BASS FISHINGBass Fishing Sports Blog

By Peter Ottesen may 09, 2012 12:00 AM

Striped bass in various sizes, depending on the school, range 3 to 4 pounds and 9 to 12 pounds. Occasionally, fish to 17 pounds are in the mix.

Angling appears to be best on the San Joaquin River side in favorite haunts such as three Mile Slough, old River Flats, in a stretch of the main river from Eddo’s to the Antioch Bridge and into the central Delta along Potato Slough.

Trollers run mainly deep-divers in Georgiana Slough, Mokelumne River and along three Mile Slough and the area known as “peacocks.”

Some boaters graph schools and drop spoons and jigs for nonstop action.

On the anchor, threadfin shad, shrimp and pile worms are key baits on the main San Joaquin River and on the Sacramento River side along Sandy Beach Regional Park, West Bank, Decker Island, Horseshoe and Collinsville – all below Rio Vista.

Black bass fishing is good, too, with wacky-rigged plastics, swimbaits in the bluegill pattern and crankbaits in chartreuse and crawdad orange colors. The so-called “reaction baits” will draw the most action, mainly 2- to 3-pound largemouth, and the occasional double digit bass goes for plastics and swimbaits.

Near Pittsburg, shrimpbaits target both striped bass and sturgeon at the same time. Some limits reported on both species over the weekend during the minus tide.

Ocean - Rock cod fishing opened may 1 with a bang for charters south of Pigeon Point, with 10-fish limits reported by Santa Cruz and Monterey harbors. The heavy wind scattered salmon, reducing the take to less than one per rod. Pods of krill keep showing outside Fort Ord, so when the wind ceases, salmon fishing should improve.

The best salmon action is 13 miles out from Half Moon Bay, reported Roger Thomas of Salty Lady Sportfishing. After being forced to the dock since may 2, boats ran Sunday to claim better than a king per rod. Average size is 9 to 12 pounds, up to 34 pounds. Bodega Bay was hampered by a strong northwest wind and scores plummeted, except for private skiffs that stayed close to port. Mark the calendar: Rock cod fishing opens north of Pigeon Point on June 1.

San Pablo Bay – Pretty subdued by wind, holding down what should have been a banner weekend for sturgeon. Halibut fishing is slow, though the occasional 12-pounder is hooked on live minnows at Paradise. At the top of the tide, worm-tailed jigs produce small-sized striped bass along San Quentin, the brickyards and Marin Islands. good news: The pesky crabs have vacated the shallows, according to Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Live Bait in San Rafael.

American – Ron Halvorson at Thornton Road Bait reports thick schools of shad holding above Discovery Park, near the confluence of the Sacramento River. in fact, shad have went all the way to Paradise Beach and Watt Avenue.

Feather – The lower part yields no end to striped bass to 12 pounds, mainly on bait and live jumbo minnows. Shad are at the mouth of the Feather and up through Shanghai Bend near Yuba City.

Sacramento – Freeport Bait reports very good shad fishing at the bridge, brickyards and Miller Park. School-sized stripers are in the same stretch, getting after pile worms and minnows.

Amador – Trout fishing for 3- to 12-pound trophies is solid, especially for boaters who either troll or dunk bait in the Carson Creek arm.

Camanche – More consistent for largemouth bass than trout. Chartreuse crankbaits or green-brown plastics take loads of bass, mainly in the shallows. Trollers run 25 to 30 feet down for rainbows averaging 18 inches.

Frenchman – Very good for high plateau rainbows to 18 inches. Flat tubers do well with green or black wooly buggers. Trollers pulled flashers and nightcrawlers while bank anglers toss Power Bait. Campgrounds such as Frenchman, Chilcoot, Huge Springs and Huge Cove are open. Fishing the stream below the dam is wide open.

Hogan - Bruce Hamby of Sierra Sportfishing is hooking 3- to 5-pound striped bass – about three per rod – slow-rolling shad pre-soaked in Pro Cure oil. he calls the bite “consistent.”

McClure – King salmon, 14 to 20 inches, bite well from the A-Frame to Temperance Bay, down 40 to 80 feet. Shad and anchovies do the number.

New Melones – Kokanee, 11 to 14 inches, are starting to perk, but the bite is anything but red hot. Trout to 3 1/2 pounds have pulled away from the shore and went into deeper environs. Rainbows respond to trollers, 10 to 30 feet down. Spotted bass action is nonstop in the shallows on soft plastics and Senkos worked “wacky” or “drop shot.” Reaction baits are very productive, as well. Free fishing seminars are held at 1 p.m. Sundays at Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp.

Pardee – Water is pouring from the dam to generate hydroelectric power. Trollers work hard to hook a mix of small-sized rainbows and kokanee, pulling an Uncle Larry’s Spinner tipped with corn. Buoy lines at the dam and south end seem best. Rare double-digit largemouth bass are hooked on plastics using the drop-shot method.

Pinecrest – Water is low but boats can launch. Fish and Game is stocking catchable-sized trout weekly. Shoreline casting or drifting in a boat with Power Bait is all it takes.

Silver – Field scout Bill Schwartz said this drive-to lake off Highway 88 is ice-free and beautiful, but roads around the picturesque impoundment haven’t been plowed. Nearby Caples Lake is fishable, as well.

Spicer – The Forest Service road is open, though the boat docks still aren’t in place. The water level is low. Field scouts Steve and Bonnie Lucero strung limits of rainbows to 17 inches off the bank this week, dunking Power Bait. Float tubers pull wooly bugger flies for quick limits. The average trout measures 13 to 14 inches, with a heavy girth.

White Pines – Literally stuffed with catchable-sized trout, reachable from the shore. The annual “One Glide” fishing contest is Saturday, sponsored by the Calaveras fly Fishing Club. Proceeds support scholarships for Bret Harte High students. to sign up, contact White Pine Sporting Goods in Arnold. White Pines is a fantastic destination for families. Motorized boats are not allowed.

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THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY fishing community lost two old timers on Sunday, and their deaths have become the source of both mourning among local fishermen — and a debate about angling ethics. Precisely, one fisherman, using bullheads for bait near Grizzly Island in the wee hours of the morning, caught two striped bass weighing 52 and 48 pounds. he kept both.

“Catching and keeping 40-pound bass is not practicing conservation,” said Joel Sinkay, owner of Leonard’s Bait and Tackle at Port Sonoma. “All you’re doing is killing the breeders.”

Jim Cox, captain of the San Rafael party boat Touch of Gray, believes striped bass of such size play a crucial role in maintaining the species’ numbers. “A 48-pound female striped bass will be dropping a lot of eggs,” Cox said.

At the Department of Fish and Game, biologist Marty Gingras said that a 50-pound female striper might be 20 years old and can lay about 3 million eggs each time it spawns – “disproportionately more eggs than the typical small striped bass.”  

Whether such huge fish are even worth eating is yet another issue at the table. Many fishermen assure that aged striped bass have mushy, smelly flesh. while state law forbids anglers from wasting game fish, Sinkay doubts the large bass caught at Grizzly Island will be eaten.

“We have a slot limit for sturgeon, and it’s something we’ve talked about to see the same system for striped bass,” said Sean Daugherty, a fisherman from San Rafael.

White sturgeon can only be kept by licensed sport fishermen if they measure between 46 and 66 inches. this so-called “slot limit” system was first place in place in 1990, and anglers believe its effects are now showing in the population, with a seemingly growing number of large, breeding-sized adults.

“The sturgeon fishing has improved over the last five or six years, and it’s because those huge ones are protected,” said Steve Talmadge, owner of Flash Sportfishing in Martinez.

Talmadge knows the angler who took the pair of huge stripers last weekend, and he laments that the fish were not released. Talmadge concedes that more than a decade ago he kept a 50-pounder.

“But I didn’t know any better then,” he said. Talmadge thinks anglers today, in an era of information and conservation awareness, should be better educated. “It’s sad that people are going to kill huge fish like that,” he said. “It’s legal, but is it ethical?”

Keith Fraser thinks not. as owner of Loch Lomond Bait Shop, Fraser says he has opposed the killing of especially huge striped bass for 40 years.

“A 40-pound bass, especially a lady bass — when I hear about people keeping fish that huge, I get very upset,” Fraser said. Fraser believes catch-and-release is relatively widely practiced in Marin County but that anglers further upstream have room to improve. “A lot of the Delta people aren’t happy until every inch of freezer space is filled with fillets.”

Sinkay at Leonard’s Bait is currently hosting a fishing derby, but whereas most derbies reward anglers who catch — and usually kill — the largest fish, Sinkay has taken a different route, setting modest target lengths of 30 inches for striped bass and 54 inches for sturgeon. Those anglers who catch fish measuring closest to the target size win — and huge fish might as well be let go.

Salmon fishing has slowed to a crawl. after a bomb-blast opener on which many boats took limits or near limits of bright, krill-stout fish, a windstorm arrived. it held boats off the water for several days, and when the seas calmed again, the fleet could not find the fish. “We just don’t know where they are now,” said Johnny Atkinson, captain of the New Rayann party boat in Sausalito. “But it’s only a matter of time before we find them again.”

Alastair Bland is a Bay Area fisherman. Send him tales, photos or video to allybland@yahoo.com or call the IJ sports desk at 382-7206. Check out his blog at blogs.marinij.com/fishing_in_marin/

In saltwater fishing’s version of baseball’s infamous pine tar incident, an angler who reeled in a world-record yellowfin tuna had his home-run catch called back — because a deckhand touched his fishing pole as he fought the mighty fish. 

Robert Pedigo hooked the 427.9-pound fish last Thursday and fought it for a half-hour before bringing it aboard the “Journeyman.” but everyone on board agreed that Danny Osuna, a local captain working that day as a deckhand, blew the record by touching Pedigo’s pole during the battle between man and beast off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The rules say an angler can’t have any help pulling in a fish if he or she wants to make history.

“I do this for a living and we’re really hardcore fishermen,” Osuna told FoxNews.com. “We have caught a lot of fish in the high 300s, but this is the first time we’ve caught something like this.”

Osuna admitted touching Pedigo’s fishing rod, disqualifying the catch from consideration by the International Game Fish Association. but he said Pedigo, who could not be reached for comment, isn’t too broken up about the technicality.

“We’re fine with that,” Osuna said. “Really, we never even thought the fish would be that big.”

Osuna said everyone who was in on the fishing trip got a big meal out of the monstrous catch before the rest was given away.

“We never sold the fish,” he said.

Like the well-known home run by George Brett in 1983 that was disqualified when Yankees Manager Billy Martin pointed out that the Kansas City Royals’ slugger had pine tar smeared too high on the barrel of his bat, the pole touch indeed disqualifies the catch, according to IGFA officials.

“I do this for a living and we’re really hardcore fishermen.”

- Danny Osuna, deckhand aboard the ‘Journeyman.’

A spokesman for the agency confirmed to FoxNews.com that the all-tackle record for yellowfin tuna remains 405 pounds, caught by Mike Livingston near Baja Sur, Mexico — because Osuna touched the rod.

“No one (to my knowledge) has been contacted by the angler or any member of the crew in regards to this catch,” IGFA World Record Coordinator Jack Vitek wrote in an email. “We have heard of the catch on various fishing forums and websites, and are pleased to hear that the angler and crew are being up front about such an impressive catch, and are respecting the IGFA rules.”

Saltwater: last Friday, Allyn Watson on his boat the Dreamer landed the first white sea bass of the spring season at Catalina Island. after a night of fruitless activity trying to catch live squid, they broke out the frozen squid which on an occasion will work when all else fails. Yes it did. With the frozen Allyn also drummed up a handful of calico bass for his one customer.

The problem was the whole setting happened in 54-degree icy cold water and most of the fish had lockjaw. They caught the 35-pound white sea bass on the backside of Catalina after hearing reports of yellowtail on some of the spots.

Rockfish: The rockfish season is well under way with most boats landing limits daily. The colder water is just what the rockfish want. They like to move into colder water in the depth column whenever they can and it won’t be long until the warmer summer water floods our fishing spots, sending the fish down to their cooler depths. The brunt of the fish will sooner or later drop down to 300 feet and deeper. The talk from anglers is that they are currently catching them at 200 feet.

Local: There was a time in the late 1940′s that I spent my waking hours working as a deck hand on chartered Sportfishing boats out of the original Pierpoint Landing and spent many hours trying to catch corbina out of Alamitos Bay and also to pull in those 5-pound spotfin croaker off Rainbow Pier.

As a kid, those were pleased times. Lots of other anglers shared the fishing space; it was like separate communities of people all of them anglers, casting their sinkers into the water and all looking for the almighty huge one.

My best buddy of the era and myself shared the great sport of fishing in Long Beach and among other things the sport of high school football. George Timberlake and I collided many times on the gridiron, George at Jordan High and myself at Poly. To this day, we are life long friends.

Sixty years later it looks shaky for George. Timberlake suffers from Pulmonary fibrosis and when his doctor quoted to George “It is what it is” that had a sound of finality to it. but to George, it meant to jump into that ancient jockstrap and fight back. So if you readers are on the San Gabriel River Bike trail and run into two ancient guys with thinning grey hair and knee replacements that’s George and I puffing it out.

Fred Hall show: The show came through with all the activities we had plotted to see. I spent two nights roaming up and down the aisles looking it over and I was surprised to see all the hunting gear for the first time ever in the show. Virtually every rifle manufacture had a display on view. Also for the first time ever, Calcutta Bamboo was on display and it came just at the right moment. yours truly is planning to wrap a Calcutta just like the one I first used to catch a large barracuda in 1940. The local bamboo around town is not the high quality of foreign Calcutta and does not grow in the USA.

It takes a lot of skill to wrap ancient-time bamboo rods, especially those 14-footers used to cast 6-ounce sinkers in the surf. I don’t know of any business except the following that imports Calcutta. if you are interested it is GET THE GAFF at get-the-gaff.com .

Also I had a discussion with the wardens in the Fish and Game booth about policing the MLPA forbidden zones at Catalina. as usual, I didn’t stand a chance. The wardens plot to give warnings at first when they find anglers in the forbidden zones. Then, after a period of time, they will issue citations. There is no excuse for ignorance of the law. “It is, what it is.” whether you like it or not.

The pay-to-fish lakes came through as suspected at the Hall show. Irvine Lake displayed some giant trout on ice and was led with some outstanding seminars by Lake Pro Marlon Meade. Santa Ana River Lakes had their variety of fishes also on ice with two types of showstoppers. The first one was a rainbow trout in the 20-pound class, a 30-pound catfish plus numerous crappie and the pure gold lightning trout.

The next Fred Hall show will be next week, Thursday through Sunday, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Pot of Gold Halibut Derby: Long Beach Sportfishing announced that the final fish-off for the halibut tourney will be Sunday. The top 25 anglers will be competing to catch the heaviest halibut of the day and become the winner of the tournament. The top three anglers of the 8-week competition are: David Akamine, Torrance, 39.2 pounds; Jim Dunkle, Azusa, 35.15; and Daryl Singleton, Los Angeles, 28.4.

Calendar: Yesterday: The White Sea Bass daily limit went from three fish daily to one. Wednesday: The last day of lobster season. March 31: last day of grunion season.

North State officials are warning about the dangers of a proposed Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta restoration plan, and a Colusa outdoors shop owner believes an attempt to change striped bass fishing regulations was a carefully disguised attempt to get more water, too.

The state Fish & Game Commission last week voted down a proposal that would have allowed fishermen to catch three times more stripers on each outing, and would reduce the size of keepers from 18 inches to 12.

Pat Kittle, owner of Kittle’s Outdoor & Sports, said that, had the regulations changed, his business would have benefited.

“In the small term, business would boom,” Kittle said. “I would have made money.”

But, like most of the sport fishermen who attended the commission meeting, Kittle opposed the changes because of the negative, long-term impact on the bass population.

But that was the thought.

The proposal was introduced by the DFG as part of a settlement agreement resulting from a 2008 lawsuit.

The state agreed, as part of the settlement, to introduce the new regulations. The outcome was not tied to the settlement, a DFG spokeswoman said.

In that lawsuit, the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, a group of mostly San Joaquin water districts, claimed the non-native striped bass are harming native species, including endangered salmon and Delta smelt.

“There is growing scientific consensus that predation is a major source of salmon and Delta smelt mortality, but state regulators have repeatedly failed to address the problem of striped bass predation on these species,” the Coalition states on its website.

“Striped bass are an invasive species that were planted in California as a sportfish. The Department of Fish and Game has long been protecting the voracious predators at the expense of salmon, Delta and longfin smelt, and other endangered species through the imposition of size (18 inches minimum) and bag (two per day) limits.”

The regulations would have set the daily limit at six fish instead of two, and in some areas, such as the Clifton Court Forebay, 20 per day.

The commission unanimously voted the proposal down.

Kittle said he attended the meeting because of his concern over the potential impact on striper fishery, but left believing the issue was more about water than fish.

His opinion changed when he realized it was large Central Valley water districts and other San Joaquin users who were behind the proposal.

“We all know water is the issue, and when you look back at the Owens Valley and all the tricks that were used then are coming back right before out eyes,” Kittle said.

It is a similar concern that Glenn County Supervisor Leigh McDaniel has about the Delta Stewardship Council plan, which he said would drain North State reservoirs and possibly even threaten groundwater supplies.

McDaniel said allowing flows of 75 percent or higher out of the Sacramento Valley, as proposed by the council, would essentially eliminate most water storage in this region, and said the concept of allowing natural flows in the Delta is an “extremely narrow vision.”

He convinced the county to send a letter expressing the kind of negative impacts the plan would have on the North State water supply.

McDaniel said comments and concerns expressed by North State counties and water interests seem to have been ignored during the environmental impact process, and that the Stewardship Council seems “hard bent on going forward with the EIR on its (plot).”

The Glenn County Board of Supervisors concluded that the plan does not consider the effect on areas upstream of the Delta and “the role these upstream environments play for a healthy and economically viable California.”

The board also said the “aggressive timeline” for implementing the plan by June 20, 2014, and June 2018, can only result in “additional depletion of regional groundwater resources and significantly reduce storage in the Shasta and Oroville reservoirs — in addition to causing negative economic and social impacts to the rural communities of the Northern Sacramento Valley.”

Calls to the Stewardship Council were not immediately returned.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the last of three articles on game wardens and hunting and fishing laws through the years.

“The sunshine is brightest in Florida. The creeks are clearest in Florida. The breezes blow the coolest in Florida. The lakes are cleanest in Florida. Fish bite the quickest in Florida. The birds sing the sweetest in Florida, and the game wardens are the meanest in Florida.” – author unknown

Blue Pond in Washington County was a popular place for fish fries. J.N. Coleman knew they’d need an ample supply of fish so he carried along a borrowed net. since they did not have the time for regular fishing, Coleman, C.P. Russ, Grady Nixon and Preston Bailey helped in a “little seining party.” Game Wardens J.E. Pilcher and a man named Wilson soon appeared. The four servers were arrested and directed to appear before the Washington County Judge at a certain date. then the fish fry proceeded as usual.

To improve the fishing in White Western Lake and Lake Merial, Game Wardens C.C. Woodward of Tallahassee, J.T. Hurst, district game warden from Pensacola, and local game warden, M.O. Conant, brought 15,000 black bass and other fish from Lake Okeechobee to White Western Lake and a smaller amount to Lake Merial. These restocked lakes were north of Southport.

J.E. Pitcher, who owned property on these lakes, said fishing would be preserved if people would only take necessary fish and stay away from the spawning grounds.

In 1933, Gov. David Sholtz combined the Game & Fresh Water Commission, the Forestry Board and the Shell Fish Commission into one Conservation Board. But paying game wardens remained the issue. Some years the counties had game wardens. Other years, the sheriff and his deputies took over. in November 1934, all men who were state foresters above the rank of ranger were made honorary game wardens by George W. Davis, state supervisor of conservation. Game Warden Jack Pridgeon of Gulf County, protecting both fish and game, caught a few men fishing without licenses but several men illegally gigging fish.

In 1935, Florida’s hunting season opened Nov. 20, but deer could to be shot until Dec. 1. The season lasted until Dec. 31 . only bucks could be killed. The season’s deer limit was placed at two with only one deer killed in any one day.

In February 1949, S.P. McDonald and W.L. Boyd were state game wardens from Panama City. Boyd was 56 and had lived in Panama City for 27 years. McDonald lived here about the same amount of time, coming from his home in Walton County. when they were appointed to these positions, they admitted they had never owned hunting licenses, but they did do some fishing.

They told of the man who illegally shot 15 squirrels, which cost him $241 for this privilege. The squirrels were fed to men in the county jail. another man had to pay $43 for a single squirrel. One of their stories involved the hunters who went into Willis Swamp on an old log train railroad and bagged a doe deer. in order to outwit the law, they skinned the animal and cut it up before starting out of the woods to return to their cars. a few of them stopped at an old trestle to temporarily hide the meat. Boyd and McDonald were watching from nearby.

But the men made the mistake of tossing the hide into the box with the meat. The agents were able to tell from the markings that it was a female deer. The men were fined and did not get to keep the deer meat. Protection of female deer was one of the most vital duties of the officers.

McDonald and Boyd usually traveled together and covered an average of 75 miles of Northwest Florida woodlands daily. they maneuvered about the woods by car, jeep and on foot. Soon after hunting season opened, the birds took to the swamps, according to the agents. they reported less distress with violations of bird hunting than any other game.

Contrary to what most people believed, Boyd said a deer is not 1 year old for each point. a deer might be an eight-point deer and be 17 years old, etc.

In a News-Herald article on Feb. 13, 1949, a photo of both wardens appeared together crouched down in the woods attempting to nab a poacher. Their position was much the same as if they were watching a still and trying to catch moonshiners.

In 1956, the shrinking bird, fish and animal populations forced Tallahassee to pass more stringent laws and hunting and fishing regulations to assure that there would be game for future generations. Florida had 150 wildlife officers that year. most of these officers attended a special school which trained them in tracking and apprehending violators.

Protection of game and fish had come a long way. These wildlife officers had access to all kinds of modern facilities that included radio patrol cars and trucks, five airplanes, three marsh buggies, eight air boats and 24 fixed radio stations.

But one of the most hard tasks of game wardens was obtaining evidence to support charges against accused law breakers. The game warden had to produce guns, dead game and other positive evidence before he could make a case against an accused person.

Coming in February: Game Warden Casualties

A road map to a championship. Bet your bottom dollar it came down to the very end. 

Kayak fishing’s original Angler of the Year contest – NorCal Kayak Angler’s annual year-long points race – was a typically hard-fought battle. Ultimately, John Keane had the will to claim 2011 as his own. he shared how he rallied from the challenges of a third place 2010 season, ending a sturgeon skunk streak to claim his first points lead late in the game. -ed.  

What does winning AOTY mean to you?

It’s satisfying to win AOTY because it means that I had a solid year of fishing with a number of quality fish across multiple species. whereas anyone can get lucky with a big fish now and then, AOTY challenges kayak anglers to score quality fish across ten species categories, requiring anglers to be skilled using a variety of techniques in both fresh and saltwater. I’m extremely fortunate to have fished with many of the top kayak anglers in NorCal. I tip my hat to these guys and when competing against such skilled and determined anglers, AOTY often comes down to a big fish here, or a few inches there, across the year.  Winning AOTY requires skill, determination and good fortune from the fish gods!

What was the toughest species to catch?

After going 0 for 13 on sturgeon and 0 for 8 on white sea bass attempts during the 2010 AOTY, I’d have to say these two species were the most challenging to catch in 2011.  Both of these species are challenging to chase and land, and are among the most-prized species in AOTY.  after humbling me and having some good laughs at my expense on my 2010 attempts for these species, I reckon the fish gods took some pity on my sorry ass in 2011 as I was able to land the white seabass on my first attempt and the sturgeon on my second attempt for the year. 

What accounted for your win?

Rather than rushing to fill the ten species slots I decided early in the year to just post-up larger fish and lay low throughout the year. the fish gods graced me with many sweet fish throughout the year starting with a 24.5-inch largemouth bass at Clear Lake and a 38-inch lingcod in the spring. during summer, I was fortunate to catch a 15-inch crappie and a nice white sea bass, followed by a big California halibut in early Fall.  I laid low until late November then posted-up my last two species to go into first place. December was a nice month with mild weather and I was fortunate to land a sturgeon early in the month, a mackinaw in the last week, and to close out the year with a really sweet 19.5-inch smallmouth bass on New Year’s Eve. I was able to catch quality fish across the year and then land three more nice fish in December to seal the deal.

What was your best catch of the year?

I was graced with many quality fish in 2011 and I have a number of sweet memories. If I have to choose one it would be catching a sturgeon in San Pablo Bay during mid-December, for several reasons.  it was a hail Mary fish caught at dusk on a last cast using my last two remaining, day-ancient ghost shrimp. it was time for us to head to the launch but I wanted to make one last cast because I knew there were fish around. two minutes later…tap,tap…hook set…sturgeon on!  This fish broke my sturgeon skunk streak, was the fish that gave me the point cushion in AOTY to seal the deal, and was the only sturgeon entered into AOTY in 2011. 

Are you going to give it as much effort in 2012?

I likely won’t fish as much in 2012, though I’ll target and post-up big fish to AOTY, and who knows, maybe lay low and be poised make another late season run at AOTY!

NCKA 2011 AOTY top 3 Scorers by Handle

1st place: Bird, 1750.89 points 2nd place Saltydog, 1656.35 points 3rd place Ravensblack, 1656.315 points

Keane with just a few of the catches that highlighted his winning 2011 campaign. Photos: James Jackson (top), Craig Davis (center and bottom).  

It’s official. I’m now old enough to not only to say – but to really believe – that everything in the California sportfishing world today is going to hades in a man purse.

The reality is that skyrocketing prices, needless regulations and a sick economy are squeezing the common man out of the fishing game (and it’s even worse for hunters). The beginning of the new year brings this home painfully, with a whole raft of new rules and increased fees that will make a lot in our ranks simply give up the sport. and the downward spiral will continue.

MLPA

The Marine Life Protection Act’s new closures for Southern California went into effect Jan. 1 and sportfishing closures along the coast now represent anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of the once-well loved, prime fishing areas, depending on who does the calculating. oh, sure, vast areas of open ocean and poor habitat areas remain open, but no one fishes there. The closures don’t represent “a small fraction” of coastal and island waters. They are major and devastating.

Mexican fees up

New Mexican visa requirements and fishing permit fees are going to astronomically jack up the cost of half- and three-quarter-day fishing trips out of San Diego into Mexican waters, such as the Coronado Islands and the nine Mile Bank.

A three-day visa (thankfully available at the landings) is $33 (and likely to go up ramdomly), and that is on top of the $11 daily fishing fee. but that will make three-quarter day trips cost around $130 and hike the $45 half-day price to nearly $80.

Terrence Berg of 976-TUNA.com, an ocean sportfishing fishing report and information web site, said the MLPA and Mexican fee increases are going to be another stake through the heart of Southern California’s ocean sportfishing industry. he said business for the landings has been off up to 70 percent since 2008 and 15 to 20 percent of the sportboat owners have gone out of business.

Quagga mussel restrictions

Over the past three years, private fishing boat sales have declined dramatically because of quagga mussel restrictions that have made it hard, if not impossible, for anglers to travel to different waters to fish without lengthy or expensive boat inspections, wash downs, and/or dry dock requirements.

Miscellaneous

Add in a hatchery lawsuit and the DFG, and you have fewer trout planted in fewer places than ever before in Southern California and the Sierra with the state falling 30 percent small of the legislatively-mandated stocking numbers.

Restrictions of what bait can be used and sold have made it hard for beginning and intermediate anglers. for example, shiners occur in all Southern California lakes, but tackle and bait shops can’t sell them for bait outside of San Diego County and the San Joaquin Valley. Crawdads aren’t available in most areas because of restrictions. Waterdogs are a thing of the past because of unsubstantiated fears their use might harm native species.

And the DFG has banned the use of throw nets so anglers can’t collect their own baitfish in local lakes, which is legal but hard to do effectively without throw nets.

Fishing licenses

The California fishing license fee went up 39 cents this year to $44.85 from $43.46. The second rod stamp is now $13.78 versus $13.53. Ocean anglers in Southern California also have to buy an ocean enhancement validation, and it costs $5.14 this year. We have to pay more each year to make up for those who quit fishing the previous year.

For the first time in state history, annual resident sportfishing license sales dropped below a million in 2011.

Anyone betting things will just get worse than better under this scenario?

MATTHEWS’ PICKS

1. Trout, trout, trout. The urban trout season is in full swing and there is excellent fishing just about every place getting planted and a lot of trophy fish have been planted the past two weeks. Top pick? Poway, Santa Ana River Lakes, and Corona, were all stocked with trophy rainbows the past two weeks. all the San Bernardino County Park Lakes (Glen Helen, Cucamonga-Guasti, Prado, and Yucaipa) received Mt. Lassen trout last week and most had a rash of trophy fish that continue to be caught, along with a lot of limits of smaller trout. They all get weekly county fish. Irvine Lake and Hesperia Lake both had trout over 10 pounds again this week. go trout fishing. anywhere.

2. With a full moon this weekend (well, on Monday) and the warm weather the past week, the first pre-spawn bite on largemouth bass looks to be starting at Diamond Valley. The fish are up as shallow as 12 feet and afternoon surface water temps have been 60 to 62 degrees this week. The bigger bass are keying on DFG trout or sculpin so you can throw swimbaits on the points or small three- to four-inch plastics along rocky structure and get fish.

3. for crappie fanatics, the action at Cachuma Lake has not been wide open this past week, but there has been a consistent troll-drift bite on slabs better than a pound in the narrows. The lake gets small pressure, but the crappie reports have been consistent for the past three weeks including some fish better than two pounds. It looks like the winter bite is happening.

FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS

Trout: Trout action is about as good as it gets throughout Southern California with action at all of the stocked waters hitting the mid-season stride that translates into lots of limits of nice fish, along with the chance at a trophy fish. Top bets are western Riverside County’s Corona Lake, the Orange County trio of Irvine Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, Laguna Niguel Park Lake and both the High Desert waters of Hesperia Lake and Jess Ranch. in San Diego County, Poway received trophy fish the previous two weeks, and it has been very good, but Jennings Cuyamaca, Morena, Dixon, and Wohlford are also good bets. Other good bets include all the San Bernardino County Park Lakes. Check the water-by-water reports for details, but the bites are good just about everywhere trout are planted now. The sleeper pick remains the Colorado River from Laughlin to Huge Bend where this season’s plants and holdover fish to six pounds are showing in good numbers.

Black Bass: most of the lakes in the region slowed down, but there have been a couple of patterns worth noting. First, the warm weather this past week has seemed to have started a pre-spawn movement of fish up out of the depths, with fish in less than 20-feet in waters at Lower Otay and Diamond Valley north to Casitas, Cachuma, and Santa Margarita. The early fish are usually bigger fish, too. Second, in lakes getting trout plants there are some bigger bass on trout-like swimbaits. This is best after DFG plants (because these trout are usually smaller than the fish from the private hatcheries). last, the deep water bass bite is pretty good for finesse anglers who know how to fish ice jigs, jigging spoons, and small plastics. so, that means you need to be prepared to fish from top to bottom. Top bet is probably Diamond Valley with the fish in 15 to 30 feet, mostly feeding on sculpin right on the bottom in good cover.

Striped Bass: Striper bites all are very spotty right now. There are still fish showing at all the usual places – Diamond Valley, Castaic, Pyramid, Skinner, and Silverwood – but there are two types of action. There are some bigger fish up chasing trout in the top 20 feet of the water column or in water from 40 to 80 feet hanging on structure or under balls of bait. It’s usually bigger fish on the trout and smaller, school-size fish in deep water and they are showing on cut baits. keep an eye on the trout plants and fish within the first two or three days after a plant. The top bet may be the California aqueduct near Taft, which has been producing a lot of fish to four to eight pounds. on the Colorado River, there have been a few quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is honest to good in the main body of the lake and toward the dam and the fish are still focused on shad.

Panfish: Top picks for crappie in a scanty field are Cachuma Lake for crappie in a honest bite on quality fish over a pound and the Buena Vista Lakes which has continues to produce some nice fish in a night bite. The Salton Sea tilapia bite looks to be turning around with the warmer weather this week and a few catches have been reported. That is one to watch. The Lake Silverwood crappie bite was off a small this past week but still worth fishing. There’s still honest bluegill and redear action at Perris and it has a crappie bite that probably bears more attention now. few other panfish bites are of note in this region. on the Central Coast, Lopez and Santa Margarita have been producing some quality crappie, but no huge numbers, and these bites have slowed, too.

Catfish: There continues to be reports of some nice catfish at Lake Skinner, but it seems like all the reports are coming from one angler and Gary Smith, Compton, had a 14-pounder top off his catch this week. Buena Vista Lakes near Taft has been honest for several weeks. Lake Skinner is producing some nice stringers of cats, including fish over 10 pounds. The Silverwood fall bite seems to be slowing with the cooling water temperatures. The Colorado River and local drainage ditches have been honest for channel catfish, but the bite on quality flatheads looks to be over until early spring.

INLAND VALLEY LAKES

Cucamonga-Guasti: good trout action with the rainbows averaging one to two pounds with some bigger fish on floating baits, trout jigs, and trout plastics. The county trout plants are weekly, and there was a DFG plant last week. Top trout reported was a 5-8 landed by Mike Camerota, Rancho Cucamonga, while Joey Cruz, Ontario, landed a 4.9-pounder. Kevin Scott, Rancho Cucamonga, had three trout topped by a four-pounder, while Juan Cervantez, Claremont, landed four rainbows to three pounds. Information: 909-481-4205.

Prado: Honest to good trout action, but a few anglers have been scoring on some real quality rainbows. Top fish reported was an 11-8 landed by Mike Womack, Chino, on an inflated nightcrawler in basin No. 2. Yvonne Ortega, Pomona, had a 9.5-pounder, while Chad Stone, Ontario, had a 9.4-pound trout. Zack Sorensen, Chino Hills, landed rainbows at 8.4 and 5.3 popunds, while Mike Ramos, Upland, and Alfred Perez, Fontana, each had 7.5-pound trout. Pablo Lozano, Ontario, caught a 7.1-pounder, and Vanz Slk, Long Beach, had a 5.8-pound rainbow. Sophia Martinez, Pomona, caught a 4.5-pounder, and Chris Bareno, Chino Hills, landed a four-pound trout.

Yucaipa: good trout action with county trout plants each week and DFG trout were planted this week and two weeks ago. There were some quality trout in last week’s plant, and Curren Ahgtin, Beaumont, landed a 9-8 rainbow on a lure from the lower lake. The next event in the San Bernardino County Park trout derby series will be held here Jan. 7.

Glen Helen: excellent trout action after both county and DFG plants this week. The county plants are weekly and there was a DFG plant two weeks ago. Power Baits, inflated nightcrawlers, and small trout jigs and plastics have all be scoring fish. Top rainbow reported was a 13.44-pounder landed by Larry Okada, Montclair, on green Power Bait from the small lake. Christian Castillo, Montclair, landed an 8.66-pounder on a nightcrawler from the large lake. Javier Pinedo, Rialto, had rainbows at 5.6 and 5.3 pounds, while Kenny Martin, Fontana, had a 5.3-pound trout. Frank Ayala, Colton, landed a 4.16-pound rainbow.

Mount Baldy Trout Pools: The heavily stocked pools are open every Saturday and Sunday.

Puddingstone: DFG trout plants this week and last week. The bite has been honest to good off the north shore and swim beach areas on small trout jigs, plastics, and floating baits. The water level is still low (pending some launch ramp work). There has been a pretty honest bite on redear up to 1-8 on drop-shot nightcrawlers. Bass are slow to honest with a few fish on plastics. A few catfish also continue to show off the north shore and RV Park areas on shrimp. Crappie slow. No carp reports.

Seccombe Lake: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago. few reports. Information: 909-384-5233.

SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS

Silverwood: DFG trout were planted last Friday and four weeks ago, and the trout action has continues good around the launch ramp, marina, Sawpit, and into Cleghorn and Miller canyons. Floating baits, small trout plastics and jigs, and inflated nightcrawlers with scent have all been good bet. Joe Smith San Diego, landed four rainbows on nightcrawlers in Cleghorn and his best fish was a four-pounder. There also continues to be a honest crappie bite off the marina docks on small jigs tipped with meal worms or Crappie Nibbles. not as many good stringers but catches of five to 10 half- to three-quarter pound fish are still common. A few up to two pounds have been landed. The bluegill bite is slowing, but a few are still being landed, also off the docks. Stripers are honest with a few showing on cut baits or trout-like swim baits in Chemise and at the dam. Robert Mems, Hesperia, landed a 10-pound striper in Sawpit on a Kastmaster. The catfish have slowed way down with only a few showing on cut baits. Juan Pablo, Hesperia, caught two cats of the shrimp-marshmallow combo at the dock and his best was a six-pounder.

Huge Bear Lake: The best trout action has been mid-day between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the dam, the aerator, Windy Point, Juniper Point and Serrano. not as much sheet ice this week with the warmer weather. The best bite is in 15 to 18 feet of water with floating baits, mostly Power Bait and Gulp!, on a three foot leader.

HIGH DESERT LAKES

Hesperia Lake: Trout plants are weekly and the action has been very good with a lot of quality fish from eight to 12 pounds and some bigger, but most anglers are getting nice stringers of fish averaging about 1 1/2 pounds. Best action on Power Bait and inflated nightcrawlers with the north shore and east bank the top spots. Huge fish this week was a 22-8 rainbow landed by Rodney Williams, San Diego, on Power Bait beads. Cody Chin, Barstow, landed a 16-8, and 16 pounders were caught by Steve Holland, Huge Bear, and Phil Torres, Chino. Greg Valdez, Hesperia, had trout at 14 pounds and 8-8. Daniel Avalos, Barstow, also landed a 14-pounder, while Allen Letcher, Apple Valley, landed a 13-pound rainbow. Dave Morton, Rancho Cucamonga, had a 12-pounder, and Robert Alcantar, San Bernardino, landed an 11-8 rainbow. The catfish bite has slowed down with the cold weather, but the occasional sturgeon continues to show up. The biggest this past week was a 26 1/2-pounder caught by Jim Nimmo, Apple Valley, while Greg Atkins, Hesperia, landed an 18-pounder.

Jess Ranch: good to excellent trout action this past week with a lot of limits of two to three pound rainbows on Power Bait in salmon peach, garlic, spring green or orange, nightcrawlers, trout jigs, small trout plastics, and small spinners or spoons. Top trout this week was an 8-15 rainbow landed by Chris Marlin, Victorville, on a white and yellow mini jig. Danny Alaniz, Fontana, landed a 7-3 trout, while Chuck Moree, San Bernardino, landed a 4-2 rainbow. The catfish, panfish, and bass bites have all be slow.

Mojave Narrows: No report. County trout plants are weekly, and there were DFG plants this week and two weeks ago.

SELECTED LAKES

Diamond Valley: There was a huge DFG trout plant (3,000 pounds) last Friday and Mt. Lassen rainbows were slated to go in on Thursday this week. The bite has been pretty good in the marina are on Power Bait, small trout jigs, and Kastmaster-type lures. The previous Lassen plant has a fish around 18 pounds that has not been caught yet, and Jessica Rodriguez caught a 9-8 rainbow on Power Bait. The largemouth bass bite has continued honest to good in 20 to 40 feet of water on small (three to four-inch) drop-shot plastics. Ten to 20 fish days are not uncommon with the fish averaging about two pound with some bigger. many anglers are fishing deeper and seeing only spotty action in 40 to 70 feet of water on ice jigs, plastics, or jigs. Also bigger fish showing on swimbaits after they come up to chase trout after plants. Art Berry, a local guide from Hemet, had a 12-pound largemouth on a Trip Jig. Dale Hackney and grandson Ryan Gunther, both Chino, had bass at 10 and eight pounds on Huddleston swim baits. while the catfish and panfish are getting small pressure right now, William Brown landed a seven-pound cat from the east shore cove, and Tyler Velesquez landed a 1-8 bluegill on cut anchovy.

Perris: Light fishing pressure, but the trout action has been steady with the best bite from parking Lot 8 to Lots 11-12, Sail Cove, and at the dam. The fish are staying shallow, in less than 10 feet of water. There were plants last week and three weeks ago. Crappie also continue to show in very spotty numbers off the marina docks, and other scattered locations.

Skinner: The trout bite has been honest to good on rainbow and corn floating baits or garlic marshmallows in the coves between Launch Ramps No. 1 and No. 2. There were county plants last week and three weeks ago, with the next plant set for Jan. 13. not a lot of limits, but the fish are running up to two pounds.

Elsinore: very light fishing pressure, and the catfish bite has slowed with only a few fish showing for shore anglers. A few largemouth bass on cranks and jerk baits, but the action is slow.

Corona Lake: The trout bite remains honest to good with a slowdown in the bite over the weekend. There are weekly plants of rainbows, and the bonus trophy plants over the past two weeks led to quality fish on many stringers. Ten-pound rainbows caught by Eddie Martinez, Ontario, Patrick Equipilag, Glendora, and Frank Duarte were the huge trout of the week. Martinez’ trophy topped off a nine-fish, 33-pound stringer he caught from a boat on chartreuse floating bait. Equipilag had two other trout with his 10-pounder fishing off the south shore with Power Bait The biggest fish overall reported since Christmas was a 40-pound sturgeon landed by David Rupert while fishing with a nightcrawler this past week.

Evans Lake: Slow fishing with just a few bass on small reaction baits. Panfish, catfish, and carp all very slow.

Rancho Jurupa: good trout action with DFG plants this week and two weeks ago. There was also a county plant last week and another slated for Jan 13. Alex Padenieau, Colton, had a four-pound rainbow topping his four-fish catch. Four-trout stringers were also posted by Issac Silvera and Ray Moreno, Ontario, and both stringers had two-pound trout.

Small Lake: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago. Honest to good trout action. A few catfish and bluegill also being landed.

Lake Hemet: The trout bite remains honest to good. most anglers fishing from shore are casting spinners or small tube baits, and bait anglers are fishing Power Bait. Best trolling action has been from the point east to the marina. No DFG plants in over a month. Bluegill, bass, catfish and carp are all slow.

Santa Ana River Lakes: A 10-pound, four-ounce rainbow captured the top spot in first event in the Lip RipperZ Tournament series held here this past Saturday. It took a trout at eight pounds or better to crack into the top 10 during the Lip RipperZ event, and the winning fish was a 10-4 caught by Geo Altamirana fishing a jig in Chris Pond. Top stringer reported was a catch of 10-fish posted by Juan Gonzalez Sr., and Juan Jr, both Fontana, that weighed in at 27 1/4 pounds, including one fish at 8 1/2 pounds.

Irvine Lake: The trout action has been excellent for trollers working the west shoreline, near the dam, at the cliffs, and through the middle part of the lake. Limits are coming on shad-like baits fishing in 30 to 40 feet of water. The trout are cruising near the surface or right along the bottom in the slightly off-color water. Top fish was an 11-2 steelhead landed by Roger Cole on a Phoebe at the cliffs . while the bass bite has slowed, there is still a pretty honest bite on two to four-pounder fishing in deeper water along the Red Clay Cliffs and off Rocky Point on jigs and drop-shot plastics. catfish, wipers, panfish all slow .

Laguna Niguel Lake: very good trout action continues after another 2,000-pound plant on Tuesday this week. The best action has been on inflated nightcrawlers dipped in garlic scent and floating baits in chartreuse and white.

Cachuma: Generally good trout action, but it was inconsistent. last plant was three weeks ago. Trolling has been the best bet from the surface down to 10 feet on smaller Rapalas and spoons in Cachuma and Santa Cruz bays. Shore anglers are getting fish at the Mohawk and Harvey’s Bay fishing piers .

Casitas: The huge plant of Nebraska Tailwalker rainbows two weeks ago (just before Christmas) continues to fuel a pretty good trout bite, and the plant had quite a few quality rainbows that continue to show. Best fish reported this past week was a 12-pounder landed by Scott Parrish on a Senko. Kei Fowler, 9, landed rainbows at six and eight pounds on nightcrawlers . The bass bite has continued honest with the best action in 25 to 45 feet on plastics, jigs, and nightcrawlers, but the warmer weather has driven some fish up shallowed in less than 20 feet in a pre-spawn movement.

Castaic: The trout bite has been honest to good at the main ramp after a DFG plant last Tuesday (Dec. 27) and another plant three weeks ago. The best bite has been on garlic and rainbow Power Bait and small spinners. The striper bite remains slow with light fishing pressure. There are still some random boils when anglers can get fish on top on Spooks, Flukes, and jerk baits, and a few fish have shown around the main and west ramps looking for trout.

Piru: very light fishing pressure, but the bass bite has continued pretty week for anglers fishing deeper water with plastics, jigs, and nightcrawlers.

Pyramid: Trout were planted two weeks ago, and the bite has remained honest in the marina on small lures, flies, and floating baits. most of the rainbows are pan-sized. The striped bass are slow to honest in the marina area and the inlet. most are one to three-pounds, with some four and five pounders.

Lower Otay: There were 61 anglers who caught 35 bass, eight bluegill to a pound, two crappie to 1.85 pounds, one channel cat and one blue catfish over the three fishing days this past week. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule .

Upper Otay: There were four anglers who landed three bass to 3.76 pounds and three bluegill to .73 pounds over the three fishing days this past week. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for catch-and-release fishing (only artificial lures with single, barbless hooks), sunrise to sunset.

Wohlford: Trout action has been good to excellent this past week after last week’s 1,500-pound trout plant. The next plant is set for Jan. 11. There have been a lot of limits, and some quality fish are spicing up the catch. The best rainbow reported, and the new top fish of the season, was a 9.9-pounder landed by Jared Parker. The best bite has been in Boat Dock Cove, along the Senior Shoreline, and the cove adjacent to the south shore rock pile.

Poway: Trout action has been good since the trophy trout plants on Dec. 21 and 28 with quite a few trophy trout landed. Next plant will be 1,500 pounds of Nebraska Tailwalkers on Jan. 11. Top rainbow this past week was a 13-pounder caught by Marjon Pino on a jig in Boulder Bay. The bass, panfish, and catfish are all mostly slow, with only a few bass showing on crawdad or trout-type imitations.

Jennings: The trout bite has been steadily improving with the weekly plants and the bite has been pretty good for shore anglers and just honest for trollers. Weekly plants will continue through the first week in April. The catfish bite has also remained pretty honest but is getting very small pressure. The bass bite continued to slow down and is tough with only a few fish showing in 30 to 35 feet of water .

TROUT PLANTS

San Bernardino: Glen Helen Park Lake, Mojave Narrows Park Lake, Seccombe Lake, Yucaipa Park Lake.

Riverside: Cahuilla Lake, Lake Perris, Rancho Jurupa Park Lake.

Los Angeles: Castaic Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Elizabeth Lake, Hansen Dam Lake, Legg Lakes, Peck Road Park Lake, Puddingstone Reservoir, Santa Fe Dam.

Orange: Carr Park Lake, Eisenhower Park Lake, Greer Park Lake, Huntington Central Park Lake.

San Diego: Chollas Reservoir, Lake Cuyamaca, Lindo Lake, Lower Otay Reservoir.

Inyo: Owens River (from Stewart Lane to Laws, and below Tinemaha Reservoir).

Imperial: Sunbeam Lake, Wiest Lake.

Fresno: Avocado Lake, Kings River below Pine Flat Reservoir, San Joaquin River below Friant Dam, Woodward Park Lake.

OCEAN REPORT

Long Range: The long range fleet is running 18 to 22-day trips to the tuna grounds off Cabo San Lucas and finding exceptional fishing on giant yellowfin tuna.

Rockfish closed: The local half- and three-quarter day boat fleet – saddled with the season rockfish closure and new MLPA restrictions – are turning to nearshore shallow waters. The bite has been surprisingly good for sculpin, perch, croaker, whitefish, along with a smattering of calico and sand bass or an occasional halibut.

Local Islands: Continued tough fishing at both Catalina and San Clemente. There is a tremendous volume of squid at the islands, and there are both white seabass and yellowtail on this bait, but they have been extremely boat and line shy.

Hoop-Netting: The twilight lobster trips are still seeing very consistent action. The Jig Strike out of H&M Landing was out with 10 anglers Monday and they returned with 18 lobster, two rock crabs, and one spider crab.

LAST FRIDAY was one of those cool and placid days when the glassy water perfectly mirrors the world above it, when a fishing boat floats as still as a pond lily, and when the slow “pumper” bite of a sturgeon, often nearly invisible, is so plain to see that it can yank a sleepy angler straight out of a daydream.

But there was no time for dozing after San Rafael fisherman Sean Daugherty and two fishing friends dropped anchor in San Pablo Bay on the warm November day — because the sturgeon fishing was hot. Striped bass were present, too, and sharks and rays were gliding across the seafloor on their own never-ending prowl for edibles — such as pricey mud shrimp — and the anglers’ stash of bait would go fast. the first sturgeon came for San Francisco fisherman Allan Choy. his rod tip arced slowly but firmly toward the water several times before he set the hook, felt the solid resistance that assures that a sturgeon is online, and passed the rod to fellow angler Marc Bainbridge.

“I’ve caught my share of sturgeon,” Choy said. “I wanted to make sure Mark got to experience the thrill.”

After a brief struggle, the fish came in — a 41/4-footer — and was quickly let go. Then Daugherty, who has caught more sturgeon in the past three seasons than he can count, hooked up. his fish fought heroically — though it didn’t need to. After a dramatic, acrobatic fight, it was measured at the boat side at 72 inches. and finally, Bainbridge hooked up. He passed the rod to Choy — favor returned — who pulled in a 47-incher. the day was done, the mud shrimp expended, and a “limit” of sturgeon released.

But for Daugherty, the weekend had just begun. He returned to the water the next day, to an “undisclosed location” in San Pablo Bay, and along with mill Valley’s Mike Hale and San Rafael’s Trevor Henley, caught, admired, and released sturgeon nearly all day long. Bat rays, white croakers, and several small striped bass filled in the downtime, and the day was simply action-packed. four of the sturgeon arrived during a frantic 30-minute spell at the day’s end — including a very rare white sturgeon double hookup. the day’s lunker was a 75-incher caught by Hale, released gently without removal from the water. the total count for the boat was six sturgeon, all let go.

That same day, Sean Treaci, captain of the six-pack party boat Mini-Me of Fisherman’s Wharf, motored to San Pablo Bay and hooked a pair of clients into keeper fish, with two other sturgeon lost mid-fight. Meanwhile, anglers on the McNears Pier caught three sturgeon that Saturday — including a large oversized fish — according to Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Bait Shop, who says nearly all sturgeon caught recently have been taken on mud shrimp.

Finally, Jim Cox, captain of the Loch Lomond six-packer Touch of Gray, showed two clients from Ohio a healthy 50-inch sturgeon near the Pumphouse in San Pablo Bay on Monday. the fish, photographed and admired briefly, still swims today. Next week’s huge tides should stir up the activity again.

In the ocean, fishermen dropping crab gear are finding their pots loaded after several hours soaking or less — all the time it’s taking for some to break away to the Islands or the Marin coastline and crank up limits of rockfish and a few lingcod. But the opening of the commercial crab season, as it always does, will start to slow the action for recreational fishermen. so fill your traps before the crabs are swept up and into the retail and restaurant markets.

Since my last column, in which I reported that the Fish and Game Commission would be meeting in February in San Diego to address the state’s proposal to virtually lift fishing restrictions off of striped bass, the details of the meeting have changed. It is now to be held in Sacramento. I’ll provide details when the day grows nearer.

There have been no recent trout plants in Marin lakes. Latest info: call the Marin Municipal Water District at 945-1194.

Alastair Bland is a Bay Area fisherman. Send him stories, photos or video to allybland@yahoo.com or call the IJ sports desk at 382-7206. Check out his blog at blogs.marinij.com/fishing_in_marin/