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

ROGERS COMMENTS: Good anglers are usually pretty noise conscious, but successful local tournament angler Mike Matthews felt that many anglers don’t really appreciate how far and effectively sound travels through water. Dumping the trolling motor into the water, dropping stuff in the boat, even when it’s carpeted, and little things like slamming the lid on a cooler, were all things he felt anglers did unconsciously that alerted the fish. Pick out some anglers fishing around 100 to 200 yards away from you on a moderately still day and just sit quietly and listen to all the seemingly small noises that carry very well across a lot of water-and realize the fish “hear it” better than you do.

VALLEY
New Melones Reservoir
Bass-2 Crappie-2 Catfish-3 Trout-3 Kokanee-2
Danny Layne of Fishn’ Dan’s Guide Service reported the rainbow bite for fish to 4-pounds has turned on with rolled shad, orange Needlefish, shad-patterned ExCels or Slim Fins behind a 6-inch Sling Blade at depths from 40 to 60 feet off of Shipwreck Island to the Dam and back. Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods reported catfishing is still good with anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, or a ball of night crawlers. James Millazzo of Placerville landed a 6.25-pound whiskerfish on Berkely Blood Nuggets by the Marina. Kokanee season is over after a terrific year for numbers of fish. Trout fishing from the banks is over until the lake turns over at the end of November, but night fishing under lights with night crawlers or crawler/Power Bait combinations continues to produce rainbows to 4-pounds. No change in the bass bite which is rated fair to slow by Lewis 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. Crappie and bluegill action is slow with the best action 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. The lake dropped two feet to 960.64 in elevation and 47% of capacity. The Angels Cove Launch Ramp is closed with the Tuttletown on the low water ramp and Glory Hole still at the mid-ramp. The lowest ramp at Glory Hole is usable until the lake hits 860 vertical feet in elevation. A trout plant is scheduled for nearby Tulloch this week. Call: (209) 736-4333, Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne -Fishn’ Dan (209) 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass-2 Trout-2 Crappie-4 Catfish-3 Bluegill-2
Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait Bucket in Bakersfield is amazed by the continued excellent crappie bite with some groups pulling out 40 to 50 crappie to 1.5-pounds. Successful anglers are fishing with minnows in the older submerged trees, dropping the minnow to the bottom and then cranking up 10 to 15 feet off of the bottom. There are still trout holding in the inlet near the Cemetery with inflated night crawlers or Power Bait. DFG plants are scheduled for the next three weeks. Bluegill fishing is decent with red, wax or meal worms near structure. The bass bite is strictly a finesse bit with dropshotting plastics or jigs, as the crankbait bite has slowed. The lake dropped one vertical foot to 2550.48 feet in elevation and 21% of capacity. In the Bakersfield area, the flows are the lower Kerns have dropped, and catfish or bass continue to be caught from Gordon’s Ferry to the Dam. Carp fishing in the local lakes is starting up again with the Powder Bait. Bluegill and catfish are the other options at all of the local lakes. Call: Big Ed’s Bait and Tackle (760) 379-4170, Bob’s Bait (661) 833-8657, North Fork Marina (760) 376-1812.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Stripers-3 Catfish -2 Bass-2 Crappie-1
Ly Tu of Ly’s Fishing Goods in San Jose said stripers are willing to bite, but the overall size of the fish in the main lake has been small, ranging from 22 to 25-inches. A few linesides to 10-pounds have been located, but these are few and far between. The best bite has been on mooched grass shrimp, frozen shad or anchovies at depths from 60 to 80 feet near the Trash Racks. There is a resurgence of the top water bite on Rebel Jumbo Minnows, Little Neck Poppers, Zara Spooks or Pencil Poppers. The Forebay continues to be slow except when the water is being pumped in near the Dam due to the abundance of weeds in the water. There are loads of fishermen working under the Bridge in the evenings for the occasional small striper. A few catfish have been biting mackerel or clams near Check 12. The lake has risen with 2072 acre-feet of Sacramento River water to 21% of capacity. Wind conditions: 800-805-4805. ; Call: Ly’s Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711.

Eastman Lake
Bass-3 Trout-1 Bluegill -2 Catfish-3 Crappie-2
Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported an improved bass bite for fish in the 2 to 4-pound class on baby Brush Hogs near the Dam or in the river channel. Ranger Keith Willis confirmed the improved bite, adding that live bait has been also been effective. Catfish are hitting chicken livers or anchovies from dusk to midnight along the banks. Panfishing has been slow. The water is starting to show the effects of green algae, but the reduced water visibility may be the reason for the improved bass bite. The lake is holding at 471.57 feet in elevation and 9% of capacity. Call: 689-3255.

Hensley Lake
Bass-3 Trout-1 Catfish-2 Bluegill-2
Merritt Gilbert reported an improved bass bite for fish in the 1.5 to 2-pound range, but all of the successful fishermen are keeping quiet on techniques due to an upcoming tournament. Most likely, fish are being found on the bottom with dropshotting or dart heading plastics or jigs. The lake is holding at 477.09 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. 225-1838, 292-3474, 673-5151.

McSwain Reservoir
Trout-3
Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling said trout fishing from the banks has been steady at the Brush Pile or Handicapped Docks with Sunrise or white Power Eggs. Rainbow Power Bait is also effective in the channel from the Exchequer Dam. The lake was stocked last week in anticipation of the Mariposa Lions Club Trout Derby this coming Saturday. Bank anglers continue to have the advantage over trollers, but a few fish are taken on the regular blade/crawler combinations or Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler in the trolling pattern from the 2nd Fence Line to the Dam at depths to 30 feet. CF22> Call: (209) 378-2534.

Delta Mendota Canal and Sloughs
Stripers-2 Catfish-2
Patrick Movey of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Fresno said they have been selling bag anchovies to anglers targeting small stripers at the Aqueduct. The opening of squirrel hunting season has limited the number of anglers who normally target the Aqueduct, but a few catfish are still biting chicken livers or anchovies. In the south Aqueduct, Pete Cormier reported an inconsistent striper bite due to the amount of debris floating on the surface of the channels. Once the water slows down at around 11:00 a.m., fishermen report better fishing conditions with anchovies.

Millerton Lake
Bass-2 Stripers-2 Shad-1
Merritt Gilbert reported a 6.5 pound limit is pretty typical as most catches are in the barely-legal or undersized range. With the upcoming Clovis Patrol Mounted Patrol tournament this weekend, there have been a few limits to 8-pounds reported, but anglers are reluctant to release techniques. Shad-patterned plastics on the dart-head or drop shot along deep, sloping banks at depths from 15 to 30 feet are still the top options. The reaction bite remains slow. Anglers targeting stripers have had very little success, although lots of shad schools are near the top. The lake is now holding at 539.52 feet in elevation and 68% of capacity due to over 1000 acre-feet of inflow from upstream sources. A trout plant is scheduled this week on the lower San Joaquin River this week, and the river is slowing down to very fishable conditions. Call: 225-1838, 292-3474.

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River
Bass-3 Trout-2 King Salmon-1 Catfish-2
Both Patrick Movey and Merritt Gilbert reported an improved bass bite with 6-inch plastics in shad or dark colors with good action during both the evenings and daytimes. One fishermen reported “the best action in years”. The trout bite has slowed for most with a few finding rainbows around the shad schools. The key has been to troll above the bait schools with Humdingers, ExCels or Needlefish in shad-patterns on a downrigger. Lead core has to be dropped to 5 to 7 colors in order to reach the fish. Throughout the main lake from Deer Creek to Zebe Cove to the Dam at depths from 45 to 50 feet are still the top areas. The lake dropped 2 vertical feet to 759.61 feet in elevation to 20% of capacity. The lower Kings below the Dam is running high from the water releases, but a trout plant is scheduled for this week. The water releases are expected to stop after September 8th. Call: 787-2387, 225-1838, 292-3474.

Lake Kaweah
Bass-4 Crappie-3 Trout-1 Catfish-2
Larry Kerns of the Visalia Bass Club reported “knocking the socks off of them” with up to 50 fish to 5-pounds on crankbaits. Sierra Sporting Goods in Exeter reported huge bass of 15 and 7-pounds were landed this week on live crawdads or plastics. They have been selling out of crawdads every weekend, and small minnows are hard to keep in the shop with the continued good crappie bite at the Houseboats or in the submerged trees in the creek inlet behind the Motel along the jetty. The stable and cooling water have led to the terrific action. The reservoir dropped two vertical feet to 580.60 feet in elevation and 6% of capacity. Call: 592-5922.

McClure Reservoir
Bass-4 Trout-2 King Salmon-2 Kokanee-1 Crappie-2 Catfish-3
Mike Van Guilder Jr. of Fishwrangler’s Bass Guide Service reported an excellent bass bite on PopR’s or Rico’s throughout the day. Crankbaits bounced off of the rocks at depths to 18 feet. He has also been catching trout on ripbaits while targeting bass. Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling reported Horseshoe Bend, Cottonwood Creek, McClure Point and Barrett’s Cove have all been producing bass on a variety of techniques: RatLTraps, Senkos, Shad Raps and live minnows or crawdads are all working. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn touted brown/purple jigs, Senkos in color 330 or shad patterned plastics on the drop-shot or dart-head from the banks to 30 feet in depth. Trout fishing is slow with the best action under lights at night at the Houseboats. Catfishing remains good with bag anchovies, live crawdads or minnows in Piney Creek or any major creek arm along sloping banks. The lake dropped four vertical feet this week to 762.84 feet and 45% 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-2 Trout-4 Kokanee-1 King Salmon-4
Both Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing and Danny Layne of Fishn’ Dan’s Guide Service reported fantastic action for both rainbows and kings. Smith found rainbows to 3-pounds pulling white Shasta Tackle PeeWee or Wiggle Hootchies behind a Sling Blade at depths from 52 to 63 feet. The fish were higher in the water column last week, but they have dropped deeper this week. They also landed a king in the same region. Smith reported marking loads of fish at the 100 foot depth range, but these fish aren’t ready to bite yet. Layne has been working Schoolhouse Point and in open water off Jenkins Hill and Fleming Bay with shad-patterned Ex-Cel’s, Vance’s Slim Fin, Cripplure or a silver/black J-5 Rapala. Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford said the bass bite is picking up with 1/4th oz. dart-head or dropshotting shad-patterned plastics or dragging watermelon/red Baby Brush Hogs at depths to 50 feet on the top of submerged islands. The reaction bite is still lacking. 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-2 Kokanee-2
Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service reported kokanee action is still extremely slow with only a few fish taken throughout the week. He has been working to find the tiny school of huge fish that is swimming in the lake. Merritt Gilbert said there is renewed interest in the lake with anglers expected to target rainbows and spotted bass in the next couple of weeks with the seasonal elimination of the motor fee. The lake is holding at 73% of capacity. Call: 642-3141, Todd Wittwer 288-8100, 642-3633, 642-3737; Mike Bieghy 642-3748.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Smallmouth-3
Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters reported great rainbow trout action with former Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager and baseball author Fred Claire and his wife Sheryl catching three limits of rainbows, releasing five fish on Dick’s Trout Busters spinners tipped with a crawler behind a Captain Jack’s Shaver Lake Dodger. Kokanee fishing continues to be very slow with most fishermen giving up and settling for trout. Nichols reminds fishermen using downriggers to be aware of submerged rocks and the uneven bottom as the lake continues to drop. The Shaver Lake Marina will remain open until approximately mid-October for boat rentals and other services. The lake dropped to 63% of capacity. At Huntington, Dick Gomez of Young’s Sporting Goods reported the lake levels still have not been lowered as anticipated, and with the cooler water temperatures, the trout are moving closer to the surface. Limits of trout can be found on blade/crawler combinations, Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler or small spoons. Kokanee fishing is very slow. Huntington has dropped to 95%, and the lake is expected to drop in the near future with boaters advised to remove their crafts from the marinas due to low water for dam maintenance. 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
Chuck Crane of Wishon RV Park said trout fishing at Wishon has slowed down considerably with the best action from daylight to 11:00 a.m. on night crawlers behind a Sling Blade at depths from 3 to 5 colors. Needlefish or Speedy Shiners in various colors have been the top lures. Shore fishing has also been slow with the best fishing in Short Hair Creek with assorted Power Bait. Courtright is still kicking out fish, but you have to get on the water early with blade/crawler combinations at 3 to 4 colors. A few fishermen are long-lining Rapalas in the early morning. Shore fishing is fair at the Dam or launch ramp with Power Bait. There isn’t much angling pressure at Courtright. Dinky Creek isn’t scheduled for additional plants in the coming weeks, so the remaining fish are holding in the few local pools with crickets, salmon eggs or night crawlers. Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Brown Trout-2 Trout-2
Dick Gomez of Young’s Sporting Goods said Edison continues to kick out a few trout on Rapalas or blade/crawler combinations. Vermilion Valley Resort is holding a fall fishing special with 20% off for a three-night package Sundays through Wednesdays through October 7th. Edison has dropped to 52% with the ramp in operation, Florence has dropped again to 18% with Mammoth Pool dropping to 32%. Call: 259-4000.

OCEAN
San Francisco Bay
Halibut-3 Stripers-3 Rockfish- 3 Leopard Shark – 3 Sturgeon-2
This has been a most unusual week with numerous white sea bass and a single barracuda landed inside of San Francisco Bay. The sea bass have been following the sardine schools, and the barracuda is a sign of warm water temperatures sliding up the coast. Rockfishing is still consistent at the Islands with Emeryville Sport Fishing sending three boats to the Farallons on Saturday for a combined 69 limits of rockfish and a few lings to 10-pounds. The halibut bite in the central bay remained steady through the weekend with a fish or better per rod in all of the central locations. Bob Wright, second captain of the Happy Hooker, put in 12 halibut to 22-pounds and a 10-pound bass on Saturday for a light load of 11 anglers. He was working the Berkeley Flats and Treasure Island. James Smith on the California Dawn had another excellent day today with 22 halibut to 25-pounds and a striper for 20 anglers with the live sardines in the central bay locations of the Flats, Angel Island and Treasure Island. The Captain Hook and Talisman took out a combined 28 fishermen on Saturday for 21 halibut to 15-pounds while staying in the bay. John Akina of Oyster Point Bait, Tackle and Deli in South San Francisco said Saturday was a banner day for white sea bass off of the Alameda Rockwall with several fish brought back to the harbor. Most fishermen are heading from Oyster Point over to the Rockwall or the Berkeley Flats for both halibut and the white sea bass. Locally, a few halibut have been landed by the Green Building in Brisbane or Candlestick Point. Joel Sinkay of Leonard’s Bait in Port Sonoma said there has been an excellent striper bite in the Horseshoe on the Napa River with live mudsuckers while anchoring along the breaks in the levees during the last 1.5 hours of the incoming tide. These anglers are flylining the mudsuckers because they have been unable to jig up any splittail. There have been a few stripers taken on live bullheads in Sonoma Creek, the Napa River and also up in the Petaluma River near the Miramonte Hole.

Lake Nacimiento/San Antonio/Santa Margarita/Lopez
Bass-2 White Bass-2 Stripers-2 Catfish-2 Crappie- 1
Will Hesch of Central Coast Bass Fishing said action has been slow on Nacimiento with a 7-pound limit taking the weekend’s Ambushers Tournament of Champions. A few spotted bass have been taken on cranks, jigs or dropshotting with the bite dying after 9:30 a.m. The lake is extremely shallow, and boaters are hitting the bottom in the main lake as the depth drops from 60 to 2 feet quickly. There have been some sunken boats popping up back in the river and Heritage Cove. There haven’t been any reports from Lopez, as fishermen are clamming up due to an upcoming tournament. Both Monterey County lakes are still dropping with San Antonio falling a foot to 721.50 feet in elevation and 32% of capacity with Nacimiento dropping five vertical feet to 711.90 feet and 14% of capacity. Call: (805) 238-1056 ext. 3, (805) 472-2818; Central Coast Bass Fishing.com (805) 466-6557.

Delta/Stockton
Bass- 3 Stripers-3 Sturgeon-2
Pam Hayes at Benicia Bait reported good striper action along the shoreline with particularly good fishing at 1st Street which is normal for this time of year. Bullheads have been the top bait, although the size of the bullheads remain small. There have been several strange fish lurking around the area with the high salinity content in this part of the Delta. Bat rays, sand sharks, kingfish or leopard sharks have all been reported. More fishermen are targeting sturgeon at the Fleet, and a 63-incher was weighed in today from Buoy 4 in mid-Fleet on grass shrimp. Allison Shawnego at Hap’s Bait in Rio Vista said there are numerous bait stealing undersized stripers in the area, and they are going through fresh shad, blood and pile worms, or grass shrimp. Trolling remains best at the Old Dairy and both sides of Decker Island and in the back sloughs. Captain Mike Gravert of Intimidator Sport Fishing reported very tough fishing on his last two trips into the north Delta with a couple of no fish days. He went out on Saturday morning in the back sloughs, but with the low tide, the fish will not move into these shallower areas. A night trolling trip earlier in the week was similarly unproductive. The fish will be back in short order, but they seem to have moved for the time being. The 62nd Annual Rio Vista Bass Derby will take place on October 9th, 10th and 11th with a $30 entry fee until September 26th where it increases to $35.00. Information (707) 374-2700 or bassfestival.com. Hap’s Bait will be hosting the annual Rio Vista Bass Derby seminar on Saturday, September 26th with Mark Wilson, Clyde Wands, Cal Kellogg of the Fishsniffer Magazine and Captain Barry Canevaro of Fishhookers Guide Service featured speakers. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, reported largemouth action is not wide open, but he had been experiencing his best action with finesse techniques of the Zappu head on a Berkley Power Worm, Chigger Crawsor Persuader jigs on the outside weed lines in the afternoon’s high tide. He has been starting with top water lures of the Persuader PopNWalker, IMA Big Stick or 4-inch Berkley Hollow Belly swimbait in the early mornings. He was switched to the smaller swimbait to match the size of the bait fish. The Strike King 4 S crankbait in red craw is also working, but you have to make numerous casts to be successful. On the striper front, Pringle has been working the Hopkins ¾ oz.Smoothies in greens or blues when they find the fish at depths from 8 to 25 feet. He has been tossing the Hollow Bellies on the tops of flats along moving water for stripers to 9-pounds, and also working the largest PopNWalker near the shorelines in the mornings. The fish have scattered throughout the San Joaquin and Old River systems. Mike Van Guilder Jr. has been flipping Berserk jigs in brown colors with a Berserk Baby Brawler trailer in the small cuts of tules. He has been working the jig motionless. He added that the Lunker Punker 6-inch wood has been effective early in the mornings for stripers to 15-pounds and largemouths all day on the inside or outside of the weedlines and in bays of tules. He landed an 11 and 7-pound lineside on a Delta Shiner Lunker Punker, and Carlos Carbajal boated a 9-pound bucketmouth on a Berserk jig and a 5-pounder on a trout-patterned Lunker Punker.
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

FRESNO OPEN PINEFLAT SEPTEMBER 5TH NITE

1 TIM TURNER / CHET ELIA (5 FISH) 12.71
2 MARK CORRENTE / JIHN ALBIDREZ (5 FISH) 11.50
3 TOM LOYA / KEVIN BURG (5 FISH) 9.77

Upcoming

September 17th –Ricky Noel Mitchell–Kayak Fishing for Bass – 6:15 p.m. ––Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse

September 17th –Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor – 6:00 p.m. ––Manteca Fisherman’s Warehouse

September 24th –Jerad Johnson, Rocky Mountain Tackle Company– Kokanee Fishing– 6:15 p.m.
Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse

September 19th – Pine Flat– Visalia Bass /Wasco Bass
Isabella – Bakersfield Bass
New Melones – Future Pro Tour
Delta/Russo’s – Future Pro Tour
Delta/Ladd’s – FLW Outdoors

September 20th – Millerton – Clovis Police Mounted Patrol Annual Fundraiser
McSwain – Mariposa Lions Club Trout Derby
Kayak Fishing for Bass Lake Trout/Kokanee
Information – Eric Kaai – Fisherman’s Warehouse 225-1838
Delta/Ladd’s Marina – Kings River Bass Club

September 23-26 – Delta/Russo’s – FLW Outdoors

September 26th – McClure – Future Pro Tour
Delta/Ladd’s – Sierra Bass Club
McSwain – 18th Annual Float/Fly Tournament
Hap’s Bait/Rio Vista – Striper Seminar for the Rio Vista
Bass Derby – Information (707)

October 3rd – Delta/Brannan Island – Central Valley Anglers Fall Striper Shootout – Information (209) 369-0204.

October 9-11 – Rio Vista Bass Derby – information: bassfestival.com or (707) 374-2700

October 18th – Don Pedro – Jig’s Bait and Tackle – info jigstackle@aol.com

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