Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3820 Sept 13-27 | Page 6

4 FRESHWATER Sept 13-27, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 20 FRESHWATER REPORTS Larry Stephen of Pinole landed this beautiful West Delta striper during an August 20 trolling adventure. Photo courtesy of DELTA PRO FISHING, Elk Grove. troll with nightcrawlers behind flashers or dodgers or with Rapalas in the Middle Fork of the American River inlet. Bait anglers should find the best rainbow and brown action while tossing out nightcrawlers, PowerBait and Rapalas in the same area. - Dan Bacher AMERICAN RIVER Stripers Offer Top Late Summer Action fish hatchery to start planting trout during mid to late October, depending upon when the water is cool enough to begin planting. The water level is only 17 feet from full, a great lake level for this time of year. AMERICAN BASIN ALMANOR can expect the fish to move closer and closer to the surface. The fall rainbow action should peak in late November. Late Summer Rainbow Fishing Great, Incredible Fall Season Expected! CHESTER - Maybe it had to do with the snow pack or the high water level, but for whatever reason the fishing at Lake Almanor never shut down this summer,” reported Captain Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy’s Guide Service. “It’s no secret that August can be a tough month to catch trout at Almanor, but that hasn’t been the case this year.” “We’ve been getting multiple big 4 plus pound rainbows almost every day and we’ve seen 6 pound rainbows and 10 pound browns this month. If the late summer fishing is this good, it makes you wonder just how insane the action is going to get this fall,” Rocccucci exclaimed. “Smelt balls are forming and the trout are starting to key on them. That’s the first sign of the transition from a summer to fall pattern. The trout are beginning to key on that bait and when that happens the fishing usually just keeps getting better,” Roccucci concluded. Trollers working around bait are pulling spoons, soft plastics and hoochies with good results. At this point the trout are holding anywhere from 20 to 35 feet deep depending on the time of day. As the days shorten and the nights get colder anglers LAKE AMADOR Catfish, Bass and Bluegill Will Provide Top Action Until Trout Plants Begin IONE – If you want to catch fish at Lake Amador now, your top prospects are for catfish, black bass and bluegill. “The catfish are averaging between 5 and 10 pounds,” reported Elizabeth Lockhart at the Lake Amador Resort. “Anglers are fishing with nightcrawlers, anchovies and chicken livers at the campground, the corners of the dam and near the clubhouse in the main body. Night fishing is best.” Nick Welton and Bobby Yabumoto took first place in the recent Moonlighter Bass Tournament at Lake Amador with 10 fish weighing 35.40 pounds. They also caught the big fish, a 9.15 lb. largemouth. Since them, no big bass have been reported. “Bass averaging 2 to 3 pounds and going up to 5 pounds are being reported by bass anglers,” said Lockhart. “They are hooking them on an array of lures off the points and in the coves.” “Bluegill are showing everywhere on the lake along the shoreline,” said Lockhart. “These panfish are hitting redworms, mini- crawlers, meal and other Captain Bryan Roccucci worms baits.” Lockhart expects the lake’s on site Now Booking Bucks Lake Bucks Lake Lake Almanor Trout & Kokanee Davis Lake and Almanor Eagle Lake trophy trout! Lake Tahoe www.BigDaddyFishing.com Call for Best Dates – [phone] Trolling for Holdover Rainbows Is Solid at Loon Lake AUBURN – Loon Lake is the best bet if you’re looking for action in the Crystal Basin at this time. “One boater reported hooking some holdover and planter rainbows while trolling nightcrawlers behind watermelon dodgers on the far end of Loon Lake,” said Craig Newton at Willfish Tackle. On the other hand, kokanee fishing at Union Valley is very tough. “A couple of knowledgeable kokanee fishermen reported marking a lot of fish on their graph during their latest trip there,” said Newton. “However, they only landed 3 kokanee all day long.” Rainbow trout plants are boosting the trout fishing in the Crystal Basin this summer. SMUD is coordinating six separate trout plantings from June through August. Union Valley, the largest of the three BERRYESSA LAKE reservoirs, received 10,000 pounds; Ice Trollers Bag Kokanee Salmon House, 8,750 pounds; and, Loon Lake, 6,250 pounds. The fish provided by SMUD During Season’s Tail End come from Mount Lassen Trout Farms WINTERS – As the kokanee go into their of Payne’s Creek. The company also fall spawning pattern, trollers continue stocks SMUD’s Rancho Seco Lake, which to experience top-notch fishing on Lake annually hosts the very popular Trout Berryessa Derby. “We had a good day of fishing on The water level at Hell Hole Reservoir is Berryessa today,” said Rich Crispi of TW dropping rapidly. Trollers using hoochies Continued on Pg 10 and other lures, tipped with white corn, behind dodgers are still hooking up Mark Morrison fishing Guide Service kokanee in the 14 to 15 inch range, noted Salmon, Stripers, Trout, American Shad Newton. French Meadows 1-6 people - Full day trips is worth a shot Fishing gear supplied for rainbows and browns, but few Sacramento, American and Feather rivers anglers have been there lately. For 916-308-3228 maximum success, [email protected] 3817 •Cabins •Campground •Restaurant & Bar •Fishing Boat Rentals Call for Information and Reservations 3614 www.fishbarebones.com 3807 [phone] 40800 Highway 88, Pioneer, CA 95666 www.bearrivercampground.com Trout Planted Seasonally! • Cafe • RV Park • Waterslide • Campground • Disc Golf • General Store Cafe Open Seasonally On Friday, Saturday & Sundays Great Fishing for Rainbows, Browns and Lake Trout! [phone] • [phone] markmorrisonfishingguideservice.com LAKE AMADOR Salmon • Striper • Trout • Kokanee • Stripers • Oroville Kings • Stampede Kokanee SACRAMENTO – Very few anglers have been out fishing on the American River lately – and those that have report very tough salmon fishing. Expect the Chinook action to pick up in mid to late September when more fish start showing in the system. “The anglers going fishing for salmon in the Sunrise area are reporting seeing salmon rolling, but they’re not biting,” said Craig Newton at Willifsh Bait and Tackle. The striped bass fishing isn’t very good now either, but it is more productive than the salmon fishing at this time. Toss out Pencil Poppers, Zara Spooks and other top water lures early and late in the day or fish crawdad tails, jumbo minnows or live pike minnows during the day. Fly fishing with Clouser Minnows can also be very productive. The American from the U.S. Geological Survey gauging station cable crossing about 300 yards downstream from the Nimbus Hatchery fish rack site to the mouth at Discovery Park is now open to salmon fishing. Expect the salmon fishing to pick up on the American by mid to late September when the fall Chinook run moves into the river The Bureau of Reclamation water releases to the American River below Nimbus Dam continue to be 3,500 cfs. - Dan Bacher 209-274 -4739 7500 Lake Amador Dr., Ione, CA 95640 WWW.LAKEAMADOR.COM