By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Fishing Report 4-22-20
striped bass
Shown, ‘Coach’ Dudley Kinlaw of Manteca with a 45-pound striped bass he caught recently while fishing on the Delta with live bait.

I’ve been good about staying home for the past 30 days. This week I attempted to go out and visit a store. I was warned ahead of time that the store would only allow 40 shoppers at a time. Not thinking too much about it, when I arrived at the store, there was a line of people wrapped around the building. There was no way that I was going to stand in a line that long, so I kept on driving. Since I was close to one of my regular launching sites, I decided to see if it was still open. Not only was it open, but I counted 60 trucks with boat trailers in the parking lot, and a line of trucks waiting to launch. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people launching at this site. The most I’ve seen before was during a holiday weekend, which was about 40 boats. While looking out on the water, I saw a lot of boats with only one person on them. If you’ve ever launched a boat before, it takes a little longer when launching by yourself. I’d sure hate to have to wait in a long line after a day of fishing, just to get my boat off the water. Like the store I visited earlier in the day, everyone is being funneled to those few open locations.

 

Delta Report:

Bass fishing is really good right now on the delta. With the winds finally starting to die down and the temperatures increasing, there should be a lot of fish up shallow. In the morning I’d go with a top water lure like a popper or snag proof frog. Once the sun gets up it’s hard beating a Senko pitched into visible clear spots along weed flats. Pretty much anything should catch them but for the big ones finding those spawning flats is the key. Striped bass fishing is on fire right now out of Rio Vista. Anglers trolling Rebels, Yo Zuri’s, and Umbrella Rigs are catching limits while trolling the west bank.

 

Lake Amador:

Trout fishing is steady on the lake right now as weekly trout plants have continued. On Tuesday another 1,000 lbs. of trout were released into the lake. Typically, once the weather warms the trout seek deeper waters making this month a good month to get out fishing before it becomes too hot. Anglers catching trout are trolling their favorite trout lures or fishing off the bank with Power Bait. Lake Amador is being pressured hard by the numbers of anglers there are looking to go fishing. Bass fishermen are finding a lot of fish up shallow defending their spawning grounds. The lake is still up pretty high, and the water is clear for this time of year.

 

Open Delta Launch Sites (As of April 16):

Delta: Whiskey Slough, Paradise Point, B&W, Tracy Oasis, and Orwood Marina. Check before you go, as closures can occur at any time.