Fishing in California

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So, thinking of getting back into fishing.  Grew up salt water fishing on the gulf coast, some surf casting but mostly in bays, with occasional sessions with my grandfather on some lake where we caught a million sun fish using crickets and bobbers. Also cane poles and bread. No idea how to fish out here.  So, how do I get started?  I live near the Sacto river, but also want to go to the lakes in the mtns.  Thinking I will go to flea market to get some gear.  Maybe two set-ups, a spinner and then one of those bigger reels people use on beaches here, for use on the river.  Never used one of those before. Can you catch anything out of the Sacto with a little spinner reel?

What are some basic techniques used out here?  In Fla, we either use shrimp or live white bait, but more commonly a lure like a spinner or a soft plastic bait.  Cast and reel slowly in a fishsexy manner.  Or let it drift with the current if casting from a boat or pier. What would be the best way to get started casting into the river from the bank, or on a lake.  Would likely fish both from bank and from a canoe or small boat. What guage line would I be looking for?  I am not likely to be changing it out all the time, so just need some all purpose suggestions.

Don't even try to sell me on fly fishing.  That's for yankees.

I take it back, I have used the big reels for off shore fishing.  Don't see myself doing any of that here.

snoopy poles

I am afraid to respond.

but fukushima

In OR I fished creeks, lakes, and rivers. Tried for Steelhead a few different rivers but never landed one. It seemed like the guys with boats did better than us standing on a rock in waders. Had good luck with Trout in wide creeks and lakes. "Rooster Tail" lures of various colors seemed to work as well as anything for Cutthroat Trout. 

One way I acquired lures that the locals liked was to put on a mask and swim out 30-40 feet, dive down to the logs submerged and grab the lures which had snagged there.

You could always ask at your local bait & tackle shoppe. Good luck!

never fished big rivers and I was never very pro about my gear, but I used to have decent luck fishing for trout at dusk/dawn in the Sierra lakes using a wet fly on a six foot leader and a clear bobber half filled with water (to give it weight so's I could cast it further).

Also had some success using grasshoppers in streams (let them wash over small falls into pools) as well as spinners/spoons. trout rig: spinning reel, light flexy pole and light line

Also got into bass fishing in local lakes using spinner bait lures and crayfish lures... used a stiffer rod, spin casting reel and a little heavier line for that.

 

 

 

 

I had a Snoopy pole as a kid. Piece of shit.

Been looking at King Salmon charters in Sacramento area lately. Good thing about charters is you can use there gear & bait. Rivers, lakes & the delta are good fishing in your area. Fished San Joaquin river deep water channel near Stockton caught some monster catfish there with a few big stripers. Delta fishing for stripers and catfish in Discovery Bay area. Rivers and foothill lakes are probably your best bets. Try reading fishsniffer.com reports for your area. Nice Bass Pro shop in Manteca, CA 

I'm a trout and striped bass fisherman for the most part. Only caught one Salmon on a charter off Stinson Beach in mid 1990's. Was a Striper junkie in Massachusetts to point of having a 50 gallon plastic drum (car wash) filled with water, aerators and fish neutralizer in the back of my pickup. We would go to Boston Charles river (or Mystic river lakes) and net river herring at the waterfall put them in a live well and drive down to cape cod for some big ones (stripers) caught with live bait. We also use to go to Gloucester and get bucket's of herring off the boats and go to Rockport for 20 striper days. Weed, beer, dogs, friends, seafood dinner those were some of the best days of my life. Now I fish allot for trout at Lake Del Valle in Livermore, CA.

Dan when you trout fish in those lakes, what sort of rig do you use? By that I mean sinker, bobber, type of lure, let it lie out there or real it in? I can see going to the reservoirs on 88 (Silver Lake, Caples) and up above 50 (Union Valley, etc) as well as smaller high mountain lakes that I'd likely hike to.  

I enjoy jigging (when you cast and reel in), but not sure that a thing here.

Apparently spring is striper time on the river near my house, so I have some time to get ready.  Do you fish on the tide? Wait, a river doesn't have a tide.  Shit.

Channel Islands. Deep Water fishing. Lots of good fishing. Boats out of Oxnard. Have fun.

Rooster tails.

give me a call in may when the ocean opens back up, salmon rockfish and lingcod all on the same trip with a free place to stay...............................