VOL.39 • ISS. 18
FRESHWATER
August 21, 2020
17
emergence of 2nd-year kokanee on
Melones, and I predict next year will be
outstanding.,” he said.
Mike Gomez of the Bait Barn in
Waterford said, “The bass bite is on
fire with basically everything – topwater
lures in the early mornings or late
afternoons, glide baits, jigs, spinnerbaits,
or swimbaits.” The bass move shallow in
the mornings or evenings before moving
out to deep water off of vertical rock or
submerged island tops with plastics on a
shakey head or wacky-rig.
New Melones has dropped to 68 percent
of capacity.
- Dave Hurley
OROVILLE LAKE/
THERMALITO AFTERBAY
Boaters Keep Putting In
Landlocked Chinooks
OROVILLE – Experienced guides and
anglers are still catching landlocked kings
at Lake Oroville, although the fishing isn’t
as fast as it was earlier this summer.
Bret Brady of Bare Bones Guide Service
continues to report solid landlocked
chinook fishing while trolling at Lake
Oroville. “Our first limit of Lake Oroville
kings came quickly at Lake Oroville
yesterday, but that bite slows way down
by 9 o’clock,” noted Brady.
Most of the salmon being caught at Lake
Oroville now are in the 18 inch range,
but holdovers up to 24 inches are being
caught, according to Rob Reimers of
Rustic Rob’s Guide Service. Anglers are
hooking the fish while trolling with Brad’s
Kokanee Cut Plugs at 60 to 120 feet
deep.
“The Thermalito Afterbay is beginning to
Fish the Sacramento River with
Mike Bogue’s Guide Service
(530)246-8457 • www.mikebogue.com
Book Early for
Best Dates
Scotts
Flat
• Salmon
• Steelhead
• Trout
3603
Fishing•Camping•Boating
Our LAKE IS FULL!
The Fish Sniffer’s Wes Ward was trolling a copper Trigger Spoon at Folsom Lake this July
and scored this big bad 5 plus pound king salmon.
Photo by WES WARD, Fish Sniffer Staff.
produce landlocked steelhead in the 15 to
16 inch range,”: said Reimers. “Boaters
are trolling with nightcrawlers behind
Sep’s Dodgers.”
3816
Scotts Flat Lake Campground is an excellent
place for families and friends to spend quality
time together while creating memories to
last a lifetime. Whatever your preference, our
campground and lake has something for you!
The Tuesday night
turkey shoots at the
afterbay have been
producing some
quality largemouth
bass, according to
Jamey Sorenson of
Nroth Valley Tackle
and Pro Shop.
The latest evening
winners were: (1)
Nick Klein - 20 ¾”,
(2) Nathan Reppert
- 20 1/4”, and (3)
Brent Cline - 19
1/4”.
Bidwell Canyon
and Lake Oroville
Marinas are
open with some
restrictions.
Please contact the
appropriate Marina
for the most current
information and
please plan your
visit accordingly.
Bidwell Canyon
Marina (530)
589-9175 www.
bidwellcanyonmarina.com
Lake Oroville is currently holding
1,993,889-acre feet of water, 56 percent
of capacity and 73 percent of average.
PARDEE LAKE
Trollers Lay Into Kokanee
IONE – If you want to catch numbers
of Kokanee salmon, Lake Pardee is the
place to go in the Mother Lode.
Pardee continues to release rainbow
trout and 1000 pounds of Mt. Lassen
Hatchery rainbows were planted at the
launch ramp last week.
However, trout fishing has been slow in
the warmer water temperatures, and the
rainbows move quickly out of the marina
through the Narrows into the cooler
waters of the main lake.
Most trollers are targeting kokanee, and
there are some larger salmon at 15 inches
taken within the past week.
Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service
was out on an evening trip on Saturday
night, followed by a morning trip on
Sunday with Howard Rempfer and his two
grandsons, Brayden and Frank, from Lodi.
“Limits have been the rule, and I have
been working the south side of the lake
beyond the river arm while most trollers
are heading up the river arm. I have been
primarily targeting
the kokanee at
around 80 feet with
J-Pex lures behind
either a Paulina
Peak or Mag Tackle
gold dodger, and it
took about 2.5 hours to put in three 10-fish
limits plus a rainbow trout,” said Wise.
“ Al Milan was out there with his father,
and he remarked that it didn’t matter
is you were at 80 feet or 125 feet,
the kokanee were all the same size. I
have been seeing huge balls of fish at
100 to 125 feet, but I have not been
dropping that deep for them since they
are available much higher in the water
column.,” Wise concluded.
It wasn’t all fun and games at Pardee
as the bite was slower overall on Sunday.
Chris Saiz of C4 Custom Rods reported,
“It took until 12:30 to put in our 30-fish
limits, and we really had to work hard
for them as there was no real pattern. I
used about everything in the tackle box
including hoochies, spinners, and J-Pex
lures. Our best action came from 50 to 80
feet.
- Dave Hurley
REDDING/RED BLUFF
Salmon Fishing Slow, Trout
Fishing Hot
REDDING- Salmon fishing is slow on
the northern reaches of the Sacramento
River, but with big numbers of salmon in
the ocean, anglers are expecting great
things in the river this fall. The bright spot
right now is the trout fishing, which has
been excellent.
Robert Weese of Northern California
Guide Service has been splitting his time
between salmon and trout fishing. Mikie
Bogue took advantage of the slow start
to August by taking his family on a fishing
vacation to Alaska.
“I’ve been off work due to the pandemic,
so I’ve been spending a lot of time
looking for kings,” related Seth Watson
of Woodland. I’ve fished both above Red
Bluff and out of Woodson. It’s been really
tough. On my best day I got two hits on
Flatfish and landed two fish to 11 pounder.
Since then I’ve been averaging less than
a fish per day.”
On the trout fishing front, both fly and
gear anglers are landing 20 plus fish per
day, with top end fish measuring up to 24
inches.
If you want to be in a position to score
some Sac River chrome when the run
ramps up, it’s wise to book your spot early.
Both Robert Weese and Mike Bogue
are top sticks when it comes to putting
anglers on big bad kings. To book a trip
with Weese of Northern California Guide
Service, give him a ring at (530) 755-
7196. To arrange a trip with Mike Bogue of
Mike Bogue’s Guide Service reach out to
Mike at (530) 246-8457.
RIO VISTA
Trollers Find New Striper
Schools on San Joaquin,
Sacramento
RIO VISTA - The appearance of
new schools of stripers has resulted in
improving fishing on the San Joaquin and
Sacramento rivers in the Delta.
On his latest trip, Clyde Wands of
Sacramento and “Pastor Steve” fished
the San Joaquin between a couple of
tule berms around Prisoner’s Point. They
found superb fishing while deep-trolling
CONTINUED ON PG 19
Handicapped barrier free fishing access,
Fish cleaning station, Restrooms at marina,
Boat Launch Ramp, Marina, Store.
Fishing ❂ Camping ❂ Boating
23333 Scotts Flat Rd., Nevada City, CA 95959
Just 5 Miles East of Nevada City on Hwy 20
3909
EXCELLENT FISHING FOR:
Rainbow Trout
German Browns
Kokanee
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Reservations (530) 265– 5302 • Office (530) 265–8861
recreation.nidwater.com
Nevada Irrigation District
Great Fishing for Rainbows,
Browns and Lake Trout!
•Cabins •Campground •Restaurant & Bar
•Fishing Boat Rentals
Call for Information and Reservations
3614
(209)295-4868
40800 Highway 88, Pioneer, CA 95666
www.bearrivercampground.com
3917
Mark Morrison fishing Guide Service
Salmon, Stripers, Trout, American Shad
NOW BOOKING SALMON, TROUT & AMERICAN SHAD TRIPS!
1-6 people - Full day trips
Fishing gear supplied
Sacramento, American and Feather rivers
916-308-3228
markmor14@gmail.com
markmorrisonfishingguideservice.com
BOOK EARLY
FOR BEST DATES!