Summary:  East Bay anglers have the upper hand these days.  No sense traveling too far when you have your choice of striper, halibut, or perch fishing--or even bat rays, if you like a strong fight. And there's always freshwater fishing, which has really turned on thanks to great weather and tons of trout plants.   It's all happening nearby for shoreliners.  Mitten crabs are a problem from Carquinez Strait into San Pablo Bay.  The wind can be a problem for everyone after Noon.  Welcome to summertime!

STRIPED BASS: Stripers are in excellent numbers already from Carquinez to the sea.  Some are returning early from the Spring Run and others are latecomers heading upriver.  Live shiners, and anchovies would be great baits right now, along with pile worms.  But most of the action has belonged to pluggers, throwing Fish Traps, Rat-L-Traps, Hair Raisers, and Kastmasters--in about that order.  Bait fishermen have found the best success in the last hour of the incoming through the first three hours of the outgoing.  Pluggers get out early or late at night.  Some nice activity happening on the beaches, too, south of the Golden Gate.

STURGEON: Martinez Pier is the closest place with the hottest action for shoreliners.  Grass shrimp and patience may see you clear to a good diamondback.  Also Try Napa River from Vallejo past the Highway 37 bridge.

PERCH: It takes some hunting. but there are lots of big black perch and pile perch around the rocks in the Berkeley Marina.  Chavez Park has been the most productive spot lately.  There are plenty of perch in Marin from Sausalito to the Golden Gate and on the other side from Crissy Field to the South Tower.  Pile worms and grass shrimp.  When the wind is bad in the Bay, the ocean has been a sheltered paradise for perch fishing from Pacifica all the way up to Point Reyes.  Redtail, calico, barred, walleye, and striped perch are all possible.  Pile worms, blood worms and plastic grubs are the way to go.

MISCELLANEOUS SPECIES: Halibut keep coming into the Bay and are in larger sizes.  Still not a lot getting caught but Berkeley Pier is seeing up to four a day on anchovies (mostly frozen) and live smelt. It's been hard to locate shiners lately.  Jacksmelt are all over the place.  Some flounder remain in the Bay, too, gobbling up pile worms.  Shark action has slowed to a crawl but that can always change.  Bat rays are in, especially in the Berkeley area.  Anchovies will attract them, some up to 50 pounds.

FRESHWATER: Trout plants in the following lakes:  San Pablo, Lafayette, Chabot, Shadow Cliffs, Del Valle, Temescal, Contra Loma, Bon Tempe, and Phoenix.  Best time to fish is still early morning.  The top baits have been combinations, like PowerBait (chartreuse, glitter varieties) and cheese on one hook or nightcrawlers and marshmallows on the other.  Or use your own mixtures.  Trout fishing is the best it's been all year, and shoreliners have the best chance of getting some large fish.   Kastmasters, Criplures, and Wedding Rings are still best for lures. Black bass fishing is coming around nicely on plastics and spinnerbaits.

DELTA RUMORS:  As mentioned, the Spring Run is on for striped bass.  Ghost shrimp, grass shrimp, shad, anchovies, sardines, pile worms and blood worms are all worth using.  And they have the added advantage of being the same baits that catfish and sturgeon have been picking up lately.  Broken-back Rebels and Rat-L-Traps are working.  Best spots are the main channels of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, though some sloughs are still fairly productive as the stripers move out.  The only drawback is the wind, so fish early or at night and be rewarded.  Sturgeon are holding fairly from Cache Slough to Sherman Island, and in the north shore of Suisun Bay.  Black bass fishing remains solid. Jigs, Brush Hog and Zipper Worms are the artificials of choice.  Crappie fishing is good on live minnows.  Catfish continue to be taken on clams and mackerels.