Fish report for Nov. 9, 2016

Lake Don Pedro

Don Pedro continues to be the top bass lake in the Mother Lode with relatively high water conditions in comparison to New Melones and Lake McClure. The launch ramps remain open, and local tournaments are focusing on the lake. The Kerman Bass Club made the trip north to Don Pedro on Saturday, and their 21 participants weighed in 11 limits and a total of 89 fish weighing a combined 159.34 pounds. Walt Lee of the Kerman Bass Club said, “Mitch Melikian took the top prize with 15.24 pounds, including a kicker at 7.26 pounds with John Horton close behind in second place at 14.65 pounds.” With the water temperatures cooling slightly and the edges of the lake becoming stained, there is an early morning topwater bite, but the most consistent action is with dark color patterns of plastics on a three-sixteenths to quarter-ounce drop-shot weight to work depths from 25 to 50 feet. Don Pedro is hosting the most bass tournaments in the Mother Lode in November with Christian Bass League on Nov. 12 and the Modesto Ambassadors on Nov. 13. With the low water conditions at New Melones resulting in trollers losing gear on the submerged structure in the deepest portions of the lake, anglers are beginning to consider switching to Don Pedro in search of rainbow trout and king salmon. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said, “It should be time, as the lake is stuffed with shad and the water temperature is dropping.” The lake rose more than two feet to 767.31 feet in elevation and 66 percent of capacity. Call: Monte Smith, 209-581-4734; Danny Layne-Fish’n Dan, 209-586-2383; Gary Vella, 209-652-7550; Bait Barn, 209-874-3011.

McClure Reservoir

The launch ramp conditions at Barrett Cove South along with muddy water along the shorelines from the recent inflow have limited the number of fishermen heading to the lake. The launch ramp is muddy with a steep grade. The only issue to taking the abundant spotted and largemouth bass is access. The lake rose to 38 percent of capacity, up 8 feet in the past two weeks to 742.02 feet in elevation. Call: A-1 Bait, 209-563-6505.

McSwain Reservoir

Not much change at McSwain with holdover rainbows still in the lake from the late September plant. Garlic Power Bait, salmon eggs or nightcrawlers are working for the occasional planter. There have been no additional trout plants since before the Merced Irrigation Fall Trout Derby in the first weekend of October. Call: McSwain Marina, 209-378-2534.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Trout fishing continues to be the top story at New Melones with the opportunity for a large rainbow in the 3- to 5-pound range. There are signs that the deep trolling action is starting to slow, and the bait and rainbows appear to be moving higher in the water column after the past two weekends of rain and runoff. The cold 55-degree water remains at 100 feet in depth, but trollers have to be cautious when working in deep water in the main river channel upriver from the Glory Hole Marina and the Highway 49 Bridge due to submerged trees grabbing gear. John Liechty of Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp said, “The recent rainfall, shorter days and cooler weather have brought the lake temperature down to the low 60s, and generally the lake will start to turn over once the surface temperature reaches 56 degrees. We expect this to happen during the middle of November, depending on weather conditions. Trolling anglers have been catching some large 3- to 5-pound rainbow trout while trolling over deep water, and as the surface temperature cools, these fish will move up in the water column.” Michael Nelson and Rod Smith caught a hefty five-fish limit. Their largest weighed 3 pounds, 6 ounces, and their combined weight exceeded 15 pounds. Mario Lopez landed a 4-pound, 5-ounce rainbow trout while trolling a shad-patterned Apex in 105 feet of water. Gary Burns of Take it to the Limit Guide Service said, “The rainbows are still deep from 98 to 110 feet, but very soon they should start working their way up to the surface as the weather cools. Our best action has been in the main lake from the dam to the spillway at 2.4 mph with Cop-Car spoons, but you need to try different lures with different colors. If you hook into one of these big ’bows, don’t be in a hurry to get them to the boat. Wear them out, and they might not go crazy at the boat, making for an easier net job.” Liechty added, “The bass bite is slowly improving, and anglers are catching a few more fish on each outing. With the recent rainfall and dropping water temperatures, the lake is full of shad and most of the spotted bass are schooled up and hunting them in wolfpacks. The shad have been holding in deep water and will start to move shallow; the bass will follow.” The Glory Hole Sports Catfish Derby started Nov. 1, and there are a few more openings in the tournament that lasts all month and is limited to 50 anglers. Glory Hole is giving away a $25 gas card for the first catfish more than 8 pounds. Lietchy reported, “This is a great time to target the largest catfish in the lake, as they will be feeding heavily in the inlets with running water. Mackerel, anchovies and frozen shad are best on a weightless approach while chicken livers and nightcrawlers are also effective. Soaking the bait in Pro-Cure, Mike’s Lunker Lotion or Catfish Attractant is advised. Crappie fishing has slowed, but there are slabs holding around standing timber with deepwater access, waiting to ambush shad. The Glory Hole launch ramp will remain on the dirt until the lake rises during the winter months. A courtesy dock will be available throughout the coming months. The lake’s draw-down continues, and it receded slightly to 859.68 feet in elevation and 21 percent. Call: Glory Hole Sports, 209-736-4333; Monte Smith, 209-581-4734; Danny Layne-Fish’n Dan, 209-586-2383; Sierra Sport Fishing, 209-599-2023.

Delta/Stockton

Sturgeon fishing derbies were the rage the past weekend on the Sacramento Delta, and previously unheard of numbers of sturgeon are showing up from Martinez upriver into Cache Slough, and the fish are hungry and aggressive. An incredible number of sturgeon were caught and released by 21 teams during the two-day Addathon Derby out of Antioch last weekend. Tournament organizer Andy Doudna of Oakley said, “We experienced a record catch number this year with a total of 210 sturgeon caught and released starting at 6 a.m. on Saturday and ending at 1 p.m. on Sunday.” Team Dream Crusher, composed of Zach Medinas and Michael Hale, caught and released an amazing 52 sturgeon. ... The majority of fish were taken from McAvoy’s Boat Harbor to Chain Island, and the Big Cut provided an excellent bite as well. Pickled eel, lamprey eel and salmon roe were the top baits at depths from 40 to 60 feet in the area around Pittsburg, Chain Island, Buoys 31 and 34 and in front of the Pittsburg PG&E Power Plant. Jay Lopes of Right Hook Sport Fishing has returned to the Delta, and he reported an outstanding sturgeon bite upriver from Pittsburg to the Sherman Island Power Lines with either salmon roe or eel. He said, “We have landed a total of 26 sturgeon within eight to nine hours of actual fishing time since we started last Saturday. There are a lot of shakers, but we have managed up to four keepers and an oversized on a single trip. These are the best conditions I have seen in several years, and the sturgeon are really aggressive right now, especially on the outgoing tide. The key is to locate fish and drop down on them since they are biting.” Steve Johnson of H and R Bait in Stockton was off Sherman Island this week, soaking eel/nightcrawler combinations for five sturgeon to 46 inches with all but one diamondback in the slot limit. The salmon bite in the Sacramento Delta is beginning to wind down, but there are some bright fish still moving through the river. Out of Benicia, a small school came through 1st Street over the weekend, and 14 salmon were landed with either Vee-Zee or Mepp’s Flying C spinners at this location. Dillon Point State Park has been much slower than 1st Street. Sturgeon action is also heating up in the area at the Mothball Fleet or the mouth of Montezuma Slough with lamprey eel or salmon roe. In the north Delta, Tran added, “There are still a few chrome salmon on the 10- to 20-pound range coming through, and striped bass has also picked up in Miner, Steamboat and Cache Sloughs along with the Sacramento Deep Water Channel and in Liberty Island with frozen shad, sardines or live mudsuckers.” Neil Simpson of Lodi caught and released his personal-best striped bass at 23 pounds Saturday inside Liberty Island on a hair raiser. He said, “There were a lot of boats around Liberty but not too many fishermen in Cache Slough. We landed four stripers between 8 and 12 pounds along with a number of fish in the 16- to 22-inch range. Small striped bass continue to flood into the San Joaquin Delta, and the section of river from Eddo’s Boat Harbor upriver to Prisoner’s Point has been loaded with schools of small fish. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, has been finding tons of small stripers with the larger fish in the 5- to 7-pound range found on the flats in the early morning with the topwater ima Big Stick or Little Stick in bone, sardine or shad patterns. Largemouth bass is also solid with ripbaits in shad patterns such as the ima Flit, as there is an abundance of shad in the river. Pringle added, “The key is to work the outside weeds on the low tide, as the fish are holding around the weeds. Once the tide comes in, we are switching to the ima Squarebill in shad patterns, and it is important to tick the weeds or the rocks on a slow retrieve, keeping the lure in the strike zone longer. The largemouth bass are ambushing bait in the flats, and anything in shad patterns, particularly with a chartreuse line, is working. The water temperature is still in the 64- to 65-degree range, and we need colder weather to bring down the water temperature.” Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service said, “Good numbers of stripers have entered the system with even more to come. The fish are liking large 4- to 5-inch Clouser Minnows in Discovery Bay, Franks Tract and the main stem of the San Joaquin.” Call: Randy Pringle, 209-543-6260; Intimidator Sport Fishing, 916-806-3030; Captain Steve Mitchell – Hook’d Up Sport Fishing, 707-655-6736.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

San Luis Reservoir continues to rise rapidly, up to 32 percent with continued pumping out of the south Delta. Striped bass action in the main lake and O’Neill Forebay remains solid, and anglers from the south bay along with the Central Valley are heading to both lakes in search of keeper linesides. The forebay remains the best location for numbers of striped bass, and Meng Xyong of the Fishaholics said, “Anglers have to comb through several smaller fish before landing a keeper-sized fish. Fishermen fishing in the evening from shore are consistently landing bigger fish using topwater lures or swimbaits, as the fish come into the shallows to feed. Most of the vegetation is disappearing with the colder weather. The best bite has been in the morning targeting the shallows before moving deeper in the water column during noon hours. Throwing Speedlures and Duo Realis 120 jerkbaits has been the best bet in the early mornings. Trolling in the deeper water flats has been effective later.” The striper activity picked up around noon with isolated schools in the deep flats. They are beginning to school up in the channels and drop-offs, and trolling through the schools with umbrella rigs is the best bet. There are signs of boils around mid-day, but they die off as soon as they show. Blind casting will get the active one to bite in the shallows. Merritt Gilbert of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis added, “Fishermen are picking up from 30 to 40 stripers per trip to 25 inches at the forebay, but most of the fish are in the 16- to 19-inch range.” Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “There is a topwater bite early and late with Whopper Ploppers as well as the new Grass Burner by Evolution Baits, which is a big topwater prop bait. The River2Sea SWaver 168 in bone or chartreuse shad is also working for the numerous stripers.” In the main lake, Clements reported, “The jumbo minnow bite is picking up at the Trash Racks, and although there have only been a few large fish, anglers are using light tackle such as kokanee rods with a light weight and a #1 mosquito hook on the minnows for enjoyment on the striped bass. Trolling is starting to improve with P-Line Predator Minnows, broken back Rebels or Lucky Craft Pointer 128’s.” Gilbert added that a few stripers over 20 pounds have been landed in the past few weeks in the main lake, but these have been the exception. The long period of low water in July and August may have contributed to the toxic algae bloom in the main lake, and the California Department of Water Resources has issued a warning to observe the Voluntary Statewide Guidance for Blue-Green Algae Blooms recommending no swimming and for fish caught in the reservoir, throw away guts and clean fillets with tap or bottled water before cooking. Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle, 408-463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com, 559-905-2954; San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay wind conditions: 800-805-4805.

Half Moon Bay

Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat sent in the following report on the crab situation out of Half Moon Bay over the weekend, stating, “There were a lot of empty pots out of Half Moon Bay. Some people thought the traditional areas that held crab did not have Dungeness due to the large swell that was running. The area out by the Separation Zone seemed to be one of the more productive areas. Some of the traditional good crabbing spots off Martin’s Beach held nothing but rock crab. If rock crab was open above Pigeon Point, lots would have become dinner.” Second Captain Michael Cabanas of the Huli Cat went out on a rockfish/crab combo Saturday and said, “It was a very long day with little sleep for the crew after a midnight pot drop. The crab opener was not as great as we expected, but we had a lot of happy customers who loved being out on the water. Ocean conditions consisted of a big 15-second interval swell and some breeze throughout the day. Shrimp flies were the ticket for the rockfish.” Call: Happy Hooker, 510-223-5388; Captain Roger Thomas, Salty Lady, 415-760-9362; Emeryville Sport Fishing, 510-654-6040.

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’ Landing in Monterey also reported slow action over the opening weekend of crab season with the Check Mate and Caroline combining for 102 crab for 42 anglers Sunday after combining for 73 crab Saturday. He said, “The swell is as big as I have ever seen it at the pier over the weekend with boats banging up against the pier in the 18-foot swell. There is a red tide that has moved in, and it is more of a brown/red color. The crabbing was excellent further north off of Moss Landing with the swell being much smaller in the area. The rockfish were biting, but ling cod action was much slower in the big swell with half limits of rockfish and five lings for 22 anglers on the Caroline, and 24 limits of rockfish and eight lings on the Check Mate on Sunday.” They are filled through the coming weekend on the combination trips, and the crab action should improve once the swell backs off. The next open trips are Tuesday through Thursday, Nov. 15-17. Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service reported, “Every fishing season is different, but 2016 has been a little more different than most. A common remark this year has been, ‘Everything’s late this year.’ ” The water stayed cool, rockfish and especially halibut made their springtime move to shallow water a month or even two months past the normal calendar of events. Now, it looks like nature has flipped the coin and winter is arriving early. We have been blessed with a series of much-needed rainstorms in the month of October, including two storm fronts that moved in a classic wintertime manner from the northwest, bringing moisture, wind and big swells. The coming weekend has swell forecasts as big as 10-14 feet continuing through next Tuesday. This adds a challenge to sport crabbers who take advantage of the Dungeness crab opener Nov. 5. Fishing this week stayed steady for rockfish and lings at the usual spots. Todd Fraser alerted us Thursday that our hopes for bluefin tuna this year might not be in vain. Fraser reported, “My friend is flying his plane as I write this near Davenport. He has spotted two big schools of what look like bluefin. There are a few boats going out to check the area. The pictures he sent look like some good-sized fish boiling.” Call: Chris’ Landing, 831-375-5951; Bayside Marine, 831-475-2173.

San Francisco Bay

The longer soak Sunday was productive for the party boats with the Happy Hooker out of Berkeley posting 41 limits of Dungeness crab, three-quarter limits of rockfish and five lings to 10 pounds at the Farallon Islands. The story was more of the same out of Emeryville on the opener with the Sea Wolf and New Huck Finn combining for 58 limits of rockfish at the Islands along with limits of Dungeness crab. The Tiger Fish posted 24 limits of rockfish and seven ling cod. The big swell accounted for a limited number of lings, as predicted.

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Fish report for Nov. 9, 2016."