Sacramento Salmon Fishing

[gdr_11]

One of the things I miss most about living in NorCal is the salmon fishing. I spent many an hour on the American, Feather and Sacramento river fishing for Chinook and I had many, many wonderful days on the water from the glory days of the 70's to the much tougher drought years.

Although I have been gone more than 6 years, I keep my subscription to the Fish Sniffer electronic edition and always browse the Sacramento area YouTube salmon fishing sites. It is a way for me to keep in touch with the memories that I will no longer be able to create.

With that said, I was happy to learn the the opening day on the Sacramento River was accompanied by a rare large water release from Folsom Dam which provided a great opening day at the mouth of the American River with 30 Chinook being caught by the reports I read. In the old days, when there were large summer releases from Folsom, I would fish the area behind CSUS on the American and usually did well with ocean bright salmon in the heat of July.

I hope some of my fellow CG members had a chance to enjoy the opening day and perhaps some good salmon steaks to go with it.

[deckhandmike]

I grew up salmon fishing in nor cal and I’ve never fished for them on a river. Funny how different things are even in the same state. My memories are usually getting my butt kicked in nasty weather offshore and having to constantly screw with heavy hand crank down riggers.

[FJ40 CRUZR]

I as well fish the Sacramento River out of Vierras though, I am always looking for new spots and more fish.. we do ok, mostly hit and miss due to water flows and Sea lions… after a couple of years off, this year I’ll be getting after them again.

[Irishfisher]

I have fished both the river and ocean chinook fisheries. I always preferred the fight you would get in the river environment. Using lighter tackle, fighting the current as well as the fish, having to follow them downstream was always a blast. You just don't get that in the ocean, unless the sea lions are feeding.

[gdr_11]

Yep, I think one of my fondest memories is of a 30 minute battle I had to land a 27 lb king on 8 lb test and a light action rod fishing from the bank right at the pumping station behind CSUS. I was casting a 1/4 oz Wob-L-Rite when he surprised me

[lewdogg21]

In high school and college I got to fish the Sac with my dad and his buddy (who was a guide at the time) in the fish/ski barge they co-owned (did the upper river opener one year at the barge hole, holy chit, battle fishing!) and Feather. Largest Salmon was 40lb on the low flow section of the Feather. K16 kwikfish with sardine wrapper in silver chartreuse was the king **** back then and still is