THE WEEKLY SHORELINER'S REPORT
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 Summary: The fishing is improving locally even if the winds are still a major problem.  The water clarity is much better and the warm weather is stirring up the fish.  What we really need now are better tides.  The striped bass run, such as it is,  has begun in the Delta.  It will be short but eventful, and then the stripers should be moving our way in good-sized schools.  And when the halibut realize the cold weather is gone, the next few months may provide  some excellent Bay fishing.  Why not be optimistic?

STRIPED BASS: Golden Gate Fields is still a good spot at the start of the outgoing tide for catching legal stripers on Kastmasters and wormtailed jigs.  Point Isabel has seen a few good fish each day on pile worms during the incoming tide. Also some action at Butler's Beach. There are a good many shakers for every keeper, but that's still better than nothing.  The Delta continues to be very good for striped bass, especially in the north along the Sacramento River.

STURGEON: The season is over but the diehards persist--and sometimes they catch sturgeon.  Try China Camp, Point Pinole, Port Costa, and Eckley Pier for slim possibilities, or head out to Collinsville and work the slower backwaters.  Sherman Island near the power lines has been productive on shrimp baits.

PERCH: The action has returned.  On this side of the bay there are good sizes in black perch on pile worms and blood worms near the top of the tide. There is a good chance along the rocks near the deeper spots from Emeryville to Richmond.  Some black perch and shiners at Berkeley Pier.  Striped, rainbow, and rubberlipped perch are chasing small gold Kastmasters at Fort Point or biting on shrimp and worms on both sides of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Sausalito and Tiburon are reporting good fishing from the shore.  And the ocean is providing walleyed, redtail and striped perch on a variety of baits.  All of this, of course, is when the wind is down.

FLATFISH: Halibut are straggling into the bay and some are even getting caught from the shore.  Berkeley Pier is slow but encouraging; plenty of live bait around and plenty of time to kill.  At Butler's Beach, way out at the end of the breaker rocks, a couple pluggers have bagged  halibut on Rat-L-Traps, in sizes up to 20 pounds.  If and when the water clears and the tides get better (and the wind calms down), things should improve.  Warmer temperatures are definitely a plus.

MISCELLANEOUS SPECIES: There are bat rays all over this side of the bay.  The trick in catching them seems to be in fishing for something else.  Anchovies, blood worms, pile worms, and even the errant lure have all captured rays, some of them quite large.  The middle of the incoming tide up to the top appears to be the best time.  Smelt and leopard sharks are around Butler's Beach on worms or anchovies.  For those interested in using bullheads for stripers, try fishing Point Isabel near the tower on the top of the tide.  Pile worms and blood worms will get you a good supply of bullheads.  Problem is, they are very small.

FRESHWATER: Trout plants at the following lakes: Contra Loma, Lafayette, Temescal, San Pablo, Chabot, Lagunitas, Bon Tempe, Shadow Cliffs.  Sparkling chartreuse powerbait or nightcrawlers are top baits for fish in the 5 to 10 pound range.  Small Kastmasters and spoons are also successful.  Black bass fishing is fair to good, and the catfishing is beginning to bloom.

DELTA RUMORS: Stripers are hitting sardines and lures in the North Delta in the usual spots from the Mokelumne down through the Sacramento.  The best spots are in the area of Decker Island and the power lines off Sherman Island.  In the South Delta, stripers are biting pile worms, sardines, and lures at Bacon Island and Whiskey Slough, as well as the shoreline of the San Joaquin River into Stockton.   The catfish spawn lingers, this time in the bigger fish.  Cut mackerel is excellent for blues and yellows between 3 and 10 pounds.  Chicken livers and night crawlers are good for the huge channel cats roaming at night or early morning.  Clams are still effective when nothing else seems to work.  Many good spots, but Middle River is among the best right now.  Black Bass and crappie fishing remain good to great.