Many bass anglers have come through this week with reports of good catches. Bass from 2 pounds to over ten pounds have been caught on minnows.

“One of my local regulars caught a 10 lb. 10 oz, bass one day this past week and turned around to catch a 10 lb. 8oz. bass the next day,” said Rider. “We’ve also seen 4’s, 5’, 6’s, & 8’s. The anglers using artificials are still struggling to put a limit together, but the jumbo minnow bite has been pretty darn good.”

Anglers are experiencing success fishing in as little as six feet of water all the way down to 25 feet of water. Look for bass to be staging (pre-spawn) or feeding.

Best bets for artificials include the jig-n-pig (that’s a jig with a pork trailer) in black/blue, all black, or black/purple. Drop shotting should also move into the swing of things along with soft jerk baits like Zoom Flukes.

Crappie are still pretty much a no show. “I have had one fellow reporting in from Lakeport with crappie being taken at the end of his private dock in about 15 feet of water,” said Rider. “The report appears to be legit, as he also sent along photos from his camera phone.”

Catfish are still cooperating all along the shoreline and Cache Creek areas. Just about any of the popular catfish baits have been working – anchovies, nightcrawlers, livers, shrimp and mackerel.

On one hand, some Noyo anglers are lamenting that salmon were nonexistent during the opening weekend of the salmon season on February 16 and 17. On the other hand, optimistic anglers are grateful that the salmon season is open and take solace in the fact that while the fishing is slow, it could heat up at anytime.

“It was a very slow salmon opener up here,” related Randy Thornton of Telstar Charters on February 17. “I took out 18 anglers on opening day and we did not get a single bite while trolling. My anglers didn’t leave the boat empty handed though. We combined crabbing with the salmon trolling and my anglers ended up with half limits of crabs.”

”Crabbing has been really consistent when the weather allows us to get out. I went out last Thursday with 7 anglers aboard and we scored full limits of quality crabs. My crab hotspot is about 7 mile to the north in water that ranges from 50 to 70 feet deep,” said Thornton.

With the question of whether or not California anglers will have a salmon season pending a decision by the PFMC in March, anglers are advised to keep updated about the fishing in the Fort Bragg area. All it would take for the bite to heat up would be for a strong concentration of bait to move into the area. If that happens, anglers should make the most of the opportunity, since no one knows if there will be a salmon season during the late spring summer and fall.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, some nice steelhead were being caught in the mainstem in areas such as River Forks and Cleveland Rapids. The recent snow and predicted rain could cause the river to continue to be high and muddy. Then the best angling will likely be plunking from the banks. Remember the mainstem Umpqua is now closed to wild steelhead harvest; it remains open year-round for adipose fin-clipped steelhead.

The North Umpqua has remained fishable despite the recent rain and snow. The early run of steelhead crossing the dam has been strong. Over 750 winter steelhead crossed Winchester Dam in December. This is the second best December run in the last decade. The count now is over 1,400 steelhead. Remember that only adipose fin-clipped steelhead can be harvested on the North Umpqua.

The recent snow and rain are likely to cause the South Umpqua to be too high and muddy for boat angling. However, if the river does drop, the best fishing will be in the Canyonville to Myrtle Creek area. In addition to several good drift boat floats between Canyonville and Roseburg, there are good bank angling opportunities at Templeton Beach, the Myrtle Creek Bridge, Stanton Park, and behind Seven Feathers Casino.

Low and clear water has slowed steelhead fishing on the Elk. The Sixes River continues to fish well, but if the flows continue to drop, drift boat anglers will have a tough time floating the river. The weather and river height play an important role in fishing success. Elk River fishes best at 5.0 feet and dropping. Anglers can call Elk River Hatchery (541-332-7025) to get the latest gage heights.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

Over the past 10 days the Fish Sniffer staff has made two trips up to the Trinity River in search of steelhead with Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service.

The first trip took place on February 8 when Cal Kellogg and Allen Bonslett combined to land 3 hard fighting steelhead in addition to hooking and loosing several other fish. Allen made his second trip to the river on February 13 in the company of his son Derek. Derek was looking to hook his first ever steelhead. He accomplished that goal early in the morning and added a second steelie for good measure later in the day.

Huber has been getting all his fish while back trolling Hot Shots and Wiggle Warts. “For a while crawfish patterns were working really well, but that bite has slowed down. Now the fish are really showing a preference for gold and orange plugs. I’m using both medium and small size plugs based on the depth of the water. I’m doctoring my plugs with plenty of Pro-Cure Super Gel,” disclosed Huber.

According to Huber, the steelhead bite on the Trinity will hold up into the early part of March.

Fishing pressure on Trinity Lake has been exceedingly light since it is difficult if not impossible to launch a boat at this time. According to John Gray of The Maine Guide Service, the Trinity Center launch ramp has been plowed, but there is only a single narrow lane for launching and the ramp is icy.

Fishing on the lake should be quite good for both trout and bass during the month of March when warming temperatures encourage the fish to get more active. Warm weather will also make boat launching easier and safer.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

The 12 anglers aboard the Checkmate caught around 30 mackerel and 20 sanddabs per rod during an angling adventure on Monday, February 18. The anglers used Sabiki jigs, tipped with squid strips, to entice both species over 35 fathoms of water, according to Chris Arcoleo at Chris’ Fishing Trips.

The 5 anglers on the latest trip by the Checkmate boated 50 mackerel and several sanddabs each, reported Chrissie Chonacki at Randy’s Fishing Trips.

Anglers fishing out of Santa Cruz are also nailing lots of sanddabs and mackerel. “The 15 fisherman on board the Velocity on February 16 bagged 220 sanddabs and 200 mackerel while fishing in 300 feet of water off Santa Cruz,” disclosed Ken Stagnaro of Stagnaro’s Fishing Trips.

“The fishing off the Capitola Wharf has been slow and the weather has been cold,” said Frank Ealy at Capitola Boat & Bait. “Anglers have caught a few sanddabs, some perch and one small cabezon, but that’s about it.”

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

A lucky angler recently caught and released a 8 lb. 2 oz. brown trout at Baum, according to Steve Vaughn at Vaughn’s Sporting Goods. Lots of quality browns have been taken recently, but the rainbows are also active.

“With the sunny skies, fish have definitely changed their diet - some like olive wooly buggers, while others seem to like gold-ribbed hare's ears, scuds, zebra midges and emergers,” Vaughn observed. “Once you locate a pod of fish, the same fly will work in that pod, but each pod seems to have a favorite pattern, so expect to be changing methods and flies as the fish move.”

Kastmasters are working well; try a two-tone or trout pattern for best results. Bait fishermen seem to be having the best luck with crawlers and Berkley Power Bait, noted Vaughn.

Vaughn hasn’t received any recent reports from the Pit River. The Pit from Lake Britton Dam downstream is open to catch and release fishing with artificial lures and barbless hooks through April 25, when the general trout season will begin.

“The weather looks great for the next 7-10 days, with highs in the low to mid 50's, lows between 20 and 27,” added Vaughn. “Some light winds are predicted, up to 5 mph, except for Wednesday when winds could reach 10 mph. Otherwise, if you're waiting for some nice weather - the coming week looks like an excellent time to get in some great fishing and catching.” 

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

“There’s tons of ice and tons of Eagle Lake rainbows, 31,200 fish stocked in December, just waiting to be caught,” emphasized Dollard. “Snow has been removed on the east road as far down as Mallard Cove.” Best access from the road into the lake is at the dam, Honker Cove and Mallard Cove. The baits of choice are redworms, nightcrawlers, and/or Power Bait fished 12’’ off the bottom.

Trout fishing remains decent for anglers fishing through the ice near the dam at Frenchman Lake. “There is still about a foot of ice at the dam and most people are fishing there,” reported Shirley Wiggin at Wiggin’s Trading Post. Try using nightcrawlers, jigs or rainbow glitter Power Bait for rainbows in the 12 to 18 inch range.

“The road to the dam is plowed, but beyond that you will need a snowmobile or being willing to hike through the snow to get to other areas of the lake,” said Wiggin.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

“I have not taken out any clients over the past week because the water has been murky, but I did get out and to do a little prospecting on my own,” related Bill Divens of Salmon King Lodge. “We had a hard time finding fish, but we did end up landing 5 steelhead to 3 pounds. Four of the fish were wild and one was a hatchery fish. We spent most of the day side drifting with roe and crickets as we tried to find fish. Once we got some hits, we switched over to back trolling Hot Shots and that is how we got most of the fish.”

“With all the warm weather we’ve been having I think the bite is for both steelhead and trout is going to improve quite a bit. The best fishing has been in the middle of the day and afternoon when the water is at its warmest. Early in the morning the action tends to be slow since the water is cold and the fish are sluggish,” disclosed Divens.

Jason Thatcher of All River Fishing has been enjoying good success while targeting the Sacramento’s wild rainbows with fly tackle. Thatcher is hooking his fish while drifting bead egg imitations and nymphs below an indicator. Thatcher agrees with Divens in that he expects to see a significant improvement in the action with rising water temperatures.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

“The water is warming and the bites we are getting from both sturgeon and stripers are more aggressive than they had been,” reported Captain Barry Canevaro of Fish Hookers Sportfishing. “We got 3 keeper sturgeon last week while fishing in the Middle Grounds and Sturgeon Alley. Eel and grass shrimp have been the best baits for us, but I’ve been having trouble getting decent grass shrimp recently.”

“Sturgeon fishing has probably improved more than striper fishing. With sturgeon you only need the water temperature to come up. With stripers you need warmer water, but you also need improved water clarity, which we have not seen yet,” added Canevaro.

Kevin Yost of Lucky Strike Charters described the recent sturgeon fishing as “medium to slow.” “The water temperature has now gone up to the 50 degree mark, but we have not really seen the bite turn on yet,” he explained. “I’m getting fish, but the numbers just aren’t where we would like to see them. If we go out and hook 1 or 2 fish, I feel like we are doing really well.”

“I’m using a lot of roe and roe combinations incorporating pile worms, ghost shrimp and grass shrimp, but you can’t discount shad either. I’ve spoken with a few guys that have hooked keepers on shad in the past few weeks,” said Yost.

Black bass anglers are having a difficult time hooking up in West Delta waters as a result of both cold water temperatures and poor visibility. The best approaches at this time are flipping and dead sticking jigs or slow rolling bright colored spinnerbaits with gold blades. 

For a complete Delta Report, click here.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

“Nobody’s brought in any rainbows this week, but trollers weighed in some quality browns,” said Amber Garduno at Glory Hole Sports. “Shore fishing has been really tough – the rainbows that are being taken are mostly planters.”

Ben Griffith topped recent catches with a 4 lb. 8 oz. brown taken while trolling in Angels Cove on Friday, February 15. Two days later, Jerry Parker bagged a 3.5 lb. brown by rolling shad near the Parrotts Ferry Bridge.

Approximately 120 anglers participated in the Central Valley Anglers’ Trout Bout over the weekend of February 9-10. Lots of brown trout were caught, with rainbows and quite a few kokanee showing up on anglers’ stringers, too.  

Twelve-year-old Connor Mitchell of Kelsey caught the biggest fish of the tournament - a 3.98-pound brown.  He and his mom used a jointed bait trolled 22 feet deep by the spillway to land the winning fish. 

The first place team was Fred Nakagawa and Jorge Wheatley, who caught a two-fish limit that weighed 5.51 pounds.  Second place went to Ed Burlarley and Bob Muhlbeir, with a two-fish (two brown trout) limit weighing 5.35 pounds.  They caught their fish rolling shad 15 feet deep in Carson Cove. 

Mike Giovanccini of San Jose caught a 3 lb. 8 oz. brown while rolling shad 8 feet deep by the spillway.  Jim Fazio rolled shad 25 ft. deep under the Parrots Ferry Bridge to land landed a 3 lb. brown. 

Frank Ambrosoli and Joe Hallett each picked up limits of rainbows while trolling a Needlefish 15 ft. deep at the mouth of Coyote Creek.  Four-year-old Tony Sousa caught a rainbow trout in Carson Creek while trolling a Cop Car Needlefish. 

“Interestingly, we have been seeing a few kokanee of nice size being caught in approximately 15 feet of water by trollers,” said Melanie Lewis. “These fish are beautiful and great eating. They are running 14-15” long at the tail fork.”

New Melones Lake is currently holding 1,506,601 acre-feet of water.  The lake water level is at 1004 ft. above sea level and 84 ft. from full capacity.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

Ken Mathis of Ken’s Custom Tackle and Guide Service has found access difficult and recommends anglers look to Jenkinson Lake for angling action - until conditions improve in the higher elevations.

“Access to all of the American River watershed lakes – Stumpy Meadows, Hell Hole and Union Valley – is dangerous and people who come up be should be very careful,” said Mathis. “One report I got from Union Valley still shows that the mack bite is still not ready. Ice House and Loon are frozen over and black ice on the road to Stumpy Meadows is making it tough to get there.”

Mackinaw action is holding steady at Jenkinson Lake. Jim Cozzens of Sly Park Lake Resort saw a few mackinaw up to three pounds come in last week. 

“Trollers working the islands and dam areas are seeing macks in the 2-3 pound class,” noted Cozzens. “Rapalas, Kastmasters and nightcrawlers have been getting the fish. There are no reports of any browns or rainbows caught this week.”  

For Wiza's Sierra articles, CLICK HERE.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

According to Gary Gunsolley at Brock’s Sporting Goods, the Lower Owens, with a flow of 100 cubic feet per second is in prime shape for fly anglers.

Fly guys are hooking from 6 to a dozen or more trout per day depending on their skill level and the day to day conditions. Pheasant tails, WD 40 and other small nymphs in sizes 18 to 20 are drawing most of the strikes.

The actual pattern of nymph you choose isn’t really important, but the color is. Black and olive have been the most consistent colors.

Tom Lowe of Sierra Drifters reports that there has been some surface activity during the afternoon hours. “The midges are blooming in full force and they have been so thick at times that a cluster pattern like a Griffith’s Knat in No. 22 will get takes on top late in the afternoon. Look for the BWO’s in the No. 16 to 18 size range from around 1:30 to 3:30 pm.  If you had only two hours to fish, this is the best time,” tipped Lowe.

Lowe described the current action at Pleasant Valley Reservoir as “very good.” “Float tubers are few and far between, but those willing to put forth the effort are being greatly rewarded with excellent fishing near the launch ramp and inlet. Streamers have been the hot ticket for the larger fish, with steady action in the pocket and shorter water sections coming on dry/dropper bead head combo rigs.  Tigers and olive zebras No. 16 to18 are working well.  The holdover fish here are gorgeous and pull as hard as Crowley Lake trout,” added Lowe. 

For Tom Loe's Sierra Report, click here.

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

“Lisa Stevens won the President’s Day Derby with a 12.12 pound cutthroat trout,” exclaimed Valarie Taylor at Crosby Lodge. “She won $4,000 for finishing first. Tim Zahniser took home the second place prize of $2,000 for his 11.24 pound trout. Molly O’Daye caught the third place fish. It weighed 11 pounds and Molly won $1,000. During the derby we saw many quality fish caught. The top 20 spots paid out and the 20th place fish went 8.10 pounds.”

“Overall the fishing up here has been slow or awesome depending on who you ask. Anglers that know how to fish the lake are doing well while others are having a hard time finding fish. Both flies and trolled lures are hooking trout. For example Lisa Stevens was trolling when she nailed the largest fish in the derby, but Time Zahniser landed his second place fish while working a fly,” said Taylor.

At Pyramid Lake Store, Carla Molino described the fish as good for both boaters and fly anglers. “The fish has been solid and the weather has been wonderful,” shared Molino.    

Back to "Hot-Bites" Report Index

“Things have been pretty slow for me,” reported Jim Smith, captain of the Happy Hooker, on February 17. “I’m spotting a lot of fish on my sonar in Suisun Bay, but we’ve been having trouble getting them to hit. The last time I went out we only got a 44 inch shaker. I’ve been fishing with ghost shrimp and grass shrimp.”

“I was out sturgeon fishing in San Pablo Bay yesterday and we experienced hot action,” exclaimed Captain James Smith of California Dawn Sportfishing. “We ended up landing 3 quality keepers and we had a lot of other chances also. All of our bites came on ghost shrimp and eel. Throughout the day I marked a lot of fish on the sonar. I can’t wait to get back out there.”

Captain Gordon Hough of the Morning Star, docked in Crockett report slow action despite favorable tides over the weekend of February 16 and 17.

“We only got one keeper for the entire weekend in addition to some shakers and flounders. We spent most of our time fishing in San Pablo Bay near the Pump House. I expected to do a lot better, since we had some really good tides. Over the weekend we used ghost shrimp and grass shrimp,” said Hough.

Hough added, “Today we are heading up to Suisun Bay. We are going to use ghost and grass shrimp, but we’ve got some pile worms on the boat too, just in case the sturgeon want something different.”