freshwater

Sacramento River Kings: Silt Ramps, Sardine Wraps, and 30-Pounders with Jeff Lechtaler

On September 12th, I joined longtime Sacramento River guide Jeff Lechtaler and four other anglers for a day on the water chasing fall-run Chinook salmon. Anglers traveled from all over the region, including places like Placerville and Gilroy, which goes to show just how far people will drive to get on the water with a guide of Jeff's caliber.

Jeff has been an avid fisherman his entire life, and he has been guiding on the Sacramento River for over 35 years. He learned the subtleties of this river system from his uncle, John Nelson, who is one of the true local legends on the water.

We met at the Butte City boat launch and departed just after 6:00 AM in the dim grey light of dawn. As soon as we cleared the ramp, Jeff kicked his 250-horsepower outboard to full throttle and told us to hold onto our hats. He was not kidding. For me, whenever I fish with a veteran guide who has logged decades on the water, this is usually the first big tell. They know every submerged log, gravel bar, and snag so well that they can run wide open at first light without hesitation.

Jeff had already spent the days leading up to our trip monitoring this stretch of the river. He led us straight to a specific productive area he had been watching closely, where the river bottom consists of rolling silt ramps that rise and fall along the bed. The river ran up to 30 feet deep in these stretches, and Jeff set us up to target salmon holding in that 15 to 20 foot zone.

As we prepped our gear, Jeff mentioned that the second week of September has historically been the prime window for this section of the Sacramento. He noted that while the run seemed slightly delayed this year, the push of salmon was actively picking up, setting up a strong run for September and October. He also explained how water temperatures impact the fishery. We started the morning at 64.1 degrees, climbing to 65.2 degrees by afternoon. Jeff pointed out that cold water released upstream near Shasta and Redding takes roughly 24 to 48 hours to work its way down to this middle stretch, directly affecting how actively these salmon travel upriver.

Boat traffic was light for mid-September. At most, we only saw two or three other boats near us throughout the morning, allowing us to troll the river in total peace.

Jeff had us trolling K16 Kwikfish and Brad's KillerFish plugs, and watching him prep these lures on the water showed why he gets results. For Sacramento Kings, Jeff wraps the belly of each plug with fresh sardine fillets and peeled crawdad tails, securing the meat tightly with thread. He explained that salmon migrating upriver rely heavily on scent, and the fresh sardine meat bleeds a steady oil trail downstream.

Adding crawdad tails brings a completely different behavioral trigger into play. Crawdads are natural egg predators in the river system, frequently targeting salmon redds and spawning nests. Because adult Kings stop actively feeding in freshwater, many of their strikes are purely territorial. The scent of a crawdad signals a threat to their future spawning grounds, sparking an aggressive instinctual hit. Furthermore, crawdad tail meat is firm and sweet, providing a durable anchor on the belly hook that holds up under heavy river current much longer than sardine alone.

Throughout the day, whenever we pulled our gear to reset, Jeff would slice fresh bait and re-wrap the plugs. You could tell he has done this thousands of times. He tied each wrap with precise symmetry, which kept the plugs running straight in heavy current without rolling over or blowing out. To boost the scent trail even further, he periodically sprayed the bait wraps with BANG Crawdad fish attractant. We also ran a small lead weight to keep the setup running down in that target depth, though the K16 provides plenty of deep diving action on its own.

A little before 8:00 AM, our first rod loaded up hard. One of the anglers on the boat set the hook and fought the fish to the net, landing a thick 30-pound King salmon. Over the years, the average size profile of river salmon has shifted slightly, making a 30-pound Chinook a standout catch on the Sacramento. This fish was bright chrome with a clean white belly, showing clear signs that it was fresh out of the ocean.

Shortly after re-wrapping our gear, another rod bucked and Wes was fish-on. Wes is a big off-road guy, and spending time talking with him about his off-road racing and crawling the Rubicon Trail was a great highlight of the day. After a fun battle, we netted his 18-pound salmon to add to the tally.

Later in the morning, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife patrol boat pulled alongside us to inspect catch records. The officer weighed the 30-pound salmon and noted it was the largest fish his unit had weighed on river patrol up to that point in the season. Funny as Jeff would text me the next day with a photo of his client Christian holding a massive 33-pound King. A few days prior, another angler, Bretton Rhodes, fished with his grandfather and landed his first two career salmon to fill his limit.

Jeff Lechtaler is pro staff at Kittle's Outdoor and Sport in Colusa, and represents what great guiding is about, but his passion for the outdoors extends well beyond his own boat. Jeff, his wife, Joarin, and kids, Danny and Maci, are a true all-American outdoor family. Danny and Maci have grown up on the water and in the field alongside their father. Both kids have spent years deckhanding for Jeff, learning how to read water, rig gear, and work with clients from one of the best on the river. That tradition continues to grow as Danny prepares to launch his own full-time guide service next year.

If you want to experience the Sacramento River salmon fishery with a guide who knows these waters inside and out, reach out to Jeff Lechtaler at Lechtaler’s Guide Service. Because Jeff is on the river most days, sending a quick text message with your preferred dates is the best way to check availability and book a trip.