Up-To-Date and Published Locally... By Sportsmen... For Sportsmen! Feather River Map Feature 37 Years

MADE IN U.S.A Serving Sportsmen See Page 16-17 Special Section Vol. 38 - ISS.13 June 7 - 21, 2019 Catch & Release Since 1982 - pgs 6-7

Our 37th “The Magazine for West Coast Sportsmen!” INSIDE Year Area Reports

FRESHWATER REPORTS The Spring of Big Stripers Almanor - Bullards Bar/Englebright Reservoir.... 4-5 Clear Lake - East Delta...... 14 don’t get out after stripers the way That meant that everybody with cabin Lake Del Valle - Folsom Lake ...... 18-19 I used to. Logistically, I just can’t fever found their way to the relatively Klamath/Trinity Rivers - Rio Vista Area...... 20-21 Iget over the hurdles. They are a long ways clear waters of the San Joaquin side of Rollins/Scotts Flat Lakes - West Delta...... 22-23 from my home, and my time the delta. There undoubtedly SALTWATER REPORTS is stretched thinner than ever. were plenty of stripers in Baja Roundup...... 31 There are many clichés I can the off color waters of the Berkeley - Bodega Bay...... 27 cite, work, kids and lack of Sacramento, but the condi- ’s Wharf - Half Moon Bay...... 29 funds… etc. I used to have tions were poor for targeting Monterey Bay...... 30 a real fire in my belly for them. Suffice it to say that the stripers, but now I just enjoy fishing pressure on the San being out on the delta. There’s Joaquin side was pretty stiff something about that fertile early this spring. green water and the rolling In early April, I found FEATURES lush hills of the Lower Sacra- myself amongst the Where...When...How... mento that beckon to me this GONE masses on my buddy JW’s time of year. “stanky” brown Smokercraft. TROUT & KOKANEE JOURNAL...... 8-12 This has been an exception- FISHING The brown boat started out BAJA ROUNDUP...... 31 ally wet winter/spring, and by slow, but we managed to BULLETIN BOARD...... 3 the fishing has been a little off scratch out some quality fish CATCH & RELEASE - : Cal Kellogg...... 6 Mike McNeilly, Fish Sniffer field editor, landed of its usual pacing from what Mike McNeilly shallow trolling Yo-Zuri’s CATCH & RELEASE - FLY FISHING REPORTS...... 7 and released this impressive 20 plus pound FISH SNIFFER COUNTRY: Steve ‘Hippo’ Lau...... 28 I can see. During the peak of along a flat of witches’ hair. striper while fishing the West Bank on the GO FOR IT: Staff...... 2 the drought in 2014-15, the The bite was far from hot, but Sacramento River during a recent outing. HOW-TO: Cal Kellogg...... 15 Photo by MIKE MCNEILLY, Fish Sniffer Staff. striper spawn started as early as mid-Feb- we ended the day one fish short of limits SPOTLIGHT: Cal Kellogg ...... 5 ruary. This year winter extended well into for 4 guys. MAP FEATURE: Dan Bacher...... 16-17 the end of March. The first real signs of Better yet was the grade of fish we ran lineside in the net. It was a quality fish MIXED BAG FISHING: Ernie Marlan...... 24 a spring bite began somewhere around into. They were slabs. At one point my rod of almost 15 pounds. SPOTLIGHT ON CONSERVATION: Dan Bacher...... 28 early to mid-April. The Sacramento side bent to the cork, and a big fish yanked line It’s always good to see the captain get of the delta was blown out. The river was off my line counter reel willy-nilly. After in on the action. For many years I have scooting along briskly, and the color was a spirited battle, braided line and galva- been the guy driving the boat, and now I turbid brown at best. nized treble hooks prevailed in putting the CONTINUED ON PG 25 STAFF Shad Pandemonium in Downtown Sacramento TACKLE often find myself driving through 5. I never pass up the opportunity to water - a double to start the day. Downtown Sacramento on Interstate peer over the rail to see if any boats are We began to realize that 100 shad days What We’re Using I anchored up on the river. When I see really are possible. The fishing was so groups of tightly packed boats in the good that we couldn’t keep one or two Cal Kellogg - made an early springtime, I know what time rods in the water at any given morning hike up the North time. We had doubles, triples Fork of the American River it is. Shad fishing has arrived. for spring bass. Cal used a I’ve always heard of “100 and even landed two shad on 6’6” medium light Berkley shad days” and kind of rolled one rod, when both lures on a Lightening Rod balanced with an Abu Garcia my eyes. Is it is even possible high-low setup hooked shad. S30 Cardinal spinning reel spooled with 8 lb. to catch 100 shad in a day? Mick even picked up a nice Yo-Zuri Hybrid line. Cal used this rig to work 3 inch grubs rigged on darter heads and 4 inch On May 8th, I learned that not keeper-sized striper on the wacky rigged Senkos coated with crawfish only is it possible, but it is a shad rig. scent Pro-Cure Super Gel. Cal caught two whole lot of fun. For , I run spotted bass and two . The I met my fishing partner a high-low setup similar to largest fish was a 14 inch spot. Mick Berklich on the morning what would normally be of May 8th at the Miller Park WHAT’S used for or ocean Dan Bacher -fished the San boat ramp near Downtown . You fish joaquin River for stripers with Sacramento. We motored HOT vertical, with a sinker clipped Mark Wilson, Clyde Wands upstream against the ripping to the very end of the line that and James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service. They current and anchored above by rests on the bottom. Eighteen caught limits of striped bass to 8 pounds the I Street Bridge. With the Jack Naves inches above the sinker, there while trolling with 7 foot Mark Wilson Lamiglas roar of the freeway in the is a ten-inch dropper leader rods with Shimano Tekota LC 500 reels, filled background, we lowered our coming off the main line. with Fins 40g 25 lb. line. They trolled at 2-1/2 A second ten-inch dropper leader is to 4-1/2 mph with shallow and deep diving offerings using four and eight once sinkers Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow lures in an array of to create a spread. spaced 24 inches above this. You slowly colors, tipped with plastic worms, on 25 lb. I was trying to explain to Mick that lower the rig down and back bounce test P-Line CXX leaders. shad usually don’t start striking until it until the sinker rests on the bottom. Big shad like the pair Mick Berklich caught mid-morning, when one of the rods went Once the line is reeled tight, the main Paul Kneeland - fished recently provide excellent eating when line stays vertical and the leaders trail Pyramid Lake on Mother’s Day prepared properly. down. As Mick battled the first shad of the day, another rod buried towards the CONTINUED ON PG 18 with Bridget and sons Mark, Photo by JACK NAVES, Fish Sniffer Staff. Matt and Peter Looney and Chyna Odum in the Fish Sniffer 21’ Rogue Jet Coastal. They caught Lahontan Fish Sniffer TIP OF THE WEEK cutthroat trout to 6 pounds 10 oz., using a eggs and stream trout fishing go hand-in-hand. Spring is a wonderful Okuma 9’ light action Kokanee Black Rod with time to reconnect with this age-old technique. Current seams, which are nature’s a Daiwa Lexa 100 line counter reel loaded food conveyors, are perfect spots for presenting eggs. The rigging is simple. A with 8 lb test Yozuri Topknot Flourocarbon small egg hook hidden inside an egg. Fluorocarbon is a definite advantage. Not line. They trolled “Dill Pickle” Lyman lures and only does fluorocarbon leader go invisible underwater, but it’s heavier than monofil- Tasmanian Devils in “Canberra Killer” color off ament as it absorbs water and will get your egg into the strike zone faster. - Cal Kellogg the Canon Downriggers at 10 to 25 feet deep and 2.5 mph. FRESHWATER 18 June 7 - 21, 2019 FRESHWATER VOL.38 • ISS. 13

FRESHWATER bass to 4 pounds. them hanging out in the cattails that are Ticking the tops of the spread out across the lake. Try to cast REPORTS: the worms as close to the weed mats as CONTINUED FROM PG 14 weeds on the high tide has been the best possible. Try fishing the rock points that option, and we are have a nice drop off to let your worm sink targeting gaps between in. EAST DELTA cont. tules or weeds with Alternatively, Rat-L-Traps and crankbaits gaps. You will need also get the smallmouths and largemouths San Joaquin side of the Delta, but there polarized glasses to interested. Many bass are also moving are some good scores found on a variety see the ‘mushrooms’ in the south end of the lake. If you are of techniques. Largemouth bass are which are the umbrellas fishing from shore you are going to want poised to take off as the reaction bite is of weeds underneath to try either to east or west beach swim ramping up. the surface. You should areas. Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing cast into the back of The striped bass are moving along the out of Laurtizen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley the gaps and work the channels that move through the center has been posting limits of striped bass on lure through the gap, of the lake. The stripers are balling the a daily basis, and he said, “The stripers but if you can’t see the bait up and pushing it on shore, so you are chewing, and we have found birds mushrooms, you will are going to want to use shad imitations working in the San Joaquin, and we have end up in the weeds. to entice the stripers to attack your bait, been scoring with hair raisers, P-Line Targeting the open flukes, or swimbaits. Laser Minnow spoons, or swimbaits. I holes has been the way Kastmasters work for anglers fishing have been staying in the San Joaquin to go. The bite is best the sharp points on shore. They love to River as there is no reason to head over on the high to the mid-, push the bait they are chasing onto these to the Sacramento side. The action has but it shuts down on the points. Early morning is the best time been steady throughout the day, and I will low tide.” to catch the stripers chasing the shad. be on the stripers for a few more weeks - Dave Hurley Alternatively, you can use anchovies as before heading to San Francisco Bay to bait to get the stripers. If you are throwing run a party boat for Fish Emeryville for the these with a ¼ oz. weight, usually a summer.” smaller weight will help the fish take the Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, bait, since they can feel less weight when was out with Dave Houston and also they pick up your bait allowing them to run Mark Wilson, another trolling expert on Most of the fish being caught at Almanor these days are LAKE DEL with it more. Thursday, and he said, “We had a good rainbows, but there have been some very nice kings in the mix The sunfish bite has really picked up day as we picked up caught 9 keepers on too. This fish was landed on May 15. VALLE at the water temperature increases. We the deep-troll, but there was only a fish Photo courtesy of BIG DADDY’S GUIDE SERVICE, Quincy. Smallmouth and recommend some red worms or here and there. We put 55 miles on the mini-crawlers. You can find the bluegill boat running from the Antioch Bridge to Largemouth Bite and around the weed mats near reported an improved reaction bite for Prisoner’s Point. Some of the stripers had the shores or near the cattails as they are largemouth bass with lures that sink while Is Intense yet to spawn while others have spawned using these structures for spawning. suspending upon the retrieve working LIVERMORE – The lake temperature out. Mark also released a 4-pound The trout fishing here is almost gone. As best. He said, “The ima Rock N’Vibe at Del Valle has been in the upper 60’s largemouth bass that was fat and chunky. the water warms to above 70 degrees, the Suspend in either crawdad or bluegill is to low 70’s, making it perfect weather to It seems like the run is starting to wind trout will move into deeper water. If you a good option as it will drop in the water come out and fish for bass. down, and although there are still stripers plan to target them, be prepared to drop column when you pause the lure. The The small and largemouth bite are doing both coming in and migrating back to the your lure deep. bass are guarding fry, and although we well. Nightcrawlers or Senkos are their bay, the numbers seem less.” The catfish bite is good. Their favorite Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, haven’t been able to hook any giants favorite bait to chase. You can usually find recently, we have picked up largemouth CONTINUED ON PG 19

WHAT’S HOT Continued from page 1 behind in the current. The jigging can really make a difference striper that would have gone double- To connect the two leaders to the main when the bite is slow. digits for sure. line, I use small cross lock swivels that At ten o’clock we had landed 39 shad, Even though we were in one of help prevent line twist. I like to use the and decided to move upstream to an my striper spots, we still managed to smallest sized Dick Nite spoons in half inside bend to fish for stripers. At this scratch out eight more shad by noon. chartreuse, half-pink. You can leave this location, we each fished with one shad We had landed a whopping total of rig in the rod holder until they strike, or rod and one striper rod. We hooked 47 shad and 3 keeper stripers! We jig it up and down about a foot at a time. two more keeper stipers, and I lost a big pulled rods and headed to the ramp to reflect on an epic day of fishing in Downtown Sacramento. visit Most kokanee snobs like myself snicker at the idea of keeping bone- filled shad for the dinner plate. However, I have finally discovered LAKE CAMANCHE the secret of how to cook and clean year round! shad - can them using white vinegar World-Class Trout & , to dissolve the bones. You can either smoke them first, or can them plain. Here is a detailed look at the two different methods. First off, you will need a pressure canner, and equipment such as glass Fish Sniffer field editor Jack Naves caught ½ pint mason jars and new lids. If several hard fighting shad on his most recent choosing the smoking method, you outing including this big fish. will need a smoker and alder chips. Photo by JACK NAVES, Fish Sniffer Staff. In either case, start by filleting the shad. Remove the large rib bones, This method comes out really good, dark red fat, and skin, but leave the small close to how canned sardines taste. I bones in place. Next, rinse and pat the enjoy this recipe on Saltine crackers as a fillets dry with paper towels. Then, follow snack or meal. your canner’s directions for sanitizing and For the plain method, cut the raw shad for Mid Week Camping Special! preparing the equipment fillets into chunks and pack the jars 1 If you are using the smoking method, without smoking or adding olive oil. Add 2 Your 2nd Night is FREE! lightly salt the fillets. Salt about as much ½ teaspoon of white vinegar to each ½ as you would if you were grilling fish. pint mason jar to dissolve the bones, and CAMPING CALL 866.763.5121 Next, smoke the fillets for about 60-90 top off with ¼ teaspoon of canning salt. minutes at 120-150 degrees using alder Follow your canner’s directions for the Camp one LAKE CAMANCHE’S AMENITIES chips. Don’t overcook, just enough to rest of the canning process. I use the plain night at • Guaranteed Weekly Fish plants give them smoky flavor. Remove from shad in tuna sandwich or fish cake recipes (OCT. - MAY) Lake Camanche the smoker and cut the fillets into chunks. – bone free! and receive • Boat Rentals • Lodging Available Next, add about ½ inch of olive oil to The Downtown Sacramento area will your second night free. Offer must be the bottom of each mason jar. Add ½ redeemed by calling (866) 763-5121 and • Stores, Cafe & Marina Grill see shad action from mid-April through mentioning promo code FS14 at the time • Courtesy Launch Ramps on teaspoon of white vinegar to each ½ pint early June, while the upstream reaches of of booking. offer not redeemeable online. both North & South Shores jar to dissolve the bones. Pack the jars the American, Feather, and Sacramento • RV Sites w/ Full Hookups with the fish chunks, and then top them off Rivers will produce shad until at least Not valid on weekend, holidays, full hook-up RV sites (LONG & SHORT TERM) with more olive oil so it covers the fish. July. Shad fight great, and make for a or for cottage stays. Supplemental fees may apply. 3805 Remove air bubbles with a plastic knife or delicious snack if prepared right. Now is tool. Follow your canner’s directions for the time to get out there and get your shad www.CamancheRecreation.com the rest of the canning process. on!