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From: Berget, Dan - Sacramento

Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 11:33 AM

To: Breaking News - Sacramento

Subject: Fishing Charts for 4/7

TOP PICKS

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento-What a difference a week makes. The river is still quite high, but dropping, some boat ramps, such as at Miller Park and Verona have reopened, and fishing for striped bass and sturgeon was good. Just use caution because lots of debris is still coming down the river. Bank fishing is a safer and better bet for now. Verona and Lisbon Slough were good for sturgeon, and South River Road, Miller Park, and Garcia Bend were just a few places that were producing striped bass.

BENICIA-Tony Lopez at Benicia Bait said the Green Can off of 9th Street was a sturgeon hot spot for a couple of the party boats, but fish were coming in from all over, including the Napa River and the Ozol Pier. The Benicia shoreline has been hot for flounder, pile worms and shrimp baits working. Harder than catching a keeper sturgeon is finding shrimp baits, but they managed to have a limited supply through the weekend, said Lopez.

DELTA REGION:

SACRAMENTO RIVER side-The water is still high and running fast, with plenty of debris but it is clearing. Sturgeon fishing was excellent all the way up to Knights Landing. From Freeport to the I Street Bridge has been red hot for stripers using red worms, sardines and pile worms with 4 to 6 ounces of weight along the tree lines for stripers from 5 to 10 pounds. The black bass bite was up and down but fish are starting to move onto beds in the warmer areas.

SAN JOAQUIN RIVER side- From the straights at Benicia, to the Horseshoe and out from Grizzly Island, shallower waters held the better sturgeon and bite although the water depths varied from 49 feet to as shallow as shallow as 15feet. The outgoing tide produced some of the more consistent action since there was still a continual out flux of freshwater.

FEATHER RIVER, Yuba City-The total release from Oroville was down to 14,,000 cfs, still high, but coming down, and fishing for striped bass was outstanding around Star Bend and Boyd's Pump. The word is out, fishing pressure is heavy, but lots and lots of limits of schoolie stripers from 18 inches to 10 pounds are being caught on sardines, anchovies and pileworms.

GENERAL

NORTH COAST RIVERS

ROGUE RIVER, Lower, Ore.-Spring kings are in the river, but high river flows have given them a lot of room to move, so anglers are finding it tough. Even so, plunkers have seeing some good days, and now and then a jetboater will get into some bright fish. As the flows drop off and the water warms a bit the catch rate will improve. On Monday morning, right before deadline, we received a report from WON Field Reporter and guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, who was fishing on the river, and he said a fresh run of fish was moving through and rods were bending!

RUSSIAN RIVER-The river is still blown out and now running at 5,000 cfs, but Lake Mendocino cut its releases from 4,000 cfs to under 200 cfs, and Lake Sonoma dropped from 4,000 cfs to 2,000 cfs, and that should be shut down more soon. That will put the river at 3,000 cfs with all the creeks still pumping. There's a possibility fishing for downrunners and bluebacks could happen by the weekend. Shad are expected next month, according to Nick Wheeler of Kings Sports and Tackle in Guerneville.

UMPQUA RIVER; Elkton, Ore.-There have been constant reports of spring Chinooks being caught in the Scott's Creek area of the Umpqua River. It has been a little slower start this year due to the high water conditions, although the high flows should also bring the salmon upriver to the Roseburg area in big numbers sooner than past seasons. "Big homemade spinners are used on this section of the river by most of the boats and I suggest having a couple different colors in your tackle box when fishing here," said WON Field Reporter and guide Curtis Palmer of River Secrets Guide Service.

UMPQUA RIVER, South Fork; Canyonville, Ore.-The steelhead season is winding down, but guide Curtis Palmer said "I feel as if it just got started." There are still a few weeks left to catch a chrome hatchery steelhead on the river before it is officially over the end of April. "The Stanton Park area is still producing some very nice fish in the mornings on most days, but if there isn't a bite in the morning I highly recommend re-trying in the late afternoon or early evening," said Palmer.

UMPQUA RIVER; Glide, Ore.-Steelhead are racing up the river in numbers that normally make anglers excited, but the high water conditions are making it almost impossible to catch a single fish in a day of drifting this beautiful river, said guide Curtis Palmer of River Secrets. Any day now the first spring Chinook will be caught in the Rock Creek section of the river. Meantime, the battle is going on at Amacher Park below Winchester Dam. There are close to a dozen good salmon holes in a 4-mile drift of the river ending at Hesness Boat Ramp. Driftboats and small sled boats will flood this area of river in the early mornings before work and then again late afternoons as anglers get off work. Back bouncing roe is the most used technique for catching these highly desired salmon.

TRINITY/KLAMATH RIVERS

TRINITY RIVER, Douglas City- Only a short stretch of the Trinity was fishable because of snowmelt runoff from creeks feeding the river. It's been mostly a brown trout and steelhead smolt affair. The river above the Old Lewiston Bridge opened to fly fishing on April 1: flies only, single barbless hook. Check your regulations for details.

KLAMATH RIVER, Iron Gate Dam-No change. The whole length of the Klamath was still too high and muddy-even right below Iron Gate Dam.

North Saltwater

BERKELEY-Salmon trips were cancelled due to weather, but the Happy Hooker did get out for sturgeon on Thursday and Saturday. Thursday was the better action day with an oversized released, and 2 keepers boxed, along with 4 keeper striped bass. Saturday's group caught 2 keeper sturgeon and 4 more keeper bass. The fish all bit around the Pumphouse in San Pablo Bay.

BODEGA BAY- The salmon opener was a bust thanks to the weather, and the forecast called for wind all week, so prospects are not good for any report anytime soon.

CROCKETT-Captain Gordon Hough said the Morning Star fished Friday and Saturday, with identical results; 2 keeper sturgeon and 2 keeper bass on both days. The action came from the Pumphouse area, and the action was pretty good, especially on Saturday.

EMERYVILLE-The fleet finally had anglers booked and something to fish for (salmon), but the weather killed any chance of getting past the Golden Gate. Craig Stone at Emeryville Sportfishing Center said there is a slim chance the boats might get out next weekend. One of the bait boats is going to look for live bait this week, so there is a chance that halibut and striped bass trips might be added to the menu soon.

EUREKA-Travis Adams at the Pro Sport Center said abalone season opened with rough seas, but divers who found the calm spots were able to get their abs. Clamming has been good for razor clams up at Clam Beach when the minus tides are running. When the ocean isn't too rough, the surfperch are a good bet, with the Eel River delta, Centerville, Mad River and Big Lagoon beaches, and Elk River Beach inside the bay all good bets for anglers using shrimp, sandcrabs and sandworms or artificial lures like Berkley's Gulp! sandcrabs and sandworms.

FORT BRAGG-Rough seas kept most anglers from even trying, but a die-hard crew on the Telstar had to give it a couple hours of effort. "We ran about 10 minutes, spotted some bait, and decided to give it a try," said Captain Randy Thornton. "We ended up with one keeper, 7 pounds, lost 3 or 4 other keepers and released 4 shakers." After two hours of 7-foot wind waves on top of 11-foot swells, they headed for port.

HALF MOON BAY-Rumor has it that while nearly all the boats stayed in port due to rough seas on the salmon opener, one snuck out and spent a little time in the outer bay for a 12 pounder. Before the salmon opener, Captain Tom Mattusch on the Huli Cat got in a crab trip, the plan originally intended to be a sanddab combo, but the group on board was happy with Dungeness limits when the weather came up and made fishing uncomfortable.

MARTINEZ-Sturgeon action blasted off with lots of keepers weighed at Martinez Bait and Tackle, and lots of reports of oversized and shakers released. Most anglers used ghost shrimp due to the shortage in grass shrimp. Top spots were the Ozol Pier, Buoy 4, the first row of ships, Buoy 6, and Montezuma Slough.

OYSTER POINT-Captain Jack Chapman on the Lovely Linda Too tried for halibut on Friday, using popsicles since there is no live bait yet. "The water in south bay was dirty, so we tried the main bay near Alcatraz, the Rock Pile, Arch Rock, Harding Rock, etc.," said Chapman. "We had a few scratched baits, and one nice pull down, but no keepers in the boat." Then they tried Paradise, then ran back down to south bay where his group salvaged the day with some leopard shark action.

POINT SAN PABLO-While sturgeon weren't in the cards for the Fury, Captain Frank Miller did put in a sevengill trip targeting the deep water at Yellow Bluff for some excellent big fish action. Their top lunker was a 140 pounder, and they released a couple 60 to 80 pounders, catching 8, releasing a total of 4, keeping 4. "Sevengill fishing is very good right now!" said Miller.

SAUSALITO-The fleet was ready to go for salmon, but the weather came up and cancelled all hopes.

SHELTER COVE-Weathered out for the salmon opener, and most abalone divers stayed to the south where they could find coves to hide from the surge.

NORTH COAST LAKES

CLEAR LAKE- All of the country launch ramps are not scheduled to reopen until the lake level lowers to 8 feet Rumsey, and by Sunday it was still at 9 feet. City ramps in Clearlake (Redbud Park-bring your rubber boots) and Lakeport (Library Park) are still open. The launch at Konocti Vista Casino also remains open and is usable. The best bait for the next few weeks will be live bait although spinnerbaits, followed by chatterbaits, swimbaits, Senkos and even a few frogs. The easiest bite has been the catfish bite.

LAKE BERRYESSA-It's time to get ready for kokes, kings and rainbow trout. Kokes and rainbow trout have been from the surface down to 25 feet, with the kings a little deeper. The bass are in pre spawning mode now and biting since the water temperatures back up in the high 50s. Try spinnerbaits, ripbaits or crankbaits first and then switch to plastics such as Senkos, Robo worms and tubes when that bite slows down.

UPPER BLUE LAKE-The lake is fishable again and by the weekend a few were back at it, trolling mid lake, the Highway 20 section, and from the middle dock at Narrows Resort to mid-lake. Launching at the Narrows Resort is possible again. DFG planted two weeks ago so look for the bite to pick up. The bass bite, along the Highway 20 stretch should also start to heat up as pre spawning fish move in as the water warms up.

LAKE SONOMA-The lake is clearing more by the day and at 108 percent capacity right now. Look for a great bass spawn with the next full moon phase. Bass have been caught recently on Lucky Craft's Redemption spinnerbaits, black and blue jigs and black Brush Hogs in the top 15 feet in Cherry, Yorty and Dry Creek as well as the Warm Springs arm.

NORTHEASTERN AREA

LAKE ALMANOR-As the waters warmed with the sun the bite shifted along the east shore, closer in, and the springtime bite kicked in. Brown trout to 5 pounds were found there in the top 10 feet on Rapalas, a Trophy Stick and Aortic Fox trolling flies.

BAUM LAKE-Vaughn's Sporting Goods reported good fly fishing due to lots of hatches, but fish have been difficult to read. There's been about a 2-hour window when they have been feeding, but it's been more difficult to entice them with the nice weather change and trying to figure out when the fish are feeding. Bait and lure fishermen also had difficulty hooking up. Fish should adjust to the sunny skies shortly and hopefully the catching will pick back up at that time.

IRON CANYON RESERVOIR-There have been no new reports yet but you can expect it to be muddied up, especially near the inflow of water. Vaughn's Sporting Goods reports with the previous weather patterns, Pit 5 is the only dependable access.

PIT RIVER-The river continues to run high, very fast and muddy so there were no fishing reports.

LAKE SHASTA- The trout have been in the top 20 feet and feeding heavily on flying ants in the Jones Valley area. This past week, the lake was dropping very fast, drawing it down 7 feet in one week shut a lot of the bite off. The bass pulled off the bank and suspended. But they are backing off on releases now and everything will come back. As soon as it stabilizes, the bass should all come rushing to the banks to spawn.

SIERRA LAKES/RIVERS

BOCA LAKE-The lake is at 72-percent capacity, ice-free and shore fishermen are doing well at the inlet and the dam. Nightcrawlers and Power Bait are producing rainbows running 14 to 16 inches.

CAPLES LAKE-The lake is at 68-percent capacity. Last report from Caples Lake Resort indicated that there was still 5 feet of snow over 3 feet of ice. The weather was nice all this past week, but there is still a lot of snow on the ground above 7000-foot elevation. If the roads are clear and the parking has been plowed, anglers should still be able to ice fish for a long time before the ice gets too thin. The area near the resort, dam, and spillway are generally the most productive. No current reports were available from Caples Lake Resort or Woodfords Station.

CARSON RIVER (East)-The river is running high and muddy, so fishing is shut down.

DAVIS LAKE-The lake is at 72-percent capacity and mostly ice-free except for some thin ice at the dam-NO MORE ICE FISHING!!! Shore fishermen are finding some good action at Coot and Honker. One guy picked up a 3 pounder at Coot on Power Bait. Two other anglers threw No. 2 Mepp's spinners at Honker and caught four 16 to 17 inchers and a 5 pounder. The boat ramp still has 3 to 4 feet of snow on it, so no trolling for a while.

DONNER LAKE-The lake is at 41-percent capacity. Access is good around the lake and the boat ramp is open. Most anglers are trolling for macks, but the bite is very inconsistent.

FRENCHMAN LAKE-The lake is at 59-percent capacity. The road is clear to the dam and the lake is ice-free. Shore anglers are doing well on nightcrawlers and Power Bait for limits of rainbows at the dam.

ICE HOUSE RESERVOIR-The lake is at 40-percent capacity. Still too much snow to allow access.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR-Wick Kobes and Roy Rogers of South Lake Tahoe hit the lake on Friday and Sunday. One Sunday they caught three big rainbows-9-, 7 3/4-, and 6 pounds-and a 1 3/4-pound brown trolling orange CD Rapalas. The roads are open and the only thing keeping anglers from fishing is the wind.

JENKINSON LAKE (Sly Park)-The sunny weather brought out some big crowds over the weekend, but fishing was slow. Bass fishing was rated tough, and trout anglers were only catching a few small rainbows. More warm weather will improve the fishing on all fronts.

LAKE TAHOE-Charter boat operators are catching lots of macks running 3 to 9 pounds trolling spoons, plugs, dodger/bug combos, and dodger/minnow combos-pretty much everything. The fish are mostly stacked up on the bottom in 250 to 300 feet of water and some are suspended at 145 to 225. Mickey Daniels at Big Mack Charters has been doing best in the early morning. Chuck Self at Chuck's Charter Fishing has been catching fish all day with a better bite in the morning and late afternoon.

PROSSER LAKE-The lake is at 32-percent capacity. Still some ice at the dam, but open at the inlet. Anglers have to walk a 1/2-mile through 3 feet of snow to reach the water. Most anglers are heading to Boca where access is much easier.

PYRAMID LAKE-Fly fishermen are catching-and-releasing 1 to 2 dozen fish during a day's fishing using Copper Johns, woolly buggers, and beetles. White woolly buggers and beetles have worked the best. Lure casters have been using Rooster Tails, Panther Martins, and Kastmaster spoons. Trollers have been hampered by winds, but when they can get out are catching 6 to 10 fish trolling Apex and Flatfish at 20 to 40 feet.

RED LAKE-Still ice here, but no reports of any anglers.

SILVER LAKE-The lake is at 45-percent capacity. There's still heavy snow on the ground over the 7000-foot elevation. If the roads and parking are cleared, there should still be plenty of ice fishing opportunity here for some time to come.

TOPAZ LAKE-The nice weather has helped the bite, but trollers have been plagued by strong winds. A big group of anglers was at the lake over the weekend and the biggest fish checked in were 2 pounders. One boat picked up 8 rainbows for three trollers using Rapalas and flasher/worm combos.

TRUCKEE RIVER-Sunny weather melted a lot of snow and the runoff had blown out the river with 1000 cfs flows, according to Mountain Hardware and Sports.

UNION VALLEY RESERVOIR-The lake is at 58-percent capacity. According to Ken Mathis at Ken's Custom Tackle and Guide Service, the upper end of the lake still has ice on it and the roads are not passable at this time. If the weather stays nice for another week, the roads might get cleared by SMUD.

Motherlode

AMADOR LAKE-Lake clarity improved, with a couple feet visibility now. Debbie Grayson at the store. There were a few trout limits caught, but most anglers caught 1 or 2. Kastmasters, nightcrawlers, Power Bait, and fly/bubbles worked. The warming shallows are attracting lots of small bluegills, and anglers are getting plenty soaking worms under a bobber. Crappie should be starting soon, said Grayson. Anglers have been trying, but so far no big success stories.

CAMANCHE LAKE-Trollers found the best results around Big and Little Hat islands, and the dam area on Rapalas and shad-colored spoons. Shore action is good at the South Shore Trout Pond and the North Day Use Peninsula for anglers soaking Power Bait and Power Eggs. Bass fishing has improved, with limits the norm and some nice weights. Drop-shot or darthead rigged plastic worms are top bets.

DON PEDRO RESERVOIR-Guide Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing fished Tuesday for 7 fish, a mix of kings, rainbows and one kokanee. Water temp is still a little cold, at 52 degrees. The trout were in the top 40 feet, the king salmon down 35 to 100-plus feet down. Shad and Chucker T spoons found the fish.

LAKE McCLURE-Bass and crappie are top bets, with wacky Senkos and Keeper worms working for lure tossers, and large minnows working for the bait set. Crappie fishing has been good for both boaters and shore anglers fishing the Cottonwood area, medium minnows working best. Not too many trout trolling reports, but one angler reported a limit caught while trolling near the dam 20 to 30 feet down with flasher/'crawlers.

LAKE McSWAIN-Still lots of water running through, but anglers stillfishing with Power Bait and Power Eggs can get their fish. Top spots are the Brushpile and the Handicap Dock.

LAKE PARDEE-Bass are starting to stir with an 8.5-pound largemouth caught on a swimbait by a Jackson angler. Trollers are getting a mix of rainbows and kokanee, with the salmon in the top 10 feet in the river arm. Apexes and bead spinners tipped with corn and rigged behind a dodger is the top strike getter for the sockeyes. The Rec Area has come back to life offering action for shore casters using Power Bait, fly-bubble combos and Kastmasters.

NEW HOGAN RESERVOIR-Striped bass are starting to stir, reported outdoor writer William Heinselman. One angler said he caught fish to 6 pounds while suspending live minnows down about 17 feet. Weightless Senkos are still top choice for hooking black bass, with fish moving into the creek arms.

NEW MELONES RESERVOIR-Spring action turned up a few notches with some big spotted bass the main highlight. Catfish, trout and crappie all showed better enthusiasm for the hook. A trio of anglers fishing the south side of the lake from shore caught 10 catfish and 5 trout on garlic marshmallows and nightcrawlers, a nice mixed bag. A bass tournament produced fish to 6.11 pounds, and a 20.11-pound winning limit. Two anglers fishing with guide John Chiarpotti caught spots over 7 pounds, one that may have been a new lake record at 7.9 pounds (the angler released the fish without a certified weight, however).

TULLOCH RESERVOIR-A trout plant made for more good planter rainbow action for trollers, but the bigger news was a club bass tournament that produced one fish over 10 pounds, and 4 or 5 more over 8 pounds. The fish were on beds, caught by sight, no other details. Fred Solari sent in whopper info on a brown trout that went 10 1/2 pounds and was 29 inches long

NORTHERN FOOTHILLS

AMERICAN RIVER-With the sunny weather this week, lots of snowmelt has the river up to "white-water rapid" stage according to the Georgetown Ranger Station. No one is fishing.

BULLARDS BAR-The lake is at 82-percent capacity. The spotted bass bite should be improving with the warm weather. Warmer water temps have the bass moving up to spawn. Look for bass on flats in 15 to 25 feet of water.

CAMP FAR WEST-The lake is full, spilling, and the color of coffee with cream-fishing is very slow according to North shore Resort.

COLLINS LAKE-The lake is full and spilling with off-color water clarity. The last plant was made this past Friday and weekly plants are scheduled until late May. The pen-raised trout releases will begin at the end of this month. Shore fishing has been good and more limits were coming in with the sunny weather. The dam, Open Area, and campgrounds have been productive for shore anglers using Power Bait or inflated nightcrawlers. Trollers have only been doing fair using Rapalas or flasher/worm combos due to the reduced water clarity. A 7-pound rainbow was caught by Marvin Barrientos from the shore at the Open Area. Gale Perez landed a 4 1/4-pound trout while trolling a flasher/worm combo.

ENGLEBRIGHT RESERVOIR-The lake is at 101-percent capacity. The sunny weather brought out lots of fishermen. Shore anglers fishing off the trail between the resort and Army Corp rams were catching 2 to 4 rainbows on Power Bait and worms. Trollers have been doing well in the marina using flasher/worm combos. Turkey hunters have been scoring around the lake. The NWTF held a Disabled Hunter event at Skippers Cove Marina and one lucky hunter killed a 21-pound tom.

LAKE OROVILLE-The lake is at 80-percent capacity. There lake is full of debris and boaters need to use extreme caution while running! Bass fishing has been pretty good for those anglers who find the right area. A Yuba City Bass Busters local charity fund-raiser tournament held this past Saturday was won with 14.93 pounds, including the big fish, a 3.80-pound spot. The winning team caught 3.8- and 3.2-pound spots on their first stop on plastics right up on the bank. Jigs, Brush Hogs, and Senkos worked well for the anglers who found bigger fish. The spots are on the beds now and the bite is very light-the fish are just picking up the baits and moving them off the nests. The water temp varies from 52- to 60-degrees, with the warmer water found on the shallower flats. Watch your line and set on any weight. The coho bite was still good from the Green Bridge up into the Middle Fork, but large amounts of debris made trolling difficult. Dodgers trailing white or pink/white hoochies are working for the silvers in the top 20 feet.

ROLLINS LAKE-The lake is full and spilling, but the water color is improving. Long Ravine Resort will open full-time on April 15-the marina, campgrounds, and Outrigger Grill.

SCOTT'S FLAT LAKE-The lake is full and scheduled for a DFG trout plant this week. Trollers have been doing well on 12- to 14-inch rainbows using flasher or dodger/worm combos along the Cascade Shores area near the dam. The resort will open full-time in three weeks. There is still some snow on the ground at the resort, but the roads and boat ramp are all clear.

SUGAR PINE RESERVOIR-The lake is back on the DFG planting list so hopefully fishing will improve when plants resume. The sunny weather has improved access, but fishing has been fair to slow at best.

STUMPY MEADOWS RESERVOIR-The road is still covered with snow and there is almost 4 feet of snow on the ground at the lake. No one has been getting to the lake, not even the concessionaires who want to get the campgrounds prepared for the coming summer season.

THERMOLITO AFTERBAY-The bass bite has been good for big fish on swimbaits, according to Bruce Gibson at the Paradise Tackle Company. Steelhead trout fishing has been productive for anglers drifting nightcrawlers in the channel at Wilbur Road. One angler landed a 4 to 5 pounder this past week while drifting a flasher/worm in the strong current. Water flows are high due to big releases from Lake Oroville.

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

AMERICAN RIVER- Flows have come down to 10,000 cfs, and, although steelhead fishing was slow, the river was again fishable-barely-and a few were being caught. Some striped bass continued to be caught, although almost all of the striper fishing pressure has returned to the Sacramento River where it normally is this time of year.

FOLSOM LAKE-The lake is rising again, the weather nice, and bass are moving back into the shallows meaning that the reaction bite on spinnerbaits and crankbaits picked up nicely. Even so, some bass are still lying a bit offshore off rocky points and submerged humps and taking drop-shotted plastic worms. Try the North Fork, Dike 8 and coves with inflows. Unfortunately, trout and landlocked king salmon fishing was slow last week.

RANCHO SECO LAKE, MATHER LAKE-This is prime time to be fishing Sacramento area ponds. Try Senkos jerkbaits near shore.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, Redding-The release at Keswick is now at 26,000 cfs and dropping, so trout fishing might be back on the menu soon.

--Western Outdoor News

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