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Fishing Report, February 10, 2012

Winter trout fishing gets boost

While the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has been planting lakes around our area for many years in order to enhance a local winter trout fishery, it announced this week that it will begin planting rainbow trout (triploids) in Lake Mendocino for the first time this month.
Approximately 15,000 pounds of trout will be put into the lake throughout the winter and early spring, giving anglers an opportunity to enjoy one of the state’s most popular activities.
Fish will be put in the lake several times during the winter and early spring. To ensure there is a constant supply of fish in the upper East Branch Russian River area, fish will be planted in the East Branch Russian River (Potter Valley) from late April to October. The planted fish are between a half and three-quarter pounds each and are raised at the Darrah Springs Hatchery in Paynes Creek.
Lake Mendocino also is home to large and smallmouth bass, striped bass, channel catfish and black crappie.
DFG also planted trout in Lake Berryessa, Napa County, this week and Santa Rosa's Lake Ralphine, Marin's Bon Tempe and Berryessa got stocked last week and will get another round next week as well.
Northern California anglers who enjoy fishing for striped bass won a major victory last week over a coalition of Central Valley agricultural industries and Southern California water users when the Fish and Game Commission voted to declare striped bass a native species, thereby blocking a proposal to eradicate striped bass forced on the DFG by the big Central Valley water users.
This decision will hopefully delay attempts to reduce the Delta water habitat for stripers.  For a full account on that story go to the USA Fishing webpage: http://usafishing.com/news.html.
Anglers who love the taste of fresh Dungeness crab and are fond of sole, should take advantage of great carb and sand dab action off the Sonoma Coast out of Bodega Bay.  Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sportsfishing is taking clients out on "crab and dab" combo trips every week and coming home with full limits of crab plus all of the sand dabs you care to catch.  Sand dabs are a relative of the ole family and delicious.  Call Rick at 875-3344 to book a trip.
Sturgeon fishing in the Bay continues to be fair to good according to Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Bait Shop in San Rafael. Most of the action is near the Pump House.  Striped bass fishing has only been fair, but appears to be picking up.
Valerie at Leonard's Bait Shop at Port Sonoma confirmed Keith's report.  Her customers report some nice hook-ups with large sturgeon near the Pump House and at the mouth of the Petaluma River.
Mark your calendar for Sonoman Ron Church's  29th annual Al's Ark Striper Derby set for March 17 and 18.  Cash prizes are offered both days for the largest striper and largest (closest to target size) sturgeon. There are also special divisions for women and kids to enter and win prizes.  The entry fee is $30, kids 15 and under $15.  You can register in Sonoma at Steiner's Tavern, and also at Napa Sea Ranch and Sweeney's Sports Store in Napa.  The weigh-ins for both days will be at Moore's Landing, 6 Cuttings Wharf Road, Napa.  To get the target size for the sturgeon, call 938-0133 at 6 a.m. Saturday, Mar. 17. 
For for information call 767-8900.