BASS FISHINGBass Fishing Sports Blog

The two fishermen had a five-fish limit totaling 18.35 pounds, anchored with a 7.39-pound bass, the big fish of the day. they received $9,550 for first place, but their earnings didn’t stop there. they collected an additional $3,000 for huge-fish honors and for being participants in the Skeeter REAL MONEY program, which awards cash incentives to registered Skeeter boat owners.

Todd Harris of Pfafftown and Orlando Giles of Lexington finished 12th in the competition with 11.58 pounds and received $440.

Other scores were Eric and Darren Jeter, second, with 15.29 pounds, winning $4,000; Bucky Helms and Jason Wilson, third, with 14.30 pounds, winning $2,500; Pat Tierney of Denver and Maurice Freeze of Concord, fourth, with 13.99 pounds, winning $1,800; Randy Childers and Scott Sellars, fifth, with 13.01 pounds, winning $1,200; Rodney Sorrell of Pleasant Garden and Gary Wade of Greensboro, sixth, with 12.38 pounds, winning $875; and Larry and Milton Yancey, seventh, with 12.30 pounds, winning $650.

Completing the top 10 were Don Poteat of Morganton and John Allen, eighth, with 11.91 pounds for $600; Stacey Richards and Brian Triplett, ninth, with 11.79 pounds for $550; and Roger Hoover of Mooresville and Scott Hamrick of Denver, 10th, with 11.73 pounds for $500.

David and Debbie Lucas of Randleman won the April 21 Tarheel Striper Club tournament at Lake Tillery with three striped bass weighing 23.55 pounds.

Ronnie Cook and Mike Mize placed second with three stripers totaling 20.85 pounds. Coy Hamilton of Lexington and Patrick Hamilton had three fish that went 15.15 pounds.

Other top finishers were Robert Steele of Lexington and David Woodard of Charlotte, fourth, with three fish weighing 13.80 pounds; Jay Childress, Blake Phillips, and Landon Lancaster ranked fifth with three fish going 12.90 pounds.

Steve Shoe and Joe George took huge-fish honors with an 11.10-pound striper.

Sherri Caster caught a tagged crappie worth $500 in the Hill’s Minnow Farm Crappie Roundup at High Rock Lake that runs through May 15.

Winners of $25 in cash or merchandise include Neng Yang, bill Eller, John Carlton, Jason Smith, Robert Ross, Nancy Summer, Amanda Stiller, Jimmy Leonard, Chic Suggs, Eric Honeycutt, Billy Goodman, Brian Bailey, and William Hunter.

Giles and Joey Musgrave of Southmont won Saturday’s Yadkin Tournaments at High Rock Lake contest with a five-fish limit weighing a stout 23.50 pounds and collected $520. Their catch was bolstered with a 6.20-pound bass.

“We had only seven bites,” said Giles, who fished the upper reaches of High Rock Lake.

Steve Sink of Winston-Salem and Tony Foster of Lexington placed second with a five-fish limit totaling 21.70 pounds and shared $270.

Tom File and Thomas Ludwick, both of Salisbury, ranked third with 19.76 pounds, winning $164. Mike Miller fished solo and placed fourth with 18.57 pounds that paid $110. the Lexington team of David Wright and Chris Brown took the fifth-place prize of $95 with 18.28 pounds.

Bobby Lovings of Salisbury received $123.50 for a 6.85-pound bass, the big fish of the day.

Most of the quality bass were caught upriver on this windy, cold day with temperatures in the upper 50s instead of the lower 70s as forecast.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission joins the National Safety Boating Council in support of National Safe Boating Week, May 19-25, with the emphasis upon urging boaters to wear a life vest.

Nearly three-fourths of all boating fatalities in 2010 were caused by drowning. Eighty-eight percent of those deaths involved persons not wearing a personal flotation device.

“Wearing a life vest is one of the most effective and simplest life-saving strategies for safe boating,” said Major Chris Huebner, the Commission’s state boating safety coordinator. State and federal regulations require that a Type I, II, or III PFD be accessible to each person onboard a recreational craft, and N.C. law requires children younger than 13 to wear an appropriate life vest whenever they are on a moving recreational boat. All personal watercraft riders and passengers are also required to wear life vests.

Tony Garitta is a fishing columnist for the Dispatch.

The weekly fishing report highlights the best Bay Area angling opportunities. Go to norcalfishingnews.com for reports from more than 100 waters from 12 regions. For regular updates, join the NorCal Fishing News Facebook page.

ANDERSON: Bass bite is good. Concentrate on points using Roboworms, Senkos or A-rigs with three- to five-inch swimbaits. Start shallow and work the lure back to 15 feet. Crappie are in the south end. (408) 927-9144, (408) 463-0711

BERRYESSA: Bass fishing is quite good here. Bass are five to 10 feet of water all over the lake. Jigs, plastics and tubes will work. (707) 255-5544, (916) 502-3474

CALERO: use jigs or plastics on the main lake in 20 feet of water. use swimbaits shallow in coves. Crappie are near the dam or launch ramp. (408) 268-3883, (408) 463-0711

CHABOT: The lake has cleared and fishing has been good. Ken Cruz had the big fish of the week with a 9.8 pound trout caught from half Moon Bay with Power Eggs. best spots have been half Moon Bay and the Burner. A seven pounder was caught last week near the Burner. A trout plant of 1,000 pounds went in Wednesday. The Fish for Life Trout Derby is underway and $5 gets you in. Derby runs through may 15. (510) 247-2526

CHESBRO: Bass bite is honest. use jigs or drop shots off main lake points. Crappie are near the dam. use mini-jigs or small to medium minnows. (408) 358-3741, (408) 463-0711

CONTRA LOMA: Fishing has been so-so. Trout are biting at the East side or Channel Point dock. big fish of the week were caught by Wilson DelaCruz who landed a 7.2 pound trout at Channel Point and Rodger Davis with a 5.5 pound trout fooled by a gray and white rooster tail at the left side of swim area. (510) 544-3154

COYOTE: Work the dam with jigs or swimbaits. For crappie, fish shallow points on the main lake. (408) 463-0711

DEL VALLE: Trout bite remains strong and the smallmouth bass bite is picking up. Trout bite is good at the East Beach, Swallow Bay, Narrows and the dam. Power Bait (chartreuse, yellow or orange) or nightcrawlers works well for bank anglers. Trollers use Kastmasters or Rapalas. Bass are taking nightcrawlers in Heron Bay, Swallow Bay or the Narrows. (925) 449-5201

LAFAYETTE: South side of the lake has the best trout action. Nightcrawlers and Power Bait work best. The OSCC Trout Derby will be held Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $25 adults, $10 for children and includes a tri-tip lunch and fishing pass. Register in advance at (925) 372-6622. (925) 284-9669

LOCH LOMOND: Bass fishing has been up-and-down. Topwater lures have been working best as bass are cruising the shoreline where food is being pushed into the lake with runoff from the hills. A good day is two to three bass per day. A handful of large bass to (five pounds plus) were caught over the weekend. Surface temperature is 58 degrees. (831) 335-7424, Scott (831) 335-2586

LOS VAQUEROS: Striper bite has been good. An 18 pound striper was caught Monday by Sonny Pham of San Jose near the boat ramp. Most fish have been five to seven pounds. A plant of trout went in Wednesday. (925) 371-2628

QUARRY LAKES: Trout bite has slowed. best spots are Peninsula Point and Peninsula Row. big fish of the week a 7.3 pound trout caught by Brian Suarez of Union City from Peninsula Point with rainbow Power Bait. (510) 544-3130

SAN PABLO RESERVOIR: Water clarity has improved and trolling is getting better. Scow Canyon, Main Recereation Area and the Pines are the hot spots. Shore anglers use Power Bait with garlic. Nightcrawlers get trout. Trollers use orange Rapalas. (510) 223-1661

SHADOW CLIFFS: Trout bite is consistent, if not red hot. A plant went in Monday and that has improved the bite. big fish of the week was caught by Ricky Rivera of Fremont, who caught a nine pound trout with nightcrawlers from the shore. Bass are active in the back lakes. some weigh four to five pounds. (510) 544-3230

UVAS: Bass are near the dam and off points with jigs, dropshots and shallow-running crankbaits. (408) 463-0711

FRANK’S TRACT: Black bass are on spawning beds in Frank’s Tract. best tactic is drop-shotting a six-inch Roboworm, Senko or throw a spinnerbait. Average size is three pounds. Schoolie stripers and fish to 40 pounds are in Frank’s Tract, Mildred Slough and big Break. The Alabama rig has been catching more striped bass than black bass. (925) 625-2441

RIO VISTA: some are trolling, some are baitfishing and both are getting stripers in the 20- to 24-inch range. best spots have been from Sherman, Miner Slough and Steamboat Slough. Blood worms, piles worms and grass shrimp are good baits. (707) 374-2372, (916) 777-6498

TRACY: big fish of the week was a 14 pound striped bass caught in the Grant Line Canal. Otherwise, black bass fishing has been very good. last week’s Turkey Shoot brought a winning back of 27.23 pounds with a big fish weighing 6.52 pounds. Spinnerbaits and Lucky Craft BDS3 accounted for the fish. (209) 835-3182

BERKELEY: Shoreline angling has been good at Point Pinole. Seven sturgeon were landed Monday. Pile worms are the hot bait. Striped bass (18 to 20 inches) are being caught. Halibut bite hasn’t taken off. Salmon boats out of Berkeley have been — Sunday, four to 10 fish per boat. Monday had 11 anglers had 14 fish and four were better than 20. biggest was 22 at the islands. Tuesday four for 12 they found clear water, no fish — scores have fluctuated fantastic. (510) 235-2032, (510) 849-3333, (510) 223-5388, (707) 334-4827

CAPITOLA: Private boats are going to both the east and west ends of Soquel Hole and getting salmon. Salmon are 15 to 18 pounds. Fish are scattered from 40 feet to 150 feet deep. There are a few perch being caught from the pier. (831) 462-2208

EMERYVILLE: Boats haven’t been out since Sunday. The Tigerfish and New Seeker combined for 15 salmon to 15 pounds for 40 anglers. (510) 654-6040

MONTEREY: Salmon bite has been strong. Party boats come back with one to 1-1/2 per rod. Salmon are averaging 10 pounds but there have been 20 pound fish. Boats are going north of Moss Landing. (831) 375-5951; (831) 372-7440

SANTA CRUZ: The Velocity enjoyed a good morning bite on Sunday, hooking 35 salmon to 17 pounds for 35 by 11 a.m. (831) 662-3020; (831) 427-2334

SAN FRANCISCO: Halibut bite has begun in the south bay. Five were caught Tuesday. biggest was 28 pounds. Fish are spread from Brisbane to Oyster Point. Frozen anchovies or sardines are the bait. (650) 589-3474

SAN PABLO BAY: There’s new leader in the Lord of the Sea striper/halibut derby. It’s an 18 pound halibut caught near Red Rock. It passed a 14 pound halibut caught from the Paradise Pier. Sturgeon are plentiful. It’s harder to avoid the crabs than find the sturgeon. A pair of anglers on Sunday had seven sturgeon, five shakers and two keepers, while fishing in the teeth of a southerly wind between the Pumphouse and Sonoma Creek. (415) 456-0321

SUISUN BAY: Oversized sturgeon are becoming common. Craig Paulsen of Martinez caught and released a 73-inch 100-pounder. Olivia Ortega caught a 65 inch, 71-pound sturgeon. Paulsen’s was hooked on the incoming tide at Seal Island. Ortega caught hers on the outgoing tide at the Glomar. Buoy 2 and the big cut also are good spots. Garnet Point has been a good spot for striped bass. (925) 229-9420, (916) 777-6498

The Bay Area Fish Report is compiled by Tim Goode for the Bay Area News Group.

Capt. Jeff Walters has spent most of his life boating and fishing in the lakes of the Tennessee River system. “Boating has always been my pleasure activity,” the 69-year-ancient mechanical engineer said, “so when I retired from industry, I chose to make boating my second career.”

Walters, a US Coast Guard-licensed captain who started Tennessee River Towing and Salvage as a part-time enterprise several years ago, joined the nationwide TowBoatUS towing program last fall, with the opening of TowBoatUS Fort Loudon/Tellico Lake. now he and his towboat are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help boaters, sailors and anglers get safely home whenever they have distress on the water. “Joining up with BoatUS means I can offer boaters on Tellico and Fort Loudon Lakes better and more affordable service,” Walters said. Much like an auto club for boaters, TowBoatUS offers on-the-water towing plans for freshwater boaters and anglers for just $58 a year, which includes BoatUS or BoatUS Angler membership. “It’s really a bargain,” Walters said. “Without a membership, boaters pay $200 per hour for a towboat when their boats break down around here.” The national average for out-of-pocket costs is $600 per incident. When it comes to helping other boaters, Walters is a pro. He joined the Coast Guard right after college and spent six years as a small boat captain doing harbor patrols and search-and-rescue work, plus one tour of duty on an icebreaker. while he doesn’t expect to see any ice on the Tennessee lakes and is not an emergency rescue service, his other Coast Guard experiences will come in handy when he heads out for an help. His boat, a 21-foot Stratos with a 225-horsepower Mercury outboard, is fully equipped for most any kind of boater help, with a huge aluminum towing bit, state-of-the-art electronics, dewatering pumps, extra fuel and two “jump packs” to handle dead batteries. It is simple to recognize with its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes, and “TowBoatUS” lettering along its side. Home base is at mile marker 603 on the Tennessee River at Fort Loudon Marina in Lenoir City. This new TowBoatUS port will provide service to boaters on Fort Loudon Lake from Knoxville to Fort Loudon Dam, all of Tellico Lake and the northernmost 20 miles of Watts Bar Lake south of Fort Loudon Dam. These lakes are well loved bass fishing and recreational boating waters, filled with all kinds of boats from personal watercraft, to fishing boats, sailboats, 35-foot cruisers and even a few houseboats. Boaters can contact TowBoatUS Fort Loudon/Tellico Lake by calling 865-399-2290, calling the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869, or hailing on VHF 16. To see the location on a map, go to BoatUS.com/ftloudontellicolake . TowBoatUS Fort Loudon/Tellico Lake is part of the world’s largest boat towing program with over 600 towboats servicing hundreds of ports and waterways. Towing is just one service offered by BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its half-million members with government representation, consumer programs and money-saving services. for more information go to BoatUS.com/towing  or call 800-888-4869.

DU honorees: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission commissioner Ron Bergeron received the 2012 Man of the Year award from the Fort Lauderdale chapter of Ducks Unlimited for his efforts to protect the Everglades and for his support of the chapter’s Greenwing youth program. Schiller Martin, who started the Fort Lauderdale DU chapter in 1972, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Park comments: March 31 is the deadline to comment on Everglades National Park’s Snake Bight Pole and Troll Zone project, which restricts the use of outboard motors in the area. Comments can be submitted online by going to parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkID=374&projectId=28305 and clicking on the “Open For Comment” link.

Junior event: Junior Ranger Day is March 31 at Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park and big Cypress National Preserve. Activities include a free guided tram ride for kids and their families at the Shark Valley Visitor Center. Visit nps.gov/ever/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm.

Bass tournament: the fourth King of the Glades Open Team Series qualifying tournament is April 1 out of Everglades Holiday Park. Entry fee is $75 per boat. Register at the ramp starting at 4 a.m. Contact Mike Lendl at 954-393-5596 or or visit kingoftheglades.com.

Snook talk: Capt. Justin Lambert of Jupiter presents “Targeting Springtime Snook on fly and Light Tackle” at 7 p.m. April 4 at the West Palm Beach Fishing Club, 201 Fifth Street. Call 561-832-6780 or visit westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.

Birding tour: the South Florida Water Management District and the Audubon Society of the Everglades have a public bird-watching tour April 7 at Stormwater Treatment Area 1 East in Wellington. Meet at the STA entrance on Flying Cow Road, just south of Southern Boulevard. For reservations contact Linda Humphries at 561-742-7791 or . For information visit auduboneverglades.org.

Yard sale: the West Palm Beach Fishing Club has its annual Marine Yard Sale from 7 a.m.-noon April 14 at its clubhouse at 201 Fifth Street. Items include rods and reels, anchors, dock lines, gaffs, cast nets, landing nets, lures, Bimini tops, propellers, tackle boxes and even a fighting chair. the event is free and open to the public. Proceeds benefit the Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation. Visit westpalmbeachfishingclub.org or call 561-832-6780.

The Midmar Shore, Boat and Kick Boat Bass Classic is coming up on the 6 & 7 April 2012. there are incredible prizes up for grabs and you need to enter before the 23 March in order to get a cap. there are different divisions and formats that will be up on the ECR blog later today. to enter please visit walkingraces.co.za or call Clayton on 082 332 5032 and accommodation is available – please visit kznwildlife.com for details. Format:(2-day) R100 per shore angler,(2-day) R150-00 per boat angler (Huge Fish only). inc a cap enter before 23 March 2012(2-day) R150-00 per Kick Boat angler (Huge Fish only). inc a cap enter before 23 March 2012.                                                   (2 day) R300-00 per Team = Team Prize & huge Fish inc. inc a Cap enter before 23March 2012; (KICK BOATS  ANGLERS ONLY).                                                    Prizes as follows:         top 10 largest fish and ladies/Junior largest fish kickboat, Top 3 teams heaviest bag Kickboat only, all sponsord goodies. 

Today please remember that you can visit Decorex Durban at the Durban Exhibition Centre in order to vote for your favourite Man Cave and support worthy charities. If you vote for our very own Darren Maule you will be supporting the blacktip shark research project, otherwise you can support surski champ Barry Lewin and Martin Dreyer’s change a life foundation or top surfer Dane Patterson and the Umthombo Street Children – otherwise vote for rugby star Ryan Kankowski and LIV Village. For details please visit decorex.co.za

 For Anglers: the Kingfisher guys reported that a number of shad and kingfish have been coming out in Durban. in Toti there have been some shad in the early morning, so its best to get down to the beach early if you want to spin for shad. In Umkomaas shoal size kob and some brown skates have been landed.

The SW wind has come through which should sort out the bumpy seas that we had with yesterday’s onshores. The SW wind is expected to drop off over the course of the day and swing to a SE. Temperatures will peak at around 26 degrees, have a excellent one!

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It’s been a Rockford tradition for 41 years, and this weekend’s Boat, Vacation and Fishing Show at the Indoor Sports Center is starting to reel in big numbers and bounce back from the effects of a down economy.

“In the past four years there have been a lot of lookers and I reckon everybody was just worried to spend the money, but this year we’re seeing a major difference. There’s a lot of enthusiasm and boats are being bought”, says Showtime Production’s Duane Nichols.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are expected to be spent at this year’s expo, and that doesn’t include the money spent on hotels, restaurants and businesses from those staying in town for the event. Organizers hope the effects of the show don’t stop there, giving local businesses a chance to develop a loyal customer base moving forward.

Bass-ett Baits owner Tim Hamilton says, “I reckon that’s part of being here, the longer you are here, the people are going to come and see you more. you always see new people. I’ve felt and we have seen that the dollar value is up, so they are spending more personally at this show that I have seen.”

More than 15,000 people are expected to come through the gates at this year’s expo and while businesses are seeing more people buy compared to years past, the boom in sales could be thanks to an outside source.

“The problem was the banks. the banks are loosening up now so people are getting financed again. if someone put a deposit down on a boat, it was a very hard time trying to get them financed”, says owner of Fox Lake Harbor, Warren Moulis.

The show wraps up Sunday February 19th at the Indoor Sports Center from 11 am to 5 pm.

January 27, 2012

COASTWIDE – Heavy winds are forecast to ease Saturday into some possibly decent conditions for early-morning bottomfishing for black rockfish and lingcod. however, the forecast can change dramatically, so locals can keep an eye on river bars for small trips outside, but it’s not likely worth a coastal trip for inlanders.

Ocean crabbing conditions remain poor and hazardous. Dungeness not only will be moving out of estuaries, they also will be skirting away from river mouths until estuary salinity levels improve after the flood surges abate. Crab meat condition is brilliant now and the entire Oregon Coast is open for crabbing.

The marine aggregate limit in Oregon is seven rockfish a day. New for 2012 is a rule that bans cabezon harvest until April.

Lingcod fishing has been brilliant when anglers can get out. look for lingcod to be around kelp beds and near jetties when the ocean subsides enough for jigging. the lingcod limit is two a day with a 22-inch minimum, and that is separate from the marine aggregate.

For clamming, the entire coast is open. the next minus tide series is Feb. 5-9 starting in the afternoons. Watch for sneaker waves.

BROOKINGS – the bar has been rough and at times closed this past week thanks to heavy flows in the Chetco River and surf surge during recent storms. if locals are able to sneak out Saturday morning, look for black rockfish and lingcod at near-shore rock piles and off the south jetty.

COOS BAY – Crabbing had been poor in the estuary and will remain so until a few days after heavy freshwater inflows subside. Sturgeon fishing is slow.

Lingcod jigging near Cape Arago had been very good when the weather allows. Black rockfish catches had been good along the inside of the north jetty, but look for poor fishing conditions well into next week.

Clamming has been a bust around Charleston during the current storm surges.

WINCHESTER BAY – Sturgeon fishing had improved below the Highway 101 bridge, but sturgeon fishing conditions will be poor well into next week. Crabbing had improved in the triangle area, but look for poor Dungeness catches into next week because of high water in the estuary.

AGATE – a batch of legal-sized and larger trout was stocked for the winter trout fishery. look for good fishing for them around the lower section of the lake when the weather calms down. the lake is 31 percent full. Worms or PowerBait will be best. No gas motors are allowed. Small electric motors are legal.

APPLEGATE – Heavy inflows from this week’s storms will turn trout off the bite for a while until things settle down. the facilities at Hart-Tish Park are closed and the low-water ramp at French Gulch is open and usable, as is the Copper ramp. for winter trout fishing, troll Triple Teasers or Wedding Ring lures with worms. Bass fishing was slow.

EMIGRANT – the lake is 50 percent full, and rainbow trout are available. Troll slowly with Triple Teasers or Wedding Ring lures with worms, or use PowerBait from the bank.

A standing public-health advisory continues about eating all but trout from the lake because of elevated mercury levels.

HOWARD PRAIRIE – the lake is closed for the season.

HYATT – the lake is closed for the season.

DIAMOND – the lake is closed for the season.

EXPO – Fishing is honest for stocked rainbow trout with Panther Martin lures, PowerBait and worms under bobbers.

LOST CREEK – the lake has risen about nine feet in the past two weeks as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers starts filling the reservoir while keeping an eye on inflows during recent storms. the trout bite will be slow until the water clears and water levels steady. When they do, trolling will be best near the face of the dam and upstream of Peyton Bridge near the top of the reservoir. Worms on Wedding Ring lures trolled slowly at varied depths often work well, especially with small flashers. the boat ramp at Stewart State Park is now usable. the Takelma ramp near the dam also is open, but it can be hard to maneuver large boats and trailers there.

LAKE of the WOODS – the lake’s ice is unsafe for ice fishing, and about half of the lake has open water.

FISH – the boat ramp remains accessible, and the lake is primarily ice-free.

WILLOW – Fishing is honest for legal-sized and larger rainbow trout stocked there earlier this year. Troll deep and slow, or fish PowerBait off the bottom. Access to the county boat ramp is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ROGUE – the far upper Rogue was fishable for winter steelhead Thursday, and the middle Rogue was on the cusp of what could have been good winter steelhead fishing conditions Thursday, but rains were bringing muddy water down to the Grants Pass area. the lower Rogue was turning on for plunkers using Spin-Glo’s in water two to three feet deep and close to the bank, but that option could wash out if turbidity from upstream doesn’t settle out as it moves through the Lower Rogue Canyon.

That leaves a mixed best bet. for the immediate future, it’s the far upper Rogue upstream of Elk Creek in search of early winter steelhead moving through. a few dozen winter steelhead have hit the Cole Rivers Hatchery trap and fresh fish are on their way. Fish slower water along the inside turns of gravel bars and at tailouts because these steelhead will be moving and not holding. Plugs should out-fish roe for the foreseeable future, but look for soaked yarn balls to fish well as water drops and the steelhead slow down.

Conditions in the upper Rogue were marginal Thursday, with flows of almost 2,100 cubic feet per second out of Lost Creek Dam. By the time you get to Dodge Bridge at Highway 234, the flows were up to 5,360 cfs. but the key statistics for Thursday on the upper Rogue were at the old Gold Ray Dam site, where the flow was more than 6,000 cfs and the turbidity was listed at 22 NTUs and rising. That’s too dark for decent winter steelhead fishing. When that number gets below 14 NTUs, then the rest of the upper Rogue should turn on for steelhead.

In the middle Rogue, the turbidity level was listed Thursday at 14.3 NTUs, and the plunkers started getting some action. look for the middle Rogue to pull into fishable shape as early as Sunday, depending upon how much new rain hits through today. When it does, plunkers and side-planers should see action in shallow water at Griffin Park, near the mouth of the Applegate River and elsewhere.

The lower Rogue was hot for plunkers Wednesday and Thursday from Agness all the way down to Huntley Park in water three-feet deep and shallower. but the muddy water headed downstream threatens that success. Boat anglers stayed off the water this past week.

APPLEGATE – the river was up and rolling Thursday as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers looked to dump some of the past week’s water capture, with releases at 1,300 cfs. the fish trap at the base of Applegate Dam has not yet been opened. When the water drops, fish for winter steelhead with spoons, and worms with watermelon corkies.

All wild steelhead must be released unharmed, and there is no fishing from a floating device.

UMPQUA – the North Umpqua is way up and out of shape for winter steelhead fishing, as is the South Umpqua and mainstem Umpqua. When the South Umpqua drops and clears, look for some good winter steelhead catches in the lower half of the river, but don’t be surprised if some fish make it far up into the system some time next week. Fishing will be best by side-drifting roe along the inside turns of gravel bars and tailouts. all wild steelhead must be released unharmed.

CHETCO – the Chetco was up to 12,000 cfs Thursday, and flows will yo-yo for the next few days. Plunkers could find some brilliant catches once the water starts to drop significantly. the river’s turbidity is OK, but look for plunking to really take off once flows drop below 8,000 cfs.

ILLINOIS – Winter steelhead fishing conditions should be good by Sunday based on forecasts, and plenty of winter steelhead should be available. Side-drifting yarn balls should be good. No bait is allowed. Anglers may keep one wild steelhead a day and five per year.

ELK/SIXES – Both rivers were way up and out of shape for winter steelhead fishing this week. the Elk’s water clarity remained good, but flows were too high for most fishing. When they drop into shape, these rivers both will fish well for winter steelhead. Anglers can keep one wild steelhead a day and up to five per season on either river.

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Early sign-ups for the Lake County Chamber of Commerce (formally Holder Ford) bass tournament scheduled for March 17-18 open at 9 a.m. on Monday at the Lake County Chamber office in Lakeport, 875 Lakeport Blvd. The blast-off numbers for the first day of the tournament are issued in the order fishermen sign up.

Entry forms are available at all local tackle shops as well as at the chamber office. The entry fee for the tournament is $150 and there is a $50 huge-fish option. For more information call the chamber office at 263-5092 or the Tackle it tackle shop at 262-1233.

The fishing forecast for Clear Lake is beginning to sound like a broken record. “Keep moving and use either an Alabama Rig with swimbaits or jumbo minnows.” Really the past week has seen so few fishermen out on the lake that it’s hard to get an accurate report. in fact, so far this winter the number of fishermen on the lake is at a record low. Even the fishing guides have been booking few trips. that should all change this weekend as two bass tournaments are scheduled.

What is considered a successful day on the lake? Most fishermen say if you’re lucky enough to catch five or six bass it has been a very good day, but, a few fishermen have had 25-fish days. The trick is to keep moving until you locate a school of bass. that means dozens of casts before you get a strike.

What is surprising is that despite the low lake level in the north end of the lake a few of the fishermen have been successful and that means catching bass in less than 3 feet of water. The official lake level is 2.32 feet Rumsey. The normal for this time of the year is 3.67 feet, which means the lake level is 15 inches below normal. Bass are also being caught near Shag Rock, Anderson Island and Monitor Island. The Clear Lake Bassmasters held a club tournament on Saturday and out of seven boats only two bass were caught. Most of the fishermen said they didn’t get a single bite.

Cold water has been a factor in the slow fishing. The water temperatures have been starting out at 42 degrees in the mornings and only rising a couple of degrees by late afternoon. It’s a well-known fact that bass, such as other fish, adapt to their surroundings. when the water temperature decreases, the metabolism of a fish slows down. whereas fish won’t feed as much or as often when the water is warm, they still eat. this is illustrated by the condition of the bass that are being caught. They have been stout and healthy.

Angler’s Choice will hold a team tournament Saturday and American Bass will hold one Sunday. The weigh-ins for both tournaments are at Konocti Vista Casino starting at 3 p.m.

Lake County residents will be happy to know that the written test required to obtain a quagga mussel sticker for your watercraft has been suspended until further notice.

Catfish action is rated fair for the few fishermen out after them. A few catfish are being caught off the docks at Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven. One angler reported catching three catfish near Shag Rock. Cut bait has been the top producer. there are still no crappie and very few bluegill. A bass fisherman did report catching a 2-pound-plus crappie on a drop-shot near Henderson Point.

Trout are being caught at Upper Blue Lake. Trollers rigging a nightcrawler behind a set of flashers are having most of the success. Fishermen report getting a lot of bites for the few fish they really catch. A few bank anglers are scoring using salmon eggs or bait balls. Bass action has been slow.

A sleeper could be a trip to Indian Valley Reservoir. The lake has seen few fishermen the past few weeks and the lake level has been holding steady. this would be a good time to target smallmouth bass along the rip-rap at the dam. The only problem is that it has been bitterly cold at the lake.

Waterfowl hunters go into their final two weeks of the season (it closes Jan. 28) and the hunting has improved slightly at the refuges in the Sacramento Valley. Most of the public shoot areas are averaging about two birds per hunter. Teal and gadwalls are making up most of the bag. Hunting at Clear Lake remains very slow.

OUR LOCAL baseball heroes may have been skunked last season, but 2011 was still a year of giants. some of the largest fish ever seen of multiple species were caught in local and West Coast waters in 2011, from Bay sevengill sharks to blue water tuna to brilliant late-season salmon off the Marin Coast.

Happily, the largest fish of them all is still out there. it was caught last spring by Sean Treacy, now a party boat captain of the Mini-Me, and may be one of the largest sturgeon ever pulled to the side of a boat by a sport angler south of Oregon. Treacy hooked the fish — described in the Marin IJ in April — near the Pumphouse. after a two-hour fight on 80-pound-test line, he roughly measured it at almost 13 feet long and guessed it weighed close to 1,000 pounds. after a few grainy cell phone photos, he unhooked the fish and let it go.

Later, on July 1, an angler named Francisco Rivera, of Camarillo caught a California halibut fully four times larger than the average jackpot-winning flattie caught on local party boats. it weighed 67 pounds and became a new state sport fishing record. Two days later, the same boat, Mirage, landed a whopping 59-pounder. Each halibut was landed off of Santa Rosa Island.

In recent years we’ve watched white sea bass make an exciting comeback, keeping a strong summer-fall presence in Monterey Bay and even, at times, just off the south Marin Pacific coast, especially near Point Bonita and sometimes in Tomales Bay. these are huge fish — often averaging 30 to 40 pounds — and in 2011, some right giants were caught. in April, a 76-pounder was taken near San Diego — a new record at the time. but in October, Justin Barry reset the record with a 79-pounder caught in Monterey Bay. White sea bass have staged a revival due in large part to a breeding program in San Diego, and we may hope that this fishery continues to grow and prosper in 2012 and beyond.

In the striped bass sector, rumors of 40-plus pounders in 2011 came from the reed-riddled shorelines of northern San Pablo Bay — but the largest striper verified, according to Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Bait Shop, was 32.5 pounds. Nice fish — but “huge” for a California striper is one thing; “huge” back east is entirely different. consider Rhode Island, where last June Peter Vican caught a 77-pounder.

Incidentally, a few Marin anglers have been informally discussing the thought of placing a maximum size limit on striped bass with the thought of better preserving the breeding population. It’s a thoughtful gesture, though the Department of Fish and Game is probably not likely to consider imposing such a regulation given that it’s busy enough really trying to eliminate the species from state waters, as was reported in November.

And if size doesn’t matter, then sheer numbers must — and anglers may take solace in the fact that salmon numbers are up. The ocean season was a smash in 2011, especially late in the summer as the real smokers — many in the 40-pound-range — fattened up in their final weeks of life at sea, and by all accounts, next year is expected to be just as spectacular.

In more current events, the sturgeon bite has gone wild again in San Pablo Bay. at each round of extreme tides this happens, and, more than any other local angler, it seems, San Rafael’s Sean Daugherty has mastered the trick of hooking these fish. last weekend, on Friday and Saturday, he and a couple of friends caught 16 sturgeon as long as 79 inches. All were released. in a few days the first extreme tidal cycle of 2012 arrives — so, if last week may tell us anything about the next, buy some mud shrimp and hold onto your rods.

Alastair Bland is a Ba

y Area fisherman. Send him tales, photos or video to or call the IJ sports desk at 382-7206. Check out his blog at blogs.marinij.com/fishing_in_marin/

Posted September 29 2011 – 10:02 PM

Names Chris. I've been bass fishing seriously(as seriously as a broke college student without a boat can…) for about 3 years now. My interest in fishing has spiked recently, and I've chose to place other activities and money aside to get more serious about his leisure activity. I've been reading alot about the "logistics" and methods around catchin' bass lately, which lead me to this site. I'm a member of several gun forums, and that information has proved helpful, so I thought that would also apply here.Been fishing forever, but getting on a few of my buddies bass boats has given me the "itch" as they say. I can see this becoming an addiction Looking to get a boat soon(start cheap and upgrade over the next year and a half as money builds up), so ill probably be asking about that alot (ill try and avoid the "which should i buy" questions). I feel like I have a excellent grip on tactics and presentation and can read conditions well, but their is always more to learn.I look forward to learning here and hopefully giving some information back when i can. ThanksChris