YUBA CITY – The August 1 Barge Hole opener showed some of the best salmon of the season with well over 100 fish caught and some boats scoring double digit salmon landed. Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin’s Fishing Team said, “These are the openers we hope for every year! If it’s any indication of the season ahead, it’s going to be a good one! Our best action came on Pautske’s Bait Eggs or Brad Killer Fish KF 16s”
The “Barge Hole” is one of the most popular spots in the Redding area. The river will be packed with guides and anglers all vying for position in this honey hole so getting on the river can be very difficult. If you are towing a private boat, try Caldwell Park Boat launch, Turtle Bay, but due to the conditions, Parker-view or Bonnyview further down river will probably be your best bet for a launch. Parking will be an issue from now until the season ends so get there early and bring a big dose of patience. Shore anglers do well in this stretch of river as well, but the shoulder-to-shoulder fishing style is not for the faint of heart. Watch what the experienced anglers are doing, watch your manners and be patient, everyone is looking for the same thing, salmon.
So far, the bite throughout the lower river has been slow and the fish are sprinting through the low flows and warm water. Fish continue to trickle in throughout the entire course of the river, the numbers have been getting better, but there have been no concentrations or significant catch numbers.
If you can’t get a spot on the river above SR 44, try the area below the Thermalito on the Feather or the Sacramento River area around Redding. Fishing pressure there is still low, and bank anglers and roe. The fish taken have been hitting Flying C’s, Blue Foxes and roe.
The water levels are okay, and despite rumors are projected to remain at about 2,204 at Gridley.
