Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3801 Dec 22-Jan 4 | Page 20

20 FRESHWATER Dec 21, 2018 - Jan 4, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 1 FRESHWATER REPORTS: TRINITY RIVER/LAKE CONTINUED FROM PG 17 SANTA CLARA VALLEY Chinook and Coho Numbers Are Up, Steelhead Are Down cont. down as the fish move into deeper water.” Bass and crappie action has really slowed at Chesbro and Uvas as the water levels go down. Likewise, bass fishing is tough at Coyote and Anderson, though anglers are picking up a few largemouths while throwing out Rat-L-Traps, jigs and darter heads at Anderson. SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE Young Angler Bags 18 Lb. Trout Stringer! PLEASANTON - Trout fishing on Shadow Cliffs Lake is a family affair. Just ask Emma D., who was fishing with her dad when they landed five rainbow trout. Holiday Hammer Time at Lake Tahoe. Anglers fishing with the Tahoe Sportfishing Team have been “The largest weighed nearly eight pounds, and her total stinger weight battling big numbers of great eating Tahoe macks. Photo courtesy of TAHOE SPORTFISHING, South Lake Tahoe. was 18 pounds!,” said Joe Sullivan of the East Bay Regional Park District. “She caught her fish using a gold Kastmaster.” trolling slower is your style, Kastmasters, TAHOE Other anglers are also catching fish Cripplures and Arctic Fox Flies work well. Big Lakers Go on Late Fall Bite from shore. Alex caught two trout from the The best trout action is taking place in Stanley shoreline weighing a combined the McCloud Arm, but the bite is great in SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - Prior to nine pounds. Trevor caught a nine-pound the main body and Sacramento Arm too. Thanksgiving, anglers fishing at Lake trout while he was fishing from the first While you can hook trout as deep as 30 Tahoe had been landing limits of keeper dock. feet the top 10 feet of the water column size mackinaw with a few larger fish up to The surface water temperature has has been most productive. 8 pounds showing. cooled down to: 55 degrees, ideal Bassers are using a variety of These days there are still good numbers conditions for trout, and heavy trout plants techniques to hook fish. If you want fast of keeper size fish available, but there has continue at Shadow Cliffs. The park action it’s hard to beat vertical jigging with been an uptick in the number of big fish district stocked 750 pounds of rainbows spoons. You’ll need to invest a little time showing. For example, Tahoe Sportfishing in the reservoir the week of December finding spotted bass holding on shad, but skippers have been on fire in recent days. 3 and another 1000 pounds the week of once you do the fish can come one after On November 21, a client on one of their December 10. another. boats nailed a husky 14 pounder. Fast Bass fishing is also worth a try. On a Some bass have moved toward the forward 3 days and a client successfully recent trip, an angler caught and released bank and are open to grabbing reaction slugged it out with a 15 pounder. four bass in the main lake while using baits. Spinnerbaits have been working With big fish like these up for grabs a trip Senkos. well as have small swimbaits in the 3 to 6 to Tahoe might be just the thing to balance Reports on bass success from the inch range. out the hustle and bustle of the Holiday Arroyo Del Valle Ponds have been sparse Most of the bass being landed are Season. If a big mack is on you to do list, lately. Fishing in the ponds is restricted spotted bass that weigh up to 3 pounds, give Tahoe Sportfishing a call at (530) to catch and release, barbless hooks, but there have been some largemouths 541-5448. artificial lures, float tubes only. and smallmouths in the mix too. A variety of baits are drawing strikes As of press time the lake was 101 feet from the macks, including minnow plugs, from the top and rising slowly. Flatfish, Gulp! Minnows, trolling flies and rigged minnows teamed with blades. In addition to the macks there have been some rainbows and browns feeding SHASTA LAKE near the surface both north and south of Trout Move to Surface! Cave Rock. The No. 1 bait has been a rainbow pattern Rapala, but Lyman Lures SMITH/CHETCO RIVERS REDDING - Now that rain is pushing are scoring fish too. Rainbows in the 3 through the north state and the surface Anglers Nail Big, Bold Kings to 4 pound size range have been pretty temperature has dropped at Lake Shasta SMITH RIVER- A series of storms have common and if you get lucky you might the trout bite has come on strong and the raised the water levels on the Smith and find yourself tethered to a double digit spotted bass are on the feed too. Despite Chetco rivers and anglers are catching brown. the improved action, fishing pressure some big fall run Chinook salmon. Mickey Daniels of Mickey’s Big Mack remains light. Phil Desautels of Phil’s Smiling Salmon Charters is landing limit numbers of fish at To hook rainbows that run 14 to 20 Guide Service, reported, “The rivers are the north end of the lake trolling a variety inches and browns that range up to 6 on the rise right now but they will drop out of offerings including Kok-A-Nuts teamed pounds anglers are working the surface again by mid-week. It has been a mixed with Sling Blade Dodgers. Mickey’s anglers with a variety of different lures. For fast bag of bot fresh and dark fish.. “ are keeping some fish for the table and the trolling Speedy Shiners, Hum Dingers “We still have some openings before rest are tagged and released. and minnow plugs are all producing. If Christmas. We are Mickey is a Lake Tahoe legend. If you’d going to start running like to spend a day on the big lake with combo salmon and him and take in all his knowledge, you can steelhead trips this book a trip by calling (800) 877-1462. week,” he said. Fish Lake Tahoe! 3204 20% OFF ALL-DAY BOAT RENTALS AT 5 hours DaiLy Trips 90 $ (800) 877–1462 • Discounts for Cash • • Large or Small Groups • Group Discounts • Gift Certificates E-mail: bigmack-2@att.net • www.mickeysbigmack.com LAKE RANCHO SECO (925) 426-0197 (209) 748-2318 LAKE PARDEE (209) 772-1472 Offer valid on all boat rentals Monday - Friday (530)546–4444 LAKE DEL VALLE (925) 449-5201 Over 50 Years Experience on The Lake Carnelian Bay, CA 96140 SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE (510) 223-1661 All Gear Provided P.O. Box 488 SAN PABLO RESERVOIR For more information about Boating, Camping & Recreation Visit WWW.ROCKYMOUNTAINREC.COM All other boat rental terms and conditions still apply.Offer subject to boat rental availability. Offer expires on 12/31/2018 and is not valid with any other coupon/discount with any other coupon/discount. WEAVERVILLE - The numbers of Chinook salmon and Coho salmon that have arrived at the Trinity River Fish Hatchery have exceeded last year’s counts to date, while the steelhead numbers are substantially below last season’s. A total of 9,723 combined spring and fall Chinook salmon, including 8,811 adults and 912 jacks, have been trapped at the facility as of December 2. The count for fall Chinook alone is 6,815, including 6,441 adults and 374 jacks, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). In 2017, the hatchery counted a total of 7,011 spring and fall Chinooks combined, including 4,814 adults and 912 jacks. The Coho count at the hatchery to date is 483 total, including 320 adults and 163 grilse. That compares to 422 fish, including 252 adults and 170 grilse, in 2017. The steelhead numbers reported at the hatchery are way down, since the fish are just starting to show. The facility reported only 150 steelhead to date, compared to 2,049 last season. However, guides and anglers are reporting catching wild and hatchery steelhead while fishing roe, jigs and nightcrawlers under a float and flies, including Rubber Legs and golden stone patterns, according to Tim Brady of Trinity Outdoors. Fish to 7 pounds are showing all of the way from Lewiston to Cedar Flat. Fishing pressure for black bass, rainbow trout and king salmon is very light on Trinity Lake. Trinity Lake is holding 1,449,213 acre feet of water, 59 percent of capacity and 91 percent of average. - Dan Bacher WEST DELTA Big Stripers & Husky Sturgeon Bend Rods! BRANNAN ISLAND- Outstanding fishing is on tap in the West Delta, with both sturgeon and stripers on the chomp. Captain Hayden Mullins of Dragon Sportfishing has been putting his clients on big numbers of keeper sturgeon as well as monster stripers. “On our last trip, we had a lot of excitement. We had a massive striper in the middle 30’s, plus four really nice keeper sturgeon. It was the kind of trip Delta guys dream about with big fish and lots of action. We are fishing large live baits for the bass, while eel and roe have both been working for sturgeon. We are fishing in medium to deep water areas in upper Suisun Bay,” reported Captain Mullins. While the best striper action is being had by guys soaking both cut and live baits, trollers pulling Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows are hooking up as are guys tossing swimbaits and working Blade Runner Spoons. If you can locate a school of bass, you can really clean up while vertical jigging with spoons. The average bass is running 4 to 6 pounds, but fish to 15 are common. On the sturgeon fishing front, it takes some patience to hook up as it generally does, however the bite is very good by California standards. Anglers that know the ropes are enjoying lots of action and are often landing and releasing multiple keeper and oversize fish. Catfish are still available for anglers that want a change of pace. Several baits will work, but the best option has been soaking cut anchovies.