VOL . 44 • ISS . 2

February 28 , 2025

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FRESHWATER REPORTS :

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AMERICAN RIVER

the lower American River “ proving to be an early standout ” for the magnificent fish showing up and being caught , according to the CDFW : “ This easily accessible urban fishery , which flows through the heart of the Sacramento metro area , is unlike any other ,” the CDFW stated . “ It ’ s home to two strains of steelhead , a native Central Valley strain and a much larger coastal strain originating within the Eel River and introduced to the lower American after the Folsom and Nimbus dams were constructed in late 1950s .” “ Today , the Nimbus Fish Hatchery supports this lower American fishery by raising and releasing almost 500,000 of these coastal-strain steelhead each year . It ’ s time to get out there and fish ,” they noted . Current water releases below Nimbus Dam are 5320 cfs . “ The flows jumped up overnight . This has made wade fishing a little on the dangerous side depending where you are fishing ,” reported fly fishing guide Andy Guibord “ We stopped by upper Sunrise this afternoon and crossing the channel looked treacherous . For those fishing out of a boat , I ’ m going to guess that fishing should be pretty good as I know there are lots of fish in the

system .” Andy Guibord recommends swinging , Wooly Buggers , Caddis Poopa / olive , Bird ’ s Nest / olive , Slump Busters # 10 , Zonkers # 10 , Silver Hilton and Intruders . If using a two fly set up , make sure one of the flies is an egg pattern : https :// www . californiaflyfishingreports . com / clinic-american-

- Dan Bacher

LAKE BERRYESSA

Rainbows Lead Winter Angling Parade

NAPA – Despite a full moon , murky water , freezing temperatures and debris-filled waters , Nate Kelsch of Big Nate ’ s Guide Service reported excellent action on Eagle Lake-strain rainbow trout during his latest trip to Lake Berryessa . “ These guys crushed it , going 12 for 15 by 1 pm with some donkeys in the mix ,” said Kelsch . “ We could ’ ve easily had limts , but had some issues with batteries and we called it and headed for the barn . The hot streak continues .” “ Today the fish wanted our spoons deeper in the water column with 17 to 25 ft being best ,” Kelsch stated . “ The hot spoons were the shad patterned Trigger spoon and Trigger spoon lures , as well as the cop car and watermelon Optomizers . Scent was Chrome Killer applied about every 20 minutes .” “ We had numerous fish bite

immediately after re-scenting , so we started to add scent quicker and our numbers jumped up fast !. All spoons and scent we used are available at Catch America ,” he concluded . On his previous fishing adventure , a consult trip for Jeff on his new Duckworth boat , Jeff quickly had his limit of trout and released a beautiful kokanee . “ We then played catch and release on some more trout as I scouted some more water ,” stated Kelsch . “ We caught a nice Sacramento pike-minnow ( which goes great with garden tomatoes ) and another trout that didn ’ t pop the clip , so I even got a fish to take home . Jeff went 11 FOR 11 , which is pretty darn tough to do .” “ We caught all of our fish on my Berryessa Catch America Trigger spoons , Trigger spoon Jrs , and Optomizers , smothered in Chrome Killer Scent from the surface to 40 ft . chasing marks on the graph .” Reclamation now requires all boats launching at Lake Berryessa to participate in a seal program to prevent the spread of invasive mussels . All vessels wishing to launch at Lake Berryessa will be inspected , according to the Bureau of Reclamation : “ A red quarantine seal will be applied for 30 days during , which the vessel will not be permitted to launch . Vessels that have finished the 30-day quarantine may return to the lake and have the seal removed by authorized staff and will be allowed to launch . Any vessel wishing to launch sooner than the required 30-day

quarantine period must have a hotwater decontamination performed by Solano County Water Agency trained and approved staff . These vessels are allowed to launch immediately following decontamination . Should a vessel be decontaminated at another facility or by another entity , that decontamination will not be valid unless a seal is applied to the vessel . Upon exit from the Lake , all vessels must have a seal attached by authorized staff to be allowed to freely launch at Lake Berryessa . Otherwise , the vessel will need to undergo another quarantine period or decontamination . Hand launched watercraft with electric motors like fishing kayaks , require an inspection prior to launch . Non-motorized watercraft , such as kayaks and paddleboards , are not subject to inspection and are encouraged to be inspected for free at any launch ramp . All paddlers are encouraged to arrive clean , drained , and dry . Reclamation , its partners , and its Concessioners are making these changes to prevent the spread of golden mussels . The invasive species was recently identified in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and is the first known occurrence of golden mussels in North America . The species pose a significant immediate threat to the ecological health of the Delta and all waters of the state , water conveyance

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