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Amazing Flood Pix: CA Delta Feb. 11, 2017

February 11, 2017 By JD 24 Comments

We took JD-Force 1 up today to get a bird’s eye view of the flooding in California. There’s been a lot of talk about the spillway at Oroville Dam lately, but I also wanted to see how the lower end of the system was faring. What we saw was amazing!

Starting with Liberty Island in the North Delta. Look at the debris and the whitewater…

The Rio Vista Bridge looks like it doesn’t have much clearance right now. Lots of homes and businesses on the shore either flooded or getting very close…

Looking down Cache Slough towards Rio Vista. The current speed and amount of debris in the water is staggering…

Hidden Harbor where Steamboat and Cache Sloughs meet..

A closer look at the bottom end of the Liberty Island area, where Prospect and Cache slough meet…

The Wimpy’s and New Hope area of the Mokelumne River, where the houseboats broke loose on Friday. All the house trailers are gone…I hope everybody was able to get out in time…

Apparently, the Deep Water Channel is the only clear water in the state…

 Looking north towards the Causeway. The bypass looks like the Amazon…

Unfortunately, there are lots of homes and farms either flooded or getting very close…

Sadly, there will be lots more structures inundated I’m afraid by the time this is all over. Look at the rapids caused by the road…

More properly and structures underwater…

Willow Berm Marina on the Mokelumne River seems to be hanging in there…

A wide, bird’s eye view of Liberty Island. So much junk down there it’s insane…

Filed Under: uncategorized Tagged With: california, delta, flood, mokelumne river, sacramento river, san joaquin river

California’s Exotic Fish Species

March 20, 2014 By JD 4 Comments

Chances are, your favorite California sportfish is probably a foreigner. An outsider. An import. Yep, the fact is the majority of the freshwater fish we enjoy chasing here aren’t native to the state.

Some exotics were experiments, others illegal introductions. People who had moved West and missed fishing for their favorite species brought in many varieties of gamefish from the East Coast or Great Lakes. Others still were moved into California to provide new fishing opportunities or to control baitfish populations.

It’s all pretty interesting stuff, so let’s take a look at some of our most beloved fish and trace their origins.

Largemouth Bass

Per capita, probably the most popular fish in California, largemouth bass didn’t swim in the state’s waters until 1891. According to California Department of Fish & Game records, the initial largemouth were Northern strain fish that originated from Quincy, Illinois and were released into Lake Cuyamaca in San Diego County.

The more popular and larger Florida strain largemouth made their first appearance in 1959 and the rest, as they say is history. Nobody could have imagined 50 years ago what an industry would spring up around those Floridas!Click here to read more…

Filed Under: Exotic Species, Features Tagged With: bluegill, brow trout, california, catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, mackinaw, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass

My new eBook: Light Tackle Surf Perch

February 17, 2014 By JD 3 Comments

Light Tackle Surf Perch ebook cover
You guys know me… I love my salmon and steelhead but I have a huge soft spot in my heart for catching perch off the beach… So fun on light gear!!

I get a lot of comments on my perch posts and emails with questions from folks about surfperch fishing, so I decided to put together this how-to eBook that shows you everything you need to catch these fun little buggers! It’s now available on Amazon/Kindle and Nook (iPad and iPhone soon too!).

Click here for more info.

Or buy now using the links below…

available on Kindle available on Nook

 

Filed Under: Saltwater Tagged With: baja, barred surf perch, black perch, california, How-to, light tackle, oregon, pile perch, rainbow perch, red tail surfperch, striped surfperch, surf perch, washington

California Fish & Game Commission votes 4-0 against proposed striped bass regulations!

February 2, 2012 By JD 5 Comments

Thanks to the Commission's vote, stripers should remain a viable fishery in California


The California Fish and Game Commission did the right thing and rejected the proposed changes to striped bass regulations that would have reduced the minimum size to 12 inches and increased the bag limit to 6 fish (and as many as 20 in some areas).

To thunderous applause and a near standing-ovation from the throng of 200 plus anglers who packed the meeting, the Commissioners voted 4-0 not to pursue a the proposal. By the way, anglers all over the state need to pass along a hearty thank you to Fish & Game Commission President, Jim Kellogg, who really took a stand for the state’s outdoorsmen on this deal.

The regulations changes had come about not because DFG thought they were warranted, but instead because the Department was sued in 2008 by the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta. The Coalition is a group of San Joaquin Valley water districts, who asserted that striped bass are harming native species, including endangered salmon and Delta smelt.

Now, nobody denies that stripers eat fish like salmon smolt, but come on here people…the two species have coexisted since striped bass were introduced to California in the 1850’s. And during many of those years we had excellent salmon…and striped bass runs. This is a political play to divert attention from the fact that record water exports are putting the entire Delta ecosystem in great peril.

It’s pretty clear when you look at the overall trend in Delta species: all of them have been on a sharp decline, which points to the fact that it’s the health of the system…not the striped bass…that’s the culprit here.

In any case, this is good news though I’m sure we’re not out of the woods here yet. Expect more lawsuit to follow. A nice victory in the meantime however!

Filed Under: uncategorized Tagged With: california, fishing regulations, striped bass

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

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