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Sturgeon biting in the bay

Fishing and hunting

Sturgeon action really picked up this week in San Pablo Bay near the Pump House. Keith Fraser, at Loch Lomond Bait Shop, reported several of his clients used mud shrimp to catch and release four sturgeon, including one shaker, two within the 46-to-66-inch slot-size limit and one monster that was 78-inches long.

Keith also said that halibut fishing has been surprisingly good off Red Rock, with lots of guys landing nice fish drifting shiners.  Keith does book party boats for Bay fishing. Call him at 415-456-0321.

Joel and Valerie, at Leonard's Bait Shop at Port Sonoma, had great things to say about the striped-bass fishing on the Petaluma River and in San Pablo Bay. Danny and Jimmy Sinkay caught some nice keeper stripers there this week. Joel also got a report from Mike Andrews, who operates Predator, his party boat, out of Vallejo.  Mike has been splitting his trips between shark fishing in the bay and then stripers in the Napa River. He has been getting lots of stripers near the power lines in the river, recently. You can book the Predator for a trip by calling 342-8481.

Anglers who love the taste of fresh dungeness crab, should give Capt. Rick Powers, of Bodega Bay Sportfishing, a call (875-3344). Rick’s clients are bringing home full limits of crab and rockfish virtually every trip.

Guide Sid Silberberg is still finding fish on Lake Berryessa, where his clients are catching limits of trout. This week he found the fish by watching for signs of the baitfish balls near the surface, and then fishing through them. Call Sid at 650-583-3333.

There are still some salmon being caught in the Sacramento River, and guide Kirk Portocarrero said fly-fishing for trout in the Sac between Redding and Anderson has been awesome this week. I’ve heard numerous reports that the Trinity River is also good for steelhead now, as is the Klamath River.

If you are thinking of heading north for fly-fishing in any of the rivers in Northern California or southern Oregon, try setting up a trip with guide Jim Andras. He and his wife, Rachel, are familiar to many Sonoma anglers because they both taught at Leland Fly Fishing Ranch. Jim is the best guide I have ever fished with. To see if he is available, call 530-722-7992.

I talked to Bob Grace, at the Ted Fay Fly Shop in Dunsmuir, Wednesday, and he said the weather has been nice up his way and the fishing on the upper Sac is still fair to good. 

The McCloud River is also fishing well now.