Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3813 June 7-21 2019 | Page 20
18
FRESHWATER
FRESHWATER
June 7 - 21, 2019
FRESHWATER
REPORTS:
bass to 4 pounds.
Ticking the tops of the
weeds on the high
tide has been the best
option, and we are
targeting gaps between
tules or weeds with
gaps. You will need
polarized glasses to
see the ‘mushrooms’
which are the umbrellas
of weeds underneath
the surface. You should
cast into the back of
the gaps and work the
lure through the gap,
but if you can’t see the
mushrooms, you will
end up in the weeds.
Targeting the open
holes has been the way
to go. The bite is best
on the high to the mid-,
but it shuts down on the
low tide.”
- Dave Hurley
CONTINUED FROM PG 14
EAST DELTA
cont.
San Joaquin side of the Delta, but there
are some good scores found on a variety
of techniques. Largemouth bass are
poised to take off as the reaction bite is
ramping up.
Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing
out of Laurtizen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley
has been posting limits of striped bass on
a daily basis, and he said, “The stripers
are chewing, and we have found birds
working in the San Joaquin, and we have
been scoring with hair raisers, P-Line
Laser Minnow spoons, or swimbaits. I
have been staying in the San Joaquin
River as there is no reason to head over
to the Sacramento side. The action has
been steady throughout the day, and I will
be on the stripers for a few more weeks
before heading to San Francisco Bay to
run a party boat for Fish Emeryville for the
summer.”
Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert,
was out with Dave Houston and also
Mark Wilson, another trolling expert on
Thursday, and he said, “We had a good
day as we picked up caught 9 keepers on
the deep-troll, but there was only a fish
here and there. We put 55 miles on the
boat running from the Antioch Bridge to
Prisoner’s Point. Some of the stripers had
yet to spawn while others have spawned
out. Mark also released a 4-pound
largemouth bass that was fat and chunky.
It seems like the run is starting to wind
down, and although there are still stripers
both coming in and migrating back to the
bay, the numbers seem less.”
Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor,
behind in the current.
To connect the two leaders to the main
line, I use small cross lock swivels that
help prevent line twist. I like to use the
smallest sized Dick Nite spoons in half
chartreuse, half-pink. You can leave this
rig in the rod holder until they strike, or
jig it up and down about a foot at a time.
Most of the fish being caught at Almanor these days are
rainbows, but there have been some very nice kings in the mix
too. This fish was landed on May 15.
Photo courtesy of BIG DADDY’S GUIDE SERVICE, Quincy.
reported an improved reaction bite for
largemouth bass with lures that sink while
suspending upon the retrieve working
best. He said, “The ima Rock N’Vibe
Suspend in either crawdad or bluegill is
a good option as it will drop in the water
column when you pause the lure. The
bass are guarding fry, and although we
haven’t been able to hook any giants
recently, we have picked up largemouth
WHAT’S HOT
The jigging can really make a difference
when the bite is slow.
At ten o’clock we had landed 39 shad,
and decided to move upstream to an
inside bend to fish for stripers. At this
location, we each fished with one shad
rod and one striper rod. We hooked
two more keeper stipers, and I lost a big
visit
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LAKE DEL
VALLE
Smallmouth and
Largemouth Bite
LIVERMORE – The lake temperature
at Del Valle has been in the upper 60’s
to low 70’s, making it perfect weather to
come out and fish for bass.
The small and largemouth bite are doing
well. Nightcrawlers or Senkos are their
favorite bait to chase. You can usually find
them hanging out in the cattails that are
spread out across the lake. Try to cast
the worms as close to the weed mats as
possible. Try fishing the rock points that
have a nice drop off to let your worm sink
in.
Alternatively, Rat-L-Traps and crankbaits
also get the smallmouths and largemouths
interested. Many bass are also moving
in the south end of the lake. If you are
fishing from shore you are going to want
to try either to east or west beach swim
areas.
The striped bass are moving along the
channels that move through the center
of the lake. The stripers are balling the
bait up and pushing it on shore, so you
are going to want to use shad imitations
to entice the stripers to attack your bait,
flukes, or swimbaits.
Kastmasters work for anglers fishing
the sharp points on shore. They love to
push the bait they are chasing onto these
points. Early morning is the best time
to catch the stripers chasing the shad.
Alternatively, you can use anchovies as
bait to get the stripers. If you are throwing
these with a ¼ oz. weight, usually a
smaller weight will help the fish take the
bait, since they can feel less weight when
they pick up your bait allowing them to run
with it more.
The sunfish bite has really picked up
at the water temperature increases. We
recommend casting some red worms or
mini-crawlers. You can find the bluegill
and crappie around the weed mats near
the shores or near the cattails as they are
using these structures for spawning.
The trout fishing here is almost gone. As
the water warms to above 70 degrees, the
trout will move into deeper water. If you
plan to target them, be prepared to drop
your lure deep.
The catfish bite is good. Their favorite
CONTINUED ON PG 19
Continued from page 1
striper that would have gone double-
digits for sure.
Even though we were in one of
my striper spots, we still managed to
scratch out eight more shad by noon.
We had landed a whopping total of
47 shad and 3 keeper stripers! We
pulled rods and headed to the ramp
to reflect on an epic day of fishing in
Downtown Sacramento.
Most kokanee snobs like myself
snicker at the idea of keeping bone-
filled shad for the dinner plate.
However, I have finally discovered
the secret of how to cook and clean
shad - can them using white vinegar
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.
Photo by JACK NAVES, Fish Sniffer Staff.
will need a smoker and alder chips.
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
preparing the equipment
fillets into chunks and pack the jars
If you are using the smoking method,
without smoking or adding olive oil. Add
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
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
chips. Don’t overcook, just enough to
rest of the canning process. I use the plain
give them smoky flavor. Remove from
shad in tuna sandwich or fish cake recipes
the smoker and cut the fillets into chunks.
– bone free!
Next, add about ½ inch of olive oil to
The Downtown Sacramento area will
the bottom of each mason jar. Add ½
see shad action from mid-April through
teaspoon of white vinegar to each ½ pint
early June, while the upstream reaches of
jar to dissolve the bones. Pack the jars
the American, Feather, and Sacramento
with the fish chunks, and then top them off Rivers will produce shad until at least
with more olive oil so it covers the fish.
July. Shad fight great, and make for a
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
the rest of the canning process.
on!