2008
6/27/08
American River: Shad are still thick in the system. All trips this past week hooked over 30 fish. Fresh males are present, which leads me to believe that females will follow. If this happens, we could be fishing another 3 weeks. We will continue to target Shad till they are gone. The river is dropping now so the fish are moving. The gates at Nimbus were opened yesterday, which puts more oxygen in the river, which makes the fish more active. The early evening bite has been inconsistent, but come 8:00 its wide open. We were hooking fish on most every cast yesterday.
6/8/08
American River Shad: Fishing is consistent, most nite trips can expect up to 20 hookups. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Fishing is slower than in years past, but still good.This past Friday thru Sunday saw decent numbers of fish in the boat, 10 on average. There are still at least 3 good weeks left, maybe more. Trips run $175.00 for 1 or 2 people.
6/15/08
American River: Flows are up to 4500 cfs and fishing is good. We are averaging 15 fish a trip in the evenngs. Fish are spread thru the system. There is 2-3 weeks left to get into good numbers of fish. Most dates are open at this time. We are concentrating on the area from Sailors Bar to Rossmore Bar. Hope to catch ya on the River.
6/1/08
American River: Shad fishing is good and getting better. On our last 3 trips we have
hooked over 30 fish and on Sunday morning over 40 fish. These trips are 3-4 .
hours. The flows are up to 2000 cfs. Trip prices are $175 for 1-2 people. Fly gear or conventional.
5/19/08
American River : Another 25+ hookup day on Monday 5/19 We are into a good pod of Shad right now and no one is fishing for them. The bite is wide open. We have used fly gear the last 2 trips. I am fishing on Wed. and am open after that.
5/18/08
American River: Fished the lower river last night for 30+ hookups. Rumor has it the flows may increase this week for water export reasons. If this happens, lots more fish will enter the system. Fishing is good now.
5/17/08
American River: Shad are now in the system in good numbers. On Thursday, 5/15 I did a scout drift and saw some large Stripers, and we landed 6 Shad , all in the mid afternoon. Then on Friday, 5/16, we hooked over 40 fish from 6:30-8:15. We were getting hits on most casts. We landed 18 fish.
5/10/08
American River: Shad are now in the system. We hooked 10-13 fish on Friday evening from 7:00 to dark. Stripers are also there. The Shad/Striper trips will be in the evening,
from approx 6:30 to dark. Price is $200.00 per trip for 1-2 anglers. There is
limited access with boats at this time. We may try some trips that are a little
more extreme, and that price will be $40.00 more. It will involve hauling the
boat out of the river but will be in spots where not many, if any, will have boat
access. Spots are wide open at this time. Expect to hook 15 or so fish until futher
notice.
3/23/08
American River I am hooking fresh Steelhead on every trip. Both plugs and flies are producing. Fish are in the faster water. The river is running at approz 1000 cfs. Time of day doesn’t really seem to matter. I landed a nice 4-5 lb fish around 1:30 pm on Sunday, the 23rd. The fish fell for a size 16 caddis larva pattern. Emergers are also effective.
Lower Sac: Reports are still strong. Guides are averaging 15 fish days. All the standard stuff is working. Drys are hatching now too.
Yuba: The Yuba is fair to good. I fished it on Friday, 21st and went 1 for 3. A nice 17 inch Rainbow came to net. One that came unbuttoned was bigger and the other, I couldn’t tell. In the evening, March Browns were hatching but not much surface activity for the fish. The Stoneflys are all but over. The river is running around 900, clear and cold. Drys should pick up soon.
Delta: Striper action is picking up. The water conditions are improving. Trollers are reporting 15+ fish days for fish averaging 7 lbs. I haven’t personally been down yet. I hope to do so soon. Will post a report.
I’ll be fishing the American and Yuba most of the week.
3/9/08
American River Steelhead are still around and the Spring Run “Bluebacks” are showing. We have been hooking bluebacks most every evening drift. All are chrome brite and wild. They must be released. Great fun on a fly rod. Flies to consider; Alevins, San Jaun Worm, Caddis nymph patters. Start to look for these steelhead to rise to drys as the warm weather progresses.
Lower Sac: ON FIRE. Most report 15+ fish days with some reports going as high as 40+ . Most fish are being taken on nymphs. Stoneflys and Caddis patterns along with Prince and Copper Johns are all a good bet. Flows are at 3250 which is very low.
Yuba: TheYuba is fishing well. The bug life that has been void the last 2 seasons in on the rebound now and fishing is picking up. Dries are doing well. Skawala Stones and March Browns are a good bet. I will try to fish the Yuba on 3/12 and give a report.
Delta: Striper action is picking up. The water conditions are improving. I have heard some good reports from both sides. As soon as my boat is out of the shop, I’ll be down there scouting and reporting. We are going to try some Fly casting from sandbars this year, which I have never done down there before. Looking forward to it.
3/1/08
American River: The winter run of Steelhead has peaked and is beginning to wind down. The spring run is just starting. These fish are smaller than their winter counterparts, but numerous. Expect fish in the 3-5lb range, with a few going larger. These fish will be in the system thru June. Stripers will show in mid to late March and peak in mid to late May. Shad will show in mid May if we can get some good flows released from Folsom.
Lower Sac: The trout bite is in full swing right now. Both flys and plugs will get fish. Expect 10-30 hook-up per day with Rainbows averaging 15 inches. I fished it on Wed. 2/26 and we hooked 10 fish. The water was off color due to the weekend storms and fishing was tough. All fish were taken on egg patterns. Big Stoneflys are now working too.
Delta: The spring Striper run is starting. The bite now is on bait. Trolling will start as the water warms and clears a little, 2 weeks out.
2007
11/12/07
American River: Flows are low but so are temps. The Salmon run is late
but fish are beginning to show. We think there are more fish out in the
ocean ready to push up. Steelheading is starting.
Trinity River: Steelheading is excellent. The river is overcrowded with
fisherman. It's the best game around for steelhead. On my last 4 drifts
we have hooked and average of 6 fish per trip. I will be up there Wed and
Thur. 14th-15th and will report back. Rain is forcast most of the week.
Fish the river on the drop.
Klamath River. Steelheading is good, conditions are good. Not as crowded
as the Trinity. Expect 3+ adults and numerous 1/2 pounders for a day,
maybe more.
6/11/07 American River
Fished Sailors Bar 6:30-8:30pm for a dozen or so Shad. Flows are coming
back down to 1500 cfs today. Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
6/9/07 American River
I made a scout trip Sat. evening from Sailors to Rossmore. 10 fish in the
boat and numerous hits. The fish in the El Manto area were hitting very
subtle, the fish up river were pounding the grubs. Expect to catch 10-20
fish on a typical evening trip. Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
June 9/07 SHAD SHAD SHAD ON THE AMERICAN
Shad fishing is FINALLY under way on the American. Fished last nite with
Russ and we boated 15-20 fish in a 2-2/12 hour period, 6-8:30ish. Much
needed flow increase last nite should help things out also. I'm ready to
book trips starting on Monday, 11th. Trips are $100.00 for a single and
$175 for two anglers. As always during Shad season, if we don't get fish,
you have the option of not paying, or taking another trip, on me.
Hope to see ya on the American, ROD.
3/4/07
Sacramento River Posse Grounds to Anderson Park (Redding area)
We have fished in this stretch 3 time in the last 2 weeks and fishing for
Wild Rainbows is solid. On the first trip we pulled #50 HotShots and hooked
up over 20 fish, landing 10+ fish. The next 2 trips were Flyfishing trips
and the ratio was basically the same. Small flies(16-22) is the ticket.
Caddis patterns and Midge patterns got most of the takes. Most fish were
in the faster riffles, however, we did get some in the slower water. Fish
average 12-13 inches. Biggest went 17 inches. If you have never fished
this part of the Sac, try it. Most likely you'll be back. This area is the
best bet right now and we will be fishing it thru the middle of May. Then
Shad season should be firing up on the American.
As for the American, a run of spring Steelhead should be showing any time.
These fish are commonly 4-5 lbs and can be taken on all methods. They
should be showing anytime and I will post when we get into them. Hope to
hook up with ya on the Sac or American, Rod.
1/7/07 American River
Steelhead action is slow to say the least. Most anglers are not catching
fish at this time. I have been fishing the Sailors Bar area since it
opened on Jan. 1st. For the week we landed one ten pound wild hen on a #50
Hot Shot and lost 1 other larger fish that was also hooked on a #50 Hot
Shot. Fish are here, just don't seem to be biting with any consistency.
Over the years I have found the American fishes best the day before a storm
system hits us. For the upcoming week that could be Wed. as rain is
predicted for Thursday. If anyone wants to fish this week, that could be
the best day. 1/2 day trips are available. I do anticipate things to pick
up on the American, Rod.
2006
American River 12/21/06
Flows are at 2000 cfs and it rained on us most of the day. Fished with
Clay and Scott from Woodland and Visalia. It was mostly a Fly fishing trip
with a little roe mixed in for 1 hole. We ended up with 11 half pounders
to 16 inches. No adults today. Most big fish are in the closed section,
which will open on Jan 1. People fishing the basin are getting some nice
fish. There are some huge fish in the hatchery which points to a good
season. If ya want to fish for Steelhead on the American, give us a call.
We can accommodate up to four anglers. MERRY CHRISTMAS, Rod.
11/25/06 American/Feather Rivers
Steelhead season is upon us. Fresh Salmon are still showing in the American
and Steelhead are beginning to show. I did a Salmon/Steelhead combo trip
with Jason on Wednesday. No Salmon but Jason landed 8 half pounders to 17
inches. I know there are bigger fish in the system and I know a fresh
Salmon is still a possibility. Bigger fish are available in the Feather
right now. I did a drift down to Palm Ave with Junior and Danelo on
Friday. It was strictly a Fly fishing trip and Junior landed a 25 inch
hatchery hen on an egg pattern. The fishes stomach was full of eggs and
Caddis larva. We lost 1 other big fish and missed a few also. I can do 1/2
day trips on the American, Feather River trips are a full day. Hope to
catch ya on the Rivers, Rod.
11/5/06 American River
Things slowed from Friday as the fresh fish moved thru into the spawning
grounds. Saturdays reports were not that good. Sunday I drifted from
Rossmore to Gristmill with Russ and Junior. We started out around 6:30 at
Goethe Park. Junior landed a Dark buck on his flyrod. We didn't hook up
again till 12:30ish. At this time we found a fresh school moving thru and
landed 2 fresh Salmon in 1/2 an hour, both about 20 lbs and both kept.
Fresh schools are moving thru. It's a good time to think about a trip for
Salmon on the American. Hope to hook up with ya, Rod.
11/3/06 American River
Is it starting to pick up? Friday saw a huge push of fresh fish into the
system. I saw more fish on Friday than I have the rest of the season
combined. Incredible. Fished with Chris and Tom from the Placerville
/Camino area. We drifted Rossmore to Gristmill for 1 Salmon and 1
Steelhead in the boat. Lost 1 other Salmon. Fished mainly around Goethe,
and got off the river after dark. I'll post how Saturdays action is. I
wont personally be on the river, but I have reliable sources out there
today. Hope to catch ya on the river, Rod.
10/28/06 American River
Very slow catching this past week. Flows around 2000 cfs. 2 1/2 hour
evening trips on both Monday and Wednesday produced only "tailslaps" and 1
hookup. On Friday evening we did boat a 20 lb. buck. Over all it has been
slow so far this season. Rumor has it a big school of Salmon are making
their was down the North Coast so maybe in a week or so things may turn
around. The upper river closes on Wednesday, 11/1/ so everything will be
from the power lines at Ancil Hoffman Park down. Pray for fish to appear
on the American, Rod.
10/18/06 American River
Fishing is tough for Salmon right now. Morning and evening trips are
yielding a fish at best ( 2 hour average trips) I did hook a fish this
morning, but she came off after 20 seconds. Evenings seem to be better.
We did get a nice 15 lb hen on Sun evening, took Mon and Tues off. Will be
out tonight and probably the next 3 mornings and Fri evening. Hope things
get better on the American, Rod.
10/12/06 American River
Salmon season is under way. The last three trips have yielded Salmon. All
these trips were evening trips of about 2 hours. We've been having 1-4
fish hit our Flafish and catching a fish a trip. I'm doing an early
morning trip on Saturday and I'll post those results. I'm confident in the
evening trips right now. Evening trips are $150 for two, $100 for a
single. We will be fishing sardine wrapped Flatfish mostly, maybe some roe
on jetdivers. Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
9/9/06 American River
Salmon are beginning to show. 3 of the last 4 scout trips yielded Salmon.
All were Jacks and all were chrome bright fish. All came on Kwikfish.
Besides the Basin, most of the river has been slow until the past week.
Catching should steadily improve thru September and hit its "PRIME" in
October. Feel free to call for updates. Hope to hook up with ya on the
American, Rod.
7/15/06 American River
After spending 2 weeks on the South Fork of the Snake I'm back to find
plenty of Shad left in the system. I fished with Junior and Jen from
Orange County yesterday. Flows were at 3600. We fished Sailors Bar area
from 7-9 pm for approx 25 fish. Jen caught Shad on her first two casts. I
floated the river today on a scout trip and saw the biggest pod of Shad
I've ever seen in the American. THOUSANDS. Salmon are starting to show
and guys are hooking them at the basin. We expect an awesome year for
Salmon. I'll post as soon as we start getting them. Hope to hook up with
ya on the American, Rod.
6/15/06 American River
Flows are steady at 6000 cfs. Fished with Ron and Bob from Stockton in the
Sailors Bar area. We fished from 5:30-9:00. Trip started out fast with
5-6 fish landed in the first half hour. Then the bite slowed for about an
hour with only 1-2 fish. The bite started getting consistent and by 8:15
it was wide open. Everyone was catching fish. We ended up with 25-35 fish
in the net. It was a pleasure to fish with Bob and Ron. Hope to catch ya
on the American, Rod.
6/11/06 American River
Today I did an evening trip with Junior, from Newport Beach and his brother
Danilo, from Modesto. We fished the Sunrise area from 5-9 for 15-20 fish
in the net. We had that many more come undone and missed that many more
strikes. Both guys were fishing Fly rods. Landed lots of fresh fish and
heard of lots of males down at Watt Ave. Fishing should continue to be
great for another month. Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
6/10/06 American
Flows at 6100. Fished with Loc and Amy Tran of Elk Grove. We did a drift
from Sunrise to Rossmore. Good night of fishing. Loc took home 10 Shad for
the smoker. We lost 6-8 fish close to the boat and missed 10 or so hits.
Lots of fish in the system. Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
6/8/06 American River
Linda and Carl came in from Davis for an evening trip. Flows were 6650.
We fished the Sailors Bar area from 5:00pm to 7:15 for approx. 10 Shad in
the net. Neither had caught a Shad before and now they are hooked. They're
planning another trip when they have more time to stay on the river. I have
trips going Sat evening and Sun evening but open next week. Hope to catch
ya on the American, Rod.
6/5/06 American River
Flows are at 7065 cfs, pressure is 29.8. Fished with Geroge and Jeff of
Fair Oaks for an evening trip to Rossmore. The river is up 2000 cfs from
yesterday. It took us maybe 30-40 minutes to locate Shad and after we
found them the catching was constant. Easily a 30+ fish trip that ended at
8:15. The evening bite is most consistent. I fished Sunday morning and the
catching was very slow. That may change however with the increased flows.
Its time to go. Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
5/29/06 American River
Forrest has Shad Fever! We hit Rossmore for an evening trip 5-9pm. Flows
at 5000cfs and pressure is 30.03. Forrest put 30+ fish in the net and
hooked 15-20 others. He also nailed 5 Shad on his Fly rod. Others in that
area had similar numbers. Shad action is wide open. Hope to hook up with
ya on the American, Rod.
5/28/06 American River
Did an evening trip with Eric, from Pacifica. Flows are around 5000 cfs.
We fished Rossmore Bar from 6:00-9:00. Eric put approx. 15 Shad in the net
and lost that many more. The first fish was about 11 inches and they
progressively got larger on the next 4 fish with the 5th fish being around
4 lbs. Nice evening on the American. At this point most of next week is
open. Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
5/27/06 American River
Forrest came back this afternoon and brought his brother in law Don, from
Auburn. By the time we got on the river at 4:15 flows were at 4750 cfs and
pressure was 29.93. This was truly an evening trip Shad fisherman dream
of. After 1 pass on the south bank we ventured to the North shore and
started banging Shad instantly. The fish are spread out a bit so we were
constantly moving 40 feet or so, and every time we moved, FISH ON. We
fished a 300 yard stretch, row back to the top and do it again. When all
said and done 50+ fish in the boat, countless fish lost, 8 doubles, and at
one point Forrest landed 2 smaller Shad while Don fought a fat female, a
triple amongst 2 fisherman. Big fish of the nite was the last fish of the
nite, caught back on the south side, 5+ pound female. Hope to catch you on
a nite like this on the American, Rod.
5/26/06 American River
Fished with Forrest and John from the San Jose area today. Flows are down
to 6000 cfs. We drifted from Sailors Bar to Rossmore Bar. We put 6 fish
in the boat in the Sailors Bar area, another 4 around Sunrise and 10-15
around Rossmore for a 20-25 fish count. All fish were hooked on the pink
set-up. Look for more consistent action and bigger #s after flows
stabilize. Hope to hook up with ya on the American, Rod.
5/25/06 American River
Fished Rossmore Bar area this evening with Wayne. Flows dropped to 6400
cfs and the pressure is 29.9 On a 3 hour trip we put 10-12 shad in the
boat and lost that many more, however, the bite seemed to turn off around
7:00 pm, just when you would expect it to turn on. Checked the flow chart
when I got home and sure enough it dropped to under 6100 cfs at 5:00 then
jumped back up to 6400 at 6:00. I talked to some guides up at Sailors and
the bite was really slow up there. Flows will stabilize after the holiday
weekend and we should see consistent action from there on. Hope to catch
ya on the American, Rod.
5/23/69 American River
Flows are dropping, probably for the Memorial Day Weekend. Flows were at
7800 CFS and pressure was 30.1 when I fished today. Flows will be at 5000
cfs by Friday evening. I did a quick scout trip today just to see if the
drop in flows would have any affect on the bite. If anything, IT HELPED.
I fished the Sailors Bar- Upper Sunrise area for an hour and a half for 10
Shad and they were hitting like freight trains. I have trips booked for
Friday and Saturday. All other days are open. Hope to catch ya on the
American, Rod.
Sat. 5/19/06 American River
Drifted from Upper Sunrise to Gristmill today with Russ, Rich, and Paul.
River is at 11,000 cfs, pressure is 29 and rising, partly cloudy, storm
coming in tomorrow. Fished from 7:00am 2:00pm for approx 40 fish between
the 4 of us (took 2 boats). We hooked 1 fish in the Sunrise area. All other
fish were hooked in the lower Goethe Park area. Takes some patience to find
pods of fish, but once you locate them, hookups are constant. I fished on
Wed. afternoon on a solo trip from Gristmill to Watt and hooked 15-20 fish,
all in the Gristmill area. From the snag hole to Watt saw no hookups.
Hope to hook up with ya on the American, Rod.
5/16/06 American River
Mid day bite was strong today. Fished Gristmill area from 9:15 to 11:30.
Flows are at 11,000 cfs. After I located a pod of Shad around 10:30 it was
ON! Landed over 10 fish in an hour, and lost at least 5 others, and had at
least 5 strikes that I wasn't quick enough to hook up. If you want to
catch Shad, its time to plan a trip. I can accommodate most any schedule.
Evening trips are good, but can be crowded. I was the only person on the
river this morning. Hope to hook up with ya on the American, Rod.
5/15/06 American River
Shad are starting to show in the lower river. On a trip to Gristmill, Russ
and I put 4 Shad and 2 Steelhead in the boat. We fished from 6:30 to 8:45.
The river is running at 11,000 cfs and should continue at that pace. We
anticipate action to improve every day. Hope to catch ya on the American,
Rod.
4/1/06 American River
This is the 2nd lost Steelhead season in a row on the American. I had very
few successful trips this season. Fish are still in the river and can be
caught but the flows are high, (currently 15,000 cfs) and I don't think
flows will be under 8000 for some time. I have not even tried Stripers
yet, and not sure when I will.
On a brighter note, Shad season is right around the corner and should be
outstanding. Higher flows seem to benefit the Shad success. Following the
Shad will be the Salmon and with the Ocean closures, ( if it really
happens) the river should be full of Salmon, and quite possibly the
earliest run seen in recent years. If you want to get on a waiting list
for Shad or Salmon, call and let me know. First call, first served. As
soon as I have success on scout trips, I'll start calling all those on the
list and booking trips. Stay safe if you venture out on the American, Rod.
Mon. 2/13/06 American River
The river is FINALLY in shape. 5000+ cfs and visibility is 24 inches or
so. I did a scout trip this morning at Sailors Bar and went 2-3. All fish
were hooked on plugs. There are lots of fish in the river, we can still
salvage a season. I can accommodate any schedule right now. Mid week
morning trips may be best. Call for prices. I'll be out there every
morning during the week scouting the river. I'll take 1 person or 2
people, doesn’t matter. Hope to hook up with ya on the American, Rod.
1/29/06 American River
Drifted from Sailors Bar to Rossmore Bar with Justin and Ty. We went 2-5
on adults and landed at least 5 hard fighting 1/2 pounders. Fish came on
both plugs and night crawlers. The fish landed were 9 and 13 lbs. Justin
also lost a crome 9 pounder(estimated) at the boat. The 13 lbr. was a
hatchery female that measured 31 inches. We also lost another in that
class. Saw a few others landed by others. Fishing is going strong now. I
am booking trips from Feb.7 on. Hope to catch you on the American, Rod.
1/18/06 American River
Flows are down and the river is finally fishable. I've done a few short
drifts but have not landed any Steelies yet. People are getting a few here
and there, but nothing hot yet. The river is slowly dropping to 5000 cfs
over the next week. Fishing should be good thru March. I'll be doing
scout trips until I get fish, then I'll start booking trips. Check the
report page frequently for updates. Feel free to call with any questions.
Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
2005
Salmon season seems over, fish still moving thru, but they are going
straight up to Sailors Bar. Few steelhead showing here and there, but no
big #s yet. With that being said, Gary and I hit the Klamath 12/9-12/11.
Weather and water are very cold and fish are a little sluggish. We got 5
adults and numerous 1/2 pounders. Big fish went 27 inches, other adults
went 20-22 inches. All fish were taken on Hot Shots, the best one being
silver and black, solid silver was also working well. Gold didn't do
nearly as well as last trip, and no steelhead in our jackpot hole from last
trip. Flows around Happy Camp were 3000 cfs, give or take.
American River Tues. 11/29/05
Fresh Salmon are still making their way up the river and will probably do
so thru Dec. Not getting any on kwikfish lately, mostly roe and beads
fishing the faster water. Midweek is better as there is less fishing
pressure. Steelhead starting to show but not in big numbers yet. I don't
think that the Klamath will be in shape any time soon due to rain and snow
they are getting and scheduled to get for the next 10 days. I check it
daily, just in case. American River opener/upper river, is Jan 1, it'll be
a zoo. Hope to catch ya on the American, Rod.
11/7/05 American River
Fishing has slowed again for us, however that could change any day. The
last 3 trips yielded 1-3 hook-ups/fish. Sun AM only had 1 hook-up, however
we saw fresh brite fish moving thru, just not hitting. I've heard decent
reports from other sections of the river. SteelheadFan and myself are
going to the Klamath to fish Thur-Sat and return Sun. Timing on this trip
is perfect as storms are moving thru on Mon and clear weather forcast for
the rest of the week. I'm expecting top notch action on the Klamath so if anybody has the Steelhead itch and wants to go, give me a call. See ya on the river, Rod.
American River Sat 11/5/05
We fished Gristmill from 5:30-8:30. 1 Chrome hen in the 17 lb range. That
was our only hook up. 2 other boats in our area and each landed 1 fish.
Slowing down.
American River Fri. 11/4/04
Drifted from the power lines to gristmill using both roe and Kwikfish.
Fished from 2:00 to dark. No fish on the drift and all people reported the
same action, however, when we got to gristmill and anchored up, we had 2
takedowns in a matter of minutes. After resting that seam for 15 min. we
anchored up on it again and fish on. A nice 30 lb buck, not chrome, but in
pretty good shape.
Tues. 11/1/05
American River. Well, what I feared would happen, did. Skunked on a
morning trip, no hook-ups, take downs, or even tail slaps. The reason the
bite turned off? Department of water resources is fluctuating the flows.
At 6:00 AM flows were 2150, 7:00 AM 1725, 8:00 AM, 2000, 9:00 AM 2200, and
at 4:00 PM the time I’m writing this report 2016. The good news... maybe
it will push fresh fish into the system, maybe thats why Water Resources
is doing it, who knows. A storm front is moving in tonite, not sure if
I'm gonna fish Wed. Keep fingers crossed for huge fresh run, Hope to
catch you on the American, Rod.
Mon 10/31/05
American River The fishing has slowed for us in the lower river. On Sat.
morning we only had 1 hookup and that fish broke us off. There were 5
boats fishing that area and only 1 fish landed and no other hookups seen by
me. Sun. evening we didn't hook up and fish, only a few tail slaps. Mon.
morning I hooked up one fish and landed it, a nice 20 lb buck. Only 1 or 2
other tail slaps. MIDWEEK MORNING PRICES ARE STILL IN EFFECT $90.00 FOR
1 AND $125.00 FOR 2. Can't really guarantee hook-ups at this point,
however all morning trips have gotten hook-ups. Catch you on the American,
Rod.
Eri. 10/28/05
American River. I did 2 trips today. In the AM I fished with Rich and
Mike from Reno. We had the whole area to ourselves. Action was slower
this AM as we went 1-1, a nice fresh 25 lb. buck. Landed him around 7:00
and after that no significant hookups.
In the evening I fished with Chris from Camino and is nephew Victor from
the Palm Desert area. Bite again was slow until sunset when we hooked up
twice. Victor hooked up first and fought for a few minutes but got broken
off. Five minutes later, Chris hooked up and after a 15-20 min fight he
landed a nice 22 lbs. buck. Persistence paid off on that trip. Hope to
catch you on the American, Rod.
American River Thurs. 10/27/05
Fished with Rich Lyon and father John, (San Jose & Indian Wells). We
fished from 6:30 - 9:30 AM. We went 2 for 3 today with both guys landing
nice fish. John caught a buck that put up one of the best fights of the
season, that thing was out at least 50 yards at one point. After that
great fight we decided to release him. Kept the hen that Rich landed.
Had maybe 4 other take downs. Hope to hook up with you on the American,
Rod.
Tues. 10/25/05
Bite was decent today. We went 1 for 3 in less than 2 hrs. of fishing,
landing 1 hen 17-20 lbs. Weather was a little cooler and windy this AM.
People have already taken advantage of the midweek special I posted
yesterday, with Thur. and Fri. booked. After that I'm open. hope to catch
you on the American, Rod.
Mon. 10/24/05
American River. Good morning on the river. We fished from 6:30 to 8:30
and hooked up 5 salmon and landed 3. Kept 1 hen and released 2 bucks.
Lost another chrome hen and got wrapped on a snag by the 5th fish. Then the
bite turned off. The morning bite seems to be better than the evening
bite. If anybody wants to fish this morning bite during these hours I'm
offering a midweek special. $125.00 for two people, $90.00 for single
angler. NO HOOKUPS, NO PAY. If you're short on time after we're done
fishing, I'll clean the fish and get them to you later that day or after
work. You really can't beat that deal. Hope to catch you on the American,
Rod.
Sat. 10/22/05
Fishing picked up for us yesterday on the American. Fri. morning we got 1
fish in the boat and lost 2 others and had 3 more take downs. Got off the
water and had a short nap and returned in the afternoon and put 2 more fish
in the boat with none lost. All three were bucks. Two were released and
one was given to a father son team fishing from the shore. Sat. morning
we put two more fish in the boat and lost one other that wrapped us on a
snag of some sort and we finally just broke it off. The word on the river
is still consistent, pretty slow for most folks. The fish are there, just
picky on what they are willing to hit. We're booking both half and full
day trips, with half day being more popular. Hope to hook up with you on
the American, Rod.
Thurs. 10/12/05 American River
Action on the river is slow. We're hooking 1-2 fish per trip fishing in
the evenings mostly. All hooked fish have been "chromers". Wed. and
Thurs. very few fish came thru the system and I only had 1 bite those 2
days. I'm fishing Fri A.M. and am hoping a run of fish comes thru tonight.
Afternoon/evening trips of 2-3 hrs have been producing fish and I really
like these trips, it fits more peoples schedules. Hope to catch you on the
American, Rod.
Thurs. Oct. 6
Dennis and I hit Gristmill for approx 2 hrs. this evening. We put 1
chromer of about 18-20 lbs in the boat and lost 1 other. Didn't see many
others, maybe 2 that rolled. K-14 Kwikfish with a wrap is the ticket.
Haven't tried roe lately, but probably a good bet. We're gonna hit Rossmore
tomorrow and I'll post a report. Hope to hook up with you on the American,
Rod.
Mon. 10/3/04
Salmon are starting to trickle into the American. Saturday I fished the
Rossmore Bar area. I didn't land any Salmon but the boat that got out at
the same time I did reported landing 1 and loosing 1 at the boat. Both
fish were caught on kwikfish in the same hole, deeper water after a fast
run, at 11:00 AM. On Mon. Dennis and I fished Gristmill for about an hour
and a half. Dennis nailed a fresh buck that was 25-30 lbs. K14 Kwikfish
was the ticket. It took Dennis 15 minutes to get that fish to the boat. In
the last few days I've seen a few fish rolling or jumping. Expect action
to pick up. Hope to catch you on the American, Rod.
Thur. Sept 23
American River at Rossmore Bar. Where's the Salmon? It's starting to be
like last seasons Steelhead Run. Sure hope it gets better. The sleeper
bite is Steelhead. Dennis landed a nice 8-9 lb. hatchery male on his second
or third cast. On the way down to the river I told him I had more
confidence in boating Steelhead than I did Salmon. Maybe we should target
Steelhead. I'm fishing Salmon in the Istelon/Ryde area over the weekend,
maybe a Steelhead trip on Sunday. Catch you on the American, Rod.
9/8/05 Thursday
Fishing on the American is still slow. After 1 decent day the next three
have been very tough. Three trips netted 1 salmon. All conditions point to
a good run. Cooler weather next week should help. People on the waiting
list, hang in there. When I think its worth going, I'll call ya. Catch
you on the American, Rod.
9/2/05
American River at Sailors Bar. I fished with Chris and Jennifer from
Placerville, an evening trip, 6:00-9:00. We started out with Kwikfish and
got no action. While Chris and Jen were trolling Kwikfish, I deceided to
try some roe. Within 3 minutes, Fish On! I gave the rod to Jen and she
did a good job of landing that fish. We then switched all rods to Roe.
Chris got the next fish, a 10-12 pound Wild Steelhead!!! Jen said it was
the most beautiful fish she had ever seen. It was Chris's first Steelhead.
I told him it takes some people years to catch a steelhead like that. He
finished the evening off with another nice salmon. Not a bad evening trip.
Start booking Salmon trips, Hope to catch you on the American, Rod.
Wed. 7/13/05
Today I fished with Gary Rexin and his 6 year old son Nick. Flows are
steady at 3550. We fished Sailors Bar from 7:00-9:15. Fishing pressure
was heavier than I expected, with at least 6 boats in view. We put 12 fish
in the boat and lost about that many more. Bite really picked up around
8:15. Still a lot of Shad in that area. Salmon are showing. Hope to hook
up with you on the American, Rod.
Wed. 7/6/05
Tonight I fished Sailors Bar with Dennis Rexin. Flows are at 3550. We
fished from 6:45-9:00 and brought 30+ Shad to the boat. Dennis nailed one
on his first cast of the evening. At one point 6 consecutive casts brought
fish to the boat. There seems to be a fresh run of males in the system,
which makes me wonder if another run of females is on the way? Only time
will tell. Fishing pressure has dropped way off, only a few people out
trying. Salmon are starting to show. It's gonna be an early run this
year. Nobodies booking Shad trips but still plenty of fish. Hope to hook
up with you on the American, Rod.
Fri. 7/1/05
American River flows were at 3550 cfs. Tom and his son Ed Bianchi, from
Stockton, called me at 11:30 Friday morning and we were on the river at
5:30 in the afternoon. GOOD DECISION. In the three short hours we fished
we hooked up 40-50 Shad at Sailors Bar. From 8:00-9:00 it seemed to be one
after another, every cast seemed to feel a fish. With this much action
it's hard to keep count, but I'd say 25-30 fish in the boat, 5-10 quick
released at the boat, 10-20 hooked and lost. Both Tom and Ed said they had
never caught so many Shad in one trip. Great job guys. Special thanks to
Loc Tran who referred Tom & Ed to me, all three of us appreciate it. Still
plenty of Shad in the American, hope to catch you there, Rod.
Fri. 6/24/05
American river flows are dropping, they were 5050 cfs when we got off the
river. Today I fished with Scott Jeter and his 13 year old son Cameron, of
Granite Bay. We put in at 6:00 A.M. at Sailors Bar. Cameron put the first
two Shad in the boat by 7:15. Then it slowed and we didn't get another
until about 9:30, then the bite really turned on. We put another 12 fish or
so in the boat by 12:30 with a few quick releases thrown in. Scott and
Cameron had the best hook to land ratio of the season. Great job guys.
Still plenty of Shad in the American. Hope to catch you on the American,
Rod.
Sat. 6/18/05
Sailors Bar to Rossmore Bar, flows at 8500 cfs. Today I fished with Vance
from Davis, and his uncle, Tom McLaughlin from So. Cal. We fished from
3:00-9:00. Vance and Tom kept 10 Shad, they have various receipies for
shad they want to try, including some for roe and milt. We lost at least
15 other fish, maybe more. There are still plenty of fish in the system,
but they seem to be spread out. Most of our fish came on the move, sort of
back-trolling for them. We did find a nice pod of fish below the San Jaun
rapids. The highlight of the trip was when Tom hooked and landed a nice
female on his Flyrod at the end of the trip. Heavy traffic on the river on
weekends, however, plenty of fish for all. I'm open all next week, hope to
hook up with you on the American, Rod.
Thurs. 6/16/05
A blessing from the Fish Gods, cool weather and rain during Shad season.
Usually the #1 concern is sunburn and staying hydrated, yesterday, it was
staying dry. I fished with Ron Reno from Madera, his son in law Mike, and
his son Calvin, both from Auburn. Three generations on the boat. We put
in at Sailors Bar at 1:00 and heard the sirens at nimbus go off signaling
more releases. Its up to 8500 cfs. Ron wanted to teach his 11 year old
grandson how to catch shad. Calvin did a great job, hooking at least 8
fish and landing 3-4. He lost 1 3 feet from the boat, he also lost possibly
the biggest fish of the trip after a 5 minute fight. All in all a good
trip, weather and higher flows considering. 9 fish in the boat and approx.
10 quick released. Ron kept the fish to smoke. Hope to hook up with you
on the American, Rod.
Wed. 6/15/05
Same ol story. American River, Sunrise to Rossmore, flows at 8000 cfs.
Today I fished with Loc and his wife Amy from Elk Grove. Loc went with me
on Sun, but action was slow for us, so I invited him for another try. We
had a great evening. We fished from 6:00-9:00 between Sunrise and El
Manto. After a slow start we finally found a nice pod of shad. We put 10
fish in the boat, biggest being 4-4 1/2 lbs, and lost 10 others. I believe
this was Amys first Shad trip, and she really enjoyed the fishing and
scenery. Loc said he wanted to get his wife into fishing, and this trip
probably helped. My Friday trip moved to Sat so if anyone wants to go
Friday, drop me a line. Hope to catch you on the American, Rod.
Tues 6/14/05
Flows are steady at 8000 cfs. I fished with Sac County Sheriff's deputy
Pablito Gaddis, a.k.a. "Lito". Lito had never caught a shad before. He
had a great time and couldn't believe how hard they fought. After a slow
start, he stuck at least 15 fish and put 10 of those in the boat. We
fished the south side of the river in the upper Sunrise area. Hope to
catch you on the American, Rod.
Mon 6/13/05
American river flows are at 8000 cfs. I fished Sailors Bar area for the
first time this season. I found out I can't get my boat up to the hatchery
at these flows. Going down to Sunrise, I put 15-20 fish in the boat. All
fish were caught on the south side of the river. I fished from 1-3:30 in
the afternoon. Hope to hook up with you on the American, Rod.
Sun, 6/12/05
Flows rose overnight to 8000 cfs and this put a damper on the bite today.
I fished with Ken from Stockton, and Loc from Elk Grove. We fished from
7:30 to 12:30. We hooked 8 Shad and landed only three. We didn't see
many other fish landed either, maybe 7 others. A fun day on the river but
the numbers weren't there. I offered to take Ken and Loc on an evening
trip before July to get this day off the books. Hope to catch you on
the American, Rod.
Sat, 6/11/05
American river flows are at 6015 cfs. We fished from Sunrise to Rossmore
from 4:30 to 7:30. We hooked approx 20 and landed 15. Have not fished
since last Fri. when flows were 12,200, and have guests going tomorrow, so
it's a scout trip. All fish were hooked back trolling shad darts. I use
this method when looking for fish. It works. Hope to see you on the
American, Rod.
6/3/05
American River with Klint and Greg. We floated from Sunrise to Rossmore
with flows at 12,200. We fished from 10:30-2:30 and found most of our fish
around El Manto. We hooked approx 40 fish and landed half of those. Flows
dropped down this weekend however, I anticipate them going back up on
Monday. Plenty of Shad in the system. Hope to catch you on the American,
Rod.
6/1/05
Fishing was good today. Flows are at 12.2 according the the web page, but
it seemed lower to me. I fished Watt Ave from 2:30-5:00 and hooked up
about 25 fish and landed 15 or so. That includes a 5-6 lb Striper. He was
quite a fight on the light spinning tackle I'm using. I also witnessed
another striper caught; the boat down river from me hooked up and I think he
was bigger than mine due to the fact they had to chase him down river out
of sight. The weekend was slow for us. Others were catching fish, but you
had to be in the right place and all those places seemed taken. Dennis and
I rowed up river at Watt on Mon, and found some good looking Shad water,
but no takers. Dennis did manage a nice 18 in hatchery steelhead, and he
was stoked about that. Tues eve. Wayne and I went to Watt but there were 7
boats in a 200 yard area, so we went to Howe. Again, good looking water
but no fish. I'm going to drift Sailors Bar to Gristmill on Fri., then
start calling the people on the waiting list and start booking those trips.
The fish are there, sometimes conditions can be tough. I recommend midweek
morning trips. By afternoon, the good areas are crowded. Hope to catch
you on the American, Rod.
5/27/05
Flows are decreasing, down to 7200, and pressure is 29.76. We went for a
short evening trip to Gristmill and got into a nice pod of shad. We fished
from 7-8:15 and landed 11 fish, only lost 2 others. Some nice females are
showing. Hope to see ya on the American, Rod.
5/25/05
River is down to 10,000 cfs when I got off the water. Pressure is 29.86
and rising. Pretty much same as yesterday as far as landed fish, however,
less fish lost, and less takes, a little slower than yesterday. Fished
6:30-8:30 and landed approx. 15 Shad, 21 incher being the biggest. River
should be 6000 cfs by the weekend. With the river dropping every day, look
for the shad in different spots. They won't be where you found them the
last time you fished. Once the flows stabilize, the fish will be in the
same spots. See ya on the American, Rod.
5/24/05
It's been awhile since my last report due to the river flows. I have not
fished for shad since my last report over two weeks ago. After seeing that
the flows had dropped to 13,600 I decided to give it a try. Pressure
today was 28.9 and rising. The flows dropped 3000 cfs through out the day
and ended up at 12,200 when I got off the river. AWESOME EVENING TRIP.
After I finally located a school of Shad I was literally getting a take on
every cast. The bite was extremely subtle, which isn't the norm for shad.
I fished from 6-8:45 and landed over 15 fish and lost that many more and
had that many hits that I didn't hook up. The fish were relatively the same
size, 13-14 inches, and very hard fighters. In order to fish the American
right now, you need a boat. I'm offering evening trips during Shad season
for $150.00 per trip/ two people max.(maybe a child under 12 as third
person). You can almost book a trip same day, as all my bookings are on
hold, depending on water flows. If you deceide to book a trip and we don't
get any fish, I'll take ya out again. Hope to catch you on the American,
Rod.
5/13/05
LET THE GAMES BEGIN! SHAD ARE IN THE AMERICAN.
The river is currently flowing at 8300 cfs and the water is clear. The Sac
is over 19000 and very muddy. I can't say for sure, but I believe, the
shad are turning up the American in big numbers to escape the muddy waters,
Only problem is, it's hard to find shad holding water at 8300 cfs. Wayne
and I drifted from Rossmore Bar to Gristmill on a two hour scout trip and
finally found fish below Goethe Park. Prior to finding fish we tried the
area around Ancil Hoffman Park and the "frog water" above the Goethe bike
bridge. No success. Then we found an area down below and nailed two large
shad in 5 minutes. Both were 18 in fish and real hard fighters. Keep an
eye on the water levels. As the flows go down, fishing and access will
improve. Use the smallest grubs and jig-heads you can find. I'm using "Big
Daddys Select" 1 in curltail in pink and 1/32 ounce heads. I find the most
consistent action on this set up. Hope to hook up with you on the river,
Rod.
5/7/05 Sat.
Back to the Pit with Dave, Randy, Craig, and Vanessa. Mostly cloudy with
wind at times. The most sunshine we received today was 30 sec. intervals.
We fished all methods, although beadheads worked best. Today we landed
approx. 85 fish. Average size was 12 inches. Craig landed approx 35
himself. The rest of us landed 15-20 each. Tough wading but well worth
it. At this time the Pit River is my new, favorite Northern California Trout
river. It is located near Burney CA. off highway 299 and 89. If you like to
catch Wild Trout, check this area out. Hope to catch you on the river, Rod.
5/5/05 Thur.
This morning we fished Baum Lake and Crystal Lake. Rainy and overcast. We
fished emergers and fished still water techniques. A little slower today,
maybe 10-15 fish landed. In the evening, I fished the Pit with Erica for
about 45 min. We landed 8 and lost several others. I landed my biggest
fish of the trip, an 18 in Brown that took over 5 min. to land.
5/4/05 Wed.
Today we hit the Pit River below Lake Britton Dam. Again, I fished with
Jeff, Craig, Lance and Larry. Overcast and rainy. Fished mostly beadhead
nymphs. We landed over 25 Rainbows and Browns. We fished a non indicator,
hi stick technique and it worked really well. The Pit is a difficult river
to wade so if you come here, bring a wading staff, cleated boots and plan
on getting wet. Also a water proff bag for camera, cell phone, wallet ect.
5/3/05 Tues.
Today we fished Hat Creek and Burney Creek with Larry, Lance, Craig, and
Jeff. We had sunny conditions with few clouds. We fished both nymphs and
drys. On Hat, we hooked approx. 10 and landed 5. Big fish went to Lance.
In the afternoon we switched to Burney Creek and fished a hi stick dry fly
technique. We landed 8-10 fish here with Larry getting big fish honors.
April 23, 05 Redding, Sac River/Bonneyview to Anderson. Flows are 3775, pressure was
29.97 at the start of the trip, and dropped to 29.88 by the afternoon.
Stormy conditions, with occasional sunshine. During those periods of sun
is when we got the most action. Over all the bite was slow for us. We
only managed a few fish to the boat, all caught on olive midge patterns.
The bite was very subtle and the fight was even sluggish. We ended the day
in sunshine on us even though we were in a downpour. It was an awesome
sight. Mark used the slow fishing time to learn how to row a driftboat.
For a first timer he did a great job. See ya on the water, Rod.
April 16, 05 Today I fished the Sacramento River with Mark. We fished the drift from
Bonnyview to Anderson. Flows were 37-3800 cfs. pressure was 29.95 and skys were cloudy. When we arrived at The Fly Shop in Redding at 8:00 A.M. there were 15+ drift boats in the parking lot. We arranged our shuttle and were out of there. Mark put 5 quality Rainbows in the boat and we lost 8 others. All fish landed were 14-16 inches. Flys of choice were Birds Nest,
Serendipitys in brown and olive and Caddis emergers. Lots of fishing pressure here on the weekends. If you are thinking of going, I highly recommend mid week. Hope to hook up with you on the river, Rod.
April 15, 05 With calmer winds today, I thought we would have done better. We went 3-3
on Stripers to 5 Lbs. Water temp reached 60, pressure was 29.97 and we fished the out going tide. Started out in Steamboat Slough and got skunked. Then we fished the area where Cache Slough, Steamboat and the Sac River come together, and that’s where we got all our fish. All fish were hooked on B16 Bombers in 3-5 feet of water. Then we ran up to the Isleton Bridge,
trolled down river and Nada. Well, we are thankful for the 3 we got. Tomorrow, Redding. Hope to see ya on the river, Rod.
April 14, 05 Its been a while since we went after stripers, so we decided today would
be the day. Adolf and Adrian went with me. We fished from Ryde to Vieras resort. It was really windy in certain stretches, but not bad in others. Water temp was 60, pressure was 30.08 on an outgoing tide. Adrian landed two Stripers 5 and 7 pounds. Both fish took shallow
running bombers and both hit on the south bank. We're going again tomorrow, and flyfishing in Redding on Sat. Hope to see ya on the river, Rod.
March 16, 05 Steamboat Slough again paid off. We started out earlier today, fishing the
outgoing tide this A.M. Pressure was 30.05, overcast with no wind. I fished with Cable and Klint. We went 2-3, both fish being approx. 4 lbs. The first fish took a B16 Bomber in Black and Crystal with a 7 in white trick worm trailer. The other two took a B16 Bomber in white with red head with a flashabou trailer. We fished till noon, about 4 hours. Kinda slow today, but we still got fish. Other boats reported slow action. Hope to hook up with ya on the river, Rod.
March 15, 05 We again fished Steamboat slough. Pressure was 30.02, clear with no wind,
and we fished the outgoing tide mostly. Water temp was 60-61 degrees. A black and crystal B16 Bomber was the ticket today. We got all our fish on this particular plug. I fished with John and Rick and we went 5-5.. Two were 18 in fish up to 6 lbs. Trolling up river was more productive today. We kept 1 fish and released the others. We fished about 5 hours.
Hope to hook up with you on the river, Rod.
March 13, 05 Stripers are showing in Isleton Area. We started on Sun. afternoon at 2:00
trolling up river in Steamboat Slough and fished the incoming tide. Weather
was clear and windy. Pressure was 29.93. We put 2 stripers in the boat
and had 5 others shake loose. The keepers were 5 and 8 lbs. Both were
hooked on A25 Blue and Crystal medium diving Bombers. We hooked at least
half the other fish on B16 shallow diving Bombers also. All in all we
trolled for 4 hours and saw a very steady bite. Bigger fish will be moving
in soon. Hope to hook up with you on the River, Rod.
March 7, 05 Well, fishing for steelhead has slowed again for us. No adults, just 1/2
pounders on the last 3-4 trips. Didn’t get a chance to fish over the weekend due to trip to L.A. This warmer weather may improve the bite. I'll try either Rossmore or behind the hatchery on Tues. and Wed. If there's a good report to be had I'll report back, otherwise Friday will be
our first Striper trip of the season near Isleton. Hope to hook up with ya on the river, ROD.
Feb. 27, 05 Gary and I fished Rossmore Bar today and went 0-1. Flows were at 3044 cfs,
and pressure was 29.7 Skies were partly cloudy when we began and raining at takeout. We fished from 3-5:30 p. m. Hot shots didn’t produce today, but roe did. Gary hooked a nice
6-8 lb. bright fish. Fish was in 5-6 ft of water at end of riffle, middle of river. We saw it twice, the second time coming 1-2 feet out of the water and spitting the Gamakatsu. We will
probably fish next on Tues.. Hope to catch you on the river, Rod.
Feb. 26, 05 My partner Gary and I fished Upper Sailors Bar from 2:30 to 5:30 PM. River
flows were at 3050, and water was very clear. Barometric pressure was
30.05 and skies were partly cloudy. We went 2 for 2 using #50 Gold Hot
Shots. The first fish was a nice 21 in wild fish holding in the middle of
the river under the cover of a slight riffle. The second was a 29 in
hatchery fish that was holding tight to the bank under the cover of trees.
Gary did a great job keeping this fish out of the trees once it was hooked
up. It took 5-7 minutes to get him in the boat. After a few pictures, he
was released. This was the best day on the American for us in a while.
We're going to try Rossmore Sun PM. Hopefully we'll have another good
report for tomorrow. Steelhead will be in the system thru May and we will
continue to target them, however, we will start targeting Stripers also.
The spring spawning run has started and March-May is prime time. Hope to
catch you on the river, Rod.
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