Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee fishing report 7/5

Return clients experience another great day of fishing with us!

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee fishing continues to produce limit style fishing for our clients.  Some days we will fall a few fish short of limits due to the Kokanee coming off before we can get them in the net, but the opportunity to get limits daily is still there.  The quality of these fish continues to impress not only me, but my clients as well.  Pictures just don't adequately show the size and girth of these Kokanee we are catching this year.  This is by far the best class of Kokanee I've ever seen on Whiskeytown Lake.

Tactics and techniques are key in this Kokanee fishery this season.  Fishing for them nearly every day gives us a distinct advantage over others on the water.  The baits these fish will bite and the locations they are concentrated in are changing every hour.  Really the only thing that seems to have any real consistency is the depth they are active in.  I've been catching the Kokanee at 55' feet for about two weeks now.  Bait selection has been completely random because the Kokanee are keying in on different colors and presentations daily.  We're basically throwing the tackle box at them every day to see what they want, that includes scents added to the baits or corn.  Its a lot of work, but its what has to be done to be successful this year so far.

Fishing will likely improve when Whiskeytown Lake water managers quit playing with water levels.  Every big holiday weekend, Whiskeytown sees a drop in water levels which really plays with the Kokanee bite.  If or when the lake stabilizes and flows in and out of the lake slow, I think the fishing will be very good.  The impressive size of the Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee will just be getting better as the season wears on, and by fall these Kokanee will surely be averaging 2 lbs each.  My clients are already impressed with the amount of meat they are taking home to share with family and friends!  Book your Kokanee trip, its just a year you don't want to miss out on...

Mitch from Las Vegas shows off his catch of Kokanee salmon!

Shasta Lake fishing report 7/2

Its time for Shasta Lake to turn on, so lets go fishing!

I've been fishing Shasta Lake for rainbows and Kings this past week and although finding fish is not very hard, getting them to bite is another story.  I've fished a lot of water on Shasta and haven't had much to show for my efforts at the end of the day.  Now when I say a day of fishing, what I really mean is actually 3-4 hours before the recreational fleet of house boats and ski boats start moving around from one end of the lake to the other.  As much as I miss the solitude on Shasta Lake like I experience every month of the year except June-August, its good to see the lake busting at the seams with so many locals and visitors alike.  I don't think the resorts on the lake will have trouble paying the bills this year, if you know what I mean.

Now except for a few people I've heard claiming to be doing well on Shasta, most everyone else I have been talking to has been telling the same story, "fishing is tough."  July and August are typically pretty good on Shasta Lake for anglers targeting rainbows, browns, and King salmon.  I had some really good days on the lake last season in September as well.  I hope its just seeing a slow start and fishing will take off sooner than later this year.  The fish are there and anyone with a fish finder can see where they are hanging out.  There has been a distinct line of fish in the 100'-120' foot range and also in the 45'-55' foot level as well.  I've caught some trout down as far as 100', but the last few days I've seen the majority of my bites at 55'.  With surface temps on Shasta in the 81-83 degree range, I'm not even fishing above 25' feet.

The majority of my days on the water this month will be spent on Whiskeytown Lake, but I've got a beef going with the Shasta Lake trout and Kings right now and I'm going to keep fishing it until I crack the code.  All the fish I caught this past week have been  rainbow trout.  I've had the best results at 55' feet and trolling at 2.1-2.3 mph.  Small dodgers in front of hoochies or small spoons has taken most of the rainbows that are measuring between 15" and 21" inches.  It should be noted as we approach the 4th of July ,the best colors for me have been red, white, and blue lures and dodgers.  Nothing new really, those colors have always been good for fishing Shasta Lake.  Things may just settle down a bit after the lake sees a reduction in boat traffic this weekend, but thats just wishful thinking at this point.  In the meantime all any of us can do is keep fishing Shasta Lake and hope the bite turns on very soon!

Shasta Lake rainbow trout!

Trinity Lake salmon fishing report 6/27

Trinity Lake King salmon!

Summer salmon fishing has really taken off the past few weeks here in the Redding area and anglers are seeing some of the biggest Kokanee salmon in years.  I had heard that even Trinity Lake, which is known for small Kokanee, has been containing some larger than normal Kokanee this year.  I had a short break in my schedule from Whiskeytown Lake this week so I thought I would head up to see if the Trinity Kokanee were as big as the reports had described.

Another local guide, Anthony Cox, and I made an early morning trip up to Trinity Lake and launched at Fairview boat launch.  With my rods already rigged for Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee, my prep time was short and we were fishing within ten minutes of launching. I dropped down as we headed towards Trinity Dam and within a few minutes had a Kokanee pulling on a rod.  Anthony quickly landed it and it was a disappointing 10" inch class Kokanee.  We caught three or four more small Kokanee and my doubts about the big Kokanee I had heard of, became very real.

Trinity Lake Kokanee salmon

After trolling the face of Trinity Dam with nothing but a few short Kokanee, we decided to troll into the Papoose Arm of Trinity and see what we could stir up.  The sun was low in the sky but was on the water now and the bite turned on.  We proceeded to catch numerous Kokanee and even experienced a few double hook ups.  The same tactics used to catch Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee were working very well on Trinity as well.  The majority of our Kokanee came at 50'-55' feet.  I was marking some fish down at 85' feet and believed them to be kings so I dropped one rod down to try to get one to bite.  It wasn't but a few minutes later, I had a good take down on my King salmon gear.  I was fighting a Kokanee I had hooked at 55' feet so I had to let the 85' foot rod bounce while I played out the Kokanee I already had on.  After landing that nice sized Kokanee I picked up the other rod.  I lost that fish before It got to the surface.  Excited to get a bite down in King salmon territory, I sent the line back down again to 85' feet.

Just a few short minutes later my deep rod started to bounce again.  I was just sure I had hooked a King salmon, but when I got the fish to the surface, I was surprised t see that it was a Kokanee.  Oh well, I guess there were Kokanee dawn at 85' feet too!  As we approached the 11:00 hour, Anthony hooked a nice King of about 2 lbs and landed it.  We landed another Kokanee salmon or two and just about had our 20 fish limit.  I had brought the King salmon rod up to 50' and had my other rod at 55' feet.  My rod at 55' feet went down and I expected another Kokanee.  After fighting this fish to the surface, I was surprised to see that it was a nice bright King salmon.  Another fish or two and we had our limits.

I was delighted to see the quality of the Trinity Lake Kokanee and would say they averaged 14"-15" inches.  The Kings we caught were small, but I have to admit that when we started to catch so many nice Kokanee, we lost our focus and didn't give the Kings much effort. all in all it was a very productive trip and I am looking forward to heading up to Trinity Lake again very soon!

Two generous limits of Trinity Lake salmon! 

Whiskeytown Lake fishing report 6/24

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon are biting very good and our guests are having a blast!

Water conditions on Whiskeytown Lake are favorable this week and the Kokanee bite is very good!  Lately the hardest part of the day is getting these hard pulling salmon to the net and enduring the hot days on the water.  We're finding Kokanee at 55' feet right now in all the usual places Whiskeytown produces.  We have had a great bite on pink baits behind small dodgers lately and can say the same for orange.  Water temps are running at 75 deg's on the surface and are pushing 80 deg's by days end.  Look for the bite to continue to build as July approaches this next weekend.

AUGUST SACRAMENTO RIVER RAINBOWS!!

Sacramento River wild rainbow trout fishing is awesome in August!

August is rapidly approaching and its a special time of the year to fish for Sacramento River wild rainbow trout.  After the annual closure of the trophy trout water 5.5 miles below Keswick Dam, August 1st brings the opening of this section of the Sacramento River and boy is the fishing good!  Last year I recorded 313 trout my clients caught and released the first 7 days after the opener on August 1st.  This has become one of my favorite seasons and we have a blast catching dozens and dozens of rainbows almost every day in August.  Like any pressured fishery, the great fishing will cool off after these trout get caught and fished over repeatedly, but its still quite good through the new year.  

This is a great trip for families!

I use light action gear for these feisty trout which makes catching them an absolute blast!  I normally spend the day drifting small Dick Nite spoons, but I won't hesitate to break out the plugs if the spoon bite is slow.  Plugs catch big fish and my clients caught a lot last year.  The bottom line is that we always catch great fish in August and thats what has made this such a popular trip for many of my returning clients.  I'm so grateful to be able to share this great fishing opportunity with my clients, both new and old.  No fishing experience or skill is required to catch these trout.  In fact some of my most inexperienced clients out fish the veterans in the boat. If you would like to see what all the hype is about, give me a call or send me a message and I will get your day on the river with me finalized.  You'll be talking about this trip long after your day on the water!

Pure fishing fun on the Sacramento River!

Whiskeytown Lake fishing report 6/19

Quality Kokanee are the highlight of this years Whiskeytown Lake season!

Last week provided some excellent Kokanee fishing on Whiskeytown Lake.  Easy limits for our clients were had for most of the week, but the weekend saw a dramatic change in the bite.  Federal water managers released over 6,000 acre feet of water from Whiskeytown, dropping the lake by nearly a foot.  We still caught some quality fish on Saturday and Sunday, but our numbers saw a considerable drop.  

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee enjoy stable water conditions and when the temps and or lake levels are changed over a short period of time they tend to shut down until stable conditions return.  This year has seen a continuous inflow of cold water from Lewiston Lake and as water comes into Whiskeytown, water is then released into Clear Creek and Keswick Reservoir to maintain near full pool levels in Whiskeytown.  Its a complex environment for the Kokanee and this season has been full of ever changing conditions.  We're hoping that at some point this season stable water conditions will persist and we will have predictable fishing for the rest of the summer and early fall.  

Fridays group with 10 of their 15 Kokanee limit!

In the meantime, I will continue to to stay on top of bite patterns and will surely continue to experience some great days of fishing on Whiskeytown Lake through October.  Currently I'm finding a good morning bite in 45' of water, give or take 5' feet.  Most traditional Kokanee baits are attracting bites, and trolling speeds haven't changed for me at all.  Mixing up your presentations until you find a bait and color the Kokanee are keying in on will help get the most bites during your day on the water.

The Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee are continuing to grow at a steady pace and there are a few fish that are coming in at 17' inches now.  The fight these fish are displaying after being hooked is impressive and its getting to be more difficult to manage these hot fish near the boat.  Ariel displays and tangled lines are becoming a part of everyday Kokanee fishing now and its only going to get better as the season wears on.  I'm expecting great fishing in July so if this Kokanee salmon fishery on Whiskeytown Lake is of any interest, now is the time to get your day on the water reserved.  I can accommodate up to six anglers in my comfortable 24' foot boat and the canvas top provides shade for my clients on those really hot days on the water.  Call (707) 616-1905 to book your trip today!

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee fishing report 6/12

Limits of Whiskeytown lake Kokanee salmon.

Red hot Kokanee fishing has been experienced on each trip the last two weeks in spite of a constant changing of water temps and levels in Whiskeytown Lake.  Its taking 2-3 hour on average to get up to 4 limits in the boat depending on the catch to loss ratio.  I can't say enough about the quality of the Kokanee this year and the numbers are again very good!  I will continue to run Kokanee trips thru October and expect this fishery to gain even more recognition as these Kokanee approach the 18"-20" mark.  We're beginning to catch a lot of Kokanee in the 10" range indicating next years Kokanee fishing will be very good as well.  A lot of my clients are new to Kokanee fishing but I can honestly tell you that everyone is having a blast catching them on our ultra light trolling rods.  This is hands down the best family fishing trip available just about anywhere here in the north state right now.  No experience needed and its fast paced for the kids in the boat.  Lets go fishing!

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee fishing report 6/8

Limits of Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon.

The Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee bite really turned on the past few days.  On Tuesday we put 20 adult Kokanee in the ice chest by noon and on Wednesday, we bagged 20 Kokanee before 10:00. The Kokanee are swimming in the 40'-50' range pretty much everywhere in the lake.  The water temp on the surface is 72 degrees and at 40' is 56 degrees.  I've had equal bites on my Kokanee baits in both pink and orange.  Certain parts of the day the Kokanee will like one color over another and then they will show a preference for the opposite a few hours later.  My average trolling speed has been 1.3-1.5 mph and its obviously what the kokanee want.  We had a cold front roll in today, but it looks like the cold wind and rain will be short lived.  By Saturday we will have warmer temps on the lake again.  Releases from Trinity Lake into Whiskeytown will stop today so that should help stabilize the lake for a while which will likely send Whiskeytown lake into the red hot summer fishing we've all come to love.  I'm booking several days a week now so if you want to get family or friends out to experience this fishery, now is the time to book your trip.  You'll be in good hands fishing with me as I'm really the only guide on the lake fishing it several days a week.  Its going to be a great year on Whiskeytown Lake fishing for Kokanee salmon!

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee report 6/4

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee fishing is still falling short of last years action at this time, but overall the fishing is still good.  There is definitely more size to this years class of Kokanee and that makes up for the slower bite in my opinion.  Today was typical for Whiskeytown Lake in that it was very windy to start before laying down a bit around 10:00 am.  The wind picked up again around 11:00 just before we ended the day with a triple hook up, finishing a 10 fish limit before noon.  I found most of the fish on the north east end of the lake and caught just about every one of them at 40-45' feet.  The water temperature at 40' is 56 degrees and thats where they are hanging out.  The surface temps are running about 69-72 degrees so the Kokanee are going deeper.  This trend will continue throughout the summer into fall.  By October, we will likely be fishing in the top 25' feet of the lake again.  I'm finding orange baits to be a staple again this year, with pink coming in at a close second option.  Spin N Glos, Dick Nite Spoons, and mini squid skirts are picking up most of our fish.  This Kokanee season is just getting started and there are a lot of great fishing days ahead.  I will be fishing Kokanee through October and have plenty of days available to book your trip!

Our 24' Willie Boat is a great boat to fish from and our new top is really helping with the heat of the sun while on the water.

Whiskeytown Kokanee fishing report 5/31

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon.

Kokanee fishing on Whiskeytown Lake continues to produce slow limits for anglers who have this lake dialed in and continue to put in the time to attain the daily limits of 5 fish per person.  Recently, Whiskeytown Lake has been receiving and releasing surplus cold water pulses from Trinity Lake.  This can have a negative effect on the Kokanee bite this early in the season.  The good news is that the Kokanee are abundant and their size for this time of the year is very good.  15"-16" Kokanee are the average now and they are only going to get bigger as the season progresses.

With current King salmon returns on the Sacramento River looking to be down again this year, the Whiskeytown lake Kokanee salmon fishery will be a great alternative for that group or family looking for a great day on the water.  The Kokanee are very good eating and rival the table fare of any ocean caught salmon.  Kokanee are land locked Sockeye salmon so their quality should come as no surprise to anyone and with the Kokanee averaging more than a pound a piece, harvesting limits can certainly provide some great meals for the family.

I will be guiding on Whiskeytown Lake thru October and expect to have another season to remember.  I had a great number of trips last season and expect to see even more days on the lake as this fishery continues to gain in popularity.  Give me a call or shoot me an email to get your day of Kokanee salmon fishing booked this summer!  Its always a great day on the water in my comfortable 24' Willie jet boat.  I have a canvas top to provide shade for my clients this year and as always, ask about a bbq lunch on the boat.

Striped bass fishing report 5/7

San Joaquin Striper double!

Striped bass fishing remains solid from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta up into the Feather and Sacramento Rivers near Yuba City and Colusa.  Although my Striper season has come to an end, great fishing will surely continue through May and into June.  With the upper sections of the rivers clearing up a lot, drifting live minnows will continue to be a top producer.  Down in the delta, trolling deep diving plugs has become a standard technique this spring.  

Great day in the Delta with this group.  They landed and released double digit keepers and shakers, but kept some limits for fish taco's!

Flows on both the Feather and Sacramento Rivers are scheduled to go up again so make sure you do your homework before heading out.  With that being said, the Sacramento River side of the delta will once again see high flows and turbidity making fishing tough.  Concentrate your delta efforts on the San Joaquin side and your Striper fishing efforts will continue to pay off.  

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee fishing report 4/30

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon..

After chasing Striped bass n the Feather River last week, it was time once again to test the Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon bite.  We got a late start and had a chance to talk to a few anglers coming in after a very windy morning out on the lake.  The reports were said to be slow fishing, but I expected a slow bite with so much wind.  We started on out and dropped our lines just short of the 299 bridge.  The winds were blowing the boat sideways and I figured we'd be in for a rough morning.  Its common to encounter a windy lake early in the day, but often times it settles down by late morning.  Today was no real exception and the winds died down about 11:00.

Gracie and Jaynie honing their skills on Whiskeytown Lake.

We landed our first Kokanee 10 minutes after we started out troll just short of the 299 bridge with a Dick Nite UV dodger and an orange fly with a Spin-N-Glo leading the way.  Fishing inside the Whiskey Creek arm has been slow, but there are a few fish in and about the area for those who put in a little time there.  As I expected, the bay outside of the 299 bridge over deep water was once again the most productive area for us.  We ran into a short bite, but it was a good one and we caught a king salmon, a 20" rainbow trout, and numerous Kokanee for about an hour before things slowed down.  That could be in part due to the fact we left the area looking for more fish.

A bonus 20" Whiskeytown Lake rainbow trout.

In short, we had the best results fishing the 10-15' foot line using orange baits tired with shoe peg corn behind orange/chrome UV dodgers.  Boat speed was 1.1-1.5 mph although keeping the speed down in the winds was a challenge.  I find its easier to control the boat speed in windy conditions by facing the boat into the wind.  By far, our best action was in front of Brandy Creek in deep water.  With water temps still in the 56-57 degree range, there will be some slower days before these Kokanee turn on and everyone will be catching lots of fish every day.  This fishery will last 5 months or more and looks to be another stellar year for Kokanee salmon fishing on Whiskeytown Lake.

Striped bass fishing report 4/26

Striper fishing on the Sacramento and Feather Rivers continues to produce some excellent action for just about everyone that ventures out.  Flows continue to be a bit on the high side, but really all that does is help concentrate the fish into areas of the river that don't see a heavy movement of water.  This really narrows down where you set up to concentrate your efforts.  Because of the high water, we have been fishing on anchor a lot.  We've found some really productive spots that offer a place for the stripers to hang out without having to expend any of their energy.  Fishing live minnows has been very productive and when you find a good number of Stripers located where you anchor up, the bite can be fast and furious.  Drifting minnows in the Feather River has also been productive with the good water visibility.  Again, you have to choose your water carefully, because there are just a lot of places where the water is moving too quickly to hold these fish. 

Limits of Feather River Striped bass.

The Sacramento River is scheduled for a flow reduction from Shasta Lake and will see flows drop to 7,000 cfs by May 5th.  This will open up a lot of water for anglers and the fishing should see its best few weeks of the year.  This flow reduction will also likely improve Striper fishing in the delta on the Sacramento River side.  

Fishing on the edges of the river near slower moving water is key to catching Striped bass in high water.

My prediction is that this May will be a month to remember on both the Sacramento and Feather Rivers here in northern California.  Great opportunities exist for groups of all ages and skill levels to come out and experience this world class fishery.  If you would like to schedule a trip for your friends or family, now is the time to make that call or send me a message to get your day of Striper fishing scheduled.

Striped bass fishing report 4/22

Striped bass fishing continues to be quite good and limits continue to be fairly easily attained.  We are still having to adjust to river flows up on the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, and wind is the factor in the Ca. Delta near Rio Vista.  We spent the last two days on the Feather River and I expect to fish there again next week due to the good fishing.  The minnow bite has been good, but most of our fishing is done on anchor due to the high flows.  The season looks to be going strong and we will likely be fishing for Stripers through May.

Feather River striped bass.

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee fishing report 4/18

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon.

Well its official, Whiskeytown Lake is already kicking out easy limits of Kokanee salmon.  I had been hearing some good reports, but hadn't been out to see for myself until today.  I had a chance to get out with a good friend and fellow fishing guide, Anthony Cox and his friend Terry.  We launched at Whiskey Creek at about 8:30 am and started fishing by 9:00.  We started trolling near the mph buoys and immediately had a rod go down.

Kokanee salmon!

The first takedown didn't stick and we continued to troll toward the 299 bridge.  There was a slight lull in activity until we made it out past the bridge.  Thats when the flurry of bites began and we experienced some double hook ups and even a few triples.  Kokanee were breaking up on the surface and it became obvious that we were in for another great season of Kokanee fishing.  At 10:45 we had 15 fish in the cooler and were packing it in for the day.

Anthony and Terry playing a double Kokanee hook up!

The Kokanee were located on the surface down to 20' where we caught the majority of them during the 1 1/2 hour trip.  It should be no surprise that the hot color was pink, but we did manage to hook several Kokanee on orange baits as well.  We used the Crystal Basin "wild thing" dodger in the chrome finish and as always it produced many bits as did the Spin N Glo rigs Anthony tied up for the trip.  Of course, none of these baits were sent down without a few kernels of shoe peg corn marinated in a garlic scents.  2017 will be another year to remember and with Kokanee already taping out at 16", this summer will be providing a lot of delicious Kokanee fillets for the dinner table.  I will start running my guided Kokanee fishing trips on Whiskeytown Lake June 1st, after my striped bass season comes to a close.  If you want to experience some of the finest Kokanee fishing in California give me a call and we'll set something up for you!  

Ca. Delta Striper fishing report 4/15

Ca. Delta Striped bass.

I spent part of last week in the California Delta fishing for Striped bass.  Overall fishing was quite good and everyone took home lots of fillets for fish tacos.  I spent the majority of my days fishing the San Joaquin River because of the current water conditions on the Sacramento River side of the delta.  Below the confluence with the Mokelumne River the San Joaquin is a bit stained, but above the Mokelumne, the water is fishing very well.

YoZuri deep divers...

I have been trolling deep diving YoZuri plugs in 15-20' of water and am finding the chartreuse/orange color combinations to be the most productive for me.  Boat speed has varied from 2.5-3.5 mph depending on tidal flows in the river.  During slack tides or low water exchanges, 3.0 mph has been the best to get bites.  Shallow diving YoZuri's can also be productive this time of the year and can be a good way to find scattered Stripers throughout the system.

Delta double hook up!

If I could change one thing about the conditions right now it would be the water temperatures.  The water is running a little on the cool side at 56-58 degrees and I think we should see a lot more bites once the temps jump into the low to mid 60's.  It looks like we are going to continue with some wet weather ahead with cooler temps.  I think there is some relief in the coming weeks in the form of warmer air temps.  That should do wonders for this fishery and I am looking forward to some great Striper fishing in the weeks ahead.  I will be fishing Striped bass through the first week of May.  If you would like to experience some Ca. Delta Striped bass fishing, please do not hesitate to give me a call.  

Striped bass fishing report 4/10

Fishing for Stripers in the Ca. Delta remains consistant.  I will be fishing this week on the San Joaquin River and have open days available.  If you are interested in getting out this week, give me a call or message me and I will get back to you.  

 

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee fishing report 4/8

Its that time of year again to start thinking about California's finest Kokanee fishing opportunity which happens every year on Whiskeytown Lake.  Water levels and temp's have hit the mark and the Kokanee salmon bite is officially on.  Limits of Kokanee have been fairly easily attained and their size and quantity this year are once again exceptional.  Kokanee to 14-15" have been caught and its very early in the season.  With this early indication of above average size Kokanee, we are in for one heck of a year.  This fishery will last well into fall and the size of these fish will only get better and better.

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon

The best place to launch is currently at the Whiskey Creek boat launch.  Oak Bottom is still closed for the winter so save yourself the trip up there for now.  The Whiskey Creek arm is already producing Kokanee from the surface down to about 20'.  I drop my lines in as soon as I get into 25-30' of water and start trolling.  Use a 50'-100' setback for lines above 10' and pull them back to 25'-30' off the ball when fishing deeper.  Trolling speeds in the 1.2-1.5 mph range are always a safe bet on Whiskeytown Lake so keep an eye on your boat speed for the best results.  I like to run pink and orange baits on Whiskeytown, but other colors will work as well.  I have exceptional success running Dick Nite UV orange and pink dodgers during the Kokanee season.  I find that attaching a bait with a 12-14" leader works great unless you are trolling micro hoochies (10") or Dick Nite spoons (24+").  Don't forget to tip your hooks with garlic scented shoe peg corn kernels, it really makes a difference.

These are killer baits for Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon!

I will begin running guided Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon fishing trips by the end of May after my Striped bass season comes to a close.  These trips are a lot of fun, especially for families or for that parent that wants to introduce their child to the sport of fishing.  The action is always steady and the kids absolutely love their day on Whiskeytown Lake fishing for Kokanee salmon.  Its also a great way to learn this Kokanee fishery without spending day after day trying to figure it out for yourself.  I live just 15 minutes from Whiskeytown Lake and can make these trips very affordable.  The limit is 5 per person with a possession limit of 10 per person.  As always, I include my 5 Kokanee limit for my clients to take home with them as well.  Come join us for a day of great Kokanee salmon fishing, you'll be surprised at just how much fun it really is.   

Cooler full of Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon.

Striped bass fishing report 4/6

We have started our Striped bass season and I'm happy to report that fishing is quite good just about everywhere Stripers migrate to spawn.  I have been down fishing on the San Joaquin River in the California Delta and had three very good days down there.  I am mainly trolling diving plugs over the shoals and ledges in the San Joaquin and have been getting some pretty violent bites in doing so.  Its a very fun technique for fishing Stripers and I can't wait to get back out on the water after the weekend stormy weather.  

Unfortunately, I had to cancel Friday and Saturdays trips because of bad weather and it looks like the rain may blow out the Sacramento River again.  The Feather River has been fishing very good as well and its a great option as long as it maintains its current flows.  I'll be fishing for Stripers through the first week of May and expect to continue to see some great fishing.  If you would like to fish the Feather River or the Ca. Delta for Stripers send me a message or give me a call to set up your day of fishing.

2017 Striper season beginning soon!

The winter of 2017 has been relentless here in northern California and our waterways are all currently busting at the seams after months of heavy rains.  Our reservoirs are full and our rivers are pushed the banks with dirty storm water.  A week before Striper season is set to begin, it looks as though another storm tonight will spike the flows in the Sacramento River once again.  This will certainly create some challenges for this years Striper fishery in the beginning, but will surely provide for a long season looking ahead.

I will be fishing high and low in the Sacramento River system to start the year, but will likely settle on an area to focus my efforts as the best water conditions and Striper numbers are identified.  The California Delta has started to produce some descent numbers of Striper, but the conditions are less than favorable now and will remain so as long as we continue to get the heavy rains in the valley.  The 10 day forecast shows some nice weather ahead and not too much rain as of now.  Lets hope it stays that way and we see some appreciable drops in flows and a bit of increased visibility up river and in the delta.

Sacramento River Striped bass.

I have been scheduling the majority of my trips in April this year, but have the confidence to book trips well into May this year.  I have a good number of dates available in both April-May and expect this year to provide some very good Striper fishing for those of you who may want to get a trip scheduled.  I will be offering some dates to fish down in the Ca. Delta and some dates to fish up in the Colusa area on the Sacramento River.  I will only be running one trip a day, so that means your party will get the boat for the whole day.  Striper fishing is fun, relaxing, and is easy for all ages and skill levels.  If you would like to book a Striped bass fishing trip, give me a call @ (707) 616-1905 or leave me a message on the "book a trip" section of this website and I will be contacting you to set up a day of Striper fishing or just answering questions you may have about this awesome Striper fishery.