Another newbie joining in

[Mike Churchill]

I'm another new Sacramento resident / Bay Area transplant looking for tips on where to wet a fly line. Over the past couple of years I've spent a few days on the lower American without hooking anything yet--hoping to change that soon.

I'm moving into the Greenhaven/Pocket area south of downtown and working downtown. Besides hoping to figure out the steelies, I'm interested in finding good places for trout, bass and bluegill. (I have a six-year old fishing buddy who thinks the best days are the ones where she catches more bluegill than me. She gets the unfair advantage of worms, though.) Any suggestions?

While lurking a few weeks ago, I was very intrigued by the urban bass assaults several of you were on. Anyone willing to reveal locations on the south side of Sacto?

Look forward to chatting and fishing with you.

Mike :D

[Gregg Machel]

Stop in at the Kiene's shop and pick up an American River map (free one page map or a really good one for a few bucks). Ask one of the guys there for some tips on where to fish. They are always helpful, and will make sure you have the right flies too.

[Hairstacker]

Hi Mike, welcome aboard! I don't live in Sacramento, so I'm afraid I can't help you out on south side Sacramento fishing locations, sorry. The urban bass assaults we went on weren't even in Sacramento. I've no doubt, though, that there are some here who could steer you right. I've heard of a number of ponds up and down the American River Parkway -- maybe one of those is suitable to take a young fisherperson for some bluegill? Don't give up on the American River proper. . .with a little time put in, I've no doubt you'll crack that nut. If you're close by, that river offers too much to ignore -- steelhead, stripers, shad. . . . Probably just a matter of hooking up with someone here on the water and getting a proper introduction to the river. :D

[rhelliott]

Call the fly shop and talk to Jeff about his on the water clinics. It the best 50.00 you could spend getting a intro to the American and some places to fish. I did one of his stripper clinics and it was well woth the price, plus Jeff is one of the most friendlist guys you could meet.

[Darian]

Welcome Mike,.... Nice to hear when someone gets to fish with their young'uns =D> =D> .... Especially for Bluegill and with garden hackle.... :D :D

Kiene's shop has produced a listing of locations of local ponds to fish for Bass/Bluegill/Crappie. 8) Haven't checked, yet, but it might be on this sight somewhere.... :roll: :roll: In the meantime, there's a few ponds around that're easily within reach for you.... 8) 8)

Keep an eye on your daughter in the some of the sloughy areas, lotsa places that are easy to fall into.... :|

Try the pond at Elk Grove Park (Catfish/Bass/Sunnies). 8) If you take Franklin Rd down below the township of Hood, you'll come to an area where the Cosumnes River slows and forms many ponds/sloughs that have Bass/Catfish/Sunnies in 'em. 8) Or, try taking Freeport Blvd south to the Courtland area to reach Snodgrass Slough. Lotsa warmwater stuff there, too. 8)

There's, also, Rancho Seco Lake off Twin Cities Road East of Hwy 99. Rancho Seco allows more family participation but can be very good for large Bass/Catfish/Sunnies/Crappie, early and late at this time of year.... Rancho Seco is run by a Pub Utility that charges $4.00 daily. No water skiers, no outboards allowed. It's clean and there're picnic/swimming facilities there as well. There's some quality Bass fishing as well as some very big Crappie in that lake.... =D> =D>

If you're heading up towards the river, there's the Arden Ponds reached by following Arden until it ends at the river and the pond at Mather Field. The pond at Mather is off Kiefer form Sunrise Blvd. Both of these ponds offer the usual types of fish and are fee areas..... 8) 8)

Have fun and good luck :D :D :D

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

South of Sacramento is Snodgrass Slough but you need something to float on or in to fish it.

We have been fishing the Mather Pond of Hwy 50 on the east side of town.

We also have been driving up Hwy 50 to Cameron Park Lake which is north on Cambridge Road. This is a great place.

AM ans PM should be better in the summer heat.

September/October should be good for bass/panfish again with the cooler weather of Fall.

[JPY]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to Sac. I too was a Bay Area transplant and I used to live in the Pocket area. However, when I lived in that area, I was fishing was conventional gear. If you want to fish and willing to put down your fly gear, that area offers a lot of opportunities.

You can fish from Garcia Bend Park all the way up to Freeport bridge to fish for striper, catfish, salmon, etc. The section by the park is pretty open and clean, and a good place to take kids to fish. Just need to watch them so that they don't fall in to the big river. Also, in some sections near the park, I caught stripers really close to the bank. When I have some free time, I plan to go back to try it with my fly rod.

You can fish the cement lake if you live in the gated community in pocket. I have caught a lot of catfish, but haven't located any bass or bluegills. But I bet that they are there. Just hard to find without a boat.

Have fun fishing.
John

[Mike Churchill]

Thank you all for info.

I already have "the good map" of the American. Thursday night I spent about an hour exploring the section near the end of Northrop Blvd (just east of Cal. Expo), which is near my temporary apartment. Have to get out there with the waders. :D

I'm looking forward to exploring all the local--and semi-local--water. My six-year old now wants to top the 16-inch small mouth we caught on my fly rod in a bay area lake a couple of months ago.

(Typical dad fish: after she caught four bluegill on worms, I picked up the fly rod and cast out a black wooly bugger on a floating line. She immediately hooked another bluegill, so I put down my rod to go unhook it. Just before she landed her fish, I saw my line go tight and my fly rod start sliding down the bank. I grabbed it, set the hook, and watched this fat smallie start jumping across the cove we were fishing.

After several minutes, I looked over to see her standing there with a dangling bluegill. Not seeing a quick end to my situation, I traded her rods and let her fight the bass while I unhooked the bluegill. Then I had to convince her to give me the rod back so I could land the big boy--after she pulled it most of the way in.

Did I have my camera? No... Something I'm sure to regret the rest of my life. :oops: She was stoked anyway, and as far as she's concerned, I got skunked that evening and she caught everything.) :wink:

Now, if I could just get her older sisters as interested...

See you on the water.

Mike

[SteelieD]

That's great!! :D Welcome to the board.