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- Feb 14, 2009
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TOP PICKS
AMERICAN RIVER - Steelhead season opens today (Jan. 1). It's not expected to be a dynamite opener, but pressure will be heavy nonetheless. Sailor Bar is likely to be one of the better upstream spots. The main parking lot is open, but the rough gravel parking lots a bit downstream are closed. Don't forget Nimbus Basin. The fish screens are out, and fishing has been slow, but put in enough time, and it will produce. For a bit less pressure, work the riffles downstream such as below Sunrise and around Rossmoor Dr.
AMADOR LAKE - Great action on big planter trout, with both shore and boat anglers catching fish, but the shore effort more common. Most anglers are casting fly-bubble combos, Kastmasters, Rapalas and Rooster Tails, but the top action seems to be going to anglers using Power Bait behind a float.
CAMANCHE LAKE - Great holiday trout action on tap, and quite a few anglers taking advantage. Both trolling and shore fishing produced limits, with some real quality fish showing. Top trolling reports came from anglers using spoons like TripleTeazers and Needlefish. Grubs also scored. Shore anglers used salmon eggs, Power Bait and nightcrawlers at both north and south shore accesses. The pond continued to be a top spot for shorecasters also. Bass action showed life with a pair of Valley Spring anglers catching five to 4.5 pounds using deep diving crankbaits and jigs. Senkos and worms also worked for another angler who caught fish to 3.5 pounds.
BENICIA - That select group of lunker striped bass chasers have been getting some jumbos, with fish in the 20- to 30-plus- pound class caught up off the PG&E station and for those fishing after dark. Splittail minnows and bullheads were the hot baits. Sturgeon fishing blew up again up-system, as well as around Buoy 4 and the GloMar bouys.
MARTINEZ - After a week of slow tides, anglers were looking forward to improving sturgeon action. Top bets have been fishing the Mothball Fleet, Little Cut, and the Glomar Buoys. Grass shrimp and eel have been the top baits. Lisa Rezentes at Martinez Bait said sturgeon have definitely been the best bet but there have been some nice striped bass showing also.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
CHETCO RIVER, Ore. - Steelheading blew open in a big way this past week, as expected, and anglers are finding mostly chromer wild fish, averaging about a fish a boat this past week, but expected to really get going within weeks as the hatchery fish show up.
COQUILLE, South and East forks, Ore. -- The mainstem, South Fork and East Fork Coquille have been producing winter steelhead as the run gets underway, according to WON Field Reporter Dave Pitts of the Chetco Outdoor Store.
EEL RIVER - Totally blown out and unfishable.
EEL RIVER, South Fork - Totally blown out and unfishable, and as of Saturday night it was running mud from Liggett on down.
GARCIA, GUALALA rivers - Craig Bell of Greenwater Guide Service said there was not enough rain to change anything, and that the rivers haven't come up. They were open to fishing this past week, but flows dropped real low. Less than an inch of rain fell over the weekend. "There might be fish in the tidewater," Bell said. Call ahead for low flow information.
MATTOLE RIVER - Doesn't open until Jan. 1.
MILLACOMA River, East Fork, Ore. - Coos Bay anglers are hooking a few winter chromer steehead, and catching a remarkable number of wild coho, according to WON Field Reporter Dave Pitts from the Chetco Outdoor Store.
NAVARRO, NOYO, ALBION rivers - Low and clear and expected to close due to low flows on Monday. Call ahead.
RUSSIAN RIVER - The big problem here is that the mouth won't stay open, so the steelhead can't get into the river. Mouth was opened Wednesday but closed up again Thursday. A small spurt of fish came in, but not in enough numbers to make fishing for them worthwhile, according to Nick Wheeler of Kings Sport and Tackle. It was low and clear on Sunday, running only 380 cfs. Low flow closures are keyed on surrounding streams when it's below 400 cfs.
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AMERICAN RIVER - Steelhead season opens today (Jan. 1). It's not expected to be a dynamite opener, but pressure will be heavy nonetheless. Sailor Bar is likely to be one of the better upstream spots. The main parking lot is open, but the rough gravel parking lots a bit downstream are closed. Don't forget Nimbus Basin. The fish screens are out, and fishing has been slow, but put in enough time, and it will produce. For a bit less pressure, work the riffles downstream such as below Sunrise and around Rossmoor Dr.
AMADOR LAKE - Great action on big planter trout, with both shore and boat anglers catching fish, but the shore effort more common. Most anglers are casting fly-bubble combos, Kastmasters, Rapalas and Rooster Tails, but the top action seems to be going to anglers using Power Bait behind a float.
CAMANCHE LAKE - Great holiday trout action on tap, and quite a few anglers taking advantage. Both trolling and shore fishing produced limits, with some real quality fish showing. Top trolling reports came from anglers using spoons like TripleTeazers and Needlefish. Grubs also scored. Shore anglers used salmon eggs, Power Bait and nightcrawlers at both north and south shore accesses. The pond continued to be a top spot for shorecasters also. Bass action showed life with a pair of Valley Spring anglers catching five to 4.5 pounds using deep diving crankbaits and jigs. Senkos and worms also worked for another angler who caught fish to 3.5 pounds.
BENICIA - That select group of lunker striped bass chasers have been getting some jumbos, with fish in the 20- to 30-plus- pound class caught up off the PG&E station and for those fishing after dark. Splittail minnows and bullheads were the hot baits. Sturgeon fishing blew up again up-system, as well as around Buoy 4 and the GloMar bouys.
MARTINEZ - After a week of slow tides, anglers were looking forward to improving sturgeon action. Top bets have been fishing the Mothball Fleet, Little Cut, and the Glomar Buoys. Grass shrimp and eel have been the top baits. Lisa Rezentes at Martinez Bait said sturgeon have definitely been the best bet but there have been some nice striped bass showing also.
NORTH COAST RIVERS
CHETCO RIVER, Ore. - Steelheading blew open in a big way this past week, as expected, and anglers are finding mostly chromer wild fish, averaging about a fish a boat this past week, but expected to really get going within weeks as the hatchery fish show up.
COQUILLE, South and East forks, Ore. -- The mainstem, South Fork and East Fork Coquille have been producing winter steelhead as the run gets underway, according to WON Field Reporter Dave Pitts of the Chetco Outdoor Store.
EEL RIVER - Totally blown out and unfishable.
EEL RIVER, South Fork - Totally blown out and unfishable, and as of Saturday night it was running mud from Liggett on down.
GARCIA, GUALALA rivers - Craig Bell of Greenwater Guide Service said there was not enough rain to change anything, and that the rivers haven't come up. They were open to fishing this past week, but flows dropped real low. Less than an inch of rain fell over the weekend. "There might be fish in the tidewater," Bell said. Call ahead for low flow information.
MATTOLE RIVER - Doesn't open until Jan. 1.
MILLACOMA River, East Fork, Ore. - Coos Bay anglers are hooking a few winter chromer steehead, and catching a remarkable number of wild coho, according to WON Field Reporter Dave Pitts from the Chetco Outdoor Store.
NAVARRO, NOYO, ALBION rivers - Low and clear and expected to close due to low flows on Monday. Call ahead.
RUSSIAN RIVER - The big problem here is that the mouth won't stay open, so the steelhead can't get into the river. Mouth was opened Wednesday but closed up again Thursday. A small spurt of fish came in, but not in enough numbers to make fishing for them worthwhile, according to Nick Wheeler of Kings Sport and Tackle. It was low and clear on Sunday, running only 380 cfs. Low flow closures are keyed on surrounding streams when it's below 400 cfs.
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