Sacramento River Striped Bass Fishing Report 3/26/22 - “Catching Stripers”
Daisy Weston holds up a keeper striped bass she caught fishing with North State Salmon’s Robert Petty on April 24, 2022.
Read MoreSacramento River Fishing Charter and Fishing Guide Services for Sacramento River Salmon, Steelhead, Striped Bass, Sturgeon, and Rainbow Trout
Sacramento River Fishing Guide Service-Fishing Charter- Northern California Fishing For-Salmon-Steelhead-Striped Bass-Sturgeon-Shad And Rainbow Trout On The Sacramento River. Best Fishing Guide On The Sacramento River.
Daisy Weston holds up a keeper striped bass she caught fishing with North State Salmon’s Robert Petty on April 24, 2022.
Read MoreMaster glide bait maker Gary Collins from Clear Lake, Ca holds up a 48 pound trophy striped bass he caught on his custom made 13” Shad glide bait. Collins is responsible for putting the first glide baits on the Sacramento River over a decade ago.
Read MoreStriped Bass consume countless juvenile salmonoids under low river water conditions and current hatchery release practices. The extent of annual damage to California’s salmon escapement is unknown.
Read MoreSneaky Pete’s co-owner Garret Dixon holds up a dandy striper he caught while chucking the scales up version of the sneaky pete ( Papa Pete )
Read MoreThis bruiser buck steelhead was caught by a guest of fishing guide Ryan Tripp. The low flows haven’t slowed down the steelhead action for Tripp. A very successful week was had on the North Coast this past week.
Read MorePrivate striped bass angler Ryan Botini holds up his personal best striper. Ryan recently caught this trophy on a self guided fishing trip with his crew.. This big striper took a Sneaky Pete glide bait in the blush trout pattern. Doing all this from his Kayak.
Read MoreCalifornia chinook salmon on the Sacramento River need your support. Struggling chinook salmon are having more difficulties every year.
Mike's Fishing Guide Service for Sacramento River fishing targeting King Salmon, Striped Bass, White Sturgeon, American Shad and Rainbow Trout. The Best Sacramento River Salmon Fishing Guide and Striped Bass Fishing Guide on the Sacramento River.
Read MoreGet a heads up on the start to the Sacramento River’s trophy striped bass season.
Read MoreLate Fall Run Chinook Salmon like the ones photographed in this fishing report are being caught daily on the Sacramento River. It’s a excellent time to adventure into the Northern California’s waterways and see how much they have to offer.
Read MoreChris drove up North from Sacramento, Ca to get his hands on his limit of king salmon prior to Northern California’s rivers blowing out.
Read MoreWho would you rather book with when hiring a salmon fishing guide on the Sacramento River? Or any of Northern California’s rivers really. For the sake of simplicity, in this fishing blog we will use the Sacramento River. For our example in debate. If the salmon fishing charter you and your guests were going to book your yearly fishing getaway through. Gave you and your group of guests these two options. As for who the potential fishing guides you will hire for the day of your fishing trip. Letting you, the guest choose your own destiny. Would you as the guest choose...
A) A fishing guide that is more of a “seasoned veteran”? A fishing guide that has been around for a couple decades? Someone that has years of experience and is booming with self confidence? Undoubtedly knowing a thing or two about the fishery you are planning to visit?
B)-A much younger fishing guide? A guide full of piss and vinegar? Beaming with enthusiasm, ready to get out there and get after it. At the first sign of daylight. Someone who still loves their occupation. A fishing guide that is consumed by the constant thoughts of success. Doing whatever he may have to do to achieve the goal he set out after. Someone fishing like they have something to prove?
This is critical thinking right? Well not really but....definitely something to think about before booking your next guided fishing trip. So, as I see it! A part of your conscious that has been trained by societies stereotypes. Tells you subconsciously, there is no replacement for experience. Triggering the brain to lean on the side of the older more experienced fishing guide. Correct? This may be true in some aspect. But I ask “you” (the readers) to keep a open mind as we explore the benefits and drawbacks of both younger and older fishing guides. Your personal feed back is welcome in the comment section of this blog post. We appreciate the different views and opinions of the public at large. Having worked in the fishing industry as a guide for hire since the early 2000’s. I have been fortunate to have taken thousands of clients out fishing. As well as the opportunity to meet and go fishing with some of the most influential fishing guide in this industry. Gaining at least some knowledge from each and every contact I made over the last two decades. I have also watched the sport of fishing change tremendously in the past two decades. The guide for hire business changing right along with sport fishing. Let’s have a look back at some of the changes that have taken place in the fishing industry on the Sacramento River over the past two decades.
When I embarked in this new business opportunity in the early 2000’s things were much different on the business end of things. Finding new clientele was much more difficult than in today’s modern and technological times. We use tools like the yellow pages, sports expos, word-of-mouth, and fishing reports in monthly magazines. Which now are all nonexistent. With the exception of word-of-mouth. Still a very important tool for getting new clients. As well as the overflow clientele from other fishing guides who were gracious enough to help out a new guide on the River. This was and still is a excellent way to keep busy and money coming in when struggling to exist as a new fishing guide. Keeping you on the water and clients in your boat. With the exception of the new fishing guides of the last five years. Most reputable fishing guides started their work careers in other industries. Maintaining a full-time job in another industry, while fishing part time on the weekends and full time at certain times of year. Off hand I can’t think of any full-time guys that started as full-time fishing guides as their first job. For several reasons. One reason being there were not a lot of local folks willing to spend their money on fishing trips. I’m not saying the clientele wasn’t out there somewhere. I’m just saying these potential clientele were much harder to reach. Reaching them was the problem. The World Wide Web changed everything in the mid to late 2000’s. And I mean everything. Probably the most useful tool in finding potential clientele came with the use of the Internet. Including social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Now the general public was able to find your services for a change. The first major change in business opportunities for fishing guides came with the ability to build and maintain a website. Where a quick Google search would allow you to show up to potential clients. Showing off your business to a endless amount of potential guests. Gallery pages allowed you as a fishing guide to show off your great success through photos. Blog post allowed fishing guides to write fishing reports. Keeping the public informed on the up-to-date fishing action. As well as load google up with valuable website data about your business. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram changed the guide for hire business for ever. The ability to make a post about real time fishing success allowed fishing guides to reach thousands if not tens of thousands of potential clients with every post. Friends list allowed a lot of fishing guides to get real time pictures in front of thousands of so-called friends. Making the phone ring instantly when fishing was hot. Who was to benefit from all this? Every fishing guide was to benefit from all this.
Historically to become a fishing guide, as I pointed out earlier. One must first start out part time. Either on weekends, or during time off of their regular full-time job. Almost all fishing guides had other careers. Having to much time invested in their regular job and it’s retirement plan. Just quitting and chasing the American dream wasn’t a viable option. It was thought unfathomable for this generation of fishing guides to not have had a full time job of some sort. Even myself who started dabbling in the guide for hire business at the age of twenty four. Had been employed by Pacific Gas & Electric company for several years. As well as relying heavily on the housing construction boom in the early 2000s. To support a family while trying to become a fishing guide. A juggling act for sure, leaving the securities of a full-time job with benefits. For a career of uncertainty doing what I loved. Sacrifices were certainly made by my family, and my friends. Having no financial stability in the beginning. My point being is this. No fishing guides to my recollection over the age of 40 years old like myself started out to become a fishing guide. It just didn’t happen. But oh how times of changed.
In today’s modern times it is perfectly acceptable by society standards to just successfully complete high school and receive no further education. For the record, I said “acceptable”, not suggested. Meaning today’s youth are likely to live productively in society with the completion of trade schools, and self employment. Loans, grants, and private investors make it possible for our youngest generation to explore avenues of business, and afforded opportunities that were never a option for past generations. Who were lead down the road of success by societies acceptance of graduating high school, then junior/graduate college. Then finally onto a career that was predetermined by college preparation. The only other option was to join the service, and serve our country. A selfless and honorable act made by countless Americans after the completion of high school. Needless to say times have changed. Along with it the fishing industry has changed. Young children who watched fathers, uncles, grandfathers, or family friends embark in the guide for hire business. Found themselves at a place in time where the opportunity for them to step strait out of high school, and go pro. As being a completely viable option.
Many of the young fishing guides here locally in the Sacramento Valley, grew up working on, or spending time on, the boats of relatives or close family friends. Completely aware of the possibility to earn a good living doing as their elders and mentors had done. Working as deckhands through their high school years or even younger. These youngsters know their way around the business. Fishing is almost a second nature to these young men. Who grew up on fishing guide boats. Learning how to treat clients, and how to act around clients, became a second nature. Guiding isn’t about fishing as much as it is about entertaining. As guides it’s safe to say we all know how to fish. Learning how to perform a service to your clients that allows them to have a good time, as well as catch fish is the key to a successful fishing operation. As I mentioned earlier, word-of-mouth is still your number one promoter. Happy customers tell friends. These friends call to book fishing trips. These fishing trips fill up calendar days. The up-and-coming fishing guides who grew up in charter boats surrounded by clients are fully aware of this cycle. Not to mention, the learning curve! Much more difficult for a person of my age to learn new and ever changing ins and outs of the internet and social media. This proving to be much more difficult to stay on top of, then it is for the younger generations who grew up in this technological time. Technology is almost given no thought by today’s younger generations. It comes as a second nature to these youngsters. Being fully functional in technology allows these young men to breeze their way through finding clientele via the internet. While the older generations are better left paying for someone to keep them relevant on the World Wide Web.
I’ll go ahead and let my guard down and be completely honest with myself and with the readers of this post. There comes a time in every adults life where the proverbial passing of the torch takes place. It is a proven fact that the younger mind is capable of learning, processing, computing, and problem-solving at a much faster rate then those minds of a person two, three, or four times their age. Facts! This is why we the veterans of the industry rely on experience, because stepping out of our comfort zones and trying new things is a very rare occurrence. With so many new advancements in fishing technology, tackle, techniques, it is hard if not impossible to keep up with the younger generation. They handle and adapt to these things with ease. Utilizing all these new advancements in the fishing industry to their advantage. Making themselves more successful at the base level of the trade. The fact is that the youth of our trade undoubtedly are more efficient when on the water. It wouldn’t be likely to find your charter boat captain sitting on the bank while he prepares tackle periodically through out the day. It is far more likely the younger guide will do this on the fly. A multi tasking marvel if you will. Their determination to beat all the other guides makes for great efficiency. Very little down time can be expected when hiring a younger guide. They will leave the older guides behind at the boat launch at start time. As your guide has been preparing for an hour prior to you showing up. His intentions are mindful of being the first guide done with limits for his clients everyday. He wants those easy targets(salmon) in his fish box before the other boat traffic catches up to him, and the daily grind starts. These “young guns” have something to prove! Remaining courteous, respectful, and intellectual, these kids can hold a conversation, answer questions, teach fishing techniques, and remain patient when tangle ups happen. Then happen again, and again. The cliche “salty captain” comes from the barking of orders, and growling towards clients that repeat the same mistakes. It comes with the trade, and the years of fixing and repeating the same client mistakes. It happens to the best of us. Haha….however the fresh younger guides deal with these problems with ease. Fixing the fishing foopa’s on the fly, and dealing with the incidents as fast as they come. Eager to get the lines back in the water and fish back in the fish box. Plain and simple, your younger guides are more efficient, productive, and have a stronger drive. Boxing the most fish possible for their clients in the time allotted.
As far as the Sacramento River is concerned, there are three independent “bad a__” fishing guide services on the river locally that are run by fishing guides under the age of 25. All three of them with multiple salmon seasons under their belt. These three fishing guides are full time, independently operating guiding machines. I urge anyone reading this blog and considering to book a reservation for a salmon fishing trip in Northern California to checkout one of these premier fishing guides. If you are into flat out “catching”. Book a trip with one of them. If you are into a slower pace fishing trip book with an OG! These three top guns have known nothing but the guide life. This is their full time occupation, has been, and will be, their full time occupation as long as there are fish around to catch. I will list below the name and contact information for each one of these young men. You can’t go wrong with any choice. From oldest to youngest....
Dakota Townley - (530)-680-3717 This year around fishing guide started fishing when he was for real, “knee high to a grasshopper”. He worked with his grandfather (The legendary fishing guide Frank Townley). Deck-handing for the “Fishin Magician” through grade school, junior high school, and part of high school. When his grandfather passed. After finishing high school, Dakota took on a five year contract fishing with well known fishing guide Kevin Brock. He is currently operating independently, and can be called directly by using the contact link provided. Dakota is now 25 years old and has literally a decade of guiding under his belt. He is all business on the Sacramento River. Expect to catch!
Jacob Frye- (530)-410-3174 At age 23 this young full time fishing guide sets out every morning to beat the fleet. Expect this young man to think outside the box. Taking advantage of opportunities to put a quick fish or two in the box, as the the opportunities arise. Quick thinking, and versatility keep this youthful guide at the top. Jacob also grew up in the guide for hire business. His father, fishing guide Jerry Frye had instilled the trade into his son at a early age. Jacob is a versatile guide, fishing plugs, or bait in several different applications. This keeping him catching in all fishing conditions, during any time of the season. Like Dakota, Jacob is a full time fishing guide. Working year around for several species of fish. Count on this young man to be around for many years to come. Jacob owns and operates as a completely independent full time fishing guide. He can be contacted using the cell Phone link provided. As well as on major social media platforms.
Ryan Tripp-(530)-635-3719 The youngest independently operating full time fishing guide in Northern California. Ryan Tripp is amidst his third season as a samon fishing guide. The kids got it! Like the two guide names above. Ryan comes from a upbringing of guide boats and filet knives. Son of fishing guide Mike Tripp, this kid was raised catching salmon. Groomed and ready to become a professional fishing guide long before the legal age of 18. Catching any number of targeted fish species, on any number of rivers, in a number of Western states is never a problem. Quick to identify the target species, on any body of water, this 20 year old guide systematically thinks through scenarios, coming up with a instantaneous and successful game plan. Having a knack for showing up at the right place at the right time. Capitalizing on the opportunities as quickly as they arise. You won’t spend any down time while on this guides watch. Multitasking has proven its payoffs for this youngest guide on the West Coast. Expect to get after it before daylight breaks. But hooked up long before the sun comes up. Ryan can also be contacted directly for booking reservations with his guide service, by clicking the cell phone link provided next to his name.
I personally know and have known all three of these full time, year round fishing guides for sometime. I knew all of them before they were old enough to engage in the act of guiding. They all three fished beside me working in my guide boat. I knew each one of them would eventually end up with more talent then I myself held, in the sport of fishing. I have watched them grow up in the trade, and become successful in the trade. There will be no disappointments when booking a fishing trip with any of these younger professionals of the trade. I urge you to consider giving any or all of these professional fishing guides a try out. They will be around for decades to come. Remaining at the top of the industries fishing guide for hire services.
Mike's Fishing Guide Service for Sacramento River fishing targeting King Salmon, Striped Bass, White Sturgeon, American Shad and Rainbow Trout. The Best Sacramento River Salmon Fishing Guide and Striped Bass Fishing Guide on the Sacramento River.
We are having a exceptional start to the 2021 salmon season on the Sacramento River. The upper Sacramento River is now open and plenty of dime bright king salmon are being caught daily.
Mike's Fishing Guide Service for Sacramento River fishing targeting King Salmon, Striped Bass, White Sturgeon, American Shad and Rainbow Trout. The Best Sacramento River Salmon Fishing Guide and Striped Bass Fishing Guide on the Sacramento River.
Read MoreThe B&R Tackle Co. soft bead is quickly becoming a very popular artificial salmon bait. Fishing guide approved!
Read MoreCalifornia’s King Salmon are feeding heavily on giant bait balls of anchovies. As shown here on Captain John McGee’s sonar. Pictured are the hard marks of king salmon sitting above a school of bait so dense it appears on the sonar as the bottom.
Read MoreAfter fishing salmon and steelhead for the last six or so weeks every single day, we have gotten the best plugs fine tuned, the best bait combos worked out and the salmon roe cured and ready to fish! The Sacramento, American and Feather Rivers have finally re opened this morning after a long six month closure and both rivers did not dissappoint. As soon as our old style Luhr Jensen Kwikfish and old t-55 Flatfish were finished being wrapped and marinated in our secret bait combinations the plugs were deployed to the rivers bottom just shy of 5am. Lift, bounce, tic..tic...POW...Fish on! We were fortunate to hook and land our first Sacramento Valley king salmon of the 2020 salmon season. Lucky for us we had a few hot sticks on the boat and quickly hooked up on a total of nine salmon, having three come unbuttoned during a viciuos fight and landing six fresh adult king salmon. Todays double digit pile of king salmon came to the net courtesy of Dave Jacobs, Ryan Tripp, Mike Rasmussen, Mike Tripp and Mike Tipton. The hot rod of the day was guide Mike Tripp with many kings hooked and landed this morning.
The Sacramento and Feather rivers are now open for a full season through December 31st on the Sacramento and October 31st on the Feather River. Anglers can hook and keep two adult salmon on the Sacramento River each day and three adult salmon over on the Feather River each day.
There has been fantastic salmon fishing reports coming in daily out of the salt, many fish and BIG fish! The salmon are beginning their upriver migration to their spawwning grounds and the salmon run in river will only build from here on out.
We have guided thousands of clients to the best king salmon fishing in Northern California and Southern Oregon. This is the time to give guide Dave Jacobs a call at (530)646-9110 to book your very own fully guided salmon fishing charter for the day. We are available seven days a week and can take all groups be it big or small. Dave Jacobs (530)646-9110…give us a call today!
Sacramento River fishing charter shares a 2020 countdown to the Sacramento River salmon opener.
Folks the count down begins! If you have absolutely no idea what awaits at the end of the countdown or what we are counting down down to, I must apologize. I auto assume everyone suffers from the same sickness myself and others like me do. Symptoms such as the feeling of being lost, not knowing exactly what to do, where to go, or how to go about your day differently. A day spent without feeling the rhythmic beat of a Flatfish or Kwikfish thumping on your Phenix Rod. Not sitting in a seat on the edge of a jet boat with the handle of a nearly silent Yamaha 9.9 kicker motor in your opposite hand. Not having to fixate on the graph (fish finder) and figure out your targets next move. Your snacks arn’t in the bait cooler anymore. You can’t smell the lingering stench of sardine and salmon on your clothing and skin. These are the very real withdrawal symptoms of King Salmon Addiction (KSA). The symptoms will eventually subside after a week or two of quitting cold turkey. Normal life may, but will not always ensue. After several months of living without catching, netting, or processing king salmon. No daily phone calls from clients checking in and out. No clowning on the phone with other veteran fishing guides. As to the social media post and daily ongoings of the new and insecure fishing guides who turned bromances into “fishing teams”. No roe to cure in the garage. No stage four sunglass tan! No stinky finger, from bait odors. Your everyday life as a salmon fishing guide has finally ceased, and you have taken on other ventures and hobbies. At this point you may almost be deemed normal again through the eyes of the close friends and loved ones who know your struggles. Seeing you as more of a feral adult during the months of salmon season, then a fishing guide. Just as you seem fully adjusted to things in the mainstream lifestyle. You realize that June 16th has passed and the one month countdown to opening day of salmon season has started.
The 2020 opening day of salmon season on the Sacramento River and Feather River is less then a month away. The euphoric thoughts of the violent plug bite from a big chrome king salmon start to saturate your mind. This is worth the wait of the countdown I previously left in question. The countdown to the 2020 Northern California’s king salmon season opening on July 16th!!!
Sacramento River salmon fishing report video courtesy of Dave Jacobs of salmonsacriver.com CALL (530)646-9110 TODAY
2020 Sacramento River salmon fishing regulations.
Sacramento River salmon fishing guide Dave Jacobs is happy to announce that the 2020 Sacramento River salmon regulations have been set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's commisioners.
The Sacramento River will be open to a full extended salmon fishing season starting on July 16, 2020. There will be a daily bag limit of two large adult salmon per person with a possesion limit of four king salmon in possesion. Another addition worth noting is that the season will remain open beyond the traditional December 16th closing date to December 31, 2020! This extended opener will be permitted above the Red Bluff Diversion Dam in Red Bluff, California up to the Deschutes Bridge in Anderson California.
Probably one of the biggest announcements to be made about this years salmon fishing regulations is the daily limit increase over on the Feather River. Anglers will be allowed (3) three king salmon per day through October 31, 2020.
2020 Sacramento River salmon season.
salmonsacriver.com will be available seven (7) days a week for this upcoming Sacramento River salmon season. Be sure to call early and often to reserve the very best Sacramento RIver salmon fishing dates with Northern California top guides. No group is too big or too small! We will fit you aboard our comfortable fully equipted 22 foot Koffler river sled ready and set up to six (6) anglers. All top quality bait and tackle will be provided. There are two (2) trips to choose from, both morning and evening Sacramento and Feather River salmon fishing charters from July 16, 2020 to December 31, 2020. CALL (530)646-9110 TODAY
Sacramento River salmon fishing guide Dave Jacobs on California’s top king salmon fishing river the Sacramento. CALL (530)646-9110 TODAY
Currently the Sacramento river is temming with thousands upon thousands of large American shad. The shad have been migrating up the Sacramento River in large schools since May and solid shad fishing action will continue well into July. Anglers fishing various sections of the Sacramento River from Red Bluff California downriver through Colusa California are finding solid fishing action. Side drifting from anchor small brightly colored jigs tipped with a small curly tailed grub is all it takes to entice one of these hard fighting shad to bite. Colors like chartruese, hot pink, flame orange or champangne are all that are needed as reported by Sacramento River fishing guide Dave Jacobs.
Jacobs reports “There is alot of excitement buiding as we approach the re opening of the Sacramento and Feather Rivers salmon fishing season! With the extended salmon season and increased daily salmon limit on the Feather River many are preparing for a solid salmon opener.”
The Sacramento River will open to salmon fishing on July 16th 150 feet below the Sycamore boat launch in Red Bluff California. The upper Sacramento River will officially open on August 1st from the Red Bluff Diversion Dam up to the Deschutes Bridge in Anderson California. Daily salmon limits are (2) two king salmon per person with a total possession limit of four salmon per person. Over on the Feather River, the salmon season will also open on July 16th with a (3) three salmon per person daily limit.
Now is the time to book!
This is the perfect time to get the best Sacramento or Feather River salmon fishing trip booked in. The top guides and the peak salmon fishing dates are available now for you to choose from. We provide all of the top quality bait and tackle for your Sacramento River salmon charter. We will also professionally fillet and bag your catch for your return home. We have the top Sacramento and Feather river guides availble to take groups both large and small. Call (530) 646-9110 to reserve your Sacramento River salmon fishing guide today!
Epic release video of Amanda Gradney and her very first Sacramento River white Sturgeon. Caught on March 8, 2020 near Grimes, Ca.
Mike's Fishing Guide Service for Sacramento River fishing targeting King Salmon, Striped Bass, White Sturgeon, American Shad and Rainbow Trout. The Best Sacramento River Salmon Fishing Guide and Striped Bass Fishing Guide on the Sacramento River.
Read MoreIf this picture perfect image of a North Coast chrome steelhead “trout”, doesn’t make you want to drop everything and run for the coast…You’re not a steelhead fisherman. Northern California’s new premier salmon fishing guide and steelhead fishing fanatic Ryan Tripp holds up a perfect example of a coastal steelhead. Caught less then 24 hours ago on the Eel River.
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