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Northern California Fishing Season

Sacramento River Fishing Season
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
 Sturgeon                        
 Stripers                        
 Shad                        
 King Salmon                        
 Steelhead                        
 Trout                        
More Info...
 
Shasta Lake Fishing Season
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
 Landlocked King Salmon                        
 Largemouth Bass                        
 Smallmouth Bass                        
 Spotted Bass                        
 Blue Gill or Sun Fish                        
 Crappie                        
 Trout                        
More Info...
  Legend
    Closed
      Fair
      Good
      Peak

Note:
These seasons are based on averages we have seen over the years. Because our weather is not the same every year, the seasons can vary due to changes in water temperatures, water depth, and severe weather conditions.

Your guide will always tell you when he sees a change coming.
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Professional Master Guide

January through December on the Sacramento River


Trinity River Steelhead Steelhead are ghosts that dart from cover to cover. Pound for pound, they outfight any fish in the Salmonidae family. Ken can teach you the skills you need to hunt them down and land them. More...
The year starts off in January hunting down and fighting the elusive Steelhead and trout; their leaps make your heart pump a little harder than when you sit watching those fishing shows on TV.

      Then along comes the Sturgeon about mid-February ... And you thought the Super Bowl was over! Like pro-bowl bound superstar linebackers that never seem to run out of steam, they just want to punish you. With each throb of their bodies against the line you can feel your muscles tear. And just when you are about ready to throw in the towel, you have landed the bruiser. Your arms are like so much putty, but your mind is focused on just one thought: "When's the next one gonna take the bait, so I can get punished some more?"

      Along about March, the sturgeon slow down and the Stripers begin to show. Pow! They attack with all the vengeance of a hungry school of piranha as they take heart-stopping yanks on your poor little plug that was only trying to get back onto the boat and safety.

California Striped bass are hard fighting fish California Striped bass are hard fighting fish. Once you hook on to one of these feisty sluggers, you will be spoiled for life. These opportunistic fish are voracious feeders and will strike on a variety of baits. More...
      Later into May, the bigger stripers show up—like bullies of the block—to help their little brothers and sisters pull your arm out of its socket. You might be sitting around, doing a spot of fishing, when all of a sudden out of the corner of your eye, you spot one. Then another, and another...until the surface is black with them. Bump! One hits the side of the boat and you think they want to sink the boat so they can eat the occupants. In reality, they are spawning and you have nothing to fear. Then as suddenly as they appear, they disappear back into the depths from which they came.





American Shad has a life cycle much like a salmon Known as the poor man's tarpon, the American Shad has a life cycle much like a salmon. They're members of the herring family. Although they only grow to about 6? pounds, you'll think you are fighting with a much larger fish. They will truly test your equipment.
      With the fading of the striper comes the rising of the Shad, with their brilliantly colored bodies flashing in the warming waters. It's time to relax with a little spinning rod and a jig. You find a likely spot to anchor. You think this will be a relaxing afternoon on the water, but then a freight train gets a hold on your line and begins stripping line like it's in a hurry to get to all-points-south on time. As you coax him to the boat, you notice he's brought a friend along. So another jig is offered, and bang! the friend you thought was just a passenger was the stand-by conductor and he has an urgent schedule to some far-off place, and he had to be there yesterday. With the sun setting and the light fading, you think to yourself, "just one more..." and so the day ends.

      Now it's July, and with the waning of the shad, you start thinking about the coming of the Kings salmon. The days seem to go on forever as the nights flash by.






Beginner or a seasoned angler? Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned angler, Ken will share with you his techniques, show you how to use the equipment, and guide you through the fight.
      August... and the kings have arrived. As though they were an invasion coming in chrome silver armor, they strike out at Kwick Fish and lay waste to Roe that get in their path. First they come in small numbers as if they were scouts...

      Then September comes, and the armies start massing. Battling upstream to a sure victory. Like an opposing force we back-troll our Kwick Fish and bounce our Roe. Crash!! He's on!! He takes our breath with runs while we watch the line disappear off our reels. "Chase Him!" is now the battle cry, for we're losing ground. The rest of the lines are cleared and our sites are on the king. With each victory comes celebration and with each defeat a sigh, but don't despair, another one is sitting just behind us waiting...

      By October, the army is in full force and the battles continue. Fish On!!! Fish On!!! Fish On!!! Battling on through October, November, and December, the monsters come into view, and the fights are intensified. By late December, the seasons are winding down, but just around the corner, it can all begin again. top


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Professional Master Guide

January through December on Shasta Lake
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and Landlocked Salmon


German Brown Trout Click to enlarge German Brown Trout. These marauders stay deep in the bowels of the lake during the warmer months of the year. In the cooler months they come up close to the banks and are very aggressive.
From January to February, these menaces of the deep come up from their lairs to prey upon any unlucky smaller fish they may find. The big boys patrol the banks and love nothing more than to rip, smash, and grab any fast moving target. The Bass are lurking lower in the water column as the big females are starting to produce the next generation.

      From March to April, the big Trout are still on the hunt as they herd the shad around like a cowboy herds cattle to the marketplace for slaughter, and the Bass are now beginning to come up from the deeper water into the shallows to spawn and guard their brewd. The Salmon are making their way towards the dam to gorge themselves on Shad where the currents have pushed them.

Sturgeon hang out on flats at about 60 feet of water from late spring to summer Sturgeon hang out on flats at about 60 feet of water from late spring to summer.
      From May to September, the Trout have moved back to their lairs, and are coming out to hunt in the late evening until dawn, and the bass have come off of their nests and settled into their summer homes. The Catfish are now on the prowl for food in earnest. They're moving around the bottom of the lake like the clean up men after a big game at a sporting event. The Sturgeon are still hanging out on flats about 60 feet watching everything that is going on above them.



Bass look for food to put on much needed fat for the winter Click to enlarge In the early fall, bass look for food to put on much needed fat for the winter, they lash out at anything they think they can catch and devour.
      October to November, finds the Bass looking for food to put on much needed fat for the winter, like a grizzly getting ready for hibernation. They lash out at anything they think they can catch and devour. The trout are becoming more active now, and are on top of it all.

      December, finds the Bass down looking for a condo to rent for the winter, as the Trout are coming out to play, frolicking in the fading light of evening. The Catfish are in their warm and cozy winter resorts, and through it all, the Sturgeon have a front row seat at the 50 yard line.

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