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

 Summary:  The question is: What Do You Want To Catch?  You have a wide range of choices right now.  Sturgeon, striped bass, halibut, trout, black bass, bat rays, sharks, perch, panfish, catfish. . .  The weather is holding up nicely and if you can get out of the wind you can get into some really good fishing.  Go to it!

STRIPED BASS:  Stripers are in the Bay and getting caught from Richmond to Emeryville.  Best recent action is taking place at Marina Bay when the water is up.  Grass shrimp is the key.  And there are still some fish on the China Camp side.  Good news to come: Suisun Bay has some stripers moving through, and they are big.  A bullhead (when you can get it) will be an excellent bait for a large linesider.
 
 

STURGEON: It has been very good at the mouth of the Napa River and where Montezuma Slough hits the Suisun--and in shoreline spots adjacent these areas.  Weird combo of shrimp and lamprey eel has been the choice of party boaters, and it has worked.  Crabs make the Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay hard sells, but if you keep at it you have a good chance of a diamondback.  And there's always the Delta, where Cache Slough is still turning them out.  No word on Bay Farm Island yet, but now is the time to start thinking about it.
 

PERCH: Only fair in the East Bay, but since people are happy to catch anything after the sluggish winter bite, bait shops are reporting great fishing.  It isn't so, unless you consider five perch to be a great day's work.  But it is better than nothing. Across the Bay it is only slightly better.  The big problem is the abundance of crabs stealing bait.  Still consistent on the beaches when the surf cooperates.  Look for redtail and walleyed perch mostly.
 

MISCELLANEOUS SPECIES: Halibut are in the Bay and are hitting swim bait lures (rainbow trout, anchovy, green colors all working) and Rat-L-Traps.  The SF sandy beaches are a good place to try.  So is Marina bay in Richmond.  Elsewhere they are hitting cut baits and, if you can find them, live shiners.  Bat rays have made an appearance at marina bay, and they have been pretty large.  Any bait will do.  Small leopard sharks are all over East Bay.  Jacksmelt are just now coming into the Bay.
 

FRESHWATER: Trout planted at Del Valle, Shadow Cliffs, Contra Loma, Chabot, and Phoenix.  Fishing is very good nearly everywhere.  Use worms or PowerBait in green or glitter colors.  Small shiny spoons will also be effective.  Some activity with black bass on jigs, plugs, and plastic.
 

DELTA RUMORS:  Not much change at all.  Still waiting for the big push down river for striped bass. Find them along the Mokelumne, San Joaquin, and Sacramento rivers.  Catch them on rattling lures or cut baits like herring, sardines, and anchovies.   Sturgeon fishing is good at Cache Slough off of Liberty Island Road with grass shrimp.  Catfishing is good everywhere.  Use grass shrimp, clams, or sardines.  Black Bass are starting to get into the spring pattern and males are wandering the shallow waters.  Break out the top water and broken back lures.  Also bring along plastics and jigs.