Hi From Sacramento, CA

[natemeister]

[] New member here from northern California. Started fishing 2 years ago and have so much to learn. Have caught one salmon in my entire life so far and a handful of stripers. Would like to learn to use artificial lures, as well as go for bass and trout this coming year. Haven't caught either species yet.
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[wiperhunter2]

Welcome to the site natemeister. I hear there is a lot of good fishing around Sacramento. Do you fish from shore or a boat?
WH2
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[natemeister]

All shore fishing for me. There are a bunch of lakes, plus the Sacramento and American Rivers and an hour and a half away is the bay area. I'm still learning how to catch the different types of fish and with so many variables, it is quite the challenge.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I spent several years in the Sacramento area. Fished along the American River for steelhead, shad, salmon and stripers. They all have their seasons and best areas to pursue them. Check in with some of the local bait shops. They usually know where the fish are and can help you get rigged and baited.

Shad are the first fish to target in the spring. May into June is the best time. Look for them wherever fast water flows into slower water. Great on small jigs, small spinners and especially flies.

Stripers are next. A good place to fish from shore or a small boat is where the American River dumps into the Sacramento...at Discovery Park. Soak a chunk of sardine right along the color line.

Summer run steelhead run up the American late in the summer. Not big but fun on light tackle. A plain old worm bounced along the bottom will get the job done. If you are good with a fly rod you can do well too on small dark patterns. Water will be low and clear so it is finesse fishing.

Bigger steelhead and early run salmon start showing up by October. Guys trolling big spinners catch them around the mouth of the American and upstream in the deeper holes of the Sacramento. Some years there will be a lot of "jacks"...early maturing male salmon less than 10 pounds. They are usually aggressive and easier to catch than the bigger ones. It used to be good for them below Nimbus Dam. Not sure what the current regulations are.

If you have access to a good sized boat, you can run up and down the Sacramento, following the runs of stripers and salmon. Some of the local bait shops provide updates to help you plan your trips.

Folsom Lake, upstream on the American from Sacramento is a great lake for multiple species. Depending on water levels, etc., there can be some great bassin' and troutin;.

If you like the backcountry, go up highway 50 to the Lake Tahoe area and hit one of the trails back into the Sierras. Lots of high mountain lakes with several species of trout...and fantastic scenery.
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[natemeister]

Thanks for the info TubeDude! I've caught most of the fish you mentioned in the past year, except Steelhead. I know I'd need a tag for them.

Here's my YT channel with some short videos from this past year of fishing. https://www.youtube.com/hookandwormfishing
I caught my first and only Salmon, a nice 18 lb hen. I've learned to call them Jacks/Bucks and Hens, too, just fishing next to seasoned vets. I was using a Flying C and just casting and retrieving.

I've caught exactly 2 shad so far, one in the Sacramento River at Miller Park using a 3/4 oz egg sinker and a shad dart. I then caught one on the American River with a couple of split shots, a 1/32 jig head and small rubber grub. I think my mistake is using too heavy line, 20 lb, so the fish either get startled or it isn't sinking fast enough. Otherwise, I do what the guys next to me do.

I've had slightly better success with Striper - I think I've caught 5 or so of them of legal size, on everything: sardines, pile worms, live minnows, the whole lot.

I hope to be more successful this coming year as know knowledge is starting to come together and I can try different techniques, depending on the season, current, etc.

I do a lot of backpacking in the Sierra Nevada and have come across many alpine lakes and streams with native and non-native trout in them. But they're so darn hard to catch. I look at them and they're spooked!
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Glad you have had some success. A lot more to look forward to.

I think you are going too heavy for the shad. I used to catch large numbers using a "bubble-chucker" rod with a water-filled plastic bubble and an 1/8 oz. white jig. The rod was a 7-8 weight flyrod I rebuilt into a spinning rod. I would run the 6# line through a water filled plastic bubble, tie on a swivel as a stopper and then a 5-6 foot length of leader. The white 1/8 oz. jig was no more than an inch and a half long.

I looked for long deep runs...like below Nimbus Dam or downstream in other spots. I would cast upstream, allow the bubble to sink briefly and then start reeling fast enough to keep up with the flow and keep the jig up out of the rocks.

another good way to fish them is with a dropshot fly rig...with a couple of split shot on the bottom and a dropper fly about 18 inches up...about a six inch dropper. I used a variety of small flies...white, chartreuse, hot red, orange, etc. It pays to have a variety and keep changing until you find what they want. They can change with light levels, water clarity and flow, etc. Again, cast upstream and reel fast enough to keep a tight line and bottom bounce downstream.

The lakes in the Sierras can be tough. But use light tackle (4# line) and small flies...with a bubble. Early and late in the day you can fish the flies on top, with the bubble empty or only partly full. During the day you may need to let it sink a ways and retrieve at some depth below the surface.

Small dark patterns work well...size 14-18. Patterns with peacock are great. But almost any fly will work when the fish are active and working the surface. Small spinners or spoons will sometimes work too. And if you get desperate, soak a worm on the bottom. Brookies love them.

Good luck and have fun. It takes a while to sample all of the fishing options within a short drive of Sacramento.
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