TOP PICKS • AMERICAN RIVER – Striped- bass fishing was slow. Only a few were caught in the lower end of the river. As part of the Salmon Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Nimbus Hatchery and Lake Natoma, the fish ladder will be opened and there will be salmon to observe up close in the giant aquarium.

• SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento – Striper fishing was great above Knights Landing once again, but the bite switched to minnows from streamer flies. Some anglers reported two dozen or more fish per day. Trollers were doing well from Freeport to Rio Vista on shallow-running Yo Zuris with a plastic worm trailer in pink, white or chartreuse. Trolling was good in the Port of Sacramento on deep runners. Some striped bass were caught by anglers soaking bait and casting lures from shore. Some nice catfish were caught at night around Elkhorn.

• BERKELEY – Wide-open bottomfishing along the Marin coastline and steady halibut action in the bay made for banner trips. On the California Dawn on Saturday, 16 anglers caught ¾ limits of rockfish and three lings. A return to the bay put 33 halibut to 22 pounds and three bass in the boat. Sunday's focus was halibut and 13 anglers caught limits, some to 19 pounds.

• SMITH RIVER – Good numbers of kings were coming in and out with the tides, and six boats trolling the estuary one day last week all caught their limits of bright kings to 40 pounds. It's been some of the best estuary action in years according to Phil Desautel of Phil's Smiling Salmon Guide Service. Troll cut herring or anchovies with spinnerbaits.

SACRAMENTO VALLEY • FEATHER RIVER – Striper fishing perked up between Shanghai Bend and Nicolaus, and they were still being caught below Shanghai, but steelhead fishing was getting more attention, from Gridley up into the Low Flow Section. Mathews and Outhouse riffles have been two of the better spots. Most are small but, an occasional 5- to 8-pounder is being caught on roe, nightcrawlers, spinners and flies.

• FOLSOM LAKE – Don Paganelli of Professional Guide Service reported that, while the reaction bite was off because of the warm water, the recent cooling trend should bring it back. Even so, bass fishing was excellent on plastic worms, fished darthead Carolina-rigged and drop-shotted. He said he had success on 4 ½-inch Robo-Worms in Aarons Magic. He found his best fishing on the main body toward the South Fork side over rock piles close to channel edges from 10 to 20 feet deep.

DELTA REGION • SAN JOAQUIN RIVER side – The Hook, Line & Sinker in Oakley said Sweet Beavers in the standard CA 420 color and 10-inch Berkley Power Worms in green colors were finding a better grade of bass this week. Larger fish were showing outside weed lines in 6-8 feet of water.

• SACRAMENTO RIVER side – Schoolie-size stripers were being taken throughout the system by trolling with Yo-Zuris and broken-back Rebels, along with baits like fresh shad and blood worms. No sturgeon came in, even though the water temperatures dropped. Sturgeon were marked from Middle Ground up to Rio Vista from 25 to 100 feet. Try fresh shad or bloodworms this week.

MOTHER LODE • AMADOR LAKE — Bass activity has been high with fish boiling after the shad. The top bet is topwater early and late, with plastic worms best midday. Water level is down nearly 50 feet, but the launch ramp is still in service with concrete in the water. Trout planting may start this week, depending on the water temperatures.

• CAMANCHE LAKE — More big catfish were caught. Bass fishing was good with topwater action early and late. In the middle of the day, plastic worms worked in 18 to 25 feet of water. Trouters can score limits, with both stillfishing and trolling. The upriver section of the lake was good due to water releases from Pardee. A dodger and nightcrawler or small spoon worked in the 25- to 35-foot zone.

– Western Outdoor News

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