Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3802 Jan 4-18 | Page 25
cont.
skies were clear, there was zero breeze
and the temperature was in the 50’s. Best
of all the trout were biting.”
“I dropped in at Orchard Springs and
paddled right across to the power lines.
While working from the power lines to the
mouth of the Bear River Arm I landed and
released 11 pansize rainbows and a single
14 inch brown,” Pleece exclaimed.
“More than half the rainbows and the
brown came on an orange and brown
Berkeley Power Grub pulled behind a
watermelon colored Sling Blade dodger. I
got the rest of the rainbows while drifting
worms 6 feet deep under a bobber when
I stopped for lunch. I didn’t go to shore, I
just drifted and tossed the bobber out to
get the rig away from the ‘yak. I saw one
guy fishing from the point at Free Loaders
Cove and he was catching fish. It looked
like he was fishing with PowerBait and
I saw him land two rainbows and lose
another right at the edge of the water,”
Pleece concluded.
Reports are far and few between from
Scotts Flat, but the lake is slated to be
planted around Christmas.
RUSSIAN RIVER
1041 Chinook Salmon
Counted over Rubber Dam at
Forestville
SANTA ROSA - While not all video has
been reviewed and verified, this season
the Sonoma County Water Water Agency
(Sonoma Water) counted 1,041 Chinook,
157 steelhead and 70 Coho before its
rubber dam was deflated near Forestville.
Sonoma Water routinely deflates the
rubber dam when Russian River flows
reach 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs)
in order to prevent damage to the rubber
dam from the high flows.
“Currently, flows are approximately 251
cfs and expected to increase significantly
on Sunday and Monday following
tomorrow’s heavy rains. When completely
deflated, the rubber dam rests flat on the
bottom of the Russian River,” according to
a Sonoma Water press release .
“The rubber dam is located just
downstream of the Wohler Bridge on the
Russian River and is normally raised in
the spring or early summer when water
demands increase. The rubber dam
creates a pool of water that enhances
Sonoma Water’s well levels in the area.
Permanent fish ladders provide fish
passage when the rubber dam is raised.
Due to the lowering of the dam, Sonoma
Water will no longer be able to count the
migration of salmon and steelhead with
23
its underwater video system located in the
fish ladders,” Sonoma Water stated.
After the water clears after the most
recent storm, anglers should expect
to see steelhead show in increasing
numbers on the lower Russian River. The
take of both Chinook and Coho salmon is
prohibited on the Russian.
SACRAMENTO AREA
Two Fishing In The City
Events Set for January
SACRAMENTO – The salmon season
ended with a whimper, with few people
trying local waters on the final day of the
season, December 16. The season is set
to reopen on July 16, 2019.
Meanwhile, locals are fishing for rainbow
trout in local ponds, striped bass in the
Port of Sacramento and crappie and
bluegill in local sloughs and canals.
Two Department of Fish and Wildlife
Fishing in the City events are planned for
January 2019.
The first clinic will be on Saturday,
January 5 from 8 to noon at the Howe
Community Park. This is for 5 to 15-year-
olds only until noon. There is no pre-
registration. The event is co-sponsored
by the El Camino Recreation and Park
District.
The second clinic will be at Florin Creek
Park on Saturday, January 26 from 8
a.m. until noon. This is for 5 to 15 year-
olds only until noon. There is no pre-
registration. The event is co-sponsored
by the Southgate Recreation and Park
District.
For more information, call the Fishing in
the City information line: (916) 358-2872.
Shore anglers are catching “a lot of
crappie and bluegill” in the canals of
the Natomas area, such as the East
Levee Ditch system, west of Interstate
Five, according to Uncle Larry Barnes at
Sacramento Pro Tackle. The crappie are
hitting small minnows and jigs, while the
bluegill are biting redworms.
“Striped bass fishing in the Port and
the Sacramento Deepwater Channel has
slowed down,” noted Barnes. “Before the
slowdown, anglers were hooking stripers
while throwing umbrella rigs and jigging
with spoons.”
- Dan Bacher
SANTA CLARA VALLEY/
SAN LUIS LAKES
Anglers Nail Forebay & Main
Lake Stripers
The striper bite has been great in the Delta. These fish were tempted
with live mudsuckers during a December outing.
Photo courtesy of TIGHT LINES GUIDE SERVICE, Loomis.
COYOTE
– San Luis
Reservoir and
the O’Neill
Forebay continue
to kick out
good numbers
of stripers for
boaters and
shore anglers.
Boaters are
picking up
stripers in the 18
to 21 inch range
while throwing
top water lures
and drifting jumbo
minnows in the
main lake near
Portuguese Cove,
according to
Mickey Clements
of Coyote Bait
and Tackle. Shore
anglers and
boaters tossing
pileworms,
bloodworms and
anchovies are
landing stripers,
a mixture of
shakers and
keepers, in the
forebay.
Most of the
These folks headed out onto the waters of Lake Tahoe aboard the Hopper 5 on December
11 and ended up landing limits of quality mackinaw amid the inspiring scenery of the Tahoe
Basin.
Photo courtesy of TAHOE SPORTFISHING, South Lake Tahoe.
Santa Clara Valley lakes are getting low.
Anderson Reservoir, at 26 percent of
capacity, is producing some largemouth
bass ranging from half to 1-1/2 pounds.
The fish are falling for Ned’s rigs, ripbaits
and spinnerbaits. Likewise, Coyote
Reservoir is kicking out a few largemouths
in the 1 to 1-1/2 lb. range.
“Calero, at 35 percent of capacity, is
producing bass and crappie for boaters,”
said Clements. “The largemouths are
averaging 1-1/2 to 2 pounds. They’re
hitting jigs, crankbaits and Speed Traps.
Anglers are also hooking some crappie
averaging around 1 pound while using
red/chartreuse and black/chartreuse jigs
where they’re suspended in the middle of
the lake.”
Uvas, 9 percent of capacity, and
Chesbro, 29 percent of capacity, have
seen little fishing lately.
- Dan Bacher boats.
Mike and Louis landed five hefty trout
while fishing from a boat. Mike came back
three days later and caught his limit of
trout, the largest weighing 7 pounds.
Mike and Eddie bagged six trout, the
largest weighing five-and-a-half-pounds.
Another guy named Mike caught a six
pound trout from the south beach.
The surface water temperature has
cooled down to: 55 degrees, ideal
conditions for trout, and heavy trout
plants continue. The park district stocked
1000 pounds of rainbows in the reservoir
the week of December 17 and another
750 pounds the week of December 24,
reported Joe Sullivan of the East Bay
Regional Park District.
Reports on bass success from the
Arroyo Del Valle Ponds have been sparse
lately. Fishing in the ponds is restricted
to catch and release, barbless hooks,
artificial lures, float tubes only.
SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE SHASTA LAKE
PLEASANTON - Whether you fish
from a boat or shore, now is the time to
pursue big, bold rainbow trout at Shadow
Cliffs Reservoir. Anglers are throwing out
nightcrawlers, PowerBait, MiceTails and
other offerings from shore, the dock and BRIDGE BAY - Jeff Goodwin of Jeff
Goodwin’s Guide Service reports that big
rainbows have been hard to come by at
Shasta recently, but that his clients have
been landing browns in the 3 to 4 pound
class with a few that top 6.
CONTINUED ON PG 24
Bait Flingers Battle Cold
Water Rainbows
Big Trout Hold Near Surface
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ROLLINS/SCOTTS FLAT LAKES
January 4-18, 2019
FRESHWATER
VOL.38 • ISS. 2
11944 Masters Court, Auburn CA
(530)887-0839
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