Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 2723 Oct 26-Nov 9 | Page 26

24 Oct 26 - Nov 9, 2018 Freshwater VOL.37 • ISS. 23 Freshwater reports: Continued from pg 23 Sacramento Area Metro Chinook Fishing Lights Up SACRAMENTO – If you want to catch bright Chinook salmon, this is the time of year to hit the Sacramento River in the metropolitan area from Discovery Park to Freeport. “The fishing has been up and down,” said James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service, “but you can’t argue with the quality. “Yesterday the two anglers caught their one fish limits of salmon weighing 15 and 7 pounds by 7:30 a.m. We used the Brad’s Cut Plugs in the Rotten Banana pattern behind Pro-Troll Pro Chip flashers.” On the next day, the action was slower. The 6 anglers ended up with 2 salmon weighing 12 and 15 pounds by 7:30 a.m., also while trolling Brad’s Cut Plugs behind Pro-Trol Pro Chip flashers, but didn’t catch any fish after that. Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing also reported catching salmon every day while using the Brad’s Cut Plugs behind flashers. “Yesterday our first fish was a 24 pounder,” he said “Then we went another 200 yards, landed = a 21 pounder, then maybe 100 yards more and landed a 15 pounds 10 ounce fish. It was a great day with great guys..” Then the next day fishing was tougher. “We started the morning off right with a bright salmon, then another hooked up and at the boat only to spit the hook. We finally landed a 14 pounder. That was it for the day,” said Smith. The Port of Sacramento and Deepwater Channel is still kicking out some stripers for anglers trolling with Yo-Zuris and P-Line Predators jigging with Blade Runner spoons. The ditches west of Interstate Five are also producing some largemouth bass in the 3 to 4 lb. range for anglers tossing out Senkos, plastic worms, jigs and swimbaits. – Dan Bacher San Pablo Reservoir Bass, Trout Top Autumn Angling Menu EL SOBRANTE – The bass bite has continued to be very good as the rainbow trout are starting to acclimate and be caught at San Pablo Reservoir. The lake management stocked 1,000 pounds of Mt. Lassen rainbow trout on October 3. Big fish honors go to Milo Cornejo, who caught an 8 lb. largemouth bass, reported Marcella Shoemaker of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company. Jessie Pardilla of Daly City caught a 3 lb. bass while using a Ultravibe speed worm. He caught a total of 6 bass on that trip. The lake level is 298.1 feet above sea level and the surface water temperature is 69.4 degrees. San Pablo Recreation area is open daily the month of October from 6:30am – 6:00 p.m. Boats have to be off the water at 5:00 p.m. The café is closed for the season, Santa Clara Valley/ San Luis Lakes Chesbro, Uvas Deliver Top Largemouth Action COYOTE – If you want to hook largemouth bass, head to Uvas and Chesbro reservoirs, advised Gavin Cohen at Coyote Bait and Tackle. “Most of the bass being hooked at both lakes are in the 1 to 3 lb. range, although one customer reported catching and releasing a 6-1/2 lb. largemouth,” said Cohen. “With the cooler weather, fishermen are using slower-moving presentations, including jigs and drop shot rigs.” Big stripers are on the bite for anglers fishing Delta water with Captain Hayden Mullins. This monster hit the deck on September 13. Photo courtesy of DRAGON SPORTFISHING, Pittsburg. Crappie fishing is best at Coyote Reservoir. Shore anglers are tossing out 1/32 oz. pink and black and red and chartreuse crappie jigs for the slabsides. Cohen hasn’t heard many reports of angling success lately at Chesbro and Anderson lakes, although both reservoirs feature black bass, crappie and channel catfish. “Boaters are hooking a lot of schoolie stripers in the 18 to 25 inch range at San Luis Reservoir,” added Cohen. “Trolling with umbrella Rrigs set up with 3 to 4 inch swimbaits is your best bet.” – Dan Bacher Shasta Lake Trout Bite Slows as Fish Scatter, Bass Action Remains Steady BRIDGE BAY- Trout trolling at Lake Shasta remains productive for rainbow trout to 3 pounds, but the bite has gotten tougher. The thermocline is gone and the trout are now scattered throughout the lake and the water column. The best strategy right now is to work a variety of different depths while pulling shad imitating spoons such as Hum Dingers and Speedy Shiners that can be trolled quickly. To get a limit you’ll need to stay on the move, hunting for aggressive fish. Brown trout haven’t been showing in the catches recently as the fish prepare for their fall spawning ritual, but should be back in the mix by the end of November. The bass bite at Shasta is outstanding for spotted bass in the 1 to 3 pound class. Crankbaits and top waters are working early. After that soft plastics on dropshot rigs and jigging spoons do the damage. Good finesse anglers are landing 25 to 40 fish per day. As the water temperature comes down, look for bigger bass to begin showing. The late fall and early winter period is a great time to throw small to medium size swimbaits at Shasta. As of press time, Lake Shasta was 88 feet from maximum pool and dropping about 4 inches per day. At Whiskeytown there have been no fishing reports. Locals are worried about what they see as a pending fishery disaster at Whiskeytown Reservoir. The Carr fire stripped away much of the vegetation surrounding the lake. The fear is that the lake is going to be devastated by muddy runoff once rain starts falling this autumn and winter. There is no question that the situation is going to be bad. The question is how much will the trout and kokanee fisheries be impacted and how long will the recovery take? Tahoe Macks & ‘Bows Battle Tahoe Anglers should have taken my boat up there years ago,” exclaimed Brooks. Mickey Daniels of Mickey’s Big Mack Charters has been enjoying solid action at the north end of the lake. Mickey’s clients have been hooking mackinaw up to 7 pounds. Some fish are being kept for the table while the others are tagged and released. Mickey employs a variety of different lures for his fish including Shasta Tackle Kok-A-Nuts teamed with Sling Blade dodgers. SOUTH LAKE TAHOE- The staff at Tahoe Sportfishing is targeting mackinaw with limit style results, but they are also reporting very good rainbow trout action on wild fish that range up to 4 plus pounds. The macks are chunky fish that average a solid 3 pounds and range up to 10. Tahoe Sportfishing skippers are experimenting with various lures, but the go to offering remains a threaded minnow teamed with a blade. If you want to hit the water with one of Tahoe Sportfishing’s pro skippers give them a call at (530) 541-5448. They will put you on the fish! “I’ve been wanting to hit Lake Tahoe. I figured I’d better make it happen before the snow starts flying so I took a two day trolling trip to the lake last week,” reported Tim Brooks of Citrus Heights. “I knew that rigged minnows were popular on Tahoe. Since I didn’t have any real minnows I went with 2 inch Gulp! Minnows trolled behind a Sep’s Strike Master dodger trolled at 1.5 miles per hour. Over the two days my wife and I landed 16 mackinaw to 6 pounds and picked up a 22 inch rainbow that put up an amazing fight. Rafael hit the West Delta with the team from Dragon Sportfishing on September 22 and rounded up this impressive keeper sturgeon! Now I’m hooked Photo courtesy of DRAGON SPORTFISHING, Pittsburg. on fishing Tahoe. I