Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3706 March 2-16, 2018 | Page 3

Up-To-Date and Published Locally... By Sportsmen... For Sportsmen! Camanche Lake Map Feature MADE IN U.S.A See Page 20 Vol. 37 - ISS.06 Our 36th Year “ March 2 - 16, 2018 “The Magazine for West Coast Sportsmen!” Early Scouting The Key To Dealing With Cold Front Bass Y ou gotta have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?” That memorable tune from South Pacific finds Tonkinese mother Bloody Mary counseling Lieutenant Joe Cable on the pursuit of true happiness with her daughter Liat. But you have to wonder how the lyrics might’ve varied had the scene taken place around some western hemisphere bass factory, instead of overlooking Bali Ha’i. Maybe something like: “You gotta have a stump, if you don’t have a stump, how you gonna catch a bass post-front?” Broadway aside, there’s undeniable logic in knowing the likely spots where bass will seek refuge in the harsh conditions on the backside of a cold front. Raymarine pro Stephen Browning GONE FISHING by David A Brown I Since 1982 knows well this game and, in his estimation, fishing after a cold front is generally the toughest scenario a bass angler will face. Browning confronts this daunting scenario with a well-conceived game plan based on forethought and strategy. But Stephen Browning knows that moving baits like spinnerbaits tend to tempt bass better before and during a front. first, let’s look Photo courtesy of DAVID BROWN. at how the scene unfolds. As a weather system approaches the Then the front passes and things area, winds increase, skies turn cloudy, get weird. Wind goes flat, temperature rain becomes more likely and the falling drops, high pressure pushes every streak barometer spurs intense feeding. As the of cloud from the sky and the dreaded front moves through, the action continues “bluebird” conditions can have you and fish act like they want to eat the wondering if someone stole all the fish motor off the transom. overnight. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 A New Steelhead Run Record Set At Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery t’s official; a new record for the number of steelhead returning to the (925) 428-1103 www.dr agonsportfishing.com A CDFW staff member releases a brightly-colored male steelhead back into the holding pond at the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff. Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery in one season has been set. The hatchery has received 530 adults and 638 juveniles this year to date, a total of 1,168 fish. That compares to 719 adults and 402 juveniles last season, a total of 1,121 fish. “We’re still spawning and taking eggs,” said William Smith, the manager of the hatchery. “We’ve taken over 1 million eggs to date. Our goal is to raise 250,000 steelhead smolts for release into the river next year.” He plans to keep the hatchery open into the first week of March, since fresh steelhead are still arriving every week, with 15 new fish reported last week. The hatchery has taken over 1 million steelhead eggs more than enough to make sure they meet their production goal of 250,000 steelhead smolts. Over the next month, The CDFW will be releasing 300,000 6 to 8-inch steelhead 36 Years Serving Sportsmen smolts in the Mokelumne below Caman- che Dam. Experienced anglers fishing below the hatchery continue to battle some quality steelhead and wild trout. “One guy who has been fishing three to four days per week has been catching and releasing around three fish per day in the 18- to 24- inch range while using flies,” said Smith. The big steelhead run follows a record salmon run. A total of 19,904 fall Chinook salmon went over Woodbridge Dam in the fall of 2017. The factors behind the record steelhead and salmon runs include stronger river pulse flows, closures of the Delta Cross Channel gates, the use of tagging data to increase fish survival, barging salm- on, habitat improvements and the 1998 Lower Mokelumne River Settlement WHAT’S HOT by Dan Bacher CONTINUED ON PAGE 25 Brown Administration Proposes Constructing Delta Tunnels in Two Phases See Page 23 Special Section Baja Roundup PG 38-39 INSIDE Area Reports FRESHWATER REPORTS Almanor - American River.....................................4 Berryessa Lake - East Delta...........................10-11 Eastern Sierra - Folsom Lake..............................12 Klamath River - New Melones Reservoir.............17 Oroville Lake - Redding/Red Bluff.......................18 Rio Vista - Sacramento Area........................ 24-25 San Pablo Reservoir - South Oregon Roundup........................ 28-29 Lake Tahoe - Trinity River/Lake...........................30 West Delta..........................................................33 SALTWATER REPORTS Berkeley - Half Moon Bay.....................................34 Martinez - Peninsula Shoreline....................... 36-37 FEATURES Where...When...How... SPRING LAKES GUIDE & NORCAL TROUT ANGLERS CHALLENGE - PARDEE.......6-9,14-16 BAJA ROUNDUP...............................................38-39 BILL’S TIPS Bill Adelman....................................... 30 BULLETIN BOARD................................................... 4 FISH SNIFFER HOW-TO: Cal Kellogg................... 19 GO FOR IT: Staff..................................................... 13 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR...................................... 3 MAP FEATURE: Dan Bacher.............................20-21 SALTY TIPS Steve “Hippo” Lau.............................. 38 SONOMA COAST Kathie Morgan.......................... 32 SPOTLIGHT ON CONSERVATION - Dan Bacher.... 23 WHAT’S HOT SALTWATER - Dan Bacher.............. 35 STAFF TACKLE What We’re Using Paul Kneeland - fished Lake Berryessa with Mark Ka- linowski of Concord in Mark’s 22 foot Rogue Jet. They caught rainbow trout to 18 inches, using a Daiwa DXS 8’ light action IM-7 graphite trigger stick rigged with the new Daiwa Lexa 100 Line count- er reel loaded with 8 lb test Yozuri Topknot line. They trolled shad pattern #2 Needlefish and Rapala Scatterrap lures off the Scotty Downriggers at 10 feet deep and 2.4 mph. Cal Kellogg - fished Collins Lake from the bank for rain- bow trout using a 7’3” Cous- ins fiberglass spinning rod. Cal matched the rod with an Abu Garcia Revo spinning reel spooled with 10 pound FINS Braided line. The braid was matched with a 6 pound Vanish fluorocarbon leader tipped with an Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp octopus hook. Ze- ke’s Sierra Gold, Berkley PowerBait and inflated ‘crawlers were the baits of choice. Dan Bacher - fished for rain- bow trout at Rollins Lake. He used a Berkley Ugly Stick GX2 6’ 6” medium action spinning rod, teamed up with a Shakespeare GX235 spinning reel filled with 6 lb. test P-Line CX Premium Flourocarbon Coated Line. He tossed out 1/8 oz. Yakima Bait Rooster Tails in Brown Trout, Fire Tiger and Rain- bow color patterns and 1/8 oz. gold and black Panther Martins.