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- Feb 14, 2009
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TOP PICKS
DELTA, San Joaquin River side -- The light bite for sturgeon continued as sturgeon anglers targeted a 63-inch fish for the Super Bowl Sturgeon Derby. Larry Ramirez caught his Super Bowl Sturgeon Derby winner while fishing on board the California Dawn out of Martinez. The 63.5 incher took first place and $7,806 in prize money. Santa Clara Shoals was producing some stripers weighing 4 or 5 pounds on threadfin shad. Black bass anglers fought foul weather to find clear water in areas such as Frank's Tract, Mildred Island and Broad Slough for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Delta Invitational. In the end it took almost 40 pounds over two days to take top honors. The first WON BASS Pro Circuit event of 2010, it produced a record with Guyle Sternat's record-shattering 14.60-pound Delta largemouth worth $10,000.
JENKINSON LAKE (Sly Park) -- The lake is at 71-percent capacity. A couple of big macks were weighed in on Saturday this past weekend by trollers working the area just before the Narrows and at the second dam. The 9-pound, 11-ounce and 8-pound, 7-ounce Macks hit Rapalas.
LAKE PARDEE -- Jay Pilkington at the Lake Pardee Marina reported great fishing Friday and Sunday and a little slower bite for trout on Saturday. Biggest fish weighed at the marina was a 4-pound rainbow. Shore fishing in the Rec Area was best for anglers using mini-jigs (the tackle shop sold out on Friday), orange or yellow Power Worms, white Power Eggs and chartreuse Power Bait. Some shorecasters fishing near the dam also scored on Kastmasters (gold and silver), which also worked for boaters.
MARTINEZ -- A big week on sturgeon, with good tides, lots of freshwater runoff and the Super Bowl Sturgeon Derby drawing out the anglers. Earlier in the week, Captain Steve Talmadge reported great action with sturgeon every trip, and keepers on every trip except one. A Martinez "crew" trip produced two keepers and two oversized fish released for the tackle shop folks.
AMERICAN RIVER -- American River steelheading was pretty good with drifted nightcrawlers producing best after the recent storms. Fish were spread all the way down to Grist Mill, but Nimbus Basin to the Sunrise area was producing best -- albeit probably because that's where fishing pressure was the heaviest.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
CHETCO RIVER, Ore. -- The river has been up and down in elevation and flows, and while there are some tough times with a lot of boat traffic and rough seas at the mouth, making it tough for fresh steelhead to get into the river, the fishing has been good for many, and some big steelies have been caught. Now is prime time for good numbers and big fish, so watch the river for prime conditions.
COQUILLE RIVER, Ore. -- Silver seekers are seeing some pretty darn good numbers while side-drifting. This river is one of only a few that has been a consistent producer of steelhead this season. Two top methods of take are drifted eggs and hot shot plugs.
EEL RIVER, main stem -- Way blown out and unfishable.
EEL RIVER, south fork -- It was almost ready to fish this past week when more rains pushed it over the top again. Ongoing rains expected to keep in unfishable.
ELK, SIXES rivers, Ore. -- For their size, these two rivers hold some good numbers of chromer steelhead, and the main downside is that they are both small rivers, with limited driftboat and shore fishing opportunities. This past week they were on the drop and fished very well. Brookings angler David Lunsford saw seven hook ups while targeting a short drift others duplicated these numbers throughout the river system, according to WON Field Reporter Dave Pitts.
GARCIA, GUALALA rivers -- The local rivers blew out on Thursday, according to WON Field Reporter Craig Bell of Greenwater Guide Service in Gualala. Before that, anglers were landing one to four fish a day-- and some big fish this year. Anglers have landed three over 15 and lost some others in that class. Seems to be an average year numbers wise, with the big fish a bonus. The rivers may come in by the weekend if the forecasted rains hold off. Dan Luckman landed and released a 14 pounder with Bell this past week.
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DELTA, San Joaquin River side -- The light bite for sturgeon continued as sturgeon anglers targeted a 63-inch fish for the Super Bowl Sturgeon Derby. Larry Ramirez caught his Super Bowl Sturgeon Derby winner while fishing on board the California Dawn out of Martinez. The 63.5 incher took first place and $7,806 in prize money. Santa Clara Shoals was producing some stripers weighing 4 or 5 pounds on threadfin shad. Black bass anglers fought foul weather to find clear water in areas such as Frank's Tract, Mildred Island and Broad Slough for the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Delta Invitational. In the end it took almost 40 pounds over two days to take top honors. The first WON BASS Pro Circuit event of 2010, it produced a record with Guyle Sternat's record-shattering 14.60-pound Delta largemouth worth $10,000.
JENKINSON LAKE (Sly Park) -- The lake is at 71-percent capacity. A couple of big macks were weighed in on Saturday this past weekend by trollers working the area just before the Narrows and at the second dam. The 9-pound, 11-ounce and 8-pound, 7-ounce Macks hit Rapalas.
LAKE PARDEE -- Jay Pilkington at the Lake Pardee Marina reported great fishing Friday and Sunday and a little slower bite for trout on Saturday. Biggest fish weighed at the marina was a 4-pound rainbow. Shore fishing in the Rec Area was best for anglers using mini-jigs (the tackle shop sold out on Friday), orange or yellow Power Worms, white Power Eggs and chartreuse Power Bait. Some shorecasters fishing near the dam also scored on Kastmasters (gold and silver), which also worked for boaters.
MARTINEZ -- A big week on sturgeon, with good tides, lots of freshwater runoff and the Super Bowl Sturgeon Derby drawing out the anglers. Earlier in the week, Captain Steve Talmadge reported great action with sturgeon every trip, and keepers on every trip except one. A Martinez "crew" trip produced two keepers and two oversized fish released for the tackle shop folks.
AMERICAN RIVER -- American River steelheading was pretty good with drifted nightcrawlers producing best after the recent storms. Fish were spread all the way down to Grist Mill, but Nimbus Basin to the Sunrise area was producing best -- albeit probably because that's where fishing pressure was the heaviest.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
CHETCO RIVER, Ore. -- The river has been up and down in elevation and flows, and while there are some tough times with a lot of boat traffic and rough seas at the mouth, making it tough for fresh steelhead to get into the river, the fishing has been good for many, and some big steelies have been caught. Now is prime time for good numbers and big fish, so watch the river for prime conditions.
COQUILLE RIVER, Ore. -- Silver seekers are seeing some pretty darn good numbers while side-drifting. This river is one of only a few that has been a consistent producer of steelhead this season. Two top methods of take are drifted eggs and hot shot plugs.
EEL RIVER, main stem -- Way blown out and unfishable.
EEL RIVER, south fork -- It was almost ready to fish this past week when more rains pushed it over the top again. Ongoing rains expected to keep in unfishable.
ELK, SIXES rivers, Ore. -- For their size, these two rivers hold some good numbers of chromer steelhead, and the main downside is that they are both small rivers, with limited driftboat and shore fishing opportunities. This past week they were on the drop and fished very well. Brookings angler David Lunsford saw seven hook ups while targeting a short drift others duplicated these numbers throughout the river system, according to WON Field Reporter Dave Pitts.
GARCIA, GUALALA rivers -- The local rivers blew out on Thursday, according to WON Field Reporter Craig Bell of Greenwater Guide Service in Gualala. Before that, anglers were landing one to four fish a day-- and some big fish this year. Anglers have landed three over 15 and lost some others in that class. Seems to be an average year numbers wise, with the big fish a bonus. The rivers may come in by the weekend if the forecasted rains hold off. Dan Luckman landed and released a 14 pounder with Bell this past week.
More...
