Water conditions are finally settling after the holiday deluge. North Coast steelhead streams are in play and the Eel seems to be most productive. Trout anglers can score at New Melones or Quarry Lakes while big-game trouters continue to pull in trophies at Pyramid Lake. Conditions for sturgeon anglers will be excellent this weekend, with big tides and nice weather while shoreline anglers can get buckets of perch in the East Bay. Here are this week’s Best Bites:
NEW MELONES trout: Trout fishing is very good, especially from shore where anglers are catching trout chasing minnows into the shallows. Kastmasters are a good bet. Expect good sized fish and good numbers. Glory Hole Sports (209) 736-4333
PYRAMID LAKE trout: Shore anglers continue to score well, especially at Blockhouse and Wino. Flies with black, orange, yellow or red seem to do well. Green Flatfish and Camouflage spoons work for trollers. Each week a handful of 10-pound plus cutthroat are being caught. (775) 476-0400
QUARRY LAKES trout: Trout bite continues to be very good. Big fish of the week was an 8.11 trout caught by Roland Alung of Hayward from the shore of Kiosk Cove. A good number of five pound plus trout are being caught. Crappie jigs are taking trout, as are nightcrawlers and rainbow Power Bait. A plant of 500 pounds of trout went in earlier in the week. (510) 544-3133
EEL RIVER steelhead: This is getting the brunt of angling attention. The river is running green through Rio Dell. Drifters and bait-anglers can fish but it’s not fly fishable. There are fish being caught upriver closer to the South Fork. South Fork is getting a ton of boat pressure. Guide Mike Stratman is on the South Fork and getting fish. Tuesday clients hooked six, landed four. River is in beautiful shape, said Stratman. Grundmans Sporting Goods (707) 764-5744, Brown’s (707) 923-2533, Mike Stratman (707) 601-8757
PITTSBURG striped bass, sturgeon: Best access to both striped bass and sturgeon. Cold weather has been keeping anglers away. There are stripers and sturgeon in the area. Stripers are near Honker Bay and Broad Slough. Most are four to six pounds. Sturgeon are near the PG&E plant, Buoys 2 and 3 and Chain Island. Water is clearing each day. Dockside Bait (925) 252-0151
EAST BAY perch: Perch fishing remains good at Point Molate, Point Richmond and behind the El Cerrito Costco. Use pile worms or grass shrimp for good-sized rubberlips, split tails and pogies. Bay Tackle (510) 235-2032
SAN PABLO BAY sturgeon: Action hasn’t been red-hot this week but big tides and nice weather may make for a great weekend. Sturgeon have been caught near China Camp and near Sonoma Creek so those are two good places to start. (415) 456-0321
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