052.31 feet in elevation and 83% of capacity. Downstream Lake Tulloch has established the 30-day quarantine process to allow boating for inspected boats after the quarantine period is completed.
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 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Aaron Vang reported the bass are starting to chase shad, and plastics on the drop-shot, flukes, topwater lures, or soft jerkbaits are effective for small spotted bass. Crappie have been hit or miss in the grass, but you can catch all the bluegill you want to fill a limit. A trout plant took place in the lake and in Avocado Lake last week. In the lower Kings River, a trout plant took place last week, and spinners such as Roostertails or Panther Martin’s are working around Winton Park. The flows are high at 2988 cfs at Trimmer, and anglers must be very careful and wear a properly functioning life vest in the high flows. 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 rose to 901.84 feet in elevation and 73% of capacity. One bass tournament is scheduled through the end of May. Trout plants are scheduled in the lower Kings and at Pine Flat Reservoir this week.
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
The troll bite is decent with deep-diving crankbaits at depths of 20 feet around the islands near Romero Visitor Center or at the dam. Jumbo minnows remain productive, but the topwater bite has been slow. Big umbrella rigs such as Yumbrella’s or Arigs are working for lure tossers.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the winds and falling water have the fish moving once again. “Trollers are getting a few fish to 24” working the Portuguese Cove area with Shad colored minnow lures like Rapalas or Lucky Crafts at 30 to 70 feet in the algae tinted water. Anglers working the shores with silver Lucky crafts are picking up a few fish in the back of Portuguese Cove . I scouted on Monday with Sonny Johansen of Clovis and we caught over 20 stripers in the 21-25 inch range- with Sonny scoring a fat 10 pounder as well as a beautiful 35-inch, 19 pounder, all released. We worked the main lake for our fish. The bite has not been easy- especially with all the wind and up and down temps,“ George said.
The forebay continues to kick out numbers of stripers from less than the legal 18-inch size to 19 inches. The main lake dropped slightly to 88% of capacity with the forebay also dropping to 76% 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 recently 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
Captain Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing reported trout trolling has slowed to a crawl due to the storms and the full moon, adding, “I think it’s going to take a while before they start biting again, but they’re out there. The best fishing is from the Dam to the Forks Resort from the top to 14 feet using orange Apex lures, Orange squids, or Dicks Trout busters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler or pink maggots behind Dicks Mountain Dodgers in gold, blue, or silver. No kokanee yet, but I expect it to be a good year.” Aaron Vang of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported bass are on their beds in the 62/63-degree water, particularly near the docks. Plastics on a shakey head or Brush Hogs are working. The Sierra Bass Club tournament on Saturday produced impressive winning weights with the team of Ron Orbaker and Ryder Hunt weighing in a 20.80-pound five-fish limit. A live webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1. The annual Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Fishing Derby is May 3/4th with $55,000 in tagged fish released into the lake. Information available via https://www.basslakechamber.com/fishing-derby. A trout plant is scheduled this week.
Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133.
Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Kaiser Pass Road is closed to vehicle traffic with only snowmobile access available. Edison rose to 31% of capacity, Florence rose to 20% of capacity, and Mammoth Pool also rose to 82% of capacity with snowmelt starting to pick up steam.
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
Good weather conditions arrived at the lake over the weekend, but prior to the recent stormy weather, David Geil and his son Owen of Sanger trolled several locations before picking up fish from the island to Black Rock and the mouth of Boy Scout Cove with Dick’s Mountain Hoochies in Doom or pink tipped with corn behind Dick’s Mountain Dodgers in D-MAC or Sunrise. On the side poles, they were using Dick’s Texas Tea Trout Buster’s behind Mountain Flashers at a 75-foot set back. In these areas, they reported great activity on second-year kokanee to 12 inches, catching and releasing several limits along with trout to 16 inches. Shaver guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters was out with Dave McGlothin of Clovis Saturday, and they couldn’t keep the 12-inch second- year kokanee off their lines working from the Boy Scout Cove and down the shoreline of the Fishermen’s Club.
In all, they had 40 hookups and caught and released 20 kokanee, mostly 10 to 12 inches, using Dick’s Mountain pink Tube’s and Doom Dick’s Mountain Hoochies tipped with corn behind D-Mac and Doc Barb Mountain Dodgers at depths to 20 feet. Tyler Powell, general manager of the Shaver Marina, said they were open to full business with merchandise and rentals. In releasing the second-year kokanee, it’s recommended that you keep the fish in the water and gently shake them off. They are fragile at this stage, and they are your third-year fish next year. Both ramps are open. Check the Sierra Marina webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. Huntington is thawing out, and bank fishing should be picking up soon at the mouth of Rancheria Creek. Shaver rose to 76% of capacity with Huntington also rising to 46% of capacity with snowmelt flowing down the inlets. A trout plant is scheduled at Shaver this week.
Call: Paul Brown 300-4001; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072; Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100.
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 0
McKinley Grove Road is closed, limiting access to both reservoirs. McKinley Grove Road will remain closed until the regularly scheduled reopening May 1, depending upon weather. A trout plant is scheduled in Dinkey Creek this week.
Road conditions – Sierra National Forest Ranger Station 297-0706.
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
The Pacific Fisheries Management Council recommended a very restricted 2025 recreational ocean salmon season in California waters in the Klamath Management Zone, Fort Bragg, San Francisco, and Monterey regions until a quota is reached. Even before the alternatives were announced, anglers were clamoring to get on their favorite party boat, and the spots are filling up quickly from Monterey north to Crescent City. The 2025 recreational ocean salmon season dates for the California coast are:
For ocean waters between the Oregon/California state line and the U.S/Mexico border, the season will open June 7-8, with a 7,000 Chinook summer harvest guideline. If the limit is not attained in those two days, the fishery will open again July 5-6. Additional dates are available in late July and August for use until the summer harvest guideline is attained.
For ocean waters between Point Reyes and Point Sur (portions of the San Francisco and Monterey subareas), the fall fishing season will open Sept. 4-7, with a 7,500 Chinook fall harvest guideline. If this guideline is not attained, the fishery will reopen Sept. 29-30. Additional days are available in October between Point Reyes to Pigeon Point if any of the fall harvest guideline remains.
The seasons will be confirmed when National Marine Fisheries Service will take regulatory action to enact the fishing alternative in mid-May. Until the shallow water rockfish season opens on May 1, the Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing has been the one large party boat heading to deep water for limits of quality rockfish. When the nearshore rockfish season opens until Sept. 30, there will be more private and party boats operating. The two-day salmon openers in June and July are filling up fast on the local party boats, and this harbor expects a crowd to arrive on June 7. 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 2 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “Charter operations and private boaters enjoyed decent conditions this week all along the Monterey Bay. Deep water rock fishing has been the name of the game this month. A steady increasing legal bycatch of Petrale sole has been notable as well. Tuesday while fishing the deep, skipper Rodney Armstrong at Santa Cruz Coastal Charters noted, “Today rock fish was very slow all the fish are plugged with krill. But the sole did not disappoint. In my opinion the Petrale sole are one of the best eating in our area.”
On Thursday, May 1 rock fishing will open for nearshore angling, while closing in the deep. Fishing from the 20-fathom line (120 FOW) to the beach will be open for the most common, and quite delicious seafood prey in the bay. This makes available more convenient areas for saltwater fishing, especially for more vulnerable craft like kayaks and small skiffs.
Capitola Boat and Bait and their sister store Santa Cruz Boat Rental are ready to start renting skiffs from the respective municipal wharves in Capitola and Santa Cruz. The timing ties in nicely with a current influx of California halibut, moving now to summertime shallows for feeding and spawning. We are already seeing a few catches of the big flatfish here and there most notably near the Santa Cruz Mile Buoy and the SC3 Buoy near Capitola, as well as the “Hotel” area in Monterey and the sand flats of nearby Del Monte Beach by the Monterey Harbor. Halibut were reported caught this week by anglers drifting live bait or bounce-ball trolling in flat sandy areas from 40-80 feet of water. Though shallow water rockfish is currently closed inside of the 300-foot line, it’s perfectly legal to fish for halibut in these shallow areas year-round.
Be sure to release any rockfish, cabezons, greenlings or lingcod you might pick up while fishing for the flatties. Every vessel is required by the DFW to carry (and hopefully utilize) a descending device for unintentional bycatch rockfish. Limber up those long spinning rods. We have some good surf fishing coming our way.
Winter storms have passed now, leaving fantastic structure along most beaches lining our beautiful bay. We will likely see a few big swells again, but not the incessant high wave energy that occurred last winter.
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 Sturgeon 2
Deep water rockfish season ends on April 30, but when the weather cooperates, limits of big Boccaccio, canary, and vermilion are the rule along with a healthy ling cod con from the North Farallon Island to Rittenburg Bank. Party boats are filling up for the June 7-8 salmon opener, and many boats are already full for the June and July salmon dates. Nearshore rockfish season opens less 20 fathoms from May 1 through Sept. 30, and there will be more interest in rockfishing along the Marin coastline.
Captain Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sport Fishing took the 23-mile ride out to Rittenburg Bank in good ocean conditions over the weekend for limits of big sacks of rockfish along with limits to near limits of ling cod to 17 pounds. Live bait arrived early this season at the San Francisco bait receiver, and although the anchovies range from three to four inches, live bait is a welcome sight for private anglers and party boat passengers. One very encouraging sign has been the number of undersized halibut ranging from 8 to 21½ inches inside the bay. Many of these smaller halibut will grow past the legal 22-inch size limit within the summer months.
The key is to release them as safely as possible to allow them to grow. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Berkeley Marina opted to troll for halibut with frozen anchovies instead of drifting the smaller bait, and he put his clients onto 5 limits of halibut plus a couple of striped bass working the south bay with the fleet.
He said, “we also released several small halibut.” Captain James Smith of the California Dawn Sport Fishing out of Berkeley fished the live bait on Friday through Sunday, and their combined two boats came in with over a halibut per rod at 82 flatfish to 21 pounds and 25 striped bass to 10 pounds for 81 passengers over the three days. They released up to 100 short halibut on a single trip working the south bay. Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco started out at Angel Island with live bait for 9 striped bass before joining the 150-boat fleet working the south bay from the Cow Palace to Sierra Point for a handful of halibut on a ½-day trip on Sunday. He said, “All the bait is down there, and there is a large school of striped bass in the south bay as well, but they are biting selectively. They will start biting soon enough, and there were birds working near Candlestick Point late in the morning, and around 20 of the boats ran down there.”
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
The rockfish season is open at all depths from April 1 through June 30, boats from all three San Luis Obispo County ports were out over the weekend. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing at Port San Luis, one boat took out 19 anglers on Sunday for 103 assorted rockfish, 18 Boccaccio, 2 vermilion, 2 copper, and a 5-pound ling cod. Morro Bay Landing had two boats out on Monday with a combined 27 passengers for 90 assorted rockfish, 54 vermilion, 54 Boccaccio, 10 Bolina, and seven ling cod. Out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay, the Black Pearl was out on Monday with 25 passengers for limits of rockfish consisting of 225 assorted rockfish, 25 vermilion to 6 pounds, and three ling cod to six pounds.
Call: Virg’s Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing.
Others
Delta/Stockton
Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
Striped bass action on the San Joaquin side of the Delta remains outstanding for those trolling or casting while the normally- loaded Sacramento side remains inconsistent at best. Captain Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley said, “We have been smacking them the past few days, and the females have been moving in. We had 119 fish on Sunday before 10 am to best the 101 before noon on Saturday. We have got into a solid spoon bite on the San Joaquin, and the grade of fish has been amazing with a number in the 8- to 10-pound range. Normally, the spoons produce a smaller grade of stripers, but I haven’t seen a spoon bite like this for years. My fingers and thumb are raw from releasing fish, and we have switched our spoons over to a single Siwash hook to allow for an easy release. I like to go as light as possible with spoons at 1½ ounces using braided line with a 25-pound mono leader to allow for some stretch, but I will go as high as 2 ounces to allow clients to feel the bottom.”
Chris Ditter of Head Rush Guide Service has been alternating between his operation in north Lake Tahoe and the California Delta, and he said, “We are limiting out every day running either deep- or shallow-diving Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows on the San Joaquin from the mouth of the Mokelumne downstream to the Antioch Bridge. The best action has either been on the incoming tide or the bottom of the outgo, and the average size of the stripers has been from 7 to 10 pounds. We have also lost some nice ones as well. I don’t put has much emphasis on tides as you can always go into the shallows regardless of the tides, and the fish will be in there. It is a matter of grinding away until you find biting fish, but the action has been great. I have been staying on the San Joaquin despite the boat traffic as this has been an unusual year on the Sacramento side. It has been very inconsistent along the West Bank from Rio Vista to Collinsville.”
Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors has been plugging away in the shallows of the north Delta with a 6-inch prototype swimbait in hitch pattern from Balizy Baits, catching and releasing over 30 linesides on a single lure. He said, “I only had one, and it is a bit beat up with tooth marks, but it’s still working, releasing stripers up to 20 pounds on the lure. It really lit up the linesides. Boaters anchoring with sardines in the main river around Garcia Bend are also catching stripers.”
Soon the massive school in the upper Sacramento River north of Colusa will be heading back to the cooler waters of San Francisco Bay, and Delta anglers will be able to enjoy fishing still moving to the spawning grounds and hungry downstreamers.
Sturgeon continue to be a big story on the Sacramento side of the Delta with the Department of Fish and Wildlife utilizing party boat captains to tag and capture sturgeon via hook and line or by long-lining. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing has already tagged over 100 sturgeon during the month of April, and he will continue to run catch-and-release trips depending upon interest. The troll bite has been inconsistent along the West Bank for striped bass, and most trollers are focusing upon the San Joaquin River. Stripers can be found on sardines in the main Sacramento River from Clarksburg to Garcia Bend while casting 6-inch swimbaits is producing stripers to 20 pounds inside Liberty Island and in Cache Slough. Striped bass should start to return from upriver soon, and they will be hungry.
For largemouth bass, Dave King, director for Saturday’s 47-boat Nor Call Bass tournament out of Ladd’s Marina in Stockton, said, “The bass are in the shallows, and they are loading up on crawdads. It has been a Senko bite, and watermelon redflake has been the hot color. The bass are either on beds or still searching so the spawning period will be extended for some time.”
In the south San Joaquin River around Lathrop, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle reported a vastly improved striped bass bite with pile worms, blood worms, or live minnows.
“Boaters are either trolling or drifting minnows in our section of the river, and limits of stripers have been common. We are selling out of live bait within two days of our delivery on Wednesdays, and by Friday afternoon, the bait is all gone,” he said.
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
May 17
Striperz Gone Wild Annual Memorial Aqueduct Tournament at Volta Road near Los Banos. The entry fee is 10 cans of unexpired food to be donated to residents of Merced County.
Tournament results
April 19
Delta/Ladd Marina – Nor Cal Bass
1st – Lorenzo/Luca Rossetti – 25.48 pounds (Big Fish – 9.49); 2nd – Nate Couchman/Jonathan Whitesitt– 22.26; 3rd –Gil Moody/Mike Romaur – 20.13.
Don Pedro- Angler’s Press Top 75 Western Pro Tour
1st – Dan and Matt Abella – 18.48; 2nd – Mark Blanton/Pete Culuzzo – 16.99; 3rd – Matt Frazier/Anthony Souza – 16.91.
Bass Lake – Sierra Bass Club
1st – Ron Orbaker/Ryder Hunt – 20.80 pounds; 2nd – Tim Chase/Nathan Jones– 19.35; 3rd – John Krum– 16.72. Big Fish – 6.83 pounds – Jim Lozano.
Pine Flat – Central Valley Kayak Fishing
1st - Angel Sanchez; 2nd - John Myers; 3rd – Damian Thao.
Lopez Lake – Best Bass Tournaments Coastal Division
1st – Casey and Jaren Langley– 25.80 pounds; 2nd – Troy Fernandez/Tyler Day – 25.54; 3rd – Austin McMillin/Gavin Kwasny – 22.72.
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
April 26-27
Don Pedro – Bakersfield Bass Club
Santa Margarita – Golden Empire Bass Club
April 26
Delta/B and W Marina – Central Valley Anglers Striper Derby
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – 17/90 Bass Club
McClure – MCFFA Local 1289
Bass Lake – Kerman Bass Club
April 27
Bass Lake – Kings River Bass Club
May 3-4
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Angler’s Press
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
Bass Lake – Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby
May 3
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Christian Bass League
Hume Lake – Hume Lake Christian Camp
San Antonio – American Bass Association
May 4
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association
May 9-10
Delta/Russo’s Marina – The Bass Hole Inc.
May 9
Don Pedro – Tulloch Friday Nights
May 10
Delta/ San Joaquin County – California Bass Federation
May 16
Don Pedro – Stanislaus County Sheriff
May 17-18
Don Pedro – Sierra Bass Club/Valley Backlashers
Nacimiento – C.A. B.A.S.S. Nation
May 17
Delta/Big Break Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
McClure – Bass Anglers of Northern California/Kerman Bass Club
Bass Lake – Bass 101
Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments/Bakersfield Bass Club
Isabella – American Bass Association
San Antonio – Best Bass Tournaments
Santa Margarita- Kern County Bassmasters
Lopez – Golden Empire Bass Club
May 18
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association
Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation
Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club/Kings VIII Bass Club
McClure – Best Bass Tournaments
May 24
Delta/San Joaquin County – Yak A Bass
Pardee – Angler’s Press Outdoors
New Hogan – 17/90 Bass Club
Santa Margarita – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
May 25
Delta/Big Break Marina – California Bass Federation
May 30 – June 1
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Bass Angler Inc.
May 31-June 1
Don Pedro – Modesto Ambassadors
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: New Melones bass and kokanee on exceptional bites."