Three separate strains of fish – the Eel River strain of American River steelhead, the Coleman Hatchery steelhead strain and Central Valley hatchery steelhead of undetermined origin – are returning to the American River this year, as evidenced in a … Continued
In the biggest release of water since 2006, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on December 16 increased releases to the American River below Nimbus Dam from 15,000 cubic feet per second to 35,000 cfs. It was awesome to see these massive … Continued
The Port of West Sacramento played host to one of my strangest-ever fishing experiences, in terms of the surroundings. On one spring trip in the late 1980’s, I fished for catfish from shore in the port. Right across from where … Continued
Delta advocates are very concerned that Jerry Brown may work with the incoming Donald Trump administration to weaken the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act to push through Brown’s “legacy” project, the Delta Tunnels, before he leaves office. On … Continued
Lake Almanor Rainbow Trout Smash Spoons! (Chester) Very good fall trout fishing has emerged at Lake Almanor mainly for rainbows, but the occasional brown is showing too. “The fishing is pretty darn good at Lake Almanor right now,” related Cliff … Continued
American River Bureau Drops Flows To 1,000 Cfs by Dan Bacher (Sacramento) The Bureau of Reclamation has dropped releases into the American River below Nimbus Dam to 1,000 cfs, as it usually does this time of year after most of … Continued
The area of the Feather River below the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet is legendary for the great steelhead and salmon fishing it has provided to anglers over the years. It also became legendary for the crowds of anglers, including those prone … Continued
If you’re a long time Fish Sniffer reader, you know that when it comes to fishing success I lean toward streaks rather than consistency. At times I can do no wrong. I catch big fish and big numbers of fish … Continued
As I reeled in the Panther Martin spinner towards me through the chilly, crystal clear water, I saw the tip of my second spinning rod begin bouncing as a trout grabbed my bait. I dropped the lure rod, picked up the bait … Continued
The tip of my rod quivered with the frantic, nervous swimming motions of my live sardine 10 feet below my kayak. Mr. Sardine was trying to get away from some unseen predator. All of a sudden, the vibrations stopped. The … Continued