THE FISHING REPORT

With Spring right around the corner, it would be easy to just
forget all about the winter steelhead season, but maybe not so
fast. Rain storms projected to hit our area have missed, and as a
result, the rivers are finally dropping into shape. Couple that
with the fact the Army Corps of Engineers is going to hold back
water up at the two reservoirs and release just 55 cfs from Lake
Mendocino, by the end of this week, we should see excellent water
conditions on the Russian River. I know I said to stick a fork in
it last week, but they are still getting fish at the hatchery and
you have the bonus of the hatcheries now releasing downers, and the
odds of catching a steelhead is improving.
Return numbers for the hatcheries are still well below the
seasonal norm but above last year’s totals. To date, Warm Springs
has 948 compared to just 541 last year. They had 150 fish show up
at the gates last week compared to 125 the week before last. Coyote
Hatchery has counted 632 compared to 265 year to date last year. In
a normal year, we should see 2000-3000 fish show up at Warm Springs
this time of year. You are going to have to work for them, but at
least the water should be low enough to force the fish into
predictable travel lanes.
But if you have given up on the steelhead season and moved on to
the spring bass season, then you are in luck. The local lakes are
starting to kick into gear. Mike Erion, down at the Outdoor Proshop
in its new location in Cotati, reports that Lake Berryesa is still
a little tough for bass anglers using smaller baits for  smallish
bass in the shallows 5 to 20 feet deep. Lake Sonoma is also showing
signs of waking up from its winter nap with better fishing in the
creek arms. Target the southern exposures for the warmest water to
64 degrees with Senkos and Brush hogs. Clear Lake is starting to
get into the thick of its tournament schedule, so my advice is fish
this during the first couple days of the week before the guys come
into pre-fish the tournaments.
Sturgeon are still biting in San Pablo Bay when the wind isn’t
blowing. This time of year you can expect stronger winds and that
can make life miserable in a small boat in 15 feet of water in a
big ebb tide, let alone dangerous. Best baits are still mud and
grass shrimp. Make sure to talk to Joe Sinkay at Leonard’s Bait
Shop on the Petaluma River.
Bait shops in the Monterey Bay are taking sport boat
reservations for the upcoming ocean salmon season which will open
on April 3rd, barring an emergency closure. The jury is still out
as to whether there will be a season. NMFS is meeting this week to
consider all the information and make recommendations as to what,
if any, season we will have. Just recently, it came to light that
there were only 54 winter salmon that returned to the Sacramento
River. Because this is already an endangered species, that just
might tip the scales against having a season in spite of the
improved ocean conditions and the good return of jack salmon. The
bottom line is that NMFS will make its recommendation and President
Obama will make his decision later this month.
For more information and or reports, please contact Hunt
Conrad at Prospect Mortgage in Healdsburg, 431-9715.