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Trolling for River Kings

August 20, 2008 By JD 13 Comments

Star Wars king
Just about every river has a slackwater salmon spot. You know what I’m talking about here: one of those spots that’s too slow for back-bouncing, backtrolling, drift fishing or even bobbers. Of course, it always seems that the fish pile up into these zones like crazy, right?

I suppose a guy could catch a few fish tossing spinners or spoons in such a spot, but I prefer to cover more water on the troll. The interesting aspect of slackwater trolling is you aren’t limited to fishing in one direction like you’d be if you were freedrifting or back-bouncing.

Click here to read more…

Filed Under: Best of FishwithJD, Salmon Tagged With: king salmon, river fishing, salmon fishing, salmon trolling, trolling

The Story of the World Record King Salmon

August 1, 2008 By JD 15 Comments

Les Anderson's World record king salmon

On May 17, 1985, Les Anderson of Soldotna, AK landed the all-tackle world record king salmon…this 97-pound, 4-ounce beast from the Kenai River. The mammoth Chinook was nearly 5 feet long and had an amazing 37.5-inch girth!

The improbable catch took place during the Kenai’s early run of kings, which typically features smaller salmon than the July run.

What’s even more crazy is the fish probably weighed considerably more at the time Andersen caught it…

Click here to read more…

Filed Under: Best of FishwithJD, Fishing Stories, Trophy Room Tagged With: alaska, chinook salmon, kenai river, skeena river, world record king salmon

Trolling for San Francisco Bay Halibut

July 21, 2008 By JD 35 Comments

jay-lopes
While live bait drifting has always been a popular method for hooking California halibut from Baja to Oregon, trolling is really gaining a good following and its easy to see why: it allows you to cover lots of ground quickly and locate fish… plus, it’s deadly!

Here’s how to do it:
Click here to read more…

Filed Under: Best of FishwithJD, Featured, Saltwater Tagged With: california halibut, halibut, Saltwater, saltwater fishing, san francisco bay

California’s 5 Best Fishing Lakes

May 22, 2008 By JD 70 Comments

Top-5-Fishing-Lakes-in-California
What are the best fishing lakes in California? Well, let’s just take a look…

My extremely unscientific formula to come up with these rankings took species diversity, average fish size, aesthetic value, length of season, proximity to other attractions and available facilities into account. I also employed the very technical and complex system of Rock, Paper, Scissors when there was a tie. So, without further adieu, here’s my list of California’s 5 Best Fishing Lakes (feel free to chime in, complain or add your favorite in the comments section below).

5: Clear Lake

It can be hot and miserable here and the water can look like split pea soup in the summer (a great time to fish topwater frogs, by the way. Learn how here). But when the hills green up and the water cools, there are precious few other places in the state to be if you’re into warm water species. Of course, the largemouth bass fishery is what has made Clear Lake a household name – and for good reason. Sure, the lake has its up and down cycles but when it’s on, it’s really on! Five-bass limits weighing 40 pounds and more are possible.

Clear-Lake-Largemouth-bass-fishing
Clear Lake also supports a world class crappie fishery that typically turns on in mid-winter and there are some absolutely huge catfish out there to boot. You can catch fish here all year long, though the spring and fall are the peak seasons. If you get tired of hauling in huge bass day in and day out, try your hand at trout fishing at nearby Blue Lakes.

4: Lake Almanor

Another beautiful lake with lots of cool fishing diversity! Into landlocked kings? Almanor is your place. How about chunky rainbows and braggin’ sized brown trout? Lake Almanor’s got plenty of those, too (learn the guides’ secret method for catching big fish at Almanor). As a sweet little bonus cherry on top, the lake also plays host to a very nice population of smallmouth bass.

Lake-Almanor-Brown-Trout-Fishing
Generally speaking, the trout fishing is best in the spring, winter and fall, though the action also heats up in early summer when the Hex hatch comes off. Speaking of that, fly anglers have been finding that the dry fly smallie fishing is also very good at that time. The scenery here is also a big plus and there are lots of amenities in nearby Chester — not to mention plenty of cool things to do in the surrounding area. A great spot for a family vacation!

For more info: Big Daddy’s Guide Service

3: Lake Tahoe

Tahoe-mackinaw fishing hot spots
What can I say? The surrounding scenery here is unmatched (duh!). Snowy peaks on all sides and that oh-so-blue water. Certainly, a trip on Lake Tahoe is well worth the price of admission without ever wetting a line — but it does kick out some amazingly good fishing, too. The mackinaw bite all year long here and can reach some impressive sizes – the lake record is 37 pounds! Trolling and jigging are the main methods of take. Check out our Mackinaw Jigging 101 article for tips.

Lake-Tahoe
Big rainbows to over 10 pounds and jumbo browns are also an option for topline trollers who work the rocky shorelines in the spring and fall. And then there’s the kokanee fishing which can be off the charts some seasons. In recent years, the koke fishery seems to be in a big upswing…and the fish have been on the large size. get fish spring through fall. Jigging for kokanee is fun and productive. And oh yea, there’s always something to do in the area if you get off the water early — skiing, gambling, mountain biking, kayaking, rafting, etc. Tahoe’s a truly wonderful destination and fishery, though boat launching is expensive!

For more info: Tahoe Fishing Adventures

2: Lake Berryessa

Lake-Berryessa Fishing Hot Spot
Close to the Bay Area and Sacramento, Berryessa ranks high for accessibility, but it is also quickly climbing the power rankings from a fishing standpoint. Over the past several seasons, it has consistently kicked out the state’s largest kokanee salmon and also treats anglers to some amazingly good landlocked king salmon fishing. The kings here can go up over 6 pounds! Can’t tell your landlocked salmon apart? Click our handy identification guide. Eagle Lake strain rainbows that average 3 pounds and fight like steelhead round out the cold water lineup.

Lake-berryessa-king-salmon
Catfish can go to 30 pounds here and the lake also kicks out some outstanding bass (spotts, smallies and largemouth) action. But it’s not just a numbers show – Berryessa has pumped out bucketmouths in the mid teens. Throw in some nice panfishing and you’ve got yourself a heck of a fishery.

Berryessa is also quite pretty – especially if you visit during the spring or winter months when the surrounding hillsides are green.

The Ultimate Guide to Steelhead Bank Fishing

1: Lake Shasta

Lake-Shasta-Spotted-Bass
This one was a no-brainer. The lake received high marks for diversity — king salmon, rainbow and brown trout, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish, sturgeon, bluegill, readear sunfish, green sunfish… well, you get the idea. Not only does Shasta host many varieties of fish, but often produces excellent action. Browns can get huge in here, the rainbows are often fat and the kings can reach impressive sizes. Lunker largemouths have been taken out of Shasta, though it’s getting a reputation for kicking out near world-record class spotted bass.

Lake-Shasta-king-salmon
Due to its relatively low elevation, Shasta fishes well year-round. Like most lakes in California, summer time scenery isn’t the greatest, but it’s beautiful fall through spring — especially when you get views of a snow-capped Mt. Shasta. Plenty of ramps and marinas make Shasta an easily accessed lake as well. And if the fishing peters out, you can always hit the Sacramento, McCloud, Pitt, Fall and Rising rivers for trout, Whiskeytown Lake for a bunch of different species or head east towards Burney for lots of other fishing opportunities.

 Honorable Mentions:

  • Diamond Valley Reservoir
  • Trinity Lake
  • Don Pedro Reservoir
  • San Pablo Reservoir

Related articles: Top 5 California Kokanee Lakes

Filed Under: Best of FishwithJD, Where to fish Tagged With: best fishing lakes, california, clear lake, diamond valley reservoir, lake almanor, lake shasta, lake tahoe

How to Catch Kokanee: The Basics

May 2, 2008 By JD 51 Comments

Kokanee salmon closeup

Kokanee salmon are more popular these days than Taylor Swift. And hey… they’re abundant, fun to catch, taste great on the grill… what’s not to love? You just need a few basics to get you started… and then you’ll be off and running.

Click here to read more…

Filed Under: Best of FishwithJD, Featured, Trout & Kokanee Tagged With: kokanee salmon, rocky mountain tackle, sep's pro fishing, trolling for kokanee salmon

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