Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3813 June 7-21 2019 | Page 20

18 FRESHWATER FRESHWATER June 7 - 21, 2019 FRESHWATER REPORTS: bass to 4 pounds. Ticking the tops of the weeds on the high tide has been the best option, and we are targeting gaps between tules or weeds with gaps. You will need polarized glasses to see the ‘mushrooms’ which are the umbrellas of weeds underneath the surface. You should cast into the back of the gaps and work the lure through the gap, but if you can’t see the mushrooms, you will end up in the weeds. Targeting the open holes has been the way to go. The bite is best on the high to the mid-, but it shuts down on the low tide.” - Dave Hurley CONTINUED FROM PG 14 EAST DELTA cont. San Joaquin side of the Delta, but there are some good scores found on a variety of techniques. Largemouth bass are poised to take off as the reaction bite is ramping up. Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Laurtizen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley has been posting limits of striped bass on a daily basis, and he said, “The stripers are chewing, and we have found birds working in the San Joaquin, and we have been scoring with hair raisers, P-Line Laser Minnow spoons, or swimbaits. I have been staying in the San Joaquin River as there is no reason to head over to the Sacramento side. The action has been steady throughout the day, and I will be on the stripers for a few more weeks before heading to San Francisco Bay to run a party boat for Fish Emeryville for the summer.” Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, was out with Dave Houston and also Mark Wilson, another trolling expert on Thursday, and he said, “We had a good day as we picked up caught 9 keepers on the deep-troll, but there was only a fish here and there. We put 55 miles on the boat running from the Antioch Bridge to Prisoner’s Point. Some of the stripers had yet to spawn while others have spawned out. Mark also released a 4-pound largemouth bass that was fat and chunky. It seems like the run is starting to wind down, and although there are still stripers both coming in and migrating back to the bay, the numbers seem less.” Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, behind in the current. To connect the two leaders to the main line, I use small cross lock swivels that help prevent line twist. I like to use the smallest sized Dick Nite spoons in half chartreuse, half-pink. You can leave this rig in the rod holder until they strike, or jig it up and down about a foot at a time. Most of the fish being caught at Almanor these days are rainbows, but there have been some very nice kings in the mix too. This fish was landed on May 15. Photo courtesy of BIG DADDY’S GUIDE SERVICE, Quincy. reported an improved reaction bite for largemouth bass with lures that sink while suspending upon the retrieve working best. He said, “The ima Rock N’Vibe Suspend in either crawdad or bluegill is a good option as it will drop in the water column when you pause the lure. The bass are guarding fry, and although we haven’t been able to hook any giants recently, we have picked up largemouth WHAT’S HOT The jigging can really make a difference when the bite is slow. At ten o’clock we had landed 39 shad, and decided to move upstream to an inside bend to fish for stripers. At this location, we each fished with one shad rod and one striper rod. We hooked two more keeper stipers, and I lost a big visit LAKE CAMANCHE World-Class Trout & Bass Fishing, year round! 2 for 1 CAMPING Mid Week Camping Special! Your 2nd Night is FREE! CALL 866.763.5121 Camp one night at Lake Camanche and receive your second night free. Offer must be redeemed by calling (866) 763-5121 and mentioning promo code FS14 at the time of booking. offer not redeemeable online. Not valid on weekend, holidays, full hook-up RV sites or for cottage stays. Supplemental fees may apply. VOL.38 • ISS. 13 LAKE CAMANCHE’S AMENITIES • Guaranteed Weekly Fish plants (OCT. - MAY) • Boat Rentals • Lodging Available • Stores, Cafe & Marina Grill • Courtesy Launch Ramps on both North & South Shores • RV Sites w/ Full Hookups (LONG & SHORT TERM) 3805 www.CamancheRecreation.com Is Intense LAKE DEL VALLE Smallmouth and Largemouth Bite LIVERMORE – The lake temperature at Del Valle has been in the upper 60’s to low 70’s, making it perfect weather to come out and fish for bass. The small and largemouth bite are doing well. Nightcrawlers or Senkos are their favorite bait to chase. You can usually find them hanging out in the cattails that are spread out across the lake. Try to cast the worms as close to the weed mats as possible. Try fishing the rock points that have a nice drop off to let your worm sink in. Alternatively, Rat-L-Traps and crankbaits also get the smallmouths and largemouths interested. Many bass are also moving in the south end of the lake. If you are fishing from shore you are going to want to try either to east or west beach swim areas. The striped bass are moving along the channels that move through the center of the lake. The stripers are balling the bait up and pushing it on shore, so you are going to want to use shad imitations to entice the stripers to attack your bait, flukes, or swimbaits. Kastmasters work for anglers fishing the sharp points on shore. They love to push the bait they are chasing onto these points. Early morning is the best time to catch the stripers chasing the shad. Alternatively, you can use anchovies as bait to get the stripers. If you are throwing these with a ¼ oz. weight, usually a smaller weight will help the fish take the bait, since they can feel less weight when they pick up your bait allowing them to run with it more. The sunfish bite has really picked up at the water temperature increases. We recommend casting some red worms or mini-crawlers. You can find the bluegill and crappie around the weed mats near the shores or near the cattails as they are using these structures for spawning. The trout fishing here is almost gone. As the water warms to above 70 degrees, the trout will move into deeper water. If you plan to target them, be prepared to drop your lure deep. The catfish bite is good. Their favorite CONTINUED ON PG 19 Continued from page 1 striper that would have gone double- digits for sure. Even though we were in one of my striper spots, we still managed to scratch out eight more shad by noon. We had landed a whopping total of 47 shad and 3 keeper stripers! We pulled rods and headed to the ramp to reflect on an epic day of fishing in Downtown Sacramento. Most kokanee snobs like myself snicker at the idea of keeping bone- filled shad for the dinner plate. However, I have finally discovered the secret of how to cook and clean shad - can them using white vinegar to dissolve the bones. You can either smoke them first, or can them plain. Here is a detailed look at the two different methods. First off, you will need a pressure canner, and equipment such as glass Fish Sniffer field editor Jack Naves caught ½ pint mason jars and new lids. If several hard fighting shad on his most recent choosing the smoking method, you outing including this big fish. Photo by JACK NAVES, Fish Sniffer Staff. will need a smoker and alder chips. In either case, start by filleting the shad. Remove the large rib bones, This method comes out really good, dark red fat, and skin, but leave the small close to how canned sardines taste. I bones in place. Next, rinse and pat the enjoy this recipe on Saltine crackers as a fillets dry with paper towels. Then, follow snack or meal. your canner’s directions for sanitizing and For the plain method, cut the raw shad preparing the equipment fillets into chunks and pack the jars If you are using the smoking method, without smoking or adding olive oil. Add lightly salt the fillets. Salt about as much ½ teaspoon of white vinegar to each ½ as you would if you were grilling fish. pint mason jar to dissolve the bones, and Next, smoke the fillets for about 60-90 top off with ¼ teaspoon of canning salt. minutes at 120-150 degrees using alder Follow your canner’s directions for the chips. Don’t overcook, just enough to rest of the canning process. I use the plain give them smoky flavor. Remove from shad in tuna sandwich or fish cake recipes the smoker and cut the fillets into chunks. – bone free! Next, add about ½ inch of olive oil to The Downtown Sacramento area will the bottom of each mason jar. Add ½ see shad action from mid-April through teaspoon of white vinegar to each ½ pint early June, while the upstream reaches of jar to dissolve the bones. Pack the jars the American, Feather, and Sacramento with the fish chunks, and then top them off Rivers will produce shad until at least with more olive oil so it covers the fish. July. Shad fight great, and make for a Remove air bubbles with a plastic knife or delicious snack if prepared right. Now is tool. Follow your canner’s directions for the time to get out there and get your shad the rest of the canning process. on!