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TOP PICKS
RANCHO SECO LAKE -- Get ready for the semi-annual trout derby to be held at Rancho Seco Lake Dec. 12-13. Top prize for adults will be $100, for juniors $50. The entry fee is $3. For more information, call (916) 732-4913.
DELTA REGION -- SACRAMENTO RIVER side -- Sherman Island was a good option for stripers using grass shrimp or on mudsuckers, as was trolling for them along Decker Island, Sandy Beach, and Rio Vista and Isleton bridges during low tide, using Yo-Zuri's Crystal Minnow in a 5 1/4- inch size with a chartreuse color, or a red head with white body. Fish were plentiful, albeit small. Soaking shrimp in about 46 feet of water by the PG&E plant was good for some nighttime sturgeon fishing on the outgoing tide.
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER side -- Schoolie-sized stripers are being caught with swimbaits on a 1/2-ounce head or 2-ounce Duh spoons fished on the edges of the channels above the Antioch Bridge and flooded islands on both the incoming and outgoing tides. For the bait soakers, look for the shad schools. Sturgeon fishing was best at night in Broad Slough and Chain Island where popular choices were grass and ghost shrimps. Black bass anglers were frustrated by the gin clear waters they have been encountering, but jerkbaits or twitching a rip bait in the grasses would be worth a try.
BODEGA BAY -- More incredible action on the giant squid trips, with Captain Rick Powers on the New Sea Angler reporting four trips that scored over 200 squid. Top trip, despite the wind and weather, was on Saturday when the anglers on board loaded 365 squid to 64 pounds onto the deck. On those trips, most of the catching was done before 10 a.m. and Powers reported high action on surface schools. Big squid of the week went 74 pounds.
GENERAL NORTH COAST RIVERS North Coast streams and rivers are regulated by low flow closures.
Always call ahead to determine the condition of the river you want to fish. If not mentioned, the river is closed or no reports. The DFG's Low Flow Closure Hotline for north coast rivers is (707) 822-3164. For the Russian River and counties of Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin, call (707) 944-5533. South Central Coast streams number is (831) 649-2886. Many streams closed, and others change to artificial/ barbless only on March 31 and others on April 25.
CHETCO RIVER -- The river was rising on Sunday from the storm dumping rain and snow above the river, but one last shot of king salmon is still expected, and then the transition to steelhead will begin. Kings in the 30- to 40-pound range were still being caught at press time on Sunday, but they were beginning to turn already, according to WON Field Reporter and Chetco Outdoor Store manager Dave Pitts.
ELK and SIXES rivers -- The Elk and Sixes fished okay this past week, according to Dave Pitts. The two rivers rise and drop and clear up in a days notice, so you really have to be on top of these two rivers, but when a consistent flow is on so, is the fishing.
ROGUE RIVER, Lower -- A few early winter steelhead are being caught off the bank, but still very low numbers. Salmon run is pretty well done for now, according to Jim Carey of the Rogue Outdoor Store, probably due to low water flows. The Middle Rogue is still seeing decent steelhead fishing going on, and the recent rains have probably begun moving them up into the higher portions of the river.
RUSSIAN RIVER -- The mouth opened up on Tuesday and closed up again Wednesday night, but a nice pod of adult steelies came through, and there was a great day of fishing near Cassini's. Those fish are now higher up towards Dry Creek and Forestville. Now that it's closed up, it stopped the stream of fish from coming in. Next time the mouth opens it's expected for more steelies to pour in. Rain is need badly here.
SMITH RIVER -- King salmon to the mid 30-pound range have been pouring into the system in a "good run" of fish, according to guide Phil Desautel of Phil's Smiling Salmon Guide Service. He's been getting five to seven hookups a trip, and all his clients are leaving with limits of chrome kings. The run hasn't shown signs of slowing yet, but there are already steelhead showing in the fast water, and those will be next in line when the kings slow down.
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RANCHO SECO LAKE -- Get ready for the semi-annual trout derby to be held at Rancho Seco Lake Dec. 12-13. Top prize for adults will be $100, for juniors $50. The entry fee is $3. For more information, call (916) 732-4913.
DELTA REGION -- SACRAMENTO RIVER side -- Sherman Island was a good option for stripers using grass shrimp or on mudsuckers, as was trolling for them along Decker Island, Sandy Beach, and Rio Vista and Isleton bridges during low tide, using Yo-Zuri's Crystal Minnow in a 5 1/4- inch size with a chartreuse color, or a red head with white body. Fish were plentiful, albeit small. Soaking shrimp in about 46 feet of water by the PG&E plant was good for some nighttime sturgeon fishing on the outgoing tide.
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER side -- Schoolie-sized stripers are being caught with swimbaits on a 1/2-ounce head or 2-ounce Duh spoons fished on the edges of the channels above the Antioch Bridge and flooded islands on both the incoming and outgoing tides. For the bait soakers, look for the shad schools. Sturgeon fishing was best at night in Broad Slough and Chain Island where popular choices were grass and ghost shrimps. Black bass anglers were frustrated by the gin clear waters they have been encountering, but jerkbaits or twitching a rip bait in the grasses would be worth a try.
BODEGA BAY -- More incredible action on the giant squid trips, with Captain Rick Powers on the New Sea Angler reporting four trips that scored over 200 squid. Top trip, despite the wind and weather, was on Saturday when the anglers on board loaded 365 squid to 64 pounds onto the deck. On those trips, most of the catching was done before 10 a.m. and Powers reported high action on surface schools. Big squid of the week went 74 pounds.
GENERAL NORTH COAST RIVERS North Coast streams and rivers are regulated by low flow closures.
Always call ahead to determine the condition of the river you want to fish. If not mentioned, the river is closed or no reports. The DFG's Low Flow Closure Hotline for north coast rivers is (707) 822-3164. For the Russian River and counties of Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin, call (707) 944-5533. South Central Coast streams number is (831) 649-2886. Many streams closed, and others change to artificial/ barbless only on March 31 and others on April 25.
CHETCO RIVER -- The river was rising on Sunday from the storm dumping rain and snow above the river, but one last shot of king salmon is still expected, and then the transition to steelhead will begin. Kings in the 30- to 40-pound range were still being caught at press time on Sunday, but they were beginning to turn already, according to WON Field Reporter and Chetco Outdoor Store manager Dave Pitts.
ELK and SIXES rivers -- The Elk and Sixes fished okay this past week, according to Dave Pitts. The two rivers rise and drop and clear up in a days notice, so you really have to be on top of these two rivers, but when a consistent flow is on so, is the fishing.
ROGUE RIVER, Lower -- A few early winter steelhead are being caught off the bank, but still very low numbers. Salmon run is pretty well done for now, according to Jim Carey of the Rogue Outdoor Store, probably due to low water flows. The Middle Rogue is still seeing decent steelhead fishing going on, and the recent rains have probably begun moving them up into the higher portions of the river.
RUSSIAN RIVER -- The mouth opened up on Tuesday and closed up again Wednesday night, but a nice pod of adult steelies came through, and there was a great day of fishing near Cassini's. Those fish are now higher up towards Dry Creek and Forestville. Now that it's closed up, it stopped the stream of fish from coming in. Next time the mouth opens it's expected for more steelies to pour in. Rain is need badly here.
SMITH RIVER -- King salmon to the mid 30-pound range have been pouring into the system in a "good run" of fish, according to guide Phil Desautel of Phil's Smiling Salmon Guide Service. He's been getting five to seven hookups a trip, and all his clients are leaving with limits of chrome kings. The run hasn't shown signs of slowing yet, but there are already steelhead showing in the fast water, and those will be next in line when the kings slow down.
More...
