Las Vegas Fishing:
Here is a report on some other Las Vegas Areas: .

Sept 23rd:
LAKE MEAD: Stripers fair over much of the lake, with Hemenway, Boulder Bay, Gypsum Wash, the 33 Hole, and dam all producing fish on cut anchovies or live shad, but the bite has been off a little over the past few days. Night fishing under lights as been the best bet. Fair catfish action reported on anchovies or shrimp. The largemouth bass action is fair off the points, with some surface action early in the mornings.

June 7 FISHING REPORT

LAKE MEAD
– Boating and shore anglers have been catching stripers at Boulder Beach using anchovies and live shad. Fishing for stripers in the Vegas Arm has been good for anglers using top-water lures. Anglers have reported success in the upper basins for largemouth and smallmouth bass. The best time for stripers has been in the morning before the winds come or late afternoon.

LAKE MOHAVE
– Fishing out of Cottonwood Cove has become fair to poor, with many anglers coming home skunked. There are reports of stripers and catfish taking anchovies, but those are spotty. Consider throwing jigs and worms into cover for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Near Willow Beach, trout fishing has slowed, though morning hours after trout plants are generally a good time to fish. Trout have been hitting on PowerBait, spinners, jigs and Super Dupers. Striper and largemouth bass fishing continues to be slow.

LAS VEGAS URBAN PONDS
– For the recent plants of catfish, night crawlers, chicken liver and stink baits fished on the bottom should produce fish. Sunfish and bass fishing should be good throughout the summer.

KIRCH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
– Persistent anglers are catching largemouth bass out of weeds. One angler recently netted an 8-pound largemouth.

EAGLE VALLEY RESERVOIR
– Weeds have become a nuisance for those fishing off the bottom. The technique is to use a long leader attached to a bobber to sink just above the weeds. Successful baits have been PowerBait, worms, lures and flies.

ECHO CANYON RESERVOIR
– PowerBait, worms, lures and flies suspended or retrieved above the weeds are baits of choice for rainbow trout. Multicolored buggers are producing good-sized crappie.

Guy Gets a Gator at Lake Las Vegas??????

Fisherman reels in alligator at Las Vegas lake Associated Press
Posted: 07/07/2009 11:38:26 AM PDT
LAS VEGAS Ñ Animal control officials say a man angling for catfish at a Sunset Park lake instead reeled in a 3 1/2-foot-long alligator. The healthy juvenile reptile was euthanized, and Clark County Animal Control Supervisor Dave March says it was probably released recently into the man-made lake. March says it couldn’t have gone unnoticed for long. The fisherman secured the alligator with fishing line until authorities arrived. Doug Nielsen, a Nevada Wildlife Department spokesman, says the alligator’s appearance at the lake fits a pattern. Nielsen says people may go on vacation, see a small alligator and bring it back as a pet. But the animal can get big and aggressive Ñ that’s when it ends up in local waters. Importing and owning alligators is illegal in Nevada. ÑÑÑ
Information from: Las Vegas Sun Las Vegas Fish Report

Santa Cruz/Monterey
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An overview of some of the Las Vegas area’s best fishing spots.

LAKE MOHAVE — One lucky angler reportedly reeled in a 28-pound striped bass while trolling with whole anchovies near Owl’s Point. Trolling with anchovies at depths of 30 to 50 feet has been producing stripers, and catfish have been taking baits fished on the bottom.

The Dec. 1 trout plant was postponed because of transportation issues, but NDOW should deliver trout at Placer, Powerline and Cottonwood coves no later than today. The federal hatchery at Willow Beach should plant trout in that area Friday.

• URBAN PONDS — Success for trout has diminished between stocking sessions.

Regardless of the technique used, anglers caught few fish over the holiday weekend. Leaving your bait and flies still, while looking for subtle takes, has been most productive.

NDOW planted trout Tuesday at Floyd Lamb Park, Lorenzi Park, Sunset Park, Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City and Hafen Park in Mesquite.

• KIRCH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA — Road conditions are still good, but ice forming on the reservoirs has restricted fishermen to only a few areas with open water.

Some waterfowl hunters have been breaking up the ice while launching boats, but this is becoming more difficult. However, with plenty of waterfowl, hunters have been hunting in the meadow portions of the reservoirs.

It is recommended to call the management area at (775) 238-0240 before visiting.

• EAGLE VALLEY RESERVOIR — Ice is forming in the northern part of the reservoir, but skim ice around the southern portion is melting by midday, making fishing off the dam or dock a good choice.

• ECHO CANYON RESERVOIR — There is no ice on Echo, with good water flow coming from the stream above the reservoir.

Action for rainbows continues to be good, though chilly weather is keeping anglers away.

Although Las Vegas, Nevada is known worldwide as a gambling and entertainment mecca, Vegas is also a great base for the fishermen in the family.

The city is located within an easy day trip’s drive of Lake Mead, the largest lake in the United States with more than 110,00 surface acres. Lake Mead is just one of a number of fishing opportunities to be found in and around the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Pack your lucky shoes along with your favorite tackle to enjoy everything found in the state. If you’ve gambled enough to suit or if you prefer open water to some of the Vegas shows, head out for angler’s paradise. Created from the Colorado River and Hoover Dam, Lake Mead stretches for miles. Home to some of the nation’s top sport fishing, Lake Mead teems with fish. Species include large mouth and striped bass, rainbow trout, channel catfish, crappie, and bluegill. All are favored by fishermen – and women. Even some carp are often caught in this major, mega sized lake. The entire Lake Mead National Recreation Area is 1.5 million acres – more than the entire state of Rhode Island! Plus, just thirty-five miles away from the neon lit Vegas Strip, Lake Mead attracts fishermen as well as sailors.

There is a $5 per vehicle fee for each private vehicle entering the recreation area. With shoreline and easy boat access, Lake Mead is the most popular Vegas area fishing spot but there are others. Cruises aboard a paddle wheeler on the lake are a way for mom and the kids to occupy their time while dad wets a line. Nearby Lake Mohave is another favorite of fishermen. Extending 67 miles from Hoover Dam to Davis Dam, Mohave has everything from boat launch ramps, concessions, and boat rentals to overnight accommodations. Urban ponds within the city of Las Vegas are convenient for a quick fishing expedition without leaving the bright lights and casinos behind. Other urban ponds – an oasis of nature within a city setting – can be found at Boulder City and Mesquite. Bring your rod and reel with your tackle box to cast a line and relax before returning to the gaming tables. Up at the Eagle Valley reservoir, both rainbow and brown trout are caught by anglers. The Trail Canyon Reservoir at Chiatovitch Creek northwest of Vegas is another noted spot where the fish are often biting. Don’t miss the Echo Canyon Reservoir or the untamed Colorado River.

Fishing licenses are required. An out of state permit for one year for visitors 16 and older is $69.00. Junior fishermen can get a year long license for $21.00. One day passes are just $18.00 and you can add another day for just $7 more. If you’re after trout, be sure to purchase a trout stamp for $10.00 and if you’re fishing along the Colorado River, you’ll need a special use stamp for $3.00. For additional information about fishing opportunities, check with the Nevada Division of Wildlife at nevadadivisionofwildlife.org.

Author: Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy About Author: Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy is a freelance writer who has visited Las Vegas as well as area lakes/rivers.

Here is a story below from a fellow named Brent:
It is a rare sight to travel past the fishing pond at Veterans Memorial Park and not find someone along the shore hoping to get a bite.

The lake is stocked with everything from a trout, catfish, blue gill and bass.

Boulder City resident Tony Haller and Las Vegan Rick Campbell are two of the regulars at the pond and have become fishing buddies.

“It’s a very clean pond with nice people here. It’s well kept and they do a great job of stocking it,” Haller said.

Campbell said he found the pond by accident. He was in Boulder City and driving on Buchanan Boulevard when he noticed some people fishing.

“I always keep my gear with me, so I pulled into the parking lot and started fishing,” he said. “I caught two that day.”

The job of stocking the pond falls to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, which stocks the pond twice a week between November and March, and once a month between April and October.

Each restocking brings in approximately 1,200 fish, or 2,300 pounds. The trout are brought from the Mason Valley hatchery in Northern Nevada because the Las Vegas Hatchery is closed because of the quagga mussel infestation.

Blaine Merrell, a game warden for the wildlife department, said the department carefully measures each stocking.

“The one thing you don’t want is to overpopulate the pond with too many fish. We try and keep it a healthy aquatic system,” he said.

The pond was constructed in 2001 as a joint project between Boulder City and the wildlife department. It was part of the master plan for Veterans Memorial Park, which also included two soccer fields, four baseball fields and the model boat pond. The pond is approximately 3.5 acres in size with a maximum depth of 15 feet.

“Veterans Memorial Park is the flagship of our parks system. A lot of people come here, and we’re quite proud of what we provide,” Hall said.

A Nevada fishing license is required to fish at the pond and there is a limit of three fish per day.

The pond is taken care of by the city’s Public Works department, which checks the pumps on a daily basis and uses a fish-friendly dye to prevent algae growth, Parks and Recreation director Roger Hall said.

Hall said the pond is a minimal cost to the city and doesn’t foresee any changes taking place.

“The majority of the infrastructure is in place, so it’s just the cost of running the pumps, and the water cost and occasional maintenance,” Hall said. “Besides, a lot of people would be mad if we got rid of it.”

That’s a relief to the fishermen like Campbell and Haller.

“It doesn’t matter if we catch anything or not. You can’t beat coming out here and relaxing and fishing,” Campbell said.

Brent Hinckley

The Report is Broken down by location:

Sept. 26, 2009
BARRETT: Very good bass fishing. This past week there were 35 anglers checked and they reported catching 497 bass. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat reservations: 619)668-2050 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.

EL CAPITAN: The 192 anglers checked reported catching 204 bass, 387 bluegill, four crappie, and 21 catfish. The lake is open Thursday through Saturday and Monday for fishing. There are no boat rentals during June, July, and August. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat reservations: 619)668-2050 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
LOWER OTAY: There were 145 anglers checked who reported catching 84 bass, 206 bluegill, and 17 catfish. Dallas Wailon, San Diego, landed a 10.7-pound largemouth on a mealworm. Lance Dixon, San Diego, caught a stringer of catfish totaling 35 pounds with fish to 12.5 pounds on mackerel. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
UPPER OTAY: Fair to good bass action. The 15 anglers checked reported landing 23 bass to 3.8 pounds. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for fishing, sunrise to sunset. The road to Upper Otay is open. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
MURRAY: The 61 anglers checked reported catching 47 bass, 117 bluegill, and two catfish. The lake is open for fishing and boating seven days a week. Boat rentals are available Saturday and Sunday only. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
MIRAMAR: There were 44 anglers checked and they reported catching 10 bass, 56 bluegill, and nine catfish. The lake is open for fishing seven days a week. Boat rentals are available on Saturday and Sunday only. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
SUTHERLAND: No report. The lake is open on weekends only, but will not have rental boats available. Water level is very low and boat launch is allowed at your own risk. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat reservations: 619-668-3274 or ssmith@sandiego.gov.
WOHLFORD: The catfish action slowed a bit once again this past week but some fish are still showing. Mackerel and chicken liver are the top baits and the top spots are the buoy line areas. The last catfish plant of the season went in over a month ago. The bass fishing was slow this past week with the best action on live bait or dark colored plastics. Aramis Medina, Escondido, caught a 3-15 Bass off the south shore rock pile on a Roboworm. Bluegill and crappie are fair. Trout are slow with only a few showing in deep water at the mouth of the canal or along the west buoy line. Carp action has been good on dough baits. The lake is now closed weekdays and will only be open Saturday and Sunday each week. There are four new bass boat-type rentals available. Quagga mussel fears still have a private boating ban. Information: 760-839-4346 or www.wohlfordlake.com.
DOANE POND: No DFG plants in over a month.
DIXON LAKE: The catfish bite is slow to fair with the last plant of the season over a month ago. There is a fair bass bite with some topwater activity. Fair to good blue action with mealworms or redworms fished at any of the fishing piers working well. Lake information: 760-839-4345 or www.dixonlake.com.
POWAY: Bass action was very good this past week with shad all over the lake. The catfish bite was fair to good. Jeff Kopischke, Chula Vista, caught a 15-pound limit of catfish on mackerel at the Log Boom. Jason Hendrex, Poway, landed a seven-pound catfish on mackerel. The last catfish plant of the season went in over a month ago. Some bluegill are still showing in Hidden Bay. Trout action slow. Lake information: 858-668-4770, tackle shop 858-486-1234.
JENNINGS: Catfish action was hit or miss again this past week. Shore anglers had very little success while anglers fishing from boat near the main buoyline were scoring limits. The last catfish plant of the season went in over a month ago. Nightcrawlers or mackerel with scent have been working best. The bass bite is still mostly slow. Anglers have had some success using Rapalas, TD Minnows, and spoons on boils. Creature baits have also started to work for bass. Some redear are still showing on mealworms and wax worms but the fish have moved deeper and become more difficult to locate. Upcoming events: Free fishing class on catfish fishing 1 p.m. Sunday hosted by Ranger Hugh Marx. For information call 619-443-2510. Lake information: 619-390-1300 or www.lakejennings.org.
MORENA: The catfish bite is fair on mackerel, chicken liver, and nightcrawlers. There is a good carp bite for those targeting them. Bass, bluegill, and crappie are slow. Anglers are requested to release any blue catfish they catch under five pounds. Price of boats and permits has been reduced Monday through Thursday. Permits are $3.50 and boat rentals just $20 for the whole day. Information: 24-hour fishing update line 619-478-5473, ranger station 619-579-4101.
CUYAMACA: Continued fair to good trout action with Power Bait and nightcrawlers working best. The hot spots have been the dam buoy line and the willows. The largemouth bass bite is fair with a few nice fish reported this week. The crappie action is good for those targeting them, but they are small. The occasional catfish is also showing. A plant of 1,700 pounds of rainbows are slated for this week. Upcoming events: This Saturday the lake is hosting it’s annual “Fishin’ in the Pines” free kids derby. Kids ages 4 to 15 can fish for free and prizes are awarded for top fish. Supervising ranger Willard Lepley offers a free fishing class every Saturday at 10 a.m., however, there will be no fishing class this Saturday due to the derby. Private boats are allowed on the lake again, but the boats must be sprayed for quagga mussels by a high-pressure heated wash prior to entering the lake. The cost is $10 for the spraying and it lasts for multiple trips to Cuyamaca as long as the boat is not used in another reservoir. The decontamination wash down station is for all craft and items used in the water, including boats, motors, kayak, canoes, float tubes and waders. Information: 760-765-0515 or www.lakecuyamaca.org.
HENSHAW: Good catfish action. The best bite has been all along the shoreline using shrimp, chicken liver, and mackerel. The bluegill bite has been good near the dock. The crappie action is also good with fish averaging around a pound each and some bigger. There is also a fair bass bite. Fair to good carp action. Information: 760-782-3501.

Barrett: 141 anglers checked caught 1,357 bass (all released), 66 bluegill and 5 crappie. Open to catch-and-release fishing and barbless hooks only every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Reservations for September available through Ticketmaster (619) 220-8497 or www.ticketmaster.com at 7 p.m. Aug. 11.

Chollas: Open daily to youngsters 15 and under. San Diego Fly Fishers sponsors a Lend-A-Rod program on Sundays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and it includes free bait and tackle and fishing tips.

Cuyamaca: Fish have gone deep in the heat. Fish in deeper water for better success. Joseph Reyes Smith, Morena Valley, 2½-pound trout, between the Jetty and the Dam. Andy and Cody Estrada and Tanner Holt, El Centro, 40 bluegill and 23 crappie. Chase Tilliel, 4, Valley Center, first fish, bluegill, wax worm, T-Dock. Cameron Walton, 10, Chula Vista, 3 trout and 5 bluegill, night crawlers, Lone Pine. Catfish and crappie fest going on right now. Free Fishing Class: Saturday at 10 a.m., Charlie Taylor, Launch Ramp. All boats entering the lake must be spray washed for quagga mussels. Charge is $10 per boat. Open daily.

Diamond Valley Lake: Bass fishing continues to be very good here, with some of the better fish being found at 35 feet. Stephanie Reschke, 7-pound bass, drop-shotting a Margarita Mutilator Roboworm, Southwest Corner. Trout fishing is fair, with an occasional holdover rainbow biting. Bass anglers picking up some by-catch now and then. Rawson Cove, the Rock Quarry, best bets. Juan Miranda, Hemet, 12.55-pound striped bass, swimbait, East End. Open daily. Launch ramp closed until further notice.

Dixon: Lake will get 500 pounds of channel catfish tomorrow, so that should improve the fishing here. Catfish still the best bet here, with most of the fish in the 1 to 3-pound range. But don’t forget the lunker bass early in the day and late. Bluegill action has been good for the kids off the piers. The fish are on the small side but the kids don’t mind. Night fishing every Thursday and Friday. Stocked regularly with channel catfish. Night fishing is permitted on Thursday and Friday nights only. Shoreline fishing is permitted until 11:45. Night boats may be rented starting at 5 p.m., but must be returned to the dock by 10:45 p.m. Boats are half price. There will be a limited amount of shoreline to fish after the park closes. Open daily.

El Capitan: 50 anglers checked caught 55 bass (50 released), 15 blue gill and 3 channel catfish. Fishing and water activities permitted Thursdays through Saturdays, with Sundays reserved for water contact only. Fishing only on Mondays. Water contact activities include water-skiing, wake-boarding, Jet Skis, towing inflatables. All persons entering reservoir property must purchase a day use permit.

Henshaw: Catfish action remains the top ticket here. Carlos Diaz, Chula Vista, 4-0 catfish. J.D Schweitzer caught and released twenty catfish, with his best estimated at 5 pounds. Michael Pruett and Faben Rodriguez, Escondido, 5 catfish, with a 7-pounder. Open daily, Friday and Saturday for night fishing.

Hodges: 120 anglers checked caught 51 bass (all released), 3 bluegill, 1 crappie and 5 channel catfish (largest 5 pounds). All private boats must be inspected for quagga mussels prior to being launched. Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Jennings: Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Friday and Saturday until 11:30 p.m. for night fishing. Check www.lakejennings.org for more information.

Loveland: Open daily to hike-in fishing only on a limited area of shoreline. No permits required. Fishing license is required. New 140-foot fishing pier open on the west side of the fishing cove.

Miramar: 59 anglers checked caught 24 bass (14 released, 27 bluegill and 1 channel catfish. Open daily to fishing and boating. Pay fees at iron ranger or electronic pay station near the concession building.

Morena: Open daily.

Murray: 63 anglers checked caught 40 bass (37 released) and 70 bluegill. Open daily to fishing and boating. Pay fees at iron rangers near the abandoned concession building or at key access points.

Otay, Lower: 231 anglers checked caught 116 bass (104 released; largest 6 pounds); 336 bluegill (largest 1.8 pounds), 19 channel catfish (1.3 pounds), 2 blue catfish (24.80) and 2 carp (17.0). Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Pay fees at iron rangers near the boat launch and abandoned concession building. Boat rentals available.

Otay, Upper: Nine anglers checked caugh 19 bass (all released; largest 2.95 pounds). Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday for fishing, sunrise to sunset. Upper Otay is a catch and release only fishery. Bait is not permitted, only artificial lures with barbless hooks. Boats are not permitted on Upper Otay, only shore fishing, waders and float tubes.

Poway: Big catfish showing in various areas around the lake. The Log Boom, and shoreline in Boulder Bay the better spots. Another 1,500 pounds of channel catfish due this week. Marion Seitz, Poway, 8-0 channel catfish, mackerel, Log Boom. Alexendr Yermakuv, San Diego, 5.4-pound channel catfish, mackerel, Boulder Bay. Bass slowing down, but bluegill coming on. Lake is full and will stay that way all summer. Night fishing has been extended through Aug. 22. Night fishing is offered every Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m. for boaters, 11:30 p.m. for shoreline anglers. The lake’s popular Midnight Catfish Craze is set for July 31 from 4 p.m. to midnight. Tickets available at Lake Poway Grill and Tackle. Cost is $10 for adults (in addition to your daily permit) and $5 for youths 15 years old and younger (in addition to your daily permit). Motorboat sales will start at 3 p.m. Friday on a first-come, first-served basis. Fishing starts at 4 p.m. The Lake will be closed for boating and fishing July 31 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. to allow the lake staff to prepare for the event. Open Wednesday through Sunday. In order to prevent the introduction and infestation of quagga mussels, the following items are prohibited at Lake Poway: float tubes, private motors and anchors, live bait containers, fish finders, floating catch baskets, live bait from any source other than the Lake Poway concession, any items the staff considers to be potential contaminants.

Santee Lakes: Check www.santeelakes.com . Open daily.

San Vicente: Closed. For construction schedules and information on the Emergency Storage Project, go to the San Diego County Water Authority’s web site at www.sdcwa.org and click on San Vicente Dam Raise.

Sutherland: 49 anglers checked caught 94 bass (all released), 26 bluegill, 9 channel catfish and 1 blue catfish (24.10 pounds). Jake Keyser, 12, Ramona caught a 14.25 pound carp. Doug Vang of San Diego caught a 24.10 pound blue channel catfish on mackerel. Willy Head, 5, Ramona, caught a 5.60 pound blue channel catfish on bread. All boats must be inspected for quagga mussels prior to entering the lake. Open Saturday and Sunday for fishing and boating, Monday for shoreline fishing only.

Sweetwater: Open Saturday, Sunday and Monday to limited shoreline fishing only.

Wohlford: For more information, call the Ranger Station at (760) 839-4346 or visit www.wohlfordlake.com . Rental boats available. Open daily.

Catfish stocking schedule: Poway, 1,500 pounds.

Pt. Loma Sportfishing, H&M Landing, Fisherman’s Landing: 176 anglers, eight overnight boats: 2 albacore, 325 yellowtail, 2 bluefin tuna, 1 yellowfin tuna, 92 dorado. 128 anglers, four half-day boats: 315 calico bass, 3 sand bass, 5 barracuda, 8 rockfish. 74 anlgers, two three-quarter-day boats: 300 sand bass, 40 barracuda, 2 sheepshead, 18 rockfish, 121 sculpin.

Seaforth: 38 anglers, one 1½ -day boat: 2 bluefin tuna, 41 dorado, 162 yellowtail. 22 anglers, one one-day boat: 1 dorado, 24 yellowtail. 41 anglers, two three-quarter-day boats: 1 dorado, 3 yellowtail, 11 barracuda, 3 calico bass, 185 sand bass. 120 anglers, four half-day boats: 1 bonito, 11 barracuda, 245 calico bass, 8 sand bass, 25 rockfish, 1 sheepshead. 42 anglers, one twilight boat: 12 barracuda, 24 calico bass, 16 rockfish, 7 mackerel.

Oceanside: 13 anglers, one three-quarter-day boat: 130 sand bass, 50 barracuda. 46 anglers, two half-day boats: 238 sand bass, 65 barracuda. Seven anglers, one twilight boat: 60 sand bass, 7 barracuda.

Red Rooster III: Captain Andy Cates reports a three-day trip, 180 miles out, caught 74 albacore, 45 yellowtail, 10 bluefin tuna, 6 yellowfin tuna and 4 dorado. Ralph Hughes, San Diego, caught a 29.3 pound bluefin tuna; Jeff Bracy, Newport Beach, caught a 27.7 albacore; Tommy Escalante, Camarillo, caught a 24.6 pound albacore.

East Cape: Blue marlin showing just in time for the East Cape Bisbee Tournament, set to begin tomorrow. John Ireland, owner of East Cape’s Rancho Leonero Resort, said he’s never seen so many blue marlin in the area. He released three last week, with the fish ranging in the 100-to 400-pound range. Sailfish also showing and dorado to 60 pounds being caught. Smaller yellowfin and schooling dorado also showing and plentiful north of Punta Pescadero. Inshore action on roosterfish, pompano and pargo remains outstanding.

La Paz: Fishing slowed here after a month of incredible action on tuna, wahoo, dorado and billfish. Dorado action stayed fair, but fewer bulls joined the party, according to Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International.

Cabo San Lucas: One in two boats getting a billfish in what has been a very strange summer, according to veteran captains and Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters in Lemon Grove. Fishing is lagging for this time of year. The Gaviota VIII, skippered by Captain Juan Dominguez, was high boat for the week with three billfish for three days fished.

Noteworthy: Special Deer Hunt: For the sixth straight year the California Deer Association (CDA) is sponsoring its “Sharing the Tradition Junior Deer Hunt.†It’s open to 25 junior deer hunters who will get a free, fully-guided antlerless deer hunt on the famous Tejon Ranch. Junior hunters will be selected in a free, random drawing open to any junior hunter with a 2009 California junior hunting license and an unfilled deer tag. In addition, the following sponsors will supply the 25 lucky juniors with ammunition from Federal Premium Ammunition and Barnes Bullets, binoculars from Alpen Optics, and hunting gear from Hunter’s Specialties and Birchwood Casey. A total of 90 juniors have already participated in the prior year hunts, and over 90 percent of them had never taken a deer before. Yet, the success rate on these hunts has been an incredible 98.8 percent. Entry applications must be received by October 14, 2009. Hunts will take place in the second half of December. The applications and rules may be found at the California Deer Association: www.caldeer.com/tejon-hunts.htm or the California Department of Fish and Game: www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting /docs/SharingtheTradition.pdf.

Marine Life Protection Act: The California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group meets Monday, Aug. 3 at 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn, 850 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad, Calif., 92008. The public is invited to attend and participate by providing public comment at approximately 3:30 pm. Speaker cards are requested and may be found at the entrance to the room. Time allotted for public comment is determined by the number of requests and can range from one to three minutes per comment; submitting written comments that can be easily summarized in one to two minutes is encouraged. Note that the public comment period is for comments specific to the SCRSG; comments related to the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force, science advisory team, or other MLPA Initiative activities should be directed to those bodies or MLPA staff. Meeting materials will not be provided at the meeting but will be posted to the MLPA website as soon as they are available. This agenda may be found on the MLPA website at www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa /meetings_sc.asp.

Barrett: The 137 anglers checked reported 1,566 bass, 43 bluegill and 11 crappie. Open to catch-and-release fishing and barbless hooks only every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Reservations for August available through Ticketmaster tonight at 7 by calling (619) 220-8497 or www.ticketmaster.com . Chollas: Open daily to youngsters 15 and under. San Diego Fly Fishers sponsors a Lend-A-Rod program on Sundays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and it includes free bait and tackle and fishing tips.

Cuyamaca: Open daily.

Diamond Valley Lake: Still getting reports from bass anglers about 30-bass days. And striped bass action has been good for bigger fish. Russell Nievar, Anza, 20-pound striped bass, swimbait. John Balderson, Sage, 20-0 striped bass, swimbait. George Delgado, Temecula, 18-pound striper, swimbait. Eddie Martinez, Fontana, 12.5-pound striped bass, Fish Taco lure, East Dam. Trout fishing has been slow, with most of the fish being caught in water 20 to 30 feet deep. Michael Wolf, Redondo Beach, two trout, with a 5-pounder topping the catch. Open daily. Launch ramp closed until further notice.

Dixon: Night fishing here every Thursday and Friday. Another 1,000 pounds of channel catfish added this week. Shoreline fishing is permitted until 11:45 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Night boats may be rented starting at 5 p.m., but must be returned to the dock by 10:45 p.m. Boats are half price. There will be a limited amount of shoreline to fish after the park closes. Open daily.

El Capitan: Anglers reported catching and releasing 42 bass, keeping one bass, 28 bluegill, 3 blue catfish and 1 channel catfish. Fishing and water activities permitted Thursdays through Saturdays, with Sundays reserved for water contact only. Fishing only on Mondays. Water contact activities include water-skiing, wake-boarding, Jet Skis, towing inflatables. All persons entering reservoir property must purchase a day use permit.

Henshaw: Catfish action best here, but there is plenty of other good fishing for largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill. Lance Molina, La Jolla Indian Reservation, 5-pound channel catfish, shrimp, Rocky Point. Bluegill action also picking up. John Lowell and his son, Jared, Temecula, 25 bluegill, best a 1-pounder, and John also caught a 4-pound largemouth bass. Bill Meyers, San Diego, 12 bluegill, most a half-pound. Crappie also active. Lee Doss, San Diego, 12, most in the half-pound range. Darrel Langley, Mesa Grande, two bass, a 6.25-pounder and a 5.5-pounder. Open daily, Friday and Saturday for night fishing.

Hodges: The 227 anglers checked reported 1 bass kept (288 bass released), 25 channel catfish, 7 crappie and 1 blue catfish. Tim O’Connor, Santee, 8.20 blue catfish and 5.05 bass (released), crawdads, Boat Dock. Tom Leedom and Brian Kowalski, 5 bass (released), 11.30 with a 4.07, spinnerbaits, all over. All private boats must be inspected for quagga mussels prior to being launched. Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Jennings: Best catfish action in Hermit Cove on Friday and then moved to the Floating Boathouse on Saturday. Redear sunfish being caught on meal worms, wax worms and most in 15 feet of water. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Friday and Saturday until 11:30 p.m. for night fishing. Check www.lakejennings.org for more information.

Loveland: The 86 fishermen reported 9 bass (all released), 64 bluegill, 7 carp and 4 channel catfish. Open daily to hike-in fishing only on a limited area of shoreline. No permits required. Fishing license is required. New 140-foot fishing pier open on the west side of the fishing cove.

Miramar: The 104 anglers checked reported 45 bass (all released), 36 bluegill, 5 channel catfish and 6 carp. Open daily to fishing and boating. Pay fees at iron ranger or electronic pay station near the concession building.

Morena: Open daily.

Murray: The 66 anglers checked reported 1 bass kept (23 bass released), 7 bluegill and 3 channel catfish. Open daily to fishing and boating. Pay fees at iron rangers near the abandoned concession building or at key access points.

Otay, Lower: The 214 anglers checked reported 8 bass kept (174 bass released), 583 bluegill, 11 channel catfish. Lonnie Wheaton, Lakeside, 9.20 bass (released), crawdad, Otay Arm. Cecil L. Brookins, San Diego, 2.30 bluegill, wax worm, Harvey Arm. Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Pay fees at iron rangers near the boat launch and abandoned concession building. Boat rentals available.

Otay, Upper: The 7 anglers checked reported 26 bass (all released). Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday for fishing, sunrise to sunset. Upper Otay is a catch and release only fishery. Bait is not permitted, only artificial lures with barbless hooks. Boats are not permitted on Upper Otay, only shore fishing, waders and float tubes.

Poway: Fair bass fishing, with bigger ones still showing and chasing shad. Catfish action good at night. Aida Brown, 11-0 channel catfish, mackerel, Log Boom. Danielle Washington, San Diego, 8-0 channel catfish. Robert Bosco, El Cajon, 1.25 redear sunfish, micro jig, Hidden Bay. Night fishing here every Friday and Saturday. The Lake Poway Midnight Catfish Craze is Friday, July 31, 4 p.m. to midnight. Tickets available soon at the Lake Poway Grill & Tackle. Motorboat sales will start at 3 p.m. Friday, July 31 on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Lake will be closed for boating and fishing Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. to allow the staff to prepare for the event. Open Wednesday through Sunday. In order to prevent the introduction and infestation of quagga mussels, the following items are prohibited at Lake Poway: float tubes, private motors and anchors, live bait containers, fish finders, floating catch baskets, live bait from any source other than the Lake Poway concession, any items the staff considers to be potential contaminants.

Santee Lakes: Cameron Balough, 16, Santee, 9-4 bass, night crawler, Lake 4. Kenny Heier, 15, Santee, 5-8 bass, night crawler, Lake 4. Nice, early morning bite on catfish in Lakes 2, 3 and 4. Next night fishing event set for Thursday. Lakes 1 through 4 open until 11:30 p.m. Check www.santeelakes.com . Open daily.

San Vicente: Closed. For construction schedules and information on the Emergency Storage Project, go to the San Diego County Water Authority’s web site at www.sdcwa.org and click on San Vicente Dam Raise.

Skinner: Very good catfish action here, with fish up to 8 pounds reported. Stripers still hitting and most active near the dam and inlet. Bluegill bite is steady, with afternoon fishing best from a bobber and with small pieces of night crawlers, meal worms or wax worms doing the trick. Vic Lawrence, Moreno Valley, 6 channel catfish, best a 8-pounder, chicken liver, Ramp No. 2.

Sutherland: The 54 anglers checked reported 2 bass kept (84 bass released), 30 crappie, 14 channel catfish and 18 carp. Vic Williams, Ramona, 21.10 blue catfish (released), jig. Zack Balcone, 8, Mesa Grande, 2 carp, 19.20 with a 10.55. Sydney Honadle, 7, Ramona, 12.50 carp, bread. Kenny Morytko, Ramona, 10.70 carp, bread. Mark Dodson, San Diego, 7.00 bass (released), crawdad. Greg LeRoy, Ramona, 6.25 bass (released), shiner. Del Lambert, Ramona, 5.45 bass (released). All boats must be inspected for quagga mussels prior to entering the lake. Open Saturday and Sunday for fishing and boating, Monday for shoreline fishing only.

Sweetwater: The 31 anglers reported 4 bass (all released), 1 carp. Open Saturday, Sunday and Monday to limited shoreline fishing only.

Wohlford: Due for another 1,000 pounds of channel catfish tomorrow. And will get catfish stocked every other week until mid-August. Be sure to drop by the Ranger Station for the dougbait recipe that works great for catfish and carp. Good bass fishing early and late. Catfishing has been very good. Robert Adams, Escondido, limit of channel catfish, with a best at 2-15, chicken liver, Oakvale Cove. Crappie fishing also fair. Each month Whopper Contest winners in 4 categories are awarded a free fishing and boating permit. Check www.wohlfordlake.com . Whopper Contest winners for June were: Promoane Souvannakhot, 10-10 bass; Homer Gray, 1-14 crappie; Alan Solis, 4-4 channel catfish. Felix Lopez leads the July Whopper Contest for trout with a 2-10 rainbow. Open daily. Ban on private boats remains in place due to the threat of quagga mussels. Other banned equipment include canoes, kayaks, float tubes, trolling motors, fish finders, anchors, etc. Rental boats available. Open daily.

Catfish stocking schedule: Wohlford and Dixon, each with 1,000 pounds. Poway, 1,000 pounds.

Pt. Loma Sportfishing, H&M Landing, Fisherman’s Landing: 100 anglers, five 1-½-day boats: 138 albacore, 22 yellowtail, 8 bluefin; 41 anglers, two three-quarter day boats: 83 calico bass, 200 sand bass, 2 white seabass, 8 barracuda, 31 sculpin; 119 anglers, three half-day boats: 282 calico bass, 5 sand bass, 4 barracuda, 20 rockfish.

Seaforth: 16 anglers, one 1-½-day boat: 6 albacore, 1 yellowtail. 3 anglers, one three-quarter day boat: 1 white seabass, 15 barracuda, 14 sand bass. 116 anglers, five half-day boats: 165 barracuda, 291 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 34 rockfish, 1 sculpin. 28 anglers, one twilight boat: 21 calico bass, 28 rockfish, 37 mackerel.

Oceanside: 19 anglers, one three-quarter day boat: 5 sand bass, 17 calico bass, 1 sheephead, 10 rockfish; 20 anglers, one half-day boat: 2 sand bass, 24 calico bass; 8 anglers, one charter boat: 4 blue sharks, 1 mako shark.

Overview: Good action for calicos, sand bass, with halibut and white seabass also showing locally. Jumbo squid popping up in La Jolla. Here’s a report from Larry Laumann: “It’s not often that you get to play with live Humboldt squid and watch them gliding around in a tidepool! Each year, we may see a couple of them washed up (dead) on the beach in the spring/summer, but, this is a rare event to capture them alive from the beach. Well . . . at least I’ve never done it before, and I’ve spent the last 30 years around California’s beaches. I believe that a large school of them just got trapped in our warm water after that very cold upwelling current from La Jolla canyon last week. Normally they live 500-to 2,000 feet deep in the ocean canyons. They get weak and disoriented in the shallows where the water is too warm for them to survive, and they end up drifting in eventually, usually dead. I caught these ten live Humboldt squid in the shallows near Windansea beach and carried them to a big tidepool nearby to watch them swim. They were in various states of health, but all were alive. These things can be vicious if they get hold of you. I was goofing around swimming with them, and ended up with some cheesegrated areas on my legs and feet where they latched a tentacle and I pulled them off – apparently they have tiny hooks in their suction cups! Now I know. This happened in summer 2009 about a block from my place.â€

Now a little line on teasers when trolling:

What type of teaser works best?

All teasers tend to help attract fish. Some have different methods of doing it. A mirror teaser creates a huge flashing through the entire water column that can cause a fish to be attracted to the spread. On certain bright days, this can be a very effective method of getting them to look at your lures.
Extremely large lures also make great teasers, especially the ones that have a very erratic action and tend to look like an excited fish. Other predators are going to be in a hurry to get in on the “frenzy”. Pull large teasers hookless and on the lightest leader that you feel comfortable with in order to get the most of the action that was designed into that lure.
Strings of small flashing spinners or small lures all in a row look very much like a school of baitfish. When you mix this with a lot of other activity within a spread, this can look very inviting to a hungry cruising predator looking for a quick lunch.
Artificial “birds” that wobble and splash on the surface tend to tell the fish that something is going on right in the immediate area. They usually determine that it’s worth the effort for them to investigate further.
Large brightly colored boards cut in the shape of a fish and boat fenders painted up to look like a large fish all do one important thing. They tell predators that there is currently “life happening” at this location and it is going to be worth expending the energy to check it out.
I had a friend that twenty years ago actually trolled a giant truck hubcap as a teaser. He still swears that it brought up lots of fish. I even once used a string of coke cans as a teaser and I can tell you that it worked exceptionally well before they shredded into pieces from the force of the water. Anything that will attract attention can be a great teaser.

Santa Barbara Fishing on Sterns wharf is sometimes very good.  Here are some ideas:

Most fishing takes place out toward the end of the pier. Best bets in this section are to try anchovy or squid on the bottom for halibut, bass and rays; try fresh mussels around the pilings for perch; or try spoons, feathers, size 4 Lucky Lura outfits, or strips of squid for mackerel. For the halibut, use a high/low leader baited with cut anchovy, a whole anchovy attached to a sliding sinker rigging, or a small live bait – smelt, shinerperch, very small jack mackerel or sardine – which has been caught by jigging. A high/low leader baited with cut anchovy works well for the bass as do scampi lures. For large bat rays, use heavy tackle and squid for bait and be prepared; several bat rays weighing over 100 pounds have been landed here. If you want to try for large pileperch, blackperch, or rubberlip perch, use mussels or bloodworms and fish right under the pier and around the pilings – using as light a line and small a hook as you feel comfortable with. Kids can try the fish well out near the end of the pier. The small, rectangular spot will often yield an unending number of small perch, primarily shiners, even when other areas are seeing few fish.

This can be a good pier at times for mackerel, bonito and even barracuda (generally at night). For the smaller mackerel, a Lucky Lura or Lucky Joe rigging can result in several fish at a time. When the mackerel are more wary, tie a single hook to the end of the line, attach a small split shot sinker a couple of feet up the line, and bait with a strip of squid or a piece of mackerel. When large mackerel are around, or bonito are also present, try different lures. Shiny lures will often produce – Kastmasters and Krocodiles – or even lures such as Scampi Coasters. Lately, a 1/2 ounce Snapper Zapper has seemed to be a good producer of fish. Barracuda, when present, will also fall for the artificial lures. Finally, most of the year will see fair fishing for white croaker; simply use a high/low leader baited with a small piece of anchovy.

The inshore area is restricted somewhat by shops but there are still some open spaces. Water here is typically shallow but will yield some barred surfperch, yellowfin croaker, corbina, shovelnose guitarfish, thornback rays and a few white croaker and walleye surfperch. Try sand crabs, bloodworms, or fresh mussels if you want the larger perch, croakers and corbina. Try squid or bloody pieces of mackerel if you want sharks or rays.

I’ve also seen some large pileperch and rubberlip seaperch lurking near the pilings, especially where the wye section connects to the main part of the pier. As usual, these species are hard to hook. One local technique is to attach half of a mussel shell to the line with a paper clip. A couple of size 12 hooks on dropper lines are then inserted into the meat of the mussel. When the large perch suck up the meat they get hooked.

Some years will also see quite a few spider crabs caught out toward the end of the pier and some are massive. Do follow the correct laws for crabbing since the game wardens seem to really target the crabbers at this pier. Also make sure that you follow the various laws for the fish species. Although it is true you don’t need a license to fish on the public piers, you do need to follow the rules for size and number of fish. Thus bass must be 12 inches, bonito 24″, barracuda 28″, white seabass 28″, halibut 22″, and salmon 24″. Remember that it is every angler’s duty to help restore our fishery! Always be prepared for the unexpected. On a short visit to the pier in July of 1994, I had experienced what can only be described as a poor fishing trip for myself – two small fish – a kelp bass and a jack mackerel. However, an old-timer stood proudly nearby, displaying a 29-inch, 11-pound silver salmon he had caught on the pier that afternoon. His name was Bill Schenk, he was 90 1/2 years young, and he had fished on the wharf nearly every day since 1969. He, of course, was a regular and one who had his own personal pier name – “Sitting Bill” – since there were four other regulars also with the name of Bill. It was the largest fish “Sitting Bill” had caught on the pier in 25 years. It was also his second salmon after an earlier 3-pounder in 1990. Using light trout-fishing tackle and a heavier-than-normal 8-pound line (because barracuda had been biting through his line) he had his hands full. However, his friend, Mike Katz, owner of the nearby tackle shop, heard his cries, ran out, and netted the fish. The day was a success for “Sitting Bill” and after meeting and talking with him, I deemed my visit also a success.

Santa Cruz Fishing Reports:

Rock Cod Details Below
It is their fishing report from a few days ago and before and before.

What a banner day of Ling and Rock fishing. We put in 5 limits of Lings to 18lbs, plus huge Black Cod to 8lbs, plus big Reds, Cabazone, Kelp Cod, and Blues. The waters have cleared up the coast, and fish are moving back in after the big swell last week. Gary and his crew were a pleasure to have on the boat. Also I still have a couple of spaces open tomorrow, Aug 2. If interested give me a call at 831-212-1832. Lets go wreck um.
- Sat Aug 1 20:17:00 2009

Today the weather was perfect. Grease sleack all day. The fishing in the morning started a little slow, but as the tides moved in it got better. We ended the day with near limits of nice Rock Cod, two Lings to 22lbs, and limits of Cabazone. And pulled our Crab pots on the way home, and put in 24 Dungenous Crabs to end the day.

- Sat Jun 6 22:46:44 2009 The fishihg today started a little slow. But as the tides changed, It picked dramaticaly. We put in near limits of assorted Rock Cod. plus Ling Cod to 22lbs. The weather was perfict. Lets hope it holds. Also there are a couple of boats offshore keeping the new warm waters moving in honest. Lets hope there holding Albies.

- Sat Jun 6 19:42:59 2009
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Just an update. The National Data Bouy Center reports forcasts of calm seas for the next 4 days. Lets take advantage of the conditions.

- Sat May 30 20:05:44 2009
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What a great day to be on the ocean. All day the weather were perfect grease slick calm, and the fishing was fantastic. Our 5 anglers put in limits of big Ling Cod to almost 20lbs, and near limits of Rock Cod, then stoped on the way home and pulled the Dungenous Crab pots, and put in 17 Crabs. It was a pleasure to be on the ocean today. I almost hated to call it work. Nate and his crew were a pleasure to spend the day with. And I hope they return.

- Sat May 30 19:49:24 2009
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Today it looked like things are picking up. The water temp and more bait is finally moving into our area. We pulled our Crab pots in the morning to get limits, then headed up the coast to put in 36 Rock Cod, and 5 Lings to 18lbs for our 4 anglers. The weather was great.

- Fri May 29 19:45:54 2009
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The fishing locally has been a bit boaring for me. The same old Gopher Cod, and small Blues and Blacks. Boy what a fight those are. Last weekend we ran to Pt. Sur, and just wrecked um. Not knowing what we would catch next. Mostly Big Vermillion, Olives, White Bellies, and some others I have to look up in the Reg Book. The weather was perfect. If your interested, everybody throws in an extra $20,00 bucks to cover fuel costs, and we go for it. Also we have to keep an eye on the weather. Because we’re 50 miles down the coast, we don’t want to beat ourselves up coming home. Lets go fishing.

- Wed May 27 17:24:35 2009
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Just a special report. The Dungenous Crab fishing has been off the charts. Our last trip we put in 8 limits for our passengers and crew by 9:00am, then went looking for Rock Cod. Its a great way to start the day. The winds have been a bit heave the last couple of days. But the forcast for the next few days looks great. That allows us to check all our secret spots up the coast for Halibut and Rock Cod.

- Tue May 26 23:08:30 2009

Below is a good article about fall fishing in and around the Santa Cruz Area:

“The winds tend to calm down and the waves smooth out making conditions nice for chasing rockfish or venturing out for albacore.

The party boats at the Monterey Wharf report consistent fishing for rockfish, especially on the days they can jig-up live squid to use for bait. Limits are the rule. The albacore are a little closer to shore than before, and the nice weather has flattened the sea, so some of the boats are planning tuna trips in the near future. A private boat recently reported catching 26 albacore at GPS coordinates 36/53 and 122/53.

Others are finding fish from 36/54 to 122/49.This is a good time to book a tuna trip.

Up in the Delta, small striped bass are still the rule.One angler described his catch as “stripers in diapers.” There are some decent sized fish being caught, but the reports say the larger fish are just now moving in.A couple of stripers up to 40 pounds have been taken near Decker Island and in the main Sacramento River by anglers using butterflied shad and bullheads.

Like the Delta, smaller fish are the rule over in the Forebay. Things will improve as the water cools.

Up in the mountains, trout fishing all over the state is generally rated as either “fair” or “good.” Anglers are doing best either early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun gets off the water.

A specialized Lahontan cutthroat fishery opened recently at Heenan Lake up near Markleeville. Heenan is closed for most of the year, but opens briefly every fall. It serves as a broodstock lake where the DFG raises Lahontan cutthroat trout, and there are some big boys swimming around in there.

The lake is open to bank fishermen and float tubers on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through the end of October. The rules include single, barbless hooks and catch and release. This is about the only place in California where a trout enthusiast can hook up a really large Lahontan. If you have not yet caught one of these rare and special trout, put Heenan on your list of places to try.”

Fishing in the SF Bay:

Sturgeon Fishing News:

The Columbia River Sturgeon:

The Columbia River is one of American West infamy. Lewis and Clark, in their famous cross American journey, traveled the Columbia as their last great waterway to the Pacific ocean. The present day Columbia River has it’s headwaters in British Columbia and flows South through Washington where it takes a sharp turn west at the confluence of its biggest tributary, Idaho’s Snake River. At the Snake, the river sets it course due west to the Pacific Ocean. On its westward journey, the Columbia creates a natural border between the American States of Oregon and Washington, before eventually dumping into the Pacific near Astoria. By the time the Columbia reaches Astoria it has traveled over 1,200 miles.

The Columbia has a number of important and well known tributaries including the Deshutes, Willamette, Cowlitz and Lewis. The Snake River can lay claim to a 1,500 pound fish that was caught in 1928.

The Columbia of Lewis and Clark’s time is not the Columbia of today. With 11 major hydroelectric projects on the mainstream, and hundreds more on its tributaries, the Columbia holds the dubious honor of being the most hydroelectrically developed river system in the world.

The Columbia River is home to both Pacific Coast sturgeon species– the Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) and the White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). The White Sturgeon of the Columbia River are some of the largest on the West Coast, and in the world. The Columbia Sturgeon though, like other populations, have been pressured to near extinction. The damming of the river has cut off access to the Pacific for the anadromous Sturgeon. Before the arrival of white settlers and subsequent development of the Pacific Northwest, White Sturgeon were well dispersed throughout the Columbia River Basin from the estuary at the mouth of the river, up the Snake River to southern Idaho. The hydro projects have hurt the Sturgeon populations two-fold; they block upstream migration as well as altering the rivers habitat and affecting water temperature levels.

Although white sturgeon were brought to near extinction by commercial fishing in the late 1800′s, populations have slowly recovered and sturgeon are once again an important fishery resource in the Columbia River system.

The Columbia offers sturgeon fishing opportunities year around. There are always plenty of smaller sturgeon in the river as they live in the river until they grow large enough to migrate out to the salt water usually at around 3 feet in length. Once the fish have reached the age that they begin migrating they are constantly on the move looking for sources of food. These food sources are the key to targeting a specific age class of sturgeon.

For the keeper sized sturgeon the main food sources are smelt, crayfish, clams (both freshwater and saltwater), anchovies, sardines, herring, salmon roe and carcasses, sand and mud shrimp. By far their favorites are smelt, clams, anchovies, shrimp. They feed heavily on these food sources with the food of choice dependant on where in the river system they are and what the predominant food source is for that time of year. The keeper sized 42″-60″ fish migrate with the food. Usually The fishing for keepers is good in the lower Columbia river below Bonneville dam down to Rainer when the smelt run is in from January to May with the bulk of the smelt arriving around mid Feb to mid Mar. The smelt run tends to congregate the fish in the sections of the river where the smelt concentrations are the highest. When the smelt run begins to wind down the keepers begin migrating down river to feed in the estuary at Astoria Oregon on shrimp, clams, anchovies, herring, sardine and so on. Usually the majority of the keeper sized fish will arrive in the estuary at the mouth of the Columbia river around mid May to mid June and will remain there until late fall then they will start back up river following the fall salmon run. They will remain somewhat scattered until January when they begin stacking up again in anticipation of the upcoming smelt return.

Sturgeons
Sturgeons are the largest freshwater fish in the world, the largest on record reaching 25 feet! There are 24 different species of sturgeon found in Russia, Northern Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada. All sturgeons have a cartilage skeleton, five rows of bony plates on their bodies instead of scales, thick lips, and four sensory barbs in front of the mouth for detecting food. Along the Pacific coast we see mostly white sturgeon (Acinpenser transmontanus), with the occasional visiting green sturgeon (A. medirostris).

The life cycle
It may seem like a little bit of a stretch to call a sturgeon anadromous. They do not undertake long, dangerous migrations like salmon. They do not spend years at sea fattening up for the return trip to their spawning grounds. In fact, they may spend very little time in ocean waters, preferring instead the calmer, brackish waters of coastal estuaries. Nevertheless, they are a fish that spends part of their life in saltwater and spawn in fresh, and that makes them anadromous.

Life as a sturgeon begins as a sticky egg attached to some gravel at the bottom of a fast-moving stream or river. Eggs hatch quickly, within two weeks. Little larval sturgeon stay close to the bottom and feed on algae and small aquatic insects on their way to estuaries, where they’ll spend the majority of their lives.

Sturgeon are slow growing, long-lived fish. It may take them over 10 years to become sexually mature. Once mature, they mate only every 4 to 11 years. But when they do, they don’t fool around. A single female sturgeon can produce several million eggs. Most of these eggs will be lost in the current or eaten by predators.

In the late spring and summer, sturgeons swim up their home rivers in search of good spawning habitat. Males and females cast eggs and sperm into the fast-moving water. Fertilized eggs sink to the bottom and stick to the gravel bottom, where they’ll stay until they hatch.

The white sturgeon is the largest fish in North America with some reports of fish nearly 20 feet long and weighing 1,800 pounds. It is also one of the longest living fish–old-timers reaching the century mark and beyond. Sturgeon find their food on the bottom with sensory barbels under their snout. They root around in the mud looking for invertebrates and small fish that they will suck up with their tube-shaped vacuum mouth. The Columbia river is home to a population of white sturgeon. They spawn in early summer from May to July and spend the rest of the year in estuaries along the Pacific coast. Some sturgeons have been isolated by human activities resulting in at least one active population in Montana. Since sturgeons do not use fish ladders, dams become impenetrable barriers.

ENDANGERED There is one landlocked population of white sturgeon in the Kootenai river of Montana and British Columbia that is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Columbia river population below the Bonneville dam is large enough again to support sport and commercial fisheries. Due to increased fishing pressure and demand for caviar worldwide all sturgeon species are now officially protected under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Fishing for Sturgeon can be tremendously challenging some days and then other days can be a walk in the park. The main challenge is to find them on any given day. There will be days when we might try up to ten different holes trying to locate the fish. Once you find them you need to get your bait on the bottom and try to keep it as still as possible. We do this by using short leaders of three feet in length and shorter. The bait varies at different times of the year. Smelt is one of the more popular baits and it will work most of the year. Try to use the freshest bait you can find. People have used old stinky baits that they have concocted by combining different items and then letting these sit out in the sun to ripen until you can smell them from a mile away. These baits work, but you need a strong stomach to use them. Fresh bait works all year and it is not nearly as bad to work with. When you put the bait on the hook you try to get it as streamlined as possible so the river current will not move it in all different directions and make it hard for the Sturgeon to eat.

If you have a depth finder simply motor up or down the river searching for holes or sharp changes in depth. Gradual changes in depth do not work as well as sharper changes in depth. The Sturgeon try to find places where they can get out of the main current and still be close enough that the current will wash food by their resting place.

Once you find a promising looking hole, motor above it and drop anchor. One of the key points when anchoring is that if you know where the hole is, don’t motor over it. Come in from the side or from upriver and drop anchor. This will keep the hole undisturbed. When you motor over the hole sometimes it will take up to twenty minutes for the fish to settle down. Before you drop anchor make sure your feet are away from the rope. When the anchor hooks up in heavy current it can put a tremendous pressure on the rope and if your feet get tangled it can easily pull you overboard. I always make sure the entire anchor system is in front of me before I throw out the anchor.

When pulling up the anchor with a EZ pull ball system never motor over the rope, even with a jet boat. Start going upriver at a forty five degree angle to the rope. Once you get a good angle on the anchor, usually about twenty to fifty feet to the side, you can head straight upriver. Keep a sharp eye on the rope while you are pulling it to make sure it does not go under the boat. One thing to always remember in a river is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER tie a anchor rope to the back of the boat. Many a boat has went to the bottom from someone using a double anchor system, or as they are drifting downriver they tie the anchor rope to a back cleat to pull it and before they can head upriver the rope tightens and water starts coming over the transom, not that a smart Captain like myself has ever experienced one of the above…..

When you get anchored over a good hole, throw out your bait and wait for the subtle tap of the Sturgeon. There are many different baits that work. I use smelt, sand shrimp, shad, worms, salmon bellys, and other baits. One day the smelt will out perform the other baits and the very next day one of the other baits will be the top performer. I don’t know what triggers the different tastes on different days, but it happens quite a bit.

When I set up my rig, I like to use a sliding weight system. With this system I can keep the bait on the bottom and see the smallest of bites. I vary the weight with the conditions. Sometimes I use up to two pound weights to keep the bait on the bottom. When I get the bait down, I then make sure there is a slight bend to the pole tip. You don’t want to have any slack in your line, but you also don’t want to much pressure on the line or the Sturgeon will feel the tension and drop the bait.

I like to use poles with sensitive tips. If you use a pole with too stiff of a tip you might not see the bite at all. We tried some poles that were too heavy and we would reel up to check the bait and the Sturgeon sucked the bait off without the pole tip moving. For keepers and shakers I use the Ugly Stick Lite Heavy. It has a sensitive tip and good backbone for fighting fish. The Tiger Ugly Stick is great for fighting oversize Sturgeon. It gives you great leverage for fighting these monster fish.

I recently did a TV show with Outdoor America. We fished for oversized Sturgeon up near Bonneville dam. Steve Gruber, who is the host of the program, hooked on to several Sturgeon with the largest being a TWELVE FOOT MONSTER. Usually when we hook on to a big one everybody in the boat takes a turn hauling them in, but Steve fought that huge giant for over two hours without any help. The show with this fish will be showing sometime in January. It is something you just need to see to believe.

The entire time with the Outdoor America crew was a great experience. We had a ton of fun, caught lots of huge fish, and had enough footage for two great shows. It is quite the experience to just see how they put the show together. They had an underwater camera man and the footage he got on these fish put the shows over the top. It was the first time I had seen oversize Sturgeon from underwater and the footage was excellent.

Sturgeon fishing can be a great experience. If you have never anchored in a river I highly recommend going with a guide for your first trip. It can save you a lot of grief and you can learn a lot from one outing with a good guide. See you on the water!!!!!

Below is a report from www.usafishing.com

The halibut bite has taken off again despite the large tides and the late date on the calendar. Jim Smith of the Happy Hooker is back from his Alaska 2nd home, and he took out of small load of 8 anglers on Thursday 9-17 with a couple of the passengers boating limits of halibut with another few at a pair of fish and then there were those with at least one. They had  one bass today with the possibility of a few more late in the afternoon in the rocks. Jim was working the central bay flats with the best action in the Berkeley Flats. He is going out again on Saturday and possibly Sunday with the tides shrinking on a daily basis.
The New Huck Finn out of Emeryville Sport Fishing had a great day on Wednesday with 7 limits of halibut to 14-pounds and 3 stripers to 9-pounds.
Emeryville is scheduling rockfish/lingcod trips and live bait potluck trips throughout the weekend with an open albacore trip on the 4-pack Wet Spot on Sunday. Their next open albacore trip on the New Salmon Queen is Tuesday, September 22nd.
John Akina at Oyster Point Bait, Tackle and Deli reported things were a bit slow on Wednesday with only 2 fish brought into the shop. There weren’t many fishermen out in the middle of the week. One commercial angler was targeting white sea bass at the Alameda Rockwall on Tuesday, and he was reported to have landed 8 of these toads  all on live sardines.
Joel Sinkay of Leonards Bait in Port Sonoma reported bullheads or mudsuckers have been the bait of choice with bank anglers working the shorelines for schoolie stripers. Debbe Vinje landed a 7-pound striper from the bait shop docks on Wednesday on a mudsucker. There was a large sturgeon lost at the banks in Sonoma Creek on a mudsucker by a Leonards regular.
The troll bite at the top of the tide from the Brickyard to the Marin Rod and Gun Club is producing all kinds of stripers from 16 to 23-inches on white/chartreuse hair raisers, quite possible Loch Lomond Worm-Tailed jigs.
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We are sneaking up for a week of late season silver and steelie action on the Kenai peninsula. The “excuse” is to close up our vacation home for the season but the reality is that the late season action is great and with the local duck season open we can get a jump on the season here.
We have three weeks still available in 2010, two in June and the week of July 4th. For more information click here.  Reports here will resume on September 26th. In the time being please contact our sponsors for reports and updates.

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Halibut action appears to be slow with the larger tides. There were no boats out of Emeryville or Berkeley on Tuesday 9-16 fishing the bay, and all of the bay sources point to the great striper fishing in San Pablo Bay. With the larger tides we expect party boats to be either running to the Islands for rockfish and lings or to be concentrating mostly on bay bass the next few days. Private boaters should follow their lead.
On Wednesday 9-16 Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait in San Rafael reported stripers in the 6 to 12-pound range are biting bullheads and mudsuckers to a lesser extent along the China Camp shoreline from the banks or in shallow water inside of the Pumphouse on the anchor. Sturgeon fishing has been non-existent, primarily because there are few anglers targeting them. Halibut fishing has been fair with the 32.2-pounder still leading the Lord of the Sea Summer Striper/Halibut Derby which ends October 25th.
Mike at Mike’s Bait in Oakland said they are selling lots of bullheads for shore anglers working the San Pablo Bay banks. The sculpins are heading out as soon as they come into the shop. There have been a few white sea bass taken on live mackerel in the central bay this week, and Mike might start carrying live mackerel in his tanks starting this weekend.
Warren at Bay Tackle in El Cerrito said they are also selling out of bullheads with about 2/3rds of their customers using these baits for the good striper action out along the Carquinez Straits, Pinole Shores and China Camp. He went out with owner George Lu at the Fleet over the weekend for limits of stripers to 12-pounds, but he said it was a strange bite with the fish just picking up and dropping the bullheads. They were hooking the bait through the tail, in order to easily release the fish. Warren added that about 1/3rd of the anglers are plugging RatLTrap-type of lures from the shores. He added that the Alameda Rockwall has been productive for stripers and halibut for boaters on the anchor. He also said there have been numerous white sea bass in the bay chasing the mackerel.
Chris Seabourne at C Biscuits in Vallejo said the striper bite in the Napa River has been outstanding with bullheads or grass shrimp. The 37 Bridge, the Meadows, the Dumps and South Slough have been the hot spots. The majority of the fish are in the 20 to 30-inch range. A few sturgeon have been taken incidentally by striper fishermen.

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It’s September and the halibut counts are holding up surprisingly well. On Thursday 9-10 James on the Cal Dawn worked the Berkeley flats, Angel Island and Alcatraz of 31 halibut for 14 anglers to 26 pounds. The jackpot was a 35 pound white sea bass landed on the Berkeley flats in just 10 feet of water. You just never know when a good eating trophy like that will come along. James has room this Sunday and all next week.
Bob Wright, second captain of the Happy Hooker, is putting a trip together for Saturday, and he plans on working the shallow waters of the central bay for the halibut and white sea bass. Jim will be back from his Alaska cabin in another week. The live sardines are reported to be in the best shape of the year, and these larger baits have been the key to picking up the more sizable halibut and almost all of the white sea bass.
The Emeryville boats are also experiencing great halibut fishing with the New Huck Finn consistently boating nearly two fish a rod in the past three days: Thursday = 27 halibut to 12-pounds for 11 anglers; Wednesday  25 halibut to 14-pounds for 13 passengers; and Tuesday 19 halibut to 12-pounds, two stripers to 10-pounds and a 24-pound white sea bass.
Debbe Vinje of Leonard’s Bait in Port Sonoma also had a white sea bass report with one of the customers at Western Sport Shop in San Rafael pulling in a 52-inch/41-pound wsb on a live sardine in 17 feet of water on the Berkeley Flats while targeting halibut. In the local area, leopard and seven-gill sharks have been cruising San Pablo Bay, as well as a bunch of stripers in the 22 to 28 =96 inch range. The mouth of the Petaluma River along the China Camp shoreline has been the hot spot with live bullheads. There have been some large stripers taken out of the sloughs connecting the Napa River and Sonoma Creek on mudsuckers or grass shrimp. The top sloughs mentioned have been Napa and Hudemann Slough. Bullheads are the bait of choice in Sonoma Creek, but mudsuckers are preferred in the back sloughs.

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We are coming into that time of year when the halibut counts will start to wane. Counts are still holding up quite well considering all the pressure. September is a top striper month and over the next couple of weeks we will see the schools pushing into the bays after a long ocean patrol. On their migration back through the bays we will see a brief flurry of action on the rocks of the Central Bay but the North bay will be “the place” to be. The striped bass index is at yet another record low and we expect the striper counts to start looking much like our salmon runs beginning next year. The Govenator is determined to push through his version of the canal and if he is successful all of our fisheries are going to go down the toilet. Every fishery that is connected to the Delta is headed south and we all with the fish will suffer. Do you know when black bass fishing is so popular in the Midwest? Because they don’t have salmon, stripers, halibut and sturgeon but soon black bass and planted trout will be the “sportfishing” standard. The only way to turn this train wreck around is through the courts and the reason we kept asking our readers to support California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. It’s time to get off our collective butts and support the one group that has won the majority of pro-fish water related cases or take up black bass fishing.

Below, It talks about current water issues and fishing.

We here at USAFishing support fishery conservation, unfortunately we can’t say the same of most California anglers. We are at a crossroads and unless anglers support conservation groups (that our currently waging a losing battle against the multi- million $ lobby) we will lose every key fishery that is connected to the delta. If you think that these “water issues” won’t affect your favorite fishery you are likely wrong. The effects will be widespread and include the continued closure of California and Oregon saltwater salmon fisheries.

The state water projects are being consolidated and the governor is looking to toss the only Bay-Delta protections we have and ship water from Shasta and Oroville directly to LA swimming pools and subsidized cotton farmers in Westland’s. If these water projects go through you can kiss goodbye (as in forever) our salmon, and our striper and sturgeon fisheries will continue to decline. We don’t have an ocean salmon season this year or last because of too much water being pumped from the delta. If these water projects get passed we will have none in the future. At no time in the past has it been so critical that our readers understand these issues and support the work that the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance is doing.

Bottom line….. It’s time to get off your butt and support the CSPA or in a few short years there will be NO salmon, striper and sturgeon fisheries and they won’t ever recover. No group has done more over the past two decades to protect fisheries than CSPA. In the past two months USAFishing readers have raised nearly $10,000 for the CSPA but much much more is needed.

Become part of the solution and support the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance today!

Mike Aughney

Here is another report out of Emeryville:

Emeryville Sport Fishing had three boats out on Tuesday 6-23 with a combined total of 28 halibut to 30-pounds and 28 stripers to 11-pounds for their 38 anglers on the live bait potluck trips inside the bay. Their rockfish trip to the Farallons produced 19 limits of rockfish and 5 lings to 12-pounds in decent weather as the wind shave laid down with the fog pushing back inshore. Mondays trip to the Islands brought in 22 limits of rockfish and a pair of lings to 14-pounds to go with a bonus 5-pound halibut on a drift back in the bay. Three trips were fishing live bait in the bay for a combined 16 halibut to 20-pounds and 27 stripers to 14-pounds for 41 anglers.

Warren at Bay Tackle said the striper bite has been good off of the piers at Fort Point and Fort Mason with Fish Traps and hair raisers. There was a 30-pound striper taken off of Thornton Beach. He confirmed the slower halibut bite with the big tides, and he mentioned the boat pressure may have put the fish down in Southampton, even in the deep water spots. There have been several halibut taken off of the pier on live shiners which Bay Tackle is now stocking.

The halibut counts started to slow down on Saturday, and they really started to show the effects of the “monster tides” today, Sunday 6-21 with most boats struggling as much as they have had to in recent weeks.

Jim Smith of the Happy Hooker was out with a group of excellent sticks today, but the beach wasn’t an option due to the conditions outside the Gate. He said bait has flooded into the bay with the warmer water conditions. He metered surface temperatures as high as 65 degrees in the bay today. Combined with the large tides, the availability of bait fish may have slowed down the bite. He hit the Brothers at the top of the tide, but they were only able to raise a single bass out of the rocks. His best action was in the channel between Red Rock and Southampton, but they also picked up fish at Alcatraz and Angel Island. He threw some bait against the rocks at Angel Island, but they weren’t able to get the fish to respond. They did land several nice stripers to 20-pounds, plus a few halibut pushing 20-pounds. Prior to today, they had 18 halibut and 13 stripers on Saturday for 29 anglers, 28 halibut to 26-pounds and 8 bass to 18-pounds, 180 rockfish and a ling cod for 32 anglers on Friday; and 29 halibut and 7-bass to 18-pounds for 29 fishermen on Thursday with several small halibut released. He has open loads on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and he plans on throwing bait along the beaches if the weather conditions allows, as bait is not a concern at this time for the first time all season.

Emeryville Sport Fishing had all eight of their boats in the bay with the party boats: C Gull II, TigerFish, SuperFish, New Huck Finn, Captain Hook, New Salmon Queen, and six-pack Talisman and four-pack Wet Spot reporting a combined 84 halibut to 22-pounds to accompany 121 stripers to 15-pounds and a 10-pound leopard shark for 161 anglers a fish and a quarter per rod in the big tides. Their combined six party boats today reached nearly two fish per rod despite the large tides with a total of 85 halibut to 30-pounds and 81 stripers to 25-pounds for their total of 89 anglers. They are scheduling live bait/potluck and rockfish/ling cod trips throughout the week.

John Akina of Oyster Point Bait, Tackle and Deli said the striper count was the opposite of yesterday with 60% of the fish reported being line sides today. There were a total of 23 fish to the shop today as of early this afternoon. He said the water was muddy this afternoon after getting stirred up by the winds which kept more than a few boats off the water. Those boats that went out were scattered throughout the bay.

Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait in San Rafael declared amazement of the number of halibut landed today with the minus 1.5 tide. The combination of wind and big tides is turning the water off colors, but the party boats and the skiffs all reported a least a fish a rod. Jim Cox on the Touch of Gray had five clients out today for 4 halibut and 3 bass. Most of the fish have been in the Paradise or Southhampton areas with Loch Lomond shiners being the bait of choice, of course. The tides will bottom out on Monday and Tuesday at a 1.9 minus. Fraser expects fishing to pick up again on Thursday as the tides back off once again. Sturgeon fishing has been nonexistent with the wind making it impossible to sit on anchor.

Kevin Yost of Lucky Strike Fishing put his clients on to a combination of halibut, stripers and leopard sharks over the weekend with Mike Sujo of Hayward picking up top striper honors with his first striper ever, a 16-pound/37.5-inch beauty he kind of set the bar high for himself. Yost likes the series of tides from July 1st through the 19th to maximize the halibut bite.

Upcoming Events: USA Fishing proudly supports the many fishery and wildlife organizations that benefit anglers and hunters throughout Northern California. Does your organization have an upcoming event? Contact us at fishsite@aol.com and we will gladly post the information on our reports page.

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Here is a rock cod trip report from the Lincoln News Messenger:
This was from July 15th ish:———-

Berkeley is what, an hour and a half drive? When the alarm started going off at 3:15 a.m., the groans were obvious. But, when you want to fish for and hopefully catch halibut or striped bass, it means you’ve got to get to the bay waters early.

James Smith, skipper of the 50-foot California Dawn, said boarding time was about 5:30 with a 6 a.m. departure time. When I arrived at 5:20, there were already a handful of anxious anglers aboard.

Smith comes from a full line of fishermen. His dad, Jim Smith, skippers the well-known Happy Hooker, also berthed at the Berkeley docks. His brother Steve runs a large fishing operation in Alaska.

And when it comes to fishing, while dad is highly successful, those who have gone out with both consider James the more successful. Of course there’s the friendly competition between father and son.

With the halibut bite reportedly only so-so while the striper bite is red hot in the bay, the California Dawn is, surprisingly, the only boat going out this morning.

When the boat pulls out at 6 a.m., there are 17 anglers aboard. First stop: the bait receivers for a few scoops of fresh, live anchovies, and then it’s out to the open waters of San Francisco Bay. The motors hum. Last winter the boat was down for a while so Smith could have brand new twin diesels installed.

Smith deadheads directly to Alcatraz Island where we drift a couple of times along the rock wall. No fish. We move to Fort Point, just at the southern tip of the Golden Gate and drift south, past the pier and all along Crissy Field. No fish.

Back to Alcatraz and fish the northern end. There, a few stripers took the bait. The bite was slow, so Smith again moved, this time to whatÕs known as the Rockpile, a hole between Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Bounce bottom too aggressively with your eight-ounce weight and the next thing you know, your weight stays there permanently.

There, it was stripers, stripers, and more stripers. The bite was hot, fast and furious. Most were successfully netted. A few fish ran under the boat and were able to cut the line on the underside of the boat.

By noon, there were full limits of stripers aboard and in the box for every person on the boat. One or two of the smaller bass were of just legal size while others ranged up to 15 pounds. The two I caught looked like they came from the same nest, both identical in length and size, about 10 pounds apiece.

Now itÕs time to put some halibut on board. We head for Angel Island where drift after drift is made. A couple of huge bat rays were hooked and broken off. One or two actual keeper halibut were netted along with a few shakers.

Time to move again. This time Smith goes around Angel Island and we make the long drift from the eastern side of Angel Island, across the flats towards Richmond.

More good-sized stripers are hooked, but with full limits already aboard, they were immediately released. A few very small sand and dog sharks were brought aboard and were released. A huge number of undersized halibut were taking the bait and were being released back into the bay.

Another handful of 5-8 pound keeper halibut were caught and added to the box.

At 4 p.m., Smith finally calls it a day and it’s a half-hour run back to the docks.

Smith will occasionally do a rock cod trip, but with the boat docked in Berkeley, he specializes in halibut and striped bass in the spring though summer months in San Francisco Bay, moving his boat in the winter to Martinez to concentrate on sturgeon in San Pablo Bay.

I’ve had a number of readers ask me who I would recommend for halibut, striper or sturgeon fishing, and I always recommend James. Every person I’ve referred has written me back with downright glowing reports.

Try it. Guaranteed you won’t be disappointed. You can call James Smith at 510-417-5557 or at 510-773-5511.