- Part 2

Bay Delta Fishing Report

Fishing in the Sacramento River

Right now, the river is very hot compared to normal, and for that reason you just might want to still hold off a few more weekends if you are itching to take your family out on a nice fishing trip to the Sac. Rio Vista area was one of the places where the best fishing was noted the week of September 21st-25th, but nothing off the charts was weighed in at any of the local fishing shops so far. Some of the anglers were able to land some early salmon with lures and there was even a 20 plus pounder recorded which hit salmon eggs of an angler who was actually just fishing for trout. Most of the anglers are arriving early and claiming some nice spots on the river and pretty much just fishing, drinking, and managing to have a good time even in some of the mid day heat.

SAN JOAQUIN River Fishing:

Striper fishing is really starting to heat up. If you can get your hands on some nice sized bullheads and either some shiners or anything that smells tasty, you have yourself a good shot at nailing a nice striper to bring home to the wife for your days work fishing. Much of the action is in the less than 20 feet of water, so no need to try and find anything deeper than that in this river.

River Salmon Regulations for the Sacramento River

Sacramento River limits

Kewsick Damn down to the Deschutes Bridge, the river is closed to all salmon fishing right now and for the forseeable future. But, you are able to fish for trout and keep one trout up to 16 inches long, either wild or a hatchery fish.

From the Deschutes Bridge down to Red Bluff Diversion Dam, the river also is closed to all salmon fishing until Oct. 9 through Oct. 31. After that, there is a limit of two salmon and two hatchery trout or steelhead. Note that on page 7 of the booklet there is a chart describing the differences between a plain rainbow resident trout and steelhead. The main difference is that the steelhead migrates to the sea and the resident trout sticks around in the river. If the resident trout gets to 16 inches, it is then classified as a steelhead no matter whether the trout migrates or stays at home.

***Make sure to inform your friends who are fishing for the salmon on the Sacramento of the changes that are going into effect. It is a hefty fine for anyone caught breaking the fishing rules and regulations whether intentionally or not intentionally***

Below the Red Bluff Diversion Dam there is an open season for salmon from Oct. 9 through Dec. 12, with the same limits as the upstream section of the river. This extends all the way down to Knights Landing.

From Knights Landing to the San Francisco Bay, there is an open period from Sept. 4 through Oct. 3. Again, the same limits apply as upstream.

New York Fishing Report: August 2010

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Lake Ontario
Brown trout fishing slowed a little last week, but fish are still being caught in 90 to 130 feet of water with spoons working well both off down riggers and Dipsey divers. Dream Weaver and Michigan Stingers in green and yellow shades are working well. The chinook salmon fishing has picked up some with fish being taken 100 to 140 feet down over 180 to 270 feet of water. Salmon are hitting the same spoons as the brown trout and also on green and white E-chip flashers and Atomik flies. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good around Mexico Bay with jig heads and twister tails working.

Oswego River
Sheephead (freshwater drum) continue to hit crayfish and catfish are hitting nightcrawlers and cut-bait. Bass are biting on minnows and crankbaits.

Salmon River
There continues to be a few brown trout and Atlantic salmon being taken in the river.

Oneida Lake
Walleye fishing continues to be better early in the day for anglers trolling with stickbaits or worm harnesses. The deeper water between Buoy 117 to 121 has been good. Smallmouth bass fishing has been hot or cold depending on the day. Fishing around structure with Senkos and a wide variety of other plastic baits are getting some fish. When birds are found diving on schools of baitfish, the smallmouth bass are actively feeding underneath them. Tossing topwater baits and a wide variety of plastic baits is working. Largemouth bass are hitting creature baits fished in and around the deep weed edges.

Sodus Bay
Largemouth bass are hitting on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and rubber worms fished in the deeper water.

Sandy Pond
There has been some largemouth bass and northern pike action along the outside weed edges. Spinnerbaits, rubber worms and crankbaits are working.

Cayuga Lake
Water fleas have died down and are less of a nuisance, but weed mats are still making trolling difficult on the lake. The thermocline is around 65 to 80 feet. Lake trout are being caught in 65 to 110 feet of water by anglers vertical jigging with plastics. They are also being taken 75 to 110 feet down over 180 to 210 feet trolling with flasher & flies or spoons. White or white & green are working well. Some nice brown trout are also being taken down 50 to 65 feet or mixed in with the lake trout.

Owasco Lake
Anglers trolling 50 to 70 feet down with spoons or flasher & fly rigs are still catching some lake trout and an occasional rainbow trout. Anglers are also catching a few lake trout vertical jigging. Though overall, lake trout fishing has been slow. Smallmouth bass are hitting in 10 to 20 feet of water on drop-shot rigs with Berkley Gulp baits. Good colors have been smelt imitating colors and green pumpkins. Look for schools of bait and fish around them for the bass.

Skaneateles Lake
Trolling 25 to 30 feet down with glow spoons is producing some rainbows and 50 to 60 feet down is working for lake trout. Anglers fishing near shore with tube jigs, drop-shot rigs, white Mr. Twisters and night crawlers and are still catching smallmouth bass.

Otisco Lake
Tiger muskie fishing is really starting to pick up with tigers being caught on almost anything from nightcrawlers to swim baits. Smallmouth bass are being taken in 15 to 25 feet of water on drop-shot rigs with darker colored baits working well. Largemouth bass can be found on the outside weed edges. A few walleye are being taken by anglers trolling 35 feet down with stickbaits.

Seneca Lake
Atlantic salmon are hitting Big Weenie flies down 55 feet over very deep water, like 500 feet of water. Lake trout are being taken 75 to 120 feet down by anglers trolling spoons and flasher & fly rigs. Vertical jigging has been producing fish at 75 to 90 feet with chartreuse and white plastics. A few northern pike are being taken off the pier. Anglers looking for large holes in weedbeds and fishing with crayfish are catching perch. They’re not getting a lot of them, but the ones they are getting are big.

St. Lawrence River
Try fishing for smallmouth bass about 35 to 45 feet down, using crayfish or worms. A number of nice northern pike are being caught along weedbed lines, at about 20 feet. Try using minnows or worms. Some nice jack perch are also being caught up in Mud Bay.

Whitney Point Reservoir
Walleye fishing has slowed but some fish are being taken in the deeper water on worm harnesses and jigs tipped with night crawlers.

How to Catch Crab off a Pier

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Crabbing off of any structure can be quite a bit of fun. The most common place to go crabbing if you are not in a boat is from a local pier down by the beach. Most coastal towns or even harbors or marinas have a section of some pier that is available for local fisherman to fish or even to catch crab.

Here is some of the information you should try to find out before you start crabbing off a pier:

How deep is the water below the pier
When is the high tide going to be
What are the current fishing regulations for catching crab, and are there any rules as to what type of traps you can and cannot use
Make sure to have enough rope to pull up your crab trap
Have some secure place where you can tie up your crab trap on top of the pier, hopefully close to where you will be sitting
Make sure to bring an extra large amount of bait (fresh bones from the butcher, squid, chicken parts, etc… any meat)

So, if you are using a hoop trap, you should simply secure some of the bait with string or a bait box to the top side of the hoop net, and then send it over the side. You should notice a change in the pressure on your crab line when it hits the bottom. Then, secure the remaining line to some stationary part of the pier. Then the waiting game begins. I like to check my crab traps every 45 minutes to see if there are any crabs inside. Some people that I go crabbing with insist on only checking the crab trap after every hour to hour and a half, but I don’t think that is necessary, and I like checking them often as it is much more fun.

Catching crab from a pier again can be great fun, you don’t need to worry about getting sea sick, and usually there are some other people around to keep you company.