After a week-long road trip to Southeast Alaska, I think I may have found some of the best fishing on the planet. That is if you like yanking on halibut until your arms feel like they’re full of wet cement and hooking so many coho salmon that it seems a little like bluegill fishing out of a 5-gallon bucket.
And the best part of the deal is this angling paradise is relatively close.
My base of operations was Juneau, which is a short 3-hour flight from Sacramento, with a stop in Seattle. On assignment for Fish Alaska Magazine, my orders were to explore and report back on the fishing opportunities available in the waters within easy striking distance of Alaska’s capitol city. [click to continue…]
Okay, so it’s still hard for some folks to believe but the Sacramento River near Redding, CA is one of the best rainbow trout fisheries you’ll ever run across. I know, I know…it sounds kinda bizarre, but this tailrace fishery below Shasta Dam is as good as just about anything you’ll find in Alaska in terms of numbers of fish.
When the Sac is really going, fly and spin anglers can catch as many as 100 rainbows from 12 inches to 3 plus pounds (most are closer to 3 pounds than they are a foot!) per day. And this is a year-round fishery, too, with the trout biting winter, spring, summer and fall!
Team FishWithJD hit the water recently with guide Gary Manies of Stricty Fishin’ Guide & Tackle in Redding for a quickie 2-hour stop to sample the fishing. Well, all I can say is that, due to schedule issues on our end, we hit it dead wrong — 1 p.m. on a 94-degree day…and we still caught a bunch of trout. That’s just how good the Sac is! [click to continue…]
Okay, so she’s not the Dean or the Babine or the Klamath or the Rogue. And she won’t ever be compared with the Cowlitz or the Hoh or the Sandy or the Smith. But the good ol’ American River right in downtown Sacramento (100 miles inland) still pumps out some really nice steelhead. [click to continue…]
There’s a lot of confusion surrounding trespassing rights along rivers. I mean, I’ve always heard that if a stream is navigable, then you could legally hike the banks up to the high water mark. But then I’ve also been told that that only applies in some states. And then there’s that whole nebulous “navigable” definition…
Northern California’s Smith River may be one of the best steelhead streams on the West Coast, but sometimes I swear I’ll never go back.
A day of fishing here can make you feel like you’ve been in a cage fight. The river’s rocky bottom will do its best to beat your spirits into a pulpy mess and relieve you of every piece of terminal tackle in your box. And seeing the endless parade of professional drift boat guides launching in the morning can give you a sense of being thrown to the lions. The Smith’s famed steelhead will also test your resolve to fight on when they suddenly, without warning, collectively decide to become indifferent towards every last piece of bait that drifts by. And that’s during the best of times. [click to continue…]
Okay, folks…time to beat the summer heat and head for Lake Tahoe! I’m gearing up for my light tackle mackinaw jigging season and will be on the water on the beautiful West Shore after July 1.
Come join us for some great times, awesome scenery and tasty fillets! For contact info: TheSportfisher.com
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 Northern California’s 5 Best Fishing Lakes (feel free to chime in, complain or add your favorite in the comments section below). [click to continue…]
What are the best fishing lakes in California? Well, let’s just take a look…