November 2023 Fishing Report by Ken Baccetti:

My name is Ken Baccetti. I’m the President of the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA), Isleton-Delta Chapter. As a lifelong fisherman, fishing the California Delta, San Francisco Bay, and Ocean waters, I am pleased to be your fishing reporter. Now on to the fish report for November 22, 2023.

The striper bite in the Delta has been outstanding according to legendary troller Mark Wilson and Captain Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sportfishing. First Mark Wilsons report. Mark tells me that recent trips have produced 27 to 45 keepers per trip, with all but limits released, with fish up to 10 pounds while trolling deep diving Yozuri lures in 12 to 15 feet of water (see the attached photo). Mark continued to tell me that the West Bank below Rio Vista has been the most productive, but grass has been a problem. He suggested checking your lures often. Next up, Captain Jeff Soo Hoo. Capt. Jeff has been guiding his customers on both the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers for limits to early limits of stripers averaging 6 to 8 pounds with fish also up to 10 pounds (see the attached photos). Capt. Jeff is mainly drifting live minnows and told me that his customers are getting multiple hookups. Capt. Jeff has also been trolling as well, but he also said that the grass has been bothersome for him both drifting and trolling.

Meanwhile, the sturgeon bite has been just as good as the striper bite according to Captain Kyle Wise of HeadHunter Sportfishing. Capt. Kyle tells me that on his last 3 trips his customers have caught 41 sturgeon. On one trip alone his customers boated 17 sturgeon (see the attached photo). Capt. Kyle further told me that he’s been soaking salmon roe mainly in the Pittsburg area for his fish. With the new sturgeon regulations now in place (see the following paragraph) Capt. Kyle’s been releasing all of the fish except what his clients are legally allowed to keep.

While on the subject of the new sturgeon regulations, the California Fish and Game Commission enacted emergency regulations to reduce the harvest of white sturgeon in state waters. The new regulations went in effect on Thursday, November 16, 2023. These new regulations will reduce the number of fish that an angler can harvest to one per year, reduce the slot limit to 42-48 inches, cap the number of white sturgeon that can be possessed on a charter and private vessel at two per day and add seasonal closures to sturgeon fishing in key spawning areas. Please check the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website for the new regulations before fishing for sturgeon. If you have any questions, you can email the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at sturgeon@wildlife.ca.gov. It is to be noted that the Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association and other fishing groups were successful in lobbying against the full closure of the white sturgeon fishery. We thank them for their tireless efforts.

If it’s lake fishing you’d like then Captain Kyle Wise has another report for you. If he’s not guiding his clients on the Delta for sturgeon, he’s guiding the waters of New Melones Lake near Angels Camp. Capt. Kyle tells me that he’s trolling the main portion of the lake with gold spoons from the surface down to 80 feet for easy limits of trout for his clients averaging 2-2 ½ pounds up to 4 pounds (see the attached photo). Capt. Kyle said that on his most recent trip his customers boated 43 trout, releasing all but their limits.

Now a Folsom Lake black bass report. Don Paganelli of Paganelli’s Bass Fishing Experience tells me that he recently guided his clients on the North Fork of Folsom Lake fishing the rocky points in 25 to 30 feet of water. Don told me that he was instructing his clients on how to fish “drop shots” on the points. Don continued to say that if one point didn’t produce fish, he moved on to the next point until he found the fish. The bite was spotty, but his customers did catch bass averaging 1 ½ pounds (see the attached photo).

Now on down to the bay and ocean. The recreational crabbing and live bait fishing for stripers is excellent according to Captain Ron Koyosako of Nautilus Excursions. Capt. Ron tells me that J & P Bait is now closed, but he does have live bait available on his boat for a few more live bait trips. Capt. Ron tells me that he’s getting limits of striped bass for his customers at numerous locations in the bay, from Angel Island, Red Rock and in San Pablo Bay. He’s also producing limits of Dungeness crab for his clients off the Marin Coast (see the attached photos). Capt. Ron will continue offering live bait/crab combination trips until his live bait supply is depleted.

Meanwhile, Captain Ross Corbett of Pacific Angler Sportfishing has been doing a little bit of everything. If he isn’t travelling with his clients to an area behind the Farallon Islands chasing blue fin tuna, he’s been doing combination Dungeness crab/rockfish combination trips. First up the blue fin report. Capt. Ross has been trolling green Madmacs lures on the backside of the Farallons to entice the tuna (see the attached photo). If the tuna don’t cooperate, he’s been putting his customers on quality rockfish past the 50-fathom line. If his customers signed up for a combination Dungeness crab/rockfish trip, Capt. Ross is navigating out the Golden Gate and dropping his hoop nets in 150 to 170 feet of water. After setting his hoop nets he’s traveling to the rockfish grounds in 50 fathoms or deeper waters for quality limits of rockfish. Once limiting on rockfish, he heads back and pulls his hoop nets that have been producing limits of Dungeness crab for his customers (see the attached photos).

If you would like to book a trip with any of these Captains or Guides, just Google their business name(s) for their contact information.

If you would like more information about the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA), go to our website (www.striper-csba.org). You will be able to access all the information related to the 4 CSBA Chapters. New members only pay $25, that includes a one-time $5 initiation fee. After the first year of membership the annual dues are only $20. Your membership helps to strengthen our mission to protect striped bass and our fisheries. Some Chapters will give you a free gift just for joining. The Isleton-Delta Chapter gives all new members two free Isleton Chapter decals and a Chapter hat as a thank you for joining our Chapter. Membership forms are available for each Chapter on the website. Just click on your Chapter of choice and go to the membership page, fill out the application, print it and send your application and payment to the address listed on the application. The Isleton Chapter accepts credit cards online on the website for new memberships, membership renewals as well as our chapter’s events. The website also has Chapters’ newsletters, photos, interesting articles, and useful links that will help you plan your next fishing trip.

Until next month, I would like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving…..