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2003 FISHING REPORT
Date: Saturday, December 27, 2003 at 12:04:46
Current Report: American River The American River steelhead are here! It's looks like we're going to have another banner year. The Nimbus hatchery is holding over 320 steelhead now and this is just the beginning. We should be getting an additional 2,500 to 3,000. Check out the area just below the first two riffles by the hatchery... it should be loaded with new steelhead. The best methods of catching steelhead are to use glowbugs, puffballs, nightcrawlers and roe with barbless hooks in sizes 6, 4 and 2. Use a slinky and a 1/8 oz to 3/4 oz weight. If you want to get away from the crowds, I'll be drifting from Sailor Bar down on our guided drift trips. Book early for the best dates. Delta The sturgeon and striper runs are on! The elusive prehistoric sturgeons are entering our rivers. They are taking ghost and grass shrimps in addition to roe and shad baits. Use medium to heavy action rods with 20 to 60 lb test. Fish the bottom of the low tide (one hour before) and the top of the high tide (two hours before). You have to have perseverance to catch a stugeon... remember "patience is a virtue". Stripers are usually in close proximity to the sturgeon resting areas. The stripers will hit shad and sardines now because the water is cold. I'm booking for sturgeon and striper trips now. Lakes The foothill lakes have turned over and the trout fishing has been outstanding. The best choices of bait are powerbait and nightcrawlers. Bankies should fish near the dropoffs and dam areas. Boat anglers should fish the top 10 feet of water using the Mooselook Wobblers and Bully's by Williams Lures. The best colors are blue, green and red.
Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2003 at 07:04:05
Current Report: Sacramento River Now's the time to think about booking your trips for July, August and September... this is the season for the king salmon run, so book early for the best dates. We anticipate another banner year! We'll be fishing the Woodson Bridge area to Chico. Feather River We have 10,000 cfs flowing down the Feather at this time which brings back memories of five years ago when we had a tremendous run! The fish are big, bright and beautiful... and when you hook 'em they are quite acrobatic and make long runs! Heart throbing action! We're catching them backtrolling flatfish with a sardine wrap. If the fishing stays this good we'll stay through the end of July and perhaps August, so now's the time to book your trip. American River We'll be fishing the American for king salmon and steelhead starting in late September through the end of November.
Date: Monday, June 16, 2003 at 18:29:50
Current Report: Feather River The Feather River spring run salmon are here from Verona up to the mouth of the Yuba and up to the after bay. We're catching them on flatfish and roe. Now's the time to book for the best dates. We're having alot of fun catching some shad too, using minnie darts and curley tail worms. If you're fishing out of your boat, be cautious as the water is low and the fish spook easily, so be as courteous as you would expect your fellow anglers to be. American River There's lots of shad in the American River. We're fishing for shad from the Nimbus Dam to Howe Avenue. These shad are quite energetic and really fun to catch. We're using 7 foot rods with light tackle and light pink/green, white and chartreuse curley tails. There's also stripers being caught with bait. Sacramento River/Woodson Bridge We expect a very good opener for salmon on July 16th due to the higher water levels this year. Book now for the best dates in July, August and September as I predict a banner year for salmon this year! We will be fishing the Woodson Bridge area near Corning California.
Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2003 at 05:39:30
Current Report: The Feather/American River salmon are here now. On June 8th we caught a 42 pounder and a 16 pounder on lures in the Feather. We're using flatfish, spinner lures and Gibbs Minnows. Pound for pound these king salmon are hard to beat! The ocean catches have been very good so we're looking forward to a banner year again on the Feather/American Rivers. We're booking for salmon now, so book early for the best dates. We're also catching shad in the Feather and American Rivers. The mini tarpins sure fight hard.. they'er alot of fun to catch! The best techniques for shad are to use a pink, yellow or white twist tail on a 1/32 oz or 1/16 oz pink jighead and a barrel swivel with two splitshots on a 36" leader. Cast it across the river and bounce it back toward you....or you can jig it up and down. Keep a tight line!
Sacramento River
July 16th is the opener for the salmon season. Now's the time to start booking for salmon trips. We'll be fishing in the Corning area near Woodson Bridge/RV Camp (check my website for maps/locations).
Delta
The stripers are feeding on sardines and anchovies from Decker Island to Walnut Grove. Use a balancing beam... it will help you catch more fish. You'll have to catch a lot of little ones to get a big one... but you'll have plenty of action all day!! Start fishing one hour before high tide and one hour after low tide. You will catch catfish too. Clams are the best bait for catfish.
Date: Saturday, April 5, 2003 at 09:26:13
Current Report: Delta/Sacramento The spring run of striped bass have arrived in force. From schoolies to big fish that are capable of straightening out a rebel lure treble hook. We are trolling from Collinsville all the way up to Clarksberg flats. You want to work your diving plugs close to the shore line and out to 22 feet of water. You should look for drop offs and ledges to locate the schools. The fish are migrating to their spawning waters. You may see them one day at one place and then gone the next day, so you'll have to look for them. Other places you might look are the sloughs near Decker Island, Sherman Lake, Walnut Grove and Courtland. Bait fishing has been very good on the outgoing tide. We're using shad, sardines, anchovies, pile worms and jumbo minnows on 3/O to 6/O Gamakatsu hooks. The sturgeon bite has improved but you will still have to put your time in. Use all the shrimp baits... eel will work too. American/Sacramento Rivers We're trolling rebels and jigs in 10 to 20 feet of water. The best colors are the patriot (red/silver/blue) and the clown (red/green/lime green) and using deep diver bomber lures. Bait fishing has been good too. The baits of choice would be sardines, anchovies, shad and live minnows. A good way to fish with bait is to have a balancing beam. You'll want to have your reel in free spool with the clicker on so the striped bass will take your line out without taking the pole. Look for drop offs and ledges near log jams and wing dams as these are good resting areas for stiped bass. Keep a tight line! Captain Rene'
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 at 20:30:00
Current Report: Delta
Sturgeon and stripers are taking center stage. It's that time of the year again to fish for the prehistorics. They're special in that they only run during this time of the year. You have to have a lot of patience and perserverence to catch one. You might catch one during the first hour of fishing and maybe not till the last hour. Use the traditional baits such as shrimp baits, sardines and pileworms... the the latest thing is eel which works well because it stays on the hook and the crabs can't get it off either. You want to look for ledges and humps for the best places to catch the sturgeys and stay near the deep channel edges. Start your fishing at the high tide and fish through the low tide. It seems that the out go is best. Remember, patience and perserverence pays off. The spring run stripers are starting their migration up the river too. As the water warms up, trolling will be more effective using rebels, bombers and jigs. All your traditional baits will work; shrimp, sardines, pileworms and anchovies. The best method is to use fresh bait with a sliding sinker with 1 to 8 ozs of weight with a 3/O to 9/O hook.
Feather/American Rivers
The steelhead run is here. We are catching steelhead up to 8 lbs. using roe, nightcrawlers and backtrolling plugs. The striper run should be here shortly and will be entering the Sacramento River at Discover and the Feather River at Verona. We're going to be trolling rebels and jigs and using the traditional baits like anchovies, sardines and live minnows for stripers. It's going to be a banner year.. so book early for the best dates.
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 at 20:09:41
Current Report: Delta:
The spring stripers are flooding the delta. They are making their migration through the delta area. As I predicted, the striper run has been very good. The most consistant method has been trolling rebels and jigs. The best times are with the high and low tides. Don't be afraid to explore different areas of the delta. The Delta is a vast area and the stripers have lots of hiding places. We are also catching fish with bait; sardines, anchovies and shrimp. Start fishing at the high tide to the end of the low tide when you're bait fishing. Places to fish would be the flats and ledges. The best set-up is a #3/0 Gami hook with a sliding sinker with lead weight from 2-5 ozs. Set this up on a balancing beam....if you use this method... I guarantee you'll catch a fish!
Feather/American Rivers
The striper runs are on at the mouth of both rivers. You can troll with rebels and bombers or you can use bait, anchoring up. Use the same traditional baits; anchovies, sardines and shrimp. Live bait can be very effective at times. The best times to try live baits is April through July. Top water fishing is alot of fun too! Use Pencil Poppers, Sarspooks and Woodchuckers. Good luck out there... Keep a tight line! Captain Rene'
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 at 20:09:40
Current Report: Delta:
The spring stripers are flooding the delta. They are making their migration through the delta area. As I predicted, the striper run has been very good. The most consistant method has been trolling rebels and jigs. The best times are with the high and low tides. Don't be afraid to explore different areas of the delta. The Delta is a vast area and the stripers have lots of hiding places. We are also catching fish with bait; sardines, anchovies and shrimp. Start fishing at the high tide to the end of the low tide when you're bait fishing. Places to fish would be the flats and ledges. The best set-up is a #3/0 Gami hook with a sliding sinker with lead weight from 2-5 ozs. Set this up on a balancing beam....if you use this method... I guarantee you'll catch a fish!
Feather/American Rivers
The striper runs are on at the mouth of both rivers. You can troll with rebels and bombers or you can use bait, anchoring up. Use the same traditional baits; anchovies, sardines and shrimp. Live bait can be very effective at times. The best times to try live baits is April through July. Top water fishing is alot of fun too! Use Pencil Poppers, Sarspooks and Woodchuckers. Good luck out there... Keep a tight line! Captain Rene'
Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2003 at 20:32:17
Current Report: Delta/Sacramento River Now that the water has stabilized the stripers and sturgeon are on the bite. The favorite locations to fish are Cache Slough, Montezuma Slough, Decker Island and Sherman Lake. You'll want to fish one hour before the incomimg and one hour after the outgoing tide. Use baits like ghost shrimp, grass shrimp, mud shrimp, bullheads and eel to catch sturgies. To catch stripers the bait of choice would be sardines, anchovies, bullheads, shad and pile worms. Trollers will be using bombers and broken/back rebels in bright colors like the clown, chartreuse, and bright red to attract the stripers. For casting you'll want to use 3/4 oz. Bucktail jigs and Rat-L-Traps in bright colors. You'll have to have a lot more patience due to the high muddy water. It's well worth the time and effort to catch these trophy fish. American River The drift boat fishing has been fair to good for steelhead up to 12 1/2 lbs so far this season. Boondoggin', roe and nightcrawlers have been the baits of choice. Also you'll want to work your hotshots and wiggleworts using silver/black, silver/red and silver/blue. Puffballs and glowbugs casted into the riffles have also been productive. The steelhead are starting to come up, so keep a tight line. Catch ya later, Captain Rene'
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