Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3905 Feb 14-28 | Page 14

12 FRESHWATER Feb 14 - 28, 2020 VOL.39 • ISS. 5 change the line on your reels as we are watching for the first buds to arrive on the cherry trees and for the farmers to put out the bees. The farmers spend millions on bees so they are going to put them out at the right time, and once spring has arrived, the reaction bite will take off as the Florida-strain largemouth will get active. The bass will come on to warm up their bellies, and the ripbait bait with the ima Flit will take off. You can get them on the Flit right now, but it has to be on a ‘dead stick’ presentation. The spinnerbait bite will emerge in the wind along with swim jigs. It is only a matter of time.” - Dave Hurley FRESHWATER REPORTS: CONTINUED FROM PG 11 DON PEDRO LAKE Bass to 10 Pounds Sacked LA GRANGE – The Gold Country Junior Bass Club was on the lake recently and limits in the 10-pound range were taken by the youth anglers fishing with an adult mentor. There have been some larger bass taken on swimbaits or glidebaits as the largemouth bass are starting to target rainbow trout and kokanee, but the best action remains in deep water with plastic worms on the drop-shot or jigs on a slow presentation. Trout action remains very slow as few trollers are even trying, but this will change in the coming weeks. A heavy plant of fingerling king salmon and kokanee this spring should pay dividends in the future. The lake held at 80 percent of capacity. - Dave Hurley KLAMATH/TRINITY RIVERS Drift Boaters Target Winter Steelhead These ladies took a trip to Lake Berryessa in early January with Chris Dunham and battled some very nice rainbows. Photo courtesy of CHRIS DUNHAM, Sacramento. LAKE DEL VALLE Stripers, Trout and Carp Top Winter Catches DOBBINS – Rainbow trout, striped bass and carp topped recent catches at Lake Del Valle as winter trout plants continue. The water clarity is murky, with a 2-foot visibility near the Marina. “Once you get past the Lower Narrows it clears with a 10-foot visibility,” said Jack Forzano of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company. The water temperature is now 49 Degrees F. Nathan from San Jose caught the largest fish weighed in over the past couple of weeks, a 12.7 lb. carp, while using PowerBait in the lower Narrows. Emily Bunker and Daniel Bushnell from Dublin teamed up to catch an 8.1 lb. striper by the Dam. They were using anchovies, according to Jack Forzano of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company. Jaryl Hall from San Jose caught a 7.5 lb. trout in the Upper Narrows while using Power Eggs. Dave Sauceda from Santa Clara also caught a 5.5 lb. trout by the Marina while soaking Power Bait. The East Bay Regional Park District stocked 1000 pounds of rainbow trout in Del Valle the week of January 27-31 and will stock another 1000 pounds the week of February 10-14. Hot spots for trout include across from the Marina, Lowers Narrows, Venados Group site, Badger Cove, Swallow Bay, and the Dam, The top lures for trout include Rapalas, Kastmasters in green/orange, chartreuse Mice Tails, gold Kastmasters and fire tiger Panther Martins. The favorite trout baits are rainbow color Power Bait and large nightcrawlers. Use anchovies, claims and swimbaits for striped bass and sardines and anchovies for catfish. Black bass fishing is slow as the fish hold in deep water. Crappie and other panfish can be taken near trees, rocks and other structure by fishermen using redworns and nightcrawlers. - Dave Hurley ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY? SUPERSTITIOUSLURES@GMAIL.COM SUPERSTITIOUSLURES.COM 3809 EAST DELTA Anglers Gear Up for Spring Stripers and Largemouths STOCKTON – Trolling for striped bass on the East Delta has been tough, while bass fishing enthusiasts are gearing up for the spring largemouth bass. Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, said, “I had been bait fishing, but I put my troll gear back in the boat. We went all over the Delta this week, and we couldn’t find any legal fish. This was the first trip without a legal striper in a long time, and there was no accumulation of striped bass anywhere on the San Joaquin side. We found a few shakers in the Old River Flats, and I know that Mark Wilson was out earlier this week, and he only found two 18-inch stripers along with some undersized linesides. It was very tough out there, but at this time last year, I was doing well. The water temperature was 49 degrees, and it only warmed up slightly to 50 degrees in the afternoon. However, I will still be back out trying, and the striper bite will bust out any day now if there are stripers around.” For largemouth bass, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “The weather have been overcast and gloomy, but it is time to sharpen up your hooks and Now Booking American River Steelhead and Folsom Lake Trout Drift Boat Trips Custom 23’ Rogue Jet HAPPY CAMP – If you like to fish in relative solitude, the upper and middle sections the Klamath River are great destinations for anglers to catch and release wild steelhead this time of year when the river is fishable. Few anglers have been out fishing from shore or boat lately, since most guides and fishermen are concentrating now on winter steelhead on the Smith and Chetco rivers on the coast. The few anglers getting out are landing adult steelhead in the 2 to 7 lb. range while fishing an array of flies, nightcrawlers, plugs, Glo Bugs and other offerings. “My brother Bobby’s two clients hooked and released two adults in the 3 to 5 pound range and 7 half pounders while fly fishing in the Happy Camp area on his latest trip,” said Mario Gomez of Ironhead Guide Service. “They were swinging nymphs from Gordon’s Ferry to Happy Camp. The river was rising and getting big from recent storms.” Fishing pressure for steelhead is also very light on the Trinity River. Low numbers of fall-run Chinook salmon returned to the Trinity River Fish Hatchery in 2019, while the number of steelhead coming back to date is also very disappointing. The total number of steelhead reported at the hatchery to date has been only 64 fish, as compared to 1,869 in 2018 and 2,049 in 2017 The hatchery trapped a total of only 1,586 fall Chinooks, including 1,225 adults and 361 grilse in 2019, according to CDFW data. Of the 1,586 fish, 374 were adipose-clipped. The coho salmon total for 2019 was 649, including 619 adults and 30 grilse. - Dave Hurley CONTINUED ON PG 17 Come visit LAKE SHASTA at Lakehead on the Sacramento River arm Cpt. Jerry Lampkin – 25 years of experience fishing Salmon, Steelhead, Stripers, Trout & landlocked Kings on the Feather, Sacramento, American Rivers and Folsom Lake 3802 • Trout • Bass • Crappie • Bluegill • Catfish UNCLE LARRY’S LURES Great Spinners that will carry Nightcrawlers or Grubs for hungry winter Trout! Use the best, catch the best and the biggest! Largest Trout Stocking Program North of Sacramento Lakefront RV Camping T.N.G Motorsports Guide Service (530) 320-0884 • www.tngmotorsports.com www.unclelarryslures.com Call for Reservations 800-286-0576 www.collinslake.com P.O. Box 300 . Oregon House . California 95962 (209)609-7034 3905 3825 MADE IN THE USA • Fully equipped cabins with decks overlooking the lake • Free Boat slips at private dock • Gameroom, volleyball, pool, horseshoes and more! (530)238-2575 www.tsasdiresort.us Great Food & drinks, newly remodeled bar, outdoor patio, lots of fun! (530)962-3050 3705