Northern CA Freshwater Fishing Report

Delta salmon regulations changes Good trout fishing at Shaver Lake Western Outdoor News StaffPublished: Jul 05, 2012

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Delta salmon regulations changes BY ROBIN WADE WON Staff Writer ANTIOCH — There are a few changes to the regulations this year, and here's a reminder of them: The full inland salmon fishing regulations are in the 2012-2013 Fishing Regulations Supplement at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations. The daily bag and possession limit is two chinook salmon and 2012 key changes are listed below.   For the first time in several years, parts of the Mokelumne River are open for certain time periods: — July 16 through Oct. 15 from Comanche Dam to the Highway 99 Bridge. — July 16 through Dec. 31 from the Highway 99 Bridge to the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam, including Lodi Lake. — July 16 through Dec. 16 from the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge to the mouth. For purposes of this regulation, this river segment is defined as Mokelumne River and its tributary sloughs downstream of the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge, east of Highway 160 and north of Highway 12. But the San Joaquin, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers and all other inland Central Valley areas will remain closed to salmon fishing for 2012. Good trout fishing at Shaver Lake but trophy’s getting harder to find By RON WILSON WON Staff Writer SHAVER LAKE — The trophy-size trout at Shaver Lake were few and far in between last week for those trolling or fishing off the shore, but the overall trout fishing was good. Guide Dick Nichols, of Dick's Fishing Charters in Shaver Lake reported his clients have limited out for 14 straight trips. "We are not getting a lot of big fish, but have caught some nice fish over the past week," Nichols said. Bryan and Troy Corcoran, both from Clovis caught 3 limits with Nichols. Kevin, Cade, Caleb and Craig Sherrod from Madera picked up four limits with 11-year-old Cade hauling in a 4 pounder and a 2½  pounder on the trip. Ken, from Orange Cove, and Keith Swinger from Shaver, went fishing with Nichols on Ken's 82nd birthday with both catching nice limits to 2½ pounds.   Nichols said that he is fishing at 21 to 40 feet deep using Trout Busters behind Mountain Flashers with a tip of ’crawler on each hook. Bank fishing has been good with a few big fish coming in. Roads 1 and 2, the Point and Bikini Cove have been the most productive bank locations. Power Bait, Gulp! and ’crawlers are doing the trick. Anglers anchored in boats have done fairly well with a few good fish coming in from Tunnel Creek and Black Rock areas. The Department of Fish and Game planted trout for the July 4th weekend. HONEST WEIGHT — A scale proved this trophy trout was 10 pounds, 2 ounces, caught by Leon Jennings of Clovis while fishing Shaver Lake with guide Dick Nichols over the weekend. Striper bite blows open for one guide on American River BY JIM JONES WON Staff Writer RANCHO CORDOVA — Shad fishing continued to be pretty good in the American River last week, in spite of flows that are up to 4,000 cfs making fly fishing more challenging than it had been at flows half that level. But the big news was some greatly improved striper fishing. Shad are mostly concentrated in the upper part of the river above Sunrise Ave., and anglers are catching them with mini-jigs under indicators and shad flies fished on fast-sinking shooting heads in pink champagne and chartreuse. Striper fishing had been somewhat spotty, but it broke wide open last week — at least for Maury Hatch of First Hatch Guide Service. He took out Bryce (no last name given) of Beula Fly Rods. They headed upstream from the launch at Howe Ave, and were soon getting strikes on a Pole Dancer topwater pattern, and a streamer pattern fished deep.   They soon were getting strikes from fish that ranged in size from shakers to a big female that weighed close to 25 pounds. It was taken on an olive-colored pike minnow imitation.