"Trout and salmon are up in the shallows and anglers are getting them by flat line trolling," Righetti said. "Most anglers are using Needlefish or threaded minnows to bag one to two pound trout and salmon."

Righetti reported that crappie are still hitting minnows and mini-jigs. Righetti recommended anglers look in areas with brush or docks.

Bass anglers are finding that the fish have moved into the top 15 feet around shoreline cover, where they are responding to a variety of methods.

"Try topwater baits early and move to plastics as they day progresses," he tipped. The fish are a mixture of smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass.

Catfish are still hitting dip bait or nightcrawlers all over the lake.

"I am expecting the upper river to close to fishing on Tuesday, as there is a low flow closure on the Smith," said Dan Carter, fishing guide. "We need some more rain to keep it open."

Joseph and Dan McNamara they hooked 7 salmon, including fish weighing 50, 45, 25 and 10 pounds, while fishing with Carter in the Smith on Sunday October 31. "We caught the fish using Slip Bobbers and roe," he explained.

"The estuary will remain open and the salmon are starting to stack up there," Carter noted. "Fly fishing in the estuary has been good, with chartreuse and shrimp pattern flies producing the top action. The fishing is best at the cattle crossing, piling hole and sand hole."

With the next rain, Carter expects to see a lot of salmon enter the river. When the river level rises, pulling Kwikfish, back bouncing, using jet divers and roe or fishing live ghost shrimp with a slip bobber will all work.

"The salmon run on the Smith is just starting," added Carter. "November is the prime month and the run will go into December. The steelhead will be right on their heels in December."

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"I just got off the Umpqua with six chinooks (limits for three people)," reported Todd Hannah of The Oregon Angler Guide Service, "We are starting to see the big fish move into the system as the season in the lower Umpqua starts to wind down. We'll continue to see coho action through November, but the chinooks on the lower river will start to weed out as the fall rains hit."

The top methods being used for salmon include trolling plug-cut herring, casting spinners and fishing eggs under a bobber.

Steelhead and sturgeon are also on tap this November on the Umpqua. "We've also seen sturgeon jumping just below the 101 Bridge, but people won't start fishing for them until the salmon season is over," he added.

A few anglers have also found good chinook action while bobber fishing at the head of Tidewater where the Smith flows into the Umpqua, added Hannah.

"As long as the rains hold, boats will be fishing the Elk, Sixes and other coastal streams and rivers for salmon and steelhead soon," said Hannah. "If the rain lets up, it'll be more of a bank fishing show than anything."

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During a two day fishing trip on the Trinity River with Steve Huber of Steve Huber's Drift Boat Guide Service, Pam and Nelson landed 9 chinook salmon of 13 fish hooked over a two day period. The two topped the trip off by landing a 32 pound chinook while back trolling a Kwikfish with a sardine wrapper.

Pam and Nelson caught the fish at Poker Bar, according to Huber. "In the first hole, we netted a 20 pound buck and 7 pound female," he remarked. "I'll be fishing the Del Loma area for steelhead over the next few days before heading to fish steelhead on the American River," he said.

Tim King of King's Guide Service also reported nailing good numbers of chinook salmon and steelhead while fishing above Junction City. "The salmon are getting darker, but they are still a blast to catch," he stated. "The steelhead also offer great action and will continue to improve as more fish enter the river system."

At the time of this report, the Trinity River and other coastal rivers were getting relief as rain showers moved through the area. The fresh rain will bring in new fish and push the existing run upriver.

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"We ended the season with great fishing for bottomfish in Carmel Bay and at Point Sur, but we were unable to catch any legal lingcod over 30 inches," stated Crissy Chonacki of Randy's Fishing Trips. "Over the last two days of the season, anglers released dozens of undersized lingcod and bagged some big blues, blacks and other assorted rockfish while using Mega Baits and jigs."

Randy's is tentatively scheduling trips for sanddabs and Dungeness crab following Coast Guard inspections.

Anglers fishing with Chris' Fishing Trips scored easy limits of assorted rockfish and several lingcod per boat on October 30 and 31. "We fished down south near the Carmel Highlands in 40-120 feet of water," said Todd Arcoleo. "It was amazing to see all the hungry school fish come up and eat the bait."

Chris' will be running sanddab trips and flatfish/crab combos on Wednesdays and Fridays after November 6.

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The Pit River in the Pit #3 and #4 Powerhouse stretches is producing the hottest fly fishing. "Anglers are nailing wild rainbows averaging 10 to 16 inches long and up to 19 inches," said Steve Vaughn at Vaughn's Sporting Goods. "Black AP's, prince nymphs and Dark Lords are the best fly patterns."

The wild trout section of Hat Creek is yielding good fishing. Anglers are fishing blue wing olive and pheasant tail nymph patterns for rainbows averaging 10 to 15 inches long.

The Burney Creek wild trout stretch is yielding fair rainbow fishing for anglers using black AP patterns. Above the falls, anglers are using nightcrawlers to entice the trout.

Upper Hat Creek trout fishing has slowed down, though anglers are still nailing some 8 to 12 inch rainbows. Anglers are tossing out salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, Kastmasters, Panther Martins and black nymphs, noted Vaughn.

"Fall River trout fishing is very good," added Vaughn. "Anglers are nailing rainbows in the 10 to 18 inch range while casting small nymphs and dry flies."

When the stream season closes, Baum Lake and Lake Britton will be the only game in town. Anglers are nailing trout while fishing nightcrawlers, blue wing olives and Panther Martins. Most of the fish are in the 10 to 15 inch range, but some browns are also showing.

The cold weather has slowed the smallmouth bass and crappie fishing at Lake Britton, according to Vaughn.

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"The bank anglers are finding pretty steady rainbow action off the jetty while fishing worms, Power Bait and jigs," said Josh Huffman at the Eagle Lake Marina. "Anglers are fishing the jigs both off the bottom and under weighted bobbers. Some anglers are catching their two fish limits."

Don Hevener of Susanville topped the shore catches with a 5 pounder that he took off the jetty. He fooled the lunker while fishing a jig under a bobber, according to Huffman.

Boaters are experiencing the top action trolling nightcrawlers or Jay Fair and Sep's trolling flies in shallow water. The hottest areas are Eagle's Nest and from Wildcat to Shrimp Island. "The fish range from 2-1/2 to 5 pounds, with the average trout going about 3 pounds," noted Huffman.

Big fish honors go to Pat Barris, who nailed a 5-1/2 pound rainbow on a worm. The angler was fishing 10 feet deep off Eagle's Nest when the trout hit.

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The water temperatures are sufficiently low enough to allow the opening of the fish ladder. With the hatchery's new hatching jars, he can begin the process now in order to meet his NOAA Fisheries objective of taking representative spawn from the entire population.

The river from the SMUD power line at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park to the Hazel Avenue Bridge closed to fishing on October 31, but fishing in the rest of the river and Nimbus Basin will remain open.

The salmon action in the Sunrise area was red hot before the area closed to fishing. Bob Sparre of Rocky River Guide Service reported limits of chinooks for his clients every day during the last two weeks of the season.

For example, on October 28, the three anglers fishing with Sparre landed 12 chinooks, keeping 9 and releasing the rest. "We caught and released fish until we got the ones we wanted," said Sparre. "We also landed a 4 pound steelhead on a recent trip. We fooled all of the fish using roe in the Sunrise area."

The fishing below the closure line has been excellent also. Randy Buffington of American River Guide Service reported 2 to 3 fish per rod on recent trips at Arden Bar. He has been anchor fishing and back trolling Litefish and K-13 Kwikfish.

An angler fishing with Rod Abbott of Fin Addict Guide Service experienced a great day of fishing on Friday, catching one 10 pound salmon and releasing 5 steelhead in the 17 inch class. The fish fell for Hot Shots in the river from the Sunrise Bridge to Gristmill.

"Each hole in the American from the mouth to Business 80 is loaded with fresh-run kings," said Danny Lane of Fish 'n Dan's Guide Service. "Work your glo plugs before sunrise, then switch to Uncle Larry's spinners or green head K-14 Kwikfish. Glo Gitzits with a piece of sardine slow-trolled near the bottom will produce lots of action before first light. The fish average 14 pounds are we're catching 1 to 2 fish per rod."

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"The sturgeon bite is really picking up around Sherman Island and Cache Slough in Rio Vista, but most people are still chasing down salmon in Isleton or stripers locally," revealed Meeka Birring of Rio Vista Bait & Tackle.

Some of the more popular lures being used in the Isleton area for salmon include Blue Fox spinners, Silvertron lures and Wiggle Warts. On the Mokelumne, boaters are both trolling and jigging for their salmon.

"There is a good striper bite yielding bass between 8 and 33 pounds around Sherman and Decker islands, as well as at the Rio Vista Bridge," he noted. The bass are mostly hitting shad and mud suckers, but small lures will also produce fish.

For those interested in catching the season's first keeper sturgeon, Birring suggested using ghost or grass shrimp, pile worms or shad. "Things are looking good for sturgeon anglers as we've seen an increase in keepers caught, along with a lot of shakers," added Birring.

For a complete Delta Report, click here.

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"Millerton's best right now when anglers get a little more aggressive and pick up a spinnerbait or crankbait right now," exclaimed Jeff Huth of Valley Rod and Gun. "The drop shot rigs will catch a few fish, but the best bite by far is the reaction bite."

Shad colored spinnerbaits and crankbaits are the primary choices right now, but a few anglers report crawdad colored cranks doing well. Huth recommends that anglers focus on main lake points entering into creeks as the baitfish have begun their fall migrations.

The striper bite continues to be primarily absent, although the occasional fish will appear around Fine Gold Creek.

Water levels at Millerton are still low, but are rising as a result of recent rains.

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However, you don't have much time left to fish the Carson and other Sierra streams, since they close to fishing on November 15.

An angler fishing with Mark Wiza, fishing guide, caught and released two rainbows in the 21 to 22 inch range on Wiza's latest venture on the East Carson. "We hooked the big fish on egg patterns and our smaller fish on trico dry flies," said Wiza.

"The chilly mornings are keeping people from venturing outside now, despite today being sunny with blue skies," reported Todd Sodaro of the Carson River Resort. "Current water conditions on the East Carson are ideal for anyone who wants to catch trout, plus they won't find a crowd along the river bank."

According to Sodaro, anglers should fish salmon eggs, worms, Panther Martins or Rooster tails in the river below Hangman's Bridge.

Due to the light fishing pressure in the Carson Pass Corridor, Sodaro hasn't received any recent fishing reports for Caples or Red lakes.

Anglers should expect the fishing in Indian Creek Reservoir to pick up with the cooler weather. Fish nightcrawlers and Power Bait from the bank or troll nightcrawlers behind flashers.

For Wiza's Sierra's report, CLICK HERE.

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"Shore anglers are catching a mixture of rainbows, Alpers and browns at South Lake," said Sagen. "Power Bait, nightcrawlers and Power Bait are producing the top action."

The boat rentals are closed for the season at South. "You can still launch a small boat, but there's ice on the ramp in the morning," said Sagen.

The DFG is stocking many of the rainbows that it would normally put in the upper lakes into the lower Owens River and Pleasant Valley Reservoir, boosting the catches for anglers. Both the lower river and reservoir are open year to fishing round.

"The trout fishing is fair to good at Pleasant Valley," observed Sagen. "Shore anglers and float tubers are nailing a mixture of rainbows and browns, including some in the 2 to 3 pound range. Fishermen are tossing out Power Bait, worms, Kastmasters and a wide variety of flies."

Crowley Lake fishing pressure has been light; the concessionaire at the lake closed on October 31, according to Peter Bardos at Kittredge Sporting Goods in Mammoth Lakes.

"The trollers have been doing better on trout than the fly fishers lately," said Bardos. "Boaters are catching and releasing rainbows averaging 12 inches and going up to 20 inches. The best lures are Mirror Shad, #7 Rapalas and Red Magic Needlefish. Fly fishermen are doing best while using Zebra Midge/nickel head patterns."

For Tom Loe's Sierras Report, click here.

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Among the better spots include Wino Beach, the Block House and the Cattle Guard, according to Carla Molino at the Pyramid Lake Store. Anglers are throwing out Tornado and Sierra spoons.

"The fly fishing is just starting," added Molino. "Your best bet is to fish black Wooly Buggers at The Nets."

Boaters are experiencing good action while trolling Apex lures and a variety of spoons. George Molino, fishing guide, has caught anywhere from 12 to 30 fish on his latest fishing adventures.

"He's trolling Apex lures from the surface to 40 feet deep in the area form Warrior's to Pelican Point," she noted. "Most of the fish are in the 16 to 19 inch range, while he's also releasing a lot of 19 to 24 inch trout. His largest fish to date this season weighed 7 pounds."

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Anglers wrapped up the rockcod season on October 31 with Captain Tom Mattusch of Hulicat Sportfishing off the Montara State Beach with "terrific" bottom fishing and early limits. "Most of the 15 people on the boat were either new anglers on the boat or new to saltwater fishing and it was nice to break them in to such great fishing," he said.

On the previous day, a group of 25 people from the Coastside Fishing Club Board of Directors fished with Mattusch below Pigeon Point at New Year's Island and came home just a few rockfish short of the boat limit. "We also bagged 2 lingcod and 2 halibut to 15 pounds," added Mattusch.

The fish were taken on Fish Traps and other rubber swim tail baits, tipped with squid.

Tom is now booking trips for Dungeness crabs, as well as sanddabs (once they start showing in numbers).