SF/San Pable Bay Reports 9/21/06

[Wahoo!]

S.F.-San Pablo: We start with more from the Berkeley party boat
California Dawn, if only because the skipper made a promise last week.
Young James Smith, working on word of mouth, declared Monday to be Fish
the South Bay Day. Well, we never did like declarations, and Smith
probably doesn't either. Monday arrived and he kept his group to the
main bay, working back and forth between Alcatraz and Angel Island. He
could have tried the North Bay, but a local report kept him away; didn't
say why he passed on Oyster Point and the South Bay. Anyhow, his
customers hooked eight halibut, but somehow landed only two. From shore:
You can find steady action from all the piers (Presidio to Mission Rock,
Candlestick to Oyster Point) and rock walls, but you also should expect
that most of that action will be in the form of 'rays, small sharks and
likely kingfish. But, then, so what? East Bay side, expect the same,
with a slightly better chance at a halibut or bass from the Berkeley
Pier or Alameda Rockwall ... North Bay: The bass turned on again this
week, just in time for a page mate, down from the great and mountainous
north, to catch a few. The Lord of the Sea and Skinny, Sir Fraser, took
said writer, along with Tommy Glasser and Glasser Jr., to the Brothers
Islands on Wednesday, incoming tide, live shiners bouncing on a
three-way rigs. They caught a few bass, lost too many, and, all told, it
was enough to believe the bass are here, for the most part, for a fall
visit. Later, Fraser, Glasser and Glasser's son went out again and
trolled the Brickyard. The fish were small (like, 17 inches, as opposed
to 6-10 pounds at the Brothers), and they trolled up better than 15 fish
in 45 minutes of trying. Around the corner, past the Sisters and off and
above China Camp, the trollers are getting their bass on the turn of the
tide. More action off Port Sonoma and along the banks of Sonoma Creek,
where the holes below the feeder creeks/sloughs seem to produce best.
Suisun-Delta: The Canevaros, husband and wife, both are back to fishing
out of Pittsburg, following Barry's move from his summer dock to
fall-spring-winter digs. He seems happy about the move. He is happy,
considering the type of summer he and everyone else have had for salmon.
So he and fellow skipper/wife Diana are trolling for striped bass. Barry
says the fishing is fine. They're working the west bank of the
Sacramento River, along with Broad Slough and around the Rio Vista
Bridge, pulling shallow-running lures (Rebels, Bombers, P-Line
Predators, and such) with a white, plastic wormtail attached to all. The
key, Barry says, is working shallow (7 feet, on average) and no faster
than 4 mph. The fishing is productive with bait, as well. Some of the
better areas: the sandbars near the Mothball Fleet and back in the
Middlegrounds, plus Grizzly and Honker bays. The baits: bullheads, shad
and grass shrimp. The sturgeon fishing is surprisingly good, with the
Rust Fleet and Buoy 6 touted. Confused? Unsure? We have just the seminar
for you: Barry Canevaro and other local fishing authorities will be
conducting a seminar on striper, sturgeon and salmon fishing. The
daylong seminar is Sept. 30 at Hap's Bait and Tackle in Rio Vista.
Admission is free.