Up-To-Date and Published Locally ... By Sportsmen ... For Sportsmen !
Rio Vista Map Feature
MADE IN U . S . A
See Page 8
39 Years Serving Sportsmen
Vol . 40 - ISS . 8
Our 39th Year
Since 1982
“ The Magazine for West Coast Sportsmen !” INSIDE
Area Reports
Spring Time : Kids and Crappie Fishing
“ Hey Roland ! Have you been fishing lately ?” -- Its a question I get asked often , but the to enjoy the early spring warmth and maybe catch a fish . We found lots of mud due to the lake ’ s low level on top of having a fairly strong wind that the kids did not particureality is with the new normal , getting out to fish is a challenge . Anyone that ’ s a parent that ’ s transitioned to working from home over the last year can relate . As a parent you can also relate to the fact that kids need to burn some energy after being indoors for a long periods of time . When Barbies , Buzz Lightyears , and coloring pages no longer work to keep my three kids entertained , I know its time to get them out of the house . And when I get a window in my work schedule to take the kids out fishing , we ’ re going fishing . But after being a dad for the last
WHAT ’ S HOT by Roland Aspiras
6 years , I ’ ve learned that a trip to the lake can ’ t always be about fishing . They get bored , they throw rocks , fall in mud , and break fishing poles . Its a fact of life . But they also have fun and get a chance to explore the world around them instead of watching re-runs of Baby Shark . ( You ’ re singing the theme song now , aren ’ t you ?) Earlier this month , on a day when work ended early and the kids were dying of boredom , we took a trip to Lake Amador
Aiden Aspiras poses with a spring time crappie he caught at Lake Amador with his father Roland Aspiras .
Photo Courtesy of Roland Aspiras
CONTINUED ON PG 10
Halibut are heating up in The Bay
T he Halibut bite is on and in full effect in The Bay ! I was recently invited up to take a trip down to the Bay Area to hop on the water to get the chance of catching a halibut with family and friends . Being an avid fly fisherman , I am in all classifications a novice . However , as any true angler , I am always jumping at the chance to get on the water in a new environment to pick up new tips , tricks , skills , and techniques to add to the ongoing collection . After
GONE FISHING by Tyler Andersen
spending the night before tying set-ups and preparing for the early morning ahead , we got on the water with surprising ease for a Saturday morning with a halibut bite creeping in . With reports and news starting to circulate between groups that the halibut are heating up , we were accompanied by many kayak fishermen out on the water chasing around tasty flatties with the same idea in mind .
Julian Diely holds up a California Halibut that he caught and released while trolling with herring off of the Alameda Rockwall .
Photo Courtesy of Tyler Andersen
I quickly learned that there is a different kind of finesse when it comes to halibut trolling , much different than my normal fly fishing tactics . Our plan consisted of maintaining contact with the bottom as we would motor various planned stretches around at one to three knots .
We used a variety of different 12- to 24-ounce cannonball sinkers attached to a three-way swivel by a two-foot dropper of heavy mono . We started by using dead herring rigged to a five-foot , 40-pound test
CONTINUED ON PG 20
April 23 , 2021
FRESHWATER REPORTS Lake Almanor - American River .............................. 6 Lake Berryessa -Lake Camanche ...................... 10
Collins Lake - Feather River ................................ 12 Folsom Lake New Melones Lake ................... 14-15 Lake Oroville - Trinity River ............................. 16-17 Trinity River .......................................................... 18
SALTWATER REPORTS Bodega Bay - Monterey Bay .............................. 20-21
FEATURES
Where ... When ... How ...
GO FOR IT : Staff ........................................................ 4 HOW-TO : Paul Kneeland ............................................. 5 MAP FEATURE : Dan Bacher .................................... 8-9 CATCH & RELEASE - FLY FISHING : Tyler Andersen ... 17 SPOTLIGHT ON CONSERVATION : Dan Bacher ....... 19
STAFF TACKLE
What We ’ re Using
Ernie Marlan - fished for striped bass on the San Joaquin River . He threw a variety of lures but the most productive was a FlatSide 50 in chartreuse shad color . He caught and released several schoolize sized stripers with the largest weighing in at 6 pounds . The rod of choice was a Quantum Inshore S3 PT teamed up with Smoke HD spooled with 40lb FINS Braid and a GAMMA fluorocarbon leader .
Paul Kneeland - fished Shasta Lake with Bridget Looney in the Fish Sniffer 21 ’ Rogue Jet Coastal . They caught rainbow trout to 19 inches using a Lamiglas 7 ½ foot ultralight graphite rod with a Daiwa Lexa low profile line counter reel loaded with 6 lb test PLine flourocarbon line .. They trolled Tasmanian Devil and Speedy Shiner spoons in red / brass and white off side planers on the surface and the Canon Downriggers at 15 to 25 feet deep and 2.5 mph .
Dan Bacher - Fished for rainbow trout at Sugar Pine Lake . He used a Berkley Ugly Stick GX2 6 ’ 6 ” medium action spinning rod , teamed up with a Shakespeare GX235 spinning reel filled with 6 lb . test P-Line CX Premium Fluorocarbon Coated Line . He fished with rainbow Berkley PowerBait and 1 / 8 oz . gold and black Panther Martins .