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2000 FISHING REPORT
Date: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 at 09:20:43
Current Report: Delta Stripers, Stripers, Limits are common from the Rio Vista Area, San Joaquin, Mokelumne Rivers, Cache Slough, Decker Island area of the Sacramento River. Trolling for stripers has slow down using rebels, Jigs. Baiting fishing is going on Strong, Sardines, Shad, Drifting live minnows is what you should try. Out going tide is the best, but you can catch fish all day long. Sturgeon are in the Sloughs like Montezuma, Cache, Sherman island on the Sacramento River. Use shrimp, Ghost, grass, Shad baits on free spool let them take it down good before you set the hook. American River WE have early returns of steelhead in the hatchery already all are adult fish. January 1,2001 the upper river reopens from hatchery to Goethe Park. Use roe, Worms, nightcrawlers, glo-bugs, spinners, flies, wee warts, beads & some luck. Captain Rene' Villanueva
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2000 at 18:33:14
Current Report: Sacramento River We're fishing for the late fall run salmon now. We're trolling with flatfish with a sardine wrap or silver spinners from the Elk Horn Bridge to the Freeport Bridge. Also, jigging for salmon has been very productive this year. American River Fishing in the American River has been very good at night. The regulars have been using glow-in-the-dark jigs and glow-in-the-dark flatfish. You'll want to start fishing from the mouth of the American to the 16th Street Bridge. The area above Howe Avenue to Ancil Hoffman Park is fair to good for salmon right now. The best lures and baits are roe, glowbugs and spinners in this area. Delta The stripers are here and they are from 18 to 28 inches and very aggressive. Trolling near the bank you'll want to use a three way spreader, long leader with a rebel and a dropper with a 1 oz. jig. I've been using Procure Crayfish Sauce on the Hairaiser rubber worm. You might also want to put Procure Sardine Butter on the Rebels trailer hook worm. We've also been using shad and sardine baits. You'll want to fish from the high tides to the low. Another good suggestion is to butterfly your shad and add your Procure shad oils to enhance their effectiveness....this will give you a better chance of taking home limits.
Date: Monday, October 9, 2000 at 06:16:20
Current Report: Feather River Salmon season is winding down. Don't forget, the river closes on October 15th from Honeycutt Creek up to the low flow/afterbay. There's still salmon in the Feather from the mouth to Honeycutt. We're also fishing for salmon from Verona to the 99 bridge. You can fish for steelhead in the Gridley area with the average size being from 1 lb to 7 lbs. We're using roe, nightcrawlers and plugs. In the last couple of weeks, we've caught several steelhead. We're looking forward to a good steelhead year. American River/Sacramento We're fishing the lower American River for salmon. We expect a run of over 40,000 salmon this year. We're trolling spinners and flatfish. In the upper river, Sunrise area, we're using flatfish and roe. There's also some steelhead in the American and they're running from 1 1/2 lbs to 8 lbs. The steelhead are hitting roe, nightcrawlers and plugs. Be sure to book early as the American closes on October 31. The river will be closed from the hatchery to the powerlines at Ancil Hoffman Park. You can still fish the area below Ancil Hoffman to the mouth.
Date: Sunday, September 17, 2000 at 14:56:44
Current Report: Feather River The river is flowing at 1,700 cf's, so be careful navigating the river. The fishing's been fair to good depending on the boat traffic. We're using flatfish in the morning and backbouncing roe in the afternoon. We're fishing from the afterbay to the Gridley Bridge. Fall run salmon are coming in daily. So far we've seen salmon up to 32 lbs. We're also catching some steehead to 23 inches. The steelhead are hitting egg imitations, glowbugs and roe. American River The mouth of the American River to the I Street Bridge, is producing from one to six fish daily according to the locals, trolling spinners or flatfish and anchored up using Gibbs Minnows. Craig Grover caught a 38 lb salmon! Catch ya later, Captain Rene'
Date: Sunday, September 3, 2000 at 12:43:25
Current Report: Feather River The summer run salmon are here. They're hitting K-15's, backtrolled through the productive waters. You can also use roe, backtrolled or drifted. Fish are running from 15 to 50 lbs. Fall run fish are arriving daily. According to the fishing reports, we will see a very good run this year. Fishing pressure has been lighter now that the Sacramento River has opened for fishing. Check maps and locations on my website for most recent photos. There's less fishing pressure on the weekdays as opposed to the weekends, due to the weekend warriors. Book early for the best dates for the fall run. Catch ya later, Captain Rene' Villanueva. American River The fall salmon run starts a little later on the American River. All the reports (by the regulars) are showing that there's only been 3 to 5 fish caught per day per 20 boats, trolling at the mouth of the American. The fish have been chrome bright and 7 to 17 lbs. The salmon are hitting trolled flatfish or spinners. The fall run should be in full force in 3 to 4 weeks. We'll be booking for late September and all of October. Catch ya later, Captain Rene' Villanueva
Date: Thursday, August 17, 2000 at 06:25:38
Current Report: Feather River Fresh salmon are coming in every day fish to 32lbs have been caught on flatfish and roe back bounce thru the good spots. Fall run are arriving early this year so make your booking soon for best dates. The flows have been lower to 4800 cfs,be careful not to run the boat thru the fish spots or holes,go right,left of the holes.Slow down when you see people fishing in the holes, thank you Captain Rene'Villanueva
Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 at 17:51:37
Current Report: Delta This is the transistion period in the Delta. We're between summer and fall. Right now we're fishing for downstreamers, these are stripers that have spawned and are very hungry and feeding. The problem is that there are lots of little ones. You'll catch 30 to 40 fish and maybe get two keepers. But the action is non stop and lots of fun. Catfish are also on the prowl. We're catching all species on sardines, anchovies and shad. Best fishing time is two hours before high tide and two hours after high tide. Feather River The big chinooks are in. Sizes are running from 16 to 35 lbs. It's been fair to good depending on the day. Some days we're catching four and some days one. We're back trolling K-15 flatfish and roe. We're also catching some steelhead back trolling roe. The steelhead are up to 3 lbs. The flows are at 6,800 CFS. Be cautious and courteous. Slow down while traveling through the holes or where people are fishing. That means....idle down and keep to the left or right of the hole! Not down the middle of the run! Also, please, please...don't anchor in the back trolling runs! If we all work together we'll all have a better chance of catching fish. Catch ya later, Captain Rene'.
Date: Tuesday, July 4, 2000 at 08:00:52
Current Report: Delta The Delta is full of stripers! You'll have to catch alot of small fish to get a keeper. Sunday we caught 63 stripers on bait... but only two were keepers. We sure had fun though. It was non stop action from the first cast to the last! The stripers will be hitting trolled rebels and bombers in patriot colors. They also seem to hit the silver blue, silver red and green. After July 16th you'll get to keep the salmon that are now coming up to spawn. There's also catfish by the bucket full! Keep your lines wet! Feather River The river is running at 7,000 CF, which means the salmon will be attracted to the high flows. There's been fish caught in the lower Feather River. Our normal technique is to troll spinners and flatfish. We also anchor up with flatfish and spinners in a likely spot. There's also a technique called back bouncing roe or flatfish which probably works the best if done properly. All indicators are showing that we can look forward to a good salmon run. So book early for the best dates!
Date: Sunday, June 11, 2000 at 08:25:41
Current Report: Delta Stripers are hitting sardines, shad and anchovies at the drop-offs and deep holes. The best time to fish is the two hours of in-coming tide through the two hours of out-going tide. We are still catching female stripers that have not spawned yet as of June 10th. We haven't seen the down streamers yet, but they should be very hungry and aggressive when they get here. We caught over 36 schoolie stripers from 12" to 18" per trip and a few adults up to 12 lbs. It's continuous action from the time you start till the time you leave! Feather River It's time now to start booking trips for the Feather. The river's been raised and it will start bringing in fresh run salmon. The fish counts in the ocean have been good which is a good indication of a good salmon run! Use quickfish and flatfish with a sardine wrap and you can backbounce salmon roe from the afterbay down past Gridley Bridge. You can also throw spinners from the bank or a boat in the deep holes. There's also some shad being caught with spinning reels and flyrods. The main baits to use for shad are shad flies, minnie jigs, and curley tails in green, white, pink and chartreuse. You want to fish in the tops and tailouts of the riffles. American River The shad are still hot on the American from Rossmoor Bar down to Howe Avenue. To locate the shad, you'll want to use a shad dart on a lite spinning reel. Once you locate them, stay on them as they have a tendency to line up and stay in the same area for awhile. They're not as aggressive as they were a few weeks ago. The bite is much lighter... just a light bump. We're using a red head with a chartreuse body flies, pink bunny and curley tails on a jig in white, chartreuse and pink. There's been one salmon caught this season already. It should be an excellent salmon season...so book early for the best dates.
Date: Monday, May 15, 2000 at 08:57:02
Current Report: Delta Stripers are in the Delta making their annual spring run. There are plenty of schoolies and a fair number of larger adult fish. Bait fishing seems to be the number one method of catching stripers. We're using sardines, anchovies and shrimp baits to catch 'em. The trolling method has improved with fish caught up to 43 lbs. using the broken back rebel lure. There's still alot of debris, so you'll have to check your lures often as the debris can affect the action of the lure. Try trolling at a medium speed. American River Shad, shad, shad, shad and more shad!! We are having a blast catching shad! Wow...my arm is sore from reeling them in! They're hitting a variety of lures such as the pink bunny and the pink glitter jig. They also seem to like the white lures like the small twist tail grub. It's time to bring out your fly rods. These minnie tarpin fish are strong and aggressive and lots of fun to catch! Feather River The spring salmon are in! We caught our first spring run salmon back bouncing a flatfish. We were fishing from the afterbay down. The run is just starting now, and the Feather should be loaded with salmon soon. If you want to book a trip for salmon fishing, now's the time because we fill up fast. It seems that salmon is the most sought after fish in the state. We're looking forward to the best run ever in 2000! Catch ya later..keep those lines wet!
Date: Sunday, April 16, 2000 at 10:14:51
Current Report: Delta Spring is here! The weather is good and the fishing's been good. The striper bass have been caught from Colusa down to Collinsville. Right now bait fishing is the best with sardines, anchovies, shad and minnows. Look for areas with steep edges and/or dropoffs. Also, the sandy flats are good. Don't leave your rod unattended, keep it in your hand or in a rod holder. Another good technique is to use a balancing beam to bait fish using the smallest weight possible with 4/0 to 6/0 hooks, but you must have your reel on free spool with the clicker on; as this will allow the fish to run with the bait. Use a half of a fillet of sardine and half hitch it twice with fishing line, then tie on with magic/stretch thread. This will help keep your bait on and is guaranteed to help you get more fish on the boat!! I also cure my sardines overnight in a brine cure. It helps them to be firm and well scented. Trolling has been fair but because of the debris in the water you must check your rebels, bombers and jigs regularly to keep them running properly. We are still catching schoolies and females to 12 lbs. If you're fishing in the Delta make sure your prepared with the proper clothing. It's been very windy and cold getting to the fishing holes. Keep your lines wet!!
Catch ya later,
Captain Rene' Villanueva
Date: Saturday, March 18, 2000 at 07:34:14
Current Report: Delta Spring has sprung! It's bringing in the fresh spring stripers. We're catching schoolies from Pittsburg to Sacramento. Our favorite baits are shad, sardines, anchovies, minnows and shrimp baits. We use a balancing beam to catch them on bait. We also like to fish with lures. One of our techniques is trolling with bombers, rebels and jigs. I'll be trying out this new lure called the Transkei, it is the only lure with a built in scent emitting cartridge and a rattler chamber...sounds like a deadly fresh water lure! Can't wait to try it! American River The American River steelhead are biting roe, glowbugs, hot shots and wiggle worts. Don't leave your pole unattended....a big steelhead almost got my pole on St. Patrick's day! We hooked and released numerous spring run steelhead to 4 lbs. I've got a good technique for catching steelhead using a jet planer. It's killer!! We're fishing from Howe Avenue to the dam. Keep your lures and hooks wet!
Date: Monday, February 21, 2000 at 07:56:13
Current Report: Delta Schoolie stripers are in the river but are hard to find. You'll really have to put your time in. We're catching them on shad, sardines and shrimp baits while we're fishing for sturgeon. The sturgeon fishing is dominating the catch right now. The prehistorics are biting all your mud and shrimp baits, and sometimes sardines. Look for the sturgeon in a depth of 18 to 35 feet of water and don't leave your rod unattended. Use a rod holder whenever possible. When you feel a light bite and your in doubt, set the hook. They're catching sturgeon from Martinez Bridge to Sacramento. The best tides are one hour before the outgoing and about two hours before the incoming. The set-up should be a cable leader from 18 to 36 inches, single or double hook from 7/0 to 9/0. Good luck catching the prehistorics! American River The American is flowing at 11,000 and dropping. Steelhead fishing is picking up. We're getting 1 to 5 hook-ups per day on wiggle worts, hot shots, roe, nightcrawlers and puffballs. Please release any spawning fish and try not to drag them on the bank or handle them more than necessary. The limit for steelhead is one hatchery fish per day (one in possession). All native steelhead must be released. You can tell the difference between a hatchery and native fish by the adipose fin (the small fin on the back near the tail). The adipose fin will be clipped on a hatchery steelhead. Take your camera and release all the steelhead (hatchery and native) when possible. We want to keep the steelhead coming back. The steelhead population is threatened in many parts of the State of California. We would love to have our steelhead for future generations to enjoy. I encourage all anglers to hook and release.
Date: Saturday, January 29, 2000 at 11:56:32
Current Report: Delta
We've finally received the rain we've been waiting for. It's raised the water temp to 52 degrees which has helped the striper bite but clouded the water. You have to put your time in to catch stripers. We're using sardines, shad and shrimp baits. Now that the water is muddy the sturgeon are on the prowl. We went out on Friday the 28th, and hooked one keeper striper and one undersized sturgeon which was released. By the way, the sturgeon must be 46" to 72" to keep 'em. We saw sturgeon jumping everywhere in Cache Slough (daymarker 41). For sturgeon, you want to use a cable leader with a single or double size 5/O to 9/O hooks. All the shrimp baits and herring are working. It's been a lite bite on the sturgeon...so as soon as you feel something, give them a little line before you set the hook. Good luck! American River
The river is running at 10,000 cf per second compared to what it was a week ago (2,000). You'll have to change your methods if you're fishing for steelhead. I suggest useing more lead, fish closer to the bank and use heavier line due to the currents flow. Roe, nightcrawlers and spin n glows should work. You also might want to try a shorter leader. Be sure to only use barbless hooks. The limit is one hatchery steelhead. You must release native steelhead. The difference between a native and hatchery fish is the fin on the lower back of the fish is cut on a hatchery fish. There are some big hatchery fish, up to 17 lbs. There is in excess of 500 fish this year. We're looking forward to a good season. Good fishing!
Date: Thursday, January 20, 2000 at 19:53:07
Current Report: Delta
Schoolies are being caught from Rio Vista to Collinsville. Shad is the top bait for catching stripers right now. With the recent rain, the bite has improved. The sturgeon are more receptive to the change in the water. Don't leave your poles unattended..keep them in a rod holder or a sturgeon will have it! All the shrimp baits will work to catch sturgeon (maybe a striper too). American River
Steelhead are being caught from Sailor Bar to Watt up to 8 lbs. We are using roe, nightcrawlers, wiggle warts, hot shots and little cleos. The bite is hot in all the holes. Remember, all native steelhead must be released. The limit is one hatchery steelhead and only barbless hooks may be used. Also, you must have a steelhead card in possession.
Date: Wednesday, January 5, 2000 at 19:18:58
Current Report: DeltaThe stripers are in. The new millennium started out with a bang! Schoolies are being caught from Miner Slough down to Decker Island, up to 14 lbs. We're catching them with shad sardines and anchovies. Outgoing tide is the best. The water temperature is cold causing a very light bite, so pay attention to your line. Trolling is fair to good using patriot rebels and bombers. Sturgeon fishing is still kind of hit and miss. You've got to put your time in using shrimp baits. We're looking forward to a good run of sturgeon this winter. American River Alot of half pound steelhead and a few adult fish caught and released for the millennium opener. Water is running low, cold and clear so you'll need to use light line, small baits and lures. Try not to wade in the water because the fish spook easily due to the clarity of the water. We're using roe, hot shots and wiggle warts from Illinois Avenue to Rossmoor Bar. We're looking forward to a very good run of steelhead this winter and spring.
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