Central California fishing report: Monstrous brown trout caught at Shaver Lake
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
Shaver kicks out a monstrous 24.48 pound brown for Steve Jones and the Kokanee action is good, Dick Nichols said. Delta sturgeon, stripers and bass bites continue, Alan Fong reported. New Melones Kokanee fishing tremendous, Kyle Wise reported. Don Pedro trout Kokanee king salmon and bass hitting, Monte Smith reported. Kaweah and Success bass active, Copes Tackle said. Pine Flat king salmon and trout on the prowl, Brian Klassen 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
Wind gusts of 40 mph greeted participants during Striperz Gone Wild Annual Memorial Aqueduct Tournament on Saturday, May 17,, but they still managed to collect over 1,200 cans of food to be delivered to Merced County Food Bank. Fishing was tough for their 99 entrants, and only six fish were weighed in after the award ceremony was moved from Volta Road to Creek Road due to the approaching Nella grass fire that closed Interstate 5 for some time. The wind raised whitecaps on the aqueduct, and all six fish came on bait. Despite the high winds and the relocation of the awards ceremony, Striperz Gone Wild distributed rod and reel combinations, tackle boxes, and lures to youth participants along with many raffle prizes for adults. Their next event is the 5-Year Celebration on Oct. 11. Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported continued slow fishing in the northern section of the aqueduct as heavy current requires five-to six-6 ounces of lead to stay on bottom. Local anglers are opting for better conditions on the south San Joaquin River. In the southern section of the aqueduct, Cope’s Rod and Tackle in Bakersfield reported The California Aqueduct bite was solid last week from San Luis Reservoir to Bakersfield. Small striped bass were the rule with cut sardines, anchovies, or jumbo minnows along with paddle-tailed swimbaits, flukes, or jerkbaits in white or baitfish patterns. Lures are working best in low light conditions. Largemouth bass are taken on RoboWorms in watermelon black flake, brown, or salt-and-pepper on a drop-shot or Texas-rig while small swimbaits, PoPr’s or Berkley’s Flicker Shad were also effective. Whiskerfish seem to prefer fresh shrimp, Triple S Dip Bait, or cut baits, especially below the check gates.
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 3 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
Tas Moua of 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle reported a solid largemouth bass bite with reaction baits in the shallows in the mornings before moving out to the rockpiles at 25 to 30 feet with finesse techniques of 6½-inch Trick Worms on the drop-shot for bass in the 2- to 3-pound range. At Hensley, small crappie or bluegill is the story. Carp are thick around the shorelines in both lakes. Eastman dropped to 551.44 feet in elevation and 63% of capacity with Hensley dropping to 501.92 feet in elevation and 45% of capacity. Only two events are scheduled at Eastman through the end of June.
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 3 Trout 3 Kokanee 3 King salmon 3 Crappie 2
For trollers, king salmon and rainbow trout remain the story, but kokanee are starting to show up in numbers. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing continues to roll shad for kings along with pulling out his kokanee gear was the fish have started to separate in the water column. Smith found good fishing on Friday with 15 fish consisting of kings, rainbows, and kokanee. The king salmon are found from 50 t0 90 feet with the rainbows from 40 to 50 feet. The bass are in post-spawn, and they are thin, but feeding heavily. Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle reported a solid topwater bite in the mornings or evenings with the most consistent action on Senkos or plastics on the drop-shot. The Fresno Bass Club held at tournament on Sunday, and Bill Kunz reported the bass are skinny, in post-spawn mode. Launch ramp updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake rose to 817.06 feet in elevation, and the Blue Oaks may be closed temporarily without notice due to rising water. The lake will be very busy with seven tournaments scheduled through the end of June.
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 nearly two feet to 2,582.07 feet in elevation and 58% of capacity. Cope’s reported the last week’s trout stocking from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife led to limits for bank anglers with Berkley’s Mice Tails, garlic scented Power Bait, spinners, trout worms or GULP! Pinched Crawlers. Trollers continue to score with Needlefish, Tasmanian Devil’s, or Berkley’s Flick Shad on lead core. The crappie bite is best later in the day, and the slabs are still relatively shallow. The key is being versatile and moving around to find the correct structure with biting fish with most of the fish being reported are coming in 5 to 15 feet of water on minijigs or live minnows. Small fire tiger patterned crankbaits are also effective. Bass are being found all over the lake at depths from 2 to 20 feet with plastics on a shakey head spinnerbaits, or Senkos, Catfish are taken with cut bait, Triple S Dip Bait, or shrimp.
In the upper Kern River, Cope’s reported trout plants are scheduled in three sections this week: Section 4, Powerhouse #3 to Riverside Park in Kernville; Section 5, Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge, and Section 6, Fairview Dam to Johnsondale Bridge. The flows are ideal, and trout fishing has been very good throughout the 20-Mile stretch throughout the easily accessed points or deep pools with spinners, trout worms, or salmon eggs. Fly anglers have had steady action with attractor nymphs and streamers in the usual spots.
In the lower Kern, trout action has been very good in the canyon with salmon eggs, Gulp! Pinched Crawlers, chartreuse garlic Power Bait, or spinners. The lower Kern bass action is solid on soft plastics, jigs, or crankbaits while catfish can be found with cut baits, nightcrawlers, or Triple S Dip Bait.
The flows in the upper Kern River have dropped from 2465 to 2065 cfs at Kernville while water releases out of the lake are steady at 768 cfs at First Point. Three bass tournaments are scheduled during the month of June.
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 3 Crappie 2 Trout 0 Catfish 3
The lake rose over 6 feet to 706.76 feet in elevation and 91% of capacity. Cope’s reported water temperatures were ideal for spring bass action as largemouth and spotted bass were hitting small jigs, shaky heads, Senkos, and Carolina rigs along rocky shorelines, bluff walls, and in the backs of coves at depths from 5 and 25 feet. On windy days, jerkbaits or crankbaits have been effective. Crappie anglers had success with small live minnows around the Slide Rock area, and catfish were biting on chicken liver or dip baits near the marina. The Kaweah River dropped from 1400 to 1011 cfs at Three Rivers as snow melt is slowing down. A single bass tournament is scheduled through the end of June.
Lake Success
Bass 3 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2
The lake rose 1½ feet to 650.52 feet in elevation and 96% of capacity. Cope’s reported
water temperatures are in the mid-sixties and ideal for spring fishing. Bass anglers experienced a solid post-spawn bite, with many fish transitioning to deeper water while smaller males are hitting Senkos, Carolina-rigged lizards, or Roboworms in brown, green, and purple hues. Shallow water produced plenty of smaller males while targeting the 15-foot zone with jigs and deep-diving crankbaits yielded fewer but larger females. Crappie fishing was productive in the North Fork near the Tule River inlet, where fish held over submerged trees and brush with small live minnows or minijigs. Catfish anglers found success near the marina using Carolina rigs baited with live worms, cut mackerel, or dip baits. Trout plants are scheduled at Hedrick Pond, Freeman Creek, Balch Park Upper, Big Meadows Creek, Dry Meadow Creek, and Stony Creek this week.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2
Aaron Jones of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto said, “Fewer bass anglers are heading to McClure, opting for the larger fish at Don Pedro or New Melones.” The bass have suspended in post-spawn mode with topwater lures in lowlight continues along with plastics on the drop-shot or Senkos on a wacky-rig. Suspended fish are holding on bluff walls or in the backs of coves. The Reel Deel Market at Barrett’s Cove will open for the summer hours on May 24. The lake rose to 851.72 feet in elevation and 90% of capacity. Tournament action has slowed down with only 4 tournaments scheduled through the end of June.
Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
Lake McSwain
Trout 2
Trollers have the upper hand as holdover rainbows have move into the river arm. Rapalas, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler, or spoons at depths from the surface to 15 feet have been effective for a few quality holdovers per rod. Bank fishing has slowed with the lack of plants over the past several weeks. The Reel Deal Market at McSwain opens for summer hours on Memorial Day Weekend. The lake rose to 80% of capacity. The lake will soon turn into a summer waterpark with the Splash and Dash opening on Saturday, May 24. Information: https://mysplashndash.com/knowbeforeyougo/#hours.
Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.
Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass 3 Striped bass 1 Shad 2 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2
Tas Moau reported action has been good for small spotted bass as the fish are chasing bait throughout the reservoir. He said, “There are more bait fish in Millerton than at Pine Flat.” Most boaters are heading to Pine Flat or Eastman with anglers focusing on shore fishing at Millerton. There is a good spinnerbait bite along with topwater lures and other reaction baits. American shad are making a push into the upper reservoir for their run. up. The lake rose to 563.52 feet in elevation and 87% of capacity. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are steady at 550 cfs. Sycamore Island is open every day from 6 a.m. to 5:30 pm. Only one bass tournament is scheduled through the end of June.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3
Kokanee action remains tremendous with the best quality in open water as Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service continues to load up with kokanee to just under 19 inches running pink or orange spinners behind an orange jumbo dodger at depths from 40 to 60 feet. Wise has been limiting out in short order every day, even on Saturday when high winds forced them to work the more protected waters near the Spillway. Aaron Jones said, “The bass are either in post-spawn or spawning, and the post-spawn fish are holding out deeper, biting moving baits. “There are changes to launch ramp availability at New Melones with both the Glory Hole and Tuttletown ramps will open from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting May 16. The Tuttletown ramp will remain closed from Monday through Thursday, but the Glory Hole ramp will be open their normal hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. A decontamination unit will be available at the New Melones Marina on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting May 20. Boaters are advised to schedule a decontamination via https://musseldecon.com/ with a deposit of $60. Costs will vary from a minimum of $60 up depending upon the size and complexity of the vessel. Downstream Lake Tulloch has established the 30-day quarantine process to allow boating for inspected boats after the quarantine period is completed, and the first day the lake will be open for quarantined boats was May 16.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 3 Kokanee 0 King salmon 3 Catfish 3 Crappie 2
Tas Moau reported a slowdown in the bass action with the water rising pushing the fish off the shorelines. He had found good action the previous week but was only able to land a few small fish on plastics on the drop-shot. The fluctuating weather has been another factor. Brian Klassen of Reedley reported the best overall fishing action all year as he trolled on Saturday with his brother Evan, son Joel and friends Craig Gonzalez of Lemoore and Joe Flores of Tulare, and he said, “We absolutely hammered the rainbows with full limits ranging 12 to 14 inches with a few pushing 16 inches at depths from 25 to 35 feet in Windy Gap or the Zebe Creek Area. We picked up two kings at 20 inches rolling shad behind a dodger at 50 feet on the downrigger, and I lost the biggest king I’ve ever had on at Pineflat, well north of 24 inches as it became wrapped on the downrigger cable. Rainbows were caught on blade/’crawler combinations, going through two tubs of nightcrawlers. We stayed the night at Zebe Creek Cove and picked up 10 catfish with 3 of the whisker fish pushing north of 3 pounds by soaking shad.
“On Sunday we fished the same areas without my son, and we found even better action for four limits within a couple hours, managing two more kings rolling shad. It was fast and furious action all weekend. We targeted rainbows all weekend, but I think if we fished deeper we could have had more kings.” Dan Weaver, his wife, and son-in-law of Clovis found similar action on Saturday with blade/’crawler combinations or Speedy Shiners, and they found 33 feet to be the magic depth in the Windy Gap area. They fished windy gap area as well! In the lower Kings River, the flows remain high, and waders or kayakers need to use caution. The flows rose slightly to 3658 cfs at Trimmer, and anglers must be very careful and wear a properly functioning life vest in the high flows. Spinners such as Roostertails or Panther Martin’s are working around Winton Park. 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 919.82 feet in elevation and 82% of capacity. No tournaments are scheduled through the end of June. A trout plant is scheduled in the lower Kings 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
Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported trollers are scoring with large Duo Realis jerkbaits or Lucky Craft 120’s or 128’s along with 1-ounce Rat-L-Traps in the main lake. He said, “There haven’t been many spooning, but tossing smaller castable umbrella rigs are effective as the stripers are schooling up.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the winds, fading full moon and dropping water have slowed the fishing – when the lake is open. “ The milting males are in full swing as the spawn is underway right now. The water is going down over a foot a day and is now nearly 30’ lower than a month ago- around 1,450,000 acre feet . It would be good to see some lake stability and we’re not sure why they are letting out so much water this early. We hope for the bite to rebound this week, although the May winds are still blowing.” George said.
In the O’Neill Forebay, small undersized stripers are the story, but bass fishing remains solid with chatterbaits. The main lake dropped to 73% of capacity with the forebay rising to 77% 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
Trout trolling has slowed down, perhaps due to the weather or the heavy pressure from the recent Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce Fishing Derby along with fluctuating weather. The trout are still feeding on the massive amounts of insects on the surface. There are plenty of planted trout along with some trophies from the pre-derby plants in the lake, and the bite should pick up week. A trout plant scheduled this week should help. Kokanee remain scarce, if not in existence. For bass, Tas Moua said, “This has been a strange year as the inconsistent weather has affected the bite. Normally, I would be finding a solid reaction bite.” 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
Kaiser Pass Road is closed to vehicle traffic with only snowmobile access available. Edison rose to 46% of capacity, Florence rose to 42% of capacity, and Mammoth Pool rising to 98% of capacity due to snowmelt. 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 3
The big news at Shaver Lake is the 24.48-pound brown trout landed by Steve Jones of Clovis trolling a pink hoochie behind a 6-inch dodger while targeting kokanee. The fish succumbed after a 30-minute fight, and this is the third large brown trout landed in the past few weeks.
Captain Paul Brown of ‘Fishing with Paul’ Guide Service took out Adam Parish, Matthew Krakenberg, Shane Calamba, and Micheal Bungubung from the Gilroy area, and they experienced over 40 hookups with 15 making it to the net. All fish were found between 18 and 32 feet with pink Dick’s Tubes behind a Mountain Dodger. Shaver Lake Captain Emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Mountain Tackle reported fishing three days this week for great action.
He said, “On Wednesday, I took out Dave McGlothin of Clovis and Jim Allen of Coalinga, and we immediately jumped on the 2nd-year kokanee with 25 kokanee and one trout released on 40 hookups. On Friday and Saturday, I fished with a former Shaver resident, currently from Arroyo Grande, and Friday was an unbelievable day of 60 hookups and 29 releases. On Saturday, the weather turned cold and windy with fog covering the lake briefly during the mid-morning. We still managed 37 hookups and released all 19 kokaneee. It is very difficult to keep the second-year kokanee which run from 10 to 12 inches on the hook. They easily get away. All three days, we fished at 22 to 27 feet deep with Dick’s Mountain pink Tube’s or Doom Mountain Hoochies all behind Dick’s D-MAC Mountain Dodgers on the downriggers along with green/orange Stevenson Trout Busters behind weighted Mountain Flashers on the side poles.A reminder to release the 2nd year kokanee if possible, as they are our 3rd year fish next year.” Both ramps are open. Check the Sierra Marina webcam at http://www.sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html for conditions. At Huntington, bank fishing should be picking up soon at the mouth of Rancheria Creek. Shaver held at 77 with Huntington also rising to 93% of capacity with snowmelt flowing down the inlets. A trout plant is scheduled at Huntington this week. 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 held at 78 with Huntington also rising to 79% of capacity with snowmelt flowing down the inlets.
Call: Paul Brown 300-4001; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072; Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100;
Wishon/Courtright
Trout 2
Kelly Brewer of the Wishon RV Park and Store reported Wishon is now accessible, and the store and RV park are now open. The water level at Wishon is low, but boats can be launched. The trout action has been slow, but it should improve with scheduled plants. Courtright remains closed. A trout plant is scheduled at Wishon this week along with Dinkey Creek and Hume Lake.
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 winds kept the party and private boats tied to the docks, but when the conditions cooperate, Shallow water rockfishing is open until Sept. 30. This port will be a hot spot for the first of the two-day openers on June 7/8, and spots have been filling up fast on the party boats and six-packs. The recreational quota for the early season is 7,000 salmon, and the quota may be reached within two days. 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 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch
Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surf Casting Guide Service said,the ocean water temperature is averaging between three and four degrees warmer than usual throughout the Monterey Bay. This is great news for anglers as summertime conditions typically foster the maximum opportunity for fishing a wide variety of ‘normal’ species in our area. Warmer water can also provide for some unusual catches, such as the big calico bass caught by Erik Andreassen on Tuesday. He caught and released the hefty calico while fishing the West Cliff area of Santa Cruz near Lighthouse Point. While calicos are not super unusual for Monterey Bay, they usually show up towards the end of summer and usually in the southern portion of the bay, especially the protected inside corner near Cannery Row. Calicos are a blast to catch. They fight very hard and are usually caught by SoCal anglers throwing swimbaits or using live bait in and around kelp beds on rocky shores. They are ready biters and will hit on trolled spoons or Hair Raisers in the stretches between kelp bed edges. Andreassen was pursuing rockfish when he pulled in his first “exotic” of the year. Bread and butter fishing along inshore waters mainly consists of rock cod right now. Boats are doing well, though the late mornings and afternoons have been too windy to fish.
An early start is important. The big charter boats are reporting limits or near limits. The New Horizon from J&M Sportfishing in Monterey had 73 rockfish and two lings for nine anglers on Saturday’s trip. Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching, just down the Wharf, reported 21 limits of rockies and nine lings for 21 anglers on Friday.
In Santa Cruz, Stagnaro’s Sportfishing maintained half to three-quarter limits for their nearshore rockfish trips this week. Six pack operator Santa Cruz Coastal Fishing got as much fishing in as possible before the winds came up early in the week.
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 3 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2 Crab 0
High winds throughout northern California on Saturday capped off a week of tough fishing with big tides and muddy water during the week. However, by Sunday, the heavy gusts backed off, and the striped bass were back on the bite. This week’s smaller tides will give us a better idea of the volume of halibut in the bay, but the party and private boats are scratching out a few flatfish in various locations in the south and central bay.
Captain James Smith of the California Dawn 2 out of Berkeley posted an outstanding score on Sunday with 20 limits of striped bass to a whopping 36 pounds along with 11 halibut to 15 pounds while the California Dawn 1 concentrated on halibut for 15 flatfish to 15 pounds and 3 striped bass for 16 passengers. Smith said, “The winds subsided today, and the fish were hungry. We got a promising showing of halibut and up to limits of bass as well. The upcoming tides are good.” The Happy Hooker out of Berkeley also found improved halibut action with 12 flatfish and 15 striped bass for 15 anglers.
Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco was out on half-day trips on Saturday and Sunday, and he said, “The bass are back on the bite, and we came in with 9 limits of stripers with several in the 8- to 10-pound range. We chummed them up on the wind on Saturday afternoon, and they were active on Sunday at South Hampton Shoals.”
In the heavy gusts on Saturday, the scores ranged from a fish per rod to limits, and during the previous week, catching fish was a struggle with dirty water throughout the bay from the wind and minus tides. Unless the California halibut make a major showing in the coming months, anglers will have to settle for quality striped bass and the opportunity for a large halibut. The volume of fish seems to be down, but the size of the halibut is encouraging.
In the ocean, few boats have been heading out target nearshore rockfish, but Captain Jon Yokomizo of the Sea Wolf out of Emeryville braved the wind, chop, and cold on Saturday to load up with 19 limits of rockfish and 20 lingcod along the Marin County coast.
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
Out of Morro Bay Landing, three boats were out on Sunday with a combined 61 anglers for 290 assorted rockfish, 87 vermilion, 45 Boccaccio, 12 copper, two Petrale Sole, a cabezon, and five lingcod to 10 pounds. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, 19 anglers were out on Sunday for 100 assorted rockfish, a copper, and three lingcod to 8 pounds. Out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay, the Rita G scored limits of rockfish including sub-limits of vermilion on a pre-weekend trip. The rockfish season is open at all depths through June 30.
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
The California Delta is still loaded with striped bass making their way towards San Francisco Bay from the upper river or even those moving in from the bay for a late spawn. Although few boats are targeting sturgeon, they remain a major story.
Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing continues to find great action for multiple hook ups working out of Pittsburg soaking cured salmon roe. Several sturgeon captains have either been tagging sturgeon with Passive Indicator Transponder (PIT) tags or participating in the long-lining study to determine the Bay/Delta’s white sturgeon population.
Striped bass are on the conveyor belt between the upper river and the bay, and both sides of the Delta are holding fish. The only limiting factor has been high winds most days, and Saturday’s gusts in the west Delta to nearly 40 mph kept everyone off the water. Chris Ditter of Head Rush Guide Service said, “Striper fishing is still good in the Delta, and on my last trip, we found some larger fish to 11 pounds coming in on the Sacramento side along the West Bank. Only one of our recent catches was spawned out, and we are finding good fish on both the San Joaquin and the Sacramento side. May is my favorite month on the Delta, and I prefer to fish in the shallows with Rat-L-Traps or shallow-diving Yo-Zuri’s when possible.”
Rick Tietz of Blade Runner Spoons has found quality linesides to 12 pounds using his 2-ounce spoons on the San Joaquin side near Three Mile Slough at depths from 25 to 35 feet. Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors touted trolling along the West Bank or tossing Ballzy Baits or Z-Man’s swimbaits on the flats or in the shallows. He said, “There is a big school on the San Joaquin, and the American shad follow up the striped bass. Another option is to anchor close to the banks in the metro Sacramento area at depths from 8 to 20 feet and soak sardines for stripers.”
The wind was a problem in the west Delta on Saturday, and the Best Bass Tournaments postponed their events scheduled for Big Break Marina which is susceptible to the wind, even on good days.
In the east Delta, Dave King of Nor Cal Bass said, “We had 37 boats launching out of Ladd’s, and although the wind was tough, the fish were biting. It took 16 pounds to cash a check with the big limit at over 27 pounds.”
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
Tournament Results
May 17
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
1st – Lorenzo and Luca Rossetti – 27.34 (Big Fish – 7.80); 2nd – Jeremy Montenegro/Chris Crawford – 21.88; 3rd –– Robert Martinez/Almeda – 21.53.
Volta Road/California Aqueduct - Striperz Gone Wild – Spring Striped Bass Derby
1st – Robert Barrientos; 2nd – Bao Khang; 3rd – Hector Ruiz.
Lake Success – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
1st- Rodger and Ryan Patterson – 17.22 (Big Fish – 4.56); 2nd – Brandon Turner/James Beasley – 14.36; 3rd – Garry Wasson/Wayne Arnold – 13.97.
May 18
Don Pedro – Fresno Bass Club
1st- Jose Guzman – 14.09 (Big Fish – 4.51); 2nd – Bill Kunz– 13.67; 3rd – Kyle Reynolds – 13.18.
May 17-18
Nacimiento – California Bass Nation – National Qualifier – Boater Division
1st - Will Duncan; 2nd - Dan Frazier; 3rd – Wyatt Moore.
Nacimiento – California Bass Nation – National Qualifier – Non-Boater Division
1st – Kin Pui Wong; 2nd – Thomas Vang; 3rd – Chufu Vang.
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
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 Magazine Inc.
May 31-June 1
Don Pedro – Modesto Ambassadors
June 7-8
Delta/B and W Resort – Fresno Bass Club
Don Pedro – Best Bass Tournaments
June 7
McClure – Kerman Bass Club
Isabella – Golden Empire Bass Club
June 8
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Modesta Ambassadors/Riverbank Bass Club
Los Banos Creek – Kings VIII Bass Club
June 14-15
Don Pedro – California B.A.S.S. Nation
June 14
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Nor Cal Bass
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Angler’s Press
Delta/Big Break Marina – Bass N’ Tubes
Delta/B and W Resort – California Bass Federation
Don Pedro – 17/90 Bass Club
Shaver Lake – Greg Mark’s Youth Fishing Tournament
Eastman – Sierra Bass Club
Kaweah – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Isabella – Kern County Bassmasters/American Bass Association
Lopez – Bakersfield Bass Club
June 15
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association
Millerton – Bass 101
June 21
Delta/Russo’s Marina – The Bass Hole Inc.
Don Pedro – Manteca Bassin’ Buddies/Oro Madre Bass Club
McClure – Yak A’Bass
Eastman – Kings River Bass Club
Santa Margarita – Best Bass Tournaments
June 22
Delta/B and W Resort – Best Bass Tournaments
San Antonio – San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers
June 28
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
June 29
Delta/Russo’s Marina – Best Bass Tournaments
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: Monstrous brown trout caught at Shaver Lake."