Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3623 Oct. 17- Nov. 10 2017 | Page 19
MAP FEATURE
Fruitridge Road
99
160
Florin Rd
Parkway
160
Florin
Meadowview Rd
Gerber Rd
4
Ship
Freeport
99
Sheldon Rd
160
5
Elk Grove Blvd
Bond Rd
Elk
Grove
Ri
6
N. Stone
Lake
Hood
Rd
klin
d
o
Ho
99
Franklin
Fran
Launch Ramp Key
Neth
Laguna
West
ing to a report sent
to the Pacific Fish-
ery Management
Council (PFMC)
by the California
Department of
Fish and Wildlife
(CDFW).
This is the
second lowest
number of return-
ing adult winter
run salmon since
modern counting
techniques were
implemented in
The mouth of Butte Creek/Slough on the Sacramento River at Ward’s 2003, undercut
Landing during the Run4Salmon.
only by the 824
Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff.
that returned in
2011.
and indigenous life ways.”
The run for salmon traces the route
Reimers and James Netzel of Tight
of
winter
run Chinook salmon from the
Lines Guide Service donated their ser-
estuary
at
Vallejo all of the way to the Mc-
vices to take leaders of the Tribe and their
Cloud
River
where it enters Lake Shasta.
allies in their boats from Sacramento to
The
tribe
is working to reintroduce the
Colusa on the Run4Salmon. Netzel drove
original
run
of
McCloud winter run Chi-
the Pittsburg to Sacramento stretch of the
nook.
now
thriving
on the Rakaira River in
river in his boat on September 12, while
New
Zealand,
where
they were introduced
Reimers boated the section from Sacra-
over
a
hundred
of
years
ago, back to their
mento to Colusa section on This day.
ancestral
home
on
the
McCloud.
The tribe
For the Winnemem, the salmon are
has
set
up
a
Go
Fund
Me
site
to
raise
mon-
more than just a fish to catch and eat;
ey
to
conduct
DNA
testing
of
the
Rakaira
they have historically been an integral
River salmon, as required by the National
component of their livelihood, culture and
Marine Fisheries Service to allow reintro-
ceremonies for thousands of year.
duction of these fish.
“When the creator made us, he real-
We boat past the mouth of the Ameri-
ized that we need a lot of help so he gave
can,
past the Interstate 5 Bridge and then
us a voice with the salmon,” said Chief
arrive
at Verona. At Verona we see one
Sisk. “When there are no more salmon,
angler,
Bill, with a couple of salmon, the
there will be no more Winnemem Wintu
first
fish
we have seen caught this day.
people. For this reason, we believe that we
We
stop
at the mouth of the river and
must do everything we can to bring back
Thomas
sings
a traditional song to the
our salmon.”
salmon
and
to
the water. As we go past the
This is a critical year for salmon. Only
mouth
of
the
Feather,
the river becomes
1,123 adult winter Chinook salmon, once
much
narrower.
We
arrive
at Knights
one of the biggest salmon runs on the Sac-
Landing,
one
of
Rob’s
favorite
places to
ramento River and its tributaries, returned
fish
for
late
fall
run
Chinook
salmon.
to the Sacramento Valley in 2017, accord-
Chief Sisk and others in the boat are
Howe Ave 50
For more information, go to; http://www.run4salmon.org/
Watt Ave
50
This event raised awareness about the threats to the salmon’s existence and
the vital role salmon play in keeping our waters and forests healthy. We will be
laying down blessings along the route they will take once they are brought back
from New Zealand. This is a ceremonial way of bringing Salmon home, who
have historically been the keepers of the water, and whose jobs are essential to
keeping our waterways healthy for human life and for all other life that depends
on these rivers. As we run, we will be praying to bring balance to the rivers of
California and to all of the waters of the world, which are connected.
• Striped Bass offer the most consistent
fishing during March, April and early May,
but they can be caught in the Sacramento
River year round. Fish sardines, pileworms
and jumbo minnows. When the water is
relatively clear, boaters can troll with
Rapalas, Rebels and Bombers on
spreaders with wormtail jigs. The Port of
Sacramento and Sacramento Deep Water
channel offer a unique striper fishery in
the late fall and winter months. Bank
fishermen drift live minnows and toss out
wormtail jigs and plugs for the stripers.
• American Shad follow the striped bass in
Ri
ve
April, May and June. Hot spots for shad
r
include Discovery Park, Miller Park, the
Minnow Hole and the Freeport area.
Lots of bank fishing access can be found
on the Sacramento County side of the
river.
• King Salmon Season begins on July 16,
but the peak of the run is from
84
September through mid-December. The
Clarksburg Rd
stretch from Garcia Bend to Clarksburg
can be particularly productive for trollers
using Kwikfish, Flatfish and spinners.
Clarksburg
Shore fishermen find success with Mepps
#5, Blue Fox and homemade spinners.
• White Sturgeon offer decent action
from Freeport to Courtland in the winter
and early spring, both shore and boat
fishing are productive. The best baits are
Central Av
ghost shrimp, eel and pileworms.
• White and Channel Catfish provide the Hamilton Rd
top sport in the summer and fall when
Greendale
water temperatures are at their warmest.
Fishing from a boat is most productive,
since you can fish the deep holes that
catfish like to hold in. Mackerel, anchovies,
sardines, crawdads and chicken livers are
n
all good baits.
ame
Sacr
Courtland
Rd along the
• Smallmouth Bass can
be found
rip-rap of this entire section of river. Toss
out plastic worms and crankbaits in
160
crawdad patterns during the spring and
summer.
d
Blv
The Run4Salmon 2017 took place from