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.
Shasta Lake fishing report 3/4
Shasta Lake continued to experience a rapid drop in levels with a continuous and persistent release of water at Shasta Dam by the Bureau Of Reclamation. Flows of 70,000 cfs into the Sacramento River from Keswick Reservoir which lies between Shasta Dam and the lower Sac, has reduced the current lake level to 34' below full pool. Previous winter storms and snow melt during warmer high elevation temperatures wreaked havoc on Shasta Lake by filling it with wood and debris while also turning its water color to a very dirty brown. The lake water temperature continues to hover around 48-49 degrees making for a tough bite just about everywhere in the lake. The one exception seems to be the creeks flowing into the main body of Shasta, especially during and after significant rainfall. Creeks spilling dirty water and even creeks which tend to run clear, continue to attract the best numbers of bass and even the rainbow and brown trout.
Shasta Lake Spotted bass caught near a creek mouth this week.
Cleaner water in the main body of Shasta Lake and a rise in water temps will likely be what it takes to turn on the bite again. March the past few years has provided some very good fishing on Shasta Lake, but with current conditions this year, its looking like April may be when things really begin to turn on for the bass and trout fishermen. Forecasters have indicated that we will continue to see a continued wet weather pattern in the foreseeable future so I would expect to see the same conditions for weeks to come.
Spider grubs are a great bait during dirty water conditions on Shasta Lake.
Keeping your presentations moving slow is key in this cold water still and the darker colored baits also show up for these lethargic bass in the low visibility water. There are a lot of techniques that will trigger a bite so don't stick to one bait unless its really working during your day on the water. Covering lots of water and finding concentrations of bass will up your odds for success. If you find some clear water spilling into the lake, fish the mud line, its been a go to location for many bass anglers the past few weeks.
Just remember, you can't catch fish sitting on the couch so get out there and try to find some great bass for the live well! Larger specimens of bass don't have the luxury of examining your baits for very long in this dirty water so catching bigger fish this time of year is quite common and possible even for the occasional angler. If you do get out on Shasta, please remember that there is a lot of debris still in certain sections of the lake and can be very hazardous when running your boat. Keep an eye out for any signs of debris or large pieces of wood, including logs, and keep your boat speeds down so you have time to react if necessary to avoid a collision. Always wear a PFD (life vest) while under way and always pay attention to conditions on the lake. Shasta can get very "big" on the main body and can be hazardous when the winds kick up during a storm.
Shasta Lake fishing report 2/25
Shasta Lake Has seen an unprecedented amount of water so far this winter season and could have easily filled to capacity on one of several his water events we have experienced. Federal water managers have continuously released record flows from Shasta Dam to keep lake levels below full pool. This has caused a continuous rise and fall of lake water which can play a major role in fishing productivity.
Shasta Lake Spotted bass caught this week.
Spotted bass fishing has been very good in the turbid water at the mouths of creeks entering Shasta. Spotted bass will gravitate to the creeks during periods of rainfall where they know food sources will be flushed into the lake from the rising flows in the creeks. Often times the creek water temps will exceed the lake temperatures which also draw in the bass.
Shasta Lake Spotted bass!
Overall Shasta Lake is fishing quite well right now and should continue to get even better as we head into March which is typically the start of the best bass fishing of the season. As the lake water warms and clears, fishing will be great for bass, trout, and King salmon in the lake. Swim baits, spinner baits, crawfish imitations, and worm rigs are all working right now. The water is still cold so keep your presentations slow and you will see more bites throughout the day. There are a lot of fish that are still suspending and shouldn't be overlooked if you are marking them with your electronics. My favorite way to chase suspended bass is to drop under spin rigs over them or jig a spoon above them.
Shasta Lake bass fishing report 1/26
We have had a nice break this week from the relentless winter storms on Shasta Lake and its much more conducive to comfortable days on the water. Fishing for Spotted bass has been good this week and limits are often easily attained during a day on the lake. Water temps are in the high 40's currently so that tends to slow the bite down a bit this time of the year, but if you find the bass and put in the time, successful days can be had.
Deep water Spotted bass caught on a finesse jig.
I have been fishing some of my favorite points up on the Sac arm of Shasta Lake and have found thats its a good area to start my days. The use of sonar can be very helpful and finding the bass is at least half of your success. Once you do find them, stay on top of them and don't stray too far, especially if you are marking good numbers. I have had success recently fishing a spider grub in the green pumpkin candy color. I'm also fishing a drop shot rig in deeper water and am finding the same success with the green pumpkin candy or watermelon colors.
Deep water bass caught on a spider grub!
Shasta Lake is in very good shape and I'm looking forward to a great season. Bass fishing should remain solid as always, but look for the pre spawn period in early March to be very good! I'll be available for this great fishery until late March when I switch gears and head south to fish for Striped bass in the Ca, Delta. With all the ran water we have in our lakes and rivers, spring bass fishing should be off the hook everywhere. Call or msg me to secure prime dates for your spring fishing trip!
Shasta Lake trout fishing report 1/19
Trout and salmon fishing on Shasta Lake is holding up very well and so is the water. With the exception of a few locations on the lake where some of the larger creeks come in, the water is a nice green color and perfect for trolling for trout and land locked King salmon. Finding keeper size King's has been tough this week, but the big Shasta rainbows are still on the bite!
19 1/2" Shasta Lake rainbow trout.
I've been finding the best trout and salmon fishing near Shasta Dam. Its almost always a safe bet to fish this section of Shasta Lake during most months of the year due to the fact many fish are planted at the Centimudi boat launch nearby. Todays efforts paid off again near the dam and most of the fish we caught were deep at 70-80' feet. Normally this time of the year the trout fishing is done in the top 15' feet of the water column, but that hasn't been the case for me this season. I'm consistently marking fish in the 70-100' range and although the bites come slow, thats where I'm getting them most often. I'm trolling large dodgers in front of the 2.5" squid skirts on a double hook rig. Anchovy fillets are a great addition to the squid baits, but anchovy scents are effective additions as well. Most of my bites came at a trolling speed of 1.7-1.9 mph. Trout and salmon fishing should remain a good bet as long as the lake remains clear so don't be afraid to get out there and try your luck!
Very fat 19" Shasta Lake rainbow trout!
Shasta Lake bass fishing report
Shasta Lake continues to produce some great Spotted bass fishing with limits being the rule every trip out so far. The water is a little cold at 49 degrees, but the bass are still biting. Water color is very good and although there is currently water being released from Shasta Dam to keep lake levels at bay, there is plenty of water and its likely Shasta will fill if water managers allow it. As spring approaches and water temps begin to rise, bass fishing will be very, very good!
NOW BOOKING SACRAMENTO RIVER STRIPED BASS!!!
Sacramento River Striped bass!!
Its that time of year again to open our books for the 2017 Striped bass fishing trips! I will be starting my season in the Rio Vista area this year in mid March. Stripers will be moving through the lower system in massive numbers on their way up river to spawn in the Colusa area. I will be launching out of Vieiras Resort in Isleton, Ca. daily and will be offering full day trips for up to 6 anglers. With water conditions being very good this year, we expect this season to be very good! If you are interested in reserving a day of Striped bass fishing, please contact me for available dates. Currently, March 30th thru April 6th are filled. Call (707) 616-1905 or msg me on the contact link on this site. Thank you!
Shasta Lake fishing report 1/1
Well 2017 has officially arrived and as usual, January brings tournament bass fishing season to Shasta Lake. Shasta Lake is looking very good and water levels are above average for this time of the year. The boat ramps are seeing some good activity from bass anglers and on any given day you will see several rigs in the parking lots at Shasta. Access is available at nearly every launch and this is helping spread out the crowds. I've been launching at Packers Bay and its in great shape.
Shasta Lake Spotted bass!
I had the opportunity to get out last week and do some bass fishing on Shasta Lake and while its far from red hot, the bass fishing is pretty darn good for this time of the year. Mornings have been a bit windy on the main body and in the straights of the Sac and McCloud arms. I started out looking for bass on the main points and found that the wind against my big boat was a bit too much to deal with. fishing finesse baits for winter bass can be tough when your boat is getting blown off every point you try to fish. It didn't take long before I was headed into some calm water areas in search of some biters laying in calm water. As luck would have it, my first stop produced a nice 16" bass and my Lowrance was showing lots of bass below.
Gracie Goodwin catches a Shasta Lake bass.
Lots of anglers are finding success with jigs and Senkos right now. Drop shot baits are also a top offering right now as well, but I ended up finding a swim bait bite that was producing bass so thats what I stuck with. The Shasta Bass Baits 3.5" aqua rainbow ring bait was getting bit consistently when slow rolled along the bank in 10'-40' of water. I've been using the new Pro-Cure Super Sauce "bass" scent on my baits and it is definitely helping my baits get bit. I kept mixing up my retrieve and that seemed to do the trick. I could see fish stacked from the bottom up to 10' above bottom so I would work the baits right on the bottom looking for bites. When the bites slowed, I would fish for the suspended bass until I found biters in the water column above bottom. It was a steady, slow grind, but getting a couple limits of bass wasn't a problem.
Gracie and Chuck with part of their 10 fish limit!
As I mentioned before, the water looks great and the temps were right around 52 degrees. The water did warm up to 53 degrees by days end. Visibility is good, perhaps too good. Shasta could use a little color to help these bass relax a bit and to move up out of deeper water. With at least a week of lows in the 20's ahead, I fear Shasta Lake water temps will drop a few more degrees in the days ahead. This will undoubtedly play a role in how active these bass will become looking forward. I would look for the bass fishing to remain good this next week and I think winter bass fishing tactics will continue to be deployed by anglers fishing Shasta Lake. Remember to fish green baits, very slowly, add scent, and use your electronics to locate schooling bass. Following these simple steps will help you catch more Shasta Lake bass on your next trip out. Good luck and tight lines in 2017!
Sacramento River steelhead fishing report 12/26
Steelhead fishing on the Sacramento River got a boost this week when water managers bumped up the flows from Keswick Dam from 5,000 cfs to 10,000 cfs. Simply put, summer time flows have been restored while Shasta Lake continues to receive copious amounts of water from recent rains in the region. This has given us back the plentiful flows which enable us to fish more holding water for these fantastic trout and steelhead.
Russ Holpuck of Redding, Ca. caught this 6.13 lb steelhead while back trolling Mag Lip plugs.
The fishing should continue to remain good with steady flows and as the fish become acquainted with their new holding water. I have attempted many techniques when pursuing these fish, but back trolling plugs is still the top producer for me this time of year. Fishing current seams has yielded the most fish. Good plug colors have been the black/silver and the gold. Anyone interested in fishing for these great steelhead and trout should take advantage of these unusually high flows this season. I have plenty of open dates and can definitely put you on some good fish!
Buddy Holpuck of Bend, Or. with one of several fish he caught while fishing with us!
Shasta Lake bass fishing report 12/15
The Shasta Lake spotted bass bite has turned on and local bass anglers have dusted off their gear and once again converged on the lake. Shasta Lake has already hosted a few bass fishing tournaments, the most recent being the Unhooked Bass Anglers tournament on the 10th. Top anglers are now coming in with bag limits weighting in the high teens, but the best is still yet to come. Shasta is sitting above historical averages already and the lake is booming. The bass are very healthy and I'm sure that the abundance of baitfish and other sources of food for them is playing a major role there. There are many more tournaments scheduled on Shasta Lake this winter and some great bass are going to hit the scales.
I had a chance to fish Shasta this week and found some great bass out in the main body of the lake near where I launched at Packers Bay. We concentrated on fishing small swim baits on Shasta Bass Baits under spins. Dropping those baits over suspended bass on points and submerged structure can be productive this time of the year for sure. Jigs and shaky heads are also getting bit right now. The water temps are in the mid 50's so definitely slow your presentations down to get the most bites. The bass have been hanging out in 25-35' feet of water and are suspending over areas likely to hold baitfish. I'm not likely going to brave the storm over the area now, but for those who do, fishing should be very good. The bass will be headed towards incoming water and will be working the mud lines from runoff and wind chop against the banks. Under those conditions, throwing white spinner baits into dirty water can really pay off some days. Another area worthy of some attention is the standing timber in the Pit Arm of Shasta where bass will suspend along the trees. Fishing spoons is a wintertime favorite technique for many anglers who fish Shasta.
Its going to be a great year on Shasta Lake this year and I am already getting excited about my favorite time of year to fish which is spring. In the meantime, braving the cold and sometimes harsh conditions on Shasta, will most certainly be worthwhile and many bass will end up in the fish box this winter season. On a final note, please remember that during winter storms and rising lake waters, floating debris is most certainly a hazard when operating a boat on the lake
Holiday gift certificates on sale now!!
There is no better gift than the gift of fishing! Holiday gift certificates are on sale now and can be purchased with a $25 Per Person discount for all fully guided fishing trips for 2017. This the best discount offered all year so if you plan to fish with me in 2017, please take advantage of this great fishing trip pricing today. Payments are quick and easy and can be made online. Call (707) 616-1905 or send a contact msg for purchase. Thank you and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Sacramento River steelhead fishing report 12/2/16.
The Sacramento River continues to produce some great steelhead fishing! We are seeing double digit days each time out and we are seeing some of the largest fish of the year right now. Its not every fish, but steelhead to 5 lbs are caught regularly. Todays trip was no exception, in fact, we landed two steelhead in the 5 lb class.
Rob Anderson with his best steelhead of the day!
I have been back trolling plugs for the most part, as that seems to get the most bite right now in the cool waters of the Sac in Redding, Ca. The flows have been sitting at 5070 cfs for a month now and there are no changes in the forecast. As long as we can keep fishing these flows, we will continue to be successful and catching some very nice Sac River steelhead.
Ralph caught his first ever steelhead after traveling all the way from Corona, Ca.
If you have yet to catch a wild California steelhead, now is the time! We are hooking over 10 fish per trip and the steelhead are arguably some of the most beautiful you will see anywhere. It is predominately a catch and release fishery, but we do catch hatchery origin steelhead on occasion. If you miss out on the winter steelhead action, be sure to book a trip the first two weeks in August when some of the best steelhead fishing of the year happens right here in Redding, Ca!
Sacramento River steelhead fishing report
This past week was once again, a wet one. I fished several days on the Sacramento River in Redding chasing steelhead. The egg bite continues to be slow, but there are still some fish to be had using a side drifted 8mm-10mm egg bead. Side drifting from our Willie Boat is easy and can be very productive, especially when fishing shallow sections of the river where these steelhead are holding. As long as there are spawning salmon in the system, egg pattern beads will remain effective.
Sacramento River steelhead caught by Brian Hales of Santa Cruz, Ca.
The river has cleared up a bit after recent rains and the floating grass also seems to have diminished a bit, although it is still a problem for the plug fishing. It has been my experience this past week that pulling size 3.0 Yakima Bait Co. Mag Lip plugs in dark or brass finishes have been very effective. The bites come a bit slower because the presentation time and the water coverage slows way down when pulling these plugs. Grass is still fouling the plugs and they must be checked and cleared often in order to keep your baits fishing. Adding scents to the plugs has also proven to be effective of late so be sure not to over look that step when fishing your plugs.
Clay Galassi of Santa Cruz, Ca. with a Sac River steelhead he caught on a 3.5 Mag Lip plug.
As the season continues, I will likely continue to concentrate my efforts on the steelhead plug bite while fishing in the Redding area. I would expect the good fishing to continue until the flows from Keswick Dam are ramped back down, leaving very little room to navigate my 24' jet boat. Until then, I'll be running steelhead and some King salmon trips well into the month of December.
Sacramento River fishing report 11/20.
A very wet system rolled into the Redding area on Saturday and persisted through mid day today. I fished two clients for steelhead on Saturday in Redding and had a very good good trip. Tim and Tyler hooked and landed numerous steelhead in the 3-4 pound range in spite of the horrible weather we endured all day long. Our most effective presentation was back trolling Mag Lip plugs, but we hooked some nice steelhead drifting egg beads as well.
Tim Duellman with the first steelhead of the day!
We started our day above the Posse Grounds boat launch and worked our way down as far as the Cypress Street bridge looking for steelhead. The most productive water was up high in the Posse Ground and Sundial section. I was very impressed with how good the bite was and as you can see by the pics I've attached to this report, all the fish we caught were very impressive. The darker colored Mag Lips were on fire, but we did pick up some steelhead on a brass colored plug as well.
Tyler with one of many beautiful Sacramento River steelhead he caught on 11/19.
Even with all the rain we received Saturday, when I started my two party trip today, I found the Sac to be in very good shape and I had high hopes for a repeat performance. Unfortunately, soon after we started fishing the clouds opened up and the rain came down in sheets for hours! We fished long and hard, but the bite shut down and we only managed about 4 bites, one nice steelhead caught and one lost soon after it was hooked. By 10:00 am, the Sac was clouding up and there was a ton of debris in the water making it very tough to fish plugs. We tried drifting beads and some other baits, but the trout just didn't respond.
Sacramento River flows by late afternoon.
At the time of this report, Sacramento River flows are over 20,000 cfs and it looks like the river is going to be un fishable for the foreseeable future. I will be looking ahead into early December now for future trips for late fall Kings and steelhead. On a positive note, this water will surely bring us some fresh salmon and hopefully they will be available in the Cottonwood area when the river drops back into shape. In the meantime, I'll be busy making bass and trout baits in preparation for some Shasta Lake fishing!
Sacramento River "late fall" salmon and steelhead fishing report.
Our boat is back from Willie Boats and our new windshield is awesome! We fished in the rain yesterday and my clients enjoyed the added comfort and protection from the wind and rain while running the Sacramento River. Our new Mr. Heater helped with the cold as well, but it is really just there to take the edge off in the chilly weather.
The new windshield turned out great!
We were targeting steelhead all day, but did see some signs of new salmon in the "Barge Hole" and two of the three boats fishing for salmon reported a salmon each. The Cottonwood area is pretty much void of spawning fall Kings so the steelhead trout fishing was a little slow. Fishing in the Redding area is still my preferred location for steelhead right now, but that could change when the bulk of the late fall Kings arrive in the next four weeks before the river closes to salmon fishing on Dec 16th.
Chris Dugger with a nice Sac River trout!
Double digit catch rates for steelhead trout are still common, but the bigger fish are still in the Redding area. The egg bite is still happening, but throwing Dick Nite spoons is catching fish and back trolling plugs is always productive for the bigger steelhead on the Sac River year round.
Wild Sacramento River rainbow trout.
I have some salmon trips booked this weekend so I'll have a better idea of just how many fresh Kings we will be fishing over in the near future. Its still early and I've seen some pretty promising salmon fishing reports from down river indicating that we have good numbers of fresh salmon on their way! As long as the water conditions hold, I anticipate some good salmon fishing ahead, especially in the month of December. If you are interested in booking a "late fall" salmon fishing trip, please remember we are fishing for a prized strain of salmon and although fishing can be slow, the quality of the Kings we will have a chance of catching will certainly be worth the wait. We will be back trolling plugs for this run of salmon targeting the largest fish of the season! Check out http://www.jeffgoodwinfishing.com/sacramento-river-fishing/ for more information on the Sacramento River!
Sacramento River steelhead fishing report!
Sacramento River steelhead!!
The Sacramento River has seen a considerable amount of rainfall this past week with a series of storms that passed through the Redding area this last week. The skies have now cleared and although we did see get quite a bit of rain, the Sacramento has not seen a big rise. Flows from Keswick Dam are dropping to 5,000 cfs tomorrow and the river above Bend Bridge is only running at around 7,000 cfs. Cow Creek and Cottonwood Creek are still running dirty, but they should clear up quickly with the dry weather we are now experiencing. When the water does clear up in the Cottonwood area, King salmon and steelhead fishing should be good below Battle Creek and in sections of the river above Red Bluff. I will be sampling the action this week and will hopefully have good news for my clients scheduled to fish with me beginning mid month. This will be the start of our "late fall" salmon/steelhead season and all indictors point to some productive days ahead on the water. As long as we don't see a big rise and dirty water from the tributaries, we should see solid fishing through mid December when the Sac closes to salmon fishing until next July. On a side note, the rainbow trout trips are still a lot of fun and double digit days are common while fishing egg patterns below spawning fall salmon in the shallows. These trout are a blast to catch on our light action G.Loomis/Shimano rods and reels making for a very fun and exciting day on the river. Please feel free to give me a call anytime and I will be happy to give you a fresh report or just answer any questions you might have about fishing in the Redding area during this time of the year!
Sacramento River steelhead run arrives in Cottonwood!
Fall is a special time for steelhead anglers on the Sacramento River. This is the time of year when the hatchery run of Coleman reared steelhead return as 2 year olds and we even see some returning 3-4 year fish. Coleman has already seen its steelhead returning to the ladder this season, and thats a good sign for this years run! Its a great fishery and the scenery below Battle Creek is simply stunning this time of year. Boat pressure is light so its not uncommon to pretty much have this section of the river to ourselves for most of the day. This season has already seen its challenges with all the wet weather, but its pulling up fresh steelhead and salmon with every storm we see. We will continue to pursue these bright steelhead through Devember. As always, we will also be fishing for the prized late fall salmon as well.
Fred Barrett with a Sac River hatchery steelhead.
