Any salmon in the A (or anywhere)?

[Katz]

I was out there Sunday AM and the A looks like the surface of the moon. "No life anywhere" :(

We were around sunrise and saw one salmon jump and no fish touched by anyone.

Does anyone have a theory on the Salmon around here this year?

Still coming and just late, or not coming at all - went north?

I know the Striper are starting to show in the Delta and from what I have heard, the salmon are usually well on their way by the time we start seeing the Striper.

Appreciate your thoughts. :?


Kraig

[koffler]

Salmon are in the river but alot have fish may not have moved all the way up river. Two thoughts, there are a significant # of salmon in the goethe area; I have seen quite a few spin fisherman land fish here and had some luck last Thursday evening. Also, went to the Salmon festival at Nimbus this year, there are alot of fish waiting at the gate to run up into the hatchery. So in conclusion, some fish are in the lower reaches and those that are moving all they way upstream appear to be moving right to the dam. Good luck.

[Jgoding]

I saw a few fish Saturday resting at the heads of rapids when I was walking back. Did not see any where I was fishing though nor did I see any dead fish along the river. I was below Goethe a little ways. I will check the bridge area next time to see if there are a lot of fish there or not.

Jeff

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I talked with top conventional gear salmon guide Bob Sparre yesterday and he said salmon in Nor Cal is tough this year so far.

[WinterrunRon]

A prominent guide with years of local experience just reported that the Upper Sacramento this year was the worst he's ever experienced. He quit fishing it and moved to the Upper Klamath recently reporting much better results. I've been down to the American a few times and after a few hours of fishing ended up experiementing with lines/tips/rod combinations having the feeling there wasn't a fish to cast to. Not very optimistic, I admit, but sometimes that feeling of "I'm wasting my time" just comes over me. I'm headed North as well this week. Trinity, here I come! Ron

[Frank Alessio]

The Upper Sac is a Trout fishery... Do you think he meant the Lower Sac????

Katz,

I fished at Nimbus Dam from 11:00 this morning until 1:30 this afternoon, and seen quite a few fresh salmon caught with beads. I mean real fresh green & black spots good enough to keep. I wasn’t that lucky. The water is clean at present with only a few dead fish here and there.

[Ed Wahl]

Hey Richard, have you tried fishing the top of the Arden Rapids at Goethe Park? Ed

Ed,

It's been a few years since I fished Goethe. I usually park on Spanos, and fish Paradise Riffle with the Russian speaking guys. It's near Sac State.

Lately, have been trying to fish in upscale neighborhoods. When I fly fish for bones on O'ahu I fish at Wailupe Park located in another upscale neighborhood. The business owners in Honolulu live there.

Where do you park to fish Arden Rapids?

[Ed Wahl]

Park at the picnic area at Goethe Park. You'll have to walk west across the picnic area and then follow the paths,(there are several), downstream of the bridge. There's a large gravel bar that you have to wade out to, then the rapids are out from there. I'll be out there on Saturday, but if you hit it on Friday just remember the flyfishing goes on at the downstream end of the line, right at the top of the rapids. The regulars out there are used to fishing with fly casters so there's little friction. As a matter of fact, they helped me out a lot when I first started going after salmon. Quite a few of them switch to fly rods when the run picks up. Chasing a hot salmon down the rapids is as much fun as I've ever had with a fly rod. It's a real roller coaster ride. Ed

[slage]

I was out yesterday @ Goethe from 1:30-5 and didn't see much. I didn't spot any salmon the entire time. I did see a couple of spectacular aerial shows by some h/p's, but none interested in my offerings. Also, had one really nice adult steelhead swim right up on top of me, dart around and take off. :cry:

Ed & slage,

Thanks for the info on Goethe. I will try to fly fish that place on Monday. Today, I was on the lower river with my jet boat (Friday). I only seen 2 salmon caught and one fair size sucker. One salmon at Paradise Riffle and one up stream from the I-80 overpass. That one was caught by a small car top boat. That’s pretty bad for this time of the year. So far, my Nimbus Dam fish count is hard to beat.

The water level is really low now, and only a jet boat or small car top boat can make it up past the black railroad bride at the I-80 overpass. The sand bars across the river remind me of the Colorado River down by Yuma.

[590Mike]

I was below sunrise thurs nite and this morning saw a few salmon going up all very clean fish. Lost one on a Blanton jig hook clouser/chartruse. Had too light a leader,won't do that again.This morning went back out not much on chartruse, switched to egg sucking pink/cerise streamer thingy watched two follow it no takers.
Not a lot of fish yet.

[Ed Wahl]

Hit Goethe this morning, things are still slow. Gear guys caught a few but the main run looks like it's still a few weeks off. Maybe sooner if we get a good rain. What are some good sacrifices to make to the fish gods, maybe that will help? :evil:

I got to thinking about my Friday fish count, and I forgot to mention one salmon caught from shore at the first riffle on the Cal Expo side. The bankies can get down to the river on mountain bikes at quite a few places along the lower river.

Ed,

I remember trying to fish Goethe Park last year, but the parking area looked too scary to leave my jet boat parked there. I usually trailer my jet boat to Sacramento, just in case the mood hits me. In the old days I remember a nice campground there at Goethe. Is that the picnic ground now? Jet boats are probably now allowed?

[Ed Wahl]

Not familiar with a campground there, maybe before my time? Not sure I would leave a boat unattended there either, although I haven't heard of anyone having any problems with break ins I would'nt want to be the first. My theory is, if you drive the worse looking piece of crap in the lot you go to the end of the line for thieves. If you saw my truck you'd know what I mean. :D I'm surprised thieves don't leave me donations out of pity. Ed

Ed,

I started fishing the American River back in 1962 when I was a soldier at the Army Depot on Power Inn Road. I can remember Goethe being a nice campground, but I can’t recall exactly what year that was? Under the Watt Ave Bridge used to be a lover’s lane, as with the hill over looking Hazel Ave at Nimbus Dam. Bill Kiene probably remembers the old days too?