Up-To-Date and Published Locally... By Sportsmen... For Sportsmen!
Vol. 39 - ISS.19
Marin Coast Map Feature
MADE IN U.S.A
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Since 1982
September 11, 2020
38 Years
Serving
Sportsmen
Special Section
KAYAK Fishing:
pgs 20
Our
38th
Year
“The Magazine for West Coast Sportsmen!”
Alaskan Halibut and Salmon with
Eagle Charters
This has been a very trying spring and
summer, with Covid 19 shutting down
most of the economy, and
now extreme heat and forest
fires turning the sky smoky
gray. My brother Ken of
Merino, Colorado and Mary
Mihm of Nebraska, joined
Bridget Looney and me on
an escape to Eagle Charters
in southeast Alaska! After
weeks of 90 to 105-degree
days, it was wonderful to
soak up the rain, clouds
and beautiful scenery of the
Inland Passage.
We flew into Juneau on
Alaska Airlines, were cleared
negative for Covid from the
tests we had done within 72
hours, and then embarked on float planes
from Ward Air right next to the international
airport – our destination Elfin
Cove 70 miles west. As we flew over the
myriad bays, points and estuaries of the
Inland passage, I was once again awed
by the sheer magnificence of rugged,
tree covered and snowcapped mountains
I
think I take the heat pretty well.
It’s not my favorite thing, but I can
function and do hard labor when the
temperature soars above 100. Yet, as I get
older I’m less likely to subject myself to
suffering in the field. Sure, for a 100-pound
tuna, I’ll stand out in the sun and endure
high temperatures and brutal humidity.
But I’m not doing it for a 2-pound trout or
spotted bass.
Likewise, I’ll sit in the rain all day, day
GONE
FISHING
by
Paul Kneeland
Big rainbows have been the rule for anglers fishing Lake
Almanor with Captain Bryan Roccucci in recent days.
Photo courtesy of BIG DADDY’S GUIDE SERVICE, Chester.
dropping steeply into the deep emerald
waters of the Inland Passage. Where you
can literally see deer and brown
bears on the shoreline, trading
stares with whales and sea lions
only yards away!
Elfin Cove is on the outer
edge of the Inland Passage, and
is a narrow bay that is about ¾
mile deep and very protected
from the elements of the ocean.
Eagle Charters lodge is at
the very end of the cove, and
features a large great room/
dining room area and 20 guest
rooms in the main lodge.
We pleased to see we were
scheduled to use the 2 special
guest rooms built on the water
next to the boat docks. These
2 floating rooms both feature a queen bed
plus a single bed, a nice modern bathroom
with shower, and a small covered outside
deck with an on the water view of the
cove!
We settled into our rooms and then
walked up to the large dining area for
a wonderful feast of prime rib, grilled
The crew with a typical day’s catch of
halibut at Eagle Charters.
Photo by SARAH GOTTSHALL, Eagle
Charters Staff.
vegies, baked potatoes and dessert. Mike
Leboki, owner and lodge manager, greeted
us all and assigned boats for the next
day. He also told us about the weather
CONTINUED ON PG 16
It’s Been Red Hot & The Fishing Is Pretty Decent Too…
after day to tag a big buck, but I’m not
into sitting in a downpour for a limit of
planters…
So, we come to the past
couple weeks. It’s been hot,
dang hot actually and oppressive
with a fairly high level
of humidity by California
standards. And of course the
entire state has been blanketed
in thick nasty smoke from a
series of epic
wildfires.
I’d actually
planned to go
fishing in the
Sierra yesterday.
The trailer was all
hooked up when I
heard it was going
to hit 91 degrees in
Tahoe and the air quality was
going to be unhealthy! Rather
than to fry in my kayak, I
opted to stick around the
house, shoot video and prep
my gear for cooler, better days
ahead.
I think we are in for some
really exciting fall fishing and
Fish Sniffer TIP OF THE WEEK
WHAT’S
HOT
by
Cal Kellogg
I think fishing is going to be especially
good in a couple different regions. We’ll
talk more about upcoming fishing in a bit.
First let’s take a look at what’s
going on right now on the
freshwater scene.
I know a lot of Fish Sniffer
readers love kokanee fishing,
so let’s lead off with sockeyes.
New Melones is booting out
the Golden State’s biggest
kokanee, with 2 plus pounders
being common.
If you know the kokanee
fishing ropes, you should be
able to get a limit or near limit
out of your own boat. If you
don’t know or don’t have a
boat I’d advise you to book
a trip with a guide like Kyle
Wise at Head Hunter Guide
Service. They put you on the fish. Plus,
you’ll learn a lot about kokanee fishing
watching talented guides like these in
action.
Berryessa has also been featuring great
kokanee fishing for big fish, but with facilities
being ravaged by fire, it’s anyone’s
guess when anglers might be back on the
SOCIALLY DISTANCE - BE SAFE!!!
See Page 3 for an update about the Fish Sniffer and Coronavirus
CONTINUED ON PG 22
INSIDE
Area Reports
FRESHWATER REPORTS
Almanor - American River.......................................4
Berryessa Lake - Clear Lake............................... 12
Collins Lake - East Delta................................ 16-17
Eastern Sierra - Klamath/Trinity Rivers............... 19
Knights Landing/Colusa - Rancho Seco......... 20-21
Redding/Red Bluff - West Delta..................... 22 -23
SALTWATER REPORTS
Berkeley - Bodega Bay............................................ 24
Fishermans Wharf - Monterey Bay................. 26-27
FEATURES
Where...When...How...
TROUT KOKANEE JOURNAL .................. 6 -11
BAJA ROUNDUP........................................................27
FISH SNIFFER COVID UPDATE................................3
CATCH & RELEASE - FLY FISHING: Cal Kellogg..........18
FISH SNIFFER COUNTRY: Steve ‘Hippo’ Lau..........26
GO FOR IT: Staff.........................................................5
HOW-TO: Cal Kellogg..............................................13
KAYAK FISHING SPOTLIGHT .................................20
MAP FEATURE: Dan Bacher...............................14-15
SPOTLIGHT ON CONSERVATION: Dan Bacher......25
STAFF
TACKLE
What We’re Using
Cal Kellogg - trolled for trout
at French Meadows Reservoir
from his Hobie Pro Angler
14 kayak. Cal chose a one
of his signature series Trout
& Salmon trolling rods teamed with an Abu
Garcia 5500 line counter reel spooled with
10 pound moss green Trilene Big Game line.
On the business end Cal ran an 8 pound test
Vanish Fluorocarbon leader tipped with an
orange spoon. To get the spoon down to the
fish, Cal employed a small portable Scotty
downrigger. Using this gear Cal caught trout to
16 inches.
Paul Kneeland - fished out of
Bodega Bay with Gary Caruso
and Brian Garcia on the Fish
Sniffer Rogue Jet 21’ Coastal.
They caught king salmon to
23 pounds using a Lamiglas
8’ 6” Titanium rod with a Okuma Coldwater
line counter reel loaded with 65 lb test McCoy
braided line, trolling mother of pearl Apex lures
behind Vance’s cannonball flashers, 52 feet
deep off the Canon downriggers at 2.5 mph.
Dan Bacher - fished for
largemouth bass at Rancho
Seco Lake. He used a Berkley
Ugly Stick GX2 6’ 6” medium
action spinning rod, teamed
up with a Shakespeare GX235 spinning
reel filled with 8 lb. test P-Line CX Premium
Fluorocarbon Coated Line. He fished with
wacky-rgged Yamamoto Senkos in green
pumpkin on Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap
Hooks in #1 and 1/0.