Fish Report (through Aug. 18)

Lake Don Pedro

The king salmon and trout action at Don Pedro continued to be slow with the fish holding deep as the lake continues to recede. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported a tough bite during a recent trip with four bites resulting in two salmon and a rainbow trout fishing as deep as 100 feet with a variety of presentations. Smith said, “We started out fast-trolling heavy spoons without any action, although we marked plenty of fish and bait at depths from 30 to 50 feet. And after this slow period, we switched over to smaller spoons, losing a decent salmon that was taking line. As we marked bait, I put on Wiggle Hoochies with a piece of anchovy at depths from 90 to 100 feet, and the lures came up with the anchovy missing. We put a shad down to roll, but it didn’t get hit either before we finally landed a quality rainbow at 85 feet on the Wiggle Hoochie along with two other king salmon. I think the bite will start within the month, as there is so much bait holding between 30 and 50 feet.” Smith advised fishermen to heavy scent their baits with various Pro Cure flavors as well as running ball trolls for added flash in the dingy water. He added, “The water at Don Pedro is generally off-color at this time of year.” For spotted and largemouth bass, Manny Basi of the Bait Barn in Waterford reported large minnows have been effective from the banks, and the bite was solid until the triple-digit temperatures struck last weekend. The best action is early in the morning or late in the evening, and boaters are having to drop-shot at depths to 60 feet for decent action with Reaction Innovation’s Bad Shad Green or Robo Worm’s Hologram Shad. The launch ramp at Fleming Meadows is the only launch on the lake, and it requires a skillful backup job to launch as it turns to the left. Once a boat is past the curve, the launch ramp opens up, allowing for two boats to be put in or taken at out a time. The lake dropped 2 feet to 679.95 feet in elevation and 33 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.

McSwain Reservoir

The McSwain Marina is now closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Spotted bass are dominating action for the few bank and boat fishermen, as the warm-water species have moved into the lake due to releases from upstream McClure. There will be no future trout plants for the summer, and a decision for future plants will be reviewed based upon the water temperatures. Call: McSwain Marina, 209-378-2534.

McClure Reservoir

Bass and catfish from the banks are available, but there are few boats launched due to the low water conditions at the lake. The North Barrett Cove ramp is the only launch operational, as the lake has dropped 2 feet this week to 617.17 feet in elevation and 10 percent of capacity. The ramp requires a long walk back to the parking lot unless you arrive early. Information on the launch ramp is available at 855-222-5253. A proposal to close the Merced River to fishing until Jan. 1 due to the drought has been presented for public review.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

At New Melones, the launch ramp situation is keeping boaters from the lake, but patient fishermen are easily able to launch on the gravel road with a four-wheel drive tow vehicle. Fortunately, action from the banks remains solid with the crappie bite starting to emerge. John Lietchy of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp reported a good crappie bite by stating, “The last time the lake was this low, the crappie fishing in the mid to late summer was really good. Standing timber is lining the lake, and the crappie will hold in the submerged timber and ambush schools of small shad as they come by. Find an area where the timber is near deep water, and anchor and drop a submersible light to attract crappie.” Morgan Styre of Sonora caught more than 30 crappie to 2 pounds while fishing with live minnows at night. Catfishing remains outstanding with the whiskerfish cruising the shallows along the shoreline in search of food. Sardines, mackerel, anchovies or frozen shad are working for quality whiskerfish, and Lietchy advised using additional scent along with a bead to create noise and vibration. Trout fishing continued to be slow with spotted bass coming up on the end of lines as much as the rainbow trout. The bass are suspending and chasing shad in the main lake, where the temperatures are cooler. Night fishing under lights at depths from 40 to 60 feet has been the best option for rainbows with trout dough bait, minnows or nightcrawlers. Kokanee is very slow with few fishermen targeting the landlocked salmon. Bass fishing is fair, and the bite is getting tougher through the period of triple-digit weather. The bass are suspended and chasing shad in the main lake. There is a small window for topwater, but the best action is at night with black spinnerbaits with a small single Colorado blade with a small boot-tail trailer. Lietchy said, “This bait will create a thumping sound with the rotation of the blade and the wag of the tail.” The lake dropped 3.5 feet to 13 percent of capacity and 811.98 feet in elevation. Tulloch rose to 508.83 feet in elevation and 96 percent of capacity, and water releases are expected to begin in earnest Aug. 23. 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 lake, the arrival of extra-large minnows in area bait shops has led to more anglers drifting the live bait in the main lake. Trollers are finding the best action at the mouth of Portuguese Cove or around Dinosaur Point with P-Line’s Predator Minnows, broken-back Rebels, swimbaits on an Umbrella rig or Yozuri Crystal Minnows. Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said the fish have been lethargic for him and several other good anglers for the past week. “We only got four fish to 22 inches trolling all day with unusual numbers of the fish just sitting on the bottom in the mud. We didn’t see one other boat catch a single fish Saturday, telling me something was way off. The water level is actually pretty good, but the heat was tough. Boats are launching at the second dirt ramp at Basalt now.” The banks around Romero Visitor Center are producing with blood worms or pile worms, but a long walk to the parking lot is necessary. In the O’Neill Forebay, Anthony Lopez of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported catfish are showing up around Highway 152 and Check 12 with chicken liver while small stripers are abundant with white flukes on a 3/16th-ounce Scrounger head, blood worms or pile worms. Keepers in the 18- to 22-inch range are possible, but you have to go through a number of fish to find a limit. The main lake continues to release water at a rapid clip for agricultural and domestic uses, and it dropped 1 percent this week to 22 percent of capacity with a release of 3,807 acre-feet Monday. Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle, 408-463-0711; Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com, 559-905-2954.

Half Moon Bay

Dennis Baxter of the New Captain Pete went rockfishing Saturday for 21 limits of rockfish and four ling cod before beating it back home against the wind and current. He said, “We had an unforeseen breeze along the coast, and it made for rough conditions in the afternoons.” Private boaters are still finding enough salmon to keep them occupied between the Red and Green Buoy, but the hot spot over the weekend was Egg Rock and Pedro Point for salmon. He said, “There is a good scattering of fish along the coast, and the Que Sera Sera landed five commercial-grade salmon after rockfishing on Saturday near San Gregorio.” Baxter has an open-load salmon trip Tuesday, and he said with conviction, “We are going!” Rob Chaney at the Rusty Hook in Pacifica reported striped bass action is slowing down a bit, particularly during the daytime, but the bite is solid at night with hair raisers, jigs and spoons in red/white with a chartreuse line. The water has been flat calm, and the weather has been humid and smoky along the coast. No salmon have been taken from the pier, but trollers are finding good action off Pedro Point. A few white sea bass also are showing up off Egg Rock with the accumulation of squid in the region. 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’ Fishing Trips in Monterey reported limits of rockfish, and solid ling counts remain the rule with 22 limits and 15 lings on the Caroline on Sunday along with 21 limits and 16 lings on the Check Mate. It was more of the same Saturday with a combined 46 ling cod and 62 limits of rockfish on the Caroline and Star of Monterey. Call: Chris’ Landing, 831-375-5951; Bayside Marine, 831-475-2173; usafishing.com.

San Francisco Bay

Salmon fishing was just under a fish a rod Friday and Saturday with Captain Roger Thomas of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito returning with 14 salmon to 22 pounds for 20 anglers along the Marin coast Friday. It was an up-and-down bite again Sunday with the Sundance and Super Fish out of Emeryville Sport Fishing putting in more than a fish per rod with 19 salmon to 16 pounds for 15 anglers working the Marin coastline. The Blue Runner out of Sausalito had a solid day with 11 salmon for 15 anglers working the Marin coast. It was a different story for the three Sausalito boats as they went south in search of salmon Sunday to find only 16 for 55 anglers before running back north along the Marin coast. Their action was better Saturday as they went south and west of the Golden Gate for 40 salmon to 26 pounds for 47 fishermen while the Sundance, C Gull II, New Salmon Queen and New Seeker combined for 45 salmon to 22 pounds for 61 fishermen. The C Gull II came in with nearly a fish per rod at 12 for 15 fishermen plus a 12-pound striped bass. It’s still a pick out there with good days followed by slower action. It has been hard to get a read on the salmon fishing this year. Pick a day, pick a location – and you may get lucky. Rockfishing is far more consistent with the Happy Hooker putting in limits of rockfish and up to 39 ling cod Thursday and Friday. They ended up with three-quarters limits of rockfish along with 39 ling cod despite fishermen bringing out their big baits. Captain James Smith on the California Dawn put in 57 lings for just shy of limits for 20 anglers Sunday along with 177 rockfish. There may have been a bit of a case of ling cod fever on this boat as well. Friday’s score was tremendous for Smith, as he took out an 11-man charter for limits of ling cod, 11 halibut, 11 striped bass, a salmon and 72 rockfish. The New Huck Finn, Sea Wolf, New Seeker and Tiger Fish out of Emeryville Sport Fishing went up the Marin coast Saturday for 104 limits of rockfish and 130 ling cod to 20 pounds. On Sunday, the Sea Wolf went to the Farallon Islands and caught mackerel and sand dabs on the way out, accounting for 65 ling cod to 18 pounds along with 25 limits of rockfish. It’s the time of year when the live bait becomes available for the party boats offshore. Inside the bay, Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle in San Rafael reported continued outstanding striper action in San Pablo Bay. He said, “Drifting Loch Lomond shiners at the Brothers or Sisters or trolling along the shoreline at the top of the tide is producing no end to the stripers.” An occasional salmon is landed at California City, but Fraser advised, “It’s worth going, but don’t quit your day job to go just yet.” Captain Gordon Hough of the Morningstar was at Raccoon Straits on Saturday, and he marked plenty of striped bass holding on the small reef at the west end of the strait. Fraser has frozen midshipmen as well as plenty of shiners in the shop. Captain Bill Clapp of Bill’s Sport Fishing has been targeting commercial halibut in the bay, and after a few days of slower action, he had flatfish at 30, 20 and 12 pounds in the box Sunday.

Delta/Stockton

Salmon fishing remains extremely slow along both ends of the Delta, but the water cleared up enough Sunday to account for three salmon to 15 pounds taken off Dillon Point State Park. In the upper river near Freeport, at least four salmon to 20 pounds have been caught since the opener. Striped bass are moving in with more force, and there are stripers spread out from Benicia up above the Rio Vista Bridge. James Nguyen of Dockside Bait in Pittsburg reported small striped bass to 5 pounds are plentiful in Broad Slough, Sherman Lake and along Decker Island with live mudsuckers, frozen shad or grass shrimp. At least two salmon have been landed from the shoreline near Antioch on spinners, but the fish are moving so fast through the river due to the water temperatures. Mark Wilson, striped bass trolling expert, was on the river Sunday during the triple-digit temperatures, and he reported solid action with three-quarter-ounce Rat-L-Traps on light tackle in the shallows above the Rio Vista Bridge. “We ended up catching and releasing 30 stripers to 6 pounds, and there were at least five fish in the 4- to 6-pound range.” Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento confirmed the emergence of the striped bass, and swimbaits are the ticket for linesides near Liberty Island. Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle in Freeport reported live mudsuckers are producing stripers in the Sacramento Deep Water Channel, Liberty Island and along the sandbar above the Rio Vista Bridge. He said, “Stripers are getting better and better every day.” Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service reported, “Currently, we have great smallmouth fishing. If you fish now for smallie, you can plan on non-stop action all day long.” For the upcoming sturgeon season, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking anglers to use caution and extra vigilance to help conserve California’s white sturgeon and green sturgeon populations, both of which are being impacted by the drought. CDFW encourages anglers to use high-strength fishing line to reduce duration of the fight and in-water techniques for measuring the size of white sturgeon. Anglers should leave oversize white sturgeon in the water at all times and know how to quickly identify green sturgeon. The regular appearance of fresh shad in local bait shops has coincided with the arrival of striped bass in the Antioch area. Water temperatures remain very high, but the striper action, although slower than the neighboring Sacramento River, is starting to heat up. Largemouth bass are taking refuge under the mats due to the triple-digit temperatures, and punching the weeds remains a top technique. Doug Chapman of Gotcha Bait in Antioch reported good numbers of fishermen are out despite the temperatures. Stripers to 36 inches have been taken off the Antioch Fishing Pier, and Chapman picked up a 29-incher on fresh shad during the week. Fresh shad and live mudsuckers have been the top baits. For largemouth bass, Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento reported punching the weeds with Missle’s D-Bombs in green pumpkin on a 1- to 1.5-ounce tungsten weight are producing bass, and there is an early morning topwater bite with Whopper Ploppers or buzzbaits. Largemouth bass also are found in Big Break or Frank’s Tract with large minnows. Also for largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was the tournament director for the Best Bass Tournament at Russo’s Marina last weekend. He said, “It was tough out there with the triple-digit temperatures, and the best action was found on topwater lures along with drop-shot plastics with a scattered bite with spinnerbaits or crankbaits.” He plans on flipping the Berkley Chigger Craw in black/red near the banks or tossing ima’s Helly P propbait on a slow, steady retrieve to keep the bait in the strike zone. 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 August 18, 2015 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Fish Report (through Aug. 18)."