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Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2009
- Messages
- 442
- Reaction score
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TOP PICKS
MARTINEZ -- Anglers fishing the Diamond Classic Catch and Release sturgeon derby scored 20 keepers and at least one oversized, all fish released. There were plenty of small striped bass caught also. Conditions weren't perfect, but the break in the storms came just right, with the anglers only contending with the occasional squall. Captain Jim Smith on the Happy Hooker didn't fish the derby, but his anglers caught two keepers, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Captain Chris Smith ran the California Dawn, and scored three keeper sturgeon for four anglers, and they lost a fourth big one due to equipment malfunction (a levelwind reel frozen).
AMADOR LAKE -- Lake level rose 12 feet (five feet in one day) and then on the weekend, the trout action took off. There were several tagged fish caught (five alone in the afternoon), and all weighed over six pounds. Top tactic was floating a white Power Worm around the shoreline in the top 3 feet of water. Bass fishing was a little tough for a 19 team event, with several skunks, but a few fish weighed (mostly small).
NEW MELONES RESERVOIR -- Great action on trout, but even more surprising was yet another trophy-class catfish nearing the 20-pound mark that was weighed at Glory Hole Sports. This lake has produced lunker catfish over 10 pounds almost weekly since Christmas. The trout guys are soaking Power Bait, Power Eggs, nightcrawlers and marshmallows from shore, and while the numbers aren't always limits, the quality is very good with some nice holdovers in the 2- to 3-pound class.
AMERICAN RIVER -- Quite a few steelhead entered the river during the latest storms. Lots of steelies can be seen in Nimbus Hatchery, and some were being caught mostly in Nimbus Basin.. The river was off- color, but still flowing at around 1,500 cfs and quite fishable. It is likely to remain at that flow so long as Folsom Lake remains below its minimum flood pool for this time of year. Mini-crawlers and roe are probably the best way to go under current river conditions, but some anglers were scoring drifting mini-jigs and beads under bobbers. Fly fishers should up the size and brightness of their flies.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento -- The Sac is high, muddy, and full of debris so boating is out of the question for the foreseeable future, but quite a few positive sturgeon reports were coming in. Merritt Island is one good area where there have been reports of multiple sturgeon being caught on ghost shrimp, pile worms and a "cocktail" combining the two.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Knights Landing -- Sturgeon were being caught around Tisdale from the bank, but the river is high and muddy and full of debris, including trees that can sink a boat. The Tisdale ramp is closed. Fishing should really take off (as much as sturgeon fishing ever "takes off,") when the river settles down. Don't even think about putting a boat on the water.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
CHETCO RIVER, Ore. -- The weekend turned out to be a decent fish, with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing reporting a bunch of new hatchery fish in the system. "We hooked six today, and I saw a handful of other guides catching fish," said Martin. The river topped 8,000 cfs, but was down to 4,500 cfs by the weekend. The ODFW hatchery report indicated the best steelhead counts of the year on Thursday and Friday. Top bets were Pautzke's natural-color cured roe combined with orange, pink and yellow Puffballs.
EEL RIVER -- The main stem is wiped out with no relief in sight. The lower stretch will need at least a week of dry weather to reach fishable levels.
EEL RIVER, South Fork -- Blown out, with not much chance of recovery before the weekend, however the upper river will clear long before the main stem.
ELK RIVER, Ore. -- Good action with guides reporting one to three steelhead per day while drifting from the hatchery to Iron Head. This river is often the first one fishing after storms in Southern Oregon, and anglers can call the Elk River hatchery fishing hotline for flow information at (541) 332-0405.
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MARTINEZ -- Anglers fishing the Diamond Classic Catch and Release sturgeon derby scored 20 keepers and at least one oversized, all fish released. There were plenty of small striped bass caught also. Conditions weren't perfect, but the break in the storms came just right, with the anglers only contending with the occasional squall. Captain Jim Smith on the Happy Hooker didn't fish the derby, but his anglers caught two keepers, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Captain Chris Smith ran the California Dawn, and scored three keeper sturgeon for four anglers, and they lost a fourth big one due to equipment malfunction (a levelwind reel frozen).
AMADOR LAKE -- Lake level rose 12 feet (five feet in one day) and then on the weekend, the trout action took off. There were several tagged fish caught (five alone in the afternoon), and all weighed over six pounds. Top tactic was floating a white Power Worm around the shoreline in the top 3 feet of water. Bass fishing was a little tough for a 19 team event, with several skunks, but a few fish weighed (mostly small).
NEW MELONES RESERVOIR -- Great action on trout, but even more surprising was yet another trophy-class catfish nearing the 20-pound mark that was weighed at Glory Hole Sports. This lake has produced lunker catfish over 10 pounds almost weekly since Christmas. The trout guys are soaking Power Bait, Power Eggs, nightcrawlers and marshmallows from shore, and while the numbers aren't always limits, the quality is very good with some nice holdovers in the 2- to 3-pound class.
AMERICAN RIVER -- Quite a few steelhead entered the river during the latest storms. Lots of steelies can be seen in Nimbus Hatchery, and some were being caught mostly in Nimbus Basin.. The river was off- color, but still flowing at around 1,500 cfs and quite fishable. It is likely to remain at that flow so long as Folsom Lake remains below its minimum flood pool for this time of year. Mini-crawlers and roe are probably the best way to go under current river conditions, but some anglers were scoring drifting mini-jigs and beads under bobbers. Fly fishers should up the size and brightness of their flies.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento -- The Sac is high, muddy, and full of debris so boating is out of the question for the foreseeable future, but quite a few positive sturgeon reports were coming in. Merritt Island is one good area where there have been reports of multiple sturgeon being caught on ghost shrimp, pile worms and a "cocktail" combining the two.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Knights Landing -- Sturgeon were being caught around Tisdale from the bank, but the river is high and muddy and full of debris, including trees that can sink a boat. The Tisdale ramp is closed. Fishing should really take off (as much as sturgeon fishing ever "takes off,") when the river settles down. Don't even think about putting a boat on the water.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
CHETCO RIVER, Ore. -- The weekend turned out to be a decent fish, with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing reporting a bunch of new hatchery fish in the system. "We hooked six today, and I saw a handful of other guides catching fish," said Martin. The river topped 8,000 cfs, but was down to 4,500 cfs by the weekend. The ODFW hatchery report indicated the best steelhead counts of the year on Thursday and Friday. Top bets were Pautzke's natural-color cured roe combined with orange, pink and yellow Puffballs.
EEL RIVER -- The main stem is wiped out with no relief in sight. The lower stretch will need at least a week of dry weather to reach fishable levels.
EEL RIVER, South Fork -- Blown out, with not much chance of recovery before the weekend, however the upper river will clear long before the main stem.
ELK RIVER, Ore. -- Good action with guides reporting one to three steelhead per day while drifting from the hatchery to Iron Head. This river is often the first one fishing after storms in Southern Oregon, and anglers can call the Elk River hatchery fishing hotline for flow information at (541) 332-0405.
More...
