American River
American river
Steelhead and Stripers on Big Summer Bite
SACRAMENTO– Steelhead and stripers have provided “good to fantastic” fishing on recent combo striper/steelhead trips on the lower American River as the river flows continue to run high at 4996 cfs, reported Kailyr Perry of Kailyrs Guide Service.
“We have hooked anywhere between 4 and 12 fish combined on recent trips. The summer steelhead are in two classes – one in the 15 to 20 inch range and the other in the 22 to 24 inch range. We’re working Mag Lips plugs for the steelhead,” Perry advised.
“The stripers are schoolies ranging from shakers to 24 inches,” he added. “Of the fish we’re hooking, we’re landing around 3 to 4 keepers per day. We have been hooking the fish while casting jerkbaits, glidebaits, paddle tails and topwater baits,” he said
On his latest fishing adventure on the American, Perry reported that his one client caught 4 stripers, but just one was a keeper. He also caught 6 steelhead, the biggest a 24 incher with a 14 inch girth weighing 6 pounds. He released 4 of the steelhead and kept 2 of them, including the big one.
Perry has been fishing throughout the river, but is doing best on the lower section of river from Ancil Hoffman Park to Sacramento State.
Salmon fishing remains very slow on the American, as well on the Sacramento River below Discovery Park.
“One friend has reported catching 4 salmon total to date while trolling with Silvertron spinners on dropper rigs on the Sacramento from the mouth of the American to the I Street Bridge on every day since the July 16 opener. The fish have been in the 12 to 15 lb. range,” he added.
He hasn’t heard of any reports of anglers catching salmon yet on the American.
Perry will continue booking combo steelhead and striper trips through the end of August. He will switch to fishing for Chinook salmon in September. He expects the salmon to begin moving into the river by the last week of August.
- Dan Bacher
