Lake Berryessa

Pink lures and spinners will still get you a few salmon if you go deep (50 to 70 feet in the main lake).

Shorter days should trigger a fall bass bite in preparation for winter. With Spanish Flat closed, I don’t have reliable “eyes” there.

Best bet is to call Sweeney’s Sports (255-5544) before you head out.

 

Bodega Bay

The rockfish season below Point Arena continues until November. So, call Wil’s Bait & Tackle (875-2323) to book a trip. With the limit at 10 fish, you can get enough for a serious neighborhood fish fry.

 

Napa River

This close-to-home fishery continues to give up small stripers to bankies using cut bait.

 

Clear Lake

Bass fishing is tough right now. They are scattered and deep. You might want to take a break until the shorter days get bass moving again.

If you can’t wait, try natural color plastics on a drop shot rig in the 20-foot band.

Don’t jig it; let it stay still on the bottom. Strike on the first “tap.”

 

Trinity, Klamath Rivers

Mostly small salmon and half-pounder steelhead moving fast through the lower sections. Best adult salmon action on the Trinity is in the Douglas City/Lewiston area. Side drifting and back-bouncing roe has been the best technique for both bank and boat anglers.

With a quota of 22,500 salmon for the Klamath, commercial gill-netting is in full swing — so very few adult salmon are getting through.

Look for an improving bite in the days ahead.

 

Sacramento River

With river flows out of Keswick down to 9500 cfs, the wild rainbow trout bite has finally slowed down after an excellent spring/summer bite.

If you gotta go, live cricket, small glo bugs in egg patterns or crawlers with a Quickie puff ball seem to work best.

Caples Lake Update

As this prolific lake was drawn down to fix some gates in the dam, over 80 volunteers led by T.U. and CSPA joined a team of 40 from DFG to save over 6,400 trout (rainbows, browns, brook and macks) in 72 hours.

It’s the perfect example of grass roots activism combined with a state agency for good works.