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Bay still offers best fishing

Fishing and hunting

 

Even as the wind picks up and the tides slow, the best place to fish close to Sonoma has to be San Pablo Bay and near the mouths of Sonoma Creek, Napa River and Petaluma River, where they feed into the Bay. There you are likely to find action on small to keeper-sized striped bass, plus the likelihood of hooking into a big sturgeon.

Sturgeon action is still best in the Bay in the "triangle" marked by the Pump House, China Camp and Buoy 5, where anglers are consistently hooking sturgeon, some well over the size limit. 

Keith Fraser, at Loch Lomond Bait Shop in San Rafael, said Wednesday that the tides aren't as good for sturgeon this weekend, but improve starting next Tuesday through July 4. Halibut and stripers can also be found off Red Rock and Paradise, Keith said. Keith books party boats for bay fishing. Call him at 415-456-0321.

Capt. Jim Cox, of the Touch of Grey party boat, took a group of three anglers out Tuesday and they caught and released several nice sturgeon, including one that was 63-inches long. He took another group out on Wednesday, catching several more. They also released one that was more than 84 inches long.

You can book Jim's boat directly by call him at 925-261-9820.

Diane Mowery, at Leonard's Bait Shop at Port Sonoma, said she has seen some nice catches brought in by anglers working the Pump House area, and off the bank in the Petaluma River, where lots of small stripers are hanging out.

Salmon fishing off the Sonoma Coast is showing some promise this week. Capt. Rick Powers, of Bodega Bay Sportfishing, said that Tuesday, the one day this week without heavy winds, he heard of several anglers scoring with salmon limits between Bird Rock and the Whistle Buoy. The rockcod and lingcod fishing remains excellent Rick added. Call him at 875-3344 to book a combo salmon and rockcod trip.

Clear Lake, Berryessa and Lake Sonoma are all starting to heat up and the fishing has improved. The best reports I've seen are coming from Clear Lake, where anglers are finding fish close to shore in clear water.

Bob Grace, at the Ted Fay Fly Shop in Dunsmuir, said this week that the weather is finely warm enough to melt more snow, and the upper Sacramento River is high but fishable. Better yet is the McCloud, where flows have been more controlled. The lower Sac is also fishing very well according to report from guide Kirk Portocarrero (800-670-4448).

The "Squidheads," an itinerant group of local fly-fishers led by Steve Kyle, make their way to Loreto, Baja California, this month for their annual attempt at catching something besides bad sunburns. Some will be carrying “Kaylin's Killer” flies, created and tied by Sonoma's Kaylin Riebli, daughter of Sean Riebli, area manager of Don Sebastiani and Sons wines. Kaylin, age 13, is earning summer spending money tying these and other flies for local anglers.