Fish the Sacramento River with Mike Bogue ’ s Guide Service
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VOL . 37 • ISS . 18
FRESHWATER REPORTS :
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KLAMATH RIVER cont . a small jack . Today we went out for a little while in the morning , but the action was slow and we didn ’ t hook anything . Fall run salmon are starting to show now .”
The season for fall-run Chinook salmon will begin Aug . 15 and continue through Dec . 31 . The possession limit is six salmon , no more than three over 22 inches .
The Klamath Spit Area at the mouth of the river has additional regulations :
• This area will be closed to all fishing after 15 percent of the total Klamath River Basin Quota has been met
• All legally caught adult salmon must be retained .
• Anglers must leave the split area once the adult daily bag limit is met .
• Anglers can fish other areas of the Klamath River to fill their daily bag limit ( i . e . jack component .)
LOS VAQUEROS RESERVOIR
Stripers , Catfish Dominate August Dog Days
BYRON – As trout fishing has slowed down with the warm weather , striped bass and catfish offer the best action during the “ dog days of August ” at Los Vaqueros Reservoir .
when the surface temperature was over 85 degrees .
For whatever reason rainbows holding in cool water offshore will often roam up into shoreline areas during the periods around midnight and dawn .
At lake ’ s like Amador , Camanche and Collins , night anglers fishing from the bank routinely tempt big rainbows on floating dough baits . You ’ re not going to get a limit of fish like you did in the spring , but these midnight and dawn rainbows are typically big sassy holdovers .
Don ’ t hesitate to toss lures for these warm water ‘ bows either . In fact , I ’ d run one rod with bait and reserve one for casting spoons and crankbaits . The trout will be aggressive and moving quick , so give the bait plenty of speed and action . Stream Trout : Low Water , Warm Temperatures , Fishing Pressure
In the spring when the flows are up , the temps are down and the trout are frisky you can bang them with spoons , spinners and plugs . By late summer things have changed . The flows are down , the water is clear and the stupid aggressive trout have taken a plunge in smoking hot bacon grease . Sure , you ’ ll spark some fish on hardware during the dog days of August , but finesse tactics are a better option . For me the ultimate stealth rig for low water trout is the pairing of traditional wet flies and nymphs with light spinning gear and fluorocarbon leaders .
Subsurface flies will often draw easy strikes from trout that shun bait and hardware alike . For this work a 7 foot fast action spinning rod rated for 4 to
Dan hit the Sacramento River with Captain Monte Smith on August 1 and caught this incredible king salmon .
Photo courtesy of GOLD COUNTRY SPORTFISHING , Oakdale .
“ Shore fishermen are landing a lot of stripers in the 18 to 22 inch range , as well as releasing undersized fish ,” said Nick Sanders of the Los Vaqueros Marina . “ The fish are hitting best on anchovies and Rat-L-Traps in the South Cove and near the marina . We haven ’ t been able to let the rental boats out much this month because of the wind .”
The second top prospect at the reservoir now is channel catfish . “ Shore anglers are hooking cats averaging 5 pounds each
HOW TO By Cal Kellogg continued from page 5
10 pound line is just about perfect . Match it with a decent spinning reel like an Abu Garcia Cardinal spooled with 6 pound moss green mono .
String the rod , and knot on about 8 feet of 6 pound fluorocarbon . Your fly will go on the end of the fluoro and you ’ ll apply split shot for weight .
In terms of split shot , pick up an assortment box of English fly fishing split shot . These pieces of shot come in various sizes , all of which are smaller than the standard stuff you ’ ll find in a normal tackle shop .
For casting and subtle retrieving or swinging in the current , you can ’ t beat a black wooly bugger . Sizes 8 and 10 are solid choices .
For nymphs , a small assortment of mayfly , stonefly and caddis imitations in sizes 10 , 12 and 16 cover most situations . Beadhead nymphs are particularly useful for spinning rod anglers . You may have to downsize the leader size with the smallest flies .
Presenting a nymph is just like presenting bait . Flip it up and across and adjust the weight to keep the fly near the bottom . Guide the fly through the slots just a bit with a semi-tight line . When you feel a tick or when the line stops , assume it ’ s a fish and give the rig a conservative hookset . With experience comes
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while soaking anchovies and chicken livers in the South Cove ,” said Sanders . Most of the fish are from the 5,000 lb . plant the lake received in late May .
“ The trout fishing is slower now ,” he said . “ We ’ re not seeing as many limits as we were seeing earlier this summer . If you want to hook the rainbows , your best bet is to throw out PowerBait , nightcrawlers and Kastmasters in Cowboy Cove . Most of the rainbows weigh 2 to 4 pounds .”
The reservoir is currently holding 153,000 acre feet of water . Filling has stopped for the summer . With the warm weather , the water temperature has heated up to 72 degrees , noted Sanders .
If you are looking to rent a boat , it is a good idea to call ahead to check current wind conditions at ( 925 ) 371-2628 or check the weather conditions .
- Dan Bacher
NEW MELONES LAKE
Kokanee Fishermen Boat Limits
ANGELS CAMP – The kokanee bite has finally turned on at New Melones after months of tough fishing .
“ The season of the kokanee is upon us ,” reported Gene Hildebrand of Glory Hole Sports . “ Some great fishing for the land locked salmon can be had now at New Melones .”
“ Kokanee corn is in short supply everywhere ; we ’ re having trouble receiving orders from vendors . so tip your presentation with a pink Berkley Gulp Maggot , dab your dodger / flasher with Pro Cure scent of your choice ,” he advised .
feel and after a while you ’ ll pretty much know the different between a hang up and a bite .
When the water is low there are many situations where you ’ ll be able to sight fish for the trout . Positioning yourself without spooking the fish is key . The first drift is generally the money drift so you want to think things through before you make your play .
Aug 17 - 31 , 2018
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Gary Burns of Take It To The Limit Guide Service confirmed the upswing in the kokanee bite . “
“ Most days out on New Melones we have been putting kokanee in the boat and other days are slow ,” said Burns . “ My dog Woody and I went out this week and we took it to the limit with 5 nice fat kokanee . I also took my good friends Jerry and his son Anthony out on Melones and we landed a 2 lb . 1 oz . kokanee along with 9 others and a 2 lb . rainbow .”
He reported the top action hoochies and spinners in pink and green , along with Wiggle Hoochies in pink ( that hooked the 2 pounder at 55 ’) tied behind a watermelon blade .
“ It seems like the kokanee can ’ t make up their minds how deep they want to stay at , but with the warmer weather this week we found them from 55 ’ all the way down to 80 ’,” he noted . “ We have landed most of the fish in the main lake from the spillway down to the dam and over to Rose Island .”
“ Look for rainbow trout deeper in the water column where the water is cooler for them , 50-85 ft . deep ,” said Hildebrand . “ John Harmon from Sacramento fished the spillway and trolled at 75 ft . depth to land a couple of nice rainbows using chrome Needlefish behind a dodger . His trout weighed in at 4 pounds , 12 ounces and 3 pounds , 12 ounces .”
“ We ’ re not seeing the bass anglers like we do in the fall , winter and spring , but some of the local hard-to-the-core bass phenoms are having out of body experiences fishing thru the night and catching crates full of bass , ( of course releasing all fish caught .) Glide baits , jigs , Carolina rigs and Texas rigs are the best bets for your bass endeavor ,” he quipped .
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