Pro tip #1 - Plug fishing for steelhead.

Plug fishing for steelhead on the Sacramento River, or any river for that matter, can be both challenging at times and very rewarding.  Steelhead are aggressive by nature, especially in the upper reaches of the rivers they were born in, and will readily hit a properly presented plug under most conditions.  The information contained in this Pro tip is intended to give the reader a basic to intermediate understanding of how to successfully fish plugs for steelhead.  I have spent a lot of time on the rivers of the PNW and in California plug fishing for steelhead and hope that the information I'm about to lay out here will help you become a better plug fisherman.

A large assortment of plugs can be helpful when fishing for steelhead.

Lets start by talking about the gear I use when plug fishing for steelhead.  I use G.Loomis E6X HSR 9000C hot shot rods when fishing for steelhead on the Sacramento River.  These rods are perfectly suited for steelhead fishing with plugs.  The HSR 9000C is a 7' 6" rod that has a sensitive tip, which helps the plugs swim properly, and a strong butt section which gives the rod the power to set the hook and to fight hot steelhead in heavy current.  I use a Shimano Tekota 300LC level wind line counter reel spooled with 30# Power Pro Super Slick 8 hi-vis yellow braid line.  I attach a 6' section of fluorocarbon leader to the braid using a double uni knot.  So, why use hi-vis braid you ask.  Power Pro braid has a small diameter, (30# braid = 8 lb mono), and provides virtually no stretch which is important in plug fishing.  I use hi-vis braid line so I can see where my plugs are digging and it helps me manage them better when I have 3-4 plugs in the water.  Finally, it is important to be able to set your plugs back at a specified distance.  This can be accomplished more easily with line counter reels.  I most often let my plugs out 50-70' behind the boat when back trolling and have found that you will get way more bites if the plugs are all swimming at the same distance behind the boat.  Presenting a wall of plugs can be most efficiently accomplished with line counter reels. 

G,Loomis HSR 9000C plug, Shimano Tekota 300LC reel, 30# Power Pro braid line, and a 3.0 Mag Lip steelhead plug.

Now that I have discussed the rod, reel, and lines I use its time to talk about the plugs I use.  There are lots of plug variables depending on where and what time of the year you fish for steelhead, but for the sake of keeping it local, I will talk about what I use on the Sacramento River from Redding to Red Bluff when plug fishing.  I have used several types and sizes of plugs on the Sac River and have found the Yakima Bait Co. 3.0 Mag Lip plug to be the most effective and best suited for the flows during the steelhead season.  Mag Lip plugs have a very good diving range and can be fished in 3'-12' of water on the Sac without any modifications.  These plugs are a perfect fit because most of the best steelhead fishing on the Sac can be found in 4'-10' of water.  The Mag Lip plugs are typically ready to fish right out of the package and don't usually require tuning.  Always check your plugs at the side of the boat to make sure they are diving and swimming straight.  Fishing a plug that is not running properly will result in no fish hooked!  If you have any doubt, pull your plug upstream.  If it swims to the side or surfaces when you pull against the current, it needs to be tuned before fishing it.  Tuning can be accomplished by very slightly bending the eye on the bill of the plug in the opposite direction the plug is swimming.  Once your plug is diving straight, you are ready to put it out in front of some fish.  I always add scent to my plugs before fishing them and it does make a difference.  I will apply a generous amount of Pautzke Bait Co. Liquid Krill scent every time I reel in to check my plugs for debris.  One small secret I don't often talk about is the addition of a small piece of crawdad meat to my plug.  I have found that soaking the crawdad meat in Pautzke Nectar overnight gets me more bites than when I run it plain.  I wrap the meat onto the plug using stretchy thread.  Steelhead go nuts for these plugs wrapped with crawdad meat and the strikes you'll get are vicious.  One word of caution is to not add a very big piece of meat to the 3.0's because they won't run straight if the meat is not precisely centered under the belly hook of the plug.  I use a very small piece of crawdad, especially of they have been soaked in the Pautzke Nectar because the meat will be loaded with scent.  Once your plugs are running straight and you have spiced them up, its time to put them out behind the boat.

Hands down my favorite 4 colors for the Sacramento River.

Now that you have all your gear straight and your plugs tuned and scented, its time to go find some steelhead.  Reading water can be tough for the beginner so I'll make this real simple.  Fish the flows that you are able to when pulling plugs, and don't get hung up on any other part of the river.  You can't fish plugs in the white water or in really fast current, and you can't fish the deep holes where your plugs can't reach bottom so eliminate that water as an option.  If you fish the current seams, (where fast water meets slower flowing water) you will find steelhead.  Early in the morning you can find these steelhead laying in 3' of water, but I usually target water in the 4'-10' range like I mentioned earlier.  If you don't see any current seams and you want to fish a nice long run, make sure its got a flat bottom, lots of rocks, and has a current flow that compares to a fast walking speed.  You will likely find steelhead laying in that section of the river.  If its too deep or the current is moving too fast, pick another spot to fish, there are plenty of them.  This is not to say that you won't find fish in other sections of the river I just told you to stay away from, but save those hard to fish areas for later in the day.  As steelhead see the light of day, deal with boat traffic and angler pressure, they will sometimes move into deeper water or a little further into the fast water where they will tuck in behind a big rock or behind a ledge that drops into a deep hole.  I typically hit all the holy water on my down river and then stop in the areas I just described on my way back to the launch.  Some of the best fish of the day can come from those hard to get to spots on the river.  As you get familiar with the stretch of river you are fishing you will know right where the steelhead sit and you will in most cases find success often.  One thing to pay attention to, especially on the Sacramento River, are the flows from Keswick Dam.  The steelhead will change their location in the river with flow increases and decreases.  You can fish a good looking section on the river on Monday and by Friday that section is a gravel bar or is too fast to keep a plug down.  I make a mental note or even write down what the flows were for any given day and note where I caught the most fish. 

The section of the Sacramento River below Sundial Bridge is classic steelhead water.  It has a nice flat bottom, big cantaloupe size rocks, and is 8'-10' deep during the summer months and in the fall.

The section of the Sacramento River below Sundial Bridge is classic steelhead water.  It has a nice flat bottom, big cantaloupe size rocks, and is 8'-10' deep during the summer months and in the fall.

The final consideration for a successful effort while pulling plugs for steelhead is boat handling.  You can't catch steelhead with plugs if you can't control your boat.  You absolutely must be able to keep you boat tracking straight and managing your downstream presentation.  Plug presentation is most effective when you slowly put these plugs in front of fish and invade their space.  If you sit in one spot and move all over the place, you're not likely to get these fish to react to your presentation.  If you allow your boat to drop downstream too fast, the steelhead will likely move to the side and watch the plug swim by.  Find the area you wish to fish, set your downstream line and stay on track.  Some sections of the river, such as wide, flat bottom drifts, or wide tail outs will need to be worked over to cover all of the bottom area that will hold steelhead.  In those situations, slowly back trolling down stream and moving from side to side (sweeping) can be very effective.  I look to the shoreline as a reference to manage how fast I allow the boat to slip downstream.  A good friend and mentor, Ron Rogers, taught me that many years ago and its served me well since.

Thats me pulling plugs for steelhead in a tail out in the early 90's on the Skykomish River in Washington State.

As with anything, there are some fine points I might have failed to mention but if you follow most of everything I've written in this plug fishing for steelhead Pro tip, I'm confident you will have the basic information needed to find success while pulling plugs for river run steelhead.  If you would like to learn with a more hands on approach, I would be happy to have you book a trip with me and you can get some first hand experience.  I will teach you and demonstrate what you need to know to be successful when plug fishing for steelhead.  Its a great option for accelerated success and its how I got my learning start over 30 years ago.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this Pro tip subject at (707) 616-1905.

Sacramento River steelhead caught while trolling a plug doused in Pautzke Bait Co. Liquid Krill.

Shasta Lake fishing report 1/19

Shasta Lake is getting another dose of very wet weather again this week and with previous rains could have possibly filled by now if water managers would have allowed it to do so.  Its way too early in the year to top off Shasta Lake so releases from Shasta Dam have remained very high all week.  We're experiencing some significant amounts of rainfall and the snow pack is something to behold.  All this water, whether it be rain or snow, has ended the drought in northern California and fishing on Shasta Lake looks great!

Now while I've been concentrating on fishing Shasta Lake for Spotted bass the last few weeks, I've shifted my focus to the trout and land locked Kings.  Now with water temps around 48-49 degrees, trout and salmon fishing can be tough.  I've had some good days and a few slow days, but I'm catching fish every trip out so far this week.  Shasta is holding up very well through these storms and I'd have to say its in great shape.  The water color is very good and the debris in the lake is minimal.

I've been concentrating my efforts around the dam, Digger Bay, and the Dry Creek area.  This week I've found most of the rainbows and Kings to be sitting between 60' feet and 80' but have marked them above and below as well.  Most of my bites are coming in the 70-80' foot range consistently.  I'm trolling between 1.3-1.7 mph due to the very cool water temps.  My most effective color patterns have been baits in white or orange behind white or orange colored dodgers, although green dodgers with a green squid have taken fish as well.

Electronics are key right now and is the easiest way to find what depth the fish are holding.  There are literally salmon and trout everywhere, but working one area can be tough because the bite is slow.  I'm covering a lot of water and looking for biters, there just don't seem to be a lot in one place.  I've been trying different depths as well, but like I said, my bites are coming at 70-80'.

For those of your that have a boat but no downriggers, you are in luck!  There are dozens of creeks and drainage water coming into Shasta right now.  Not only are these creeks holding bass, the trout tend to gravitate to these areas this time of year as well.  be prepared to fish some dirty water and bring your spin gear.  Nightcrawler's are a great bait in these areas right now and the trout will readily eat whatever floats past them.  Try running some crank baits or spinner baits into the mouths of these creeks if bait fails.  Another favorite method for me is a drop shot rig with a black/red flake worm, earth worm color, or an ox blood color worm.  These seem to get both the bass and trout to bite under these conditions. Don't forget scent!

I'd expect good fishing on Shasta Lake to be up and down numbers wise, but I think its always worth a shot this time of the year.  With the winds blowing bait down toward the dam, I'd expect that area to continue to be a top producer.  The rainbows and Kings are definitely keying in on the shad and their bellies are stuffed with them.  That should give you some good direction on how to pattern your offerings on Shasta Lake.  Good luck and enjoy another great week on Shasta Lake!

 

Sacramento River steelhead fishing report 12/8/16

This last week has progressively revealed a slow down on the Sacramento River steelhead fishing for me, but we are still catching some very good fish. Fishing hard all day has paid off by days end and we are coming in with 10-15 Steelhead hooked.  These steelhead, mostly wild, are absolute rockets when hooked on plugs and are not easy to get to the net.  We are still landing more than half of the fish we hook on most days and my clients are having a blast fighting them.

Jim Malner with his first Sac River steelhead of the day.

I am still having the best bite on back trolled plugs, but you can still entice a few fish with egg presentations and Dick Nite spoons.  Solid and metallic gold 3.0 Mag Lip plugs have continued to produce the most bites for me still.  Keeping the plugs free from floating grass continues to be a challenge.  I've been pulling out my plugs when I approach some of the known steelhead haunts and make sure they are clean and freshly scented before dropping them back into holding water.  You have to make every opportunity count this time of year so a proper presentation is key.

Ralph Camacho of Corona, Ca. with his first ever steelhead.

I'm still plugging a lot of shallow water and am finding the most steelhead to be laying in 3-4' of water.  I'm still running my plugs out 70' behind the boat and concentrating my efforts on shallow slots, tail outs and current seams.  I'm not finding steelhead in the deeper drop offs I'm used to fishing in the spring and summer.  Water temps are sitting at 52 deg's and flows from Keswick are sitting at around 4950 cfs.

Oscar with a Sac River steelhead below Sundial Bridge.

On a side note, I fished below Roosters yesterday and found water temps of 48 deg's making for a tough bite.  Fishing is very slow in the Barge Hole area for salmon, but there are a few rolling at the mouth of Battle Creek and in the Barge Hole.  We have more rain in the forecast and flows are supposed to be on the rise, possibly reaching 10,000 cfs above Bend Bridge.  The 2016 Sacramento River salmon season ends on the 17th so Friday the 16th is the last day to fish.  If the river drops into a fishable condition again before the 17th then it may likely be worth one last trip to the Barge Hole!

Chuck Steen holds a nice Sac River steelhead above Sundial Bridge in Redding, Ca.

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee spawn in huge numbers!

Gracie Goodwin with an 18" Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon caught in 2016.

Whiskeytown Lake saw a banner year of Kokanee salmon fishing in 2016.  As early as May this year, every trip I made to Whiskeytown Lake resulted in full limits of Kokanee salmon.  The sheer numbers of adult size Kokanee was simply staggering and as the season wore on, it became clear that there were more Kokanee in the lake than we had seen in many years.   

Anglers from all over the state of California converged on Whiskeytown this last summer and it wasn't uncommon to see the Whiskey Creek boat launch facility filled to capacity, especially on the weekends.  Every size boat you can imagine was seen on the lake trolling for Kokanee nearly every day of the season which went well into October.  Local anglers took full advantage of the great Kokanee fishing and it really showed at the local sporting goods stores.  The largest retailer of Kokanee gear in Redding, Sportsmans Warehouse, was hard pressed to keep the Kokanee tackle displays stocked.  As soon as a shipment of new Kokanee tackle came in it was quickly depleted. 

The booming Kokanee fishery on Whiskeytown Lake was fueled by social media posts and outdoor online media as well.  Even the well known fishing organization, Kokanee Power, held its first annual Kokanee tournament on Whiskeytown and it was a huge success.  Participating anglers found easy limits of Kokanee and even weighted one in which exceeded the 16" inch mark early in the season.  It was such a big success, Kokanee Power is already planning its 2nd annual Kokanee tournament on Whiskeytown this next summer.

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee spawning in Brandy Creek in November 2016.

The Kokanee season came to a close in October when the adult Kokanee found enough water in the Whiskeytown tributaries after the seasons first significant rains.  Clear Creek, Brandy Creek, and Whiskey Creek turned red with Kokanee. CDFW Biologist, Monty Currier explained that during their trips to monitor the Kokanee spawn, he observed more Kokanee spawning than he had seen in previous years.  Currier has helped manage this fishery for many years and was quite happy to see just how healthy this population of Kokanee had become.  

Although Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee populations are self sustaining, many lakes and reservoirs in California require programs to stock the Kokanee in order to make them available for the sport anglers.  Typically, Kokanee salmon are purchased from hatcheries in Washington State in order to supply California waters. Currier says that CDFW is working on a potential effort to utilize the healthy populations of Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee to harvest eggs from ripe female Kokanee and will ultimately use those eggs to generate a supply of Kokanee for sport catch right here in California.

Whiskeytown Lake is a shining example of what good management by CDFW can bring to a body of water and will undoubtedly continue to be one of the best lakes in California to fish for Kokanee for years to come.  Good fishing on Whiskeytown Lake in 2017 will likely begin in early summer.  I expect the Kokanee fishing to be off the hook again next year and I'll be running guided fishing trips when it does turn on.  Look for a special Kokanee salmon "how to" article when spring rolls around.  I'll lay out all the information on tackle and techniques to help you have successful days on the water when fishing Whiskeytown Lake for Kokanee salmon.

Sacramento River steelhead fishing report

December has arrived here in the north state and I'm happy to report that we are still seeing fishable flows from Keswick Dam here in the Redding area.  Flows are currently at 5070 cfs with no reductions currently scheduled.  Of course that can change any day, but until that time comes, I will be enjoying an extended steelhead fishing season on the Sacramento River between Redding and Cottonwood. 

Brain Hales with a Sacramento River steelhead.

 

I have been finding most of my success when fishing for steelhead by back trolling Yakima Bait Co. Mag Lip plugs. I've been using the Yakima Bait Co. 2.5", 3.0", and 3.5" Mag Lip plugs and am definitely seeing the best bite on the 3.0's.  It's been a bit more difficult to find the steelhead in the traditional spots lately and I have noticed that when I do find some fish to bite, its been productive to stay on them, making a few passes over them before moving on to the next drift.  Working every slot and every section of the river you can is necessary right now to get the most bites.  I'm catching fish in 3' feet of water in some cases and thats not normally where I fish for them.  Because I'm fishing so shallow, I'm letting my plugs back behind the boat to up to 70' feet.

 

The aquatic grass has been a problem all year on the Sac, but its currently not as bad as it has been the past few weeks.  Its been helpful to have something at the top of your leader to catch grass, like an inline bead or a barrel swivel.  Your line will still load up fairly quickly, but keeping the grass off your Mag Lip plug is obviously very important to your success.  I've been using Pro-Cure scents on my plugs as well and its definitely making a difference.  I like the Pro-Cure gel scents, but I'm finding the new "Super Sauce" to be a superior scent for applying to my plugs.  I get the great benefit of the scent staying on the plug, but it also leaves a nice scent trail for the fish before the plug gets down into their space.

My collection of Yakima Bait Co. 3.0 Mag Lip plugs.

 

I've made my steelhead plug choice very clear, but choosing a color can be difficult with all of the choices Yakima Bait Co. has to offer.  The thing is, many colors will get bit but I'm finding that if you have some darker colored plugs and some metallic plugs, you are in business.  This summer and fall, the metallic pinks did very well for me but when the rains came, black and the metallic gold colors were the most productive.  Don't be afraid to try new colors when you can, you may just stumble on a new favorite!

 

I don't know how long this fishery will hold up for the power boat anglers in Redding, but when the flows do get cut back, you can still find great success back trolling Mag Lip plugs out of a drift boat.  I don't currently own a drift boat, but if I did, you can bet that I would be out there pulling plugs for steelhead on the Sacramento River near Redding all winter long!  

Pro-Cure Super Sauce I use for scenting my plugs when fishing them.

Sacramento River salmon and steelhead fishing report.

My Willie Boat is back from the Willie Boats factory in Medford with some new upgrades and I'm back to sampling the fishing on local waters. The Sacramento River in the Cottonwood area is seeing some improved numbers of late fall salmon and the Kings that are being caught in the are in great shape. Back trolling Flatfish plugs is the most productive method for catching these beasts this time of year, but a few have also been caught with bait in the Barge Hole recently.

Our 2014 Willie Fuzion jet boat pictured with a new removable windshield.

The Sac is fishing good for steelhead trout and rainbows below Anderson, but with the absence of fall spawners, its not as good as we are used to this time of the year.  I fished 8mm-10mm orange and yolk colored beads the other day and found success, but we had to work for them.  You can't just go out and find spawning salmon to throw egg patterns behind right now in the usual spawning areas.  Although it rained most of the trip and it was hard to see below the surface of the water, I only managed to find one spawner and she was obviously done doing her thing and was just waiting to die.

Chris Dugger of Redding, Ca. with a nice Sacramento River rainbow.

Chris Dugger of Redding, Ca. with a nice Sacramento River rainbow.

One bright spot on the Sac still remains the section located in Redding.  Fly anglers are finding success with egg patterns and nymph patterns are still working as well.  I hear the "birds nest" fly has been good for many.  For the spin gear guys, the Dick Nite spoons are still a top choice.  Drift fishing can be a challenge with all of the moss on the bottom of the river and I have found that using very little lead to get your baits down is the best way to avoid fouling your baits right now.  In fact, drifting baits under a bobber like the fly anglers do is the best way to keep your baits fishing.  I've been "bobber doggin" for the trout using beads and flies on and off this season and think its going to be a solid technique in the future in our area.  The bottom of the river just keeps "growing" every year and the moss has become a real issue.

Sacramento River fishing guide, Jeff Goodwin with a nice steelhead!

We are expecting a wet weather system this weekend and the Sacramento River above Bend Bridge is forecasted to reach flows of 12,000+ cfs by Sunday.  This could be problematic for salmon fishing in the immediate future, but may help pull some fresh fish up river in the coming weeks.  With salmon season closing on the Sacramento River on December 16th, it would be really nice to see a strong finish to the 2016 up here in the Anderson area.

Sacramento River "late fall" King salmon.

Sac River fall steelhead fishing report.

Sac River wild steelhead.

Last weeks storms brought some of our first significant rainfall totals to the foot hills and valley here in the Redding area.  Rainfall is always welcomed this time of the year, especially with 4 years of drought that is still haunting the region.  Local lakes have seen level increases and tributaries continue to provide a slow, but steady, amount of run off.  Both Whiskeytown and Shasta Lakes look great, and the Sacramento River is holding its own with a steady supply of water coming in from all directions.  

One of the best fishing opportunities on the Sacramento River now includes the hatchery steelhead run and wild trout fishing.  With a fresh shot of dirty water in the Sac, both fall run salmon and steelhead have started to show up in good numbers in the river above Red Bluff.  In addition to these new fish in our area, spawning salmon are providing the annual "egg drop" bite and the resident rainbows are currently locked in on spawning salmon waiting for a chance to gorge themselves on protein rich salmon eggs.

Egg pattern caught wild steelhead.

Egg pattern caught wild steelhead.

This can be one of the best times of the year to get out and chase these steelhead and trout in the Redding to Red Bluff area.  There are sections of the river now that are literally stuffed with these actively feeding fish and it can make for a great day of fishing with double digit hook ups being the standard.  I've had limited opportunities to get out due to a family vacation and a boat thats up at Willie Boats getting some upgrades, but thats ok because this fishery is just getting good!

I've been eagerly anticipating my upcoming "late fall" season and will be running trips on the Sacramento River again beginning 11/15.  I still have openings available, but I'm booking a trip every few days now so booking sooner than later is recommended.  Not only will we be catching numerous steelhead and wild trout, I will be running trips for the late season King salmon as well.  Its a smaller run than the summer/fall run, but the quality of these salmon makes the cold mornings and slower action worthwhile.  Bigger, brighter King salmon make this run of salmon something special for sure.  In addition to favorable water conditions currently, its should be noted that the 2013 class of "late fall" Coleman Hatchery salmon smolt were NOT trucked to Rio vista in 2014 and we will not lose these fish to "straying" like we did with our early season salmon.  Time will tell, but this could be a great finish to the 2016 salmon season for us up here in the Battle Creek area.

Hardest fighting fish in NorCal!

So in wrapping up this weeks report, look for some good-very good steelhead/wild trout fishing on the Sacramento River this week!  With that being said, here are a few tips for success; Find the spawning salmon and you'll find steelhead/wild trout.  Fish the shallows, not the deep sections of the river.  Finally, match the hatch!  Steelhead/wild trout are eating salmon eggs.  Cured roe, Glo Bugs, and 8mm-10mm pegged (egg color) beads will catch you fish!

 

Sacramento River fall salmon season fishing report.

Justin Bonito with a great Sacramento River King salmon.

It seems like its a bit early for a multi day storm system to be rolling through Shasta County, but I guess a little rain this time of year never hurts, or does it?  Typically, the section of the Sacramento River below Battle Creek in Cottonwood, Ca. would be loaded with King salmon this time of year.  In my experience, only two things will change this at this point in the season.  First, salmon are very keyed in to their environment, and when it rains, its like the salmon get a green light to move up stream to their spawning grounds.  The second thing that would create a situation where there just aren't very many salmon in the river would be due to low numbers of returning salmon.  Well, this year we experienced both of these things and its left most salmon anglers and fishing guides alike, shaking their heads in disappointment.

The first rains of the season a few weeks ago sent most of the salmon that had populated the Sacramento River near the Barge Hole, up into the low reaches of Battle Creek and stacked at the base of the ladder into Coleman National Fish Hatchery.  Prior to the rains, there were only about a dozen salmon at Coleman, but that rainfall we did get pulled an estimated 3,000 salmon out of the Barge Hole and other holes below, up into Battle Creek where they remained out of reach for salmon anglers on the river.  It was thought that there may be more fish in the system below and that the loss of the 3,000 salmon in the river would quickly be replaced by fresh salmon moving up river.  Well, that didn't really happen as was hoped and King salmon fishing in the area really took a nose dive.

The next two weeks were a grind, and although some salmon were being caught daily, the hopes for some appreciable numbers of salmon to settle into the Barge Hole quickly dwindled.  So, that brings us up to current day conditions and with the arrival of the first series of significant rain storms in the area this weekend, it is expected that any remaining salmon headed for Coleman will be headed there in a hurry and any salmon that were laying in the holes below Battle Creek will surely be gone.  I've personally cancelled all of my remaining salmon trips until late November when we will start to see the "late fall" run salmon in decent numbers. Currently, I just don't believe there will be enough salmon available for my clients to catch on a daily basis. After all, the main reason people hire my services is so that they can not only enjoy a day on the water, but they can also have a reasonable chance of catching a fish. 

Its pretty clear now what has happened to our 2016 Coleman salmon, but thats a subject that will best be addressed when the season is officially over and the data is collected and documented for release.  All is not lost at this point though and there are still some opportunities to catch some wild and hatchery origin Sacramento River steelhead from Redding to Red Bluff.  Anglers are catching steelhead drifting egg beads, roe, and glow bugs through the shallows.  It can be very productive steelhead fishing up here this time of the year and when the rains subside and the river starts to drop, thats where you'll find me!  Who knows, there is always a chance you'll hook a straggler King salmon still too!

 

Fall fishing continues to provide some great trips for our clients!

With our fall season in Shasta County now in full swing, we are finding plenty of fishing opportunities on Redding area lakes, and on the Sacramento River.  I have spent a lot days on the water this week, and its been a good time to wet a line for many species in our area.  In fact, many of my clients this week have caught fish they have never caught before.

 

King salmon fishing on the Sacramento River in the Barge Hole area has been tough and only some boats are seeing even one fish per rod.  I've fallen short on limits for my boat this week with the exception of a salmon trip I had with two clients on Friday.  We were able to haul in 3 King salmon, catch and release a Green sturgeon, and land several rainbow trout.  For Nicholas Graham of South Africa, Friday was a childhood dream come true.  Nicholas has always wanted to catch a river King salmon.  On Friday, not only did he catch one, but he caught two great Sacramento River Kings.  It was a great day on the river and I was honored to help fulfill a dream for Nicholas.

Other trips this week resulted in a salmon for Jonnni Smith of Wisconsin, and a salmon for Dave Barrett of Fresno, Ca.  By weeks end, we were catching River rainbows and some late season Kokanee limits as well.  All in all, it was a good week for us and its a good thing because change is on the horizon.  

It looks like a wet weather system is headed our way and by next Thursday we could be seeing some rain.  This will likely change the current fishing conditions, and maybe substantially depending on how much rain we do get.  Any measurable amount will surely send our salmon up Battle Creek and our fall salmon season my see its final days before we get into our "late fall" salmon season in November.  Rain will also send the Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee up into the tributaries to spawn as well, and the Kokanee fishing will surely see its end there for the season.  If and when any of this happens, I'll be turning my attention to Shasta Lake where the Spotted bass fishing and trout fishing will likely improve with rainfall and cooler water temps. Until then, I still have a lot of salmon fishing to do through the end of next week so lets hope we don't see to many major changes before my Sac salmon season ends!

 

New week for Sacramento River King salmon!

Last week I wrote a salmon report that communicated a down turn in the fishing in the upper section of the Sac near Cottonwood, Ca.  Well, its a new week and I'm guardedly optimistic about what I'm seeing on the river with our salmon over the last few days.  New fish have been arriving and the catch rates are up a bit from last week.  I guess thats good news for local salmon anglers and guides, but until the fish load up below Battle Creek and fishing is fairly good in coming weeks, I'm not going to get too excited just yet.  

It is still too early to tell just exactly what the end of this run will tell us, but with only a dozen or so salmon said to be waiting at Coleman National Fish Hatchery ladder, we have a long ways to go before we can say we haven't seen a complete collapse in the 2016 salmon run on the Sac.  Realistically, we still have 4 solid weeks of salmon fishing ahead of us here in Shasta County, and thats a lot of time to see an improvement.  There are reports of fresh fish entering the system still and with the flows dropping on the Feather river now, the Sac still has a chance to see improved numbers of salmon swimming past the high flows and cool water the Feather had to offer these clearly wayward salmon.  

Shaun Montgomery of Palo Cedro, Ca. fight one of two King salmon he hooked while fishing with us!

Shaun Montgomery of Palo Cedro, Ca. fight one of two King salmon he hooked while fishing with us!

Salmon fishing improved for me on Friday with a score of a fish per rod in the boat.  I took the weekend off to catch up on some much needed sleep, but Chris Schertz of C&A Guide Service called in a report yesterday indicating that a bunch of salmon had moved into the Red Bluff to Cottonwood area and that there was good fishing to be had!  Thats a positive report, and one of its kind I haven't heard of much this season.  Todays rain will certainly have an effect on fishing in coming days.  Either it will help the fishing or it may hurt it.  Surely it will get the fish moving, but we don't want the fish below Battle creek to disappear just yet.

I'll be back on the water for the next two weeks and my strategy will likely be to hang out in the productive holding waters working on holding fish and on fish that are moving through the holes.  With salmon on the move, you will find fish resting after a push up river and you will intercept pods of fish moving through as well.  Theres really no need to run up and down river all day looking for fish.  Every hole is holding them, you just have to be patient and wait for the bite to turn on.  I am fortunate to be booked solid through the remainder of the season, but if you want to get out and would like to hire a salmon fishing guide for a day, I have some great guides that I work with and can help recommend one for you.

Larry Lange of Bayside, Ca. holding his catch of the day on the Sacramento River!

Jeff Goodwin is a full time Northern California fishing guide.  He guides year round for salmon, trout, steelhead, Kokanee, and bass on Northern California rivers and lakes. He fishes many bodies of water in the Redding area, but also guides the Sacramento River as far down as Colusa during certain seasons. Jeff can also be found on the Klamath River chasing ocean fresh King salmon and steelhead in August each year. To learn more about the fishing trips Jeff has to offer, please visit Jeff Goodwin's Guide Service at http://www. jeffgoodwinfishing.com./  You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or please feel free to call him anytime at (707) 616-1905.

Klamath River gets more water!

Klamath River gets more water!

I've scheduled a short season on the coast this week and have been fishing the Klamath River for King salmon and steelhead. Fishing has been slow, but there are some fish in the system. Currently, the water levels on the Klamath are low and the in-river water temps are sitting at about 73 degrees. These are not the kind of conditions a guide wants to see when he's trying to put clients on some descent fishing. Another issue has been the periodic closing of the mouth of the Klamath and new fish can't enter the river under these conditions.

Shasta Lake bass bite remains steady

Shasta Lake bass bite remains steady

Winter weather continues to soak the north state, and Shasta Lake continues to be on the rise. As of January 28th, the lake level stands at 96.5' feet below full pool. Since it is still relatively early in the winter season, this is great news and it looks like El Nino 2016 just may break our historic 4 year drought. This past week has seen daily lake levels rising between 2' and 5' feet and this has taken the predictability right out of the bass fishing on Shasta.