THE WEEKLY SHORELINER'S REPORT

                     {http://songslinger.virtualave.net/fishing.html}

 Summary: Fishing improved tremendously--or maybe the optimism just returned.  Something about entering August summons hope that cooler weather and calmer winds will put the fish in a biting mood.  The terrible seaweed has receded at last and the water is much clearer than before.  Salmon are on the move and so are the rockfish.  And so are the crabs, in three voracious flavors: red, dungeness, and mitten.  The wind is still nasty after Noon.   But  all this is less of a pain than it used to be because the fish are feeding and getting caught again.

STRIPED BASS:  Another sign of Autumn around the corner: stripers are hitting bullheads.  If you were smart and saved all those bullheads you ran into in the last month or so, now is the time to start taking them out of the freezer.  There is a fair chance to get a striped bass from Emeryville to Richmond on the top of the tide.  Strawberry Point in Tiburon is still producing stripers on Hair Raisers during the low tide (but you need waders).  Biggest mystery this year is why the beaches haven't taken off yet.

STURGEON:  San Pablo Bay is the place to be, especially on the Marin side.  Try between China Camp and San Quentin Point with shrimp baits.  Mitten crabs are still a nuisance but worth putting up with for the sake of a diamondback.

PERCH: Much better recently, with the top spots for black perch at the Berkeley Marina and San Quentin Point.  Pile worms and mussels will work.  Also some striped perch, rainbow perch, black perch, and the occasional pile perch at Fort Baker and Fort Point

MISCELLANEOUS SPECIES:  Halibut continue to be too small to keep.  Salmon have been caught on live anchovies at Fort Point Pier in the last week, and anglers keep trying for them across the bridge at Yellow Bluff next to Fort Baker.  Now is the time to start making exploratory trips to Rodeo, Crockett, Benicia, and Suisun City.  Rockfish and lings are coming in as Autumn approaches.  Fort Baker and Fort Cronkite are two fair choices.   Try for bat rays at Fort Baker, too.  Kingfish are scattered throughout both bays.

FRESHWATER: Trout plant at San Pablo Reservoir. Catfish plants at Chabot, Del Valle, Shadow Cliffs, and Contra Loma.  Catfish are coming in on nightcrawlers and fish baits, especially mackerel.  for trout, it's small Krocodiles trolled or cast, and the usual combinations of PowerBait (ask the Dam employees for the current hot color; it changes all the time), cheese, corn, and marshmallows.

DELTA RUMORS:  Though the intense heat or high winds can ruin fishing here, the word is that things are getting better as Autumn comes nearer.  Still too many little stripers in the area, but some keepers are getting caught at Sherman Island on grass shrimp and sardines, and also in the back waters of Mildred Island, which means shoreliners stand a chance at Whiskey Slough, Empire Cut, and Bacon Island.  Catfishing is very good at Bacon Island, Holland Tract, Big Break (a little tough on shoreliners there), and Georgiana Slough.  Sardines, mackerel, anchovies, minnows, and clams are all working.  Fish from night into dawn.  Red worms and minnows and mini jigs are still producing crappies, bluegills, and redears in smallish sizes by tules and structure in a variety of locations.  Black bass fishing is slow.  Sturgeon are getting caught at Sherman Island on shrimp baits.