Modesto Bee - NorCal Fish report for March 8, 2017

Fish report for March 8, 2017

Lake Don Pedro

After a week of closure due to the lake spilling over, the Blue Oaks launch ramp is open on the upper ramp, but the launch ramp status is subject to closure due to the changing lake elevation. Water releases continue in anticipation of snowmelt in the coming weeks, and the lake is only 6 feet from full at 824.39 feet in elevation and 96 percent of capacity. Buoys have been installed at the Blue Oaks ramp, and boats need to stay between the red and green markers, as the water is very shallow on both sides of the channel. The area around the spillway is closed to the public at the present time. Updated information on the lake’s status is available at www.donpedrolake.com. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing took out clients Friday and said, “The Blue Oaks ramp just opened on Friday at 3:30 p.m., as they were setting the buoys in the channel. It was a tough bite for us, but the conditions are really good with 5 to 6 feet of visibility and a water temperature between 53-54 degrees. Most of the floating debris has cleared out. The falling water levels may account for the slower fishing since normally, the bite will improve with rising water and slow when the lake is dropping. We started off near Blue Oaks with heavy spoons on lead core, and on our way out near Big Oak Island, we landed our first rainbow. Our next rainbow came in the same area, and it was a beautiful 20-incher that acted just like a steelhead, coming out of the water several times. We ended up with only four fish with another three to four hookups that came unbuttoned. We tried a number of different locations throughout the day. We marked fish, but the only area that seemed to hold bait was near Blue Oaks Island since there were grebes diving in the area. I think the bite will be really good this spring, and the rainbows we are landing are in great shape.” Mike Gomez at the Bait Barn in Waterford added, “No one has been bass fishing on Pedro this week with the closure, but I plan on being here this week to throw the River2Sea SWaver in the shallows since the fish are moving up. The trout bite from the banks at Don Pedro has been good with trout dough bait or nightcrawlers.” Call: Monte Smith, 209-581-4734; Danny Layne-Fish’n Dan, 209-586-2383; Gary Vella, 209-652-7550.

McClure Reservoir

The bass bite remains outstanding at Lake McClure, and there are several bass tournaments scheduled in the coming months to take advantage of the solid action. Mike Gomez of the Bait Barn in Waterford said, “The lake is wide open and the water is perfect, between 54-55 degrees and 5 to 6 feet of visibility. Normally, McClure is crystal clear with over 15 feet of visibility, but the heavy inflow over the past several weeks has stained the water. We consider 3 to 4 feet of visibility stained, and there are some fishermen who want the wind to blow to create a mudline around the lake since the fish will move into the warmer water around the mudline. I prefer clearer conditions for a reaction bite. There haven’t been many bad days at McClure over the past months, and the action has been wide open with spotted bass to 6 pounds on a variety of lures. I plan on spending several days there this week, and my game plan is to toss the River2Sea Swaver, spinnerbaits or chatterbaits in the shallows. The spotted bass are on a major feed right now. Alabama rigs or small swimbaits such as Kei Techs on a half-ounce jig head or a Strike King underspin are also effective in the shallows.” The Best Bass Tournaments Mother Lode division has an event at the lake March 18, and this circuit always brings out between 75 and 100 boats. Trout action from the banks is also heating up with trout dough bait or nightcrawlers. The lake is currently at 844.68 feet in elevation and 85 percent as water releases into the Merced River continue at a rapid pace.

McSwain Reservoir

Trout plants have been absent since October 2016, and the bank action remains very slow. The action will not improve until the plants resume, but none are scheduled at the present time. There are small park-model rental cabins overlooking the lake that are currently under construction and slated to be open in the coming months. The Exchequer Bike Park will be opened with a constructed cross-country bike loop. Call: McSwain Marina, 209-378-2534.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

New Melones continues to rise, up another 7 feet during the past week to 1,015.67 feet in elevation and 67 percent. The lake should come close to capacity if water releases are restricted, as the inflow from snowmelt from the Stanislaus River watershed is coming. The lake is starting to clear, but there is scattered debris floating on the surface throughout the lake with a water temperature ranging from 49-52 degrees. The upper ramp at Glory Hole Point, the Angels Creek ramp and the Tuttletown ramp are open with two docks in place on each ramp. Trout fishing is best for trollers pulling shad-patterned spoons, Wedding Rings tipped with a nightcrawler or Rapalas from the surface to 15 feet in depth near protected coves or creek channels. The rainbows are holding near the surface, searching for insects and other food sources that have washed into the lake. Shore fishermen are finding some success with nightcrawlers in combination with either trout dough bait or marshmallows along with casting heavy spoons such as a Kastmaster. Scent is important to entice strikes in the stained water. Spotted and largemouth bass are scattered throughout the water column with the rising water levels, as some are holding in deep water while others are shallow. As the water level becomes more consistent, the bite will improve. The cold water temperatures and flooded vegetation lining the lake require a finesse approach with weedless presentations such as a jig on a Bass Patrol Arkie head with a brush guard, as the bullet-shaped weight does not get hung up on the grass on every cast. Carolina- or drop-shot rigs are also working with a long leader to avoid the grass on the bottom with a larger grade of bass found on Alabama rigs loaded with small Kei Tech swimbaits or River2Sea SWavers. Mike Gomez of the Bait Barn in Waterford said, “I can’t wait to get back to New Melones this week to toss the SWaver, as the fish are moving into the shallows.” Crappie are showing up in the coves and creek channels around flooded vegetation and brush. Anglers are using small spinners or minijigs to locate the crappie before switching to live minnows. Glory Hole is now carrying medium and large minnows in their tanks. Catfishing remains slow, but a few whiskerfish are taken on a ball of nightcrawlers scented with various concoctions near moving water inlets. Call: Glory Hole Sports, 209-736-4333; Monte Smith, 209-581-4734; Danny Layne-Fish’n Dan, 209-586-2383.

Delta/Stockton

The Sacramento Delta is starting to clear, and there are striped bass taken out of the clearest water in the Sacramento Deep Water Channel. There are pockets of clear water showing up in the north Delta, and stripers are either here or on their way into the upper river. The high and muddy water has led to slow action for striped bass over the past several months, but the action should be terrific this spring. One limiting factor will be the flows coming out of the Feather River within the coming weeks, where the sudden drop in flow from 80,000 to 2,500 cfs for spillway repairs has led to the collapse of up to 25 feet of bank areas. The Sacramento Deep Water Channel into the port has been the clearest area in the Delta, and trollers are concentrating in this stretch of the river for striped bass with various plugs in color patterns such as chartreuse or green. There are some huge striped bass moving through the system with a 50-pounder caught and released at the Port of Sacramento on a ripbait while a 40-pound striper was caught and kept out of Montezuma Slough. Earlier in the week, Captain Bill Clapp of Bill’s Sport Fishing said, “Patience was the operative word on Thursday, but the bite turned on from the bottom of the tide to the flood with Jerry Eldridge of Modesto landing a 59-inch sturgeon on eel. There weren’t a lot of bites, but he made this one count.” Steffen Masters of Lost Anchor Bait and Tackle at McAvoy’s Boat Harbor said, “Ghost shrimp was the hot bait for anglers with Charles Haynes landing a 59.5-inch sturgeon near Antioch and Tim Hodge and Chris Birkland scoring sturgeon at 58 and 42 inches respectively in Broad Slough.” Benicia Bait reported heavy angler interest last weekend, particularly during Saturday’s warmer weather, but the action slowed Sunday with the cold winds moving through the Delta. The top areas remain Montezuma and Suisun Slough as well as the Mothball Fleet when the wind is down in the open water. The Central Valley Anglers Spring Striper Derby will be held March 19 with information at www.centralvalleyanglers.org. The Addathon Iron Man Sturgeon Derby has been rescheduled for March 25-26 out of Pittsburg Harbor with the NorCal Fish Whisperers Striped Bass Derby out of Brannan Island on April 1. The San Joaquin Delta continues to remain closed below Mildred Island with high-water releases continuing out of Don Pedro and other tributary reservoirs with the exception of New Melones. The closure has restricted boating on the San Joaquin River between the Stanislaus County line and Burns Cutoff, Paradise Cut from the San Joaquin River to Old River, and on Old River from the San Joaquin to Middle River, but the closure was expanded to include waters surrounding Bacon, Woodward, Lower Jones, Victoria and Roberts islands. The closure was relaxed to allow commercial boat traffic out of Discovery Bay. The spillway gate at Don Pedro was closed last week despite the denial of the Turlock Irrigation District’s request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release water at a faster rate. As a result, flooding on the San Joaquin River has receded quicker, but the closure will be extended, as it will take longer to drain Don Pedro to a safer elevation. The San Joaquin River is still loaded with floating logs, plywood and other debris, and recreational boating creates a hazard for the fragile levees. Steve Santucci of Steve Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service said, “The water is still off color in much of the Delta, but there are a few fish to be had for the hearty angler. It is all about finding clear water right now, and the best areas are the backs of the sloughs, the top of the Deep Water Channel, and you have to work larger flies with rattles in the dirty water and 4- to 6-inch chartreuse/white Clouser minnows in the cleaner water. The Delta still needs a few weeks of good weather to get rolling, but things are trending in the right direction. We are finding water temperatures from 50-55 degrees, depending on the area and time of day.” Alan Fong, manager of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento, continues to find good largemouth bass action in the east Delta out of Honker Cut Marina. He said, “We didn’t get the numbers, but we ended up with 10 largemouth bass with one at 8 pounds and another at 7.5 pounds flipping Missle’s D-Bombs or Sweet Beavers in black. The launch ramp at Honker Cut is steep, and you have to back down and drive off or else you have to bring waders.” Neil Simpson of Lodi went into the east Delta on Saturday and said, “The water was dirty, and it was slow for us with only three bass to 4 pounds on a squarebill crankbait. We also missed some on plastics and chatterbaits.” Hyacinth spraying started March 1 out of Lincoln Village West Marina and in Discovery Bay, and this was the first time in years the spraying actually took place on the first day allowable under the permits. Spraying for Egeria Densa, the underwater weed, is on hold with the high water as the plant is not actively growing at the present time. Call: Randy Pringle, 209-543-6260; Intimidator Sport Fishing, 916-806-3030; Captain Steve Mitchell – Hook’d Up Sport Fishing, 707-655-6736.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

There isn’t much more room to rise at San Luis Reservoir; the lake is near capacity at 99 percent. Water exports will occur later in the spring, and the lake will drop considerably, but it has reached the high-water mark. Wind was the limiting factor over the weekend with the main lake closed Saturday, but anglers were able to get out Sunday morning before the wind blew them back to the safety of the launch ramps. Trolling Alabama rigs loaded with small shad-patterned swimbaits are working at depths from 12 to 50 feet for linesides to 28 inches with the fish holding along point and deep flats. Mickey Clements of Coyote Bait in Morgan Hill said, “The trolling bite has improved with P-Line’s Predator Minnows or Lucky Craft 128’s, and some trollers have been finding the stripers as shallow as 10 feet. Most are working at depths to 40 feet, and the best action seems to be in the back or the mouth of Portuguese Cove. The stripers appear to have moved into the newly-flooded areas of the cove, and the mouth is always a good place to target since the linesides corral the bait into the cove. Bank fishermen are soaking live jumbo minnows at the end of Dinosaur Point, and we have been selling a good number of minnows.” Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said the overall bite has been tougher this last week as the storm moved through. “The cold front affected the bite, but I expect it to resume with the coming nice weather and the high pressure front that’s settling in for a while, according to reports. The bite has been sporadic at times, and sometimes, it takes patience and the correct timing to hit it right,” George said. The first annual How to Fish Striper Derby will be held at the Basalt Launch Ramp on March 19 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Event organizer Jesus Reyes Silva of JKingslures said, “The entry fee is $35, and the payout will be the top three places.” In the O’Neill Forebay, catfishing is improved with sardines, chicken livers or prepared catfish baits from the shoreline area, and Clement reported a good largemouth bass bite with small Kei Tech swimbaits near the rockwall or along Check 12. Striped bass in the forebay remain undersized for the most part. Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle, 408-463-0711; Roger George of rogergeorgeguideservice.com, 559-905-2954; San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay wind conditions, 800-805-4805.

Half Moon Bay

“If we could only get the wind to lay down for a few days, we could get out for sand dab/crab combinations, but this hasn’t been the case for the past few weeks. It is just spectacular in Half Moon Bay on March 1, but there hasn’t been much interest with the weather being consistently rough before this point,” said Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat. Mattusch’s boat is the only large party boat running the combination trips, and they will also operate crab-only or whale-watching trips until the April 1 rockfish opener below Pigeon Point. Their last trip out was on Feb. 4, but there are better times on the horizon with the arrival of rockfish season in local waters on April 15. The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, the New Captain Pete and the Huli Cat are willing to run the 18 miles to Pigeon Point for the opening two weeks of April, given enough passengers to make the trip worthwhile. Depth regulations have been increased to 300 feet below Pigeon Point and to 340 feet above Pigeon Point. One canary rockfish will be included in a 10-fish limit, and the ling cod limit has been lowered to two, both changes for the upcoming season. Mattusch took a canary rockfish research trip to the reefs near the Farallon Islands during the first weekend of March, and the data has been used to adjust rockfish limits. The Titans of Mavericks Big Wave Surf Contest, a staple of the Half Moon Bay community, will not occur this spring, leaving party boats to wait for rockfish season to create enough interest to start their motors. Rob Chaney of the Rusty Hook in Pacifica reported good crab action from the pier with snares as one of his friends put in eight legal crab in fewer than two hours. The best action is occurring toward the end of the pier, and the pier is filling up with anglers shoulder to shoulder on the weekends. Neon Sabiki rigs without squid are working for surf perch, and there is a larger grade of surf perch showing up along the coastline. Chaney said, “I was just given a 3.5-pounder, and the past couple of years, the perch are getting bigger and bigger.” Striper fishing remains slow. Call: Happy Hooker, 510-223-5388; Captain Roger Thomas, Salty Lady, 415-760-9362; Emeryville Sport Fishing, 510-654-6040.

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Sand dab action has really improved with great fishing Saturday with 600 sand dabs and 125 Dungeness crab for 20 anglers on the Check Mate while the Caroline posted 420 sand dabs and 59 crab for 14 anglers. Sunday’s trips were cancelled due to the wind, but they are heading out Wednesday and this weekend. The 13th annual Sand Crab Classic Surf Perch Contest is Saturday, March 11, in Santa Cruz. This is an annual benefit for the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, and entries were limited to 300 participants. The weigh-in deadline is at 1 p.m. at Portuguese Hall, 216 Evergreen St., in Santa Cruz. Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak Fishing and Surfcasting Guide Service reported, “Winter doldrums are nearly over now that we have reached March. Monterey Bay anglers have kept themselves occupied with surfcasting for perch and the occasional striped bass, dropping pots for crab and searching for steelhead trout in the swollen streams and creeks.” Todd Fraser of Bayside Marine in Santa Cruz is feeling positive about the upcoming fishing season. He reported, “The weather is finally improving, and there is a little more room to get out of the harbor. The tides are playing a role so make sure you check the soundings on the harbor web site. ... The meeting for the state salmon season will be at the end of March, and the Feds will meet the first week in April. The crab fishing has gotten better.” Fraser said Bayside Marine will have a nice supply of pile worms and shrimp for the Sand Crab Classic. Salmon season typically opens at the beginning of April, but low return counts in the Sacramento River over the past few years may result in a very short season this year or staggered openings as the season progresses through to fall. Far Northern California areas are in even more dire straits, as salmon counts for the Klamath River system were precipitously low last year. Surfcasting reports were scarce last week. The Salinas River mouth area is always a good bet for big perch and striped bass, as are the beaches near the Pajaro River. A few stripers were caught from the beaches below Santa Cruz last week. Most are undersized and cannot be kept but are still very exciting to hook up with on light perching gear. When making your surfcasting plans, the common wisdom is that fishing will be best two hours before and two hours after high tide. Lately, experienced anglers have actually reported better fishing on the lower tides. “It’s easier to find the holes at low tide,” reported Austin Sprague of Aptos. Sprague has enjoyed a few good fishing days lately, catching and releasing more than 10 perch per session as well as a couple striped bass. Call: Chris’ Landing, 831-375-5951; Bayside Marine, 831-475-2173.

San Francisco Bay

Early returns from the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s annual Salmon Abundance Meeting on March 1 indicates the ocean salmon season will be limited by the poor returns on the Klamath and Trinity rivers as well as the endangered winter run. The Pacific Marine Fisheries Council will announce the season and restrictions within the coming weeks with the season opener anticipated April 1. Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle really likes the tides starting Monday and continuing through the weekend with minus starting Tuesday. Field scout Frank Carbone has been fishing the McNears Pier on a weekly basis, and he reported at least two sturgeon have been coming from the pier on ghost shrimp every time he has been present. In the south bay, sturgeon action in Guadalupe and Alviso creeks remains good for the few boats willing to launch out of Alviso or make the long run down from Redwood City in the shallow bay. Most sturgeon anglers in the south bay are using herring since there have been herring spawns downbay. The Lovely Martha out of San Francisco made its first halibut trolling trip last week in the south bay near Oyster Point and managed to land a legal halibut on troll gear. The halibut window appears to be opening.

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