Central California fishing report: Delta stripers, bass and sturgeon all bending rods.
Come hear from Byron Stickler, who earlier this year caught a trophy brown trout at Shaver Lake; fishing guide Dick Nichols, King salmon anglers Brian Klassen and Jim Tartagilia; and Fresno Bee fishing writer Roger George at The Fresno Bee Fishing Expo, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat., Nov. 9 at 700 Van Ness Ave., Fresno.
Tickets are free but supply is limited. A ticket is required for admission.
RSVP to this free event by clicking this link. Or go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fresno-bee-fishing-expo-tickets-1044437038297.
Don Blount
Central Valley Executive Editor, McClatchy
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.
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Best bets
Delta stripers, bass and sturgeon are bending rods, Jeff Soo Hoo said. Wishon rainbows are hitting, Kelly Brewer reported. Pine Flat king salmon and bass bites are solid, Michael Crayne said. Don Pedro is the place for big trout, Kyle Wise 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 Striperz Gone Wild’ Fall Classic Derby brought out 272 adult and youth participants on Saturday to Volta Road in the Los Banos area. The action overall was tough with the winning adult fish coming in at 24.25 inches followed by a second place striper at 19 inches. Catfishing is best with dip bait, chicken liver, or cut baits. The flows in the aqueduct have ramped up with increased water exports out of the south Delta.
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 double-digit largemouth bass were the headliner out of Eastman this week with fish at 14 and 10.9 pound reported. The big fish are getting active, and the best action has been in the early mornings or late evenings with big plastic worms, Keitech swimbaits, or large profile jigs. The fish are starting to orient to rockpiles or along the dam with the cooling water temperatures. Minimal change at Hensley with catfish or carp taking center stage. Chicken liver or dip bait continue to be best for whiskerfish, particularly at night. Eastman dropped slightly to 534.18 feet in elevation and 47% with Hensley receding 2.5 feet to 472.40 feet in elevation and 17%. At Eastman, only one tournament is scheduled through the remainder of the calendar year, the Sierra Bass Club on Oct. 19. At Hensley, the only 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 3 Kokanee 1 King salmon 2 Crappie 2
Don Pedro continues to kick out fat, healthy rainbow trout that have been bulking up on the lake’s abundant shad population. As the trout action has slowed at New Melones and Lakes Camanche and Amador are waiting for trout plants, Pedro remains the jewel of the Mother Lode for big trout.
‘It’s just phenomenal action at Don Pedro as the trout are down deep at depths from 75 to 125 feet, but the bait is holding from 40 to 80 feet. They must be coming up to feed since every fish is just loaded with shad. I dropped down the thermometer to 125 feet, and it was 46 degrees while it is 52 at 75 feet. Speedy Shiners have done the trick, and it is hard to keep the small king salmon off the lines as they have become a nuisance. We release them at the boat in the water without netting them,” said Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service.
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing was out with Tim Sellars on a scouting trip on Friday, and he said, “We fished a few different areas, and there is so much bait in the lake. The trout are coming up a bit as the weather has been cooler. We have been finding our best action with smaller profile spoons such as ExCel’s or Needlefish, and these rainbows really bury the rods when they strike. They hit and start burning line as the rod is bent over and stays bent in the downrigger holder. On the other hand, the 10-inch king salmon are hard to avoid, and it’s hard to tell when they are on the lines. There are spotted bass down in the shad schools, and in addition to the small kings, we are also releasing the spots while looking for the rainbows.
The trout are fat, healthy, and loaded with shad.” With all of the bait in the lake, bass fishing has been limited to working deep water, but the action should improve as the water cools. There are two bass tournaments scheduled through the end of October including the huge fundraising tournament on Oct. 26 – the ‘Live Like Mason’ Memorial for the family of Mason Ferrulli to be held at Fleming Meadows.
Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com.
Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.
McClure Reservoir
Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 3
Bass fishing remains slow as the spotted and largemouth bass are feeding on shad at depths from 20 to 40 feet. Small fish can be found along ledges or steep bluff walls with tubes, plastics on the drop-shot, or Senkos. Catfishing has been solid with live minnows in the coves. There are six club tournaments in November and four in December so interest should be heating up. The Merced River continues to drop, and it is 840 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 2
Prior to the Merced Irrigation Fall Trout Derby on Oct. 5-6, 4,000 pounds from Calaveras Trout Farm were planted and rainbows to 23.75 inches were brought to the scales.
Since the tournament, only a few limits have been recorded . Garlic-scented Power Bait, Kastmasters, or nightcrawlers around the normal locations of the Brush Pile, Handicapped Docks, or the peninsula around the Marina remain the top options. The holdover rainbows have moved into the cooler waters of the river arm. The McSwain Marina is open on only weekends or holidays through October. The lake dropped slightly to 89% of capacity.
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 bass bite remains very slow with small spotted bass the rule on plastics on the drop-shot. Few anglers have been targeting this lake, but a Fresno Bass Club tournament is scheduled for this coming Sunday. The lake dropped nearly 3 feet to 508.18 feet in elevation and 46% of capacity. Sycamore Island is open once 6 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant held at 430 cfs. Two club tournaments are scheduled in November with one in December.
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
The amount of baitfish in the lake is affecting the action for all species, and catfish remain the most consistent with cut bait or beef liver in the shallows at night. The bass bite is starting to show signs of life and most successful anglers are using Forward Facing Sonar to find the schools and drag jigs on the bottom. The trout bite has also slowed to a crawl as most trollers are heading south to Don Pedro, All the fish are spitting up shad. Club tournaments dominate the lake in the fall months with 3 scheduled in November and two in December. The lake is releasing water, and it dropped slightly to 1,035.96 feet in elevation and 76% 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 3 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 3 Catfish 2 Crappie 2
King salmon have made a solid showing here, and Jim Targalia was out solo on Friday, but he found a tough bite for two kings and two large rainbow trout rolling shad at depths from 60 to 80 feet.
Brian Klassen of Reedley was out on Sunday with his brother Evan, Russ Mayfield, and Shaver Lake guide Paul Brown, and they also found a challenging bite for six king salmon from 18 to 21 inches rolling shad or Brad’s Cut Plugs in Blue Hawaiian at depths from 70 to 90 feet. They also landed six rainbows in the 14- to 18-inch range at depths from 35 to 55 feet with Cop Car Needlefish or blade/’crawler combinations working the main river channel from Deer Creek to Windy Gap with the best results near the Power Lines. For bass, Michael Crayne reported a good bite with jigs, crankbaits, plastics on the drop-shot, or Keitech swimbaits at depths from 20 to 30 feet within the shad schools. Spoons in shad patterns are also effective.
In the lower Kings, a trout plant took place this week, and it is scheduled to be planted the next two weeks. With the flows low at 241 cfs, the planters will be holding in the pools. . The lake rose slightly to 824.09 feet in elevation and 40% of capacity. No club tournaments are scheduled in October, two scheduled in November, and four in December.
Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.
San Luis Reservoir/O’Neill Forebay
Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2
Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported decent striper action in the main lake from the banks with Sea Wave anchovies or extra-large minnows for linesides from 18 to 26 inches. There is a topwater or jerkbait bite in the shallows in the early mornings with Duo Realis Tide Minnows.
Roger George of Roger George Guide Service reported that the troll bite was difficult due to the suspended fish reacting to the cooldown.
“Between the wind and the low pressure fronts going through area I’ve found it hard to have any consistency with the fish just not wanting to bite much of anything at times. There are short windows where the fish will be boiling if it’s calmer it seems.” George said.
The O’Neill Forebay is plagued with grass, and it is important to find areas without grass to pick up stripers, The main lake continues to rise with increased pumping out of the south Delta, and it rose slightly to 52% of capacity while the forebay rose slightly to 84% 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 2 Kokanee 0
Michael Crayne reported few bass fishermen are targeting the lake, instead waiting for the water to cool before the swimbait season kicks in. There are still holdover rainbow trout to be found, but the lake level is to be drawn down by Nov. 1, making launching a large boat a challenge. 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
Fishing action remains limited with fewer anglers heading up Kaiser Pass. Edison continues to release water, dropping to 45% while Florence and Mammoth Pool held at 43 and 13%, respectively. 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.
Road conditions 297-0706.
Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000.
Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Trout 2 Kokanee 1
A trout plant is scheduled next week.
“Great weather and good weekend crowds at Shaver Lake continue,” Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters said. “The water level continues to lower, and Shaver Marina has shut down for the winter. Yearling and holdover trout are providing a limit or two for trollers with Stevenson Bay, Tunnel Creek, Black Rock, the Island, and the mouth of Dorabella Cove producing the most trout. Besides rainbows, a few brown and goldens are in the mix. Most trout are from just below the surface to 30 feet down with Dick’s Trout or Koke Busters in Texas Tea, Shaver, Stevenson and Hawaiian tipped with crawler behind weighted Mountain Flashers at a 100-foot set back. Kokanee are mostly gone, and spawning kokanee were observed in Stevenson Creek south. Edison ramp is out of water but the Sierra ramp is ok.”
At Huntington, kokanee are also moving into the shallows. Holdover rainbows are feeding on the kokanee eggs. Inclement weather is necessary before the dedicated group of brown trout trollers make a showing. Shaver dropped to 54% of capacity with Huntington rising slightly to 70% 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 the lake was planted last week, and fishing remains good. PG and E has left the dock in the water, and trollers are scoring with Rapalas, spoons, Wedding Rings tipped with a piece of nightcrawler, or blade/’crawler combinations at 3 to 4 colors of lead core line. Courtright is down to a very small pool as it was drained to allow work on Helms Powerhouse Intake and discharge gates. The gate Courtright Way just past the turnoff for McKinley Grove Road will remain closed closed until the regularly scheduled reopening on Memorial Day 2025 Weekend, depending upon weather. The Wishon RV Park and Store has closed for the season so anglers will have to come prepared with supplies.
Road conditions: Sierra National Forest Ranger Station 297-0706.
Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361.
Ocean
Half Moon Bay
Rockfish 3 Bluefin 2 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
A window broke out toward the end of the week, and boaters were burning fuel in search of bluefin tuna. The Codfather out of Alameda found success with a 218-pound tuna on a pink Nomad’s MadMac, but the overall action was a fish or two with plenty of skunks. Only a few boats have been heading out to deep water, but the Ankeny Street reported in with a combined 20 limits of rockfish along with 18 lingcod on Friday/Saturday. Rockfishing is greater than 50 fathoms for the month of October, and only a few Half Moon Bay boats will be heading out to the deep.
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.
Dungeness crab season opens on November 2, and the New Captain Pete is gearing up for Dungeness crab/rockfish combination trips in deep water.
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 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3
Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching continues to find solid action for deep water rockfishing with 310 rockfish, 100 Pacific mackerel, and 5 lingcod on Monday’s trip on the Check Mate.
From the surf, Josh Mesa reported vastly slower action for striped bass from Marina south to Monterey as the linesides have migrated north towards San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. Duo Realis 140 Tide Minnow Lance or Sprat’s in Midnight Black 2 or Mazumi Sardine are highly desired for surf lineside. Surf perch action continues to be strong with Lucky 13 or Honey Badger grubs in motor oil red flake on a Carolina-rig.
Call: Chris’ Landing (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 2
Fleet Week is a major event in the San Francisco Bay Area highlighted by an air show throughout the week by the Blue Angels, but striped bass also were willing to get in on the action, and party and private boaters loaded up on the linesides in the Central Bay. Halibut are still a solid possibility with some impressive scores for the late season. After a few seasons where striped bass were scarce in the bay, the past two seasons have been excellent, and the linesides this year are hanging around far longer than usual.
Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions has been working over the striped bass for the past several weeks, and this weekend was no exception with early limits of linesides off Angel Island. He said, “We continue to pick up early limits of stripers on the anchor, and we have had them boiling around the boat. The grade has been solid. I also found some white sea bass this week, and although they were unwilling to bite, it is only a matter of time.”
Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Berkeley said, “There are stripers all over the bay from the south bay all the way into San Pablo. We started out started out at Angel Island on our twelve-pack Malia Kai before heading south to Treasure Island to find a huge school of striped bass. We had the entire boat hooked up. We have picked up quick limits Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from various parts of the bay along with a handful of halibut.”
The big party boats got in on the striper action during Fleet Week, and although much of the air show was shortened during Saturday’s overcast conditions, the California Dawn 2 out of Berkeley Marina worked Angel Island and Point San Pablo for 25 limits of striped bass before drifting for 13 halibut.
There are signs that the stripers are continuing to migrate into the Delta, but with the unusually hot water temperatures into October along with an abundant supply of anchovies, the linesides seem very happy to hold out in the central bay.
Halloween is only a few weeks away, and this is not only when ghosts and ghouls some out, but also time for the bay’s white sea bass to get active. As Koyasako, aka ‘The Ghost Whisperer’ predicted, “It’s only a matter of time.”
The offshore weather reared its ugly head during the middle of the week, postponing the Oct. 9 Western Outdoor News charter on the California Dawn 2 to Rittenburg Bank for deep water lingcod and rockfish, but the conditions settled down toward the end of the week, permitting party boats to make the long run well past the Farallon Islands to the fertile grounds.
The California Dawn 2 and Western Outdoor News Rittenburg trip has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Oct. 23, and this is a Hookup Baits sponsored trip, and there will be free baits for angler use and a Hookup Bait Rep to show you how to use them effectively.
Deep water rockfishing ends on Oct. 31 before reopening in December.
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 opening of deep water rockfishing has led to limits returning to the San Luis Obispo County harbors. Out of Morro Bay Landing, 15 passengers returned with limits consisting of 90 assorted, 30 vermilion, and 30 Boccaccio to go with two lingcod. Out of Virg’s Landing, 14 limits were posted on Monday composed of 112 assorted and 28 vermilion rockfish. The regulations for rockfishing below Point Lopez are from 50 fathoms offshore from Oct. 1 through December 31, 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 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3
The 76th Annual Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival brought out several anglers over the past weekend, and the new format allowed weighing in one striper from 24 to 28 inches each day. Only one participant weighed in fish on consecutive days. The wind has been a limiting factor on the Sacramento side, but with the arrival of more and more striped bass from the bay, the action will improve for trollers and bait soakers in the coming weeks. White sturgeon is now catch-and-release, and the action has been hot for party boats working around Suisun Bay out of Pittsburg Marina with cured salmon roe. Once the sturgeon are located, numbers are coming over the rail before being released. The new regulations require that any sturgeon greater than 60 inches fork length may not be removed from the water and shall be released immediately. Previously this requirement was set at any sturgeon greater than 68 inches. Additionally, sturgeon of any size shall not be held out of the water suspended by the gills, gill plates, mouth or solely by the tail, and shall not be dragged across the ground, boat decks or piers.
Striped bass are once again moving into the San Joaquin Delta, and Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley found excellent action for limits drifting live minnows over the weekend. He said, “These are ocean run fish with a purple sheen, and there are more coming out of Suisun Bay into the Delta.” Largemouth bass fishing remains great for numbers but finding larger fish remains a challenge. Crankbaits, jerkbaits, or plastic worms are best while the punch and frog bites have been slower. The water is just now starting to cool down, and the cooler water will hold the bass tighter to structure.
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was out with a father/son combination this week, and they found great action using the ima Squarebill crankbait in chartreuse or red craw on the outside of weed beds along points or cuts with moving water. Plastics on a Zappu Head were also effective.
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
Nov. 2
The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association (NCGASA) annual dinner and fundraiser. It will feature over 100 guns, 50-plus guided trips, and 10-plus lifetime fishing and hunting licenses. The highlight of an already crowded evening is the ‘Winner Takes All Package’ where only 250 tickets will be sold. Tickets for the dinner are $80 juniors, $120 adults, and $225 for adults, and they are available at https://ncgasa.org/shop/.
Nov. 9
Kokanee Power’s 14th Annual Dinner and Awards –5:00 p.m. – Evelyn-Bishop Hall in Ione – information: https://www.kokaneepower.org/.
Tournament results
Oct. 5-6
McSwain – Modesto Irrigation District’s Fall Trout Derby
Largest trout – Ethan Ochoa – 23.75 inches; Largest stringer of 3 trout – Jorge Lopez – 60.50 inches; Wildcard Winner – Mounir Alkhouri – 20.5 inches; Kid’s Wildcard Winner – Mikayla Yee – 16 inches.
Oct. 11-13
Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival –Kid’s Striped Bass Division (18- to 24-inch slot limit)
1st – Colton Janway – 5.9 pounds, 2nd –Aiden Xiong – 4.2; 3rd- John Aguilar– 4.1.
Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival –Kid’s Catfish Division– October 11/13: 1st – Emmanuel Martinez – 3.3 pounds, 2nd – Ivori Apalit – 2.0; 3rd- Emiliano Martinez – 2.0.
Oct. 12-13
Lake Pardee – Nor Cal Bass Lake Series Tournament of Champions (10-fish weigh in)
1st – Kyle and John Gentry – 29.07 pounds; Brett and Brian Barber – 24.03; 3rd- Tre Dodd – 21.91. Big Fish – Jimmy Harrell – 6.61.
Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival – Big Money Winner (26-to 28-inch slot limit) One fish per day (3 total possible) – October 11/13: 1st – Dan Jeffries – 17.2 pounds, 2nd – Jesus Gayton – 9.0; 3rd- George Wight – 8.4.
Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)
Oct. 12-13
Pardee – Nor Cal Bass Tournament of Champions
Oct. 18-19
California Aqueduct/Hilldale Road – Madtown Striper Standoff – 5 pm to 8 am.
Oct. 19-20
Camanche – Riverbank Bass Anglers
Tulloch – Yak’A Bass
Oct. 19
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Christian Bass League
Don Pedro – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
Eastman – Sierra Bass Club
Nacimiento – Cope’s Tackle and Rod
Oct. 20
Delta/Russo’s Marina – The Bass Hole
Millerton – Fresno Bass Club
Oct. 26
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Anglers Press Outdoors
Don Pedro – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments
For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
This story was originally published October 15, 2024 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Central California fishing report: Delta stripers, bass and sturgeon all bending rods.."