Rattlesnakes make fishing dangerous; salmon fishing reduced on Sacramento

TROUT FOR DINNER:
Robert Williamson holds a Collins Lake trout that he caught the week of April 13.

Weather: Before and After Trout Opener

Anyone fishing Upper Hat Creek or the streams on the western slopes of the Sierras on the opening weekend had to fish between showers or snowflakes and stand close to the campfires at night.

Rain was forecast to fall the day before the opener and the day after. A heavy thunderstorm struck the Oak Run area Thursday night. At the highest elevations there was even a bit of snow forecast for Friday and Saturday. By Sunday some improvement was expected but temperatures were set to drop 20-30 degrees to well below freezing each night.

Such deviations mean little to mountain-area residents. Visitors are often unprepared especially if they bank fish a long way from camp. In the morning it's jackets-on weather, but by mid-morning, clothing has to be shed. Then, by mid-afternoon the sweaters are needed again. Hopefully, the fishing was hot enough to take the mind off the weather.

Trout Plants Attract Locals; Heat Attracts Snakes

Plenty of trout were planted in the eligible streams and lakes in the last two weeks. Local anglers were well aware this and word spreads at Internet-speed. DSL service is now common in many mountain communities. The locals turned out in big numbers, hoping to avoid the opening day "out-of-town" crowds.

For example, anglers never seem to tire of catching fish at Grace and Nora Lakes and Lake McCumber in Shingletown. Anglers and their kids line the banks of Grace and Nora when the weather turns nice.

There were five to 10 boats on McCumber throughout the day last Wednesday - a near-perfect day weather-wise. By Thursday night, as a weather front moved in with chilly air and breezes, three groups were on the water. The lake was planted last week. McCumber is now full, which makes launching easier, and the road into the ramp is much improved over year's past.

Fishing has been improving daily in these lakes thanks to a previous 10-day stretch of warm spring weather. However, according to hearsay at Koch Bros. Sporting Goods in Shingletown, the hot streak, which hit the low 80s, also brought out the rattlesnakes. A four-footer with 13 rattles was reportedly killed near Grace Lake on Wednesday.

Even Battle Creek at Highway 44 received a few planters but Battle Creek Reservoir northeast of Viola is still inaccessible.

Proposal to Change Deer Zones/Bear Harvest Nixed

California Hunting Digest (formerly Tracks), published by the California Department of Fish & Game early this month, gave everyone the impression the C, D12 and D17 zones would require a drawing for "Premium" deer hunt tags this year.

Good thing there was a caveat in the fine print on page 4: "... final adoption of mammal hunting regulations by the CA Fish & Game Commission is set for April 21."

The Commission met last Tuesday and to the surprise of just about everyone at the DFG, the Commission decided to nix the idea. Commissioners also voted to reject a proposal to eliminate the quota on the bear harvest and the proposal to allow bear hunting in San Luis Obispo County.

According to DFG sources, all three concepts aroused a great deal of interest and response, both pro and con, by the public. The Commission thus decided to let these proposals "age" for a year to give everyone a chance to comment and consider the ideas.

This puts the proposals into the next decision cycle, in effect, 2010. The proposed changes aren't dead, just dormant.

In addition, the determination that a zone harvest deserved "Premium" classification (tag drawing) would be based on not one year but the harvest of three prior years.

Until then, the zones requiring a tag will remain the same as recent prior years. Your big game applications are available now and must be received by June 2. And as before, C-zones tags are being sold on a first-come, first serve basis until the number allotted has been taken.

Similarly, bear hunting will be the same as in recent years. Once the DFG estimates 1700 bears have been taken, the season will close. If that quota is not met, the season closes on December 31.

Late Fall Sacramento River Salmon Fishing Reduced

The already highly-restricted Late Fall Sacramento River salmon fishing season won't begin until November 16 this year - a setback by 15 days over last year, a decision made by the Fish & Commission at its Tuesday meeting.

Fishing will be allowed again between Knights Landing (20 miles north of Sacramento near the junction of Highways 113 & 45) and the Red Bluff Diversion Dam from November 16 to December 31. The limit will be one adult Chinook salmon per day.

Even though last year's two-month season was deemed a total success (no fall run Chinook salmon were caught by late-fall season anglers), Harry Morse, DFG spokesperson said the Commission preferred to take no chances on harming the Sacramento River Fall Run at this time.

Oregon anglers allowed to take Sacramento fish

DFG Spokesperson, Harry Morse was asked Thursday why Oregon anglers are allowed to take fish destined for the Sacramento River. Last year, approximately 600 two-year-old salmon deemed to be from the Sacramento River Fall Run were caught by Oregon anglers after September 1.

"Salmon are in an entirely different migratory pattern after September 1. Many of the three-old-fish and most of the four- and five-years have already entered or are staged to enter the Sacramento off the Golden Gate by then. Many of the younger fish, however, are off the Oregon or other coast lines and can be caught by anglers elsewhere, including those caught incidentally by Coho anglers," Morse said.

Oregon anglers have a KMZ ocean recreational fishery, just as California does, from August 29 to September 7. In addition in other areas off Oregon anglers are being allowed to fish for both Coho and Chinook this season.

Unfortunately, the Sacramento Fall Run fish caught in Oregon waters are not included in the catch totals for the year. Instead, that catch is carry-forwarded to the 2009 catch total. Some refer to this as a "credit-card fishery." Catch now and pay later or maybe not pay at all since it's on California's credit card.

Collins Lake a sure bet

Want to be assured of catching fish, especially large bass and planted trout? Collins Lake is a great choice if you don't mind paying to fish by the day.

Actually, the cost is relatively low - just $8 per day per car on weekdays and $11 per car on weekends. That's before a two percent discount for seniors.

Since it's common to catch a trophy-sized bass or trout, anglers don't seem to mind paying the extra cost.

Collins is a short drive from the Sacramento area as well as Chico and Oroville.

Considering the cost of gas to drive further, the daily fee for a carload of anglers who are splitting the cost could be justified easily whether bringing a boat or renting one there. The cost to launch your own boat ranges from $16-$19; rental boats and motors are $60-$80 per day. Crowds are not usually a problem as there is a beach and a quarter mile of fishable shoreline as well as a boat dock.