Fish report for Feb. 4

Lake Don Pedro

Lake Don Pedro hasn’t been in the fishing news for several months, but bass fishing is starting to show signs of life as the lake is receiving more interest due to recent tournaments. The overall bite is tough, particularly compared to nearby New Melones, and the best action is holding on the bottom with a slow presentation. Mike Gomez of the Bait Barn in Waterford said, “The best action is on the bottom at depths from 25 to 30 feet with plastics on the drop-shot with the Reaction Innovation’s Dirty Sanchez or Pro Worm’s 211s-PF. Shad patterns are working best for the plastic worms, and jigs such as Berserk’s Purple Hornet or TNT’s Gold Rush are also effective.” The reaction bite remains slow, and the fish have dropped in the water column as the water has been rising. The water temperature is in the 51- to 53-degree range, and the clarity ranges from stained to muddy, depending upon the location. John Liechty of Glory Hole Sporting Goods added, “During a recent trip, we worked all day long for eight keepers, and compared to New Melones, where catching and releasing four to five limits is normal, the action is much slower.” For rainbow trout, Monte Smith of Gold Country Sporting Goods will be on the lake this week, but reports of success have been scattered with one boat working all day for a quality 19-inch rainbows at a depth of 80 feet near Copper Cove. He said, “There have been a number of fish marked near the Buoy Line, but it is hard to determine if they are bass, king salmon, kokanee or rainbows.” A barrier debris boom has been installed up the river arm in the Tuolumne River, and the booms are holding back floating woody debris washed down from the aftermath of the Rim Fire. The booms will be moved further upstream as conditions permit. The lake needs to rise to 697 feet for the auxiliary road ramp at Moccasin with a rise to 725 feet necessary for the regular ramp. The Fleming Meadows Launch ramp is the only ramp on the lake, but three boats can be launched at the present time. The lake rose more than 5.5 feet to 701.45 feet in elevation and 40 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 lake remains very muddy as a result of heavy inflow over the past few weeks. For the first time in several months, the Barrett North and Barrett Cove South launch ramps are open, as the lake rose 10 feet to 638.81 feet in elevation and 13 percent of capacity. As a result of the heavily stained water, bass fishing is slow. Maintenance work is being completed on one of the gates at the dam. Call: A-1 Bait, 209-563-6505.

McSwain Reservoir

There have been no further trout plants, and other than a few catfish, trout fishing has been on the slow side. The lake is muddy from the releases from upstream McClure. The lake is currently at full capacity, but it will be slowing releasing water throughout the week. The next trout plant will occur during the week of Feb. 7. Call: McSwain Marina, 209-378-2534.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

At New Melones, the lake continues to rise, up 7 feet to 831.83 feet in elevation and 16 percent of capacity within the past week. Bass fishing has been producing numbers of fat, chunky spotted bass, but the trout bite remains much slower than anticipated. The phenomenon of slow bass fishing is also occurring at nearby Lake Don Pedro, and other than regularly planted lakes such as Amador and Camanche, the trout action has been slow at all Mother Lode reservoirs. John Liechty of Glory Hole Sporting Goods in Angels Camp said, “Bass fishing is really good for January, and we are catching four to five limits of fat spotted bass, and the big largemouth and spots should be coming out in force in the next few weeks. A slow technique on the bottom at depths from 20 to 50 feet is necessary, and plastics on the drop-shot, jigs, shakey head worms, tubes or brass and glass are all working, but you have to leave it be for a minute.” On a recent trip, Liechty was specifically targeting trophy bass, but they settled for numerous spots with some fish in the shallows and some in deeper water, depending on the bottom structure and water temperature in regions of the lake. It’s important to bring along a fizzing needle in order to deflate the bladder for a safe release. Trout action remains slow with a few planted fish taken from the banks in Glory Hole Cove or near the Highway 49 Bridge with dough bait, a marshmallow/ nightcrawler combination or a power egg/nightcrawler combination on a light wire hook in order to ensure your bait is floating off the bottom. A few holdovers have been taken, but these are the exception. Trollers are working the main river channel up to Horseshoe Bend with light trolling spoons or minnow-imitation plugs at depths to 15 feet. Catfishing is still slow in the cold water, but Ted Cambell of Sonora located a 12.1-pound whiskerfish in Glory Hole Cove on chicken livers. The crappie bite is slow but will improve upon the arrival of spring. The dam area is still buoyed off to keep out boats during periods of water releases, although the water level is at least 15 feet above the danger zone. The only launch is at Glory Hole Point, which is a one-lane dirt and gravel road leading off the end of the point. There is no courtesy dock, and a four-wheel-drive tow vehicle is advised. Lake Tulloch is scheduled for trout plants the week of Feb. 7. 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

San Luis Reservoir has risen to 34% in capacity after being as low as 18% a few months ago. 11,974 acre-feet was pumped into the lake on Monday. Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Trollers are scoring keeper-sized stripers running Lucky Craft 128’s in pearl ayu or similar patterns at depths from 80 to 90 feet on the downrigger near the Trash Racks and along the rockwall as the pumping has been heavy. Running an S-pattern along the Trash Racks has been good for numbers as well as drifting extra-large or jumbo minnows a few cranks up from the bottom. It doesn’t matter if they are extra-large or jumbos, both sizes are working.” Jon Le was out with his kayak near the Trash Rack on Saturday, but the 9 to 12 mph winds kept him in the cove. He said, “I wasn’t marking any fish, and I trolled an Alabama-rig, a jerkbait, a swimbait, and jigged for only an 18-ink keeper. I went to a live minnow and the rod immediately went off, and after a 20 minute battle, I was able to land a striper at 39.5 inches. I tried to revive the fish, but after the measurement , it didn’t survive. “Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the bite last Thursday and Friday before the storm hit was very tough. “A good angler I know fished all last Thursday for just 1 keeper. I found the fish were also acting weird on Friday when I took out Tom and Claire Hunt of Los Banos. I had to work like crazy to get a fish here and there, with 12 fish to 24 inches coming from 40 to 90 feet deep on varying lures and colors. The rising water and storm front made it pretty unstable and the fish weren’t aggressive at all-with most suspending. Most guys were struggling. The Rangers told us that anglers were complaining and that out of 7 other boats, 4 struck out- and the other 3 only got 3 fish between them that day! It’s a new day out there every day right now-but I expect it to break out soon! ” George said. Coyote Bait is holding a striper tournament until February 1st, and the entry fee making a purchase totaling $20.00 in the shop. The current leader is Jesus Reyes Silva at 23 pounds. In the O’Neill Forebay, The water is muddy and cold with heavy pumping out of the Delta into the main lake, and Clements said most stripers are on the small size ranging from undersized to barely-legal fish. When the water is pumping at Check 12, action has been good with cut baits. The other productive area is the channel at the Highway 152 Bridge with fishermen casting out as far as possible to take advantage of the swift moving water in the channel. Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954.

Half Moon Bay

The pattern of big waves and swell continued through the past weekend, and boats have been tied up to the harbor. The recreational Dungeness season has yet to open, and it appears that the closure will continue well into to the month of February and possibly beyond. The Huli Cat out of Pillar Point Harbor is the only party boat running fishing trips for sand dabs, but they haven’t been out in over a week. Captain Roger Thomas of the Salty Lady has started whale watching trips for the Oceanic Society. The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing was also out on whale watching, and all local boats will be out with passengers in the event the Titans of Mavericks is held. Interested passengers are advised to sign up for the email list at www:fishingboat.com/Mavericks as an email notification will be sent out when and if the event is scheduled. The competition is held on a 48 hour notices, and interested passengers will be added to the boats on a first- come, first-served basis. The Sand Crab Classic Surf Perch Contest is coming on March 12th, and although the event is held in Santa Cruz, fishermen are able to work the San Mateo coastline. The big swell and surf of the past few weeks will only enhance the opportunities for perch fishermen. Call: Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388; Captain Roger Thomas, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Emeryville Sport Fishing (510) 654-6040.

Monterey/Santa Cruz

The Check Mate out of Chris’s Landing in Monterey went out for sand dabs and mackerel on Friday for bucketloads of both species, but they weren’t out over the weekend. They will be running these trips based upon interest and weather. Mickey Clements at Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported good action for perch from the beaches when the swell is down. The swell was big over the weekend, but fishermen have been scoring barred surf perch to 2.5 pounds using jumbo blood worms cut into 2.5-inch strips. Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing said, “A break in the weather and smaller swells provided Monterey Bay anglers with much-needed opportunities to hit the beach this week. Surfcasting for perch is getting better with more, and bigger fish being reported caught. One of the best aspects of surf perching on Monterey Bay is the amount of sandy space we anglers have to enjoy. Exploring new spots or hiking a mile or two down the beach away from the parking lot guarantees not only solitude but the opportunity to find the perfect beach structure that holds feeding perch. Marina fisherman Robert Lonsinger usually fishes towards the Monterey side of the bay, and has reaped rewards lately with a strategy of extended hikes and starting early. Lonsinger targets the bigger holes and inside troughs on beaches towards the middle of the bay. Even when the waves are big, these spots can produce well. “I think perching has been good everywhere. (I look for) Lots of big holes and rougher water. I think only the big fish can deal with it.” On Wednesday he retained a near-limit of big barred surfperch, with the largest measuring 15 inches, pretty much the upper end of BSP size. A new swell is forecast to move in this weekend, with waves forecast in the eight-10 foot region. The big swell this weekend is likely to deposit more sand in the Santa Cruz Harbor entrance. This week, the Harbor dredge operations were able to clear enough of a channel that a few boats transited the Harbor entrance.” The 12th Annual Sand Crab Classic Perch Derby is now accepting entries for its March 12 event. Entries are available at Bayside Marine in the Santa Cruz Harbor and online at www.sandcrabclassic.com. Deadline for entries is February 8th. As usual, all proceeds from this family event go the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. Derby coordinator Mike Baxter expects a full roster of 300 anglers competing again this year.” Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173.

San Francisco Bay

Sturgeon fishing has been the story in San Pablo Bay as well with George Lu of Bay Tackle in El Cerrito saying, “Sturgeon fishing is number 1 from the Pumphouse to the Mothball Fleet.” There was a herring spawn at the Ferry Pier in the Richmond on Thursday morning, and although the herring spawns were thick over a week ago, a second wave of herring moved it. Lu said, “I thought the spawns were over, but we had a big run on cast nets in the morning for the herring.” A sturgeon was landed from the Eckley Pier in Crockett at night with an eel/pile worm combination. They have live pile worms and ghost shrimp in the shop along with plenty of frozen eel and salmon roe, and the bait will be distributed on first-come, first-serve basis over this coming derby weekend. Captain Jim Smith of the Happy Hooker out of Berkeley wants to celebrate Saturday before the Super Bowl with sturgeon fishing and some fresh sturgeon. He said, “The tides are great for next weekend.” Big winds hampered the bay on Sunday with some big gusts moving through the area. The sturgeon are also on the move in response to herring spawns in the central bay. Small striped bass are abundant in San Pablo Bay, but there were few boats out in the heavy winds over the weekend. In the Napa River, Sweeney’s Sports in Napa reported an improved sturgeon bite from the Brazos Bridge south to the Highway 37 Bridge with shrimpbaits or eel. Striper fishing has slowed considerably with the muddy water.

San Luis Obispo

Surf perch fishing is the top draw for valley anglers, and Carlos Villanueva of Bakersfield brought in two huge barred surf perch at 3.3 and 2.4 pounds to Bob’s Bait Bucket, and he landed his limit of perch on blood worms off of Pismo Beach. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, they will be running some nature cruises on the weekend, but groups of 10 or more are able to be scheduled during the week. Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay will be running whale watching and nature excursions from January through April. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has opened the recreational Dungeness crab and rock crab season on the mainland coast south of Piedras Blancas Light Station in San Luis Obispo County. Call: Virg’s Landing, (805) 772-1222; (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Port Side Marine Sports Launch (805) 595-7214.

Delta/Stockton

The first of four major sturgeon derbies started off the derby season with the 10th Annual Diamond Classic Catch and Release Derby out of Martinez leading off with over 500 fishermen participating including over 100 youth. Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing, organizer for the Diamond Classic said, “The 10th annual Diamond Classic Catch & Release Sturgeon Derby was another great success. We had 374 adult entries and 129 kids participated this year. Three hundred seventy-four fishermen resulted in $9,350.00 being distributed to the top seven places, and there were 39 legal sturgeon caught and released along with 42 shakers, and 8 oversized. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing had an epic day on his boat, the ‘Top Gun,’ during Saturday’s derby with 3 keeper sturgeon, an oversized, and a shaker for three tickets into the prize lottery. After the success of the Diamond Classic this past Saturday, the Foundation Sportsmen’s Club, aka ‘Original Sturgeon Derby’ is this upcoming weekend starting on Friday, and anglers are advised to procure their bait well in advance as live bait remains in short supply. The minus tides should bring out an even better sturgeon bite for the upcoming derby. Andy Doudna, organizer of the upcoming Addathon Iron Man Sturgeon Derby out of Pittsburg reported, “Sturgeon fishing has greatly improved over the last few weeks for a few key reasons. The water temperatures are on the rise for the most part, well into 53-54 degrees from 45 to 47 degrees. We’re also seeing a good mix of fresh water into the system from the recent rains pushing out the saltwater. The grass on the bottom has been on the decline in the west part of the Delta the past week which is helping the sturgeon bite. Salmon Roe and lamprey eel/nightcrawler combinations still seem to be the big producers, and with the water getting diry, adding oil scent will enhance the scent trail. Sturgeon fishing has been good throughout the delta from north of Rio Vista to Mothball Fleet, and particular hot spots are Montezuma Slough, Suisun Slough, the Mothball Fleet, and Sherman Island.” Doudna was a participant in the Diamond Classic, and they released a 65 incher in Montezuma Slough a few minutes before the final whistle. The next Addathon Iron Man Derby will be on March 19/20th out of Pittsburg Marina. Pam Hayes of Benicia Bait reported live grass shrimp will be in short supply over the derby weekend, but Curtis Hayes has been picking up a few pounds here and there and keeping it for those who have reserved bait. Do Doung of Dockside Bait in Pittsburg reported windy and rough conditions limited anglers on Sunday, but sturgeon have been coming into the shop on a regular basis with the top areas the Big Cut, Decker Island, and Buoy 33. Rio Vista Bait reported the best sturgeon fishing has been taking place upriver in Prospect Slough or near the Sherman Island Power Lines with eel, salmon roe, pile worms, or ghost shrimp. Dan Mathisen of Dan’s Delta Outdoors in Oakley reported very good sturgeon fishing with all baits, He said, “If you put a hook in the water on the bottom with anything on it, chances are you will catch a sturgeon.” In the upper river, Johnny Tran of New Romeo’s Bait and Tackle said, “Sturgeon have been coming in every day, and bank fishermen are using weights from 12 to 16 ounces in order to keep down on the bottom in the fast moving water. The water is muddy, and the bottom is loaded with leaves, so using scent is very important. Boaters need to take extra caution while motoring under the Three Mile Slough Bridge as the clearance is much lower at the bridge due to construction crews running rigging across the entire bottom length of the bridge with rows of pipes hanging down. The San Joaquin River has been slow overall for striped bass and sturgeon, but largemouth bass fishermen are spending most of their time in the eastern and southern portions of the Delta with good opportunities for success. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, advised searching for clear water and working slow with plastics or ripbaits. He said, “The water is warming up after these warm days this week, and the tree frogs are already out so we may be onto an early spring. “ He will be out next week on the Delta, and he plans on using a slow and methodical approach. Dan Mathisen of Dan’s Delta Outdoors in Oakley said, “ In Discovery Bay, a 32-pound largemouth bass limit was taken during last weekend’s American Bass tournament by Zach Thompson and John Billheimer with the larger fish taken on swimbaits or Alabama rigs in the clearer water. The water temperatures have warmed up into the 50’s, and the bite is getting started with most largemouth fishermen sticking with either jigs or spinnerbaits slow-rolled along ledges near flats. Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento found excellent bass action in the east Delta with fish to 7 pounds. He said, “You have to find clear water, and the Delta from Mildred out is clear, and we scored with Lucky Craft Pointer 100 ripbaits on a slow presentation. Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service confirmed the improved action, stating, “Fishing is improving with each day. Water temps hovering around 53 to 55. 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 February 2, 2016 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Fish report for Feb. 4."