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TOP PICKS
COLLINS LAKE--The lake record for rainbow trout was broken again last week. Rich Moore of Mt. View caught the 14-lb 3-oz lunker on a Rapala while trolling the middle of the lake. Trollers are doing well from the dam to the power lines but you have to get out early before it gets too hot and the boat traffic drives you off the water. Rapalas and Needlefish down at 20 to 25 feet are working for limits that have lots of 5- and 6-pound fish showing up in them. Shore anglers are doing much better in the morning before the heat drives the fish into deeper water putting them out of casting distance. Power Bait and worms are good for the early rising shore angler.
CAPLES LAKE--The DFG is planting 36,000 trout in the lake over two weeks, starting last week, to mitigate the drawdown and dam repairs done last year. More plants will follow later this summer, totaling 38,000 pounds of rainbows. Water has been coming up about a foot a day and is only 5 feet from full. Launching is off the shore right now but the ramp should be operational by this weekend. The Resort is in full operation. Fishing is slow because of the low water temp.
AMERICAN RIVER--Shad have now moved all the way up the American River to Sailor Bar Park, and anglers have been catching 20 and more an outing swinging chartreuse and pink curly tail grubs on 1/8-ounce jigs plus adding enough weight to keep them close to the bottom in the 4,000 cfs flow. Or, dead-drifting the jig under a bobber with the leader long enough to get close to the bottom without dragging on it. Fly fishers have been scoring on No. 8 shad flies in the same colors kept close to the bottom with a high speed shooting head. Some big stripers are being seen chasing shad or cruising for easy prey, but few have been hooked.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento--Striper action slowed, at least for keepers, but shad fishing was very good at Miller Park, the mouth of the American River and Verona. There were a few keeper stripers caught, however, but you have to catch several shakers for each legal striper over 18 inches long.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Colusa--Shad fishing was very good by the Colusa Bridge all the way up to Princeton. Most of the stripers being caught were below the minimum size limit, but the occasional keeper was being caught on minnows, topwater lures and black plastic worms.
BERKELEY--Still no live bait, but there were some promising signs. Some pretty varied scores with one thing clear: the action slowed as tides picked up towards the weekend. On Monday, a special trip on the California Dawn hosted by Sep Hendrickson's California Sportsman Radio show (1140 AM Sacramento) found 36 halibut and four striped bass. The Cal Dawn found from 46 to 38 halibut per day until the weekend when scores dropped to 15 on Saturday and even fewer on Sunday. On The Happy Hooker, Dave Marquardt reported about one around on Friday, then about half around on Saturday. "The tides are getting big, the bay is getting muddy," said Marquardt. "But next weekend should be good again."
LAKE BERRYESSA--Kokes measuring between 15 and 19 inches were netted from the main body. Scattered over 130 feet water, with downriggers set at 45 to 58 feet, anglers used set-ups such as a chrome 3/0 Sep's dodger towing Radical Glow Tubes in natural colors as well as reds. Uncle Larry's spinners, Mad Irishman or Pink Tiger, are also good choices. Bass were taking topwater tackle such as 5-inch hollow belly swimbaits slowly rolled through the weeds on the east side of the main body. They were averaging 2 1/2 pounds with a few larger ones going to 5 pounds.
General
NORTH COAST RIVERS
ROGUE RIVER--Spring salmon are still on a good bite, surprisingly, and two anglers on Monday morning checked into the Rogue Outdoor Store with 3 springers of 20 to 25 pounds, according to Larry Cody. Action is at the Ferry Hole and up as far as Quosatana Creek, but not much above that. Boaters fishing in 4 1/2 to 5 feet using straight bait (anchovies) or spinnerbaits in greens, gold or chartreuse. No. 4 G-Spot blade with a 'chovy has been working. There's an early morning bite, but the best action begins around 6:30 p.m.
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COLLINS LAKE--The lake record for rainbow trout was broken again last week. Rich Moore of Mt. View caught the 14-lb 3-oz lunker on a Rapala while trolling the middle of the lake. Trollers are doing well from the dam to the power lines but you have to get out early before it gets too hot and the boat traffic drives you off the water. Rapalas and Needlefish down at 20 to 25 feet are working for limits that have lots of 5- and 6-pound fish showing up in them. Shore anglers are doing much better in the morning before the heat drives the fish into deeper water putting them out of casting distance. Power Bait and worms are good for the early rising shore angler.
CAPLES LAKE--The DFG is planting 36,000 trout in the lake over two weeks, starting last week, to mitigate the drawdown and dam repairs done last year. More plants will follow later this summer, totaling 38,000 pounds of rainbows. Water has been coming up about a foot a day and is only 5 feet from full. Launching is off the shore right now but the ramp should be operational by this weekend. The Resort is in full operation. Fishing is slow because of the low water temp.
AMERICAN RIVER--Shad have now moved all the way up the American River to Sailor Bar Park, and anglers have been catching 20 and more an outing swinging chartreuse and pink curly tail grubs on 1/8-ounce jigs plus adding enough weight to keep them close to the bottom in the 4,000 cfs flow. Or, dead-drifting the jig under a bobber with the leader long enough to get close to the bottom without dragging on it. Fly fishers have been scoring on No. 8 shad flies in the same colors kept close to the bottom with a high speed shooting head. Some big stripers are being seen chasing shad or cruising for easy prey, but few have been hooked.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento--Striper action slowed, at least for keepers, but shad fishing was very good at Miller Park, the mouth of the American River and Verona. There were a few keeper stripers caught, however, but you have to catch several shakers for each legal striper over 18 inches long.
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Colusa--Shad fishing was very good by the Colusa Bridge all the way up to Princeton. Most of the stripers being caught were below the minimum size limit, but the occasional keeper was being caught on minnows, topwater lures and black plastic worms.
BERKELEY--Still no live bait, but there were some promising signs. Some pretty varied scores with one thing clear: the action slowed as tides picked up towards the weekend. On Monday, a special trip on the California Dawn hosted by Sep Hendrickson's California Sportsman Radio show (1140 AM Sacramento) found 36 halibut and four striped bass. The Cal Dawn found from 46 to 38 halibut per day until the weekend when scores dropped to 15 on Saturday and even fewer on Sunday. On The Happy Hooker, Dave Marquardt reported about one around on Friday, then about half around on Saturday. "The tides are getting big, the bay is getting muddy," said Marquardt. "But next weekend should be good again."
LAKE BERRYESSA--Kokes measuring between 15 and 19 inches were netted from the main body. Scattered over 130 feet water, with downriggers set at 45 to 58 feet, anglers used set-ups such as a chrome 3/0 Sep's dodger towing Radical Glow Tubes in natural colors as well as reds. Uncle Larry's spinners, Mad Irishman or Pink Tiger, are also good choices. Bass were taking topwater tackle such as 5-inch hollow belly swimbaits slowly rolled through the weeds on the east side of the main body. They were averaging 2 1/2 pounds with a few larger ones going to 5 pounds.
General
NORTH COAST RIVERS
ROGUE RIVER--Spring salmon are still on a good bite, surprisingly, and two anglers on Monday morning checked into the Rogue Outdoor Store with 3 springers of 20 to 25 pounds, according to Larry Cody. Action is at the Ferry Hole and up as far as Quosatana Creek, but not much above that. Boaters fishing in 4 1/2 to 5 feet using straight bait (anchovies) or spinnerbaits in greens, gold or chartreuse. No. 4 G-Spot blade with a 'chovy has been working. There's an early morning bite, but the best action begins around 6:30 p.m.
More...
