The rod just bent over twice before it broke out of the release, and when she got it close, I had to reach out as far as possible with my 10-foot net to bring it in. We have been scoring with Paulina Peak’s tackle, and Karen’s big fish hit at 42 feet at 11:00 a.m., ripping the line out of a tight downrigger release and taking off.

The kokanee have been holding high in the water column between 35 and 45 feet, but they should drop with this heat wave over the weekend. It is not a fast bite, and it is a matter of finding them. “The kokanee are just now showing signs of starting to turn with teeth forming on the males while there are some females loaded with eggs.

Catfishing is best with Triple S Dip Bait, chicken liver, or cut sardines. There have been some quality largemouth bass taken on jerkbaits as well. In the south aqueduct in Kern County, algae is starting to form in the slower moving water, but striped bass action remains solid with sardines, anchovies, jerkbaits, and large minnows. Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported solid catfish and striped bass action with anchovies or chicken livers. Take lots of water to stay hydrated and stay safe!”

Catfish still seem to be a hot bite both in the aqueduct and in the Delta Mendota on cut bait and chicken liver. Early morning and into the late evenings seem to be the best times as the heat is now setting in. I caught a nice 26.5-inch striper in just a couple minutes on a Lucky Craft Pointer jerk bait. I went out yesterday, and the stripers were right on top of the water. Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild said, “Fishing remains really good.

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