THE WEEKLY SHORELINER'S REPORT
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Summary: If the wind cooperates,
the seashore is the only place to be these days. Stripers, Halibut,
and Perch are biting from the beaches and rocks. Everywhere else
is slow. Some monster tides coming up in the night hours that should
do wonders for cleaning out the bay system. After that, things can
only get better.
STRIPED BASS:
The hot spot right now is the beach. Take your pick from Baker Beach
all the way to Fort Funston. Hair raisers, Kastmasters, and cut anchovies
are capturing some fairly large stripers, some in the 20 pound class.
The change at the bottom or top of the tides is the best time to fish.
Also a few stripers being pulled in at Butler's Beach, Point Isabel, Golden
Gate Fields, and the Berkeley Marina on pile worms, anchovies, and lures.
STURGEON:
Anglers are still catching the occasional diamondback on the Napa River
around Vallejo.
PERCH:
Walleyed perch are the most common these days, and not very big.
They're all over, from the beaches to Berkeley Pier. But there are
also some nice barred, striped, black, and pile perch available.
Try the beaches, especially near Fort Cronkite, for all species using pile
worms. Sausalito is good for black and striped perch. If the
wind is bad even by the sea, then try Drake's Beach at Point Reyes.
The ring of cliffs effectively block out the wind and the barred perch
fishing is very good right now on pile worms. A long drive, but well
worth it.
FLATFISH:
A few halibut are getting caught at Berkeley Pier. But the real action
is just outside the Golden Gate, near the Cliff House in San Francisco.
Hard shoreline fishing there, but the brave and dedicated are finding halibut
on three-way rigs with live bait. Or try plugging with wormtails
tipped with anchovies.
MISCELLANEOUS
SPECIES: Not much going on. Some smelt on the outgoing tide,
mostly around Berkeley Pier, and a few small sharks, but that's about it.
Salmon are still going through the bay system but no one's getting them
near the shore yet.
FRESHWATER:
Trout plants at the following lakes: San Pablo, Contra Loma, Chabot, and
Shadow Cliffs. Hot weather has slowed down the bite. The word
is, get there early and go deep for trout. Powerbaits and spinners
have worked. Or fish for catfish with chicken livers or nightcrawlers.
Channel cats on the small size are taking anchovies at Nicasio Reservoir
at the northeastern end.
DELTA RUMORS:
Some spawned-out stripers are getting caught swimming downriver at Georgiana
and Steamboat sloughs, as well as below the Rio Vista bridge, mostly on
brine-soaked sardines. Black bass continue to hit crayfish-type crankbaits
and artificial worms by rock walls and weeds. Otherwise it's catfishing
at night or early morning with all baits working well, especially clams.
Try Cache Slough in North Delta or Whiskey Slough and Bacon Island in the
south.
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