Fishing the Delta waterways continues to offer fishermen opportunities to catch a variety of fish that ply the system. Even though most feel that the spring run of striped bass is now a thing of the past the window is still open to catching a legal fish whether it be at anchor bait fishing or trolling your favorite lure. In the back sloughs there are good numbers of catfish, perch, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass that are willing to bite a live minnow under a bobber or casting that favorite crank bait or spinnerbait. If you are interested in some very good smallmouth bass fishing you might consider running over into the Miner Slough or Steamboat Slough north of the Rio Vista Bridge. The best way to fish for this specie is by working the rocky shorelines with live minnows or plastics on a drop off rig along with deep diving crank baits or 3 inch Kei Tech’s swimbaits. Also, further downstream into Montezuma Slough and over into Suisun Cut the sturgeon fishing is still worth a try. Most of the action comes from lamprey eel and salmon roe as the baits of choice. The sturgeon action should last for some time due to the heavy run off from this years record snowfall melt off.

 

Charter boats continue to score on big numbers of halibut and striped bass. Some say that this is the best fishing they have seen in over 40 years. Captain Jonathan Smith of Happy Hooker Sportfishing Charters stated that they had a wide open bite on halibut and striped bass while drifting live bait that averaged over four fish per rod for 18 anglers. The 18 anglers hooked and landed 36 striped bass and 38 halibut. Jonathon stated that there have been a number of days when they put over 100 fish in the box. Most of the fishing action is coming off the flats and the rock piles on the drift with live anchovies. The salmon fishing off California City hasn’t materialized yet, but in a few  weeks it might be to your advantage to move into this area and drift or troll live anchovies. Every year a good number of salmon are caught in this section of the bay, especially on the top of the high tides.

 

Outside the Golden Gate the salmon fishing is producing two fish limits of quality fish averaging 12 to 25 pounds along with a two fish rule for anglers. Most of the action is taking place off Duxbury Buoy, W Buoy In 30 to 80 feet of water trolling live anchovies. The action remains solid for salmon, ling cod and rockfish in Bodega Bay, Halfmoon Bay, and Monterey Bay. As a bonus those still operating Dungeness crab pot pulling are taking crab limits of quality commercial size crab for their clients. Charter boats targeting bottom fish state the fishing has been top action. The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay reported they checked in with limits of rockfish, 10 ling cod to 17 pounds and 5 cabezon for 35 anglers while fishing off the San Mateo coastline. In addition to catching cabezon they are catching some black cod and a few canary fish. The rules for rock fishing have changed recently with increased limit totals. They include a third canary fish, a fourth black cod, and an increase in one ling cod over 22 inches in length.

This concludes my weekly fishing report. Have success on your next fishing adventure. Until next tide stay safe to fish another day.

 

Delta - (striped bass, sturgeon, largemouth bass) American River - (American shad, striped bass) Suisun Bay & Suisun Cut - (sturgeon);

Feather River - (striped bass, American shad) Lake Del Valle - (striped bass, trout)

San Pablo Bay - (sturgeon, striped bass);

San Francisco Bay (halibut, striped bass)

Los Vaqueros Reservoir - (striped bass, channel catfish) Klamath/Trinity rivers - (chinook salmon)

Pardee Lake - (kokanee, rainbow trout, small/largemouth bass) Ocean - (Ling Cod, Rock Cod, salmon, Dungeness Crab) Folsom Lake - (trout, salmon, small/largemouth bass)