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- Feb 14, 2009
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TOP PICKS
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento -- About the only good reports up and down the river came from the Port of Sacramento where striped bass to about 8 pounds were being caught using a variety of methods. Drifting jumbo minnow from boats seemed to work best, but bankies were also caching a few by soaking pikeminnows, bloodworms and mudsuckers. Trollers were also scoring on Mann's divers in the Dr. Death pattern.
DELTA, SACRAMENTO RIVER side -- Fishing the lower end around the Pittsburg power plant on the top of the incoming tide was productive for sturgeon for both day and night trips in 40 to 55 feet with ghost shrimp. The Rio Vista area down to Sherman Island was good for stripers taking fresh shad or live bullheads, but they were on the small side.
DELTA, SAN JOAQUIN RIVER side -- Big Break, Franks Tract, outside Sherman Lake and Honker Bay were all sites anglers targeted for stripers with lures and baits. Stripers ran a little larger on this side. Rain this week should improve both the striper and sturgeon bite.
AMERICAN RIVER -- The section of the American upstream from the power lines at Ancil Hoffman Park to the USGS gauging station wire crossing the river below the weir at Nimbus Hatchery closes to all fishing Oct. 31. In the meantime, the very few anglers on the water have been finding fair fishing for mostly smallish steelhead plus striped bass--surprising given that years past, stripers have been replaced by salmon, which again--sadly--appear to be mostly no-shows. Fly fishers have been catching steelies on riffles up to Sunrise on small caddis and Mayfly-imitating nymphs under indicators, as well as on the swing. Spin fishermen have been drifting nightcrawlers, crawdad tails, and even ghost shrimp, as well as working spinners deep.
EMERYVILLE -- Farallon Island rockfish trips ruled the week, with limits the norm plus some good numbers of lingcod. Examples include Wednesday's trip on the New Seeker when 29 anglers caught rockfish limits and 14 lingcod. On Saturday, top ling count went to the C Gull II with 18 lings (plus one lucky angler caught a Pacific halibut).
CAPLES LAKE - Another big trout plant last week. The cooler weather has brought the fish up to the 10- to 15-foot range for trollers working dodgers or flashers trailed with a 2-foot leader and a worm. Shore anglers are doing better now that the trout have moved shallower. A simple worm and bobber off the spillway has been very productive. One family did well trolling Rapalas off the Wood Creek area for limits of rainbows and browns.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
ROGUE RIVER, Lower -- The king and coho bite is now stretching up from the mouth into the first couple of miles of river, and anglers are catching a lot of hatchery silvers as well as kings. Slow-rolling baits in the estuary is still the best bet. Time it with the tides, it's good for about 2 hours each shift.
ROGUE RIVER, Upper -- Access to the upper river just got a little easier for anadromous fish, as the Savage Rapids Dam, in existence since 1921, has been demolished. The dam was said to have impeded the movement of an estimated 58,000 adult salmon and steelhead from getting up the river past the obstruction.
RUSSIAN RIVER -- No change until the rains hit, which should be this week. Might be too early for salmon, but who knows? They might show, since they're not anywhere else down here.
SMITH RIVER -- The river is still closed above Rowdy Creek due to low flows, but during the high tides there's a bunch of kings staging in the estuary, and there's been some limits of bright, ocean-run kings to 40 pounds or more caught recently. The upcoming rains will break it wide open, so be ready!
TRINITY/KLAMATH RIVERS
KLAMATH RIVER, Klamath Glen -- The mouth cycled between open and closed all week, and most fishermen left. But, the few hanging around did very well on big, bright king salmon, plus jacks and even coho salmon. Some of the best success was around Blue Creek, and most salmon were being caught on drifted roe with a Styrofoam bead. Rain is expected this week, and the river level is expected to rise, bring many more fish upriver, but also potentially blowing out the river.
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SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento -- About the only good reports up and down the river came from the Port of Sacramento where striped bass to about 8 pounds were being caught using a variety of methods. Drifting jumbo minnow from boats seemed to work best, but bankies were also caching a few by soaking pikeminnows, bloodworms and mudsuckers. Trollers were also scoring on Mann's divers in the Dr. Death pattern.
DELTA, SACRAMENTO RIVER side -- Fishing the lower end around the Pittsburg power plant on the top of the incoming tide was productive for sturgeon for both day and night trips in 40 to 55 feet with ghost shrimp. The Rio Vista area down to Sherman Island was good for stripers taking fresh shad or live bullheads, but they were on the small side.
DELTA, SAN JOAQUIN RIVER side -- Big Break, Franks Tract, outside Sherman Lake and Honker Bay were all sites anglers targeted for stripers with lures and baits. Stripers ran a little larger on this side. Rain this week should improve both the striper and sturgeon bite.
AMERICAN RIVER -- The section of the American upstream from the power lines at Ancil Hoffman Park to the USGS gauging station wire crossing the river below the weir at Nimbus Hatchery closes to all fishing Oct. 31. In the meantime, the very few anglers on the water have been finding fair fishing for mostly smallish steelhead plus striped bass--surprising given that years past, stripers have been replaced by salmon, which again--sadly--appear to be mostly no-shows. Fly fishers have been catching steelies on riffles up to Sunrise on small caddis and Mayfly-imitating nymphs under indicators, as well as on the swing. Spin fishermen have been drifting nightcrawlers, crawdad tails, and even ghost shrimp, as well as working spinners deep.
EMERYVILLE -- Farallon Island rockfish trips ruled the week, with limits the norm plus some good numbers of lingcod. Examples include Wednesday's trip on the New Seeker when 29 anglers caught rockfish limits and 14 lingcod. On Saturday, top ling count went to the C Gull II with 18 lings (plus one lucky angler caught a Pacific halibut).
CAPLES LAKE - Another big trout plant last week. The cooler weather has brought the fish up to the 10- to 15-foot range for trollers working dodgers or flashers trailed with a 2-foot leader and a worm. Shore anglers are doing better now that the trout have moved shallower. A simple worm and bobber off the spillway has been very productive. One family did well trolling Rapalas off the Wood Creek area for limits of rainbows and browns.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
ROGUE RIVER, Lower -- The king and coho bite is now stretching up from the mouth into the first couple of miles of river, and anglers are catching a lot of hatchery silvers as well as kings. Slow-rolling baits in the estuary is still the best bet. Time it with the tides, it's good for about 2 hours each shift.
ROGUE RIVER, Upper -- Access to the upper river just got a little easier for anadromous fish, as the Savage Rapids Dam, in existence since 1921, has been demolished. The dam was said to have impeded the movement of an estimated 58,000 adult salmon and steelhead from getting up the river past the obstruction.
RUSSIAN RIVER -- No change until the rains hit, which should be this week. Might be too early for salmon, but who knows? They might show, since they're not anywhere else down here.
SMITH RIVER -- The river is still closed above Rowdy Creek due to low flows, but during the high tides there's a bunch of kings staging in the estuary, and there's been some limits of bright, ocean-run kings to 40 pounds or more caught recently. The upcoming rains will break it wide open, so be ready!
TRINITY/KLAMATH RIVERS
KLAMATH RIVER, Klamath Glen -- The mouth cycled between open and closed all week, and most fishermen left. But, the few hanging around did very well on big, bright king salmon, plus jacks and even coho salmon. Some of the best success was around Blue Creek, and most salmon were being caught on drifted roe with a Styrofoam bead. Rain is expected this week, and the river level is expected to rise, bring many more fish upriver, but also potentially blowing out the river.
More...
