Keep cool, go fishing

When the going gets hot, the cool go fishing. As temperatures in Sonoma approach triple digits, look south and west for relief and some nice, relaxing fishing action.

Simply by driving south and slightly east through the Carneros region, down to Cuttings Wharf and other locations along the Napa River, you can escape the heat of the Valley, find a nice place on the bank and catch some striped bass. Bring a lawn chair, a cooler and good book, cast your line out and wait for the tug.

If you are looking for something equally cool, but more active in the way of angling, there are two other choices. Bank fishing off China Camp or off the Paradise Park Pier in Marin County, which is also very comfortable, but you’ll probably have to be a little more active in pursuit of fish. Another choice is to book a party boat for Bay fishing through Keith Fraser, at the Loch Lomond Bait Shop in San Rafael, 415-456-0321. Keith said the tides are pretty big this week, which means fishing from the anchor for sturgeon and bass in the morning and then drifting with live bait in the afternoons.

Finally, the weather is beautifully comfortable off the Sonoma Coast, and the salmon are running. Call Capt. Rick Powers, at Bodega Bay Sportfishing, 875-3344, to book a trip with Rick for salmon (and dungeness crabs). You can spend a nice cool day on the ocean, catch a limit and have a great time.

On the other hand, if you like the heat, many Northern California rivers are offering good fishing this month.

Casey Rollig, of Leland Fly Fishing Ranch in Sonoma, fished the Pit River (No. 3) last Friday and Saturday and reported outstanding, 30-fish days, for he and his fishing buddy. The Pit has nice flows right now, and as long as you have good wading boots and wading staff (and net), you will be rewarded with some hot action. If you’ve never been to the Pit before, stop by Leland and talk to Casey for directions, and recommendations.

To get there, you drive to Redding, take 299 East toward Burney. There are a couple of roads of 299 that lead you to the Pit, including Big Bend Road. Keep in mind that the Pit is challenging wading and you should always fish with a friend in that river. Casey also fished Hat Creek part of one day and said the action was fair.

Other good north state spots include the upper Sacramento River and McCloud River, where conditions are excellent and fishing is good, said Bob Grace, at the Ted Fay Fly Shop in Dunsmuir. Bob said he is seeing lots of small wild healthy trout, which bodes well for fishing later in the season. The air temperatures on the upper Sac can be high during midday, but comfortable in the mornings and late afternoons.

The upper Sac is one of my favorite trout streams, and it is an easy four-hour drive from Sonoma. I usually rent a fishing shack on the river for a few days, which makes it even better.

Bass fishing on Berryessa and Clear Lake has been OK, but until recently, the wind made it tough. Now the heat will be an issue. That said, the fish are biting.

If you’re a fan of the bass tournaments on TV and think you might like angling for bass on lakes, there’s an affordable way to try it, without investing in a $60,000 high-speed bass boat. The Sonoma County Belly Boat Bass Club, based in Santa Rosa, has informal tournaments almost every weekend, and they welcome beginners. Check out its website at SCBBBC.com.