6 November 11 , 2022 VOL . 41 • ISS . 18

LAKE AMADOR

2022-23 Trout Stocking Season Has Begun

IONE – On October 27 , the Lake Amador Resort released a trial load of big trophy Amagolds that did quite well adjusting to the 12 degree increase in temperature from their fish hatchery ( 56 degrees ) to the lake surface at 68 degrees “ The biggest ones were hook jaw male Golden Cutbows ,” said Lee Lockhart at the Lake Amador Resort .

“ We released 700 pounds on October 28 , bring the first weekly total to 1000 pounds .” “ The Tackle Box Cafe opened on October 28 , so it should be a great time to catch some giant trout and have a great breakfast or lunch ,” added Lockhart . The lake level at Amador is 37 ’ from full . The water clarity is 12 ’+ and the oxygen level is 7 mg / L .

Jason Cavalli was fly fishing on the delta with an 8 weight fly rod and a Steve Adachi Rattle Clouser in chartreuse color . This combination was deadly since Jason had an amazing day catching and releasing several stripers .

Photo Courtesy of Jason Cavalli

Bank anglers can hook the trout while tossing out Kastmasters , other spoons , jigs , Power Eggs , PowerBait and other offerings . Boaters can bag fish while trolling with Rapalas and other minnow imitation lures and nightcrawlers behind flashers or dodgers .

- Dan Bacher

SACRAMENTO AREA / AMERICAN RIVER

Anglers Struggle for Fall Kings

SACRAMENTO – The numbers of fall-run Chinook salmon returning to federal and state fish hatcheries so far this season confirm what anglers have seen on the Sacramento , Feather and American rivers – relatively low numbers of fish have come back to spawn in the low and warm conditions . With the exception of some good days at the mouth of the American and on the Barge Hole on the Sacramento , fishing has been tough on all three rivers since the salmon season opened on July 16 . The one bright spot has been the lower Mokelumne River , where anglers have been catching lots of salmon lately . The Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek , a Sacramento River tributary , has seen an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 fish so far this season . In contrast , 10,000

to 14,000 fish return to Battle Creek in a normal year . “ Staff at the hatchery have been busy ,” according to the Coleman Fish Hatchery Facebook Page . “ Each adult female Chinook salmon has about 5,000 eggs . Here are some quick hatchery math facts : to collect one million eggs we need to spawn at least 200 females . To get 12 million eggs we need a minimum of 2,400 females ( and 2,400 males ).” To make their egg collection goal , the staff will continue to spawn through the end of October and into early November . During the last spawn , the facility took 1,400,000 eggs , making for a total of over 7,235,000 eggs to date . The staff has been spawning salmon for the past three weeks . They hope to get enough eggs to produce 12,000,000 juvenile fall run fish to release in the spring . In the beginning of the run , the eggs were of poor quality as the fish encountered low , warm conditions on the Sacramento River . The good news is that the water temperature at the hatchery and creek has cooled down from 62 degrees to 52 degrees with the cooler weather . Information : ( 530 ) 365-8622 . Nimbus Fish Hatchery opened its ladder to spawning salmon on October 31 . Anglers have reported seeing low numbers of kings – and tough fishing - while fishing on the American to date .

CONTINUED ON PG 7

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