Livermore - At an unusually packed Board of Directors hearing the night of Wednesday, March 16, Alameda County Water District Zone 7, a State Water Project contractor, rejected a request to vote in support of Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels project, according to a Restore the Delta news release.

Board members noted the lack of key information including environmental impacts, costs, and the willingness of agricultural contractors to pay their share, Restore the Delta said.

Joan Buchanan, President of Restore the Delta said, “I appreciate the board’s willingness to listen and delay its decision until all the impacts and costs are known. It was the prudent and responsible action for the residents and ratepayers they represent.”

Speaker after speaker in the packed Board room expressed concerns about the irreparable environmental damage additional freshwater diversions from the Delta would cause and the need to rush to support the Delta Tunnels prior to the release of the Environmental Impact Report and the cost impact on local water users. Many also questioned why Zone 7 should state its support when no other federal or state water contractor has gone on record, Restore the Delta said.

Local taxpayer groups were also there in support of the letter from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association delivered that day. The Association's letter outlined in precise detail the legal reasons that the Board could not pledge property taxes to help pay for the tunnels without a vote of the electorate.

Jonas Minton from the Planning and Conservation League reminded the Board members of their fiduciary duty to their ratepayers and bondholders to conduct full due diligence before acting.

After three hours of hearing, the Board voted overwhelmingly to await the final Environmental Impact Report, Record of Decision, and complete financial analysis before considering its position. Those documents are...

Over 250 anglers participated in the NorCal Trout Angler Challenge Tour event at Lake Amador, hosted by Angler’s Press and the Fish Sniffer magazine, on Saturday, March 18.

The lake was in prime shape for trout fishing, with the lake full and going over the spillway and the Mother Lode foothills surrounding the lake displaying verdant green colors resulting from the winter rains. Anglers caught big rainbows from both boat and shore while enjoying the warm and sunny weather.

Lon Garland won first place in the adult division by bagging a 5.95 lb. rainbow. He was fishing in his boat with Ryan Baird and Matt Tomchick, all from Loomis.

"We only landed 3 fish while trolling Rapalas at 25 feet deep," said Garland. "It was the first time that I’ve ever fished Lake Amador. In addition to the three fish we boated, we also lost another trout.

"We thought we were going to get skunked until we hooked our first fish, the big one, after several hours of fishing," he noted.

Adam Papini, a shore angler, won second place with a 5.84 lb. fish that he hooked around 1:30 pm. "I hooked the fish while fishing off the spillway a few minutes ago," he excitedly told me as he brought the still-wriggling trout to the certified scale for Vince Harris of Angler’s Press to weigh.

The third through tenth place winners were (3) Mike Hart, 5.42; (4) Tom Wolfenburger, 4.82; (5) Mark Sepelyak, 4.58; (6) James Townley 4.57; (7) Jesse Trejo Sr., 4.43; (8) David Tabuchi, 4.23; (9) Brandon Wu, 4.19; and (10) Paul Costa, 4.06.

The participants weighed 94 fish in the adult division, with the smallest fish weighing .81 pounds. To qualify for the top 50 adult winners, you had to catch a 1.72 lb. rainbow.

Just a year after the massive Refugio Oil Spill fouled the pristine waters off the Santa Barbara Coast, a leak in an oil pipeline in Hall Canyon in Ventura County was reported at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 23. As many as 700 barrels of crude oil — 29,400 gallons — have been spilled.

The company responsible for the Ventura oil spill, Crimson Pipeline, has a decade-long history of oil spills in California. Spills like this one are becoming increasingly common in a state where Big Oil has captured the regulatory apparatus — and the oil industry is the most powerful corporate lobby.

Fortunately, Ventura County Firefighters halted the oil from flowing towards the ocean, according to Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Mike Lindbery.

“The forward oil flow progress has been stopped,” said Lindbery. “There is no environmental threat to ocean and no evacuations in the area.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response confirmed that no oiled wildlife have been observed or reported — and no oil has reached the ocean or other water from the pipeline spill.

The agency said the oil from the spill has been isolated in Hall Canyon. “There is no oil in the storm drain. Vacuum trucks are collecting the oil,” the CDFW stated.

A multi-agency response has been established to manage cleanup operations in the area impacted by the spill, according to the CDFW in a follow-up statement on June 24. Cleanup crews, including 98 responders and five vacuum trucks, remain on-scene containing and recovering the oil. Air monitoring is being continually conducted to assure safety of responders and residents in the area.

The cause of the spill is currently under investigation. “The unified command response will be independent of that investigation and includes representatives from the...

Trout fishing continues to be the top story at New Melones with the opportunity for a large rainbow in the 3- to 5-pound range. There are signs that the deep trolling action is starting to slow down, and the bait and rainbows appear to be moving higher in the water column after the past two weekends of rain and runoff. The cold 55-degree water remains at 100 feet in depth, but trollers have to be very cautious when working in deep water in the main river channel upriver from the Glory Hole Marina and the Highway 49 Bridge due to submerged trees grabbing gear.

John Liechty of Glory Hole Sports in Angels Camp said that the recent rainfall, shorter days, and cooler weather have brought the lake temperature down to the low 60s, and generally the lake will start to turnover once the surface temperature reaches 56 degrees. He expects this to happen during the middle of November depending on weather conditions. Trolling anglers have been catching some large 3 to 5-pound rainbow trout while trolling over deep water, and as the surface temperature cools, these fish will move up in the water column.

Michael Nelson and Rod Smith caught a very hefty five fish limit. Their largest weighed 3 pounds, 6 ounces, and all five fish combined weight exceeded 15 pounds. Mario Lopez landed a 4-pound, 5-ounce rainbow trout while trolling a shad patterned Apex in 105 feet of water.

Gary Burns of Take It to The Limit Guide Service said that the rainbows are still deep from 98 to 110 feet, but very soon they should start working their way up to the surface as the weather cools. His best action has been in the main lake from the dam to the spillway at 2.4 mph with Cop-Car...

Three hundred people from throughout the Monterey Bay area and beyond participated in the 13th Annual Sand Crab Classic Surf Perch Derby, a benefit for the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, on Saturday, March 11.

The derby featured both the biggest perch ever taken during the event and the biggest fish of any kind, a striped bass, during the tournament.

"We hold this event every year on the second Saturday in March," said Mike Baxter of the Let’s Go Fishing Radio, the co-organizer of the event with Allen Bushnell, also from the Let’s Go Fishing Radio. "The fishing was overall good during this classic. The weather was also sunny and calm with a high tide in the morning."

Whereas people have come all of the way from as far north as Crescent City and as far south as Ventura to fish the event, Taylorsville, California was the furthest anybody came this time.

Jeremy Peck won the GrandMaster prize with his 3.4 lb. barred perch measuring 16 inches long while fishing shrimp "between Santa Cruz and Monterey." That was the largest perch of any kind taken in the event.

He reported very good fishing during the classic, catching 10 other barred perch - his limit - off the beach as well.

Ron Martin landed this year’s "Most Exotic Catch," a 17.2 lb. striped bass, the biggest fish of any kind ever weighed in during the event’s history. Martin is a longtime Sand Crab Classic supporter.

He was fishing for perch off of Manresa Beach with a #4 hook and a plastic grub on 10 lb. test line when he hooked the striper. It took him a good 10 to 15 minutes to get the beast to the sand.

That wasn’t the only striped bass weighed in for the "most exotic"...

Stockton, CA -- Delta tunnels opposition researchers have discovered a draft analysis dated September 15, 2017 of CA WaterFix costs completed by the Kern County Water Agency posted at the Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District.

This recent Kern County analysis provides a comprehensive review of how expensive the Delta tunnels project would be for Kern County farmers, and elucidates more realistic cost numbers for State Water Project Contractors than those touted by Metropolitan Water District.

Researchers found that:

• Total WaterFix costs are estimated at $32.1 billion to $41.4 billion over 50 years; however, Kern County Water Agency only looked at interest rates of 3.55% or 3.88%. Higher interest rates would result in significantly higher total costs. These costs do not include potential cost overruns.

• Computations in 2033 dollars show that dividing the maximum capital costs by the average water supply yield results in an estimated cost range of $888 per acre-foot of water to $1427 per acre-foot of water for Kern County Water Agency water users. Using 2017 dollars, the price is discounted to $553 to $889 per acre-foot.

• Kern's total costs range from $4.9 billion to $7 billion, and annual costs range from $153.9 million to $247.5 million.

Restore the Delta executive director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla noted, "Water this costly would cut deeply into profit margins for smaller farms within the Kern County Water Agency service area, and even the profits of big industrial farms like Stewart Resnick's Paramount Farms. It is feasible that the real end-goal is for urban ratepayers within the Kern service area and Metropolitan Water District to subsidize the project, or that Kern County Water Agency could resell a portion of water back to Metropolitan Water District to make enough revenue to cover bond repayment."

Prior to Westlands Water District's withdrawal from California...

Showing the enormous power of the oil industry in California despite the state’s green image, every bill except one opposed by the powerful oil industry has failed to make it out of the state legislature this year and during the 2015-2016 session.

The latest victim of intense lobbying by Big Oil is Senate Bill 188, a bill authored by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to prohibit new pipelines or other infrastructure needed to support new federal oil and gas development.

Senator Jackson introduced SB 188 in response to President Donald Trump’s recent executive order opening the door to expanded offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters off the California coast.

The oil industry killed that bill, Senator Jackson told the Sacramento Bee on September 1. They are far too powerful.

The defeat of the bill is a big victory in Sacramento for the oil industry and the Trump administration. The Western States Petroleum Association, the California Independent Petroleum Association, the California Chamber of Commerce and California Manufacturers & Technology Association spent big money lobbying to defeat the legislation, as well as pass the oil industry's wish list cap-and-trade bill, AB 398.

A long list of environmental, consumer, fishing and indigenous groups supported the legislation, including the California Coastkeeper Alliance, Environmental Defense Center, Defenders of Wildlife, Food and Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Seventh Generation Advisors, Sierra Club California, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation.

The Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, held the bill in suspension during their hearing on Friday, September 1. Gonzalez Fletcher’s Office declined to comment on the bill in response to a phone call and email.

Before the bill died in Appropriations, the bill passed through the Assembly Natural Resources Committee by a vote of...

place as drastically as they do underwater. Water can filter certain wavelengths of light, affecting how colors appear. For instance, red light tends to diminish quickly in deeper water, while blues and greens penetrate more effectively.

This means that the visibility of a lure's color can change depending on water clarity and depth. In clear water, lighter colors may stand out better, while in murky conditions, brighter or more fluorescent colors could make a bigger impact.

Additionally, fish may also associate certain colors with specific prey. Over time, if they have experienced positive encounters with a given color, they may be more likely to bite lures of that color.

Ultimately, the best approach is to experiment with different colors and pay attention to what works during different conditions. The effectiveness of a color can also depend on the location and time of year, making adaptability key for anglers seeking success on the water.

While there may not be one definitive answer regarding the importance of lure color, understanding the underwater environment and being willing to try different approaches can significantly enhance fishing success.

Rancho Cordova The salmon ladder at Nimbus Hatchery in Rancho Cordova opened Monday, Nov. 2, signaling the start of the spawning season on the American River.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) hatchery workers opened the gates in the ladder at 9:30 a.m. and may take more than a half-million eggs during the first week alone in an effort to ensure the successful spawning of the returning fall-run Chinook salmon.

California is entering what may be a fifth year of unprecedented drought. Because of current river conditions, salmon are returning later in the year than typical. Overall, the fall-run Chinook salmon return numbers are lower than normal. CDFW seeks to match historic hatchery production goals this year, but that may not be possible given the conditions.

Drought conditions may affect the number of salmon returning to the river to spawn, but hatchery workers will continue to collect eggs throughout the fall with a goal of producing four million salmon fry, said CDFW Program Manager Dr. Bill Cox. We are working closely with other federal and state agencies to release cold water into the river system to give salmon the best chance to get up river to the hatchery.

The three major state-run hatcheries in the Central Valley – the Nimbus Hatchery in Sacramento County, and hatcheries on the Feather River in Butte County and the Mokelumne River in San Joaquin County – will take approximately 24 million eggs over the next two months in order to produce Chinook salmon for release next spring.

Once the young salmon reach 2 to 4 inches in length, one-quarter of the stock will be marked and implanted with coded wire tags prior to release. CDFW biologists use the information from the tags to chart the salmon’s survival, catch and return rates.

The U.S....

Stockton Water hyacinth remains the story in the San Joaquin as the floating green menace continues to plague area boaters. Extensive mats of hyacinth have forced the closure of the City of Stockton’s launch ramps at Buckley Cove and Louis Park, leaving only Morelli Park as the only viable launch in the area.

Alex Breitler of the Stockton Record said, “The alien weed stretches from bank-to-bank across Buckley Cove near the west end of March Lane, and has engulfed all of the docks there. Two neighboring marinas are socked in as well.”

Freezing temperatures are needed to kill the hyacinth, and so far into November, the temperatures have remained very warm, allowing the hyacinth to grow.

The recent winds have cleared some of the bank areas in the southern part of the Delta, and Brandon Gallegos of H and R Bait said, “The Whiskey Slough Road side of the slough was cleared out by the wind which pushed the hyacinth up on the opposite bank, and stripers in the 21 to 24-inch range have been landed with live mudsuckers or fresh shad. In the main San Joaquin River, stripers in the 17 to 23-inch range are taken on the same baits in the clearer areas.”

“The Tracy Oasis is a good location for redear sunfish or largemouth bass, but striper fishermen need to drift live mudsuckers due to the hyacinth,” he tipped.

Further west, Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “We have been catching and releasing up to 70 stripers throwing the ima Big Stick or Little Stick for topwater while working below the surface with the Optima Double AA Bubba Shad or 2-oz. P-Line Laser Minnows in chartreuse/silver or blue silver.”

Their larger fish have come in the shallows with swimbaits, but the schools are thick in the San...

Folsom Lake

If you want to fish in solitude, you can definitely find it now at Folsom Lake. The lake is at its lowest level in history, holding only 151,089 acre feet of water, 15 percent of capacity. The lake level is 353.67 feet in elevation, 112.33 feet below.

While few anglers have been fishing the lake, shore fishermen willing to do some hiking should find improving rainbow trout and king salmon action off the shore at Granite Bay and Browns Ravine as the water cools down and the lake turns over. Fish PowerBait and inflated nightcrawlers on sliding sinker rigs or minnows and worms under bobbers.

The guys who reported catching black bass while trolling with crankbaits a couple of weeks ago aren’t talking now. They were hooking a lot of fish, mostly spotted and smallmouth bass to 4 pounds, while fishing at 10 to 15 feet deep with Strike King and Timber Tiger medium diving crankbaits and similar lures.

While all concrete ramps on Folsom Lake are currently closed due to the low lake level, the two anglers were carefully launching their boats from shore. The lake must be above elevation 369' before the Granite Bay ramp will return to operation.

Oroville: You need a 4-wheel drive vehicle to launch at both the spillway and Bidwell Canyon launch ramps, but the wide-open bass fishing available on Lake Oroville definitely makes it worthwhile.

“Fishing is really good now,” said Brent Cline at Oroville Outdoors. “Boaters are hooking and releasing 50 to 60 fish during a trip. Most of the fish are spotted bass in the 12 to 15 inch range, but two 7 lb. largemouths were also reported lately.”

“You can pretty much use any method you want to use to catch fish,” he emphasized. “You can throw top water lures such as Zara Spooks and Ricos. You can toss out worms and Senkos in bait fish patterns. And you can cast tubes and jigs in green pumpkin patterns all over the lake.”

King salmon fishing has also improved with the cooler water. Boaters are trolling hoochies, tipped with anchovy strips, behind dodgers at 40 to 50 feet deep to catch fish averaging 3 to 4 pounds, according to Cline. The best areas are the dam, spillway and Green Bridge.

“Bass fishing in the Thermalito Afterbay was good last week when the water temperature was warmer, but it is slower this week with the cooler water,” said Cline. “Anglers have been doing best on largemouths from 2 to 4 pounds while flipping jigs in the tules and fishing Senkos, crankbaits and spinnerbaits.”

Lake Oroville was holding 1,023,835 acre-feet of water, 29 percent of capacity and 48 percent of average, at press time. The water level is 667.57 feet above sea level.

A lazy crowd of people were sauntering down Main Street in Rio Vista on a balmy October afternoon. I emerged from the waterfront holding a large fish. The crowd started to stir as I walked up to the Rio Vista Bass Derby weigh-in table.

A woman quizzically asked, “What kind of fish is that?“ It’s a salmon”, I replied. It struck me as kind of funny that somebody wouldn’t know the difference between a striped bass and a salmon.

Then again, not everybody has been trying to figure out how to catch them for as long as I have. And why in the heck was I bringing a salmon to a striper derby anyway?

I’ve been on a quest to catch river salmon for as long as I can remember. I’m not the only one who becomes salmon-obsessed during the fall months. Have you ever taken an October drive down Highway 160 between Sacramento and Rio Vista? If so, you know that hordes of salmon seekers line the shores and choke the waterways to no end.

It doesn’t really make a lot of sense. Aside from producing great smoked salmon, the table quality of river salmon is fair at best. The musty flavor is hard to mask and doesn’t compare to the meat of a freshly caught ocean salmon. Although they get big and put up a decent fight, river salmon don’t pack the same punch as equally sized striped bass.

So why do we chase them? For me, it’s the lure of mystery. There is nothing more exciting than trolling for several hours only to hear the staccato ‘zzz-zzz-zzz’ of your clicker going off. Is it another ten pounder? Or maybe it’s the next state record, eclipsing the 88 pound king caught in 1979.

When reports mention ‘Sacramento Salmon,”...

Most anglers start off their day by checking out weather reports or just looking outside; do I go or not? Just remember that when you look outside and your neighbor’s tree is blowing over, it might not be a bad thing at this time of the year.

Wind in the winter is a whole different ballgame. It just makes it unbearable to fish at times. However, wind in the fall and summer can make the fishing red-hot! You just have to believe in one thing, the wind is your friend.

You can’t change Mother Nature, you’ve got to go with it. For example, if you are a weightless worm fisherman, you are going to have to adjust.

The key to how the wind affects the action is water temperature. At 70 degrees or higher, fish need to eat a lot. So even though the weather may not be to your liking, the fish are still eating. Speaking for myself, I want to feed them!

Let’s talk about the different kinds of wind. Let’s set the table for your day on the delta. The water temperature is in the 70’s; of course it is windy, but is it a cold wind and white caps? Most likely, throughout the night the water temperature dropped, so it will be hard to get a morning topwater bite; not impossible, but tough.

My selections in this case are subsurface baits with a couple of modifications. The first bait I’d turn to is a crankbait. A couple baits come to mind. I need baits with a big wobble, the more commotion, the better. Strike Kings 4S in a crawdad or bluegill pattern and Ima’s Shaker also in a crawdad or bluegill pattern.

Cranking the bait down and ticking the structure with a stop and go retrieve...

Rancho Cordova Nimbus Fish Hatchery workers have counted a total of 2,765 Chinook salmon, including 789 jacks and jills (two-year-old fish), at the facility since the salmon ladder opened Monday, Nov. 2.

Considering the low flows of 500 cfs, this return is surprisingly good. Last year at this time the hatchery had counted approximately 2,950 salmon, including 350 adults.

The other good news is that the water temperature on the river has cooled down 5 to 7 degrees over one week.

“The water temperature has gone down to 55 to 57 degrees, depending on which gauge you go by,” said Gary Novak, hatchery manager. “That’s phenomenal; last year the water temperature didn’t cool down to this temperature until the middle of November.”

The hatchery has spawned salmon three times to date. Novak noted that many of the fish at the facility are still “green,” not ready for spawning yet.

The 300,000 juvenile steelhead that will be released into the river system next February have also returned to the hatchery, after spending the summer at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville, due to high water temperatures at Nimbus.

Los Vaqueros

Brisk fall fishing is available at Los Vaqueros Reservoir, where anglers fishing from both shore and rental boats are bagging rainbow trout, catfish, striped bass and largemouth bass.

"Fishing for trout continues to be fair with the mixed weather we have had lately," said Brian Demmunik at Los Vaqueros Reservoir. "The rainbows are being caught in South Cove and Oak Point as well as around the lake. The baits of choice for shore anglers are garlic-scented PowerBaits, nightcrawlers or Kastmasters."

Trolling is popular with anglers using Rapalas and other lures in the coves. "A number of limits came out of Howden Cove this week," Demmunik stated.

Fall trout plants are in full swing. Mount Lassen Hatchery planted 1,000 pounds of rainbows and the CDFW stocked 1,000 pounds of trout on Thursday, November 12.

"With the recent rains, the shoreline is slippery – please be careful and watch your footing," he advised.

Chomuam Loth experienced top-notch catfish action when he landed 8 fish weighing a total of 44.49 pounds, topped by an 8.49 pound cat, along with seven more weighing an additional 36 pounds. He was soaking nightcrawlers in Howden Cove.

Bert Palmon of Fremont caught and released a 5.5 pound largemouth bass while tossing out a swimbait from a rental boat.

Night fishing is back every Saturday during November. Every Saturday this month the lake will be staying open until 8 p.m. for night fishing.

"Shakers are still the main action with striped bass," noted Demmunik. "We are still seeing 15-20 undersized fish being caught for every keeper. There have been more boils reported in Cowboy and Howden coves as well as Peninsula Cove, but anglers are having difficulties enticing the fish to bite with swimbaits and other lures. From shore, cut anchovies or shad are the top...

With the temporary closure of the Dungeness crab season, rockfish and lingcod are filling the bill for the time being.

A big swell and heavy winds over the weekend of November 13 put the lingcod off the bite, but rockfish counts remained solid for party and private boats. When the seas were calm earlier in the week, bonito were abundant for trollers working offshore.

The Queen of Hearts scored 30 limits of rockfish in the big sea on Saturday with the Riptide returning with 12 limits and a lingcod, according to Sherri Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing. The ling counts were limited by the 9 to 12 foot swell, which results in the groundfish hunkering down to the reefs.

Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat took out a Becoming an Outdoor Woman charter on Saturday, November 14, and the participants were treated to limits of rockfish off Martin’s Beach and Tunitas Creek with a number of school fish in the mix.

James Nguyen of Dockside Bait was searching for bluefin tuna during the week but didn’t find any tuna. They did find an excellent bonito bite with several fish over 10 pounds and ranging from 27 to 28 inches.

They were trolling Mexican Flag zukers, and they had as many as five on at one time. He said, “We had to go way out to 400 feet in depth to find 59 degree water, but once we hit the warm water, it was on.”

South Lake Tahoe morning temperatures are chilly, crowds are light and the mackinaw are biting consistently. In short, this is a perfect time to visit Lake Tahoe for a limit of late fall lake trout.

For example, the team at Tahoe Sportfishing has been putting their clients on easy limits of mackinaw that mainly fall into the 3 to 6 pound class. Minnows teamed with flashers have been the top offering for the Tahoe Sportfishing fleet.

Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters has also been trolling up limits of mackinaw. Gene’s fish also average 3 to 6 pounds, but he’s been getting a few fish in the teens too.

Gene is fishing a variety of different locations with both rigged minnows teamed with dodgers and medium size Flatfish.

Mickey Daniels of Mickey’s Big Mack Charters has been successfully trolling Carnelian Bay. Mickey starts out trolling quickly in shallow water before slowing down and working progressively deeper. His clients are hooking macks running up to 8 pounds.

Mickey has been using a variety of offerings including Kok-A-Nuts teamed with Sling Blade dodgers and Sting King lures.

Chester Exciting late fall trout fishing is underway at Lake Almanor. On one hand, if you visit the lake right now, you’re not going to hook a bunch of fish. However, the fish you hook will be quality rainbows and browns that start at 3 pounds and top out at over 5.

The late fall trout season is underway at Lake Almanor. The water temperature is now in the lower 50’s and we’ve had some snow,” said Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy’s Guide Service. “The fishing hasn’t changed a whole lot in the past two weeks. I’m still trolling hardware quickly along the west shore. The trout are in the top 10 feet and that’s where I keep my lures. Spoons like Speedy Shiners and similar models are working in a range of different colors including gold, silver, red and even black.”

The trout we have been hooking are good size. The average is over 3 pounds and we are seeing high 4’s and low 5’s daily. Most of the fish are rainbows at this time,” Roccucci reported.

Shore anglers working near canyon dam and off Rocky Point are hooking rainbows in the 2 to 4 pound class on a mix of PowerBait and worms. The typical bank outing yields 1 to 3 fish.

Redding The salmon bite isn’t red hot for Sacramento River anglers, but the fishing is productive for anglers that put in their time. In addition to the salmon, there are good numbers of steelhead in the system.

“We’ve been getting 1 to 3 salmon per trip,” said Robert Weese of Northern California Guide Service. “Most of those fish run 15 to 30 pounds and are a mix of chromers and dark fish. There have been some much larger fish around. For example, we brought a 42 pounder in last week.”

“My anglers have been hooking quite a few steelhead in recent days. The steelhead average 3 to 6 pounds, but fish up to and beyond 10 are showing,” added Weese.

Kirk Portocarrero of SacRiverGuide.Com also reported fair to good salmon action.

“We’ve had some decent rain and we were hoping that would pull fish upstream in a major way, but that hasn’t happened,” said Portocarrero. “We are averaging 2 to 3 salmon per trip. Some of them are chromers, but we are seeing our share of dark fish too. Whether or not we’ll see a solid push of fresh fish prior to the end of the season is anyone’s guess. I hope it happens. I’d love to end the season with a bang.”

Bodega Bay What do Sonoma County saltwater anglers really want? That’s easy they want crab combos! On the up side, the rockfish and lingcod bite along the north coast is really good. Of course the downside is that the crab season remains closed, due to domoic acid found in the crabs, until further notice, although most agree that we’ll see crabs hitting the deck off Bodega and elsewhere within a month.

Captain Tim Wong of Norcal Sportfishing Adventures has been putting his client on very good rockfish and lingcod action. For example his last trip yielded full limits of rockfish and lingcod for 6 anglers. The lings ranged up to 15 pounds.

Captain Rick Powers of the Bodega Bay Sportfishing Center and the New Sea Angler is anxiously awaiting the belated crab opener. Rick is one of the guys that pioneered the concept of crab and rockfish combo fishing and he can’t wait to get started with this fall’s crab season.

Despite rough conditions in recent days, Rick’s clients have been putting the wood to both rockfish and lingcod.

On his most recent trip, Powers headed out with 21 anglers aboard and ended up at Fort Ross. The result was full limits of rockfish and 36 lingcod to 22 pounds.

Stockton Striped bass remain king in the San Joaquin side of the Delta with the water temperatures reaching optimum temperatures. Bait fishermen are finding the best action in the cold water, although there has been a window for swimbaits on specific tides.

Captain Stan Koenigsberger of Quetzal Adventures out of Bethel Island put Alex Harris on a 15-pound striper on frozen shad on the outgoing tide in False River, and young Harris released the fish after a measurement and photograph. Koenigsberger said, "We had a 21 fish day with 10 of the stripers of legal size."

Dan Mathisen of Dan’s Delta Outdoors in Oakley said, "The striper bite is not slowing down, but those tossing swimbaits or plugs will need to adjust their depths as the fish are holding from 6 to 12 feet instead of 4 to 6 feet."

The action with the Optimum 5-inch Bad Bubba Shad swimbait is leading Mathisen to state, "We are still cracking them as my wife and I routinely catch and release between 25 and 30 fish to 12 pounds with most of the stripers in the 4 to 6-pound range."

The action has been best in the north/south sloughs to avoid the massive islands of hyacinth, and Broad Slough and Three Mile meet this description.

The water hyacinth in the Stockton area is starting to curl up and show some shades of brown from the recent cold spell, but it hasn’t been cold enough despite Sunday’s record 25-degree low temperature to kill off the heavy hyacinth growth.

Brandon Gallegos of H and R Bait in Stockton said, "It’s still more green than brown out there on the San Joaquin; but there have been some clearer areas in the east and south Delta. Stripers in the 5 to 6-pound range have been taken...

(Sacramento) In spite of cold storms that haven’t translated into much runoff into the Sacramento River to date, sturgeon fishing is surprisingly good from Prospect Slough to the Sacramento River below Freeport.

“We sold out of ghost shrimp in 6 hours after our shipment arrived,” said Tim Boggs of Elkhorn Outdoors. “Jesse, a local fisherman, said the anglers in the 30 boats that he saw fishing in Prospect Slough on Saturday all reported hooking fish, releasing shakers or oversized fish or catching keepers.”

“Terry McClure also reported catching a 52 inch sturgeon while fishing shad for stripers in Sherman Lake,” said Boggs.

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service reported great salmon action in the Sacramento River out of the Sacramento Yacht Harbor while using a method new to the Sacramento – trolling with Brad’s Cut Plugs filled with tuna behind Pro-Troll dodgers.

“We have caught over 20 salmon over the past week,” he noted. “We landed 3 chrome-bright salmon to 12 pounds in just one hour this morning. The two people fishing with me yesterday landed their limits of kings to 12 pounds. Earlier in the week, anglers bagged kings in the 15 to 22 lb. range.”

“Anglers have reported limits of salmon up to 35 pounds while fishing below Sherwood Harbor over the past couple of days,” confirmed Will Pfingst of Broadway Bait Rod & Gun. “On my last trip on a kayak in the Liberty Island area, I caught and released stripers measuring 29, 30 and 25 inches while fishing crankbaits and top water lures.”

Troy Fletcher, a visionary leader of the Yurok Tribe, passed away of a heart attack on Friday night, November 20.

I first met Troy nearly 20 years ago at a Fish and Game Commission hearing when he was the director of the Yurok Fisheries Program. From that first time I talked to Troy, I watched him play the key leadership role in building bridges between the Tribe and commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, environmentalists, farmers, other tribes and federal and state government officials who were often in conflict with one another.

Troy, who became the Executive Director of the Tribe, was one of the rare people who could truly see the big picture of fishery and environmental restoration - and what was necessary to restore the Klamath Basin and Pacific fisheries.

He told me several times at protests and meetings, "Fishermen will always fight over the fish. Our goal is to see that there are more fish that we can fight over."

He also talked to me a number of times about his vision of the way to accomplish restoration of the Klamath and other fisheries - by forming blue collar task forces rather than the Blue Ribbon Task Forces dominated by corporate interests and political appointees that oversaw the MLPA Initiative, BDCP and other environmental processes. Troy said these blue collar panels would be comprised only of those whose hands touch the water - farmers, recreational anglers, commercial fishermen and tribal gatherers and fishermen.

Troy, along with Ron Reed of the Karuk Tribe, spoke at rallies and meetings in solidarity with recreational anglers and commercial fishermen fighting to bring back salmon on the Klamath, Sacramento and other watersheds - and fighting to defend their fishing rights.

While Troy was a bridge builder, he also stood firm when the Tribe's sovereign...

Oregon House

“How fast things can change in only two weeks!” exclaimed Kathy Hess of the Collins Lake Resort. “Trout ‘catching’ is definitely speeding up to an all time high this week.”

Cory, Paul and Vasile all limited out on trout while fishing from the shoreline near the ramp at the dam using PowerBait and lures, according to Hess. Their big fish weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Tony Troncale of Lodi also hooked a 6 lb. rainbow and a 4 lb. trout by the dam on PowerBait.

Sandy Settles from Rio Linda also landed a limit of rainbows by trolling worms in the channel. Ryan Barella from Windsor trolled near the dam and hooked two nice trout, topped by a 3 lb. 8 oz. beauty.

Little Chevy Luna reported catching a limit of rainbows, topped by a 3 lb. 12 oz. fish while fishing with worms.

Members from the Slow Trollers Fishing Club of Yuba City have caught some great fish these past couple of weeks. Jim Chausee topped his stringer with a 4 lb. 1 oz. trout, Manny Castro with a 4 lb. 6 oz. rainbow, and Tom Pickett with a 3 lb. 11 oz. trout. All were caught on Rapala-type lures.

Vietnam Vet, Ken Smith, caught a glorious 4 lb. rainbow measuring 22″ long. He used PowerBait from shore below the store.

“Hansen and his son Robert worked tirelessly on their new boat project for three months that they brought up to Collins Lake to test. That boat was very good to them; besides keeping them afloat, it also helped them catch a half-dozen dozen bass weighing up to 4 pounds, 10 ounces,” she added.

Lake Chabot, a pretty reservoir nestled in the tree-studded foothills east of San Leandro in the unincorporated area of Castro Valley, is now a popular location for anglers to pursue largemouth bass, rainbow trout and channel catfish, but it wasn’t always that way.

Built in 1874-75 as a primary drinking water supply for the East Bay, the 315-acre lake was closed to fishing and other recreation for most of its history, 91 years. The lake finally opened for controlled recreational uses in 1965 after legislation was passed in the 1960s. The lake now serves as a standby emergency water supply.

This past year has been an interesting one due to the prolonged drought that has brought the lake level down to very low levels, according to Joe Sullivan, Acting Fisheries Program Manager for the East Bay Regional Park District.

The low water levels and the toxic blue-green algae blooms that occurred at Lake Chabot this summer definitely had an impact on park attendance. Because of this, the park district reduced their fish plants during the very warm summer months.

The good news is that the largemouth bass and other naturally reproducing fisheries appear not to be affected by the toxic algae and low water level.

I haven't had a chance to analyze our annual monitoring data that we collected this past spring and summer, but a first glance shows that fish numbers are staying pretty steady compared to previous years, said Joe Sullivan of the East Bay Regional Park District.

We even had a largemouth bass caught a couple of months ago that was just shy of a lake record, and there's a lot of other monster bass out there, he said. Now that the weather has cooled and we've received some rain, we are back in full swing with...

Moss Landing

If you want to catch a limit of both lingcod and rockfish, you don’t have much time left this year, since the season closes on December 31. The Kahuna continues to see great action on both species as the season enters its final stretch.

The 22 anglers aboard the Kahuna on Sunday, November 29, landed 66 lingcod, 12 copper rockfish, 175 assorted rockfish, and 33 vermilion rockfish, according to Carol Jones of Kahuna Sportfishing.

The two previous adventures produced top-notch fishing also. A trip by 24 anglers on November 22 returned with 72 lingcod, 28 bocaccio, 35 vermilion rockfish, 146 rockfish, 72 lingcod and 31 copper rockfish. A trip by 22 people on November 21 produced 66 lingcod, 41 vermilion rockfish, 154 rockfish, and 25 copper rockfish.

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Fishing Trips in Monterey confirmed the superb lingcod action off the Monterey County coast, with all three boats reporting limits of lingcod on Sunday, November 29. The lingcod are hitting small mackerel running about the size of large anchovies.

The Check Mate checked in with 21 limits of lings and half limits of rockfish, the Caroline boated limits of lings and half limits of rockfish and the Star of Monterey returned with 16 limits of lings and limits of rockfish.

Great weather continued today near Franklin Point and Davenport for rockfish, said Todd Fraser of Bayside Marine in Santa Cruz. The surf fishing has improved with the last few storms making nice sandbars. The perch are biting ghost shrimp and Camo Gulp Worms.

The water temperature has cooled down and most of the pelagic species, including bonito and bluefin tuna, have moved further offshore, Fraser added.

Colfax With continuing cool weather the trout action at both Rollins Lake and Scotts Flat Reservoir is picking up. Most of the trout being caught are browns and there has been zero planting on behalf of the DFW.

“Usually at this time of the year, both Rollins and Scotts Flat are kicking out good numbers of planted rainbows, but that isn’t the case this year,” reported Jason Pleece of Meadow Vista. “There is a hatchery trout shortage in Northern California and we just aren’t seeing the rainbow plants we’ve had in previous years. As a result the only available trout are holdover and wild fish.”

“I fished both Rollins and Scotts last week and caught fish on both trips while working from my kayak. At Scotts, I caught a 13 inch brown trout and 3 smallmouth bass to 2.5 pounds while trolling a broken back perch pattern Rapala,” said Pleece.

“At Rollins, I got two browns to 16 inches and a beautiful 14 inch squaretail rainbow that must have moved into the lake from the Bear River. I trolled my way up the Bear River Arm pulling both spinners and minnow plugs for zero strikes. Once I hit the current I dropped down several hundred yards and started still fishing with worms. I got one brown off the bottom using a sliding sinker rig. The other two fish grabbed worms suspended 6 feet under a clear bobber,” related Pleece.

“I released all the trout I caught this week. With no trout plants in sight, I think it’s important to conserve the trout we have,” Pleece asserted.

East Bay: The bad news is that crab season has yet to open. The good news is that the latest testing indicates a drop-off in the level of toxins found in the crab, so an opener is expected in the near future. The best news is that the bottomfish action for both rockfish and lingcod has been wide open at the Farallons when the weather cooperates.

Captain James Smith of California Dawn Sportfishing in Berkeley hasn’t been running every day, but when the boat does head out to the Farallon Islands, limits of rockfish and limits to near limits of lingcod have been the result.

In Emeryville, the story is much the same. Anglers want the crab season to kick off so they can enjoy some outstanding crab and bottomfish combination trips.

In the short term, boats like the New Salmon Queen, New Huck Finn, and Sea Wolf have been pushing out to the islands for limits of rockfish and near limits of lingcod up to and beyond 20 pounds.

The rockfish season in the Golden Gate region is slated to run until December 31, so there is plenty of time to get out and top off your freezer with tasty fillets.

Once known primarily as a trout and kokanee salmon fishery, Bullards Bar has become legendary for the world record class spotted bass that lurk in its clear waters.

Paul Bailey, a Kelseyville bass fishing guide, caught a potential new world and state record spotted bass weighing 11.4 pounds, but he opted to release the fish rather than kill it on November 29, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

“It weighed 11.4 pounds on one digital scale, 11.5 on another and 11.7 pounds on another,” he said. “We tried to get ahold of a CDFW biologist to examine it, but only one person was working on Thanksgiving weekend.”

“We could have transported the fish 75 miles to the nearest town, Oroville and weighed it on a certified scale,” he said. “However, the bass wouldn’t have survived in the live well during the trip to and from Oroville.”

Tim Little of Kelseyville set a new world and California state record for spotted bass when he landed a 10.38 lb. fish at Bullards Bar this January.

Then Louis Ferrante shattered Little’s record by catching an 11 lb. 3 oz spotted bass on February 21, 2015. The fish measured 31 inches long and 20.5 inches in girth, according to the CDFW.

Twitch, twitch…tug, twitch, twitch, I gently picked up the Cousins tackle spinning rod and opened the bail on the Abu Garcia Cardinal. The trout were a bit sluggish, so I wanted to give the fish plenty of slack.

Seconds went by and nothing happened, but then the fish came back and coils of line started flipping off the reel, slowly at first and then faster.

I snapped the bail closed, allowed the line to tighten and set the hook. The rainbow might have been a bit lethargic when mouthing the ball of Zeke’s Sierra Gold, but it came to life with the sting of the hook and put up a spirited fight.

With my 14 inch rainbow on the stringer, I quickly got the rod back into the water and Gene Rush and I settled in to await the next bite.

It was December 2 and we were fishing at Collins Lake, one of my favorite trout fishing destinations whether I’m fishing bait from the bank or trolling from a boat. In truth while we were bait fishing, we weren’t on the bank. Instead we were situated a few feet offshore on the Collins Lake fishing and rental boat dock. It provided an awesome platform to operate from and we didn’t even get any mud on our shoes!

When I picked Gene up in Foresthill the streets were wet from rain and we were a little worried that we were going to get dumped on, but we didn’t encounter any rain during our trip. Instead the conditions were just about perfect. The overcast skies made for a low light level and with zero breeze the lake’s surface was calm and mirror like.

As I rigged a pair of spinning rods for bait soaking, Gene walked the dock and made casts...

There are two kinds of anglers residing in northern California, those that have landed a sturgeon and those that should land a sturgeon.

With good sturgeon action now underway in the West Delta this is a perfect time to contemplate how to catch sturgeon during the late fall and winter months.

Consistently successful sturgeon anglers are the ones that effectively blend patience, skill, execution and plain unadulterated luck. Back in the old days, it was said that an aspiring sturgeon angler could plan on putting in an average of 100 hours on the water before that first elusive keeper was landed. These days with modern electronics and a more widespread and thorough understanding of sturgeon behavior, the amount of time it takes an angler to land a keeper is significantly shorter...Usually.

One of your greatest resources for finding sturgeon is your delta map. When you unfold the map to look for potential sturgeon fishing spots, you are looking for several different features. The first thing you want to locate are deep holes. Sturgeon tend to keg up in deep areas.

Of course the term deep hole is relative. In a slough that averages 10 feet deep a hole that is 20 feet deep is deep. Conversely out on the main Sacramento where much of the water averages 20 to 30 feet deep, water that is 40 or more feet deep constitutes a deep spot.

Now the sturgeon you find holding along the bottom of deep holes often won’t be feeding, but deep areas do attract and concentrate sturgeon and that is important. Since, when those fish become active and move out of the hole to eat, you can put yourself in a position to ambush them.

The areas where I’ve had the most luck hooking sturgeon are the flat, relatively...

Napa Now that the water at Lake Berryessa has turned over, rainbow trout fishing is picking up.

Boaters are hooking rainbows in the 12 to 15 inch range while drifting minnows east of the Big Island and in the narrows, said Jack at Sweeney’s Sports. The king and kokanee salmon fishing remains slow. There aren’t many trollers fishing the lake now.

Shore anglers should find their best trout action while drifting minnows and nightcrawlers around the old bridge past Cappell Cove.

The black bass fishing is still pretty good, although it is not as good as it was a few weeks ago, reported Jack. Boaters are doing best running around from spot to spot, following schools of shad. Your best bet is to use drop shot rigs where the shad and bass are concentrated, including in open water, at 30 to 40 feet deep.

Rock and clay bluffs in the Putah Creek arm are also producing some spotted and smallmouth bass, along with some largemouths, he added. My buddy and I caught around two dozen largemouths on our latest trip in Putah Creek while dropping Bladerunner Spoons in morning dawn.

Expect to hook bass in the 2 to 3 pound range, along with some bigger fish, at Berryessa this month.

Los Vaqueros (Byron) Fall is ending with solid trout, catfish, and striped bass fishing at Los Vaqueros Reservoir.

“With recent plants, trout fishing has improved with more limits being caught from all around the reservoir,” reported Brian Demmunik of the Los Vaqueros Marina. “They are being caught in South Cove and Oak Point as well as all around the lake. Mt. Lassen stocked 2000 pounds of trout on December 7. We will be planting again the week of December 14.”

Shore anglers are doing best with garlic scented PowerBaits, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters. Out of South Cove and from around Oak Point, trout average a pound and a half but range to over 5 lbs. Trolling is employing Rapalas and other lures in the coves.

“Shakers are still the main action with striped bass,” said Demmunik. “We are still seeing many undersized fish being caught for every keeper. From shore, cut anchovies or shad is the bait of choice.”

Stripers need to be 18 inches or more to be legal. Please continue releasing the small fish as quickly and carefully as possible,” he tipped.

Catfish continue to be caught here and there but with the cooler water they are becoming more difficult to catch. For those wishing to target catfish, anchovy and chicken liver are the best choices of bait.

“Most anglers are focused on stripers or trout, although there have been many sightings near the boat dock and adjacent fishing pier. Senkos have been seen catching some nice fish in that area,” he stated.

The water level is currently at 86,600 acre feet. The water temperature has dropped to 59-60 degrees.

Shadow Cliffs (Pleasanton) Anglers fishing bait on Shadow Cliffs are nailing both rainbow trout and channel catfish, in spite of the recent cold snap.

The park district stocked 1000...

Oroville Boaters launching their boats with 4-wheel drive vehicles at either the spillway or Bidwell Canyon launch ramps are experiencing top-notch spotted bass action at Lake Oroville, but don’t expect to hook any trophy fish.

The fishing is still good, but it’s hard to get fish of any size,” said Brent Cline of Oroville Outdoors. “Most anglers are using finesse techniques, including using worms, tubes and jigs.”

“My fishing buddy and I caught and released 30 bass on our latest trip on the lake,” reported Cline. “The biggest fish weighed 2 pounds and most of the fish were in the 1 to 1-1/2 lb. range. We fished with jigs and tubes in the main body and Middle Fork at 10 to 30 feet deep.”

Few anglers are targeting the king salmon. Your best bet is to troll hoochies, tipped with anchovy strips, behind Sling Dodgers. Bass anglers are reporting catching a few salmon up to 4 pounds while drop shotting with Robo Worms.

“Fishing pressure is light on largemouth bass in the Thermalito Afterbay,” he added.

Lake Oroville was holding 913.014 acre-feet of water, 26 percent of capacity and 42 percent of average, at press time. The water level is 650.17 feet above sea level.

Redding The 2015 river salmon season officially closed on December 16. Fishing during the final week of the season was fair and steady for a mix of mainly dark fish in the 15 to 30 pound class.

Now that salmon season is a memory, Sacramento River anglers are turning their attention to wild rainbow trout and steelhead fishing.

Kirk Portocarrero of SacRiverGuide.Com describes the trout fishing as excellent at this time with anglers picking up as many as 30 fish per trip. There are decent numbers of steelhead mixed in with the trout, so you never know what your next hook-up might produce.

Portocarrero is fishing the stretch from Bonneyview to Jelly’s Ferry. Both egg patterns and mayfly nymph imitations are drawing strikes for fly anglers.

Conventional tackle anglers are drifting with glo bugs, beads and Pautzke Salmon eggs. When the trout are feeling aggressive, back trolling small crankbaits like Wiggle Warts and Flatfish is a great approach.

As of press time, the river was running at 4,250 cfs and was low and clear, but a major storm is on the way that threatens to blow the river out for a few days.

Imagine trophy striper fishing on the Sacramento River on a cold winter morning. You make a cast near a tree that happens to be in the middle of the river. The 8 inch Savage Gear Glide Bait barely hits the water and there’s a huge explosion on the surface of the water.

I was fishing with Brett Brady of Barebones Guide Service and I yelled over to him that this was a huge fish. At that point both of us started to act like two little kids that had never caught a fish before. There was pure excitement because this is the trophy sized fish that we were hoping to have a chance to catch.

Big fish are smart and this fish was no exception. After the fish realized it was hooked, it made a run for the tree. There was no turning this fish around. The fish was hooked right next to the tree and it didn’t have far to go before it swam underneath it and was on the opposite side from where I had initially hooked it.

I could feel my line rubbing against the tree as the fish made its way down river. Soon, my line was wrapped around the tree and it was impossible to reel in my line. We were only fishing in about 6 feet of water. I tried to free my line for several minutes, at times, laying on my belly on the boat, but to no avail.

It was at that time that Brett came up with a brilliant idea. Brett maneuvered the boat to the free side of the line and attempted to catch my line with line from another rod and reel. Eventually he caught it. Then I wondered what we were going to do with it. He told...

Even during a drought, Englebright Lake is always full. That means that you will have no problem launching a boat at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir that sits at an elevation of 527 feet on the Yuba River off Hwy 20 just west of Penn Valley.

Not only does Englebright offer easy access to anglers during the drought, but it holds a wide variety of rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon, bluegill and largemouth, spotted, and smallmouth bass. Trout fishing is good year-round at Englebright since the lake benefits from the cold water released from the bottom of Bullards Bar Reservoir.

However, it’s the stringers of big rainbows up to 10 pounds that have attracted the most angling attention in recent years, due to the efforts of Lisa and Nick Rogers, owners of the Skippers Cove Marina.

The pen project began in 2010 after the Rogers had purchased the Skippers Cove Marina and realized that trout weren’t being stocked in the reservoir due to a biological assessment of lakes and streams required of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the terms of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by environmental NGOs.

They realized they needed to put fish back in the lake and put Englebright on the map of fishing destinations – and the pen program was a good way to improve the fishery. They built four floating pens, each 8 feet wide by 12 feet long, by 12 feet deep, and put them in the marina.

It’s been a tough bite these past few weeks fishing at the California Aqueduct. I was able to land several stripers using a planar board paired with a SpeedLure jerkbait. I was trolling about 10 feet from the canal wall.

Typically, this time of year stripers will relate closer to the bottom. On a recent trip, I noticed stripers were feeding off the remaining scattered baitfish swimming near the surface. The planar board kept my lure right in the strike zone for these feeding stripers. They slammed the lures as I was walking down the paved road. Most strikes came from stretches with change in the current such as bends in the aqueduct.

Casting lures near bridges worked for me as well. Being higher in elevation allowed me to see how these stripers were reacting to my lure. You can tell they’re less active as they glide up to inspect your lure from the depths. Occasionally, you’ll get one hungry enough to slap the lure and hook into it. Most bites came right next to the canal wall, just two feet from the edge. They’re really honing in on the locations of these bait fish.

Water visibility is slightly stained in most areas. Water is flowing in most parts of the aqueduct and best time to catch fish are early mornings and late afternoons.

Rancho Cordova The number of steelhead showing now at Nimbus Fish Hatchery has improved greatly from last season, in spite of continuing low releases of 500 cfs from Nimbus Dam.

This year is much different from last season, when a total of only 154 steelhead were trapped from December through mid-March.

In contrast, the hatchery has trapped over 148 steelhead to date as of December 22. Last season only 10 steelhead had been trapped by December 29.

“There are lots of steelhead in the hatchery now,” said Gary Novak, Nimbus Fish Hatchery manager. “I’m floored.”

The hatchery has spawned a total of 27 pairs to date compared with only 31 pairs all of the last season.

“The males are above average size and the females are also large,” he said, leading to speculation that some of the steelhead may have stayed out in the ocean for an extra year and have come up the river as 4-year-olds.

“We won’t know for sure until scale samples of the steelhead are analyzed. Most steelhead return to spawn as three-year-olds on the American River.

The number of eggs taken from the fish to date is 198,278. That’s more than total for the entire season last year, 192,278 eggs.

“We averaged about 6,000 eggs per female last season,” he said. “This year we’re seeing over 7,000 eggs per fish.”

However, to put the current steelhead run in perspective, banner years for steelhead on the American have seen up to 2,000 adult steelhead counted by this time of year.

The numbers of fall-run Chinook salmon, including jacks and jills (two-year-old fish) showing at the hatchery are now also above those trapped last year. The facility has trapped 9,716 salmon, including 7,326 adults and 2,390 jacks and jills this season.

Last year hatchery staff counted a...

There is no doubt that a variety of different rod, reel and line combinations will work for trout trolling. I’ve spent decades trolling for trout and the gear I use has changed quite a bit.

Early on I used spinning gear, now I seldom do. For a while I used light to ultra light gear. That was fun, but I lacked the power I needed for big fish. These days I’ve settled on what I consider to be the ultimate trolling set up.

It’s a compromise between being light enough to enjoy the fight of average size fish and heavy enough to land trophy caliber fish when I hook them. Check out the accompanying video as I break down the rig I use.

Water levels are good at both Rollins Reservoir and Scotts Flat Reservoir and fishing pressure has been light. Cold water has resulted in sluggish, uncooperative bass at both lakes and the lack of recent trout plants has made for slow trout fishing.

Right now if you travel to Rollins or Scotts Flat to target trout you likely won’t have much action, but if you do hook a trout it will likely be a quality fish, reported Jason Pleece of Meadow Vista.

I’ve fished both lakes over the past week. At Scotts I spent time trolling and drifting with bait. On that trip I didn’t get any action at all. At Rollins Lake I spent 7 hours trolling from my kayak and ended up catching a single 22 inch brown trout. I tried a variety of minnow plugs for zero strikes early in the day. I got the brown in open water near the power lines on a threaded crawler pulled behind a chrome and brass Sep’s Strike Master dodger. That fish hit right around noon, but it was overcast on the day of my trip, disclosed Pleece.

I’ve been fishing Rollins for over 15 years and this has been the worst cold weather trout season I’ve seen. The lack of plants by the DFW has been devastating. There are no pansize rainbows to be had and the brown trout fishing hasn’t been as good as it usually is either. I think that the introduction of planter rainbows into the lake actually stimulates the brown trout bite, added Pleece.

The Progressive San Francisco Boat Show is slated to run from January 15 to 18 at Pier 48 and McCovey Cove at AT&T Park. This is northern California’s only complete boat show. Whether you’ve been yearning for a yacht, coveting a family cruiser, or anxious to dive into the exciting and healthy world of paddle sports, now is the time to make that dream a reality.

This year's show features an expanded selection of boats for every lifestyle and activity displayed both on land and in water, and dozens of booths showcasing the newest nautical gear, gadgets, and accessories. There’s no better place to buy. Take the free Cable Car Shuttle for easy and comfortable transportation between Pier 48 and McCovey Cove.

Not in the market to buy a boat? The show is the perfect place to sample the boating lifestyle. Head to Try It Cove to test drive kayaks, stand up paddleboards, and other water sports. Take a sailing lesson without leaving dry land aboard the Sailing Simulator, or test your boating skills on the United States Power Squadrons Boating Skills Virtual Trainer.

If you currently own a boat you won't want to miss the free boat and motor maintenance seminars at Fred’s Shed Interactive Learning Center.

The S.F. Boat Show’s seminar program is loaded with educational and entertaining programs hosted by experts who will share practical advice, expert opinions, and information on a wide variety of topics, including sail and power, anchoring, green boating, insurance and finance, sportfishing in the Bay Area, and more.

If you really want to kick your boating skills up a notch, take an on-water workshop for practical training at the helm. Discover Boating’s Hands-On Skills Training offers a number of powerboating and sailing workshops at the show, taught by certified professional instructors.

When...

(Berkeley) The end of the rockfish season is seen by many as the end of the saltwater fishing season. This year the season ended on a somber note with crab fishing closed and rough seas that kept both charter and private boats in port.

As of press time there was zero action aboard East Bay charter boats save for much needed maintenance. Sturgeon fishing has yet to ignite in the south bay. If and when it does there will surely be some charter boats willing to chase them. Likewise if crab season does get into gear there will certainly be some charter operators targeting them.

In review the 2015 season was a memorable one for East Bay charter boat anglers. All the usual species were on hand at one point or another during the season including rockfish, lings, stripes, salmon, halibut and sharks.

Warmer than usual water conditions also brought a lot of exotics into our waters during the late summer and fall, including bonito and clouds of mackerel.

If you had to point to one or two highlights for the season, one would have to be the incredible striper action that took place both inside and beyond the bay as huge schools of bass rampaged on clouds of anchovies.

The other bite that really stands out was the lingcod bite. The average keeper lingcod caught wasn’t large at 6 to 7 pounds, but they were incredibly plentiful. Lots of charter boats scored limits and near limits of lings daily from July right on into the fall.

There were some big lings in the mix too. The highlight of this reporter’s season was bagging a 30 plus pound lingcod off Point Reyes in August!

In a media teleconference on January 7, three Brown administration officials claimed that no money in the $122.6 billion General Fund budget for 2016-17 unveiled by Governor Jerry Brown would be used to implement the Delta Tunnels under the California Water Fix.

In response to a reporter’s question about whether any budget money would be used for the Delta Tunnels, John Laird, California Natural Resources Secretary, said that California Eco Restore has been separated from the California Water Fix, the conveyance plan.

Mark Cowin, Director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), affirmed that there is no money in the budget to advance the study of the California Water Fix or tunnels. He stated that those activities are funded entirely by the state and federal water project contractors that benefit from the project.

Chuck Bonham, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director, noted that money allocated from the state’s cap-and-trade program would be used to restore wetlands through the California Eco Restore program. He emphasized that this program has nothing to do with the proposal to modernize conveyance infrastructure.

However, Restore the Delta (RTD) disagreed strongly with the administration officials' contentions that no budget money would be used to fund the controversial conveyance project. They pointed out the budget does include $3.6 million for the Delta Tunnels.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta (RTD), stated that the money would come out of the General Fund to the Delta Stewardship Council and is intended to incorporate the Delta Water Tunnels conveyance project into the Delta Plan.

She explained that the Delta Plan was originally written for the incorporation of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), which failed to meet Federal guidelines for water quality and fishery standards. The new plan for the Delta Tunnels has already received...

State officials originally pledged to conduct a regional review of the so-called marine protected areas created under the controversial Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative every five years, but they have now reversed course and plan to do the reviews only once every 10 years.

George Osborn of the California Sportfishing League spoke at the California Fish and Game Commission meeting in December to challenge this change in plans.

“As anglers know, the State of California designated over 800 square miles of the Pacific Ocean off limits to recreational fishing - in large part due to overfishing by the commercial fishing industry,” according to Osborn. “However, the State said these marine protected areas would be temporary and after five years, they would conduct a regional review to determine when they open to recreational angling once again.”

“Well.. that was then. Now, they want to extend this review process out another 5 years! Why? They don't have the money,” he said.

In objecting to this move, Osborn asked, "When can recreational anglers again drop a line into an area now closed?"

“That’s not what the fishermen were told when the marine protected areas were adopted by the Commission,” added Osborn. “They are very disappointed in this change of plans.”

The Commission voted to notice the Master Plan for the February meeting, when it will be discussed. Then the Commission will act upon the plan in April.

“I’ve been told personally by commissioners who are no longer on the commission and commissioners still on the commission that they couldn’t wait for the day to show the fishermen that the MPAs have worked and closed areas could be opened again to recreational anglers,” he stated.

Osborn believes that this latest action confirms the suspicion of anglers during the process that once the marine...

The kick-off event for the 2016 NorCal Trout Angler's Challenge is less than a month away, as San Pablo Dam will again be the site of this year’s season opener on Saturday, February 6.

Last year’s NorCal Trout Anglers Challenge Championship at Collins Lake saw trout angler Gary McCune take home the overall championship with a 7-plus pound rainbow, and angler Cory Harms winning a spot in the top ten draw and taking home the Klamath both motor and trailer package.

As the new season begins on Feb 6th at San Pablo Dam, all stats and tales of glory will be set to zero, as everyone participating will have a chance at winning cash, prizes, and a shot at participating in the year-end tournament of champions event.

For those who have never fished an NTAC event or don’t know what the NTAC is all about, here’s the scoop:

The NTAC is what we call the “every man’s” or “every family’s” trout fishing event. Each event offers cash prizes, gear, and other goodies, and the entry fees are low. If you pre-register, adults only pay $20 to participate, and kids under 15 are free. If you wait until game day to register, it will still only cost an adult $25 and a junior angler $5.

As if those prizes weren’t exciting enough, the NTAC season will end with a Tournament of Champions shootout where the overall winner will take home a new fishing boat complete with motor and trailer. The top 25 youth finishers and the top 50 adult finishers from each of the 5 regular season tournaments will be invited to participate in the end of season TOC for a chance at the boat and other cash prizes.

Angler’s Press recognizes the financial challenges that many anglers face these days,...

Los Vaqueros

(Byron) Los Vaqueros Reservoir anglers celebrated the first two weeks of the New Year with solid rainbow trout and striped bass fishing, reported Brian Demmunik of the Los Vaqueros Marina.

Three larger trout - 7.3, 7.4 and 6.88 pounders - were caught last week, said Demmunik. Two were taken from South Cove on PowerBait and the last was caught on a Rapala in Howden Cove.

Fishing for trout continues to be good with all the trout plants and cooler water temperatures, said Demmunik. They are being caught in South Cove and Oak Point as well as all around the lake. The baits of choice for shore anglers are garlic-scented PowerBaits, nightcrawlers or Kastmasters. Trolling is popular with anglers using Rapalas and other lures in the coves.

There was a 1,000 lb Lassen plant on Wednesday, December 30. There will be another 1,000 lb Lassen plant the week of January 4. With the plants, trout fishing is better with more limits caught from all around the reservoir.

Most striped bass being hooked now are undersized, under 18 inches. From shore, cut anchovies or shad are the top baits, said Demmunik. We are still seeing many undersized fish being caught for every keeper.

Most anglers were focused on stripers or trout although there have been many sightings of largemouths near the boat dock and adjacent fishing pier, he said. Senkos have been seen catching some nice fish in that area.

The water level is currently at 84,500 acre feet. The water level is dropping due to use. The water temperature is 54-55 degrees.

The next monthly fishing clinic will be held at the Marina Saturday, Feb. 6 at 9 a.m. Learn everything you've wanted to know about lake fishing.

Fishing topics rotate on a monthly basis and may be tailored...

If you want to earn the best incentives at the Sacramento ISE Show, stop by the Fish Sniffer booth. Our incentives come with a subscription to the Fish Sniffer, the hardest hitting, most in-depth fishing magazine on the West Coast.

What do we have to offer? I’ll assume that since you are reading this, you already know that the Fish Sniffer is published every other week, 26 times a year, and that we cover both the freshwater and saltwater fishing scenes here in California and beyond. We provide a long list of location-specific fishing reports in addition to fishing features, map features, how-to articles, conservation articles, and product reviews.

All this is a given and you can get it all by buying a subscription over the phone, through the mail, or online. You can even buy the magazine one issue at a time over the counter at one of our hundreds of retail outlets. Yet if you buy your subscription at this year’s ISE Show, you’ll get all this great information, plus you’ll share in all the great incentives that we give away with subscriptions purchased at the show.

This year, as always, we’ve got a bunch of fishing rods to give away to our supporters, and as anyone that has stopped by our ISE booth will certainly attest, our rods are not the low-end bargain basement models that some outfits pass out.

We’ll be supplying our subscribers with saltwater and freshwater rods from a variety of different manufacturers such as Diawa and Penn. Kokanee rods are always a big hit with our subscribers. This year we’ll be offering Vance Staplin Signature Series kokanee and trout trolling rods from Vance’s Tackle.

Do you need fishing line? With a subscription to the Fish Sniffer, you’ll receive a filler spool of premium...

In his State of the State Address at the State Capitol in Sacramento on Thursday, Governor Jerry Brown promoted building reliable conveyance and building storage to supposedly achieve the goal of providing a reliable water supply for the state's residents.

“One of the bright spots in our contentious politics is the joining together of both parties and the people themselves to secure passage of Proposition 1, the Water Bond,” said Brown. “That, together with our California Water Action Plan, establishes a solid program to deal with the drought and the longer-term challenge of using our water wisely.”

“Our goal must be to preserve California’s natural beauty and ensure a vibrant economy – on our farms, in our cities and for all the people who live here. There is no magic bullet but a series of actions must be taken. We have to recharge our aquifers, manage the groundwater, recycle, capture stormwater, build storage and reliable conveyance, improve efficiency everywhere, invest in new technologies – including desalination – and all the while recognize that there are some limits,” he stated.

He also uttered some of the achieving balance between conflicting parties rhetoric that he has become known for, all while he continues to serve the interests of the corporate agribusiness, Big Oil, Big Timber and other corporate interests through his anti-environmental water policies that have brought Central Valley steelhead and salmon, Delta and longfin smelt, Sacramento splittail, green sturgeon and other fish species to the brink of extinction under his administration.

“Achieving balance between all the conflicting interests is not easy but I pledge to you that I will listen and work patiently to achieve results that will stand the test of time," Brown claimed. “Water goes to the heart of what California is and what it has been over centuries....

the final day of the season.”

Fishermen can expect to catch a variety of rockfish and lingcod throughout the year, with the best opportunities typically found in the spring and fall. The waters off the Big Sur coast are rich with nutrients, attracting a diverse range of marine life that makes for an exciting fishing experience.

Catch and release is encouraged to maintain these thriving fish populations, and anglers should be mindful of size and bag limits to ensure sustainable fishing practices. Local charters provide excellent access to prime fishing spots, and many offer the services of knowledgeable guides to help maximize your experience.

Fishing along this breathtaking coastline not only provides memorable moments on the water but also the chance to take in the stunning landscapes that surround you. From coastal cliffs to crashing waves, the natural beauty of the Monterey County Coast enhances every fishing trip.

As you plan your fishing adventure, consider the weather, tides, and local regulations to ensure a successful outing. Whether you're an experienced angler or a beginner, the Big Sur coast is a remarkable destination for those looking to enjoy a day of fishing while surrounded by some of California's most iconic scenery.

Fish species ranging from endangered Delta Smelt to Striped Bass continued to plummet to record low population levels in 2015 in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, according to the annual fall survey report released on December 18 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Only 6 Delta smelt, an endangered species that once numbered in the millions and was the most abundant fish in the Delta, were collected at the index stations in the estuary this fall. The 2015 index, a relative number of abundance, is the lowest in history, said Sara Finstad, an environmental scientist for the CDFW’s Bay Delta Region.

The Delta Smelt, a 2 to 3 inch fish found only in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, is an indicator species that demonstrates the health of the Delta, an estuary that has been dramatically impacted by water exports to corporate agribusiness interests and Southern California water agencies during the record drought, along with other factors including increasing water toxicity and invasive species.

The Fall Midwater Trawl Survey, used to index the fall abundance of pelagic fishes most years since 1967, conducts monthly surveys from September through December. The 2015 sampling season was completed on December 11.

In September, the only Delta Smelt collected were from index stations in the lower Sacramento River. In October the only Delta smelt collected came from a non-index station in the Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Channel.

In November, no Delta Smelt were collected and in December, the only Delta Smelt collected were from index stations in Montezuma Slough and the lower Sacramento River, according to Finstad.

The population of striped bass, a popular gamefish, has also declined to record low levels. The 2015 abundance index is the second lowest in history. Only 42 age 0 striped bass were recorded at the survey...

If you’ve ever attended a NorCal Trout Anglers Challenge event, you know that a lot of tackle and bait is given away. Without the tour’s robust sponsor list these special giveaways wouldn’t be possible.

Fisherman’s Warehouse is on board and will undoubtedly push a bunch baits, lures and gear down the line to NTAC participants.

The folks at the Pautzke Bait Company supply NTAC anglers with a ton of bait in the form of floating Fire Bait and their tried and true Green Label Eggs, Orange Deluxe Eggs and Yellow Jacket eggs.

Berkley has come on board with PowerBait, rods, reels and fishing line, while Thomas Lures, Sep’s Pro Fishing, Magic Products, Acme Tackle, Silver Horde and Dick Nite Spoons have provided an array of lures, dodgers and more.

Yakima Bait has stepped forward and is providing all manner of baits including tried and true Flatfish that have been killing trout for decades.

Atlas-Mike’s is providing an array of Zekes Floating Bait, scented salmon eggs and deadly scents.

Pro-Cure Bait Scents is also a part of the NTAC team in 2016, so you’ll be seeing Super Gel and other products at events this season.

When it’s time to purchase gear, please remember these manufacturers that have stepped forward to promote the great sport of trout fishing across northern and central California.

Hearing board action falls short of community demands to shut down Aliso Canyon Storage Facility

Three groups - Save Porter Ranch, the Sierra Club and Food & Water Watch - on Saturday, January 23 released a joint statement accusing the South Coast Air Quality Management District Hearing Board (AQMD) of making a decision regarding the SoCalGas Leak that fails to adequately protect residents of Porter Ranch and other surrounding communities.

The gas blowout that continues as I write this is considered by many to be the worst disaster of its kind since the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The leak detected on October 23, caused by well integrity failure, is only the most recent of many such leaks caused in California by aging infrastructure — and just one of the many environmental disasters that have ravaged California under the Brown and Schwarzenegger administrations.

Over the past few months, thousands of residents have been displaced and sickened by the fumes that contain carcinogens including benzene and toluene. The gas leak has emitted methane at a rate of 50,000 kilograms per hour, equivalent to 25 percent of the state’s total emissions of this heat-trapping gas, according to the groups. The leak has forced more than 12,000 residents to relocate and 1,800 more households are waiting for relocation assistance.

After three weeks of hearings and deliberation, AQMD issued a Stipulated Order for Abatement, but residents and local elected officials say the order, which does not require the permanent closure of the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility, falls short of what’s necessary to protect public health. The order also appears to contradict Governor Jerry Brown’s Executive Order to protect public safety, according to the news release.

Gov. Brown’s order, issued January 6, requires state agencies to protect public...

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta (RTD), and Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), will appear at the Stockton City Townhall with environmental activist Erin Brockovich today, February 1, at 6 PM to discuss the relationship between Delta management, the Delta tunnels project and water quality for municipal use.

The event will be held at the Atherton Auditorium, San Joaquin Delta College, 5151 Pacific Ave, Stockton, California 95207.

Other panelists include Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva and water treatment expert Robert W. Bowcock from the Integrated Resource Management, Inc. Stockton Vice Mayor Christina Fugazi will present information from the City of Stockton.

The event takes place at a critical time for the Delta, the state’s fisheries and the public trust. The mismanagement of Central Valley reservoirs and the Delta during the record drought by the Brown and Obama administrations has brought Delta smelt, longfin smelt, winter and spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead and other fish species closer to extinction.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources systematically emptied Folsom, Oroville, Shasta and Trinity reservoirs to export water to corporate agribusiness interests growing almonds and other water-intensive crops on drainage-impaired land on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, as well as to oil companies, now conducting fracking and other extreme oil extraction methods in Kern County, and Southern California water agencies. The outdated Delta water plan of the State Water Resources Control Board currently allows half of the Delta flows to be exported for Big Ag, according to RTD.

To sign or share RTD’s petition to update Delta water quality standards, go to https://www.change.org/p/blumenfeld-jared-epa-gov-tell-epa-new-bay-delta-water-quality-standards-urgently-needed

According to Wikipedia, Erin Brockovich-Ellis (born June 22, 1960) is an American legal clerk and environmental activist, who, despite the lack of a formal...

Fishing during the dead of winter can be challenging. Sure there are some good bites available, for example steelhead are hitting in several different rivers and lakes like Shasta and Berryessa are booting out good numbers of bass. Yet overall, fishing is fairly slow at most destinations and fishing pressure is light.

This being the case, I figure this is a good time to toss out a few winter fishing tips that might just help you put a few fish on the stringer if you do decide to hit the water in the coming days and weeks.

Trout When The Water Is Cold And Stained

When it comes to bank fishing for trout, the two most popular baits to employ are either commercially prepared dough or worms. Of course dough baits are naturally buoyant. Worms tend to sink slightly slower than the proverbial rock, so you’ll have to take steps to make your worms float.

Worm floatation can be accomplished by teaming your worm with a marshmallow or injecting your worm with air using a worm blower or hypodermic needle. In most cases I prefer to float my worms with an injection of air because this makes for a more natural looking offering.

Commercial worm blowers are basically plastic bottles that have a needle attached. My only complaint about these worm blowers is that the needle is usually thick. This punches a big hole in the worm allowing a good portion of the air injected into the worm to escape. A hypodermic needle does a better job, but they are difficult to get. Farm supply stores are the best source for hypodermics that I’ve found.

I firmly believe that a worm gives me two distinct advantages over dough baits. First of all, experience has demonstrated that worms provide me with...

Stockton

Most Delta anglers are migrating to the Sacramento River with increased chances for sturgeon and striped bass success. The incoming flows should help in pushing out the dying water hyacinth, and a good flush is just what is required for the health of the San Joaquin River.

Dan Mathisen of Dan’s Delta Outdoors in Oakley said, “In Discovery Bay, the bite is improving as water temperatures stabilize in the 50’s. Slow-rolling spinnerbaits or jigs along the ledges near flats or drop-shotting 6 or 7-inch worms in the clearer water are working for largemouth bass with a few stripers taken on Optima’s Bad Bubba Shad swimbaits.”

“In Frank’s Tract, Bobby D’s spinnerbaits, swim jigs, or Six Sense ripbaits are good options in the warming water. For sturgeon, there have been a few shaker sturgeon with the occasional keeper in the Antioch area around the Antioch Bridge, Broad Slough and New York Slough. A few stripers are taken on frozen shad, anchovies, or sardines in many areas with most bank fishermen working the Antioch Fishing Pier or along Sherman Island Road,” said Mathisen.

Steve Santucci of Santucci’s Fly Fishing Guide Service said, “Fishing was pretty nice when the weather cooperated this week. We found some nice chunky stripers today that were very aggressive as they were chasing the fly to the boat and hitting it on the drop. Fishing is going to be really good as the water temperatures were 52 degrees in the early morning and hit 55 degrees by the end of the day.”

Despite the reductions in pumping from the south Delta, the currents have not increased on the river.

The year 2015 will become infamous as the one when many California fish populations reached record low levels, largely due to poor water management by the state and federal governments.

The Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Water Resources continued to drain Trinity, Shasta, Oroville and Folsom reservoirs to record low levels during a record drought to supply subsidized water to corporate agribusiness interests, Southern California water agencies and oil companies conducting fracking operations.

The good news in an otherwise disturbing outlook is the first El Niño storms that arrived at the end of the year to start recharging reservoirs depleted due to mismanagement by the agencies.

Folsom Lake dropped to a record low level of 14 percent by the end of November and early December and other reservoirs around the state were plagued by record low water conditions.

Winter-run Chinook salmon, a federal and state endangered species, suffered from the second disastrous year in a row, perishing in lethally warm conditions on the upper Sacramento River as almond growers continued to expand their water-intensive almond tree acreage on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

Only 318,000 juvenile winter-run salmon survived to pass Red Bluff in 2015, or just 3 percent of 9,744,000 eggs according to data released by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. Just 5 percent of the salmon survived to pass Red Bluff the previous year. By comparison, 41 percent of 2,0148,000 eggs survived to pass Red Bluff in 2011.

"I think everyone tried to make it work and despite everybody's best efforts it still was too warm," claimed Maria Rea, a deputy regional.

We dream of big wild brown trout lurking in high Sierra lakes, chrome bright king salmon slamming baits outside the Golden Gate and acrobatic steelhead surging up storm swollen coastal rivers.

While California offers anglers chances at some very iconic species of fish in some of the world’s most inspiring backdrops, in a lot of ways it’s planted rainbow trout that drive fishing in northern and central California.

That’s right, planted rainbows…day in day out all year long if you did a tally of all the anglers on the water, you’d find that a large percentage of them if not the majority of them have their sights set on planted ‘bows.

To understand the significance of planted trout, you need look no further than the success of PowerBait. Berkley has sold millions of jars of their colorful dough to anglers that want nothing more than a metal stringer sporting a limit of freshly planted government trout.

The fact of the matter is, that if there aren’t planter rainbows in lakes like Rollins Lake there isn’t much to catch in them save for smallish spotted bass and a few big wary browns. Jason Pleece of Meadow Vista recounted to me in a recent conversation.

He went on to say, Rollins used to be planted several times a year. Now I can’t remember the last time we had a plant. I know that there is a trout shortage at the DFW, but when I look at the trout planting data on the DFW website I get confused. If you look at the plants, most of them are taking place in southern California, why are we being excluded up north?

Pleece’s comments rattled around in my head for a while and ultimately prompted me to seek out someone at the DFW that could...

The story behind the Rancho Seco Recreation areas and the fantastic fishing it features is fascinating.

The Rancho Seco Recreation area features a 120 acre reservoir that boasts rainbow trout, Florida-strain largemouth bass, redear sunfish, bluegill and crappie. Fishing at the family oriented facility, operated by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company, is a year round affair.

The reservoir, supplied by the Folsom South Canal, was built to serve as a source for emergency cooling water in the event of a nuclear accident. After the power plant was decommissioned in a ballot measure approved by the region’s voters November 1990, the lake became a year-round recreational facility.

On February 20, the Norcal Trout Anglers Tournament Tour will pay Rancho Seco a visit.

The event, set in one of the valley anglers’ favorite fisheries, will offer trout anglers of all ages and skill levels a great opportunity to catch some quality fish and win some outstanding prizes.

Two divisions will be available, both kids and adults, with all anglers being allowed to compete from either the shore or from a boat. Great cash and prizes will be paid out at the end of this event.

Pre-event adult division entry fee is just $20, ($25 if paid the day of event), with kids 15 and under receiving FREE entry. Kids signing up the day of the event are $5.

For more information on rules and to sign up, visit www.anglerspress.com or call 916-768-0938.

Clearlake Oaks Largemouth bass action is heating up at Clear Lake as the water rises from recent storms.

“The water level is higher right now than it has been for the past two years,” said Troy Bellah of Clear Lake Outdoors. “The water level is now 4.4 and the lake is 7.5 when full. We got our fingers crossed that the rain will continue, but it will probably get full this season.”

The bass fishing has been solid between the storms. “These storms have come from the west, so they are warmer than normal for this time of year and the water temperature is 2 to 3 degrees warmer than is typical for now,” said Bellah.

Bellah and his partner reported great action during a recent Clear Lake Bassmasters Club Tournament, winning first place with a 20 pound limit topped by a 6.83 lb. largemouth taken on a spoon and a 6.33 pounder caught on a Lucky Craft Pointer Minnow rip bait.

“We fished the middle section and south end of the lake, where the water is clearer,” he noted. “Anglers participating in the event found the best action while fishing ripbaits, jigging with 1 oz. spoons and throwing Alabama rigs.”

Crappie action is also improving. Anglers are hooking a few slabsides while jigging with small spoons and chartreuse colored jigs off Konotyee and Henderson Point.

“Not many folks are catfishing now, but a couple of guys reported good action while fishing cut bait off Shag Rock,” he noted. “Their fish weren’t huge, ranging from 7 to 10 pounds.”

In one of the biggest environmental conflicts of interest in recent California history, a Big Oil lobbyist led a state panel to create so-called marine protected areas in Southern California ocean waters at the very same time that the oil industry was conducting offshore fracking operations in the region.

That's right - Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the President of the Western States Petroleum Association, chaired the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create so-called marine protected areas in Southern California from 2009 to 2012 as the oil industry was fracking South Coast waters with little federal or state oversight.

However, the rubber stamping of fracking operations by the federal government has at least temporarily stopped. The federal government has agreed to stop approving fracking from oil platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel until it conducts environmental studies to determine whether the controversial practice is safe for marine life and the environment, according to two separate legal settlements filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Environmental Defense Center on Friday, January 29.

The agreement resolves a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit that challenged the U.S. Department of the Interior’s practice of rubber-stamping fracking off California’s coast without engaging the public or analyzing fracking’s threats to ocean ecosystems, coastal communities and marine life, including sea otters, fish, sea turtles and whales.

This halt to offshore fracking is a huge victory for California’s coastal environment, said Kristen Monsell, a Center attorney. Offshore fracking is a dirty and dangerous practice that has absolutely no place in our ocean. The federal government certainly has no right to give the oil industry free rein to frack offshore at will.

The agreements reached by the two environmental groups apply to operations off Ventura and Santa...

the Fish Passage Evaluation. Their plan focuses on restoring native winter run Chinook salmon to the McCloud River above Shasta Dam. It is critical that the restoration efforts prioritize the introduction of genetically diverse, wild salmon rather than relying solely on hatchery fish.

Furthermore, the McCloud River holds significant cultural and ecological importance. The Winnemem Wintu Tribe has been deeply connected to this river for generations, and their knowledge of the ecosystem should be valued in any restoration plan.

In conclusion, we urge the Bureau of Reclamation to reconsider its current approach and adopt a more holistic, ecologically sound strategy that includes the Winnemem Wintu Tribe's restoration plan. Protecting and restoring native salmon populations is crucial for the health of our ecosystems and the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Dan Bacher

Editor, Fish Sniffer magazine

The Norcal Trout Angler Tour event at the Rancho Seco Recreation Area on Saturday, February 20 drew 150 anglers to target rainbow trout with a variety of baits and lures.

Rancho Seco is a great venue, with lots of family friendly facilities and excellent shoreline access all around the lake, said Vince Harris, owner of Angler’s Press and event organizer.

Jessie Trejo Jr. won first place in the adult division with a 2.37 lb. rainbow trout. He landed the fish while fishing PowerBait from shore first thing in the morning.

Fishing with me were my son, 14-year-old Jacob Trejo, and my nephew, 17-year-old Wesley Trejo, he said. We each caught a trout while fishing PowerBait.

The second through tenth place winners were: (2) Jason Williamson, 2.04; (3) Maleek Johnson, 1.99; (4) Koua Xiong, 1.93; (5) Jeremiah Ramirez, 1.86; (6) James Lew, 1.79; (7) Shawn Myers, 1.79; (8) Westly Trejo, 1.75; (9) William Martinez, 1.71; and (10) Larry Butler, 1.65.

The eleventh through twentieth place winners were: (11) David Tabuchi, 1.6; (12) Daryl Jackson, 1.58; (13) Eddie Navarette, 1.52; (14) Christina Butler, 1.36; (15) Tom Morgan, 1.33; (16) Mike Combs, 1.29; (17) Joe Hill, 1.28; (18)

five Fish Sniffer supporters all itching to catch a sturgeon aboard Captain Chris Smith’s Captain Hook, I didn’t even plan on picking up a fishing rod during the trip and in retrospect maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t.

It was just past lunch when the rod on the port corner started pumping. No one was close to it, so I slid it out of the holder and prepared to set the hook. As I stood with the rod in my hand feeling the faint, but strengthening tugs of a sturgeon, a gust of wind hit the boat and we started to swing away from the fish.

I wanted to play the bite out and wait until the sturgeon was really working on the lamprey eel before setting the hook, but I knew in a matter of seconds the swing of the boat would pull the bait away from the fish. I waited as long as I thought I could, reared back on the rod and missed the fish. As bad as it is to miss a sturgeon bite, it’s even worse to miss the last good bite of the day during a trip when the fishing has been tough.

And, of course, there was the smack talk from Captain Chris, followed by some long distance ribbing from Hot Sheet author Dave Hurley when he called Chris’s cell phone for a fishing update. We didn’t have a fish in the box, but at least we were having fun!

Thursday, February 18 was one of those days when you drive into the Martinez Marina with mixed feelings. On one hand, we had a great tide with about 6 feet of movement. On the other hand, the sturgeon bite had been getting slower over the past several days, and a...

Los Vaqueros

(Byron) You never know what you might catch when you go trout fishing at Los Vaqueros Reservoir.

Just ask Gayle Greer of San Jose, who landed a 23.9 lb striped bass, according to Brian Demmunik at the Los Vaqueros Marina. He was fishing PowerBait from shore in the south cove when he hooked the fish.

"We're seeing a lot of small stripers from 15 to 17 inches long, along with some 20 to 23 inch keepers," he said. "They’re hitting cut anchovies and shad."

The trout fishing is going strong at Los Vaqueros, though not as hot as during the previous week. "Most people are catching a few fish, but we’re not seeing as many limits as the week before when everybody was limiting out," said Demmunik.

"Anglers are mainly using crawlers, garlic PowerBait and Kastmasters," he noted. "We’re seeing the top action in the South cove and the Peninsula Cove."

Big trout honors go to Alex Xavier of Hayward, who landed a 7.57 lb. rainbow while using a Rapala in Peninsula Cove. Bryer Smith of Santa Cruz bagged a 6.69 lb. rainbow while fishing a Kastmaster in South Cove.

Finally, Martin Villafuerte of San Jose was casting a Roostertail in South Cove when he caught a 7.19 lb. trout.

Mt. Lassen Fish Farm is now planting 1,000 pounds of rainbows every week.

The water level is currently at 82,100 acre-feet, about 50 percent of capacity. The water temperature is 54 degrees. The water clarity is fair with some creek run-off clouding up South Cove and Cowboy Cove.

San Pablo

(Antioch) "The trout bite is on for boaters," said Marcella Shoemaker of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company. "The best spots are the Rock Wall, Sandy Point and Scow Canyon. I have seen anglers trolling out here.

Berkeley After weeks of inactivity, East Bay charter boats are once again on the water now that the recreational crabbing season has opened south of Point Reyes.

The Happy Hooker piloted by Captain Jim Smith, headed out on the hunt for crabs last Saturday and returned to the Berkeley Marina early with 10 limits of jumbo crabs.

Smith is available for both crabbing trips outside the Golden Gate and sturgeon trips in San Pablo Bay.

In Emeryville, several boats are running out for crabs. Captain Jay aboard the New Huck Finn hammered out 36 limits of jumbo crabs on his most recent trip. The Sea Wolf and New Salmon Queen are also running for crab out of the Emeryville Sportfishing Center.

Private boaters continue to pick up keeper and oversize sturgeon while fishing the extreme south end of the bay. Herring fillets, ghost shrimp and eel have been the best baits.

Shore anglers are finding perch in both the south and central section of the bay. Pile worms work great if you can get them. If not, white prawns are drawing strikes too.

Amador

(Ione) Rainbow trout fishing continues to be pretty good, with plants of 1200 pounds taking place every other week. The plants will ramp up in the spring.

The fish are going down deeper, up to 15 feet with the sunny weather, according to Elise Lockhart at the Lake Amador Café.

Bank anglers are hooking fish while tossing out PowerBait and Kastmasters in gold and silver. Trollers are picking up rainbows while fishing broken back Rapalas and white grubs while trolling the outer edges of the lake.

For example, Shawn Burrell from Elk Grove bagged two beautiful rainbows weighing up to 4.6 pounds while fishing off the dock. Another angler bagged a 3.52 lb. rainbow.

The annual trout derby will run until March 6, 2016 with a one-time $7.00 entry fee.

The bass fishing is picking up for anglers using jigs in the back of the lake in the Mountain Springs, Rock creek and Jackson Creek arm, said Lockhart.

Lake Amador is only 5 feet from full. The launch is now open with two lanes and two docks as the cove is full of water.

Camanche

(Burson) The big news at Lake Camanche was the capture of a monster 15 lb. 12. largemouth bass by James Vella.

I caught the fish on 6 lb. test line while fishing the lake with my dad on February 12, said Vella. The fish measured 28" length and 23.5" in girth.

A massive 3,600 lb. Mt. Lassen trout plant arrived just in time for Presidents Day weekend, boosting fishing success at

(Brannan Island) Excitement is running high in the West Delta. The sturgeon bite has been fair to good, depending on the day and the spring striper run is just getting started.

Captain David Hammond of Delta Pro Fishing has been trolling for stripers in the West Delta. Limits and near limits have been the rule. Hammond is primarily pulling Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows for his fish.

Bait anglers have been getting in on the striper action too, while fishing the edge of the channel off Decker Island. The best bait has been frozen shad, but sardine fillets are yielding results too.

For sturgeon anglers are fishing from the Power Lines on the Sacramento all the way down to the Moth Ball Fleet in Suisun Bay. One of the best spots has been the area around Roe and Ryer Islands, but there have been good numbers of keeper and oversize fish being caught in Suisun and Montezuma Sloughs.

Eel has been the best bait for sturgeon, but salmon roe is producing some fish too. Grass shrimp has been nearly impossible to get, but ghost shrimp are available at some shops.

"I’ve been targeting sturgeon out of the Pittsburg Marina," related Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sportfishing. "We’ve been dealing with quite a few jumbo shakers and there has been some grass in the system in recent days that isn’t helping the cause too much. The good news is that the water remains stained and the temperature is inching up. Warm stained water this time of the year typically results in epic sturgeon action. I think the bite is going to come on strong soon."

Hundreds of people, including commercial fishermen, charter boat skippers and recreational anglers, packed a large room at the Sonoma County Water Agency offices in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, March 2, to hear the discouraging news from state and federal scientists about the prospects for this year’s ocean and river salmon seasons.

Low ocean abundance forecasts for Sacramento River and Klamath Chinook fall-run Chinook salmon point to restrictions in the recreational, commercial and tribal fisheries this upcoming season, according to data released in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s annual salmon fishery information meeting.

Agency scientists estimate that there are approximately 299,600 adult Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon and 142,200 Klamath River fall Chinooks in the ocean this year, based on the returns of two-year-old salmon, called jacks and jills. The salmon from these two rivers comprise the majority of salmon taken in California’s ocean and inland fisheries.

The forecasts are lower than in recent years and suggest that California fisheries may see salmon seasons in 2016 that have reduced opportunities over last year, said Brett Kormos, a senior environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the moderator of the meeting, in a news release issued right after the meeting.

We’re in an unprecedented situation where fishermen face constraints both in the north (Klamath) and the south (Sacramento), said Dr. Michael O’Farrell of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

These forecasts, in addition to disturbing information on endangered Sacramento River winter Chinook salmon, will be used over the next couple of months by federal and state fishery managers to set sport and commercial fishing season dates, commercial quotas and size and bag limits.

A total of 112,434 Sacramento River fall adult salmon and 19,554 jacks returned to spawn in the river in 2015, according to Vanessa Gusman,...

The Karuk Tribe and conservation groups yesterday filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging a post-fire logging plan in the Klamath National Forest. The press release was issued just a day after federal and state fishery managers released data showing a low return of fall-run Chinook salmon on the Klamath River system this year and pointing to restrictions on the recreational, Tribal, and commercial fisheries this year. We must do everything we can to restore our imperiled salmon populations, including supporting Klamath River Dam removal and challenging timber management plans that harm fish and their habitat. Below is the news release from the Tribe and environmental groups.

Happy Camp, CA – On March 3, the Karuk Tribe, along with the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (KS Wild), Center for Biological Diversity, and Klamath Riverkeeper, filed suit in federal court challenging a massive post-fire logging plan in Klamath National Forest that will increase fire danger, degrade water quality, and harm at-risk salmon populations.

The Tribe leads a diverse plaintiff group united by a common interest in restoring healthy relationships between people, fire, forests and fish. The groups seek to protect rural communities from fire risks, restore watershed health, and provide economic opportunities for locals.

The coalition is challenging a post-fire timber sale, the Westside Project, which fails rural river communities by implementing the same management practices that have for decades resulted in a landscape prone to dangerous fire events, degraded water quality, and contributed to declining salmon populations. The suit alleges the Klamath National Forest Plan, as approved by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, illegally increases the risk of extinction for threatened populations of coho salmon.

The Westside project would clear-cut 5,760 acres on burned forest slopes above tributaries of the Klamath River. This aggressive approach...

As Delta smelt and other fish species reach record low population levels and fishermen and fisherwomen brace for salmon restrictions this season, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California authorized the purchase of four islands in the San Francisco Bay-Delta for an undisclosed sum at a closed session of the agency's Board of Directors meeting on the morning of Tuesday, March 8.

The Metropolitan Water District is a regional wholesaler that delivers water. MWD, Southern California’s most powerful water agency, is one of the strongest proponents of Governor Jerry Brown's California Water Fix to build the controversial Delta Tunnels. MWD’s 37-member Board of Directors represents 26 agencies in Southern California.

The deal is highly controversial in Northern California, as it would put Southern California’s most powerful water agency in control of a group of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta islands that can serve as water storage areas or entry points for the proposed $15 billion Delta Tunnels projects, observed Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta.

For months, MWD has been considering the purchase of islands now used for farming. The islands mirror the path of the plan for the Delta Tunnels proposal, said Barrigan-Parrilla.

The four island deal includes Bouldin Island, Webb Tract, Holland Tract, and Bacon Island, covering approximately 20,369 acres of the Delta, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

It is troubling for the Delta region that the Metropolitan Water District is going to acquire such a significant portion of Delta land and Delta water rights, said Barrigan-Parrilla. They have the resources to change law and policies statewide to maximize their access to Delta water in their favor.

By the numbers, trout are the West Coast’s most popular species of gamefish. In addition to their beauty, trout enjoy a broad distribution that few other West Coast gamefish can match. Trout are at home in pristine high country streams, foothill reservoirs, urban ponds and just about everywhere in between.

Undoubtedly, one of the most important factors driving the popularity of trout among anglers is the fact that they are willing strikers that can be caught using a variety of different techniques. I like to call trout equal opportunity gamefish because both bank and boat anglers achieve a high level of success while targeting them with a long list of offerings including spoons, spinners, plugs, flies and a smorgasbord of natural and manmade baits.

Certainly we all love catching trout on lures, but day in day out it's bait that yields the most consistent results. When the going gets tough or even when it’s not, break out the bait and you’ll be well on your way to filling up your stringer with tasty rainbows.

With spring trout fishing breaking loose in lakes and the stream season slated to get underway on April 23, this is a perfect time to ponder the core baits that no Golden State trouter will want to be without.

Lake And Reservoir Baits

Three decades ago, worms, salmon eggs and soft cheese were the kings as far as trout baits were concerned, and then it happened. Floating dough baits arrived on the scene and things haven’t been the same since. PowerBait is the most popular and certainly one of the most effective of these convenient putty-like concoctions.

When PowerBait first came out, my buddy Red and I each picked up a bottle of orange dough. We didn’t give the bait a try for quite...

The Russian River in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties is one of the most legendary fishing streams in California.

For over 100 years, the scenic river that courses its way through both vineyards and redwoods has drawn anglers from the Bay Area, Central Valley and elsewhere in California and the United States to fish for an array of species, including steelhead, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, striped bass, smallmouth and largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish and other catfish, American shad and even white sturgeon.

The river’s abundance of fish, both native and introduced, is celebrated in a number of books, including Meghan Walla-Murphy’s “Fishing on the Russian River,” Russ Chatham’s “Rivers of A Lost Coast,” and Ben Taylor’s “I Know Bill Schaadt.”

The abundance of fish in the Russian in the 1950s and 1960s is illustrated by a photo in Ben Taylor’s book that shows the legendary fly fisherman, Bill Schaadt, and his fellow anglers Homer Wilson and Bob Nauhrim posing with three fish limits of huge steelhead from the Russian River, along with a limit of monster striped bass. All of the fish in this photo were caught on fly rods.

Since the 1950s, catches like those found in the photos and recollections in these books are no longer caught. After the federal government built Coyote Dam, which forms Lake Mendocino, and Warm Springs Dam, which forms Lake Sonoma, hundreds of miles of spawning habitat were lost.

“Okay, cast up into that area of broken water,” instructed Kirk Portocarrero, and I fired my bead and slinky rig upstream.

The water was about 10 feet deep, so it took a second or two for the rig to reach the bottom. Once it did, I could clearly feel the slinking working over rocks and gravel, and then I felt something else: two firm tugs followed by steady pressure. Instinct took over, the spinning rod’s tip shot skyward, and the rod bent as I worked the reel quickly to keep any slack from forming.

At first, the unseen trout did some head shaking before taking off on a long sustained upstream run. This was no pansize rainbow; this was a substantial fish!

Kirk grabbed my video camera and started shooting as minutes slipped by. The fish’s strategy was to stay deep in the fastest moving water it could find. My strategy was to keep the rod loaded and hope that the barbless hook stayed in place.

The river’s cold, oxygen-rich water is like a steroid for the Sac’s wild rainbows, giving them incredible power and stamina. For quite a while, the big rainbow didn’t seem to weaken at all, but ever so slowly, I sensed that the tide was turning my way. The movements of the fish were less crisp, and I was able to break it free of the bottom.

When the trout first appeared beside the big Willie jet boat, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. The rainbow was a full 23 inches long, was at least 6 inches wide along the flanks, and likely weighed just over or under 4 pounds. It had an incredible iridescent red strip that started on the gill plates and extended down the length of the body nearly to the tail....

(Oregon House) Big, bold rainbow trout can be found in abundance, now that the spring trout planting program is in full swing.

"We have been stocking every other week with 1,800 lbs. of fish, including some giant trophy sized ones," said Kathy Hess at the Collins Lake Resort. "Our lake looks incredible; we are at 60% capacity already with more rain coming in the spring. Of course, our hope would be to fill up to maximum capacity, but even if that doesn’t happen we are already at the same level we were last year at this time."

"Jason Whitten was fishing with his Papa and caught his first fish, a rainbow trout while trolling a flasher and a worm near the dam. Little Malia Jahnke from Jackson fished the shoreline and caught three amazing trout," said Hess.

Two local buddies named Gary Skaggs and Tom Pickett of Yuba City trolled in the middle of the lake with Rapalas and took home 6 trout, according to Hess.

"Some bass have already been seen hanging around in shallow water on the east side of our lake, accessible by boat or walking across the dam," noted Hess. "The lake’s surface temperature on this side has been running 52 degrees and add another five degrees if you are fishing on the east side which gets more afternoon sun."

She added, "You don’t need a boat to catch fish at Collins Lake. Our shoreline fishing is ideal and parking is super convenient especially this time of year."

Collins Lake has risen 47 feet since November. The lake level is now only 21 feet from full, coming up from a low of 68 feet from maximum pool.

Clearlake The crappie bite has busted loose on Clear Lake, drawing lots of anglers to target the slabsides from shore and boat around the lake.

A friend and I went out fishing for crappie on Sunday, said Dave Brabec at Clear Lake Outdoors. We caught and released around 100 crappie while using 1/16 oz. jigs on 4 lb. test line. They were all good-sized, around a pound each.

The crappie are showing over the entire lake, said Brabec. They’re hitting best in 5 feet of water. Shore anglers have reported hooking the fish at Clear Lake State Park, Indian Beach, Holiday Harbor and elsewhere on the lake.

We fished from 8 am to 2 pm, said Brabec. We also fished for bass for a bit. We had a lot of fun and were giggling like a couple of kids as we hooked one crappie after another.

The bass fishing is also going strong. It took a five fish limit of 36-1/2 pounds to win a recent ABA tournament at the lake, he said. A friend caught five fish weighing 27 pounds and he didn’t even get a check.

Lucky Craft LV 500s, jigs, ripbaits and swimbaits are producing the better largemouths, he noted.

The water temperature has risen to 54 degrees during midday. The water is starting to get clear, but the forecasted rain should color the water a bit with runoff, he said.

Since everybody is concentrating on the great crappie and bass bites, hardly anybody has been targeting catfish.

Los Vaqueros (Byron) Rainbow trout offer you your best chance of hooking up now at Los Vaqueros Reservoir. Bank fishermen and rental boaters are landing the trout while fishing PowerBait, nightcrawlers and lures in the South Cove, Peninsula Cove and Cowboy Cove.

Trout plants continue, with the latest plant of 1000 pounds of Mt. Lassen rainbows going into the reservoir on Thursday, March 3.

The fish being caught now are averaging 1 to 4 pounds, with an occasional 7 to 8 pounder, according to Matt de la Madrid at Los Vaqueros Marina.

Big fish honors go to Sean Alvey, who landed a 7.11 lb. rainbow while trolling a Rapala from a rental boat in Peninsula Cove. Martin Villasuerte demonstrated his angling prowess by nailing a 6.18 trout while employing a Mouse Tail from the bank in South Cove.

No big striped bass have been caught since Gayle Greer of San Jose landed a 23.9 lb striped bass while fishing PowerBait from shore in the South Cove in February. A lot of undersized fish continue to be caught for every keeper. From shore, cut anchovies and shad are the top baits.

I heard of a couple of largemouth bass landed, but no catfish over the past couple of weeks, said de la Madrid.

The water level is currently at 80,600 acre-feet. The release has stopped due to lower salinity in the delta. The water temperature is at 52-53 degrees and the water clarity remains good.

San Pablo (Antioch) The trout bite remains good for boaters, with the best spots being the Rock Wall, Sandy Point, and Scow Canyon.

I have seen anglers trolling out here with not much luck; bait fishing is the best bet, said Marcella Shoemaker of the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company. Mice Tails, Power Bait and worms are...

In the video from a recent hearing in the California Legislature, it appears that a Brown administration official is admitting that financial support for Governor Brown’s controversial Delta Tunnels Plan is rapidly collapsing.

On March 11, Secretary of Natural Resources John Laird spoke on behalf of the administration during a hearing in San Francisco by the Senate Select Committee on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta entitled "Pending Delta Decisions and their Potential Economic and Other Impacts on San Francisco & the Bay Area."

Laird responded to the news that the Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural water district in California and longtime proponent of the tunnels, used Enron accounting to mislead investors about a $77 million bond sale, resulting in a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission over civil charges. He described the news as disturbing and then admitted that the California Water Fix to build the Delta Tunnels "won’t move ahead unless people, it pencils out for people and they sign up and they pay."

Westlands agreed to pay $125,000 to settle the charges, making it only the second municipal issuer to pay a financial penalty in an SEC enforcement action. The district’s general manager Thomas Birmingham agreed to pay a penalty of $50,000, and former assistant general manager Louie David Ciapponi agreed to pay a penalty of $20,000 to settle the charges against them.

It is disturbing, said Laird during the hearing. It’s disturbing to us. We found out about it just as you did, from the press reports of the SEC decision.

And, overall, this is, as you say, a beneficiary pays project, where the beneficiaries themselves have to decide to do it, Laird continued. It really depends totally on their ability and their willingness to pay for the project. And I think it is totally clear...

As oil companies were fracking off the Southern California Coast, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the President of the Western States Petroleum Association, chaired the privately-funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create so-called marine protected areas in Southern California from 2009 to 2012.

In one of the biggest environmental conflicts of interest in California history, Reheis-Boyd led a process that created faux marine protected areas that fail to protect the ocean from fracking, oil spills, offshore oil drilling, pollution, corporate aquaculture, military testing and all human impacts on the ocean other than sustainable fishing and gathering. At the same time that Reheis-Boyd was leading the campaign to expand fracking and offshore drilling in California, state officials and MLPA Initiative advocates praised the process that she oversaw as open, transparent and inclusive when it was anything but.

The marine protected areas created under the leadership of Reheis-Boyd and other corporate operatives not only fail to protect the ocean, but they are based on incomplete and terminally flawed science and violate the traditional gathering and fishing rights of the Yurok Tribe and other North Coast Tribes. The Brown administration completed the network of flawed marine protected areas on December 19, 2012, when the North Coast MPAs went into effect.

The suspicions of Tribal leaders, fishermen and grassroots environmentalists that there was something very fishy about the failure of the oil lobbyist-overseen MLPA Initiative to protect the ocean from oil drilling and pollution were confirmed in the summer of 2013 when an Associated Press and Freedom of Information Act investigation revealed that oil companies had fracked at least 200 wells in state and federal waters off Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and in the wildlife-rich Santa Barbara Channel.

Hey, nobody is happier than I am about the MPA.

The Bechtel Foundation-funded Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), a long-time supporter of Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels Plan, has released a poll concluding that 54% of those surveyed believe the California Water Fix is very important to the future of the state.

According to a PPIC press release, the governor has proposed building tunnels in the Delta to improve the reliability of water supplies. About half of adults (54%) and 45 percent of likely voters say building the tunnels is very important to the future of California. Residents in Los Angeles (61%) and the Inland Empire (61%) are the most likely to say this is very important, followed by the Central Valley (51%), San Francisco Bay Area (49%), and Orange/San Diego (47%).

The question was worded to produce the pre-determined result of support for the tunnels. The question asked how important the governor's proposal to improve the reliability of water supplies by building tunnels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is for the future quality of life and economic vitality of California. The options included very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important.

The results were as follows:

54% said very important

26% said somewhat important

6% said not too important

7% said not at all important

People are likely to respond positively to this misleading question. This question is based on the claim that the tunnels proposed under the California Water Fix will improve the reliability of water supplies when there is no evidence to support this.

Furthermore, there is no mention of the enormous costs of the plan to ratepayers, taxpayers, and the people of California, nor the devastating environmental consequences of the project, as documented by U.S. EPA scientists and various scientific panels.

The question also fails to mention the significant threat the...

Have you heard about the new Shim-Abu-Dia-Lew baitcasters? They’ve got 200 ball bearings and generate 5,000 pounds of drag pressure. Yep fishing reels are hot, but we won’t be talking about them in this article. We also won’t be discussing cool stuff like $400 swimbaits, the latest designer egg cure or full colors sonar units that stream ESPN and mow your lawn while you’re at work.

Nope this week we aren’t going to discuss anything sexy or exciting. Instead we are going to look at terminal tackle and basic skills that lack excitement, but have the ability to make your time on the water more successful and enjoyable. Let’s get started!

I’ll cut right to the meat and speak my mind. Line twist is a real bummer that invariably bites you in the butt at the least opportune time! As a general rule, line twist is more of an issue with spinning gear than it is with traditional baitcasting style gear, but rest assured the line on your baitcaster can become horribly twisted too.

With spinning gear line twist occurs if you snap the reel’s bail shut by rotating the reel handle rather than closing it manually with your fingers. It also occurs anytime you are reeling and line either isn’t coming onto the reel or is paying out of the reel against the drag. This can occur when you are fighting a big fish or when you’ve snagged the bottom. Rest assured, anytime a spinning reel is rotating and line isn’t being retrieved, twist is being introduced into the line.

With baitcasting gear, it’s harder to get twist. You can reel all day long against running fish and no twisting will occur. However a rotating trolling bait or even a rotating fish being cranked out of the depths can...

California’s recreational salmon season will open in ocean waters on Saturday, April 2, 2016, from Horse Mountain (40° 05’ 00” N. latitude) south to the U.S./Mexico border, according to a March 21 news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The daily bag limit is two Chinook per day and no more than two daily bag limits may be possessed when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit.

Between Horse Mountain and Point Arena (38° 57’ 30” N. latitude), the minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. For areas south of Point Arena, the minimum size limit is 24 inches total length. The recreational salmon season north of Horse Mountain remains closed and the season will be determined in April.

For anglers fishing north of Point Conception (34° 27’ 00” N. latitude), no more than two single-point, single-shank barbless hooks shall be used, and no more than one rod shall be used per angler when fishing for salmon or fishing from a boat with salmon on board. In addition, barbless circle hooks are required when fishing with bait by any means other than trolling.

Additional ocean salmon fishing regulations for the 2016 fishing season will be decided by the Pacific Fishery Management Council during its April 9-14 meeting in Vancouver, Washington, and by the Fish and Game Commission at its April 18 teleconference. Final sport regulations will be published in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife 2016-2017 Supplemental Sport Fishing Regulations booklet, which will be posted online in May.

Salmon abundance estimates are lower this year and there is concern that the forecasts may be overly optimistic. Ocean and river salmon anglers can expect less fishing opportunity compared to last year, especially...

Cast your line in SMUD’s annual Trout Derby April 2 and 3

Win cash prizes plus a Lowe aluminum boat, trailer and electric motor, a fishing kayak, fishing equipment and much more during the Rancho Seco Recreational Area Trout Derby set for April 2 and 3, 2016.

The 160-acre freshwater lake is also home to bass, bluegill, red-ear sunfish, crappie and catfish. So pack up the tackle box, load up the rod and reel and head out to SMUD’s Rancho Seco Recreational Area on April 2 and 3. You can win a prize for hooking the heaviest trout, and so can your kids.

Cast your line from the shore or one of six fishing piers. Fish from your small boat (electric motor only) or rent a fishing boat at the lake -- or a kayak, rowboat, or paddleboat. If you want to stay overnight, you’ll find eighteen RV sites with barbecues, fire pits, picnic tables, drinking water and electrical outlets, plus an additional 25 camping sites for those who like to sleep under the stars.

For family members not lured by fishing, the 400-acre park offers much more. You’ll find covered picnic facilities, 36,000 square feet of sandy beach, and excellent bird-watching, since the park is a winter refuge for ducks, geese, hawks, bald eagles, blue heron and migratory birds. Hikers may enjoy the seven-mile Howard Ranch Trail, which begins at the lake and meanders across beautiful grassland habitat and blue oak woodlands dotted with vernal pools and--at this time of year--an abundance of native wildflowers.

And for any non-nature lovers in the group, a Wi-Fi hotspot is available in the recreation room and office area.

The State Water Resources Control Board announced on March 29 that they are suspending the upcoming deadlines for the California Water Fix/Delta Tunnels water rights change petition in response to a request by the state and federal water agencies to extend dates and deadlines for the scheduled hearing, along with a number of other requests either to dismiss or delay the petition.

On March 28, 2016, the Water Board hearing officers for the California Water Fix water right change petition hearing received a letter from the Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation requesting a 60-day continuance of all dates and deadlines associated with the hearing.

On the same day, the hearing officers also received a request from several parties to dismiss the petition. Then on March 29, the State Water Board received additional requests to delay and stay the hearing, pending resolution of several matters, according to a letter from Tam M. Doduc and Felicia Marcus, State Water Board WaterFix Co-Hearing Officers.

In response to the various requests, the upcoming deadlines are suspended. A ruling will be issued in the near future formally addressing the requests and providing additional information about the hearing schedule, said Doduc and Marcus.

The hearing officers said they are cognizant of the inconvenience to the other parties of repeated delays to the hearing schedule.

Accordingly, to inform our consideration, Petitioners are directed to confirm by noon on Friday, April 1, 2016 that they will be prepared to proceed without further delay should the 60-day continuance be granted, the Hearing Officers concluded.

All of these documents have been or will be posted on the State Water Board’s website.

Just hours before the Water Board announced its decision, the Contra Costa Water District announced a withdrawal of their protest petition with the State...

Don't let Governor Jerry Brown and the water contractors pull your wallet out of your pocket and steal your hard-earned money.

Restore the Delta (RTD) yesterday alerted all water ratepayers throughout California to be on guard for water rate and parcel tax increases to fund Governor Brown’s controversial Delta Tunnels proposal under the California Water Fix.

The Delta Tunnels plan is based on the absurd contention that diverting more water from the Sacramento River will somehow restore the fisheries and ecosystem of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The alert was issued as California water is in complete chaos as the financial, scientific and economic justifications for the process are becoming increasingly untenable.

The San Luis Delta-Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA) is holding a joint meeting and workshop with members at the San Clara Valley Water District on April 7, 2016 in San Jose. The agenda includes a reference to CA WaterFix being discussed as a closed session item at the end of the joint meeting, according to a news release from Restore the Delta.

The group asked, Is the closed session discussion an effort to shore up financing for the Delta Tunnels?

The Delta Tunnels proposal does not have a viable financial plan, explained Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. The water district that will benefit most from the proposal, Westlands Water District, was recently fined by the SEC for using 'a little Enron accounting' in their bond sales for Delta tunnels planning. Westlands, along with other west side San Joaquin Valley irrigation districts that make up the San Luis Delta-Mendota Water Authority, are now working to ensure that urban ratepayers will pick up the majority of the costs, benefitting San Luis Delta-Mendota water users.

On March 9, 2016, the federal Securities and Exchange Commission fined Westlands and its former...

a large coalition of over 150 conservation, fishing, recreational, and tribal organizations on April 5 sent letters to the California State Water Resources Control Board and to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding California’s failure to update Bay-Delta Water Quality Standards.

the letter was sent as Governor Jerry Brown’s California Water Fix plan to build the massive Delta Tunnels is in complete chaos while the economic, scientific and financial justifications for the project become increasingly untenable.

the San Francisco Bay Delta ecosystem is now in an unprecedented crisis as winter-run Chinook salmon, Delta and longfin smelt, and other fish species draw closer and closer to the abyss of extinction under the current water quality standards.

the letter states, “There is no dispute in the scientific or resource management communities that the current water quality standards are failing to protect fish and wildlife and other beneficial uses of the estuary’s water. The record is strong and clear that insufficient freshwater flows and inadequate water quality are primary drivers of the long-term degradation of ecological conditions for the public trust resources of the Bay-Delta estuary, and this state of affairs is only growing worse. The decline of pelagic organisms that was first detected in the early 2000s has accelerated, with many native fish species at record or near-record low population levels in recent surveys.”

below are the two letters:

April 5, 2016

Felicia Marcus, Chair

State Water Resources Control Board

P.O. Box 2000

Sacramento, CA 95812-2000

RE: ADOPT NEW BAY-DELTA STANDARDS IN NEXT 12-21 MONTHS

dear Chairwoman Marcus:

our organizations are writing to urge the State Water Resources Control Board to complete its update of the 2006 Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP) for the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and adopt new water quality standards in the next twelve to twenty-one months.

there...

Allen Vue of Sacramento experienced a great day of fishing at Rancho Seco Lake when he hooked two rainbow trout weighing 6.56 and 6.32 pounds while tossing out a Kastmaster from shore on Sunday, April 3.

He brought the first fish, the 6.32 lb. rainbow, to the scales at the SMUD office around 3 pm, putting him in first place in the April 2 -3 derby. Then he caught and brought his second big fish, the 6.56 pounder, to the weigh in about 15 minutes before the 5 pm shut off time.

Both of these fish would have allowed him to capture first place in the annual Sacramento Municipal Utility District event.

“I found a school of big trout swimming around and concentrated on catching those fish,” he said. He landed three other large rainbows also.

For his catch, he earned the Adult Grand Prize: a Lowe 14’ aluminum boat, trailer and electric motor package for the heaviest fish caught.

The second and third place winners in the adult division were Chris Donaldson of Cameron Park, with a 6.22 lb. fish, and Alyssa Delora, with her 5.34 lb. rainbow.

The prizes for adults were $100 for first place; $75 for second place; $60 for third place, $25 plus a 2 day park pass for fourth and fifth places; and $20 plus a 1 day park pass for sixth through seventh places.

Nine-year old Roree MacGregor of Elk Grove won first place in the Kids (10 and younger) Division with a 5.42 lb. rainbow. She also won the Youth and Kids Grand Prize, a fishing kayak.

Nine-year-old Maddie Plearnik placed.

Editor's Note: The day after this article went to press in the print edition of the Fish Sniffer, representatives of the state and federal governments, Klamath Basin Indian Tribes, PacifiCorp and environmental and fishery conservation groups on April 6 signed the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement that this piece discusses.

Representatives from the state, federal, Tribal and county governments, environmental and fishery conservation NGOs and the public convened in a packed meeting room in Sacramento on March 16 to discuss amendments to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement that proposes the removal of four Klamath River dams.

The amended KHSA, a 133-page document, focuses on removing three dams in California and one in Oregon, through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dam relicensing process. PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Corporation, owns the dams.

The parties had previously tried to pass legislation empowering the KHSA through Congress, along with two other related agreements including the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, but those efforts failed during the past two Congressional Sessions.

The States of Oregon and California, PacifiCorp and the federal government, through the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce, in February announced agreement-in-principle in February to move forward with amending the KHSA.

Under the agreement, the KHSA parties will pursue its implementation through the administrative process governed by the FERC using existing funding and on the same timeline, according to PacifiCorp.

The agreement lays out a new path while achieving the goals of the original agreement and it provides the same protections, said Sara Edmonds, Vice President and General Counsel of PacifiCorp Transmission, at the meeting.

The 4-hour long meeting featured opening comments by state, federal, Tribal and county governments, a point-by-point review of the agreement by the parties and a public comments period.

For Thomas Wilson, a member of the...

Los Vaqueros

(Byron) Spring has arrived at Los Vaqueros Reservoir with solid trout and striped bass fishing.

The water level is currently at 82,000 acre feet. Pumping in water resumed April 1 and will continue to the end of May. The water temperature is at 55 degrees and the water clarity is good.

“We will be holding a Trout Derby during the entire month of April,” said Brian Demmunik at the Los Vaqueros Marina. “There is a $5 fee to participate with tickets available for purchase at the South Kiosk and the Marina. Rules are at the Marina and on the derby ticket. It is a largest trout event with prizes for the three largest fish.”

Kristi Choi of San Jose landed a 6.2-pound trout while using PowerBait in Cox Cove on PowerBait. Another angler bagged a 6.17 lb. rainbow while soaking PowerBait in Cox Cove.

“Fishing for trout continues to be good with all the trout plants and cooler water temperatures,” said Demmunik. “Limits are also coming into the Marina and many have been seen at the fish cleaning station.”

They are being caught in South Cove and Oak Point as well as Peninsula Cove. The baits of choice for shore anglers are garlic scented PowerBaits, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters. Trollers are employing Rapalas and other lures in the coves.

Shakers continue to dominate the striper catches. “We are still seeing many undersized fish being caught for every keeper. From shore, cut anchovies or shad are the bait of choices,” he said.

Catfish are hit or miss with decent numbers being reported out of Cowboy and South coves following the recent rains. Nightcrawlers and chicken liver are the hottest baits.

San Pablo

(El Sobrante) With the good weather, the water has started to clear and the trout bite is slowly...

Commission moves forward with plan to postpone MPA assessments

On April 13, the California Fish and Game Commission moved forward with a controversial final Marine Protected Area Master Plan that postpones environmental assessments from every 5 years, as originally promised, to every 10 years.

In what the California Sportfishing League described as a stunning admission, the Commission at its meeting in Santa Rosa introduced the possibility that recreational fishing may never return to California’s coastal waters designated as so-called marine reserves under the privately-funded Marine Life Protection Act Initiative.

The three current members of the commission - President Eric Sklar, Vice President Jacque Hostler-Carmesin, and Member Anthony C. Williams - voted unanimously to approve the plan at its June meeting, in spite of the objection of California anglers and conservationists.

The Commission failed to acknowledge that the alleged Yosmites of the Sea created under the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative are in reality faux marine protected areas, crafted under the helm of a Big Oil lobbyist, that fail to protect the ocean from pollution, fracking, oil drilling, corporate aquaculture, military testing and all human impacts on the ocean other than sustainable fishing and gathering.

The state’s failure to study Marine Protected Areas in a timely fashion is having a profound impact on communities that depend on recreational fishing for outdoor tourism and jobs, said Marko Mlikotin executive director of the California Sportfishing League in a news release. It is evident that Marine Protected Areas that were once viewed as marine restoration projects are becoming permanent fishing bans.

CSL, a nonprofit coalition of fresh and saltwater anglers and small business owners devoted to protecting access to recreational fishing, said that in order to assure California anglers that MPA fishing bans would not become permanent, the state promised that environmental assessments would...

Stockton Largemouth bass are moving into the banks in preparation for spawning, but there are still large females holding in slightly deeper water. The chatterbait bite has been hot for experienced anglers, but fishermen will be transitioning to Senkos as the fish move closer to the banks.

For largemouth bass, Alan Fong of the Fishermen’s Warehouse in Sacramento found great action this past week for largemouth bass with fish to 9.14 pounds. He said, “I landed an 8 and a 9 one day, followed by another 9 the next day with everything on chatterbaits off of the shoreline at depths to 10 feet. I have had one of the best springs ever with 13 bass over 7 pounds with three of these over 10-pounds, all on chatterbaits. The big fish are getting ready to move, but they are off of the shoreline, and once they move in, I will switch over to Senkos. The water is clearing, and I think it is becoming too clear.”

James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service has been finding great striped bass action in the normal trolling locations along Eddo’s Marina, the mouth of Three-Mile Slough, the Sounding Board, Prisoner’s Point, and the San Andreas Shoals with shallow-diving P-Line Predator Angry Eye or Yozuri Crystal Minnows in chartreuse or red/head white. “We have been averaging 40 to 50 fish per day with some larger bass at 7 and 11 pounds with most keepers in the 4-pound range. The San Joaquin has been better than the Sacramento due to clearer water,” he stated.

J.D. Richey of Richey’s Sport Fishing was on the San Joaquin during the week, and he said, “The water is clear enough to throw topwater lures and swimbaits, which is my normal program. The water is dirtier in the Mokelumne River, but...

Sacramento Spotted, smallmouth and largemouth bass offer the hottest action at Folsom Lake now as anglers enjoy the spring pre-spawn bite.

On my latest trip, three anglers – an 8-year-old boy, his dad and his dad’s friend – fished with me on Folsom, said Don Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience. The 3-year-old hooked the first fish of the day.

They started off in the morning fishing green pumpkin/red flake tubes and Aaron’s Magic Robo Worms in 10 to 20 feet of water in the main body near Granite Bay and Beals Point. We caught 6 small males in the 1-1-1/2 lb. range and lost a few also. The fish were a mixture of spotted and smallmouth bass, he disclosed.

After fishing there, we fished the North Fork, where we found larger bass up to 2-1/2 pounds, said Paganelli. We caught around 10 fish, including smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass, also on tubes and Robo Worms.

The lake is now holding 684,358 acre-feet of water, 70 percent of capacity. The volume of water in the lake has more than quintupled since early December, when Folsom reached a record low of 14 percent of capacity.

The water level is now 437.69 feet in elevation, 28.31 feet from maximum pool. Both the Brown's Ravine and Granite Bay's ramps are in operation.

Redding The weather is great, the flows are stable and the trout bite on the upper reaches of the lower Sacramento River is pretty much red hot.

"We’ve had a great week," exclaimed Captain Kirk Portocarrero. "I’ve spent a good amount of time guiding turkey hunting clients, but when I’ve been on the river the trout fishing has been incredible. We’ve been seeing a steady stream of rainbows that average 15 and 16 inches coming to the boat and it seems like every day we are seeing rainbows in the 20 to 23 inch class."

"This week was memorable in that we picked up another big brown while working the Sacramento. The fish weighed about 6 pounds. Last season my wife got one over 10. In my more than 25 years of guiding on the river those are the only two browns I’ve seen. In both cases I thought we’d hooked into a salmon, because the fish were so big and powerful," said Portocarrero.

"Right now the fishing is pretty simple. We are getting almost all of our trout while drifting egg imitations on spinning gear. You can catch fish throughout the system, but the biggest fish are definitely holding up high in the river within Redding city limits," added Portocarrero.

Colfax While there have been no reports of anglers catching rainbows at Rollins Lake, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that a plant of rainbow trout took place at the lake on March 20.

This comes as great news to anglers that regularly fish the lake, since it has not been stocked in several months due to a shortage of hatchery trout.

I'm pretty excited about the prospect of catching some rainbows, disclosed Jason Pleece. I hit Rollins this week with my kayak, but I didn't even try for trout. Instead I focused on bass fishing and ended up landing 4 spots to about 2 pounds. The bass fishing wasn't great, but seems to be getting better now that the water is clearing. All of my fish came on purple or brown 4 inch worms presented on a drop shot rig.

The next time I head up to Rollins I'm going to take my daughter and we are going to soak some dough bait for trout off the bank, Pleece said.

I was thinking about hitting Scotts Flat, but my dad has been there twice in 10 days. Both times he trolled for trout and both times he got skunked. As a result I'm going to wait a couple weeks and then head up there and see if I can run into some big smallmouth bass as they get ready for the spawn, Pleece concluded.

An angler that has a basic grasp of trolling tactics both with and without downriggers will catch plenty of trout and salmon throughout the course of the season, yet there are advanced tactics and tricks that can help elevate your success rate to a whole new level, sometimes.

Many new trollers don’t realize that more than one line can be trolled off a downrigger using a method known as stacking. This means stacking multiple lines on a single downrigger cable. On the other hand, some veteran trollers are aware of the stacking approach but don’t incorporate it into their repertoire because they view it as complicated and fear tangled lines. With a little practice, stacking can be a simple and efficient way to hook more trout.

There are a couple different approaches to stacking lines. One way is to use wire clips, known as stackers. These clips are teamed with releases and connected to the downrigger cable at various points as it is lowered into the water. Most anglers fish no more than two fishing lines off a single cable, but if you have multiple people on your boat, it is possible to use three or more stackers on each downrigger, trolling a line off each of them.

As a general rule, the stackers should be placed no closer than 10 feet apart and the lines trolled off them should be no more than 25 feet long. Obviously, stacking is most useful when the fish are holding in deep water. In the extreme, you could cover a 60-foot span of the water column by spreading out a total of six lines using two downriggers.

Now while you might think that fishing six lines is sure to result in tangles when a fish strikes, that is usually not the case. You...

This weekend is a fun-filled fishing derby the whole family can do together. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Yuba Sutter Young Life to help impact the lives of teenagers in our community. There will be a free BBQ lunch and lots of great prizes. Collins Lake will be planted with 4,000 lbs of trout this week for the event. Sign up early to save $5 off the entry fees. Entry forms can be downloaded from the Collins Lake homepage.

From the West Delta all of the way up past Colusa, the spring striped bass run is in full swing on the Sacramento River.

Bank anglers and boaters are both hooking plenty of fish, ranging from shakers to big females pushing 40 pounds.

As is always the case with the weather fronts of spring, the fishing has varied a lot on a daily basis. However, the overall fishing has been excellent, with anglers hooking lots of keepers in the 18 to 24 inch range, along with plenty of shakers.

“It’s been great season so far,” said Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service when I fished with him on Saturday, April 16. “It’s definitely been our best season on the Sacramento and Feather since the drought.”

When the Sacramento River was still high and muddy, Reimers found success on the Feather River while bait fishing with pileworms. When the water started to clear up on the Feather, he started to catch more fish while drifting minnows.

Most of the fish taken on the Feather this season have been schoolie males to 7 pounds or undersize stripers, but there are some bigger fish out there. One woman recently caught a 39.5 lb. striped bass while fishing a jumbo minnow on the Feather River.

When the Department of Water Resources dropped flows on the Feather River below Oroville Dam, Reimers and other guides and anglers went over to the Sacramento as the water cleared.

The parking lot was very crowded at the Tisdale Boat ramp when I met Reimers at 5:45 am. The parking spots were filling up rapidly with boats and trailers as one boater after another launched their boats. After I packed my gear in the boat, we headed downriver.

“We had a great day for big fish on Wednesday,...

Lush green hills, a brim full lake, lots of big trout, tons of family fun, great camaraderie and a huge crowd were just a few of the highlights when the Norcal Trout Anglers Challenge tournament tour visited Collins Lake on April 9.

By California standards, Collins Lake isn’t large, featuring 1,600 surface acres and 12.5 miles of shoreline, yet despite its modest size, the lake is widely known as one of the north state’s premier trout fishing destinations.

Heavily stocked, thousands of rainbow trout are released into Collins Lake annually. A good percentage of these trout are in the 1.5 to 3 pound class, but there are also a great many trophy size fish that range from 4 to 8 pounds.

Indeed, trout flow into Collins Lake from all directions. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife stocks the lake with catchables. For each plant the lake receives from the DFW, the Collins Lake Recreation Area funds an average of three plants consisting of higher quality trout from private hatcheries. And then there are the “pen fish.”

The recreation area in partnership with volunteers, non-profit organizations, and the DFW operates a trophy trout pen-rearing project. As a result of the high volume of high quality feed the pen trout receive, many of them grow from catchable 10 inchers to quality square tail battlers that weigh 3 to 4 pounds in less than a year.

Hooking into one of these pen fish is more like hooking into a wild steelhead than your typically round tail, pan size truck trout. This is because the fish are completely acclimated to the lake prior to being released. While they enjoy a diet of commercially produced trout food, they also get to sample the natural forage in the lake. Once free of the pens, these...

How would you like to find out that a new fee was added to your groundwater bill to support Governor Jerry Brown’s legacy project, the salmon-killing Delta Tunnels, without your consent?

Well, that’s exactly what happened when ratepayers attended a public hearing of Santa Clara County Water Commission’s Board of Directors in Gilroy on April 14 to find out that their hard-earned money would go to support the California WaterFix, the state and federal government’s name for the Delta Tunnels, according to a news release from Restore the Delta.

The Commission held the hearing regarding their Annual Report on the Protection and Augmentation of Water Supplies - February 2016 and Recommended Groundwater Production and Other Water Charges for Fiscal Year 2016-2017 (FY 2016-17).

Several users of small private residential water systems at the Gilroy hearing complained bitterly about the cost of the current groundwater charges on top of the cost of pumping and maintenance of their wells, Restore the Delta noted.

They were unanimous in stating that they could not afford the proposed increase for FY 2017. The groundwater charges are also paid by the cities and passed on to customers, RTD stated.

Well owners and residential customers will now be paying to support the Delta Tunnels through their water bills. No wonder people are upset, explained Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. This rate increase will happen, without a vote, for a project without permits, for water they will never receive.

Deirdre Des Jardins of California Water Research discovered the WaterFix charges when evaluating District documents, according to RTD. She found a significant discrepancy in the proposed WaterFix charges disclosed for Prop 218, and those presented to the Board and the County Water Commission.

For the Board, the staff estimated the WaterFix could result in a maximum...

Yuba City The Feather River continues to produce great numbers of striped bass for anglers fishing an array of offerings.

Kevin, Steven, Jeff and Sean put the hammer down on some stripers on my latest trip on the Feather River, said Manuel Saldana Jr. of MSJ Guide Service. Everyone had a blast hooking fish and yelling out. We caught limits ranging from keepers to 7 pounds.

Saldana has been using jumbo minnows, swimbaits and cut baits on the river from Yuba City to Verona. So far, the biggest fish we have caught on the Feather this season was a 12 lb. 30 inch male, he tipped.

Striper fishing is great on the Feather from Yuba City to Verona, said Bob Boucke at Johnson’s Bait and Tackle. The biggest fish we’ve weighed in the shop lately was a 39-1/2 pounder caught by a woman using a jumbo minnow. Minnows are producing the best action, but pileworms and other baits also work.

Shore fishing is very good everywhere on the Feather. Most people are getting their limits of stripers in the 20 to 28 inch range, he said. Some people are hooking 30 to 70 fish per day, but a lot of them are shakers.

Salmon and steelhead will once again ascend the upper Klamath River and its tributaries, as they did for many thousands of years before dams were built, if an agreement reached on April 6 is implemented.

At the mouth of the Klamath River at Requa in Northwest California, representatives of the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce, the States of Oregon and California, the Yurok Tribe, the Karuk Tribe and PacifiCorp signed an agreement clearing the path for dam removal on the river.

The Amendment to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, if approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, will initiate the removal of four dams on the Klamath River. It will be one of the largest river restoration projects in the history of the U.S.

Under the agreement, dam owner PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, will transfer its license to operate the Klamath River dams to a private company. This company, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, will oversee the dam removal in 2020.

PacifiCorp will continue to operate the four dams, including Iron Gate, Copco 1 and Copco 2 in California north of Yreka and J.C. Boyle in Oregon, until they are decommissioned.

Today is a historic day where the parties who have worked for decades to restore the Klamath Basin are reaffirming their commitment to each other for the shared vision of fisheries restoration and irrigated agriculture co-existing as we move into the future. This agreement is an important initial step as we work toward a comprehensive set of actions to advance long term restoration and sustainability for tribes, fisheries, and agriculture and water users across the Klamath Basin.

Yurok Tribe Chairman Thomas O’Rourke, NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, California Governor Jerry Brown, PacifiCorp President and CEO Stefan Bird, Congressman Jared...

Oroville boater are hammering spotted bass at Lake Oroville, along with catching an occasional largemouth.

One customer reported catching and releasing 30 bass on his latest trip to the reservoir, reported Bob Boucke of Johnson’s Bait and Tackle. They fished Texas-rigged green pumpkin plastic worms and jigs in 10 to 20 feet of water.

The smaller king salmon in the 10 to 12 inch range continue to dominate the catches at the lake. Anglers are hooking maybe one larger fish in the 3 to 4 pound range for every little salmon they hook, said Boucke.

Trollers are working the top 15 feet first thing in the morning and then are dropping down into deeper water, said Boucke. Trollers are using hoochies, tipped with anchovy strips, behind Sling Blades and other dodgers.

The reservoir is currently holding 3,208,422 acre-feet of water, 91 percent of capacity and 116 percent of average. The lake level is 878.44 feet in elevation, 21.56 feet from maximum pool.

I was eager to get out this weekend thinking Saturday was going to be cloudy and overcast. Well, we got handed some windy, high and white puffy clouded post frontal conditions, so I didn't really have the intention on fishing until Tuesday when the winds died down and the weather stabilized.

It was my dad that actually said we should go out on Sunday evening, so off we went around 4:30, with the plan to target stripers for the first hour or so and then focus on bass in some of our older haunts.

Run and gun a lot of my favorite areas with the bigger push of the incoming tide for about 45 minutes in white capping windswept waters for nothing. Check one final area on the way to the bass grounds and I connected with a low teener sized fish on an 8 inch savage gear glider in RBT color. Fish popped off as soon as it took it down. We had a few more followers in that area, but nothing really committing to eating the glide baits.

With that, and the growing wind, we took off to harass some bass throwing big topwater and gliders, hoping to maybe find a pre-spawner or maybe some post spawn fish in the shallows.

With some stronger winds blowing in some thicker grey and black cloud cover from the coastal range, we rolled up on an area we've done well on for bass in the past right as the sun started getting sucked into the clouds. Coasted in with the strong incoming tide without the trolling motor on and started looking at my graph. I've fished this spot many times over for bass, but never really have considered just how conductive it is for stripers as well. It features 11 foot...

The California Fish and Game Commission adopted recreational ocean and inland salmon season regulations as presented by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on April 18, according to a CDFW news release issued on April 26.

The adoption took place during the same meeting in Santa Rosa where the Commission voted to move forward with a plan to postpone scientific assessments of marine protected areas created under the privately-funded Marine Life Protection Act Initiative from every five years to every ten years.

Ocean salmon season dates and management measures are set to coincide with the alternatives adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council for federal waters off the California coast. Inland river seasons adopted by the Commission are identical to the 2015 seasons with the exception of a reduction in the allowable harvest of Klamath Basin Chinook salmon.

Reduced fishing opportunity in the ocean and inland areas are a reflection of lower abundance for some California salmon stocks as compared to recent years, likely as a result of extended drought and generally unfavorable ocean conditions for salmon survival, said Jennifer Simon, an environmental scientist with CDFW’s Marine Region Salmon Team. The 2016 seasons are intended to allow limited fishing opportunity on stocks that can support them while providing increased protection for the most vulnerable of stocks.

While extended drought and generally unfavorable ocean conditions definitely play a role in the lower salmon stock abundance, Simon failed to mention the abysmal management of Central Valley reservoirs and Delta pumping facilities during the drought by the Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Water Resources that resulted in the death of over 95 percent of the winter run Chinook and fall run Chinook salmon fry before making it downriver over the past couple of years.

Simon said an expected ocean abundance of...

the pavement.

Once safely off the freeway, I stepped out to assess the damage. The left wheel was completely missing, and the axle was bent. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the truck was miraculously unscathed. I called for roadside assistance and waited, feeling a mix of disbelief and frustration.

As I stood there, I reflected on what had gone wrong. I had always kept up with maintenance, but I realized I had overlooked the importance of inspecting the wheel itself. Tire failure can happen for a variety of reasons—poor alignment, lack of air, or even road hazards.

After the service truck arrived, the mechanic confirmed what I suspected: the wheel had simply worn out over time, and despite my efforts, it needed more attention than I had given it. Thankfully, we were able to get the trailer back on the road, and I learned an important lesson: no matter how experienced you think you are, it’s crucial to remain vigilant and thorough in your inspections.

Now, I make it a point to check the tires closely before every trip, ensuring that everything is secure and in working order. Towing can be a lot of fun, but it comes with its dangers. By being proactive and attentive, I aim to reduce those risks and enjoy the journey ahead.

Shore anglers and boaters braved sunny but windy conditions during the NorCal Trout Angler’s Challenge event at Lake Camanche on Saturday, April 22 to hook some huge rainbow trout.

Camanche, the popular East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) reservoir located on the Mokelumne River east of Lodi, is known for its fine shore fishing for trout – and it sure didn’t disappoint anglers during the event. Shore anglers swept first and second place in the event, hosted by Angler’s Press and the Fish Sniffer magazine.

“PowerBait never fails,” said Jim Cross of Milpitas, who won first place in adult division of the event with a 6.58 lb. rainbow. “I was shore fishing with rainbow Power Bait from the north shore bank about 15 feet out when I hooked the fish.”

Cross not only won first place in the Camanche event on Saturday, but he also took first place in the adult division of the NTAC event at San Pablo Reservoir in El Sobrante in February 2016 by catching a hard-fighting rainbow weighing 4.38 pounds. He hooked that fish also while fishing chartreuse PowerBait from shore.

At Camanche, Cross was fishing with Bruce Alger, also of Milpitas, who landed a 1.81 lb. trout while fishing Power Bait.

Grace Sugimoto placed second with a 6.58 lb. rainbow trout. Like Cross, she was fishing from shore with Power Bait.

Pat Vigil of Hayward finished third with his 3.76-pound rainbow. He tossed out Biohazard floating bait, laced with Pro-Cure leech scent, off his boat at 30 feet deep by the dam.

Collins Lake is one of Norcal’s best-known trout fishing destinations, but the lake also has a robust bass population that goes overlooked by many anglers.

In the past I’ve spent a good deal of time targeting bass at Collins Lake and I’ve generally found solid fishing. I’ve caught smallmouth bass in the lake’s river arm, but overall I’d describe Collins as a spotted bass lake with a strong contingent of Florida strain largemouths.

The lake record for smallmouth bass stands at just over 3 pounds, while spots over 8 pounds and largemouth over 15 pounds have been landed. While there are indeed some monster spots and largemouths in the lake, it’s the number of fish available and the intimate nature of the fishery that I enjoy.

Collins isn’t a tournament lake like Folsom or Berryessa and as a result it doesn’t get a ton of pressure. When I’m probing the coves in the river arm or checking out the structure and cover along the east shore, I’m seldom approached or bothered by other bass anglers.

These days some of the bass at Collins have spawned, some are on beds and yet others are in a post spawn mode. For me soft plastics like 4 or 6 inch Robo Worms or 4 inch Senkos and small rip baits are the top two offerings during the spring. Often times I’ll work a shoreline with rip baits and then hit the same stretch again dead sticking a Senko. This way I pick off both active and inactive fish.

I’ve experienced great topwater fishing at Collins during the months of May and June. Walking baits work fine, but I’ve had my best success working Rebel Pop Rs along the eastern shore and in the river arm.

If you’ve got your sights set on hooking...

(Stockton) The wind blew with a vengeance during the final weeks of April, but there have been brief windows with minimal wind in order to find quality striped and largemouth bass in the San Joaquin River.

The majority of stripers in the East Delta have spawned, but there are indications that there are still fresh fish moving into the system. Clyde Wands, shallow trolling expert, was out trolling on two occasions during the past week, and Thursday’s trip was much slower than his previous venture with a pair of stripers shallow on the San Joaquin along with a few more on the deep troll outside of Decker Island on the Sacramento River.

He said, “It was slower for us today, but one boat had 8 fish released and Mark Wilson also landed 6 fish. Our largest striper was 5.5 pounds, and we only kept two, and they were spawned out.”

On Thursday’s trip, they went as far as Prisoner’s Point on the San Joaquin along with outside of Decker Island for 25 stripers to 16 pounds caught and released. He said, “Everything was deep on Tuesday with P-Line Predator Minnows or Yozuri Crystal Minnows, and nearly all of the fish were spawned out.”

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “The largemouth bite is to die for right now as we have landed bass from 7 to 11 pounds in the past week. We caught and released 55 fish to 5 pounds on Thursday by staying out of the wind along levees with cover. This week has been interesting with the water temperatures dropping from the 65 to 67 degrees to 63.5 degrees.”

“The topwater bite has slowed down as a result, and our best action has been flipping or worming with the Havoc Flat Dog or Power Worms in earth...

expert in fish and wildlife policy and has been primarily focused on water-related issues.

The California Fish and Game Commission's recent decisions and appointments continue to reflect the challenges and controversies surrounding fish and wildlife management in the state. With the appointment of Russell Burns and Peter Silva, questions remain about the Commission's commitment to conservation and the importance of adhering to promises made to stakeholders, especially anglers. As the Commission moves forward, many will be watching closely to see how these appointments influence the future of fish and wildlife policy in California.

Los Vaqueros

(Byron). The water level at Los Vaqueros is currently at 90,500 acre-feet – 58 percent of capacity -- and is rising. The water temperature is at 63-64 degrees.

The water clarity is good. A fair number of trout and stripers continue to be caught both from shore and from boats.

The month-long trout derby concluded on Saturday, April 30. Here are the leaders at press time:

• 12.19 lbs Pat Parra of Campbell, South Cove with a Kastmaster

• 10.61 lbs Dave Togmi of San Jose, South Cove on a crappie jig

• 9.55 lbs Viet Phan of San Jose, Cowboy Cove with PowerBait

“There was a 1000 lb Mt. Lassen plant on April 25 and there will be a plant next week,” said Brian Demmunik of the Los Vaqueros Marina.

“Fishing for trout continues to be good with all the trout plants. The fish are being caught in South Cove, Oak Point and Peninsula Cove. The baits of choice for shore anglers are garlic-scented PowerBaits, nightcrawlers or Kastmasters,” he said.

“Shakers continue to be the main action with striped bass. We are still seeing many undersized fish being caught for every keeper. From shore, cut anchovies or shad is the bait of choice,” he added.

San Pablo

(El Sobrante) It’s been a spring festival of big, bold rainbow trout at San Pablo Reservoir.

“This week it looks like Scow Canyon, The Main Rec. Area, Oak Point, and the Pines are where people are catching fish,” said Marcellla Shoemaker at the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company. “PowerBait in chartreuse, Spring Green, Garlic, Lime Twist colors is your best bet.”

Crappie have also started to bite at the Main Rec. Area; use Mini-Jigs and other small jigs to entice them.

Drought bills sponsored by Congressman John Garamendi and Senator Dianne Feinstein pose a dire threat to imperiled salmon, steelhead and other fish of the San Francisco-Bay Delta, according to the latest action alert from Restore the Delta.

Since the beginning of the year, Restore the Delta has written about the problems with Senator Feinstein's water bill which will increase pumping out of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary, for greater water exports to big industrial agricultural growers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

While the Senator touts that her legislation will not weaken species protection, broad consensus from large environmental groups to fishing groups, from Delta water agencies to grassroots campaigns, like Restore the Delta, all who have read the bill, is that additional pumping will place Delta fisheries in peril.

In February, after hearing that Congressman John Garamendi was supporting the legislation, Restore the Delta and a number of our colleagues reached out to Congressman Garamendi to express our concerns. Since then, we haven't heard a word back from him.

Yesterday, Garamendi introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives that is identical to his previous proposal. His bill is HR 5247.

“This legislation will accomplish three vital tasks,” claimed Garamendi. “First, it will use the latest available science and real-time monitoring of endangered fish to assure their protection while maximizing water deliveries. The operational directives within the bill remain consistent with the Endangered Species Act and existing biological opinions. Second, it will provide short-term relief to the communities hit hardest by California’s ongoing drought. And third, it will fully fund the long-term infrastructure we need to maximize our efficiency and become more resilient to California’s drier climate.”

Restore the Delta disagreed that the legislation will accomplish these three vital tasks. "We are deeply disappointed.”

The 13th Annual Kokanee Power Shasta Trout & Salmon derby was held the weekend of April 30 and May 1, 2016. I headed up Thursday afternoon with the Fish Sniffer 21’ Rogue Jet Coastal in tow. As I passed Bridge Bay north of Redding, I was greeted by a gorgeous sight – a brim full Lake Shasta shimmering in the sun.

I arrived at Tsasdi Resort in Lakehead and met Dave Barsi and Steve Fistler at our large cabin. Soon Bruce Wicks and Al Fiske of Foresthill and Rob Bundy of Auburn and Matt Behrens of Santa Clarita arrived after fishing for a few hours. They all reported the same results – lots of water and few fish. We had a wonderful barbeque in the big 3-bedroom cabin and looked forward to fishing for 3 more days.

Friday dawned clear and cool, and we all went our separate ways on the big lake to see if we could discover a pattern to the trout. I picked up my partner, John Brassfield, after his annual houseboat trip with his family and friends. He reported the same thing – the trout were all spread out and not easy to catch.

The water temperature was in the low sixties, but we were marking very few fish on the Lowrance HDS 9, and the few trout we caught were all very close to the surface. We ran all over the lake, putting the new Evinrude Fish Sniffer Staff 200 hp outboard to good use. We trolled at about 2.5 mph with the Evinrude 15 hp kicker motor, using a large variety of spoons and plugs to see what would work.

Back at the cabin at Tsasdi Resort, we all compared notes. Our group had fished all over the big lake, from the upper Sacramento...

If you want to ever have a chance of restoring our salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and other fish populations, take action now to stop efforts in Congress to overpump the Delta. I urge all anglers to call their Senators and to urge them to do the right thing for salmon and the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary.

Here are all the details from Restore the Delta:

Action Alert: Tell CA Senators to Do the Right Thing for the Delta

Efforts in Congress to pump more fresh water from the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary are difficult and complicated for everyone to track. But our request to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Barbara Boxer, and our individual Congressional Representatives is simple: Do right by the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary.

The House passed the Energy bill S.2012 (which includes Congressman David Valadao's bad bill language on over pumping the Delta) on a largely party line vote except for Fresno's Jim Costa voting for it. Congressman Jared Huffman led the opposition to including the Valadao bill in this package on the House Floor, but it could not be stopped.

The Energy bill now goes to the Senate, where the hope is that most Senators will not agree to go to conference on the Energy bill at all. The Senate will likely need 60 votes to go to conference; if they go to conference, the Senate only needs a simple majority to pass the conference report.

Sadly, Senator Feinstein's bill S.2533 (which mirrors Garamendi's HR 5247) contains language regarding over pumping the Delta which is equally as troublesome. We fear that in all the wheeling and dealing in the halls of Congress bad language authorizing the over pumping of the estuary from any of these bills can make it into the final energy bill, or other legislative acts....

In a decision welcomed by fishermen, environmentalists, and tribal leaders, a grand jury on May 16 indicted the Plains All-American Pipeline company on 46 criminal charges related to the May 2015 oil spill in Santa Barbara County that fouled more than 9 miles of pristine coast.

The 46 counts included four felony and 42 misdemeanor charges. The company was charged with felony violations of state laws regarding the spilling of oil and hazardous substances into state waters.

The grand jury also indicted a Plains employee on three criminal charges, according to a statement from California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley.

Both the company and James Buchanan, an employee, were charged with misdemeanor violations for failing to provide timely notice of the oil spill to the Office of Emergency Services. In addition, the company was indicted on three dozen misdemeanor charges linked to the spill's impact on birds and mammals.

Plains All-American Pipeline faces up to $2.8 million in fines plus additional costs and penalties, according to Harris' office.

Over one year ago on May 19, 2015, a badly corroded pipeline operated by Plains All-American Pipeline, a member of the Western States Petroleum Association, ruptured near Refugio State Beach, releasing approximately 140,000 gallons of heavy crude oil onto land, beaches, and the ocean. The poorly maintained pipeline ruptured after it had worn down to only 1/16 of an inch.

Local, state, and federal government agencies have spent millions of dollars cleaning up the spill, a disaster that resulted in considerable devastation to fish, wildlife, and the ecosystem over a big region, including controversial marine protected areas created under the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative.

Harris said she partnered with local and state law enforcement agencies to conduct a criminal investigation and jointly...

Below is an urgent action alert and press release from John Beuttler and Dr. David Ostrach of the Allied Fishing Groups. I urge you to contact Senator Feinstein’s office to stop her drought legislation from destroying our Delta fisheries:

The situation is critical. Should the bill pass as currently written, it will be open season on the non-native fish in the Delta and its tributaries. All of us need to engage our members of Congress asking for their opposition to the bills in the House and Senate. A very conservative estimate on the impact this legislation will have on sportfishing-related businesses is some $500 million annually. Letters and emails are needed asking for the amendments proposed by the Allied Fishing Groups to S.2533. Every letter and email counts.

Also attached below, you should find:

1. SF/AFG Media Release on S.2533. Copy and send it to friends and interested parties urging them to contact Senator Feinstein’s WDC office and request that she amend the bill as requested by the Allied Fishing Groups and encourage them to go to our website for more information.

2. A copy of the letter we sent to the Senator requesting amendments necessary to save the estuary’s non-native fisheries, for your use and distribution.

3. For those who would like to send email to Feinstein, the best way to do this is to log onto her website. You will find a form on this site to be used for emailing the Senator. Make sure that we are using the form to contact all of her district offices and her WDC office by checking the appropriate boxes.

John Beuttler

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Allied Fishing Groups / John Beuttler @ 510.526.4049, johnbeuttler@icloud.com / Dr. David Ostrach @ 530.219.1451, djostrach@gmail.com

the early morning chill did not keep them from enjoying the day. They had the opportunity to catch small fish and learn about fishing from volunteers, creating lasting memories. Parents and guardians were thrilled to see their children experiencing the joys of fishing in a supportive environment.

As the day progressed, volunteers helped ensure everyone had the necessary equipment and guidance. Many families brought picnic lunches to enjoy by the water, making it a joyful community gathering.

The event not only provided a fun day out but also aimed to promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle for children. The “Hooked on Fishing, not on Drugs” initiative serves as a testament to the positive impact of engaging youth in outdoor activities.

Overall, this year's event was a blend of excitement, laughter, and the thrill of fishing that echoed throughout Upper Bidwell Park, once again reinforcing the importance of such community events in fostering outdoor activities among the younger generation.

Traditionally, June is a great month for Bay Area saltwater anglers, and this June is shaping up to be one of the best in memory. The best salmon bite in the state is occurring in the coastal waters beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. Inside San Francisco Bay, the action is very good with halibut, striped bass, and other species such as sharks on the menu.

Anyone that has followed the Fish Sniffer for long knows that I am an avid saltwater angler. Unfortunately, with recent challenges in formatting and printing the magazine, I have had little time to get on the water, but that is about to change. I am slated to host my annual live bait potluck couples trip on Berkeley’s California Dawn in a few days. After that, the fish better be cautious, as I will be chasing salmon, lings, and rockfish in the coming weeks.

In my view, both salmon and halibut fishing have been surprisingly good this season. So good, in fact, that it feels a lot like the good old days. Back when our fisheries were much stronger, having halibut and salmon action in May and June was a given. However, for the past few years, the early season action has been sketchy, with only a few halibut being caught here and there and the salmon holding in deep water well offshore.

So far this year, there seem to be big numbers of halibut inside the bay, stripers have arrived in force, and the salmon are in close and feeding on local schools of bait.

“Salmon fishing has been good to very good depending on the day,” disclosed Captain Joey Gallia of New Easy Rider Sportfishing. “There is a good amount of bait in the form of anchovies and sardines just beyond the Golden Gate,...

The population of Delta Smelt plummeted to a new low in the annual spring survey conducted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) as the endangered fish moves closer to extinction.

The 2016 Spring Kodiak Trawl (SKT) index, a relative measure of abundance, is 1.8, a decrease from the 2015 index (13.8) and is the lowest index on record.

The small 2 to 3 inch fish, found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, is an indicator species that demonstrates the health of the estuary. As the Delta smelt declines, so do the other fish species found in the San Francisco Bay-Delta.

This decrease was expected since the Delta Smelt population was at a record low at the end of 2015, said Scott Wilson, Regional Manager of the CDFW Bay Delta Region, in a memo. The SKT monitors the adult spawning stock of Delta Smelt, and this year’s low index means the number of spawners is also at a record low. This may limit larval recruitment and hinder their ability to recover in 2016.

Only thirteen adult Delta Smelt were collected at 8 stations contributing to the index in 2016. This is the lowest catch in SKT history, and a steep decline from the 2015 then-record-low catch of 88, said Wilson.

Wilson said the annual adult Delta Smelt catch at index stations averages 311 fish and ranges from 13 to 948.

Once the most abundant species in the estuary, we can now name smelt rather than count them, said Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA).

The Spring Kodiak Trawl began in 2002 and an index was first developed in 2012.

While state and federal managers often point to drought as the cause of the smelt’s decline, representatives of fishing groups believe it is...

Lower Bear River Reservoir, located off Highway 88 in the Carson Pass Corridor, is known for offering an array of fishing options, ranging from trolling for big mackinaw and brown trout with plugs, spoons, and nightcrawlers to shore fishing for planted and holdover rainbows.

The reservoir features 727 surface acres and a shoreline of about 9 miles when full. It is located along the Bear River, a tributary of the North Fork of the Mokelumne River, south of Highway 88.

The lake was only 3 feet from maximum pool at press time, offering solid boating and fishing opportunities this year, and the ramp and marina facilities at Lower Bear River Resort and Campground are in full operation.

Last year the boat ramp wasn’t in the water the entire season because of low water conditions – anglers had to launch on the dirt, said Janette Frasier at the Bear River Lake Resort and Campground.

To date, a total of 4,400 pounds of rainbows have been planted in the lake, according to Frasier. PG&E made two plants totaling 1,400 pounds, while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife stocked one load of 2,000 pounds of catchables.

Then on Friday, June 10, prior to their two-day annual trout derby on June 11 and 12, the lake management stocked a total of 1,000 pounds of rainbows ranging from 2 to 5 pounds.

Trolling was tough during the event, but some bank anglers fishing bait did very well. The 79 people participating in the derby weighed in a total of 30 fish.

Floyd Girardin won first place with a 3.61 lb. rainbow trout.

The grab was so hard that the light spinning rod was nearly wrenched from my hand and I actually had to adjust my grip to keep from losing control.

For much of the morning I’d been shooting video of other folks catching fish and now it was my turn. I was hooked up and the cameras were rolling. The problem was that the current was ripping and the fish was far downstream when the hook up occurred.

The fish surged and gyrated and the rod was sharply bent. Ever so slowly I worked the reel as I spoke to the camera. The tactic almost worked. The fish was perhaps a boat length away when there was a surge and a flash and the line went limp. That’s why they earned the moniker of “Papermouths” long ago. Too much pressure and that tiny hook will pull right out!

The date was June 6, the location was the American River Parkway upriver of Sunrise Boulevard. The fish that just escaped me was an American shad. My partner for the day was Fish Sniffer contributor and trout fishing fanatic Tom O’Brien.

When Tom shared with me several days before that he’d never caught a shad, but wanted to, I immediately got on the phone to Captain Cameron Beck.

My buddy Cameron is the owner/operator of American River Charters. He is an avid river fisherman that also spends a fair amount of time chasing saltwater species both inside and outside San Francisco Bay.

I knew that Cameron had been putting his clients on big numbers of hard charging shad and I asked if he’d take Tom and me out to shoot some video and give me some fodder for a feature in the Fish Sniffer.

Cameron enthusiastically agreed, but shared that he had been...

Chef Marc was busy at the grill turning out platters of eggs and hash browns as Captain James Smith turned over the California Dawn’s massive diesel engines, warming them up for the adventure to come.

On deck co-captain and deckhand for the day, Chris Smith, stood behind the live bait tank and gave a comprehensive yet light-hearted potluck fishing seminar to the 24 anglers aboard, passing along knowledge he’d acquired over four decades on the water.

“Halibut are a scratch fishery here in San Francisco Bay,” related Chris. “Most of the time we aren’t going to have multiple hookups going at once. It’s going to be one fish here and one fish there. If one of your neighbors down the rail hooks up and then your rod starts wiggling, don’t assume it’s another fish and set the hook. It may well be that your neighbor’s fish has crossed your line. Wait a second or two before you make a move to be sure what’s going on.

“Halibut are one of those fish we love to put into the box because they are so good to eat. The last thing you want to do is jerk the hook out of a fish’s mouth with an ill-advised hook set. If we work together as a team, we’ll maximize success,” he was advised.

Such was the scene during the opening moments of the 2016 Couple’s Challenge aboard Berkeley’s California Dawn on June 2. If you aren’t familiar with the Couple’s Challenge, it’s a very special charter boat trip that I’ve been hosting for the past 10 years. It’s a day when couples, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends descend on the California Dawn for a day of live bait potluck fishing.

Larry Hemphill, fishing guide, reported top-notch bass fishing at Lake Berryessa with a couple that flew in from Texas to fish the lake.

“Fishing was very good during mid-day as a breeze came up about 11 pm - and so did the bite!” said Hemphill. “We landed more largemouth than previous trips in the past several years!”

“Between 11am and 1 pm, he landed a 5 lb 2 oz and 4 lb largemouth and I landed one at 4 lb 5 oz. and several 2 1/2 to 3 lb largemouth,” he explained. “We only caught 1 or 2 spots, but we did land a few quality smallmouth up to near 3 lbs! Our 5 best were a bit over 18 lbs.”

“We caught most of our bass during those 2 hours in about 8 to 15 feet of water,” said Hemphill. “The wind soon died and so did we (of the heat)!”

“I also had a great trip last Friday. Fishing was excellent for many hours and nearly all bass were over 2 lbs. The biggest was a spawned-out largemouth weighing 4 lbs. Smallies up to 3 lbs 10 oz were hitting nearly all day,” he tipped.

“Last week we used Robo Worms of several colors. Yesterday, morning dawn was the best color as it was last year in early summer. Yamamoto creature baits were good last week, as were Senkos. The bass were a little deeper last week, both trips were in the narrows and main body (mostly west side),” Hemphill concluded.

Trout fishing reports have been scarce lately, but fishing had been improving in recent weeks.

“Look for big bait schools by Big Island and in front of Skier’s Cove,” advised Tom Dudenhoeffer at Sweeney’s Sports in Napa. “Drift live minnows or troll Rainbow Runner and Apex spoons...

Temperatures are soaring in the upper reaches of the Sacramento Valley and that means it’s time to hit the Sacramento River for epic wild rainbow action.

Both Mike Bogue of Mike Bogue’s Guide Service and Kirk Portocarrero of SacRiverGuide.Com report good to very good rainbow fishing on the Sacramento River below Redding.

Bogue’s clients have been catching rainbows up to and beyond the three-pound mark on a variety of plugs and baits. Bogue typically starts the day working runs with back-trolled crankbaits. Later on, he explores deeper areas with both Pautzke cured roe and Pautzke Salmon Eggs.

Portocarrero is offering both fly and conventional tackle trips for rainbows that average 14 inches and range up to 20 plus. When using spinning gear, Kirk’s clients are scoring with a combination of egg imitations and small spoons.

A lot of anglers are wondering how the river salmon fishing is going to be when the season opens on July 16.

Of course, no one knows, but there have been some positive signs. Salmon have been spotted in the Red Bluff area and some have already been caught and released by anglers trolling for stripers in the Delta. All in all, things are looking good with salmon in the ocean and plenty of water in the river.

If you’d like to fish during the opening week, give Bogue or Portocarrero a call, as spots tend to book up quickly.

Rowland Martin teamed up with master bass guide Don Paganelli on June 4. The pair hooked a bunch of bass at Folsom Lake including these handsome spots.

If you want to catch three species of bass – spotted, largemouth and smallmouth – Folsom Lake is a great prospect now.

“On my latest trip to the lake, Roland Martin (not that Roland Martin) and I caught and released around a dozen bass,” said Don Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience. “We caught all three species, topped by a 3-1-2 lb. spot.”

“We hooked the fish first thing in the morning with a Bladerunner Swimtrix head with a swimbait trailer,” he said. “As the day went on, we hooked the fish in the South Fork by switching to drop shotting with Robo Worms and tubes down to 25 feet deep.”

Trout fishing is also going strong at Folsom. James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service and crew landed 12 rainbows while trolling Speedy Shiners in red dot bullfrog in the North Fork. They trolled at 35 to 50 feet deep with leadcore line 200 feet behind the boat.

“We marked kings in the South Fork, but we couldn’t get them to bite,” he noted.

The water level is now 453.50 feet in elevation, 12.5 feet from maximum pool. Both the Brown's Ravine and Granite Bay's ramps are in operation.

Judge Michael Kenny of the Sacramento Superior Court on June 23 ruled that the Delta Plan is invalid after a successful legal challenge by multiple Delta parties who argued that the controversial plan doesn't protect water quality or the many fish species that depend on fresh water flows for their survival.

The Court, in its tentative ruling vacating the plan, said the Delta Stewardship Council must rewrite the Delta Plan to include a number of quantitative measures of performance, including reduced reliance on the Delta for future water needs by exporters.

Since the Delta Plan relied heavily on Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels Plan, now called the California WaterFix, to achieve its goals, Delta and public trust advocates see this as significant victory that will delay the twin tunnels for years.

The Delta Plan was required by the 2009 Delta Reform Act, a law designed to implement the two coequal goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The coequal goals shall be achieved in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place, according to the Act.

In his decision, Judge Kenny said: “To be clear, the Delta Plan is invalid and must be set aside until proper revisions are completed. As Respondent itself argued previously, in light of an invalid Delta Plan, there is no proposed project, and consequently nothing before the Court to review under CEQA. The Court does not believe that piece-meal CEQA review is feasible under circumstances in which significant Plan revisions are required.”

Representatives of groups who participated in the lawsuits against the weak protections in the Delta Plan praised the tentative ruling. They plan to issue a full press release...

the Delta's natural ecosystem would be drastically reduced, impacting both wildlife and water quality.”

The coalition highlighted that alternative plans comprehensively analyze sustainable water management solutions that respect the environment while ensuring reliable water supplies. They emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders to develop a balanced approach that prioritizes ecological health and community needs.

The organizations reiterated their call for transparency and public engagement in the water management decision-making process. They urged the Santa Clara Valley Water District and other involved agencies to consider these alternatives seriously rather than perpetuating the narrative that no other options exist.

The letter concluded by reaffirming the commitment of these groups to advocate for an equitable and sustainable water future for California, one that recognizes the importance of both people and the environment.

Just a year after the massive Refugio Oil Spill fouled the pristine waters off the Santa Barbara Coast, a leak in an oil pipeline in Hall Canyon in Ventura County was reported at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 23. As many as 700 barrels of crude oil — 29,400 gallons — have been spilled.

The company responsible for the Ventura oil spill, Crimson Pipeline, has a decade-long history of oil spills in California. Spills like this one are becoming increasingly common in a state where Big Oil has captured the regulatory apparatus and the oil industry is the most powerful corporate lobby.

Fortunately, Ventura County Firefighters halted the oil from flowing towards the ocean, according to Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Mike Lindbery.

“The forward oil flow progress has been stopped,” said Lindbery. “There is no environmental threat to ocean and no evacuations in the area.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response confirmed that no oiled wildlife have been observed or reported and no oil has reached the ocean or other water from the pipeline spill.

The agency said the oil from the spill has been isolated in Hall Canyon. “There is no oil in the storm drain. Vacuum trucks are collecting the oil,” the CDFW stated.

A multi-agency response has been established to manage cleanup operations in the area impacted by the spill, according to the CDFW in a follow-up statement on June 24. Cleanup crews, including 98 responders and five vacuum trucks, remain on-scene containing and recovering the oil. Air monitoring is being continually conducted to assure safety of responders and residents in the area.

The cause of the spill is currently under investigation. “The unified command response will be independent of that investigation and includes representatives from the California Department...

On June 30, the California Natural Resources Agency, under the leadership of Secretary John Laird, put out another fact sheet extolling the virtues of the proposed California WaterFix, the new name for Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels Plan.

This new effort is entitled Fast Facts and like most of the claims made by tunnel proponents, it plays fast and loose with the facts, according to Restore the Delta.

Below is RTD's rebuttal to the agency's Fast Facts disinformation:

Let’s take a deeper dive into some of the claims made in this new public relations effort.

CLAIM: Secure clean water supplies for 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of farmland.

FACT: In reality, 70 percent of the water used from the Delta goes for large industrial agriculture in the Southwestern San Joaquin Valley that contributes just 0.3% to the state’s GDP.

CLAIM: Improve the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta's ecosystem.

FACT: This claim ignores the scientific consensus and state law as outlined in the 2009 Delta Reform Act that less water must be exported from the Delta. In 2010, the State Water Resources Control Board agreed, finding the Delta can safely share 2.5 to 3.5 million acre feet of water, not 4.9 million acre feet.

CLAIM: An update to California's aging water delivery system and part of the state's overall water management portfolio, which includes conservation, groundwater management, recycling, ecosystem protection, and more.

FACT: Tunnel opponents support conservation, groundwater management, recycling, ecosystem protection projects and don’t want $15 million wasted on a Tunnels project that does none of those things. The Delta Tunnels is an expensive boondoggle conceived in the 1960s and rejected by California voters in 1982. It depends on continuing to deliver Sierra snowpack from Northern California to farms in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, even though climate scientists have...

With the Sacramento Valley in the middle of a triple-digit heatwave, I was looking for a way to get out of the heat. It just so happened that I had been in conversation with Captain James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service and when he told me that the kokanee were on the bite at Stampede Reservoir, it was just the opportunity that I was looking for. I have known James for a few years now, having fished river salmon with him and in talking with him at the Sacramento ISE Show over the winter.

So on June 25, I made the drive up the hill with my friend and kokanee fan, Ian Rigler of Sacramento. We met Captain James before sunrise at the boat ramp and after exchanging pleasantries we were quickly aboard his spacious fully rigged 22' Boulton Pro Sea Skiff and ready to start trolling.

As a novice kokanee angler, I listened with serious intent as Captain James instructed, "When you get a fish, if it doesn't pop off the downrigger, thumb the spool and lift up, you don't have to jerk, just a steady pull. As soon as it pops off, reel like crazy to take up the slack, once you get contact with the fish, then just slow your reeling down. Just slowly reel and keep the rod up and let it do the work. In kokanee fishing, if you lose only fifty percent of the fish you hook, you are doing good. Some days you don't lose any and some days you lose twice as many as you catch. If you catch them in the corner of the mouth, you got that fish. If the fish...

It had been a tough morning. The kokanee bite of the week before, when two anglers fishing with Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing had caught 9 kokanee in the 15 to 16 inch range and one big holdover rainbow, had shut down.

"I don’t know where the kokanee have gone," said Smith. "In the Kokanee Power Derby on Saturday, fishing was very tough, and some people didn’t hook any fish. But that was during a full moon."

We trolled with a variety of Micro Hoochies, tipped with Pautzke-scented corn, behind Vance’s Dodgers, at a variety of depths from 45 to 85 feet, but the fish didn’t want to bite.

After not hooking any kokanee all morning, Smith decided to target rainbows in the main body of the lake using his homemade spoons, Chucker-Ts, at around 40 feet deep.

At first, none of the rainbows wanted to play either. Then one of the rods dipped and line began pulling off the reel. I picked up the rod, a little nervous about it because we hadn’t boated a fish yet that day and I was afraid of losing it.

After I grabbed the rod, the fish took off on a long run, pulling lots of line off the Shimano reel with a series of head shakes. "This feels like a salmon," I told Smith.

As the fish kept running, it suddenly made a leap. "It looked like a salmon or big holdover rainbow," I told him.

I carefully and slowly worked the fish toward the boat. As usual with a big salmon, the fish made a last run as I got it near the boat. However, it was tiring, and I slowly reeled the fish to the surface and Smith netted it. It was a big, fat silvery king measuring 24-3/4...

There will be no salmon served at the Yurok Tribe’s Klamath Salmon Festival, set for Saturday, August 20 on the Yurok Reservation, because of the record-low fish run. This is the first time in 54 years that this has occurred.

The event is meant to be an opportunity to share Yurok culture, celebrate the Klamath salmon and unite the whole community around a common cause. The festival is free and open to all. Salmon is a central part of the Yurok Tribe’s culture and religion, according to a press release from the Tribe.

The shortage of fish for this year’s festival is largely due to poor water management practices. In 2014 and 2015 almost all of the juvenile Klamath River chinook and coho salmon died from a deadly parasite known as Ceratonova shasta, formerly called Ceratomyxa shasta.

“There are not enough fish to feed our families, many of which will need food assistance, as a result of this manmade catastrophe,” Thomas O’Rourke said.

The complete press release about this festival is below:

For first time in 54 years, salmon will not be served at festival.

For the first time in the event’s 54-year history, the Yurok Tribe had to remove salmon from the menu at this year’s Klamath Salmon Festival because of the record low fish run.

“This was a very difficult decision. We hope that all festival attendees understand that this was the only responsible option,” said Thomas P. O’Rourke Sr., Chairman of the Yurok Tribe.

The Yurok Tribe puts on the annual festival to provide an opportunity for the whole community to unite in celebration of the Klamath River. The famous chinook salmon lunch, a highlight of the long-standing event, has always been a part of the festivities. Sharing this best-quality salmon, cooked the traditional way over an...

Are you looking for a job? The scandal-ridden Westlands Water District, considered the Darth Vader of California water politics by Tribes, fishermen, and environmentalists, is hiring a new general counsel.

The announcement came after the Westlands Board of Directors reported stripping Tom Birmingham of his general counsel duties. Birmingham has served as both the district’s general manager and general counsel.

The Westlands Water District Board of Directors decided to separate the role of General Manager and General Counsel in order to improve the District's decision-making processes and provide an additional layer of review for the District, said Don Peracchi, President of the Westlands Board of Directors, in a statement. The Legal Affairs Committee of the Board will immediately begin a search to hire a new General Counsel.

The Board concluded that the complexities involved in securing water supply, groundwater management, and other challenges facing the District require the full attention of the General Manager.

The new General Counsel will have the responsibility of providing legal advice on proposed changes to existing policies, new policies, personnel matters, and any other matters requested by the Board, according to Peracchi.

The Board believes the new organizational structure will promote more transparency and good government practices, and represents the beginning of a process to improve the decision-making and operations of the District, he explained.

Delta advocates expressed dismay that the Westlands Board hadn’t outright dismissed Birmingham, especially in light of the recent financial scandals that have plagued the water district.

Westlands Water District is rearranging chairs on the Titanic, said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. In a normal functioning public agency such leadership would be dismissed.

Westlands has been embroiled in a number of scandals over the past several months. The Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10 charged Westlands, California’s...

Corporate agribusiness interests and Southern California water agencies have launched a new attack in their campaign to eradicate striped bass as they scapegoat the popular gamefish for salmon and Delta smelt declines caused by decades of water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

The Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, the Astroturf group bankrolled by Beverly Hills agribusiness tycoon Stewart Resnick, on June 9 submitted a new petition to the California Fish and Game Commission to raise the bag limit and reduce the size limit on striped bass in an attempt to reduce their population. This time they’ve added black bass as a so-called predator to their petition.

The Coalition is joined by a who's who of the state’s agribusiness, water agency and corporate interests, including the California Chamber of Commerce, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, San Joaquin Tributaries Authority, Southern California Water Committee, State Water Contractors, Western Growers Association, California Farm Bureau Federation, Northern California Water Association and Kern County Water Agency.

When the water contractors last tried to eradicate striped bass by slashing the size limit and increasing the bag limit, anglers were able to defeat their proposal with a large showing of people at the February 2012 Fish and Game Commission meeting after Fish Sniffer Editor Cal Kellogg and I helped organize a campaign mobilizing over 450 anglers to show up for a CDFW meeting on the issue in Rio Vista in November 2011.

Coalition for a Sustainable Delta spokesman Michael Boccadoro, the president of the Dolphin Group, claimed the purpose of the petition is to help preserve Sacramento River Chinook salmon and Delta smelt.

California families, businesses and farms have sacrificed considerably during this drought to provide water to help preserve salmon and smelt, Boccadoro stated. Modifying size and bag limits for striped bass...

The fat, silvery fish slammed the lure, knocking the line off the downrigger clip, and immediately jumped out of the water in a series of leaps in an effort to free itself of the hook. I grabbed the rod out of the holder and reeled in the slack.

The fish kept jumping out of the water until it made a run and surged towards the bottom for a couple of minutes. Finally, I was able to work the fish towards the net where Captain James Netzel, owner of Tight Lines Guide Service, netted it.

The kokanee salmon was 16 inches long and very fat and healthy, a typical Boca Reservoir kokanee. It was the last fish needed to fill our limits by 8:30 AM.

In spite of the great bite we had experienced, Netzel noted that the anglers fishing with him had caught limits of kokanee even earlier, by 7 am, on a trip the previous week.

“The fishing has slowed down since then,” he noted. “We have to work a little harder to get our limits.”

I’ve caught bigger kokanee, and limited out more quickly at other lakes, but in terms of the sheer fighting quality and spunkiness of these fish, this quick trip to Boca was some of the best kokanee fishing I’ve ever experienced.

And that says a lot, since I’ve fished for the landlocked sockeye salmon at a multitude of waters, including Stampede, Whiskeytown, Little Grass Valley, Bucks, Union Valley, Indian Valley, Pardee, Don Pedro, New Melones, McClure, Cherry, McClure and Shaver lakes.

We caught our fish while downrigger trolling with Radical Glow Tubes and Wee Dick Nites, tipped with white corn, at an array of depths from 20 to 35 feet deep. We saw three other boats fishing the lake before the personal watercraft and...

One of the least discussed issues in California environmental politics and one of the most crucial to understanding Jerry Brown’s Delta Tunnels plan is the clear connection between the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative and the California WaterFix, formerly called the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

The privately-funded MLPA Initiative and the California WaterFix to build the peripheral tunnels at first may appear to be entirely different processes.

The MLPA Initiative, a process begun in 2004 under the Schwarzenegger administration, purported to create a network of marine protected areas along the California coast. The network was supposedly completed on December 19, 2012, with the imposition of contested marine protected areas along the North Coast.

On the other hand, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan process began under the Bush and Schwarzenegger administrations to achieve the so-called co-equal goals of water supply reliability and Delta ecosystem restoration. In 2015, the state and federal governments divided the BDCP into two projects, the California WaterFix, the conveyance component, and the California EcoRestore, the habitat restoration component.

But in spite of some superficial differences, the two processes are united by their leadership, funding, greenwashing goals, racism and denial of tribal rights, junk science, and numerous conflicts of interest. When people educate themselves on the links between the two processes, I believe they can more effectively wage a successful campaign against the Delta Tunnels and to restore our imperiled salmon and San Francisco Bay-Delta fisheries.

Mike Carpenter, a sea urchin diver and organizer of a fundraiser for the California Fisheries Coalition in Albion on the Mendocino coast, made the vital connection between the MLPA Initiative and Schwarzenegger's campaign to build a peripheral canal back in 2009 when the battle against the creation of questionable marine protected areas on the North Coast was amping up.

Carpenter emphasized that...

I felt a little funny. A twinge of dizziness perhaps, but I didn’t think much of it. My sack was starting to bulge with a half dozen husky rockfish and a keeper lingcod that measured just short of 25 inches.

Most of the time I’m looking for something big, but at this particular moment I was trying to go small, fishing the little bitty anchovy on a three-way live bait rig. I was hoping for something I could use for bait.

A drop or two later that’s exactly what I got when I reeled a feisty 8-inch olive rockfish to the surface.

Dropping the small rockfish into one of the wells on the Happy Hooker’s live bait tank, I grabbed my heavy rod, slapped on a pound of weight, baited up with the rockfish and sent him back to the bottom.

I didn’t think it wouldn’t take long and when I felt rubbery resistance a minute later I knew a husky lingcod was submitting its resume. I let the ling mouth the bait for several seconds before starting to slowly turn the handle of the Penn Baja Special. The big reel had probably sucked up four or five feet of 65-pound braid when Mr. Lingcod decided to get aggressive.

Wham…I felt solid weight and a determined surge. Working the reel hard, I pumped the fish off the bottom only to have it surge back down again against the drag. I could tell it wasn’t huge, but certainly a quality keeper.

“Ling on,” I yelled and seconds later long time Happy Hooker deckhand Mike Verrone was at my side just as the

After covering fish, water, and environmental justice issues in California and the West for over 30 years as an investigative journalist, I’ve concluded that the California Water Fix, the new name for the Delta Tunnels, is the most environmentally devastating public works project I've ever encountered.

I’ve published hundreds of articles about the Delta Tunnels, Governor Jerry Brown's plan to divert Sacramento River water 30 miles under the California Delta to facilitate its export to corporate agribusiness and Southern California water agencies, in a wide array of publications.

In my reporting, I’ve covered many aspects of the controversial plan. These include:

• How the project won’t create one drop of new water while spending up to $67 billion of taxpayer and ratepayer’s money.

• How the project’s former point man Jerry Meral, in a moment of candor in 2013, claimed the Delta “cannot be saved,” after years of promoting the peripheral canal and tunnels as the solution to the co-equal goals of water supply reliability.

• How the reports of scientific panels, ranging from the Delta Independence Science Board to federal EPA scientists, that have given the alleged “science” of the tunnels project a failing grade.

• How the project won’t help Californians during the drought, fund innovative water conservation, storm water capture, or water recycling projects that are desperately needed.

• How the plan will push endangered fish species, such as Delta and longfin smelt, winter Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead and green sturgeon, over the abyss of extinction, while failing to address the state's long-term water supply needs.

• How the project will devastate not only San Francisco Bay and Delta fisheries, but recreational, commercial and subsistence fisheries up and down the West Coast; the salmon fishery alone is worth $1.5 billion annually.

• How the tunnels will...

Below is the latest Water4Fish newsletter, followed by my article exposing the campaign by Stewart Resnick's Coalition for a Sustainable Delta Astroturf group and the water contractors to eradicate striped bass and black bass.

The Water4Fish Newsletter periodically publishes alerts to the fishermen and women of Northern California where our fisheries are seriously threatened. We then ask you to take action by writing letters to political leaders and others protesting the bad action. Tens of thousands of you have responded and we have been successful in getting many policy changes. We now have a major new threat and once again we are asking for your help.

Bag and Size Limit Changes Pose Serious Threats to Stripers and Bass

As you have probably heard, the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta representing the San Joaquin Valley water diverters has petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to adopt higher bag limits and lower size limits for black bass and stripers. These changes are aimed to essentially eradicate these species from the Delta, Bay and rivers of the Central Valley. The proposal increases the bag limit on stripers from 2 fish to 6 and decreases the size limit from 18 inches to 12. It increases the black bass bag limit from 5 to 10 and decreases the size limit from 12 inches to 8. It would be devastating to these species.

This is a very serious threat to our fishing future and we must defeat it by protecting our fishing rights and fighting back with every action we can muster. The striped bass industry, the black bass industry and the salmon industry have joined together in a strong coalition to fight this bad action. This is potentially the largest coalition ever formed in Northern California to protect our fisheries. We need your help...

I reeled in my lure, I could feel some weight. I set the hook, and instantly knew I was on to something bigger than I anticipated. The fish took off with powerful runs, and I had to play it carefully to avoid it diving back into the rocks. After a tense battle, I finally brought the fish to the surface, and to my excitement, it was a stunning mackinaw.

After a quick photo and releasing the fish back into the water, I continued my search for kokanee. I found a few more schools but struggled to get a solid bite. Meanwhile, Bret was having some success of his own, landing a couple of nice mackinaw in a different area of the lake.

As the morning faded into afternoon, the winds picked up as expected. It became challenging to maintain our boat position, and the bites slowed down. We decided to take a break for lunch, relaxing and enjoying the serene beauty of Bucks Lake.

After our break, we returned to fishing. I experimented with different colors and depths, hoping to trigger a reaction from the kokanee. Soon, I felt a tap and set the hook. This time I was ready and pulled in my first kokanee of the day. It wasn’t large, but it was a keeper for the grill.

We spent the rest of the afternoon targeting the kokanee, managing to catch a few more. Despite the wind and the transitional period, it turned out to be a satisfying day on the water. We wrapped up our trip with smiles, a couple of fresh kokanee, and the thrill of having encountered some solid mackinaw.

Two fishing groups won a major legal victory against the federal government and agribusiness interests on July 25 when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Delta water contracts with the Westlands Water District and other irrigators.

The ruling by the three-judge panel could throw a major obstacle in the path of Governor Jerry Brown’s Delta Tunnels Plan, the California WaterFix project, since it assumes incorrectly that the federal government must strive to deliver the full contract amounts to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness under its interim contracts, according to the groups.

On July 25, the Court ruled in favor of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association in their long legal battle with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and San Joaquin Valley corporate agribusiness operations that divert millions of acre-feet of water annually from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas.

After four years of court proceedings, the Court of Appeals ruled that the Bureau of Reclamation had violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to consider reducing the quantity of water diverted from the Delta for farming uses and increasing the Delta’s freshwater flows to San Francisco Bay to restore its imperiled salmon and wildlife, according to a press release from the Law Offices of Stephan Volker, attorney for the two organizations.

The Court held that in approving eight two-year contracts for the delivery of up to 1.2 million acre-feet of water annually from the Delta to Central Valley water districts, Reclamation had failed to consider the alternatives of reducing the quantity of water delivered or terminating the contracts altogether and delivering no water.

The Court stated that Reclamation’s decision not to give full and meaningful consideration to the alternative of a reduction...

California legislators want to know if California fish hatcheries are going broke. Below is the press release about this issue from the California Sportfishing League.

August 15, 2016 (Sacramento, CA): Late last week, 14 bipartisan members of the California Legislature Outdoor Sporting Caucus expressed concern that the state’s Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Fund (HIFF) program may be at risk of insolvency and called on the California Fish and Game Commission for detailed analysis of revenues and expenditures. The letter is in response to claims by the Department of Finance that the HIFF program could be insolvent by fiscal year 2018-19.

“We are writing to express concern regarding the solvency of the Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Fund which is overseen by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). According to the Department of Finance, this fund is operating at an annual loss and is perilously close to insolvency. This would dangerously impact California freshwater anglers,” wrote the bipartisan group of California State Legislators.

The HIFF is financed by California fishing licenses, which according to a California Sportfishing League (CSL) study is the most expensive license in the nation, with permits. CSL’s study also concluded that annual fishing licenses have declined over 55% since 1980, which jeopardizes its ability to qualify for federal grants as sales continue to decline.

“California’s hatchery programs are at risk as the state continues to make fishing less accessible and more costly,” said Marko Mlikotin, CSL’s executive director. “DFW’s leadership does not seem too concerned that as fewer Californians fish, the state receives less money for hatchery and conservation programs. Greater attention is needed to reforming California’s costly and antiquated fishing license program.”

For the past several years, CSL has called on DFW to reform its costly and antiquated fishing license program. It has sponsored legislation that...

The Klamath River salmon fishery, an integral part of the culture, religion and livelihoods of the Yurok, Hoopa Valley and Karuk Tribes of Northern California, is going through some tough times this year.

Because of the record-low run of fall-run Chinook salmon projected by federal fishery managers earlier this year, the Yurok Tribe, the largest Indian Tribe in California, held its Klamath Salmon Festival this August without serving traditionally-cooked salmon to the public as it has done for 54 years.

Then on August 19, the Tribe announced that Yurok Fisheries crews conducting routine fish disease monitoring have found that salmon in the Klamath River on the Yurok Reservation are infected with a potentially deadly disease.

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, commonly known as ich, is capable of causing large fish kill events, according to the Tribe. Ich was the primary pathogen that caused the 2002 fish kill in the Klamath River and killed more than 35,000 adult Chinook salmon and steelhead after the disease spread in low, warm conditions spurred by Bush administration water policies that favored irrigators over fish and downstream water users.

Michael Belchik, Senior Fisheries Biologist for the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program, said the disease was found at relatively low severity in the Klamath River last year, but is back this year at concerning levels.

“It appears that a small number of adult salmon migrated upriver in extremely warm water temperatures and then became stuck in a relatively small thermal refuge where they are getting infected with the pathogen,” stated Belchik. “What this means for the health of the fall Chinook run that is yet to migrate upstream is unclear.”

Belchik said diseases such as ich are exacerbated by low flows and water temperatures that currently exist in the lower Klamath and Trinity Rivers.

In a statement, the Tribe said...

In a big victory for fishing groups who were mobilizing for a huge turnout of anglers at the California Fish and Game Commission meeting in Folsom on Thursday, August 25, Stewart Resnick's Coalition for a Sustainable Delta Astroturf group and their water contractor allies have withdrawn their petition to increase bag limits and reduce size limits for striped bass and black bass in the San Francisco Bay-Delta.

According to a notice on the meeting posted on the Commission's website today, the petition number 2016-011 (striped and black bass) has been withdrawn by the petitioners. As a result the Commission will not be taking action on this petition.

"There is no need to go to the California Fish and Game Commission meeting set for this Thursday," confirmed John Beuttler of the Allied Fishing Groups. "The Commission has announced that the Coalition for Sustainable Delta, California Chamber of Commerce, California Farm Bureau Federation, Kern County Water Agency, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Northern California Water Association, San Joaquin Tributaries Authority, Southern California Water Committee, State Water Contractors, and Western Growers have withdrawn their petition number 2016-011 (striped and black bass regulations)."

Michael Boccadoro, the spokesman for the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, told the Sacramento Bee that supporters of the water contractors were frustrated that they would be allowed only 10 minutes to present their case before the Commission Thursday. However, it is more likely that they withdrew the petition because of the intense opposition to it by anglers and prominent scientists including Dr. David Ostrach and Dr. Peter Moyle - and the likelihood that the Commission would reject the petition.

The Commission on Wednesday will be voting on an item of great interest to anglers: Item 10. Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas. The Commission will discuss and approve text...

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 rod tip slowly bent into an arc, eventually dipping into the water. Line peeled off the reel as a 20 pound Chinook salmon surged forward with Mr. Sardine clamped in his jaws. "Fish on!" I hollered to my nearby friends as the fish towed me west across Humboldt Bay.

The Chinook (king) salmon is arguably the most prized quarry among NorCal kayak anglers. Many kayak anglers will spend years trying before they catch their first Chinook from a kayak. They’re a tricky fish to pursue via the plastic boat: the typical NorCal method for targeting salmon is trolling, and it can take literally miles upon miles of paddling across the Pacific before you’re lucky enough to get a bite. The kayak angler must accept the fact that they will be skunked on many salmon trips.

But sometimes, salmon make it easy on us. Humboldt Bay has been a salmon hotspot this summer, with powerboats, kayakers, and even shore anglers scoring several beautiful Chinook salmon averaging 15 to 20 pounds.

My brother Matthew lives right on the bay, and is having a stellar year on the salmon. He invited me to come out and experience catching salmon in the quiet waters of a bay. He didn’t have to ask twice. I took a few days off work so I could spend several days targeting salmon and California halibut inside the bay.

When Matthew showed me the area we were fishing for salmon, I admit I was skeptical. "Really? Here?" I kept asking. The area consisted of shallow, sandy flats of 10-15...

above the bottom. It wasn't long before Matt hooked into a nice halibut, and the excitement was contagious. Each time he brought in a fish, it motivated me to try harder.

I kept adjusting my setup based on what Matt was doing, and soon enough, I felt a solid tug on my line. The fight was exhilarating, and after a few tense moments, I managed to reel in a beautiful California halibut. The thrill of catching a new species was worth every moment of the effort.

As the sun began to set, we continued to fish, sharing stories and enjoying the tranquility of the evening. The saltwater breeze and the sound of the waves added to the experience, reminding me why I love this time spent outdoors.

In the end, it was more than just a fishing trip. It was a chance to connect with my brother, explore new waters, and challenge myself to learn more about these incredible fish. Chasing new species is about growth and discovery, and this trip was a perfect example of that.

Jerry Brown is often falsely portrayed as a climate leader and green governor by the mainstream media, but he is pushing for the completion of the most environmentally destructive and environmentally unjust public works project in California history, the Delta Tunnels, before he leaves office.

Earthjustice, representing Restore the Delta, submitted detailed testimony on September 2 from the communities that will be most affected by Brown’s proposed $17 billion Delta Tunnels, the California WaterFix. The project will hasten the extinction of Central Valley steelhead, Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Delta and longfin smelt, and green sturgeon, along with imperiling salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath Rivers.

The California State Water Resources Control Board is currently holding hearings on permits for three new water intakes on the Sacramento River to feed the Tunnels, intended to send massive quantities of fresh water south to corporate agribusiness interests farming drainage impaired land on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California water agencies.

The first two rounds of the hearings address potential impacts to legal water users in the Delta, according to a joint press release from Earthjustice and Restore the Delta. The California Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the lead agencies for the proposed Delta Tunnels, requested the permits.

Today’s testimony comes from farmworkers, Native Americans, subsistence and recreational fishers, and residents of economically distressed Delta cities and towns who fear the Tunnels’ devastating impacts on their livelihoods and ways of life. Because the agencies promoting the Tunnels failed to consider their impacts on environmental justice populations, this testimony will be crucial in determining if the project would inflict undue harm on the most vulnerable legal water users in the Delta, including entire communities already experiencing distress.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director...

In a big victory for fishing groups who were mobilizing for a huge turnout of anglers at the California Fish and Game Commission meeting in Folsom on August 25, Stewart Resnick's Coalition for a Sustainable Delta and their water contractor allies withdrew their petition to increase bag limits and reduce size limits for striped bass and black bass in the San Francisco Bay-Delta.

According to an official notice on the meeting posted on the Commission's website, the petition number 2016-011 (striped and black bass) has been withdrawn by the petitioners. As a result, the Commission will not be taking action on this petition.

"We won, and it was worth all of our efforts," said Dick Pool, administrator of Water4Fish, upon hearing of the petition withdrawal. "However, we still have Congress trying to pass a non-native fish eradication bill."

"There is no need to go to the California Fish and Game Commission meeting set for this Thursday," John Beuttler of the Allied Fishing Groups advised anglers after hearing of the petition's withdrawal. "The Commission has announced that the Coalition for Sustainable Delta, California Chamber of Commerce, California Farm Bureau Federation, Kern County Water Agency, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Northern California Water Association, San Joaquin Tributaries Authority, Southern California Water Committee, State Water Contractors, and Western Growers have withdrawn their petition number 2016-011 (striped and black bass regulations)."

Michael Boccadoro, the spokesman for the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, told the Sacramento Bee that supporters of the water contractors were frustrated that they would be allowed only 10 minutes to present their case before the Commission.

In a statement, the coalition said, “In recent days, Commission staff recommended maintenance of the status quo rather than taking any action in response to the petition to address this issue despite continuing reports...

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 outfit and I set the hook.

The fish made several runs before I worked it towards shore and pulled it up on a rock out of the water. It was a beautiful fat rainbow trout around two pounds, shiny and fat, one of the thousands of pounds of rainbows stocked in the reservoir this summer.

Loon Lake in the Crystal Basin of El Dorado County has been known in the angling community for decades as a pristine location for trollers and bank anglers to catch large numbers of holdover and planted rainbow trout. The future of trout fishing at Loon Lake is even brighter, due to a new trout planting program that was initiated in 2015.

SMUD, in conjunction with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), this July and August stocked Loon Lake, Ice House and Union reservoirs in El Dorado County with a total of over 25,000 pounds of rainbow trout. These stocked trout, like the ones I caught, were one to two pounds each and in a few years could be potential trophy fish.

Darold Perry, SMUD’s supervisor for hydro license implementation, said, “The amount of fish stocked can number as high as 50,000 pounds in a given year, depending on matched stocking by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. We started this project last year, and we’ll be doing it annually.”

The effort helps SMUD meet conditions of operating its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for the Upper American River Project (UARP).

This November 4 will be the second anniversary of the passage of Proposition 1, Governor Jerry Brown’s controversial water bond, a measure that fishing groups, California Indian Tribes, grassroots conservation groups and environmental justice advocates opposed because they considered it to be a water grab for corporate agribusiness and Big Money interests.

Proponents of Proposition 1 contributed a total of 21,820,691 dollars and spent a total of 19,538,153 dollars on the successful campaign. The contributors are a who’s who of Big Money interests in California, including corporate agribusiness groups, billionaires, timber barons, Big Oil, the tobacco industry and the California Chamber of Commerce. They provide a quick snapshot of the corporate interests behind the questionable environmental policies of Brown.

Many people voted for the proposition only because Brown said no bond funds would be used for the widely-unpopular Delta Tunnels. However, after the election, as Proposition 1 opponents expected, the Brown administration did indeed admit that it could use water bond funds for the massive tunnels project.

In April 2015, an administration official admitted that the state could use money from Proposition 1, the water bond, to pay for habitat mitigation linked to the construction and operation of the massive Delta Tunnels.

Richard Stapler, spokesman for the California Department of Natural Resources, acknowledged that the money for delta habitat restoration could conceivably come from Proposition 1, the 7.5 billion dollar water bond that California passed last year, according to Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Restore the Delta and other public trust advocates at the time slammed Governor Brown for breaking his campaign promise that bond money wouldn’t be used to mitigate the environmental damage caused by the tunnels, a 67 billion dollar project designed to export Sacramento River water to agribusiness interests, Southern California water agencies and oil...

The fish ladder at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Feather River Hatchery in Oroville opened on September 19, heralding the start of the spawning season on the Feather River.

As the hatchery spawns spring-run Chinooks, anglers are experiencing increasing salmon success on the section of river open to fishing.

The hatchery spawns both spring-run and fall-run Chinook salmon. The staff will take more than 3 million spring-run eggs and 12 million fall-run eggs over the next two months in order to produce Chinook salmon for release next spring, according to Penny Crenshaw at the hatchery.

The hatchery has trapped around 1,000 spring-run Chinooks and has taken 2.8 million eggs to date, according to a preliminary estimate. They will begin spawning the fall-run Chinooks around October 10.

Once the young salmon reach 2 to 4 inches in length, 100 percent of the spring-run stock and 25 percent of the fall-run stock will be adipose fin clipped and implanted with coded wire tags prior to release, according to Crenshaw. CDFW biologists use the information from the tags to chart the survival, catch and return rates of the fish.

Visitors can observe the salmon through the viewing windows and from the observation deck located at the base of the fish barrier dam. At the main side of the hatchery, visitors can observe CDFW technicians performing the spawning process. For more information about spawning schedules and educational opportunities at the Feather River Hatchery, please call 530-538-2222. For information about hatchery tours, please call 530-534-2306.

There are eight state-run salmon and steelhead hatcheries, all of which will participate in the salmon spawning effort, according to the CDFW. Those hatcheries, along with federally run hatcheries, will be responsible for the release of 40 million juvenile salmon into California waters this season. These massive spawning...

When 40 plus hardcore Fish Sniffer supporters man one of the Bay Area's largest most comfortable charter vessels to fish with one of the state's most talented rockfish and lingcod skippers it's a bad day to be a bottomfish and that’s exactly what we saw on September 15.

September 15 marked the date of the most recent Cal Kellogg School of Fishing adventure when myself, fellow Fish Sniffer writer Mike McNeilly and more than 40 readers traveled out to the Farallon Islands aboard Berkeley's Golden Eye 2000.

The Golden Eye is a 56 foot catamaran. Not only is the boat fast but it also offers a big expanse of deck and rail space as well as a huge cabin, making it a superb platform for long-range trips to the Farallons and beyond.

Captain Quan Vo is the Golden Eye’s owner operator. He’s one of those skippers that has seen it all and done it all in terms of Norcal saltwater fishing, but his true passion is putting his clients on outstanding rockfish and lingcod action.

We left Berkeley before sunrise and as dawn broke we were at the fuel docks in San Francisco fueling up for the long ride to the islands.

After leaving San Francisco, Captain Vo shared that we’d be making a stop for sanddabs prior to dropping on the rockfish and lings.

Sanddabs are exceptional baits for lingcod and big rockfish like them too. Despite the fact that I’d be spending the day filming for an upcoming episode of Fishing The West With Cal Kellogg rather than fishing, I still felt a shiver of excitement just thinking about dropping a sanddab tethered to a trap rig into the dark and foreboding waters surrounding the Farallons!

When expectations are running high, the ride to the islands seems to...

What is my favorite gamefish? Like most anglers, my favorite fish is probably the one on the end of my line when the question is asked. But if I step away from the excitement of the moment and really reflect on the attributes that I hold to be important, such as accessibility, willingness to respond to a number of different fishing techniques, size, fighting ability and the quality of table fare provided I keep coming up with a single answer...STRIPERS!

During the fall, winter and spring, when the bulk of our striper population is residing in the Delta, there are a number of different ways to target them. You can soak cut bait, show them live bait, troll for them, plug for them, jig for them and even toss flies at them.

For consistent numbers day in day out, bait fishing and trolling are great choices and truth be told these are the tactics that the vast majority of Delta anglers employ. While these approaches do offer steady results, they aren’t necessarily the most exciting ways to skin a striper.

If you want to experience the best of what Delta striper fishing has to offer you’ve got to cast for your fish. Depending on your preferences, that might mean using spinning or baitcasting gear or turning to fur, feathers and long rods to tempt them with flies.

As the Winnemem Wintu Tribe proceeded on their historic 300-mile long Run4Salmon from Vallejo to the McCloud River, Governor Jerry Brown called for the expediting of a river flow agreement in order to build his Delta Tunnels to export more water to corporate agribusiness interests and Southern California water agencies.

In his September 19, 2016 letter to Chair Felicia Marcus of the State Water Resources Control Board, Governor Brown urged the Board and California Natural Resources Agency officials to fast-track a comprehensive agreement on environmental flows in both the San Joaquin and Sacramento River Basins.

State Water Board staff recently released a draft proposal to update minimum flow standards for the Lower San Joaquin River to the Delta, wrote Brown. This is only one part of the information needed. To provide a complete picture of the needs in the Delta, I urge the Board to move quickly to complete the remainder of their analysis on the Sacramento River Basin.

Delay may be too costly, said Brown. The need to improve our aquatic ecosystems is urgent. Many communities are paralyzed and fearful of a lengthy and unpredictable regulatory process. Voluntary agreements in which water rights holders improve stream flows and restore habitat could offer a faster, less contentious and more durable outcome.

Brown said he had directed departments in the Natural Resources Agency to explore the potential for this comprehensive agreement and to report back to him by the end of October with their assessment and a schedule that enables California to start improving water quality in the Delta and its tributaries beginning in 2017.

In a statement, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, criticized the Governor’s call to fast-track the flow agreements as disingenuous at best.

While Restore the Delta has pushed for a comprehensive update to the...

Just days after Governor Jerry Brown’s administration applied for a take permit to kill Delta smelt, winter-run Chinook salmon and other endangered species in order to build and operate the Delta Tunnels, agribusiness interests accelerated their lobbying campaign to pass drought legislation in Congress that will further endanger San Francisco Bay-Delta fisheries.

Tim Quinn and the Association of California Water Agencies have stepped up their lobbying in advance of the lame duck Congressional session urging Congress to pass controversial drought legislation, according to Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, in an action alert.

Quinn sent a new letter on October 12 to the entire California Congressional delegation blaming the state’s water supply predicament almost entirely on protections for Bay-Delta fisheries and wildlife, and actions by federal officials to avoid species extinction.

“We would expect that federal policies should provide assistance in meeting water supply needs during drought conditions, but instead at almost every turn federal decisions restricted project operations, preventing water during storm events from being put into storage south of the Delta for later delivery to our farms and cities,” Quinn claimed in his letter. “During 2016, these restrictive federal policies had a far greater negative impact on water supply than did the drought.”

“California needs a partnership with the federal government in accomplishing this policy objective. Instead, all too often we experience unbalanced federal decisions that unreasonably favor species protection over water supply, with little scientific justification and little prospect of any actual environmental benefit, but with very large and real negative impacts on water supply,” he said.

Quinn urged Congress to pass meaningful drought legislation, apparently meaning legislation that would fail to observe even the very minimal protections provided now under the Endangered Species Act to protect Delta and longfin smelt, Central Valley steelhead, winter-run...

On the same day that Governor Jerry Brown jokingly praised former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for saddling him with the Delta Tunnels and other unpopular policies, four Northern California Congress Members and twelve state legislators issued letters strongly opposing the tunnels project.

Brown lauded Schwarzenegger for focusing on environmental issues at the tenth anniversary celebration of the passage of Assembly Bill 32, the legislation that established the state’s greenhouse emissions reductions, in the California Museum in Sacramento on Wednesday, October 5.

“Arnold, thanks for being for climate change, cap and trade, the tunnels project, high speed rail and all the other unpopular policies that I’m saddled with,” quipped Brown.

Restore the Delta responded to Brown’s quote, noting that Jerry Brown thanked former Governor Schwarzenegger for saddling him with unpopular issues such as the Delta Tunnels, even though, since he was first elected, he's been pursuing the tunnels like Captain Ahab pursuing Moby Dick.

As an acknowledgement of the growing resistance by Californians to the WaterFix, Brown for the first time recognized the Delta Tunnels as unpopular, according to Restore the Delta.

Of course, neither Schwarzenegger nor Brown mentioned the many other controversial neo-liberal environmental policies that they are responsible for.

These include authorizing record water exports out of the Delta; driving Delta and longfin smelt, winter run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, green sturgeon and other fish species closer and closer to extinction; overseeing the creation of faux marine protected areas under the oil industry-lobbyist overseen Marine Life Protection Act Initiative; appointing Big Oil executives, Big Ag lobbyists, and other corporate officials with numerous conflicts of interest to state agencies and regulatory bodies; and doing everything they can to weaken the California Environmental Quality Act and other environmental laws.

Nor did Schwarzenegger and Brown mention one of the least discussed issues...

American River

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 Folsom Lake’s water has been exported south to corporate agribusiness interests. The reason for the flow decrease is storage conservation, claimed Randi Field from Reclamation.

Meanwhile, boaters jigging glow-in-the-dark Gitzits on one-ounce jig heads at night are picking up some bright king salmon in the dredger holes of the lower American River. The fish average 10 to 15 pounds each, according to Alan Fong of the Fisherman’s Warehouse. Anglers fishing Mepps Flying C spinners and other lures from Howe Avenue to Sailor Bar are bagging increasing numbers of salmon, said Leo Salcido of Fisherman’s Warehouse.

One customer reported that he has caught four steelhead to 4 pounds while fishing the lower American, noted Salcido.

After the last rain, anglers reported really good salmon fishing on the lower American, confirmed Tim Boggs of Elkhorn Outdoors. Anglers using Flying C spinners have been picking up salmon. Two customers reported that the day they went out, just about everybody they saw had caught Chinooks.

The Nimbus Fish hatchery ladder is expected to open on November 1.

Redding/Red Bluff

Salmon fishing is actually a little slow on the Sacramento with very few anglers catching limits. Yet there are fish being caught daily and some of them are epic trophies approaching 50 pounds.

“We are still getting salmon up in the Redding area and some of them are very large,” reported Captain Mike Bogue of Mike Bogue’s Guide Service. “Last Sunday we got a really big fish that measured 48 inches long and 27 inches around.”

Lake Almanor

Rainbow Trout Smash Spoons

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 Spediacci of Hook & Ladder Guide Service. “Myself and another guide had a large group today that we split among our boats and we got about 25 total fish. The lake was recently planted so some of the rainbows we got were small, but we picked up holdovers and wild fish to 5 pounds.”

“I’m getting most of my fish on Speedy Shiners trolled anywhere from 20 feet deep on down to the bottom. The water was calm today, which isn’t the best condition. We’ve been doing the best when there is a little chop on the water,” disclosed Spediacci.

Bryan Roccucci of Big Daddy’s Guide Service has also been enjoying great results while fishing at Almanor.

“The fall brown trout bite isn’t underway yet, but we’ve been getting a brown or two every day. The big news right now is the outstanding rainbow fishing. The fish are still down deep holding anywhere from 25 to 40 feet, but we’ve been able to speed up our trolling and get hookups on various spoons. It’s always fun when you can troll aggressively with hardware for rainbows that run up to 6 pounds,” said Roccucci.

American Basin/Jenkinson Lake

Trollers Land Rainbows At Ice House, Loon

by Dan Bacher

If you want to catch rainbow trout, troll with crawlers and lures or bait fish from the bank at Ice House and Loon Lakes.

For the second consecutive year, SMUD, in conjunction with the California Department of Fish

While adults and children alike dress up as vampires, ghosts, zombies, extra-terrestrials and other creatures on Halloween, Governor Jerry Brown is busy promoting his own real life horror show that exceeds the terror found in any scary movie that’s ever appeared on the silver screen — his Delta Tunnels of Death.

Like a vampire that you just can't seem to kill, the Delta-destroying tunnels plan keeps coming back.

Jerry Brown is no stranger to vampires and dark energy himself.

In a pre-recorded interview with Chuck Todd this August, Brown compared the controversy surrounding Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s email server to a vampire plot.

“It has some kind of dark energy that gets everybody excited,” Governor Brown said. “It’s almost like a vampire; she’s going to have to find a stake and put it right through the heart of these emails.”

The California governor also said the email controversy has kind of a mystique to it.

I think I will take the good advice that Brown had for the email controversy and apply it to his Delta Tunnels plan. We must find a stake and put it right through the heart of the California WaterFix project.

As you may remember, the voters overwhelmingly defeated the water-sucking and fish-exterminating vampire project, originally known as the Peripheral Canal, in November 1982.

However, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger resurrected the undead project from its electoral tomb starting in 2007 under new, less scary-sounding names - the Delta Vision Plan and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan - and did everything he could push the plan through without allowing the voters to vote, including pressuring the Legislature to pass a water policy/water bond package in November 2009 that cleared the path to the construction of the peripheral canal.

Jerry Brown embraced the water-guzzling vampire project of Schwarzenegger's as...

Federal auditors have found that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) wasted $32.2 million intended for fish and wildlife and drought relief in the Klamath Basin on subsidies for irrigators.

This scandal takes place as the Yurok, Karuk and Hoopa Valley Tribes, recreational anglers, commercial fishing families and river and coastal communities are suffering from the big cultural and economic loss caused by low numbers of returning salmon on the Klamath River this year, the result of decades of mismanagement by the state and federal governments.

The misspending is revealed in a new audit report that confirms charges leveled last year by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. In a news release, PEER described the arrangement between Reclamation and KWAPA as the Klamath Irrigators’ Illegal Piggy Bank.

“We found that USBR did not have the legal authority to enter into the cooperative agreement, resulting in $32.2 million in wasted funds spent by KWAPA (Klamath Water and Power Agency) under the agreement,” wrote Mary L. Kendall, Deputy Inspector General for the Office of Inspector General, in the audit report dated October 11, 2016.

The report found that the program had done little to help endangered coho salmon, Lost River suckers and shortnose suckers, as it was intended to do.

The IG report details how Reclamation diverted $32.2 million in federal funds intended for drought contingency planning and helping struggling fish populations:

• In a waste of funds wholly lacking in any legal authority

• Paying for KWAPA salaries, fringe benefits, rent, travel and other expenses whose benefits flowed primarily to irrigator contractors rather than fish and wildlife, including $4.2 million for uses that could not be supported with documentation or were outright unallowable

• By modifying the KWAPA contract 19 times to expand the scope of activities and extend the original...

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is holding a public meeting to solicit comments on proposed fishing closure alternatives for 5.5 miles of the Sacramento River above the Highway 44 Bridge in Redding to the Keswick Dam. CDFW has determined a potential closure may be necessary to protect endangered winter-run Chinook salmon.

The meeting will be held Monday, Nov. 14, from 5-7 p.m. at the Redding Public Library, 1100 Parkview Ave., Redding, CA 96001.

CDFW is proposing a suite of closure alternatives in this critical holding and spawning area to ensure added protection for the federal and state endangered winter-run Chinook, which face high risk of extinction. Given the gravity of the current situation, it is imperative that each and every adult fish be given maximum protection. Current regulations do not allow fishing for Chinook, but incidental catch by anglers who are targeting trout could occur.

This reach is the principal spawning area for winter-run Chinook, with an estimated 98 percent of 2014 and 2015 in-river spawning occurring in the 5.5 mile stretch under consideration for closure. This section represents only 10 percent of the waters currently open to fishing upstream of the Red Bluff Diversion Dam.

In 2014 and 2015, approximately 95 percent of eggs and young winter-run Chinook were lost due to elevated river temperatures.

CDFW works with the California Fish and Game Commission to determine whether fishing restrictions in certain areas are necessary.

Persons with disabilities needing reasonable accommodation to participate in public meetings or other CDFW activities are invited to contact CDFW’s Accessibility Coordinator Melissa Carlin at (916) 651-1214 or melissa.carlin@wildlife.ca.gov.

Media Contacts:

Jason Roberts, CDFW Northern Region, (530) 225-2131

Andrew Hughan, CDFW Communications, (916) 201-2958

Governor Jerry Brown and his allies are dumping millions of dollars into the campaign against Proposition 53, a California ballot initiative that requires voter approval before the state could issue more than $2 billion in public infrastructure bonds that would require an increase in taxes or fees for repayment.

Proposition 53, the California Voter Approval Requirement for Revenue Bonds above $2 Billion Initiative, is on the November 8, 2016, ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment. Supporters of Proposition 53 refer to it as the No Blank Checks Initiative.

The long-form ballot summary is as follows:

• Requires statewide voter approval before any revenue bonds can be issued or sold by the state for certain projects if the bond amount exceeds $2 billion.

• Applies to any projects that are financed, owned, operated, or managed by the state, or by a joint agency formed between the state and a federal government agency, another state, and/or a local government.

• Prohibits dividing projects into multiple separate projects to avoid statewide voter approval requirement.

Kevin Wolf of Davis, long-time environmental activist, campaign organizer and advocate for openness and transparency in government, recommends voting Yes on the measure. His argument is one of the best and simplest for voting Yes on 53.

“This would force the state to let voters decide if there would be a new Delta Twin Tunnels project or other large project funded by state revenue bonds,” said Wolf. “This could harm some good things in the future, but if it is a good enough idea, it should get passed as a proposition.”

I completely agree with Wolf. About 90 percent of the anglers, Tribal leaders and grassroots environmentalists that I have talked to are voting Yes on 53 because it would require a vote on the Delta Tunnels and other...

As long as there isn't too much snow to access the lake, or if the lake isn’t frozen over, Lake Almanor is one of California's best winter trout fisheries. I've had stellar days of fishing with morning temperatures in the low double digits.

My little 12' Lowe Johnboat actually banged its way through the chunks of ice floating on the surface. Large schools of pond smelt were suspended in open water as thousands of Western Grebes wintering on the lake dove to fill their bellies.

Almanor is one of my favorite lakes to fish when the weather gets cold. As you might expect, the boat pressure is light. What may surprise anglers is that the fish bite really well in the winter. When the surface temperature is a measly 39 degrees, the trout actually feed aggressively at this big reservoir.

There are three ways to target these mid winter trout. The first way is to toss bait from the bank. I've seen some local yokels around that stake out their favorite bank fishing spots, and the guys routinely pull out some really nice browns and rainbows.

The hot bait is an inflated crawler. I don't suspect that these guys are catching a whole lot of fish, yet the fish they are catching are some brutes. Five to seven pound browns are a legitimate possibility for patient and cold hardy anglers soaking inflated night crawlers.

The other two methods are both trolling methods, but they are vastly different. The first method is to pull bright chrome/black back minnow plugs at a quick pace. I like F-11 Rapalas or Yo-Zuri Pin Minnows.

I don't troll them quite as quick as I would in the summer, spring or fall. I just like to go fast enough to get the plug wiggling a little....

Do you remember the crab season last fall or should I say the non-season? It was painful! After so many years of awesome lights out crabbing out of Bay Area ports during the fall, it was a real let down to be kept off the water by unsafe enzyme levels within the crabs brought on by the warm El Nino conditions.

Well fast forward to this fall and it’s an entirely different ballgame. El Nino conditions have evaporated and so has the acid that put crabs off limits last fall. As of press time ocean temperatures are normal, the crabs are healthy and the season is going to open as scheduled on November 5. The only question is whether the season will feature the standard awesome crabbing we’ve all come to expect or if the season will be really exceptional since the harvest was extremely light last season?

There are a lot of north state charter boats that target crabs, but when I want the inside scoop on the crab fishery, I call Captain James Smith. Not only does he target sport crabs extensively aboard his Berkeley Marina headquartered boat the California Dawn, but he also spends the winter and part of the spring commercial crab fishing aboard his crabber, the Mad Dog.

“Last season represented a disaster for sport crab skippers, commercial crabbers and sport anglers,” asserted Smith. “Crabs and crabbing are a huge cultural icon for folks in the Bay Area. Let’s face it: the whole image of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is built around the image of the Dungeness crab. In the Bay Area and in much of the north state, crabs are a traditional part of holiday meals beginning with Thanksgiving and extending through New Year’s and last year that part of the holiday season...

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 November 10, Governor Jerry Brown offered his commitment to find common ground wherever possible with the incoming Trump Administration, but to oppose the new administration regarding climate change policies.

Today we saw the beginning of the transfer of power to the President-elect," said Brown. "While the prerogatives of victory are clear, so also are the responsibilities to ensure a strong and unified America. As President Lincoln said, A house divided against itself cannot stand. With the deep divisions in our country, it is incumbent on all of us – especially the new leadership in Washington – to take steps that heal those divisions, not deepen them. In California, we will do our part to find common ground whenever possible.

But as Californians, we will also stay true to our basic principles. We will protect the precious rights of our people and continue to confront the existential threat of our time – devastating climate change," the Governor stated.

In response, Restore the Delta on November 14 issued a statement calling on Governor Brown to advocate for the full protection of San Francisco Bay-Delta fisheries and river flows for the estuary as he establishes his working relationship with President-elect Trump's transition team and administration.

Restore the Delta's executive director Barbara Barrrigan-Parrilla said:

It is striking to us that Governor Brown did not mention protecting the Clean Water Act for drinking water supplies or the Endangered Species Act in regard to fishery protections in his statement about the incoming Trump Administration. While we oppose Governor Brown’s Delta Tunnels project, we know that all...

California growers expanded water-intensive almond orchards by 77,000 acres over the past year, continuing the increase in new almond acreage during one of the worst droughts in the state’s history.

The expansion in acreage for almonds, as well as for walnuts, pistachios, and other nut crops, took place as Governor Jerry Brown mandated that urban users statewide conserve water by 25 percent.

The increase also occurred as massive state and federal water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta continued to drive Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, and other fish species closer and closer to extinction.

In addition, the groundwater pumping during the drought to sustain increased nut tree acreage caused sections of the San Joaquin Valley to subside even further.

California nurseries have sold at least 14.51 million almond trees since June 1, 2015, according to the 2016 California Almond Nursery Sales Report. Plantings from 2012 to 2016 were used to calculate an average trees per acre of 135, based on the Almond Acreage Survey.

Almost 108,000 acres of almonds have been planted since June 2015, according to the USDA report. A little over 71 percent of the total trees sold, 77,000 acres, are new almond orchard acres and 25 percent (27,000 acres) replaced existing almond orchards. The remaining trees sold replaced trees within existing almond orchards.

California bearing almond acreage has increased from 442,000 to 900,000 from 1997 through June 2016, according to report figures. When you add the non-bearing almond acreage of 220,000, the total acreage comes to 1,120,000.

During the latest drought from 2012 to 2015, the bearing acreage increased from 820,000 in 2012 to 890,000 in 2015, a total of 70,000 acres. The non-bearing acreage went from 110,000 in 2012 to 220,000, a total of 110,000 acres.

That’s...

On November 22, the California Secretary of State’s Office announced that voters narrowly defeated Proposition 53, an initiative requiring voter approval of revenue bonds over $2 billion, by a narrow margin of 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent.

Governor Jerry Brown and his staff are celebrating the victory because it would have required a public vote on his two controversial “legacy” projects, the Delta Tunnels and High Speed Rail.

“The defeat of Prop 53 is good news for CA and our future,” proclaimed Governor Jerry Brown in a tweet. “It means one less roadblock in solving our water and transportation problems.”

However, about 90 percent of the anglers, grassroots environmentalists and Tribal leaders that I discussed Proposition 53 with voted “Yes” on the measure because it would require a vote on the Delta Tunnels and other huge projects that pose significant threats to the environment.

For example, Kevin Wolf of Davis, a long-time environmental activist, campaign organizer and advocate for openness and transparency in government, advised voting Yes on 53 in his Recommendations for the November 2016 Election.

“This would force the state to let voters decide if there would be a new Delta Twin Tunnels project or other large project funded by state revenue bonds,” said Wolf. “This could harm some good things in the future, but if it is a good enough idea, it should get passed as a proposition.”

While the votes were still being tallied, Dean Cortopassi, proponent of Proposition 53, who describes himself as a “libertarian Democrat,” issued a statement regarding the election results for the measure on November 9. Among other things, he said the “No on 53 campaign seemed analogous to German Panzer Divisions waging ‘Blitzkrieg on Poland in 1939” and described the measure's opponents as “Sacramento Gang Politicians and Porkers” in his statement....

Mark Cowin, the Director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and Carl Torgersen, the DWR Chief Deputy Director, will be retiring from their positions at the embattled agency at the end of 2016.

News of the two officials' retirement, common knowledge in DWR for some time, was confirmed today by Nancy Vogel, Deputy Secretary for Communications of the California Natural Resources Agency.

Vogel said she doesn't know who will be replacing them in their positions at DWR.

In response to my question about whether this will have any impact on the deadlines for the California Water Fix, she replied no.

Both officials are retiring at a time when Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels plan, the California WaterFix, has come under increasing fire from recreational anglers, commercial fishermen, Tribal leaders, family farmers, environmentalists, scientists, and elected officials for the enormous threat it poses to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and West Coast salmon and other fisheries.

The California WaterFix that Cowin and Torgersen have promoted would hasten the extinction of Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon, and other fish species, as well as imperil the Southern resident killer whale population. The controversial project would also imperil the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers, a fishery that for thousands of years has played an integral part in the culture, religion, and food supply of the Yurok, Karuk, and Hoopa Valley Tribes.

On November 28, a coalition of California conservation, fishing and public interest organizations urged the Obama Administration to terminate the California WaterFix before Donald Trump is inaugurated in January.

The groups said in a letter to federal officials that it is time now to make the right decision. The California Water Fix represents a financial as well...

The Port of West Sacramento played host to one of my strangest fishing experiences, in terms of the surroundings.

On one spring trip in the late 1980s, I fished for catfish from shore in the port. Right across from where I fished loomed a giant black freighter from the Soviet Union loading rice for the long trip across the Pacific. Where else in California could you have ever fished in sight of a Soviet ship?

While the Soviet Union is gone, the port and the Sacramento Deep Water Channel still remain. The two artificial water bodies are a sleeper for striped bass, catfish and black bass.

The port and channel have an interesting history. In July 1946, the Port construction project was authorized by Congress and signed by President Harry S. Truman. In September 1960, the harbor and turning basin dredging was completed and clean-up work on the channel was done in December.

On June 29, 1963, with 5,000 spectators waiting to welcome her, the Taipei Victory arrived and the Port opened for business. A three-day event celebrated the Port's dedication.

Over 75,000 people attended the festivities, which included dignitaries, parades, navy ships and the Golden Bear cadet training ship. I was one of those 75,000 people who attended with my parents, Al and Cassie, and my brother, Tim, and sister, Terry.

The Port of West Sacramento continues to grow in order to serve the needs of California. The port now supports agriculture and industry throughout Northern California and the world.

For many years, angling access to the area was problematic. This all changed in November 2007 when the Barge Canal Recreational Access to the Port area was opened.

Located at 2100 Jefferson Boulevard in West Sacramento, the facility allows driveway access at South River Road. The access features an...

Lake Berryessa

Drop Shotters Find Best Bass Action

(Napa) A very nice married couple called me last week and wanted to go bass fishing - for the first time! said Larry Hemphill, fishing guide. They had never bass fished before and wanted to learn more about it and about Lake Berryessa. They were great people and we had a great time learning!

The weather was cloudy and very cool. After lots of instruction about rod and reels, baits, areas to look for bass in different seasons, we started fishing, he said. Soon they were casting spinning outfits very well and seemed to be working worms and other plastics very well. As one would expect, they lost their first few bites. Setting the hook for bass is always a learning process for beginners.

In the afternoon they did land a few bass, but they were small. Funny - the small ones were in an area that usually produces bigger bass. One never knows! Great people and think I got them hooked, said Hemphill.

Drop-shotting Robo Worms in shad colors seemed to work the best for them. Most bites came from 15 to 30 feet of water, he noted.

The water temperature was 60-62 degrees and the water clarity was 4+ foot visibility.

Bullards Bar/Englebright Lakes

7-1/2 Lb. Spotted Bass Tops Catches

(Dobbins) If you like solitude, you’ll find plenty of it at Bullards Bar Reservoir now, since hardly anybody is fishing the lake.

However, one angler, Manuel Nevarez, reported experiencing solid bass fishing on a recent trip to Bullards Bar. His biggest spotted bass topped the scales at 7-1/2 pounds, reported Bob Boucke of Johnson’s Bait and Tackle.

Drop shotters fishing Robo Worms and other plastics in deep water generally find the top action on bass this time of year.

Trout...

The Water Resources Development Act, with its poison pill Big Ag rider sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein, passed the Senate on Friday, December 9.

Here is the latest action alert from Restore the Delta to stop the Water Resources Development Act and its Delta-killing rider:

As you know, the Water Resources Development Act passed the Senate late last Friday, just before Holiday Break. The bill is now headed to the White House for President Obama’s signature.

Today, Restore the Delta’s executive director, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, sent the following letter to President Obama asking him to veto the bill due to the destructive midnight rider that was added to the otherwise worthy bill, which will undermine endangered species protections for California salmon and water quality for the Delta.

Please write your own letter to the White House asking for President Obama to veto this bill.

Include why you love the Bay-Delta and the impacts this rider will have on your life.

Barbara’s letter is a good example of the correct tone when writing to the White House. Keep it courteous and professional please and represent the Delta well.

Send your letters to: president@whitehouse.gov.

After sending a letter, please also call the White House with your comments at (202) 456-1111.

When you catch a striper or sturgeon, a fundamental question pops up. Will you keep the fish for the table or will you release it? Since both species of fish are subject to size limits, this decision will be made for you at times.

As of this writing, stripers must be at least 18 inches in length to be kept, while sturgeon must fall between 40 and 60 inches, measured to the fork of the tail.

Releasing sturgeon is a piece of cake. They are extremely hardy fish that very seldom swallow the bait. This being the case, to release a sturgeon all you need to do is pop out the hook with your pliers, hold the fish beside the boat, revive it and let it go.

Releasing stripers can be dicey, since they often swallow the bait and are hooked in the throat or deeper. For bass that are hooked deep, the simplest and safest method is to cut the leader as close to the hook as possible and release the fish with the hook still imbedded. Over time the striper’s body will either eject or dissolve the hook.

At this point, let’s take a moment to consider the size of the fish you keep. When it comes to sturgeon, size isn’t important, beyond making sure the fish falls within the legal slot.

Stripers are a different story. Large stripers, say fish over 15 pounds, while still decent to eat aren’t nearly as good as smaller fish. For this reason, I release almost all the bass I catch that are over 15 pounds.

The meat of small stripers, in the 18 to 22 inch range tastes great, but there isn’t a whole lot of meat on them.

Just in time for the Holidays, the California Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced they will release their 80,000-page Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/ EIS) for the controversial Delta Tunnels plan on Thursday, December 22, 2016.

The release of the huge document by the two lead agencies for the project comes at a critical time for the future of Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels project, the California WaterFix. The two top officials at the Department of Water Resources are retiring on December 31, while the new Donald Trump administration, filled with many controversial environmental appointees, will take the helm in Washington D.C. on January 21.

The document will be available at www.BayDeltaConservationPlan.com

According to a statement from Restore the Delta (RTD), this document represents the agencies’ final attempt to convince state and federal regulators that their proposal for twin 40-foot, 30-mile long water tunnels to transfer Sacramento River water beneath the San Francisco Bay-Delta can meet environmental and water quality standards under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a feat no previous version of the proposal has achieved.

Despite any claims by project supporters, this document is by no means an approval of the proposal. It is akin to the submission of homework to be graded, the group said.

As the Department and the Bureau jointly told the State Water Board at the end of November 2016, the environmental report cannot be finalized until a biological opinion is completed in March or April 2017. They told the Board they would finalize the report at approximately the same time as when the biological opinion is released, according to RTD.

How thoughtful of Delta Tunnel lead agencies to dump this document on defenders of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary...

In a slap in the face to fishermen, Tribes, environmental justice advocates, conservationists and family farmers, President Barack Obama on December 16 signed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act into law with its environmentally destructive Big Ag rider sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Kevin McCarthy.

The controversial rider, opposed by retiring Senator Barbara Boxer, taints an otherwise good bill that sponsors water projects across the nation. The last minute rider, requested by corporate agribusiness interests, allows San Joaquin Valley growers and Southern California water agencies to pump more water out of the Delta, driving Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species closer to extinction, according to Delta advocates.

The addition of the Big Ag rider to the bill caused a bitter rift between Boxer, one of the bill’s original sponsors, and Feinstein. The U.S. Senate approved the water bill by a vote of 78 to 21 on December 9.

Also known as the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, the bill authorizes water projects across the country to restore watersheds, improve waterways and flood control, and improve drinking water infrastructure, according to President Obama in his signing statement. The law also authorizes $170 million for communities facing drinking water emergencies, including funding for Flint, Michigan, to recover from the lead contamination in its drinking water system.

In addressing the controversial rider in the bill that supposedly addresses drought in California by allowing agribusiness interests to pump more water from the Delta, Obama warned against “mistating or incorrectly reading” Subtitle J’s provisions.

Obama also claimed the Endangered Species Act would continue to be applied and implemented.

“Consistent with the legislative history supporting these provisions, I interpret and understand Subtitle J to require continued application and...

As an independent outdoor journalist, I have learned that much of what you see in the mainstream media and some alternative media is at best false narratives and often nothing but complete and total lies.

I am very skeptical of information coming from the U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation and NOAA Fisheries, as well as state agencies such as the California Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife and Department of Conservation. The LA Times, Washington Post, New York Times and other media outlets are often spokesmouths for the agencies and the corporate interests they often serve.

On California water and environmental issues, the mainstream media spreads the Big Lie and false narratives from federal and state agencies and corporate lobbyists. Four of the worst Big Lies and false narratives that I have encountered over the past decade are:

1. "Jerry Brown is a green governor"

Fact: he is anything but "green" as I have documented in article after article. Brown backs the Delta Tunnels, fracking, faux marine protected areas, salmon and Delta smelt destroying water policies, clear cutting, carbon trading, REDD and many other environmentally destructive policies.

2. "California is the green leader in the nation."

Fact: California is NOT the nation's green leader. California is the nation's third biggest oil producer, behind North Dakota and Texas, and Big Oil exerts inordinate control over the Governor's Office, the Legislature and the regulatory agencies. While California has some great environmental laws, they aren't enforced like they should be because of the capture of the regulatory apparatus by Big Oil, Big Ag and other corporate interests. The state features some of the dirtiest cities in the nation, worst water pollution and fastest declines in salmon, Delta smelt and other species, due to regulatory...

Restore the Delta (RTD) appeared at the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento today for the last public hearing on Phase I of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, fighting for adequate flows from the San Joaquin River to save fisheries and protect Delta people. While the public hearings are over, you can still submit written comments.

"Have you submitted a public comment on the critically important Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan yet?" according to a RTD action alert. "The State Water Board has extended the submission of written comments to March 17, 2017 by 12:00 p.m."

If not, please plan to submit a comment today. For details on submitting a public comment or for more information on this plan, visit Restore the Delta's website.

SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS

The State Water Board will accept both written and oral comments on the proposed Plan Amendment and the SED. Written comments must be received no later than 12:00 noon on March 17, 2017, and addressed and submitted to:

Jeanine Townsend, Clerk to the Board

State Water Resources Control Board

1001 I Street, 24th Floor

Sacramento, CA 95814-0100

Comment letters may be submitted electronically, in pdf text format (if less than 15 megabytes in total size) to the Clerk to the Board via e-mail at commentletters@waterboards.ca.gov. Please indicate in the subject line: “Comment Letter – 2016 Bay-Delta Plan Amendment & SED.” You may also submit your comments by fax at (916) 341-5620. Electronic submission is preferred, but not required.

Couriers delivering comment letters must check in with lobby security personnel, who can contact Jeanine Townsend at (916) 341-5600.

Here are some important points to make:

1. A permanent reduction of exports must happen to protect the Delta.

The American River raging through the trees and brush below Nimbus Dam is an awesome sight to behold.

Increased numbers of winter steelhead are showing on the lower American River, as evidenced by the trapping of 76 adult American River steelhead at Nimbus Fish Hatchery so far this season.

More fish are expected to come up with the high flows. The Bureau of Reclamation increased releases to the American River below Nimbus Dam to 15,000 cfs on January 5, to 30,000 cfs on January 7 and then to 40,000 cfs on January 9 to accommodate run-off from the latest big storms.

“We trapped 33 adults and one juvenile last week and 35 adults and one juvenile yesterday,” said Gary Novak, hatchery manager. “Most of the fish are four-year-old Eel River strain fish in the 8 to 12 lb. range.”

In addition, the hatchery has counted around 200 steelhead from other Central Valley systems, mostly 2 pounders that came in with the high water. All of these fish, like the Eel River strain fish, are released back into the river.

The hatchery has taken less than 60,000 eggs so far. The facility is only spawning the Nimbus strain (Eel River strain) fish. “We’re getting our fish slowly but surely,” Novak noted.

The hatchery has also taken 93 Coleman Fish Hatchery-strain steelhead that are part of a study.

Steelhead fishing has been very slow in the upper river since the opener. Rodney Fagundes of Sacramento reported no steelhead caught by him or Cameron Beck, fishing guide, on the opener below the hatchery.

Likewise, Jerry Lampkin of TNG Motor Sports Guide Service reported hooking zero fish also, although he saw five fish hooked while fishing from his drift boat below Sailor Bar.

The Delta smelt has not yet become extinct, but the numbers of fish collected in the fall 2016 midwater trawl survey conducted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife remain alarmingly low.

This is in spite of improved precipitation last winter and spring, followed by a wet fall that should have resulted in much higher numbers of smelt surviving.

The Delta smelt abundance index in the latest fall midwater trawl survey was 8, the second lowest in history. Seven Delta smelt were collected in November and none were collected in September, October, or December, according to a memo from James White, environmental scientist for the CDFW’s Bay Delta Region, to Scott Wilson, Regional Manager of the Bay Delta Region.

The small 2 to 3 inch fish, found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, is an indicator species that demonstrates the relative health of the largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas. The species is listed under both the state and federal Endangered Species Acts. When the numbers of Delta smelt are so low, it reveals that the estuary, as we know it, is just as close to extinction as the fish themselves.

In 2015, the index was only 7. That was the lowest number recorded since the survey began in 1967, after the State Water Project began exporting water south of the Delta.

The numbers of smelt found this year and last contrast with 2011, a wet water year, when the Delta smelt index increased to 343, and then quickly plummeted again during the drought. Delta smelt abundance was highest in 1970 with an index of 1673 recorded.

Longfin smelt abundance is second lowest in survey history

The index for longfin smelt, a native species that is a cousin of the Delta smelt, was also dismal....

The numbers of steelhead coming into the Trinity River Fish Hatchery continue to be below normal and well below the numbers trapped during the past four years.

The hatchery has counted only 886 adult steelhead to date, compared to 3,272 trapped to date in 2015. The hatchery trapped a total of 2,550 steelhead in 2014, 2,302 in 2013, and 5,737 in 2012.

The hatchery recently finished spawning Chinook and coho salmon for the season. The coho and salmon numbers are down from previous years.

The Trinity River Fish Hatchery trapped a total of 1,512 fall-run Chinooks, including 1,314 adults and 198 grilse in 2016. By contrast, the fall Chinook totals were 3,353 in 2015, 7,196 in 2014, 6,631 in 2013, and 17,595 in 2012.

The facility trapped 527 coho salmon, including 480 adults and 47 grilse, this fall. That compares to 3,337 fish in 2015, 3,274 in 2014, and 8,238 in 2012.

The Trinity River produced some quality steelhead in the 8 to 9 lb class in between the latest storms, reported Tim Brady at Trinity Outdoors. The fish hit plugs, flies, roe, and nightcrawlers from Lewiston to Junction City.

Trinity Lake has been snowed in, so people haven’t been able to fish the reservoir for bass or trout lately, noted Brady.

Trinity Lake is holding 1,386,724 acre-feet of water, 57 percent of capacity and 82 percent of average. Releases to the Trinity River below Lewiston Dam are 338 cfs.

California Governor Jerry Brown on January 24 delivered his State of the State Address, portraying his administration as the Resistance to the policies of Donald Trump while at the same time praising the President for his plan to spend $1 trillion in infrastructure funding.

Many mainstream media outlets and some California politicians immediately gushed over the speech, apparently after not having heard or read the entire address.

On the one hand, the Governor vowed to defend everybody - every man, woman and child - who has come here and has contributed to the well-being of our state, and committed to protecting the state's gains on immigration, health care and climate change, guided by the principles that make California the Great Exception - truth, civility and perseverance.

Brown cited the English poet John Donne, who said, "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

"When California does well, America does well. And when California hurts, America hurts," said Brown.

Brown also warned Californians that, "While no one knows what the new leaders will actually do, there are signs that are disturbing...We must prepare for very uncertain times."

However, Brown then switched directions and praised President Trump’s plan for $1 trillion in infrastructure spending.

He quoted Trump from his inaugural address, "We will build new roads, and highways, and bridged and airport, and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation."

Brown proclaimed, "And in this, we can all work together - here in Sacramento and in Washington as well. We have roads and tunnels and railroads and even a dam that the President could help us with. And that will create good-paying American jobs."...

A record run of adult steelhead, 707 so far, has returned to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery this year, but most of these fish appear to be fish that stayed in the river rather than going to sea.

“Ninety percent of the fish are adult steelhead in the 18 to 22 inch range averaging 3 pounds each,” said William Smith, hatchery manager. “Most of the fish have summered over in the river, due to the favorable cold water conditions over the past couple of years. We’ve also seen a few larger fish in the 5 to 6 lb. range that have apparently been to the ocean.”

While the flows haven’t been high in the river over the past couple of years, as they are now, the water temperatures have been favorable, due to the EMBUD’s management of cold water releases from Lake Pardee into Lake Camanche in recent years.

“Regardless of whether these fish have been to the ocean or not, any of the offspring of these fish have the potential to go to sea,” noted Smith.

The numbers of steelhead returning to the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery don’t compare to those at Nimbus, Feather and Coleman fish hatcheries in good years, where the fish number in the thousands, but they are a vast improvement over many years when no adult steelhead returned to the facility.

No steelhead came back to the hatchery, located on the river right below Camanche Dam, for 10 years from 1976 through 1986. Again in 1998-1999, no adult steelhead returned to the facility.

That doesn’t mean that there weren’t any rainbows in the river during these years. The river hosted a popular resident trout fishery for fly, bait and lure anglers, but relatively few of the 100,000 steelhead yearlings...

Have you noticed that often the best looking, sexiest baits aren’t the best fish producers? I’ve seen it time and time again, when a simple impressionistic offering will outperform a highly detailed, high dollar plug or spoon.

Soft plastic grubs are among the most versatile and cost effective baits you can use for trout and bass. Grubs come in a long list of colors and sizes. These lures can be rigged in various ways for casting or trolling and they do a great job of imitating both baitfish and crawfish. Best of all, when a fish grabs a grub they tend to hang on, because grubs feel and in some cases, taste like natural bait.

When it comes to super simple, cheap, versatile lures, the plastic grub is the leader of the pack. These lures come in a wide array of sizes, colors and styles and they consistently catch fish in both fresh and saltwater. I’ll talk about saltwater grubbing in an upcoming article. Today I’m going to focus on deploying grubs in freshwater. More specifically, I’m going to talk about how grubs can help you catch more trout and bass.

While most anglers that use grubs for trout troll them in lakes, don’t forget that you can catch both lake and stream trout while casting and retrieving grubs.

Since Jerry Brown began his second two terms as California governor in January 2011, he has continually promoted himself as a climate leader and green governor at climate conferences and photo opportunities throughout the U.S. and the world.

The mainstream media and some alternative media have provided overwhelmingly fawning coverage of Governor Brown's environmental record, usually without conducting any real investigation into Brown's actual record.

Countering this false narrative of the green governor, twelve public interest groups, led by Consumer Watchdog and Food & Water Watch, will on Monday, February 6, at 11 am, unveil a comprehensive report card on Jerry Brown Administration’s environmental record showing he falls short in seven key areas, including fossil fuel generated electricity, oil drilling, and coastal protection.

The groups will hold a live press conference at the Consumer Watchdog offices at 2701 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 112, Santa Monica, CA 90405 on February 6 at 11 am. Visuals will include blowups of Brown’s scores on seven key environmental indicators, graphs on state fossil fuel generating capacity, oil drilling, and polluting oil wastewater.

There will also be a conference call-in line available for those not able to attend the conference.

The groups will call for a moratorium on the building of natural gas powered electricity plants, given the glut of electric capacity, and call for an outside audit of the state’s energy needs, according to a media advisory from Consumer Watchdog and Food & Water Watch. The groups will show how California can improve its environmental protections to meet standards set in other states. Residents of Porter Ranch will discuss their deteriorating health due to Brown's push to keep Aliso canyon's gas reserve open.

CONTACT:

Consumer Watchdog Advocate Liza Tucker, 626-372-1964

Consumer Watchdog Advocate Cody Rosenfield, 310-345-5564

Food & Water Watch Senior Organizer, Alexandra Nagy,...

A 250-foot long cavity opened in the Oroville Dam spillway yesterday as approximately 55,000 cubic feet per second was being released from Lake Oroville into the Feather River downstream.

DWR shut the spillway to investigate the rupture on February 7. The discovery of the giant hole caused a halt and reduction in water deliveries downriver.

The rupture takes place at a time when Governor Jerry Brown is promoting the construction of two massive Delta Tunnels and new water storage. Project critics say that the state should instead focus on maintaining and improving existing water system infrastructure, such as properly maintaining the spillway at Oroville, rather than focusing on environmentally destructive and enormously expensive tunnels and dams.

To help determine an appropriate level of flow down the damaged spillway, the California Department of Water Resources plans to release up to 20,000 cubic feet per second this afternoon, then ramp down the flows and assess any further damage to the eroded spillway, a news release DWR reported.

The test flow will run for two hours, perhaps as soon as late this afternoon, according to Ted Thomas, spokesman for the Department of Water Resources. The test flow is expected to further erode the lower reach of the spillway, where a cavity opened yesterday as approximately 55,000 cfs was being released from the reservoir.

With the test flows, engineers will verify how much flow the spillway can handle. The spillway is necessary to maintain reservoir operations, given the immediate forecast of continued rain for the next two days and also in preparation for the remaining runoff season, said Thomas.

In the coming days, DWR will continue to investigate ways to bolster and protect the spillway. At the same time, as part of a contingency plan, the DWR is removing trees and debris from the...

The California Department of Water Resources this morning issued an update on the giant hole caused by erosion in the Oroville Dam spillway.

SACRAMENTO – As it manages storm inflow to Lake Oroville with a main spillway damaged by erosion, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced late Thursday that the reservoir’s emergency spillway likely will be used, perhaps as soon as the early hours of Saturday.

In that event, total discharges from the reservoir would be consistent with flood control releases at this time of year under these weather conditions. DWR does not expect the discharge from the reservoir to exceed the capacity of any channel downstream as the water flows through the Feather River, into the Sacramento River and on to the San Francisco Bay. Inflow to Lake Oroville was expected to peak late Thursday and begin to decline through the weekend.

Oroville Dam itself is sound and there is no imminent threat to the public, said DWR Acting Director William Croyle.

“We and our many partners are doing everything we can to minimize all risks to the public and the dam,” he said.

Thursday evening operators increased the releases down the damaged, gated spillway from 35,000 cubic feet per second to 40,000 cubic feet per second, with another 7,000 cfs passing through the dam’s hydroelectric power plant outlets. But those discharges are not enough to match an inflow of approximately 192,000 cfs from a storm that stalled over the watershed. The reservoir, at 884 feet elevation above sea level Thursday, will naturally begin to spill into the emergency spillway channel at elevation 901 feet. That point may come shortly after midnight Friday.

The emergency spillway has not been used in Oroville Dam’s 48-year history, but Lake Oroville came within a foot of spilling into it in...

Over 50 California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff conducted a successful relocation over the past two days of 6.5 million young Chinook salmon imperiled by raging, muddy flows of 65,000 cfs below Oroville Dam as a giant hole caused by erosion continues to expand.

The California Department of Water Resources boosted the water release from 40,000 cubic feet per second to 65,000 cfs with hopes that they could avoid the use of the emergency spillway at the Lake Oroville and Oroville Dam site in Butte County.

However, the agency issued an update saying they plan to reduce the releases to 55,000 cfs to prevent erosion along the north side of the spillway from compromising nearby power line towers.

"Whether the emergency spillway is used or not, Oroville Dam itself is sound and there is no imminent threat to the public," emphasized DWR Acting Director William Croyle. "We’re ready to use the emergency spillway if needed. But we’re trying to avoid it because there will be sediment and debris impacts downstream.”

Staff have relocated the 6.5 million fall-run and spring run Chinooks from the Feather River Hatchery in Oroville to the hatchery annex near the Thermalito Afterbay. These fish, approximately 1 inch long each, would die from suffocation in the turbid, sediment-laden water if left in the raceways of the hatchery.

Approximately 1.5 million juvenile salmon will remain in the hatchery where they will benefit from sediment ponds set up to cleanse the water. Engineering staff have also set up a charcoal filtration system utilizing a fire hydrant pump for the 1 million eyed steelhead eggs remaining in the hatchery.

"Right now we consider our rescue operation to be a good success," said Hughan. "We brought in staff from hatcheries all over the state to help in this emergency effort."...

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) issued an updated statement regarding the expected failure of the auxiliary spillway at Oroville Dam in Butte County. The agency noted that Oroville Dam itself is sound and is a separate structure from the auxiliary spillway.

DWR has doubled the flow down its main spillway from 55,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 100,000 cfs to avert more erosion on the auxiliary spillway.

In a press conference in Oroville, Eric See, DWR public information officer, stated that the flows from the auxiliary are on the decline and the overall conditions are stable, but the situation has changed dramatically since then.

Based on information from DWR and the incident command team managing Lake Oroville, counties and cities near Lake Oroville issued evacuation orders for residents. The concern is that erosion at the head of the auxiliary spillway threatens to undermine the concrete weir and allow large, uncontrolled releases of water from Lake Oroville. Those potential flows could

I grew up in the Bay Area and learned the productivity of fishing the rich waters of San Francisco Bay at an early age. Indeed, some of my earliest fishing memories dating back to the early 70s concern accompanying my dad and uncle Bob on outings along the Alameda, Oakland and San Leandro shorelines.

When they were after stripers they would typically work the area around the Bay Farm Island Bridge with plugs after the sun had set. At other times, Dad would use anchovies and pile worms to tempt flounders, jack smelt and other fish that frequent the south bay flats.

By the time I reached my teens we were living in San Lorenzo about a mile and a half from the shoreline trail that runs from the San Leandro Marina to the San Mateo Bridge. As a result, I became a dedicated bay angler, employing a mountain bike and surf rod to ply south bay waters for sharks, rays, stripers, perch and anything else that came within casting range of the shoreline.

These days I live in the Sierra and enjoy the fishing opportunities that the streams and reservoirs in the foothills and mountains provide. Yet, my day dreams are still filled with images of big stripers grabbing Rat-L-Traps and defiant leopard sharks smoking 25 pound mono off the spool of an oversize surf reel.