Fish Report (through July 7)

Lake Don Pedro

The lake continues to steadily release water, and patience is required to launch a boat from the one-lane ramp at Fleming Meadows. Bass fishing remained best with live minnows from the bank, and large minnows have reemerged in area bait shops. Recreational boaters dominated the lake during the holiday weekend, but kokanee are still available at depths to 80 feet with micro-hoochies in pink, orange, blue or green behind a small dodger. King salmon are holding along with the kokanee schools. The lake dropped 3 feet to 690.8 feet in elevation and 37 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 South Barrett Cove launch ramp has closed, as the water level has dropped to 12 percent of capacity and 360.85 feet in elevation, receding 6 feet within the past week. The North Barrett Cove ramp is still operational with no time restrictions. The ramp requires a long walk back to the parking lot unless you arrive early. Bass fishing remained excellent with live minnows from the banks. Information on the launch ramp is available at 855-222-5253.

McSwain Reservoir

The McSwain Marina is now closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The water temperature of the lake remained at 72 degrees, and a number of spotted bass have entered the lake from upstream McClure. There are as many bass as trout landed, as trollers are working as deep as 35 feet. There will be no future plants for the summer, and a decision will be reviewed in August based on the water temperatures. Call: McSwain Marina, 209-378-2534.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Catfish are providing the most consistent action at the lake with John Lietchy of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp reporting, “The catfish are in the shallows and feeding heavily, and this has been one of the best years for catfish with anglers reporting as many as a dozen cats on each trip. The action is best at night with frozen shad, anchovies or mackerel fished weightless on a sliding sinker rig.” The kokanee bite picked up again during the past week, but it isn’t red-hot by any means as the trout and kokanee have dropped into the deepest water in the main lake from the dam to the spillway. Gary Burns of Take it to the Limit Guide Service said, “The fish have been hitting Apex lures better than most lures, and a small Glitterbug teardrop dodger works well in front of the Apex. Tipping the lures with garlic scent will help boat a few more fish.” Trout fishing is best at depths to 70 feet with larger baits in black, purple or blue displacing more water in the depths. Bass action remained solid with the bass moving out into deeper water at 35 to 45 feet. Lietchy added, “The lake is full of spotted bass, and we are working half-ounce jigs on the bottom during the day. The fish are up in the shallows in the early mornings and also on overcast days.” Crappie fishing is best at night under lights with small minnows or minijigs. The launch ramp is in the best shape it has been in months, as the gravel is now placed on top of a layer of hard pan. A four-wheel drive is recommended to place a boat into the lake, and there is no courtesy dock. New Melones dropped 3.5 feet to 832.87 feet in elevation and 16 percent of capacity. Tulloch rose slightly to 509.43 feet in elevation and 99 percent of capacity. Recreational boating remained the top feature at Tulloch. 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.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

In the main San Luis Reservoir, striped bass in the 24- to 26-inch range are possible with mooched anchovies or large minnows. Bait shops are starting to get in a trickle of large minnows, but extra-large and jumbo minnows are still unavailable. Trollers are finding limited success with Yozuri Crystal Minnows or similar lures at depths to 75 feet above structure. Roger George of Roger George’s Guide Service said he didn’t guide this holiday week but that Los Banos dentist Jordan Combs told him he landed and released a striper in the high teens on a trolled lure in the big lake. Catfish action from the banks has been very good with whiskerfish in the 15- to 25-pound range reported with blood worms, anchovies or mackerel. In the Forebay, small stripers are the rule, and undersized linesides dominate action near Check 12 or under the Highway 152 Bridge. Blood worms, pile worms or anchovies are working, but due to weather conditions on the East Coast, blood and pile worms have been scarce. The weed growth is starting to take over the lake, but jerkbaits, hair raisers or single-tailed swimbaits are working in the open holes in the weeds. The lake continues to release water at a rapid clip for agricultural and domestic uses, and it dropped 4 percent this week to 37 percent of capacity with a release of 11,567 acre-feet on Monday. Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle, 408-463-0711; Roger George of Roger George Guide Service, 559-905-2954.

Half Moon Bay

Second Captain Mike Cabanas of the Huli Cat was out with a big load with Captain Tom Mattusch on Sunday for excellent ling cod action south off Pescadero. They put in 25 lings to 13 pounds along with limits of rockfish. He said, “Four anglers put in 10 of the ling cod, and the rockfish bit so well that we had to move off of the black rockfish in search of bottom dwellers such as olives, browns and vermilions.” The five black rockfish limit has changed the way anglers keep count and the spots they are able to stay upon. Salmon fishing remains slow in the area, but there are party boats coming from the north side down to the Pacifica Pier. Call: Happy Hooker, 510-223-5388; Roger Thomas, Salty Lady, 415-760-9362; Bait and Switch 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’ Landing reported salmon fishing remained slow for their boats, but the skiffs are picking up a few outside Moss Landing. The area is still loaded with anchovies. Rockfishing continues to be outstanding with the Check Mate checking in with 19 limits of rockfish and 19 lings for 15 anglers Sunday after posting 22 limits of rockfish and 33 lings on Saturday. He said, “Whale watching has been solid, and we are seeing whales on every trip, and the whales are thick as far south as Avila Beach. There are reports of 30 blue whales and lots of humpbacks outside of the Farallon Islands, and for that many blue whales to be out there, there must be tons of krill.” A few boats took advantage of the weather window to make a tuna run, but they returned empty handed. The water temperature is very warm at 62 degrees at Twin Rocks. Striped bass are still around on the beaches, but the big schools have vacated the area. Call: Chris’ Landing, 831-375-5951; Bayside Marine, 831-475-2173; usafishing.com.

San Francisco Bay

Salmon fishing has been on the upswing with Second Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady returning with 25 salmon for 15 passengers on July 4 trolling near Rocky Point. Captain Jerad found the fish the previous day while the majority of boats ran south, and he put his clients onto a fish per rod Friday with 24 salmon to 30 pounds for 24 passengers. He said, “These were new fish, and they were a larger grade of salmon.” Hunt Conrad of the Healdsburg Tribune went along the north side of the Gate on Sunday for a few scratched baits and a lost king before moving down to Pacifica along with seven party boats. They found silvers and small shaker salmon in the area before heading down to Sharp Park Point for limits of striped bass to 15 pounds. Captain Todd on the Blue Runner out of Sausalito returned with more than a fish per rod Sunday with 15 salmon to 25 pounds for 11 anglers along the north side. Two Sausalito boats were out Saturday for 36 salmon to 25 pounds for 42 fishermen along with a 16-pound striped bass. They were working a wide area of coastline from the Pacifica Pier to the Duxbury Buoy. They got dialed in where Davis found the fish earlier in the weekend, and two Sausalito boats returned with 40 salmon to 25 pounds for 33 fishermen Sunday. Their score confirms Davis’ assertion of the larger grade of fish with the majority of salmon in the 15- to 25-pound range. Captain James Smith of the California Dawn out of Berkeley has been on an absolute tear with Sunday’s score of 81 ling cod to 18 pounds, 54 striped bass to 21 pounds, three halibut to 36 pounds and 134 rockfish for 27 anglers being just one of many spectacular trips during the week. He left at 5:30 a.m. to be the first boat on the bass before heading outside of the Gate. Smith is filled throughout the week, but his father on the Happy Hooker has plenty of room. Captain Jim Smith also got 28 limits of striped bass early in the morning along with limits of rockfish and 40 ling cod to 18 pounds. Larry Nelson of Oakland is warming up for the big ling cod contest with four lings to 15 pounds and eight bass on Sunday’s trip. Striped bass fishing continues to be ridiculous with the New Huck Finn out of Emeryville posting 23 limits of striped bass, 23 limits of ling cod and 147 rockfish Sunday. The boats are finding very early striper limits before heading outside the Gate. Some boats are limiting out with stripers by 9 a.m. or earlier. Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael said, “It is just like the Good old days, and the only exception is the smaller size of the striped bass, but the numbers are there.” He added, “Halibut fishing has also improved despite minus tides, and the only limiting factor has been the wind with the flag flying straight out since 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.” The leader board for the Loch Lomond Lord of the Sea Summer Striper/Halibut Derby hasn’t changed, and it still takes at least 18 pounds to get on the board.”

Delta/Stockton

The wind has been high on a consistent basis, and when it isn’t windy, the triple-digit heat and lack of live bait have been limiting factors for Sacramento River Delta anglers. The shad action near Freeport has slowed to a crawl, but there are still American shad moving through the system, as a late run arrived into the American River. Salty water conditions continue to plague Suisun Bay with the invasion of saltwater species near Benicia and further upriver. Few sturgeon anglers are out, but a few diamondbacks have been taken near the Ozol Pier. Benicia is getting ready for the highly anticipated river salmon opener on July 16, and they are lining the shelves with their Vee-Zee spinners. Jack smelt are thick along the Benicia shoreline, and anglers are working grass shrimp under a bobber or similar setups for the smelt. The occasional bat ray and various species of shark are lurking around the Dillon Point State. There is the anticipation of an early run of striped bass with the huge numbers of bass along the shorelines and in the bay, and every August, huge striped bass are caught in the Sherman and Decker Island sections. Do Doung of Dockside Bait in Pittsburg reported few fishermen have been out during the hot temperatures, but live mudsuckers are working for legal striped bass in Honker Bay or Broad Slough in the early mornings before the heat arrives with a force. Largemouth bass are the primary species, and Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, reported a phenomenal bite for fish ranging from 7 inches to 6.25 pounds with the best action on the half-ounce chartreuse/white Persuader buzzbait. He worked the lure above the weeds with a chucka chucka pattern on the morning high tide into the outgo. The ima Floating Flit with a chartreuse bill is also effective, as the bass are feeding on bluegill. Numbers are taken on the Havoc Flat Dog on a one-eighth-ounce Zappu head at depths to 10 feet, and Pringle will upgrade to a 3/16th-ounce Zappu once the current picks up. He said, “We are focusing on moving current into the banks, and the key is finding tules that are waving. Once you find this condition, it will be lights out.” Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento has been finding great action punching the grass mats with Missle’s D Bombs on three-quarters to 1-ounce weights. Christian Lauritzen of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley said, “A few of the black bass fishermen that have pulled out already this morning were catching black bass up to 5 pounds. I assume they were fishing mostly Sherman Lake and a few possibly going into Big Break as well. For those of you who have not been to the west Delta in a while, remember the removable rock barrier is in place at the west end of False River. In order to get into False River, you have to enter Fisherman Cut and then into False River. It will add about 15 minutes to your trip.” Brandon Gallegos of H and R Bait in Stockton said most stripers are shakers in the Stockton area with the majority of fish in the 16- to 17-inch range. Doug Chapman of Gotcha Bait in Antioch reported the Antioch Fishing Pier has been crowded on a daily basis and yielding an average of five to 10 keeper stripers per day to 30 inches with live mudsuckers or frozen sardines. Catfishing is best in the slough in the south San Joaquin River with frozen clams or chicken livers. Crappie fishing has been best with small to medium minnows off Eight Mile Road west of Stockton. Call: Randy Pringle, 209-543-6260; Captain Stan Koenigsberger – Quetzal Adventures, 925-570-5303; Intimidator Sport Fishing, 916-806-3030.

This story was originally published July 7, 2015 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Fish Report (through July 7)."