FROM ALL ANGLERS

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a central San Joaquin Valley native and local fishing expert.

Key: 1=poor, 2=fair, 3=good, 4=excellent fishing

ROGER’S COMMENTS: A good buddy and I were fishing from shore at Millerton in the evening a few years ago, when he hooked a nice 10 pound striper that he played up to the shoreline Out of the dark, he suddenly said he needed some help- now! I ran over in the dim light and saw blood running down the stripers side as he carefully held it in the water, when he informed me all the blood I saw belonged to him! Turns out he had reached out to lip the fish before it was played out, and as the fish thrashed around, one 2/0 hook had gone deep into his right thumb. Unfortunately the hook on the other end of the lure was still connected to the fighting fish he was desperately trying to calm down. I grabbed and quickly unhooked the frenetic fish, letting it go, but by now, the barb was completely buried. I tried for ½ hour to get the big hook out, but after trying every trick I knew, as well as trying to pull it out with all my strength, after he had asked me to try, convinced me the long trek to the emergency room was where we were going next. We tried cutting off as much of the lure as we could before heading to St Agnes Hospital, but I found out big stainless hooks are almost impossible to cut off with regular sidecutters, especially when you have someone attached to it. We got out of the emergency room after midnite, and the doctor told me that it had been about the hardest hook to remove he had ever done. In fact, he said they had a collection of removed hooks to commemorate all the angler extractions they had performed over the years. As a special momento of our unforgettable fishing trip, my buddy gave me the small clear medical jar the doctor had given him -containing the tip of the big stainless steel hook he had removed from his thumb!

VALLEY
New Melones Reservoir
Bass-2 Crappie-2 Catfish-4 Trout-2 Kokanee-2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said the kokanee bite has dramatically turned slow with the fish as deep as 120 feet. Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods reported they are developing hooked-jaws and losing their scales, as they prepare for their attempt to spawn. The best action has been in the main lake with Glitterbug Micro Hootchies in orange or pink, R and K pink hootches and Apex in pink, orange or blue. Crawdad scent has been effective in enticing strikes. Trout fishing from the banks is over until the lake turns over, but fishing under lights with night crawlers has produced rainbows to 3-pounds. Trolling for trout continues to be slow. The bass bite is fair with a good top-water bite going on at dawn and dusk with Zara Spooks, buzz baits, or Pop-Rs. When the sun is up, crawdad or shad-colored Carolina-rigged 6″ worms, rip-baits, spinnerbaits, Zoom Baby Brush Hogs, or Senkos are working along the strong mud lines that are forming on the lake right now. It is best to target main lake points and fish the edge of the mud line and on the shaded side of coves and against steep drop-offs and cliff faces during the heat of the day, as well. Night fishing with a dark colored Power Worm right now is also a good way to target bass. Catfishing continues to be excellent with fish to 6-pounds on anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, or a ball of nightcrawlers. Crappie and bluegill action is best at night under lights at depths from 10 to 30 feet around submerged trees with live small or medium minnows, or crappie jigs with jigs in red/white, black/chartreuse or purple/white in Bear, Carson or Mormon Creeks. Glory Hole will be holding a seminar on August 30th at 3:00 p.m. with Ed Burlarley of Sierra Guide Service talking about “Catching the Elusive Brown”. The lake dropped to 966.89 feet in elevation and 49% of capacity. The Angels Cove Launch Ramp is closed with the Tuttletown on the low water ramp and Glory Hole at the mid-ramp.
Call (209) 736-4333, Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne -Fishn’ Dan (209) 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Stripers-3 Catfish -2
Bass-2 Crappie-2 Ly Tu of Ly’s Fishing Goods in San Jose reported quick limits of stripers to 26-inches on mooched anchovies in the front of the Dam and the Trash Racks at depths from 60 to 80 feet. The lake levels are coming up slowly with increased pumping from the Delta. In the Forebay, the water is moving quickly as a result of the pumping, and the movement flattens down the grass, allowing bait to hide under the weeds. As a result, fishing is much slower. A few stripers of barely-legal size are landed on grass shrimp or anchovies. Catfish are hitting clams or cut baits near the Forebay Dam. Wind conditions: 800-805-4805. ; Call: Ly’s Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711.

Eastman Lake
Bass-2 Trout-2 Bluegill -2 Catfish-2 Crappie-2
Bob Scharton of Herb Bauer’s Sporting Goods said a few quality bass to 3.5-pounds have been landed on Keeper 1082 worms at 10 to 15 feet. The surface water temperature is high with a greenish tinge to the lake. Catfishing from the banks or up the river arm has been fair with chicken livers or anchovies. The lake dropped a vertical foot to 472.12 feet in elevation and 9% of capacity and is expected to stabilize at this low level. Call: 689-3255.

Hensley Lake
Bas s-2 Trout-2 Catfish-3 Crappie-2
Overall, bass fishing is slow with the low lake levels and high surface temperatures. Catfish provide the best action from the banks upriver at the Campgrounds or in the deep holes in the river arm with chicken livers or anchovies. The lake is holding at 477.44 feet in elevation and 21% of capacity. The swimming area is closed for the season due to a steep drop off caused by low lake levels. Both ramps are open, but the Buckridge – East side – of the lake closes at dark due to recent vandalism. Boaters using this launch need to be off of the lake by closing time. Call:225-1838, 292-3474, 673-5151

McSwain Reservoir
Trout-3
McSwain Marina said the recent trout plants have turned up the bite with chartreuse Power Bait from the Brush Pile or the Handicapped Docks. Trolling has been the slower of the two options, but things are starting to improve with chrome/blue Kastmasters or green Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler from the Dam to the 2nd Fence Line. A Calaveras trout plant is scheduled for the latter portion of this week. Call: (209) 378-2534.

Delta Mendota Canal and Sloughs
Stripers-3 Catfish-3
James Mize of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported most area anglers are heading to Mendota Slough for stripers or catfish with anchovies. Flukes in white on a ½ oz. jighead and Lucky Craft 128’s in American Shad or Ghost Minnow are working for the small linesides in the moving water. Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait Bucket said the off and on water flows have confused anglers, leaving one to drop a 1-pound weight to stay on the bottom. There is a good deal of moss and debris flowing down with the rapidly moving water. A 4.25-pound lineside still leads the August Striper Derby.

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass-2 Stripers-2 Shad-2 Trout-2
There hasn’t been much fishing pressure on this lake with high boat traffic, high temperatures and rapidly dropping water. Based on the normal patterns, small bass should be holding along deep, sloping banks with shad-patterned plastics. No striper reports. Boat traffic is still high, but this should slow down after this weekend with school back in session. The lake dropped 6 vertical feet to 543.07 feet in elevation and 70% of capacity. Upriver rocks becoming dangerous. As a result of water releases, river levels are high, making lures more effective for a reaction strike from the planted trout than Power Bait or night crawlers. Call: 225-1838, 292-3474.

Pine Flat Reservoir
Bass-2 Trout-2 Catfish-2
Bass fishing continues to be difficult as evidenced by the winning weights at the club tournaments over the weekend. There were two limits weighed in during the 31 boat Fresno Bass Club Tournament on Sunday. The lake has been dropping over a foot per day which always slows down the bass bite. Patrick Movey said deep diving crankbaits or dart-headed plastics fished near submerged trees have pulled out the best fish. On the trout scene, Bob Scharton said there are good-sized shad schools in the lake, and trout fishermen are trolling at depths to 30 feet with Cop Car Needlefish, ExCel spoons, Shasta Tackle Matrix Paddletails or 1.5-inch Berkley Grubs in shad colors for some decent fish. Finding the shad balls is still the key to success. An estimated 20-pound catfish was taken on anchovies. The lake has another 11 vertical feet to 784.48 feet in elevation to 27% of capacity. The lower Kings below the Dam is running high from the water releases. Call: 787-2387, 225-1838, 292-3474.

McClure Reservoir
Bass-3 Trout-3 King Salmon-2 Kokanee-2 Crappie-2 Catfish-4
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing took a couple of recent trips to the Spillway and Dam area with some decent action on king salmon to 2.5-pounds. On his first trip, Smith put in 6 kings, 2 rainbows and 3 kokanee to 17-inches at depths on dropper lines at 40 to 50 feet with the kings down from 85 to 120 feet. On his second trip, the bite was tougher with 6 kings in the deep water on rolled shad. Manny Basi at the Bait Barn in Waterford reported a strong spotted bass bite with shad-pattern plastics on the drop-shot or dart head, brown jigs with a short skirt cut to the base of the hook or Senkos in color 330 from the banks to 40 feet in Temperance Creek or up in the River Narrows. Top water PopR’s are working early or late. Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling said live minnows or crawdads have been hot for bass from the banks to 15 feet in depth. The Keeper 1082 plastic has been a top seller. Catfishing is excellent with anchovies or live crawdads in Piney Creek or any major creek arm along sloping banks. Crappie fishing has been slow with a few fish taken from the Houseboats. The lake has dropped four vertical feet to 779.58 feet in elevation and 52% of capacity. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505, Fishwrangler’s Guide Service (209) 604-8222, Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.

Lake Don Pedro
Bass-3 Trout-2 Kokanee-2 King Salmon-2
Manny Basi said bass fishing is hot with live minnows from the banks near the Marina or near Moccasin. Tournament anglers are using shad-patterned plastics on a dart-head or drop shot at depths to 40 feet. The reaction bite is still very slow. A few kokanee are possible at depths to 110 feet, but for all intents and purposes, the kokanee season is over. Bruce Hamby of Sierra Sport Fishing has been working the lake on a regular basis, leading one to believe that there may be a quietly kept secret on the king salmon front. The lake is at 789.99 feet in elevation and 77% of capacity. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne -Fishn’ Dan (209) 586-2383, Bait Barn (209) 874-301.

HIGH SIERRA
Bass Lake
Bass-2 Trout-3 Kokanee-2
Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service said kokanee are still a mystery with one fish to 17-inches landed this week with his best day at 4 kokanee on a trip. Overall, the lack of adult kokanee in the lake is unprecedented, and a cause for concern. The best action has been for holdover trout with the blue RGT behind a Blue Ice dodger or the watermelon Radical Glow Tube behind the 5.5-inch watermelon dodger at depths from 25 to 35 feet. He found a few kokanee near the Dam for the first time this week. The rainbow trout have been feeding heavily on snails along the bottom of the lake. Boat traffic is expected to continue to be heavy until Labor Day with less traffic during the week with the start of school. James Mize said a few bass anglers are picking up small fish at night, as fishing during the day is next to impossible with the boat traffic. The lake is holding at 74% of capacity. Call: 642-3141, Todd Wittwer 288-8100, 642-3633, 642-3737; Mike Bieghy 642-3748.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee-2 Trout-3 Smallmouth-4
Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters reported trout fishing improved late in the week with limits of trout from 13 to 15-inches located at 15 feet in depth near the Point, Boy Scout Island or Blackrock with homemade chartreuse/orange spinners tipped with a night crawler. The best bite is in the early morning before the jet skiers take over the lake. Captain Jack Yandell said kokanee fishing continues to be a struggle with a few fish found at 55 to 60 feet with the green Fat Bug behind a silver/green Jumbo Jack blade. The kokanee should start spawning in the next couple of weeks, and the bite should improve significantly. Smallmouth bass are found in the rocks between Shaver Lake Marina and Bikini Cove with live crickets or spinners. Dick Gomez of Young’s Sporting Goods said the trout and kokanee bite at Huntington has slowed down with up to 2 to 3 decent fish per trip on kokanee gear at depths to 35 feet. The bank trout bite in Rancheria Creek has been excellent with various colors of Power Bait. Huntington is still at 99% with Shaver dropping to 79%. Cal l: 841-2522, 841-2740, Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435, Rancheria Marina 893-3234, Young’s Sporting Goods 841-8271, Dick’s Fishing Charters 841-5331.

Wishon/Courtright
Trout-2
Patrick Movey said Wishon continues to be slow with up to four fish a rod landed on rainbow Power Bait from the shorelines. Trollers are running from 5 to 7 colors with silver/blue Thomas Buoyants for a few fish. Courtright is the best high country option with blade/crawler combinations or red/gold Thomas Buoyants at 4 to 8 colors. Shore fishing is fair with night crawlers or Power Bait. Bob Scharton continues to receive good reports from the South Fork of the Kings River near Cedar Grove with fly fishermen working attractor patterns, stimulator or tubes. Dick Gomez at Young’s Sporting Goods reported planters in the pools in Dinkey Creek are providing good action with crickets, salmon eggs or night crawlers. This is a great place to take a kid fishing. Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Brown Trout-2 Trout-2
Local angler Dale Parrish reported mixed limits of browns and rainbows are possible at Edison, but fishermen have to be patient and work hard. The browns are at depths from 40 to 60 feet with Rapalas behind a Hyperplaid dodger with rainbows holding from 25 to 40 feet with the red/white Assassin spinner. Edison is holding at 68% with the ramp fully operational, Florence dropping to 38% with Mammoth Pool dropping to 59%. Call: 259-4000.

OCEAN
San Francisco Bay
Halibut-2 Stripers-2 Rockfish- 3 Leopard Shark – 3 Albacore-2 Sturgeon-2
Rough ocean conditions limited ocean action until the weekend, but better weather allowed The New Huck Finn and Super Fish out of Emeryville to go to the Farallons on Sunday for 25 limits of rockfish to go with a great ling count at 23 to 14-pounds. They are scheduling rockfish/ling cod trips throughout the week with an open load albacore trip on Wednesday. The weather is expected to cooperate all week, and boats are heading out for albacore from all ports. Bob Wright, second captain of the Happy Hooker, put in some of the largest halibut of the season outside the Golden Gate on Sunday with 11 fish ranging from 38 to 14-pounds with fish of 33, 31, 27 and 25-pounds in the box. The slower tides and heavy boat traffic put a hurt on the halibut counts over the weekend, but the larger tides should keep the halibut counts on the upward swing for the next couple of day with a larger window for picking the bass off of the rockpiles. Kevin Yost of Lucky Strike Fishing put in halibut to 28-pounds and 6 leopard sharks to 25-pounds on the weekend with the sharks picking up the large anchovies on the drift with the small tides. Off the San Pablo Bay shoreline, stripers to 10-pounds are hitting live bullheads on their way up into the river system.

Delta/Stockton
Bass-3 Stripers-3 Sturgeon-2
The stripers are clearly on their move up into the Delta with the first real wave of small fish starting through the system. Despite the presence of great striper fishing on the beaches this summer, and spurts of stripers at Mel’s Reef and the rockpiles and the recent fish moving into the Delta, based upon recent data from Department of Fish and Game Biologist Marty Gingras of the Stockton Office, the striped bass population is declining in California and Oregon with the lowest catch during the spring tagging. According to this report, the adult striped bass abundance in California hasn’t declined like young striped bass abundance, but the adult population includes a much smaller percentage of older fish currently compared to the pre-1970’s. The adult population will continue to decline, making catch and release a priority. Mark Wilson of Mark Wilson’s Sport Fishing put in 188 legal fish in 4 days of trolling both deep and shallow lures, primarily below the Rio Vista Bridge. He had been working deep, but he found fish in shallow water at the latter part of the week. The majority of the fish are just legal up to 8-pounds, but they are willing to strike. On one trip, they had 17 double hookups. The smaller tides have been a key in getting the fish to move up into the system, as well as providing clean water for trolling. Jeff Boyle of the Bass Pro Shop in Manteca reported fantastic action on both sides of Decker Island, both on the deep and shallow troll. The best action was at the change and on the incoming tide. They were even able to spoon up a bunch of schoolies on 1 oz, Megabait spoons in green or chartreuse. Jay Sorensen of Jolly Jay’s Guide Service boated a pair of 14-pound/34-inch fish on the incoming tide off of Decker Island on fresh shad on Sunday. The Hook, Line and Sinker in Oakley reported a good striper bite in the mornings and evenings on top water lures such as Zara Spooks or shad or rainbow-trout wake baits. Schools of stripers have been seen busting the surface in
Discovery Bay, Russo’s Marina and Sugar Barge chasing bluegill or threadfin shad. Further upriver, Dockside Bait in Pittsburg said things have been very slow over the weekend with small, bait-stealing stripers keeping sturgeon anglers from being able to keep the bait on the bottom long enough for a diamondback. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, found a large school of stripers in the 3 to 5-pound range in the upper Delta on Monday, and they hit the linesides chasing bluegill and shad with the IMA Flit rip bait in shad patterns, the IMA Rhumba or Big Stick. For largemouth bass, Pringle advised using the Persuader E-chip jig in black/red or blue/red or the Berkeley Heavyweight worm in earth tones or June Bug. Once the wind makes a ripple on the surface of the water, the Persuader Double Buzzer buzzbait in chartreuse/white is a must. Call:; Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Kevin Yost, Lucky Strike Fishing (707) 301-8050, Mark Wilson Sport Fishing (916) 682-1630, Fin Addict Sport Fishing (209) 367-4665, Jolly Jay’s Guide Service (209) 478-6645.

Tournament Results

Pine Flat –Kings River Bass Club– August 15: 1st –Cesar Gonzalez– 8.18-pounds (Big Fish – 5.87); 2nd –Larry Marshall– 5.24 -pounds; 3rd –Jerry Martens– 5.17.

Isabella – American Bass Association– August 15: 1st –Steven and Brett Davies– 27.17 -pounds (Big Fish – 11.63); 2nd –Randy McAbee Sr. and Jr. – 27.12 -pounds; 3rd –Jim and Carl Dobbs – 15.71.

Pine Flat – Fresno Bass Club – August 16th : 1st –Morgan Swisher– 8.20-pounds ; 2nd –Cliff Woods– 6.17-pounds; 3rd –Todd Hayes– 3.44( Big Fish – 2.44).

Upcoming

August 27th –Terry Walton–Custom Rod Building– 6:15 p.m. ––Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse
September 3rd –Randy Pringle, The Fishing Instructor – Bass Fishing – 6:15 p.m. ––Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse

8/29 Nacimiento – Jim’s Pro Bass
Lopez – Taft Bass

9/5 Pine Flat – Fresno Bass

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