Feather/Sacramento Rivers
Chinook Salmon Action Picks Up As More Fish Move In
YUBA CITY – Chinook salmon fishing is improving on the Feather River from below the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet to the Star Bend area with the arrival of increasing numbers of fish. The fishing on the Sacramento River is slower than on the Feather, but should pick up soon.
The number of fall-run Chinook salmon reported at the Feather River Monitoring Station has increased to 1,749 fish to date and the numbers are increasing every day, according to the latest Department of Water Resources Lake Oroville Update.
Robert Dunn of Northern California Guide Service reported solid salmon action on his latest trip on the Feather.
“Two anglers fishing with me landed 4 salmon today,” said Robert Dunn of Northern California Guide Service, who had just got off the water. “We are using an array of lures, including KF16 Brad’s Killer Fish, K16 Kwikfish and T55 Flatfish with sardine wrappers, on the Feather below the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet. Recent trips have produced from 3 to 6 fish. We are also catching some fish on salmon roe.”
He has also fished the Sacramento River for salmon, but is concentrating on the Feather now because of the better action.
“On my last trip on the Sacramento, we landed two salmon weighing 20 to 25 pounds, along with a 30 inch striper,” said Dunn. “The best fishing is from Colusa to the Barge Hole. The salmon are holding in the cold deep holes. Sardine-wrapped plugs and fresh salmon roe are the best offerings.”
Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob’s Guide Service reported a good day of fishing on the Feather on his most recent trip.
“The salmon fishing has just started to pick up,” said Reimers. “There are more fish showing every day now and the fish are super-chromers. Joe Pesci and Dale Williams landed two salmon weighing 15 pounds each during a double hookup while using Brad’s Killerfish and Silvertron spinners on my latest trip.”.
Raith Heryford of RH Guide Service also reported increasing numbers of fish showing below the Outlet.
“There are a lot of fish showing in the hole below the Outlet. Fishing is hit and miss. We are averaging 6 to 7 opportunities per day, but it’s all depends on whether we capitalize on them. We are fishing Flatfish, Brad’s Killerfish, and jigs, but hanging roe has been the most productive,” he reported.
Sean Rainsberger of Sean’s Guide Service has been concentrating on salmon fishing in the Boyd’s Pump area of the Feather. On two recent trips he reported that clients caught 2 salmon one day and 1 on the next.. However, the fish weren’t biting on the following trip. He has been trolling with Silvertron spinners, Kwikfish and Flatfish. The fish caught weighed from 14 to 20 pounds.
Brian Willits of Johnson’s Bait and Tackle in Yuba City confirmed the upswing in the king action. He said the upper river below the Thermalito Afterbay is the top area to fish for salmon now, although a few fish are now being caught on the lower river.
“A customer fishing with guide Bryson Welch landed a 30 pound salmon below Star Bend while trolling Silvertron spinners during a trip that I was deckhand on,” added Nick Vega, also at the shop. “That was the one fish landed that day.”
The striper fishing remains tough on the Feather River. A few anglers are catching schoolie stripers, along with some bigger ones, while casting jerkbaits and top water lures, and bait fishing with cut anchovies.
“Most anglers are concentrating on salmon at this time,” said Vega. “The few anglers going out for stripers report 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
