• LAKE DON PEDRO — Guide Monte Smith said the kokanee bite is still going strong with boaters catching quick limits in Middle Bay at 90 to 110 feet on larger Vance's hootchies behind the 8-inch Shasta Tackle's Sling Blades. He says larger lures and dodgers attract larger fish in deeper water. Smith said females are developing larger eggs, but the males "are still bright with their scales intact. This is a good sign since the kokanee are Don Pedro are generally among the first to turn." Guide Dan Layne confirmed the good kokanee bite, saying the fish are schooling and going deeper to find cooler water. He has been scoring off Hatch Creek, in Middle Bay and off Six Bit Gulch in Upper Bay using silver Apex lures tipped with corn scented with garlic or vanilla behind a Shasta Tackle Sling Blade. Layne said king salmon to 4 pounds are sitting 100 feet down and will bite rolled shad or anchovies, glow hootchies or a 4-inch pearl Apex behind a 6-inch Sling Blade. He said they are "not very aggressive" and they will steal bait unless anglers are attentive. Mike Gomez at the Bait Barn in Waterford said the bass bite is "tough" with the best action on the bottom with Berserk or TNT jigs in brown/purple on a football head trailed by a Zoom or Yamamoto twin-tail in green pumpkin. The early morning top-water window is very small. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Gary Vella (209) 652-7550; The Bait Barn (209) 874-3011.
• McCLURE RESERVOIR — The Bait Barn's Mike Gomez said there's a good top-water bite for bass in the early morning with Super Spooks in bone or Okie Shad, Lucky Craft Gunfish in Chartreuse Shad, or Black Dog's 5-inch Lunker Punker in rainbow trout. But after 9 a.m. the fish move to the bottom where they might hit brown/purple jigs, or plastics on a drop shot or shaky head. The Berserk Insane in cinnamon/purple on a shaky head has been producing at 35 to 50 feet. Diana Mello at A-1 Bait in Snelling said the bass up to 7½ pounds are biting on a 6-inch Robo Worm Hologram Shad SR-M 13h. Green/red Senkos are also working. Kokanee fishing has been strong at 60 to 100 feet near the dam with blue hootchies or Excel lures. The kokanee schools are small and scattered, and anglers have to find the right spots. Crappie fishing has improved on small minnows in Cottonwood Creek and near Bagby, while catfishing has gotten a lot better on anchovies off the banks near McClure Point. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505, Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.
• McSWAIN RESERVOIR — Stephanie Powell at the marina reported excellent trout action for trollers in the river arm above the floating restrooms with broken-backed Rapalas, Wedding Rings tipped with a night crawler behind a dodger, or night crawlers behind a Sep's Dodger. Bank fishing has been best around the dam or the campgrounds using Power Bait in garlic/salmon peach or "anything with garlic." Calaveras Trout Farm will plant this week and the DFG will plant next week. Call: McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.
• NEW MELONES / TULLOCH RESERVOIRS — Easy limits of kokanee are the rule, says Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp. "The fish are growing quickly, more in girth than in length," she said. Trollers are scoring from 40 to 50 feet near the spillway and dam or near the Highway 49 bridge on Wiggle Hootchies behind a Sling Blade or dodger. "The water is stained, and bright colors such as pinks, chartreuse or oranges are working best," said Lewis. Big dodgers combined with larger lures such as an Apex or Rocky Mountain Super Squid are keys to finding bigge fish. Garlic, Carp Spit or Kokanee Special Pro Cure scents improve your chances. Boaters should drop the light 15 to 25 feet then fish 20 to 30 feet beneath that. It will take 15 minutes to attract baitfish and the trout will follow. Catfishing is outstanding; the Limas clan from Manteca hooked an 8½-pounder this week on night crawlers at night. Call: Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734; Danny Layne (209) 586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.
• SAN LUIS RESERVOIR / O'NEILL FOREBAY — Main lake levels are dropping steadily, and the stripers are moving toward the trash racks in the deeper parts of the lake. You can score on jumbo minnows at 60 to 80 feet or top-water lures in the early mornings. Anthony Lopez of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill reported decent action from the banks near the Visitor Center or Dinosaur Point with grass shrimp, anchovies or pile worms. In the forebay, catching stripers isn't a problem, but there are a lot of undersized fish. Soaking anchovies, pile worms, blood worms or small shad work best. Weeds are accumulating in the forebay. Catfish action has been very good, particularly at Check 12 when the water is pumping. Call: Ly's Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644, Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711.
• DELTA — The big news is the rush of striped bass into Rio Vista. Guide Mark Wilson found them concentrated around the West Bank and Decker Island on Sunday. He has been picking up a few from each troll before the fish scatter. The stripers are lurking in 12 to 16 feet and in the shallows. Wilson recommendsd red head/white Yozuris in deep water and clown or red head/white in the shallows. His clients caught and released 69 fish Sunday with 43 keepers to 9½ pounds following up Friday's 32 fish — 24 keepers to 11 pounds day. Capt. Stan Koenigsberger took dads and teen-aged sons out Friday and Saturday, and they caught and released 50 stripers with four keepers to 19½ inches at the flats on the San Joaquin River along the north side of Webb Tract. Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Stan Koenigsberger/Quetzal Adventures (925) 570-5303; Jolly Jay's Guide Service (209) 478-6645; Mark Delnero (209) 367-4665.
OCEAN
• HALF MOON BAY — The best action is for rockfish along the coastline south of the harbor. High winds kept Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat away from the Farallons, so he ran south from San Gregorio to Pescadero for 24 limits of rockfish and several quality lings to 10 pounds. Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete said he landed seven big slugs Saturday. Market-grade squid are so thick that party-boat anglers are hooking them while trolling for salmon. Usually, squid bring in sea bass, but they're missing in action. Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Huck Finn Sport Fishing Center (650) 726-7133; Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040; Don Franklin, Soleman (510) 703-4148.
• MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ — Chris Arcoleo of Chris's Landing is hoping for a better salmon bite. Anglers on the Checkmate hooked but lost five big fish Sunday close to the harbor. The Caroline landed a salmon and had 10 halibut to boot. The salmon moved over to the Monterey side to feed on the baby Boccaccio rockfish. Rockfishing is excellent with all three Monterey boats targeting bottom fish Saturday for limits all around. Call: Chris' Landing (831) 375-5951, Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173.
• SAN FRANCISCO BAY — Salmon schools appear to be moving closer to the Golden Gate. Roger Thomas on the Salty Lady out of Sausalito reported 10 big slugs for 12 anglers Monday with at least that many lost after a hookup. "Now is the time to land a quality salmon," he said. The three Sausalito boats scored nearly a fish per rod with 41 salmon to 21 pounds for 51 anglers last weekend. Action is focused from Muir Beach north to Duxbury.
TROUT PLANTS
Reservoirs and lakes that will be planted with trout during the week of Aug. 6:
• Tuolumne — Clarks, North, Middle and South forks Stanislaus River; Lyons Canal; Moccassin Creek; Pinecrest Lake; Powerhouse Stream; Middle, South forks of Tuolumne River.
• Calaveras — White Pine Lake
• Fresno — Dinkey Creek; Wishon Reservoir; Kings River below the Pine Flat Reservoir
• Madera — Rock Creek; Chiquito Creek
• Mariposa — McSwain Reservoir
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