Feather/Sacramento Rivers Anglers Battle Big, Bright Salmon
YUBA CITY – Anglers fishing the Feather River continue to catch big Chinook salmon as the season continues. The most popular area to fish continues to be from below Thermalito Afterbay Outlet to Gridley, but anglers are also finding success in the section from Gridley to Verona also.
So far this year, the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station has counted 7,133 fall-run chinook salmon. The facility also counted 8,509 spring-run Chinook salmon this year by June 30.
“The fishing below the outlet has been very good,” said Robert Dunn of Northern California Guide Service after getting off the river on September 18. “We have been catching limits of kings. Today we ended up with 8 salmon, ranging from 10 to 25 pounds, for 4 people. The fish ranged in size from 10 to 25 pounds. We have been back trolling with Brad’s KF-16 Killer Fish and other plugs and drifting salmon roe.”
Both shore anglers and boaters are catching salmon now on the Feather, confirmed Nick Vega at Johnson’s Bait and Tackle.
“Anglers are fishing with roe, P-Line Lazer Minnows and other jigs, plugs and Silverton spinners for the salmon. I caught one 22 lb. salmon this week while fishing a jig below the outlet. The fishing is best when a fresh school of fish moves into the area,” said Vega.
Sean Rainsbarger of Sean’s Guide Service reported “fair” fishing for salmon while fishing Silvertron spinners on the anchor Shanghai Bend on his latest trips on the Feather.
“Today two anglers fishing with me landed a 14 lb. salmon at Shanghai Bend, while two anglers caught two salmon up to 20 pounds the day before,” Rainsbarger noted on September 19 after getting off the river.
Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service also reported success on salmon on the lower Feather.
“We’ve been averaging 3 to 4 fish per day,” said Reimers. “Most of the salmon have been in the 14 to 20 pound range. We’ve been fishing with Silvertron spinners. We landed 3 fish today and 4 fish yesterday. The salmon that we are catching are nice, bright fish.”
Robert Dunn of Northern California Guide Service said experienced anglers on the Sacramento River from the Barge Hole to Woodson Bridge are averaging about 1-1/2 salmon per rod while fishing both plugs and salmon roe,
“My latest venture on the Sacramento was a combo salmon/rainbow trout trip,” said West,” said Dunn. “After the 3 anglers fishing with me landed 3 salmon, they switched over to trout fishing. They caught and released 25 rainbow trout ranging from 1 to 3 pounds while dragging #50 Hot Shots downriver.”
Few anglers have been targeting stripers on the Feather. Before the salmon season shifted into high gear, a lot of shakers and a few 18 to 24 inch fish while fishing early in late in the day and at night throughout the river from the Rockwall near Live Oak to Verona.
- Dan Bacher
