Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3805 Feb 15- Mar 1 | Page 17

ablo C Rock Wall rk Dam To I-80 and Richmond Farrell's Landing Sobrante Point The Pines V's Landing Pinto Point Buoy Lines Raccoon Straits Portable Outhouses Contra Costa County Bobber Beach Main Recreation Area Old San Pablo Dam Road San Pablo Reservoir Scow Canyon Tower Oak Point Keep Out Graveyard Cove Sandy Point Pink Lady Cove Elevation 315 Big Iaggi Landing Slide Big Point Round Top Briones Reservoir Elevation 576 Wild Boar Cove Fantasy Island 5 MPH Sather Canyon Fishing Notes • Rainbow Trout are the most popular species pursued at San Pablo Reservoir, since the lake is the most heavily stocked in the Bay Area. A combination of CDFW and concessionaire plants contribute to a high fish per rod average. Bank anglers find the top action using PowerBait and Pautzke Fire Bait in the main recreation area in the spring and early summer. As the summer proceeds, anglers need to fish in deeper No access water for the rainbows. Trollers experience the most success when the Beyond Buoy Line water is relatively clear in the spring, summer and fall. A variety of minnow imitation lures, including Needlefish, Rapalas, Cripplures, Goldeneyes and Speedy Shiners, and nightcrawlers behind dodgers will work. • Largemouth and Spotted Bass can be also caught year round, with the fastest action taking place in the spring. Fish with plastic worms, Senkos, Brush Hogs, jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits in the lake's coves and off the points. • Channel Catfish hit best on the reservoir in the summer and early fall, when plants by the concessionaire supplement the lake's naturally spawning population. Fish during the early morning and late afternoon hours with mackerel, chicken liver, anchovies, nightcrawlers and "stink" baits. Fishing the inlets after spring storms can also be productive. To Highway 24 • Bluegill, Crappie and Redear Sunfish offer the top action during the summer  and  fall. Use and Orinda, redworms, millirems and small jigs around brush and structure. Oakland and • Sturgeon offer a sleeper fishery. They are rarely caught and are usually hooked by anglers trying for other species. Walnut Creek San P General Information: San Pablo Dam has 866 surface acres and 14 miles of shoreline that offers anglers their choice of fishing from boats, both private or rentals, or from shore. This EBMUD reservoir is a drinking water supply and therefore no swimming or wading is allowed. Recreation Area Facilities: Amenities at San Pablo include a well-stocked bait and tackle shop, fish cleaning stations, a handicap fishing dock, a variety of boat rentals, picnic grounds, a children’s play area and the San Pablo Grill, serving cooked to order breakfast and lunch with a lake view. Boating Regulations: There is an $8.00 daily boat launch fee for use of the six-lane ramp, a $4.00 daily float tube launch fee and a $4.00 car top/kayak launch fee. No 2-cycle engines, dry stack jet boats, water skies, personal watercraft (jet skis) or windsurfers are allowed. A 25 MPH speed limit is enforced. Electric motors only are allowed in the preserve area. All motor boats must be registered. The minimum width is 23-1/2 inches on all types of boats. Vessel Inspections: The San Pablo Recreation Area boat launch is open seven days a week throughout the season. EBMUD’s boat inspection program includes two parts: a history survey, followed by a physical inspection. Boats that fail either the survey or the inspection cannot be legally launched in EBMUD reservoirs. Hours: The season runs from February 1 through November 10 in 2019. The main recreation building and marina open from sunrise to one half-hour before sunset. 2019 Fees and Permits: The vehicle entry fee all day is $7.00, the daily fishing access permit is $5.00 and the dog fee is $2.00. Picnicking: Many first-come first-serve picnic sites are available with tables and barbecues. There is a children’s play area. One reservable group picnic site called The Oaks accommodates 50 to 200 people. For reservations, call (510) 223-1661. Information: Rocky Mountain Recreation, San Pablo Reservoir Recreation Area, 7301 San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante, CA 94803, Phone: (510) 223-1661, http://www. rockymountainrec.com/lakes/san-pablo-reservoir.htm Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area San Pablo Reservoir Facts 15 Feb 15 - Mar 1, 2019 MAP FEATURE VOL.38 • ISS. 5 both private and sponsor. rentals, or from Thomas Lures, Silver Horde, Yo-Zuri, shore. Since San Mack’s Lure/Shasta Tackle, Hot Spot/ Pablo is a drinking Apex, Rapala, Luhr Jensen, Pro-Cure and water reservoir, Dick Nite Spoons will be providing an swimming, wading, array of lures, dodgers, scents and more. and other body-con- Yakima Bait has jumped into the fray tact activities are once again and is providing all manner of prohibited. baits including the tried and true Rooster The San Pablo Tail and Flatfish that have been catching Reservoir Recre- trout for decades. ation Area offers Berkley is providing line, bait and more. many exciting Pro-Cure Bait Scents is also a part of the outdoor activities NTAC team in 2019, so you’ll be seeing including fishing, Super Gel and other products at events boating, picnicking, this season. kayaking and The team at Fisherman’s Warehouse is hiking. The on board as an NTAC sponsor this year. reservoir is located Finally, Daiwa is sponsoring the 2019 NTAC Daiwa Angler of the Year Award. The top 10 Adult Division winners of the NTAC event at San Pablo proudly display the checks they won on February 2. off San Pablo Dam Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff. Road between Orinda and El Sobrante. cats roam the lake’s waters. Mario Nova while fishing a nightcrawler and Power For more information, set the lake record with a 40 lb. 4 oz. Bait in Scow Canyon. contact: Rocky Mountain catfish caught on June 18, 2016. He Crappie, redear sunfish, and bluegill Recreation Company, San Pablo caught the fish on 6 lb. test and released it offer good fishing in the spring and Reservoir, 7301 San Pablo Dam back into the lake. summer for anglers using an array of Road, El Sobrante, Ca. 94803, That fish eclipsed the previous lake small baits and lures. The redear sunfish 510-223-1661, http://www. record set by Dave Edwards of Vallejo record is 3 pounds, 6.4 ounces, while the on March 23, 1995 when he nailed a 31 lake crappie record stands at 3 pounds, 3.2 rockymountainrec.com/lakes/ san-pablo-reservoir.htm lb. 4.8 oz. channel catfish while using an ounces For more information on anchovy off Oak Point The lake also hosts a sleeper population the NorCal Trout Anglers In recent years, the hard-fighting spotted of white sturgeon that are occasionally Challenge, contact: www. bass has become more common in the caught by anglers bait fishing for trout and anglerspress.com or call catches at San Pablo, making the reservoir catfish. 916-768-0938. the only one in the Bay Area with a popu- For example, Greg Peterson caught and Tour Sponsors: If you’ve lation of “spots.” The spotted bass lake released a 62-inch sturgeon on Power ever attended a NorCal Trout record is 5 pounds, 9.36 ounces. Bait and 4 lb. test line at the Pines on July Anglers Challenge event in The reservoir’s big Florida-strain large- 11, 2013. Carl Moyer and Dick Thomson the past, you know that a lot mouths also make it a popular target of also caught and released a 5-foot sturgeon of tackle and bait is given a hard-core group of big bass devotees. while fishing by the boat ramp on away, courtesy of the event’s Anglers fish an array of methods, such as September 2, 2016. sponsors. tossing spinnerbaits, split shotting with Nai Saephan of San Pablo landed the Gone Fishin’ Marine of Dixon plastic worms, drop shotting with plastics lake record diamondback of 105 pounds has come forward as a major and tossing out rainbow trout pattern while soaking frozen shrimp on June 13, NTAC sponsor again this year swimbaits. 2003. and will have a strong presence Jeff Garcia won first place in the NTAC event at San However, it was a trout angler, Victor San Pablo features 866 surface acres Pablo by successfully battling this 5.04 lb. rainbow trout at tour events. Lasher Elk Barfield, who caught the lake record 18 lb. and 14 miles of shoreline that offers while shore fishing with PowerBait. Grove Ram is also a major 11.2 oz., largemouth on March 22, 2001 anglers their choice of fishing from boats, Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff.