Fish report for March 9, 2016
Lake Don Pedro
Mike Gomez of the Bait Barn in Waterford said, “Bass fishing continues be very tough, with the best action on shad-patterned plastics on the drop-shot or shakey head. A dead-stick presentation is essential in order to entice strikes. Before the recent storms, male bass were cruising the shoreline, but they will back off with the colder and muddier conditions. A few fish have been taken on swimbaits, but these are the exception.” Trout trolling remains very slow with few anglers trying. Bank fishermen are scoring planted rainbows with various colors of trout dough bait, mice tails or nightcrawlers. With the lake rising to more than 725 feet, the Moccasin is now open and on the concrete, providing an alternate to the Fleming Meadows launch ramp. The lake rose nearly 8 feet to 727.49 feet in elevation and 49 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.
MClure Reservoir
Mike Gomez at the Bait Barn in Waterford said, “The bass bite is solid with spinnerbaits, crank baits and jigs all working, but the water is stained and about 51 degrees with the Barrett Cove South Ramp open. Anglers are picking up planted rainbows from the banks with Power Bait, Power Eggs or nightcrawlers.” There are houseboats in several locations on the lake with the marinas moving the boats into deeper water, and no-wake zones exist throughout the lake. Maintenance work is being completed on one of the gates at the dam. The lake has risen an amazing 17 feet to 681.14 feet in elevation and 21 percent of capacity. Call: A-1 Bait, 209-563-6505.
MSwain Reservoir
High winds arrived over the weekend, but that didn’t stop shoreline fishermen from appearing during windows in the storms. The normal fare of blue/chrome Kastmasters, garlic rainbow trout dough bait or power eggs are working, and nightcrawlers are also an option. The lake has risen to the normal water level, but maintenance work on the Exchequer Dam at Lake McClure continues. The water clarity is limited due to the inflow from McClure, and bass have entered the lake through the water releases and warmer overall temperatures. Call: McSwain Marina, 209-378-2534.
New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch
At New Melones, bass fishing remains excellent, as the fish have moved into the shallows in a springtime pre-spawn mode. But the recent storms should move the fish back off the banks into deeper water. John Liechty of Xperience Fishing Guide Service said, “The bass were up in the shallows when the temperatures were in the mid-70s, and we were finding them flipping Senkos along with jerkbaits, glidebaits and swimbaits in a normal springtime pattern. This week’s heavy rains will muddy up the lake, but you will still be able to catch them in the off-color water; you just have to adjust your technique. Anything with vibration will work, including vibrating lures such as swimbaits with a boot tail, chatterbaits or vibrating jigs.” Nate Monroe caught and released a very nice limit of bass on jigs at depths from 25 to 35 feet. Trout fishing remains slow. The recent rains will create flow in the inlets, attracting the rainbows to the creek inlets. Bank fishing is still best near the Highway 49 Bridge with trout dough bait, power eggs or nightcrawler/marshmallow combinations off the bottom. Local fisherman Bob Byrd landed a handful of nice trout while trolling near the dam area with shad-patterned and rainbow-patterned spoons at depths from 10 to 15 feet. Kokanee have yet to show up but should within the month of April. With the warm weather, catfish have started moving into shallow water, but they should be backing off within the week. Liechty said, “Look for areas that have plenty of sunlight throughout the day. Also, the rocks will warm and attract shad and large catfish. Some of the largest catfish ever caught out of New Melones have been caught during heavy rainfall. The catfish will move to areas with running water.” Crappie fishing is good near wood and brush in coves and pockets off the main lake with live minnows under a slip-float or crappie jigs. The launch ramp at Glory Hole Point is expected to be on the concrete by the middle of the current week with the lake steadily rising, up 8 feet to 855.69 feet in elevation and 20 percent of capacity within the past week. 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.
Half Moon Bay
The only factor slowing the outstanding crab action is the weather, as high winds and swell stopped boats from heading out the past weekend, but 10-crab limits have been the rule on all trips. Rockfish season opens below Pigeon Point on April 1 and above Pigeon Point to Point Arena on April 15. Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat out of Pillar Point Harbor said, “Crabbing is just spectacular, and without the commercial pressure, the pots are coming up full and our customers are leaving the boat happy with big crab that are full of meat.” Second captain Michael Cabanas of the Huli Cat has been running the boat south to the pots off Martin’s Beach, and they pulled three pots for seven limits and four pots for 12 limits on recent trips with as many as 35 legal crab in one pot. The California Kayak and Canoe Company will offer its kayak fishing safety and rescue class on April 23 at Pillar Point Harbor. These are essential skills for anyone fishing in the ocean. Registration is available at https://fareharbor.com/calkayak/items/14239/. Further north in Pacifica, Rob Chaney of the Rusty Hook reported solid crabbing when the Pacifica Pier is open. It has been closed intermittently during periods of peak tide and swell. Call: Happy Hooker, 510-223-5388; Captain Roger Thomas, Salty Lady, 415-760-9362; Emeryville Sport Fishing, 510-654-6040.
Monterey/Santa Cruz
Todd Arcoleo of Chris’ Fishing Trips in Monterey reported the Check Mate returned with 17 limits of Dungeness crab and plenty of sand dabs Sunday. Out of Santa Cruz, the big fishing event of the spring – the 12th annual Sand Crab Classic Surf Perch Derby – is this Saturday. The annual event is a fundraiser for the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. The weigh-in will be held at 1 p.m. at the Portuguese Hall on 216 Evergreen Street in Santa Cruz. The event is sold out, but meal-only tickets will be available at the door for $10. Call: Chris’ Landing, 831-375-5951; Bayside Marine, 831-475-2173.
San Francisco Bay
Heading outside the Golden Gate was not an option over the weekend, but Captain Chris Smith of the Captain Hook went out before the storm on Friday for limits of crab, two halibut and a couple of bass. He’s running the combination trips for $175 per customer with room this weekend. Captain Jim Smith of the Happy Hooker said, “Fishermen have been scoring stripers to 24 inches in front of the Richmond Rod and Gun Club as well as on the Berkeley Flats, but I won’t start drifting until the conditions are right.” Craig Hanson of Argo Sport Fishing put in a great trip last week with limits of striped bass in San Pablo Bay before making a few drifts in the central bay, resulting in a 30-pound halibut landed by Aurelia Isidoro on her first West Coast fishing trip. Hanson said, “There are currently halibut stretched from the San Francisco Airport to San Pablo Bay.”
Delta/Stockton
The striped bass have made a big push into the Sacramento River, and quality linesides have been caught and released in a variety of locations with the best action in the north Delta. Liberty Island has been producing quality stripers, and Don Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience said, “The fish are there, and they are ready to spawn with males milting all around.” Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento also has been working the shallows at Liberty Island, and he added, “It was really good before the rains, and I think it will still be good for another three to four days before the mud moves in. It was crazy in there with stripers on glidebaits and largemouth bass on Senkos or chatterbaits.” J.D. Richey of Richey’s Sport Fishing went into the North Delta before the storms arrived, and he found the linesides stacked up. Richey said, “With the overcast conditions, I expected to find some topwater action, but the fish knew that something big was coming. The fish were holding deep, and we found great action for a smaller grade of stripers on spoons at depths to 25 feet.” Do Doung at Dockside Bait in Pittsburg reported sturgeon are being caught at Buoys 2 and 3 along with 33 and 34. One boat picked up a legal sturgeon and released a shaker at Buoy 33. Striper fishing has been up and down with mostly schoolies within the past week. Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg said, “We were blown out for the weekend, but sturgeon fishing is not what it should be, as we have landed just over 50 fish this year compared to a normal year of over 100 fish by this time. The coming storm and good series of tides next week should bring out some action.” Jim Pickens of the Fishermen’s Friend in Lodi said, “Striper fishing has taken a front seat to sturgeon fishing. The Sacramento and San Joaquin are full of fresh striped bass coming up from the bay. Trolling both deep or shallow with P-Line Predator Minnows or Angry Eyes, Yozuri Crystal Minnows or Rat-L-Traps have out-produced bait fishing since last week, but drifting live minnows and bluegill is a close second. ” There are two sturgeon derbies in the Delta the weekend of March 18 with the Addathon Iron Man Derby out of Pittsburg and the New Romeo’s Sturgeon Derby out of Freeport. The Central Valley Anglers Spring Striper Derby will be held March 20 out of Sandy Beach. Information at www.centralvalleyanglers.org.Fong also has been on the San Joaquin, stating, “The water temperature is 61 degrees, and the fish are up tight on the banks. We have been scoring with Senkos or chatterbaits next to the banks, but the sea lions are thick in the river, even pulling the bass out of the tules inside of Frank’s Tract.” Also for largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, reported finding very clear water in some areas and dirty water in others. He said, “We did better in the dinghy water at 5 feet in depth, as we had to change techniques and go light in the clear water. Half-ounce Persuader jigs in black/blue, the Flat Dog on a Zappu head, the Persuader chartreuse/white spinner bait or the ima Squarebill crankbait were all working in certain areas. The bass were plentiful, and there were a number of good fish to 4 pounds.” Jim Pickens of the Fishermen’s Friend in Lodi added, “The bass bite on the San Joaquin continues to be solid on the San Joaquin side. Fourteen Mile, King’s Island, White Slough, Mildred Island and Franks Tract are still producing bass to 9 pounds.” Chatterbaits and flipping dark-colored jigs are working. In cleaner water, squarebill crankbaits or drop-shotting plastic worms are working best. Some anglers are picking up stripers on the shoals from Eddo’s to Potato Slough trolling P-Line’s Angry Eye Minnows, Yo-zuris or Rebels. Call: Randy Pringle, 209-543-6260; Intimidator Sport Fishing, 916-806-3030; Captain Stan Koenigsberger – Quetzal Adventures, 925-570-5303.
This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Fish report for March 9, 2016."