THE WEEKLY SHORELINER'S REPORT
Summary: Extreme minus tides in the morning, followed by a lackluster incoming and blistering sunny days have moved the fish away from the shore.
STRIPED BASS:
Pretty bleak in the bays right now. And not too good in the sea,
either, except late at night when the deeper incoming tide brings them
closer to the realm of shoreliners. Try black floaters. Or
hit the Delta before dawn.
STURGEON: The
Delta or nowhere.
PERCH: Pretty
good despite the heat and minus tides. The black perch are lingering
below rocky shelves fairly close to the banks and can be enticed by pile
worms and grass shrimp. Or try the piers, especially those with wooden
pilings and a good depth. The San Francisco waterfront is the most consistent
area for black, white, and pile perch, with the occasional striped perch
thrown in. From the beaches it's a strange process, on and
off with not much rhyme or reason, and the weeds are so thick that your
bait will be smothered before a fish gets a chance to munch on it.
MISCELLANEOUS
SPECIES: There have been a good deal of halibut getting nailed from
boats in the Bay past few days, but from the shore it's a joke. Might
be a better idea to jig swimbaits or spoons from the rocks behind the Gate
or throw frozen anchovies from Fort Cronkhite and similar beaches.
There are some big ones where the sand meets the rocks. Bat rays are still
available in San Pablo Bay and in the south by Candlestick; kingfish are
in Richmond; jacksmelt in large numbers all the way down at Pillar Point;
and rockfish are close in at the rocky beaches. Cut anchovies are
the top baits for these fish. Start looking for salmon in Rodeo and
Benicia before the crowds set in. Be the rumor instead of chasing
it!
FRESHWATER:
Trout plants at these lakes: Chabot, San Pablo, and Los Vaqueros.Catfish
plants at Temescal, Contra Loma Del Valle, Chabot, and Shadow Cliffs.
Same old story. Hot weather kills the trout bite except for very early
morning or at dusk--for that matter, that's the story for the other species,
too, unless you fish within the fog zone. August=doldrums in freshwater,
save for catfish.
DELTA RUMORS:
Go figure. Searing days, frequently accompanied by furnace blast
winds--and the fishing is better than it was during the traditional Spring
Run. Striped bass are at Sherman Island in large sizes. Shad
baits are the top offering but these pigs will smack just about anything
they come across. Best time is early morning or late in the evening.
Black bass are in the same area and like the typical lures, but many are
taking baits like live minnows floated under the bobbers. Catfish
are everywhere and like fishy offerings, no surprise. Salmon have
tapered off slightly but can still be found from Isleton to Walnut Grove,
and a few in the Mokelumne River. More are on their way.