Early spring Sacramento River rainbow trout!

Spring on the Sacramento River in Redding California is a special time for fishing the native populations of rainbow trout. This is primarily a catch and release fishery, but one that provides lots of action and bent rods for all our angler guests. March typically kicks of the best fishing and is the last month, until August 1st we have access to the section of the Sacramento River above the SR 44 bridge in downtown Redding.

We use several techniques to catch these hard fighting rainbows, but we spin fish the majority of the time. Casting and drifting natural cured eggs or fishing with egg pattern beads is our most successful technique. This is the easiest way for our clients to hook their owns trout and fight them with our ultralight fishing gear. Everyone always has a great time and some of our guests catch their first fish ever while fishing with us. Its a special privilege to be able to share that experience with them.

The resident rainbow trout average 14” to 16”, but we catch many trout much larger. Some days the big fish are on a good bite and its not unusual to catch several rainbow trout over 2 lbs. The biggest rainbow trout caught in my boat tipped the scale at 6.13 lbs and was our clients personal best rainbow trout in all his years of fishing. In fact, many of our guests experience catching their largest trout ever! If the size of these rainbow trout isn’t enough, the fight they fight like they are twice their size. Heavy hits and long line peeling runs are common on this fishery and seldom do the bigger rainbows we catch come to the net without an impressive display of vigor.

We fish for Sacramento River Rainbow trout year round and with a staff of four guides have all the latest information available to get our guests on some really fun days on the river. Spring kicks off the seasons best fishing which lasts well into the fall months of the year. August 1st is an important date to remember because it offers the opening of the Sacramento River above the SR 44 bridge in Redding. The Sacramento River Rainbow trout in this highly productive section of the river have been left alone for four months and when this section opens, the fishing is off the hook! 40, 50, even 60 fish days have been experienced by our guests. All our fishing will be done from our 25’ power boats and all gear is provided for you.

If this sounds like a fun trip for your family or friends, please give Jaynie a call at the office to set up your Sacramento River rainbow trout fishing trip. She will get you all set up on our flexible schedule and will provide every last detail before your trip. We have a partnership with Gaia Hotel near Redding and many of our guests take advantage of their upscale accommodations using our corporate rate.

- Capt. Jeff

Sacramento River Striped bass fishing is very productive year after year. Guided Striped bass fishing trips are best in April and May.

The Sacramento River Striped bass fishing season is coming and all indicators point towards some good Striped bass fishing beginning in late March. The fishing can be really good at the end of March, but to be safe, most of our client trips will be scheduled from April 1st through the end of May. By April 1st, our guides have located the big schools of Striped bass in the Sacramento River and will be catching limits daily.

The Striped bass in the Sacramento River system begin their annual spawning migration from the near coastal regions and California Delta waterways around March of every year. With the turbid spring flows in the Sacramento River system every spring, hundreds of thousands of Striped bass take advantage of these conditions and make their spawning run up river. Turbid, or stained water, is the key to the Striped bass migrations and without these conditions, the Colusa area of the Sacramento River won’t see a large population of spawners coming up and holding in the area.

Striped bass fishing in the California Delta yields some excellent fishing opportunities during low water years in the spring.

During drier years, the Striped bass fishing tends to be better lower in the Sacramento River system and can often be the best in the California Delta. We’ve had some great wet year seasons since 2016, but in 2015, the best Striped bass fishing was found in the California Delta. Fishing in the Delta can be a challenge, primarily because of its geographical mass. The Delta has over one thousand miles of shoreline and fishing conditions can be heavily influenced by tides and high winds. Its not real practical for our guide team to run trips down in the Delta, but during drought years, its certainly an option if thats where we need to go to get our clients on some good Striped bass fishing on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River systems.

Tackle and techniques for spring Striped bass fishing is pretty much the same no matter where we choose to fish. Trolling live minnows for Striped bass is very effective up river, but its also very effective when fishing down in the Delta as well. Now while trolling minnows is our number one technique, fast trolling big deep or shallow diving stick baits is very effective as well.

Limits of Striped bass are pretty much a given during April and May on the Sacramento River.

No matter which technique you choose, Striped bass are very aggressive feeders and when your minnow or diving lure gets attacked, you’ll know it! I think Striped bass are, pound for pound, one of the hardest fighting fish in the west and not too many fishermen will argue that statement. If the point of Striped bass being great fighting fish wasn’t enough, Striped bass are very good on the dinner table as well. These two facts about Striped bass make them a prized sport fish, and believe it or not, one of the most popular fisheries for the northern California guides who fish for them.

Sacramento River Striped bass fishing in April!

Many of our days during the Sacramento River Striped bass season have pretty good weather which makes fishing for them all the more enjoyable. Add some pretty steady action and a fish box full of great tasting Striped bass fillets and you have the elements of a great fishing trip. We generally have two to three boats available daily during Striped bass season and each boat can comfortably handle four to six anglers, depending on which Captain you are booked to fish with. We have great equipment to fish with and provide everything your group will need for a day of fishing for Striped bass.

We’re reserving dates now so if this sounds like a fun trip and you’d like to book a day or two for your party, call Jaynie at our office to get your day of Striped bass fishing all set up. We can accommodate large groups, multi day trips, or even a private trip for you and that special someone in your life. We will be filling dates from April 1st through May and beyond if the good fishing holds.

Tight lines, and we’ll look forward to meeting you at the boat launch the day of your trip!

Capt. Jeff,,