Fishing Shasta Lake in March

FISHING SHASTA LAKE DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH

2021 Shasta Lake brown trout caught in March on the McCloud arm near Shasta Caverns

There are many techniques used to troll on Shasta Lake in the spring, but I favor trolling in the upper 20’ feet of the water column in March every year. Often times, I’ll leave the down riggers at home because I won’t even use them during the early spring months. Trolling with side planers with 1-3 ounces of snap weights will get your presentations into the depth range we typically see the trout holding in the spring. When trolling from a boat, pick areas likely to hold big browns and rainbows, and keep your lures as far away from the boat as reasonable to keep from spooking the bigger, more weary fish when trolling so high up in the water column. Big fish are definitely boat shy at times and so are the smaller trout for that matter.

One of our top techniques for finding and catching big trout on Shasta Lake during the early part of spring is the use of inline side planers with no weight at all. Top lining the surface and having different length setbacks can be absolutely deadly most days during early spring. There are times when big, aggressive brown trout will be attracted to the disturbed water from your trolling motor (prop water) and will come up to hit lures trolled in this piece of water close to and behind the boat. I’ll run a tail gunner rod straight out the back with 2-3 ounces of lead to be sure to get down quickly and to ensure that line won’t be a problem when bringing other fish to the back of he boat. You can use any number of ways to get the lines down a bit deeper straight behind the boat, but this technique is where snap weights or Torpedo weights will shine. I personally don’t like to drag downrigger cables and balls through this water.

LURES WE USE FOR TROUT IN MARCH

Brad’s Super Baits are big trout lures on Shasta Lake.

There are lots of flies, lures, and bait you can use to catch March trout on Shasta Lake, but if I had to choose only a few, one would be a Trinidad Tackle Optimizer or Optimizer Jr. spoon. Its been proven time and time again that these spoons will catch big Shasta Lake trout, especially big browns. Another is the Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plugs which have an option to stuff them with bait and that has its advantages. I started using the KCP’s a lot last year in the spring and summer, and after some trial and error, I started catching some amazing trout. It should be noted that some days, the Brad’s KCP’s will out fish every lure in the boat. They are also a favorite for catching Kings on Shasta, but I’ll talk more about how I fish them a little closer to spring when we start to target King and Kokanee salmon. I also spent some time in 2021 experimenting with Brad’s original Super Baits and they are also big brown trout lures and will catch big Shasta Lake Kings later in the spring as well. I mainly focused on the natural Super Bait bait colors, but I’ll be trying some of the brighter colors in 2022 for sure. Don’t forget to stuff their bait cavities with your favorite Pautzke Fire Gel scents or chopped up canned or natural frozen baits.

Last but not least, I have previously written an article surrounding the use of trolling flies for trout on Shasta Lake and its had thousands of readers since I wrote it a few years ago. Flies are deadly when trolling for trout on Shasta so taking the time to read that article is very much worth your time. Flies can be trolled with any other presentation at the same time which makes them one of the most versatile attractors for trout known to mankind. Flies are especially effective when fishing in bright sunlight and calm surface conditions. Flies presented with finesse during blue bird days seems to be one way to get a bite going when nothing else will work.

WHERE TO FISH ON SHASTA LAKE IN MARCH

Big trout arches on the McCloud arm of Shasta Lake in March. These big fish can be a tough nut to crack when they are deep, but when they come up looking for a meal, its game on!

Trout fishing on Shasta Lake in march can be fairly tough, and most of that tough fishing comes when we’re seeing continuous pressure changes due to the stormy weather patterns. Staying on top of the fishing pattern is pretty important and that means spending a lot of days on the water figuring out where the trout are hanging out. Rainbow trout, unlike the brown trout, will be found in certain areas of the lake for a short period of time, but will often move around to other parts of the lake without proper notice to the anglers that pursue them. This can be very frustrating and can sometimes have you second guessing yourself for days on end. I will almost always look for the browns and rainbows that are in the lake in March to be located higher in the lake arms. The browns have come back into the lake after spawning and the rainbows are on their way up to start their spring spawning ritual. The limits for me at the top of the arms are generally where water below 48 degrees begins. Its not often I find a good trout bite on Shasta Lake when the water temps are cooler than 48 degrees.

Two patterns that the trout in Shasta Lake seem to stay true to is, browns hold on or near structure most of the time, and rainbows will hold shallow over the deeper sections (channels) of the lake. Browns are territorial to specific areas of the lake and rainbows, are definitely nomadic. As always, browns and rainbows are going to be near some baitfish if you can find some during the early spring months. Trolling side planers is a great way to cover the areas that browns will hold close to shore, and even over the deeper water sections of the lake. Its hard to beat this technique for covering large sections of the water surface that will hold two different trout species simultaneously. Be prepared to cover a lot of structure and open water to catch trout on Shasta Lake during the early spring months.

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR FISHING SHASTA LAKE IN MARCH

I know this information will be helpful to some and I truly hope to see some of this information I’ve offered up put to use by the readers of this article. It doesn’t contain every piece of the puzzle, but the puzzle pieces change every month of the year. Some of the biggest trout, especially brown trout, are caught during March every spring season and this year will be no exception. I’m still looking to beat the boat record which was a 10.5 lbs. brown 3 years ago but I haven’t been able to land one just yet. I guarantee there are browns in Shasta over 20 lbs. and someday I’ll prove it. I wish all of you the best of luck in the 2022 season and hope to see some giant Shasta Lake trout pic’s again this year.

My next article will contain a few different tactics on how to fish Shasta Lake during the month of April, the most difficult month to fish Shasta Lake. Unlike March, April will bring some major changes to Shasta Lake and my methods of fishing it will change considerably. It’s not a month I get very excited about to be honest, but that never stops me from trying and nor should it you!

Captain Jeff Goodwin

Fishing Shasta Lake in February

There are many techniques used to troll on Shasta Lake in the winter, but I favor trolling in the upper 20’ feet of the water column in February every year. A one to three color section of lead core line or 1-3 ounces of snap weights will get your presentations into the depth we typically see the trout holding. When trolling or casting from a boat, pick areas likely to hold browns and rainbows, and keep your lures away from the boat to keep from spooking the bigger, more weary fish when trolling up so high in the water cold water column. Big fish are definitely boat shy and so are the smaller trout for that matter.

One of our top techniques for finding and catching big trout on Shasta Lake during the winter is the use of inline side planers. Top lining the surface and having different length setbacks using downriggers (100-200’+) can be somewhat effective, but not nearly as effective as side planers. I typically only use one downrigger this time of the year to target trout below 20’ feet deep. There are times when big, aggressive brown trout will be attracted to the disturbed water from your trolling motor and will come up to hit lures trolled in this piece of water behind the boat. You can use any number of ways to get the lines down a bit deeper straight behind the boat, but this technique is where snap weights or Torpedo weights will shine. I like to run the rods off the back of the boat a bit deeper to avoid being too close to the boat and to make room for reeling in hooked fish straight behind the boat and to the net. Shallow lines off the transom will almost always get tangled with other lines when fighting hooked trout to the back of the boat.

In February, I’ll use weighted lines off the side planers to get the lures down a bit, but not a lot. Three colors of lead core line or an ounce or two of lead on a snap weight is about all you’ll need to get into the strike zone. A dynamic thats often un noticed when running side planers is the action that the side planers impart on your trolled lures. On choppy surface days, theres no better way to take advantage of the action the chop gives the side planers and subsequently imparts on the trailing lures. Add lead core or copper lines and you’ve just created an even more attractive presentation to your targeted trout.

LURES WE USE TO CATCH BIG TROUT IN FEBUARY

There are lots of flies and lures you can use to catch February trout on Shasta Lake, but if I had to choose only a few, one would be a Trinidad Tackle Optimizer or Optimizer Jr. spoon. Its been proven time and time again that these spoons will catch big Shasta Lake trout. Another is the Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plugs which have and the option to stuff them with bait and that has its advantages. I started using the KCP’s a lot last year in the spring and summer, and after some trial and error, I started catching some amazing trout. It should be noted that some days, the Brad’s KCP’s will out fish every lure in the boat. They are also a favorite for catching Kings on Shasta, but I’ll talk more about how I fish them a little closer to spring when we start to target King and Kokanee salmon.

Last but not least, I have previously written an article surrounding the use of trolling flies for trout on Shasta Lake and its had thousands of readers since I wrote it a few years ago. Flies are deadly when trolling for trout on Shasta so taking the time to read that article is very much worth your time. Flies can be trolled with any other presentation at the same time which makes them one of the most versatile attractors for trout known to mankind. Flies are especially effective when fishing in bright sunlight and calm surface conditions. Flies presented with finesse during blue bird days seems to be one way to get a bite going when nothing else will work.

WHERE TO FISH ON SHASTA LAKE DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY

Trout fishing on Shasta Lake in February can be pretty tough, and most of that tough fishing comes when we’re seeing continuous pressure changes due to the weather. Staying on top of the fishing pattern is pretty important and that means spending a lot of days on the water figuring out where the trout are hanging out. Rainbow trout, unlike the brown trout, will hang out in certain areas of the lake for a short period of time, but will often move to another part of the lake without proper notice to the anglers that pursue them. This can be very frustrating and will have you second guessing yourself for days on end. I will almost always look for the browns and rainbows that are in the lake in February to be located higher in the lake arms. The limits for me at the top of the arms are generally where water below 48 degrees begins. Its not often I find a good trout bite when the water is colder than 48 degrees.

Two patterns that the trout in Shasta Lake seem to stay true to is, browns hold on or near structure most of the time, and rainbows will hold shallow over the deeper sections (channels) of the lake. Browns are territorial to specific areas of the lake and rainbows, are definitely nomadic. As always, browns and rainbows are going to be near some baitfish if you can find some during the winter. Trolling side planers is a great way to cover the areas that browns will hold close to shore, and even over the deeper water sections of the lake. Its hard to beat this technique for covering large sections of the water surface that will hold two different trout species simultaneously. Be prepared to cover a lot of structure and open water to catch trout on Shasta Lake during the winter months.

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR FISHING SHASTA LAKE IN FEBRUARY

I know this information will be helpful to some and I truly hope to see some of this information put to use by the readers of this article. It doesn’t contain every piece of the puzzle, but the puzzle pieces change every month of the year. Some of the biggest trout, especially brown trout, are caught during February each year and this year will be no exception. I’m still looking to beat the boat record which was a 10.5 lbs. brown 3 years ago. I guarantee there are browns in Shasta over 20 lbs. I wish all of you the best of luck in 2021 and hope to see some amazing Shasta Lake trout pic’s again this year.

My next article will contain a few different insights on how to fish Shasta Lake during the month of March. As with February, March will bring some subtle changes to Shasta Lake and my methods of fishing it will change slightly as well.

Captain Jeff Goodwin

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Fishing Shasta Lake In January

TROLLING TECHNIQUES FOR TROUT ON SHASTA LAKE IN JANUARY

There are many techniques used to troll on Shasta Lake in the fall, but I favor trolling in the upper 10-15’ of the water column in January every year. A (3) color section of lead core line or 1-2 ounces on snap weights will get your presentations in the zone. When trolling, pick areas likely to hold browns and rainbows, and your lures away from the boat to keep from spooking the bigger, more weary fish when trolling up so high in the water cold water column. Big fish are known to be boat shy and so are the smaller trout for the most part.

One of the very best techniques for finding and catching big trout on Shasta Lake during the cold water months is the use of inline side planers. Top lining the surface and having different length setbacks using downriggers (200’+) can be somewhat effective, but not nearly as effective as side planers. It should be noted that there are times when aggressive brown trout will be attracted to the prop wash from your trolling motor and will come up to hit lures trolled in this piece of disturbed water behind the boat. You can use any number of ways to get the lines down a bit deeper straight behind the boat, but this technique is where snap weights or Torpedo weights will shine. I like to run the rods off the back of the boat a bit deeper to avoid being too close to the boat and to make room for reeling in hooked fish straight behind the boat and to net. Shallow lines off the transom will almost always get tangles with other lines when fighting hooked trout to the back of the boat.

In January, I’ll use weighted lines off the side planers to get the lures down a bit, but not a lot. Three colors of lead core line or an ounce or two of lead on a snap weight is about all you’ll need to get into the strike zone. A dynamic thats often un noticed when running side planers is the action that the side planers impart on your trolled lures. On choppy surface days, theres no better way to take advantage of the action the chop gives the side planers and subsequently imparts on the trailing lures. Add lead core or copper lines and you’ve just created an even more attractive presentation to your targeted trout.

LURES WE USE TO CATCH BIG TROUT IN JANUARY

There are dozens and dozens of lures you can use to catch January trout on Shasta Lake, but if I had to choose a few, one would be a Trinidad Tackle Optimizer or Optimizer Jr. spoon. Its been proven time and time again that these spoons will catch big Shasta Lake trout. Another is the Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plugs which have and the option to stuff them with bait and that has its advantages. I started using the KCP’s a lot last year in the spring and summer, and after some trial and error, I started catching some amazing trout. It should be noted that some days, the Brad’s KCP’s will out fish every lure in the boat. They are also a favorite for catching Kings on Shasta, but I’ll talk more about how I fish them a little closer to spring when we start to target King and Kokanee salmon.

Last but not least, I have previously written an article surrounding the use of trolling flies for trout on Shasta Lake and its had thousands of readers since I wrote it a few years ago. Flies are deadly when trolling for trout on Shasta so taking the time to read that article is very much worth your time. Flies can be trolled with any other presentation at the same time which makes them one of the most versatile attractors for trout known to mankind.

Set up your boat for lake fishing and you’ll be ready to catch lots of great fish on Shasta Lake.

Great McCloud Arm rainbow trout caught trolling with side planers and spoons!

WHERE TO FISH ON SHASTA LAKE DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY

I’ll be the first to admit that fishing Shasta Lake in January can be pretty tough, and most of that tough fishing comes when we’re seeing continuous pressure changes due to the weather. Staying on top of the fishing pattern is pretty important and that means spending a lot of days figuring out where the trout are hanging out. It should be understood that rainbow trout, unlike the brown trout, will hang out in certain areas of the lake for a period of time, but will often move to another part of the lake without proper notice to the anglers that pursue them. This can be very frustrating and have you second guessing yourself for days on end.

Two patterns that the trout in Shasta Lake seem to stay true to is, browns hold on or near structure, and rainbows will hold shallow over the deeper sections (channels) of the lake. Browns are territorial to specific areas of the lake and rainbows simply put, are nomadic. Trolling side planers is a great way to cover the areas that browns will hold close to shore, and even over the deeper water sections of the lake. Its hard to beat this technique for covering large sections of the water surface that will hold two different trout species simultaneously. Be prepared to cover a lot of structure and open water to catch trout on Shasta Lake.

Big brown trout will readily take a Brads Kokanee Cut Plug when properly presented.

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR FISHING SHASTA LAKE IN january

I know this information will be helpful to some and I truly hope to see some of this information put to use by the readers of this article. It doesn’t contain every piece of the puzzle, but the puzzle pieces change every month of the year. Some of the biggest trout, especially brown trout, are caught during January each year. I wish all of you the best of luck in 2021 and hope to see some amazing Shasta Lake trout pic’s again this year.

My next article will contain a few different insights on how to fish Shasta Lake during the month of February. As with January, February will bring some subtle changes to Shasta Lake and my methods of fishing it will change slightly as well.

Captain Jeff Goodwin

9 Likes

8 Likes

Fishing Shasta Lake In December

Fall changes on Shasta Lake are guaranteed in December

Fishing Shasta Lake in December can be both very cold and wet! December brings with it a change in the seasons and Shasta Lake fills its full potential for the winter season. While October and November tend to be the beginning of change after the summer season on Shasta Lake, December is when we start to see some significant changes to this large body of water. Lake levels will be on the rise and any amounts of rain will keep the lake on its fall/winter rise. Colder evening temperatures and the influx of rain water runoff will set the stage for the lakes winter turn over which normally happens in late December. Any body of water that experiences significant changes will definitely affect the fish species contained within its mass. Continued changes to lake will dictate the fishing patterns and techniques we deploy when fishing Shasta Lake every December. The following information comes from my own personal experiences while fishing Shasta Lake during this time of the year.

A Trinidad Tackle Optimizer Jr trolled far behind the boat off a downrigger tricked this fall trout into biting.

WHERE TO FISH ON SHASTA LAKE DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER

I’ll be the first to admit that fishing Shasta Lake in December can be pretty tough, but not like we see in October. Staying on top of the fishing pattern is pretty important and that means spending a lot of days figuring out where the trout are hanging out. It should be understood that rainbow trout, unlike the brown trout, will hang out in certain areas of the lake for a period of time, but will often move to another part of the lake without proper notice to the anglers that pursue them. This can be very frustrating and have you second guessing yourself for days on end.

Two patterns that the trout in Shasta Lake seem to stay true to is, browns hold on or near structure, and rainbows will hold shallow over the deeper sections (channels) of the lake. Browns are territorial to specific areas of the lake and rainbows simply put, are nomadic. Trolling side planers is a great way to cover the areas that browns will hold close to shore, and over the deeper water sections of the lake. In the picture below the three side planers are running lures closer to shore on the left side of the boat, and the side planers on the right side of the boat are running lures over water that is quite deep. Its hard to beat this technique for covering the water that will hold two different trout species simultaneously. Simply put, cover structure and open water to catch trout on Shasta Lake in December.

Working the shorelines with side planers in December is deadly!

TROLLING TECHNIQUES FOR TROUT ON SHASTA LAKE IN DECEMBER

There are many techniques used to troll on Shasta Lake in the fall, but I favor trolling in the upper 10-15’ of the water column in December every year. Two things to consider are where you want to troll for browns and rainbows, and how do you keep from spooking the bigger, more weary fish when trolling up so high in the water cold water column. Big fish are known to be boat shy and so are the smaller trout for the most part.

One of the very best techniques for finding and catching big trout on Shasta Lake during the cold water months is the use of inline side planers. Top lining the surface and having really long setbacks using downriggers (200’+) can be somewhat effective, but not nearly as effective as side planers. It should be noted that there are times when aggressive trout will be attracted to the prop wash from your trolling motor and will come up to hit lures trolled in this section of disturbed water behind the boat.

You can use any number of ways to get the lines down a bit deeper straight behind the boat, but this technique is where snap weights or Torpedo weights will shine. I like to run the rods off the back of the boat deeper to avoid being too close to the boat and to make room for bring in hooked fish behind the boat to net. Shallow lines off the transom will almost always get tangles with other lines when fighting hooked trout to the back of the boat. Remember, side planers can be positioned as far away from the trolling path of your boat as you want and you can run 1-3 lines off each side of the boat very easily. Having 6 lines or more in the water and covering over a 100’ wide section of the lake all at once can be extremely effective when fishing for big trout. The presence of your boat becomes a non factor and you can present lures in places you simply can’t when trolling directly behind the boat. This is especially true when you are targeting big browns that are laying on structure, like big points and steep walls. As an example, big browns will often times hang out on big points in shallow water in December. You can very efficiently run a few side planers right over those areas holding fish with a lure setback of 50’ to 150’ behind the side planer.

In December, I’ll use weighted lines off the side planers to get the lures down a bit, but not a lot. Two colors of lead core line or an ounce or two of lead on a snap weight is about all you’ll need to get into the strike zone. Running side planers is a quiet presentation with very little disruption to the surface when trolling over those big, weary browns and rainbows compared to driving over the top those same fish with your boat. A dynamic thats often un noticed when running side planers is the action that the side planers impart on your trolled lures. On choppy surface days, theres no better way to take advantage of the action the chop gives the side planers and subsequently imparts on the trailing lures. I think by now my point regarding the benefits of side planers when trolling on lakes has been made. I have a few other tricks up my sleeve to talk about, but I have all winter to talk about them in upcoming articles.

Wet and very cold winter day on Shasta Lake trolling with both side planers and downriggers.

LURES WE USE TO CATCH BIG TROUT IN DECEMBER

There are dozens and dozens of lures you can use to catch December trout on Shasta Lake, but if I had to choose one, it would be a Trinidad Tackle Optimizer or Optimizer Jr. spoon. Its been proven time and time again that these spoons will catch big Shasta Lake trout. I really like the action that the Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plugs have and the option to stuff them with bait has its advantages. I started using the a lot last year and after some trial and error, I started catching some great trout. They are a favorite for catching Kings on Shasta, but I’ll talk more about how I fish them in a little closer to spring when we start to target King and Kokanee salmon.

I have previously written an article surrounding the use of trolling flies for trout on Shasta Lake and its had thousands of readers since I wrote it a few years ago. Flies are deadly when trolling for trout on Shasta so taking the time to read that article is very much worth your time. Flies can be trolled with any other presentation at the same time which makes them one of the most versatile attractors for trout known to mankind.

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR FISHING SHASTA LAKE IN DECEMBER

I know this information will be helpful to some and I truly hope to see some of this information put to use by the readers of this article. It doesn’t contain every piece of the puzzle, but the puzzle pieces change every month of the year. Some of the biggest trout, especially brown trout, are caught during December each year and the rainbow trout fishing can be pretty good as well. I wish all of you the best of luck and hope to see some amazing Shasta Lake trout pic’s again this year.

My next article will contain a few different insights on how to fish Shasta Lake during the month of January. As with December, January will surely bring more changes to Shasta Lake and my approach to fishing it will change as well.

Captain Jeff Goodwin

9 Likes

Fishing Shasta Lake in November

Fall changes on Shasta Lake are inevitable in November

Fishing Shasta Lake in November can be both challenging and very rewarding! November brings with it a change in the seasons and Shasta Lake feels its own changes in November as well. Now while October tends to be the beginning of change after the summer season on Shasta Lake, November is when we start to see some significant changes to this large body of water. Lake levels typically bottom out and any appreciable rains will start the lake on its fall/winter rise. Colder evening temperatures and the influx of rain water runoff will set the stage for the lakes winter turn over which normally happens in late December. Any body of water that experiences significant changes will definitely affect the fish species contained within its mass. Big change can and will change the fishing patterns and techniques we deploy when fishing Shasta Lake in November. The following information comes from my own personal experiences while fishing Shasta Lake during this time.

Where to fish on Shasta Lake during the month of November

I’ll be the first to admit that fishing Shasta Lake in November can be pretty tough. Staying on top of the fishing pattern is pretty important and that means spending a lot of days figuring out where the trout have gone. I mention trout specifically because i don’t spend a lot of time salmon fishing on Shasta in the fall or winter months. Big browns and rainbows are my target species and we get into some really great fish this time of the year. The trout in Shasta Lake have spent all summer gorging themselves on Shad and other small fish and they are big and healthy in November. Its important to note that those very baitfish that these trout chased all summer will be migrating back up to the surface of the lake and will be traveling back up into the upper reaches of the lake arms. Its for this reason that I often times will abandon my efforts down in the main body of the lake and head up into the Sacramento, Pit and McCloud River arms. Not only are the trout following their primary source of food, but the brown trout begin their spawning migrations up the lake arms. By late November, the upper arms of the Sacramento and McCloud Rivers will hold migrating adult class brown trout exceeding 10+ pounds. Catching both post spawn and pre spawn browns is a very real possibility in late November. Its been told to me by Shasta Lake angling elders that the full moon in November is the official beginning of the fall trophy brown trout season on Shasta Lake. This year, the full moon will be here in the first week of November. I’ve tested their words of wisdom and have found that what they say is quite true. We catch big browns on Shasta Lake in November.

Trolling techniques for trout on Shasta Lake in November

There are many techniques used to troll on Shasta Lake in the fall, but I favor trolling in the upper 20-30’ of the water column in November most years. Two things to consider are where you want to troll for browns and rainbows, and also, how do you keep from spooking the bigger fish when trolling up so high in the water column. Big fish are absolutely boat shy and so are the smaller trout for the most part. One of the very best techniques for finding and catching big trout on Shasta Lake during the cold water months is the use of inline side planers. Top lining the surface and having really long setbacks using down riggers (200’+) can be somewhat effective, but not nearly as effective as side planers. Side planers can be positioned as far away from the trolling path of your boat as you want and you can run 1-3 lines off each side of the boat. Having 6 lines in the water and covering over a 100’ wide section of the lake all at once can be extremely effective when fishing for big trout. The presence of your boat becomes a non factor and you can present lures in places you simply can’t when trolling directly behind the boat. This is especially true when you are targeting big browns that are laying on structure, like big points and steep walls. As an example, big browns will often times hang out on big points in shallow water in November. You can effectively run a few side planers right over those holding fish with a spoon setback of 150’ behind the side planer. Its a quiet presentation with very little disruption to the surface when trolling over those big, weary browns compared to driving over the top those same fish with your boat. Even with long setbacks, you’re going to spook those fish and rarely ever catch them. If you’re not using side planers in the fall, you’re missing out on some great fishing opportunities. I talk to many people every year during November and this question always arises, “ I’m doing everything you said I should, but I’m just not catching fish, what am I doing wrong? “ Nine times out of ten, they are not using side planers.

Lures we use to catch big trout in November

There are dozens and dozens of lures you can use to catch November trout on Shasta Lake, but if I had to choose one, it would be a Trinidad Tackle Optimizer or Optimizer Jr. spoon. Its been proven time and time again that these spoons will catch big Shasta Lake trout. My boat record brown trout was caught using a #4 Optimizer spoon in a 50/50, blue/white pattern, and the brown was 10 1/2 lbs. There are a lot of browns in Shasta Lake in that weight class and the Optimizer spoons will absolutely catch them. I did find in the past several years that there were some days when the big browns would not take a big spoon and I would have to size down my presentations to get bites. Well, Trinidad tackle has solved that problem and has developed a smaller Optimizer spoon that’s 2 1/2'“ long instead of the 3 3/4” and 4 1/4 “. This gives you the option of using a proven big fish catching spoon with a smaller profile that will catch big fish when the larger Optimizers will not. I’m not stuck on one spoon and have caught browns on many other types of lures over the years looking for the magic spoon, but its a fact that the Optimizer spoons have produced my best brown trout fishing trips over the years.

Final thoughts for fishing Shasta Lake in November

I know this information will be helpful to some and I truly hope to see some of this information put to use by the readers of this article. It doesn’t contain every piece of the puzzle, but the puzzle pieces change every month of the year. Some of the biggest trout, especially brown trout, are caught during November each year and the rainbow trout fishing can be pretty good as well. I wish all of you the best of luck and hope to see some amazing Shasta Lake trout pic’s again this year.

My next article will contain a few different insights on how to fish Shasta Lake during the month of December. As with November, December will bring more changes to Shasta Lake and my approach to fishing will change as well.

Curing eggs for Sacramento River Kings!

Achieving the perfect egg

The Sacramento River in Northern California will have an excellent King salmon fishing season in 2020, and it goes without saying, hundreds and hundreds of King salmon will be caught drifting and back bouncing cured salmon eggs once again this year. Its not a new technique, but modern science and decades of industry leading experience has brought forward some unprecedented egg curing formulas for curing absolutely perfect eggs. The Pautzke Bait Company has been developing advanced bait curing and scent products in recent years and has brought forward some of the most effective bait curing and scent products to ever be available to the public. The Pautzke Bait Company has clearly remained in the top position of the industry and is a leader in producing next level egg curing products and scents nationwide. I’ve been using Pautzke products to cure my eggs for years and I’ve found that the following methods will cure highly effective eggs, every time.

Egg harvest and preparation

A quality egg starts at the point of harvesting a fresh caught female salmon. Upon doing so, its is paramount to properly bleed the salmon so that no blood remains in the fish or the egg skeins that are contained within. The best method for bleeding a fresh caught salmon is to immediately cut the gills and place the salmon back into the water, whether its in the net, fish box filled with water, or in a water water bucket capable of holding a salmon upside down for a short period of time. Keeping the salmon vertical, with its head down, helps with effectively bleeding the fish and getting all of the blood to drain internally from the skeins. Egg extrication is an important task, just be mindful when cutting the belly of the salmon. If the knife penetrates too deep, you will likely cut the membrane of the skeins and damage them before removing them from the fish. Once the skeins are removed from the fish, place them in a plastic bag and keep them cold! Once you’ve got them home, make sure all of the veins are blood free and keep them in the plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to cure them. I recommend the eggs be cured within a few days.

Application of Pautzke egg curing products

Application of the partake egg curing product is by far the easiest part of the egg curing process. Pautzke egg curing products are potent in a sense that they have lots of smells, flavors, and bite stimulants that attract King salmon, but not in a sense that a little too much of any product will affect the outcome of the salmon egg curing process. A liberal amount of each of the four Pautzke egg curing products I use will do a fantastic job of curing the eggs and creating a very fishy end result. To achieve the perfect egg, I shake a light layer of Fire Cure onto the butterflied skeins, shake a light layer of Fire Power (Krill Powder) over the Fire Cure, and lightly message with my gloved fingers, the aforementioned powders into the folds of the skein making sure to cover all exposed areas of the skein front and back. I then place the skeins into a gallon plastic baggie and add a 2 second burst of partake red Nector and a two second burst of red Pautzke Fire Dye. I then close the plastic baggie and roll the skeins around for several minutes. I then place the plastic baggie in the refrigerator. Every few hours, or as often as time will allow, repeat the rolling of the skeins in the baggie to ensure full coverage of the eggs within the cure liquids. I like to leave the skeins in the plastic baggie refrigerated for 3-5 days. Once the 3-5 days have lapsed, I will either prepare the eggs for fishing or will place them in the freezer where I will store them during salmon season, until I am ready to use them.

Sacramento River Late Fall King Salmon

2019 Sacramento River “Late Fall” King salmon.

Late Fall Kings

The Sacramento River plays host to a long standing run of “Late Fall” King salmon that shoot upstream from San Francisco Bay and can be in the Anderson, Ca. area just days after entering the system. Beginning in early November, we’ll start to see these bright Kings showing in the Barge Hole where they will wait for rain before making the right turn up into Battle Creek where Coleman National Fish Hatchery is located. Coleman raises between 750,000 and a million “Late Fall” smolt to release every year into the Sacramento River and who will then out migrate to the Pacific Ocean where they will spend 3-5 years before returning to the Sacramento River as adults. This isn’t a huge run of salmon, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in their quality as a sport fish. This is a special fishery with light boat traffic and a chance to hook one of the biggest King salmon of the year. Many of our clients know they are fishing for a potential trophy King and are just one bite away from realizing that dream every day they fish. It can be cold and wet, but its a trip well worth booking to many of our serious fishermen.

The Season

The “Late Fall” King salmon season on the Sacramento River usually starts around mid November and runs through December 31st. 2020 is a special year in that we have a season that is two weeks longer than has been possible in decades. Normally the Late Fall salmon season ends on December 16th, but this year it closes December 31st. The importance of the extension is that we generally see our best fishing in December and with two more weeks of fishing, we should be able to fish when there are quite a few Kings available in the Barge Hole this year.

Late Fall King Tactics

Late Fall kings enter the Sacramento River during the cold water months of November and December. Frigid water temps can be the coldest of the year making for some lethargic King salmon. Many mornings the water temps are in the high 40’s and the salmon tend to be sluggish under such conditions. This makes it challenging to use bait, which is normally a staple during the earlier run of the fall Kings. One of the most effective techniques for catching Late Fall Kings is to back troll large Brad’s KF 16’s plugs in the deep sections of the Barge Hole. Wrapped with fresh Sardine fillets, these large plugs can entice and aggravate these cold water Kings with both a scent trail and an aggressive action. When properly presented to holding Kings, these plugs can be the best presentation used to get hooked up with one of these big hard fighting King salmon. Some days these Kings can be caught on cured salmon roe, but most often later in the day when water temps come up a degree or two. These are the techniques we deploy daily when fishing for Late Fall King salmon on the Sacramento River.

Best Places To Fish

We concentrate our efforts on the Sacramento River in Anderson. Ca. where the Barge Hole is located. For most of the hatchery Kings, the Barge Hole is the last hole they will sit in before heading up into Battle Creek and into Coleman Hatchery. They could sit there for days or even weeks giving anglers access to them throughout the Late Fall season. With a wild population of Late Fall salmon also arriving around the same time, we can target them in the sections of the Sacramento River above the Barge Hole as well. The Barge Hole is the best place overall to fish for Late Fall King salmon in November and December without question.

How Do I Book A Late Fall King Salmon Trip?

Booking a Sacramento River Late Fall King salmon trip is easy and we usually have plenty of available spots to fill. Lots of people shy away from fishing in the winter for King salmon because it can be wet and pretty darn cold. That eliminates the fair weather fishermen and usually only leaves the die hards to fill our vacant dates. Thats makes for plenty of room to fish for these great fish in the Barge Hole, which is normally pretty busy from August through October. One point worth making is that we often have lots of hatchery steelhead in the Barge Hole area in November and December which creates an opportunity to fish for steelhead after the Kings stop biting later in the morning. Kings and steelhead, now thats a perfect day! If this sounds like a trip that you would like to put together for a small group, please give Jaynie a call at our reservation desk and she will help you book your trip. She can be reached at (530) 510-2925 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm daily.

Brad's Kokanee Cut Plug (KCP) Shasta Rig

Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plug Rigging

Rigging a Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plug (KCP) is easy and its deadly on my home water, Shasta Lake. Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear has a great color selection of KCP’s. Many anglers, such as myself, like to get the “Silver Bullet” KCP and create some special color patterns that are not available in tackle stores. I’ve used a particular color on Shasta Lake this year when trolling for salmon and trout using the Silver Bullet KCP. Its no wonder its caught the eye of lots of fishermen, it flat out catches fish in Shasta Lake. Recently, both Brad’s and my local tackle shop have been over run with requests for my KCP pattern, but the truth is, its not a Brad’s production color and Phil’s Propellers (tackle Shop) doesn’t carry it. I call it “Shasta Blue”, and if you want one now, you’re going to have to make it for yourself. I’ve laid out some simple steps and components below to help you make some of your own. Its a great plug and I know you’ll catch many fish with the pattern, I sure have.

I order my Fishermun’s Lure-Coat online from Sportco up in Washington State.

Step #1

Get some transparent blue Fishermun’s Lure-Coat and some Brads Killer Fishing Gear “Silver Bullet” Kokanee Cut Plugs. Shake the Lure-Coat well, then remove the cap. Use in a well ventilated space, this stuff is potent.

Don’t forget to remove the rubber band on the tail of the KCP and after opening the scent cavity, remove the scent sponge. Save or discard the sponge, but don’t leave it in the scent cavity because it will load with paint and you’ll never get the cavity to open again.

Step #2

After removing the rubber band from the tail, open the scent cavity and remove the scent sponge supplied with the KCP. Dip the KCP to the desired depth in the Lure-Coat. Creating an angled pattern will give the KCP more visual movement for the fish to see when you are trolling. After achieving the desired finish, make sure to drain any excess paint off the KCP before setting out to dry.

A completed Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear Kokanee Cut Plug ready to catch fish on Shasta lake.

Step #3

Once your KCP paint job is dry, its time to assemble the whole rig. I use a double hook leader tied with 2 Gamakatsu #4 wide gap hooks, a bobber stop, and then slide a mack’s Lure stack bead down the leader to rest on the bobber stop. The bobber stop is essential and gives you the ability to adjust the hook set backs. I’m experiencing a pretty good hook/land ratio using this system.

Final Thoughts

I’ve run this rig off of side planers, downriggers, and brad’s Magnum Divers with great results. The KCP’s have many uses and I’ve caught fish on them a number of ways. You can run them solo, behind dodgers, behind flashers, back troll them with divers in the river, etc. Take from this short article what you like, but just so you know, I’ll be writing more and more about the use of this great fishing presentation in the weeks and months ahead.

Acknowledgements

I would like to give a special thanks to Scott Kaul and Chris Turvey from Brad’s for providing a bunch of helpful information while fishing with KCP’s . Their help has undoubtedly helped my clients catch more fish.

Lower Sacramento River trout fishing

Early spring Sacramento River rainbow trout!

Spring on the Sacramento River in Redding California is a special time for fishing the native populations of rainbow trout. This is primarily a catch and release fishery, but one that provides lots of action and bent rods for all our angler guests. March typically kicks of the best fishing and is the last month, until August 1st we have access to the section of the Sacramento River above the SR 44 bridge in downtown Redding.

We use several techniques to catch these hard fighting rainbows, but we spin fish the majority of the time. Casting and drifting natural cured eggs or fishing with egg pattern beads is our most successful technique. This is the easiest way for our clients to hook their owns trout and fight them with our ultralight fishing gear. Everyone always has a great time and some of our guests catch their first fish ever while fishing with us. Its a special privilege to be able to share that experience with them.

The resident rainbow trout average 14” to 16”, but we catch many trout much larger. Some days the big fish are on a good bite and its not unusual to catch several rainbow trout over 2 lbs. The biggest rainbow trout caught in my boat tipped the scale at 6.13 lbs and was our clients personal best rainbow trout in all his years of fishing. In fact, many of our guests experience catching their largest trout ever! If the size of these rainbow trout isn’t enough, the fight they fight like they are twice their size. Heavy hits and long line peeling runs are common on this fishery and seldom do the bigger rainbows we catch come to the net without an impressive display of vigor.

We fish for Sacramento River Rainbow trout year round and with a staff of four guides have all the latest information available to get our guests on some really fun days on the river. Spring kicks off the seasons best fishing which lasts well into the fall months of the year. August 1st is an important date to remember because it offers the opening of the Sacramento River above the SR 44 bridge in Redding. The Sacramento River Rainbow trout in this highly productive section of the river have been left alone for four months and when this section opens, the fishing is off the hook! 40, 50, even 60 fish days have been experienced by our guests. All our fishing will be done from our 25’ power boats and all gear is provided for you.

If this sounds like a fun trip for your family or friends, please give Jaynie a call at the office to set up your Sacramento River rainbow trout fishing trip. She will get you all set up on our flexible schedule and will provide every last detail before your trip. We have a partnership with Gaia Hotel near Redding and many of our guests take advantage of their upscale accommodations using our corporate rate.

- Capt. Jeff

Sacramento River Striped bass fishing

Sacramento River Striped bass fishing is very productive year after year. Guided Striped bass fishing trips are best in April and May.

The Sacramento River Striped bass fishing season is coming and all indicators point towards some good Striped bass fishing beginning in late March. The fishing can be really good at the end of March, but to be safe, most of our client trips will be scheduled from April 1st through the end of May. By April 1st, our guides have located the big schools of Striped bass in the Sacramento River and will be catching limits daily.

The Striped bass in the Sacramento River system begin their annual spawning migration from the near coastal regions and California Delta waterways around March of every year. With the turbid spring flows in the Sacramento River system every spring, hundreds of thousands of Striped bass take advantage of these conditions and make their spawning run up river. Turbid, or stained water, is the key to the Striped bass migrations and without these conditions, the Colusa area of the Sacramento River won’t see a large population of spawners coming up and holding in the area.

Striped bass fishing in the California Delta yields some excellent fishing opportunities during low water years in the spring.

During drier years, the Striped bass fishing tends to be better lower in the Sacramento River system and can often be the best in the California Delta. We’ve had some great wet year seasons since 2016, but in 2015, the best Striped bass fishing was found in the California Delta. Fishing in the Delta can be a challenge, primarily because of its geographical mass. The Delta has over one thousand miles of shoreline and fishing conditions can be heavily influenced by tides and high winds. Its not real practical for our guide team to run trips down in the Delta, but during drought years, its certainly an option if thats where we need to go to get our clients on some good Striped bass fishing on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River systems.

Tackle and techniques for spring Striped bass fishing is pretty much the same no matter where we choose to fish. Trolling live minnows for Striped bass is very effective up river, but its also very effective when fishing down in the Delta as well. Now while trolling minnows is our number one technique, fast trolling big deep or shallow diving stick baits is very effective as well.

Limits of Striped bass are pretty much a given during April and May on the Sacramento River.

No matter which technique you choose, Striped bass are very aggressive feeders and when your minnow or diving lure gets attacked, you’ll know it! I think Striped bass are, pound for pound, one of the hardest fighting fish in the west and not too many fishermen will argue that statement. If the point of Striped bass being great fighting fish wasn’t enough, Striped bass are very good on the dinner table as well. These two facts about Striped bass make them a prized sport fish, and believe it or not, one of the most popular fisheries for the northern California guides who fish for them.

Sacramento River Striped bass fishing in April!

Many of our days during the Sacramento River Striped bass season have pretty good weather which makes fishing for them all the more enjoyable. Add some pretty steady action and a fish box full of great tasting Striped bass fillets and you have the elements of a great fishing trip. We generally have two to three boats available daily during Striped bass season and each boat can comfortably handle four to six anglers, depending on which Captain you are booked to fish with. We have great equipment to fish with and provide everything your group will need for a day of fishing for Striped bass.

We’re reserving dates now so if this sounds like a fun trip and you’d like to book a day or two for your party, call Jaynie at our office to get your day of Striped bass fishing all set up. We can accommodate large groups, multi day trips, or even a private trip for you and that special someone in your life. We will be filling dates from April 1st through May and beyond if the good fishing holds.

Tight lines, and we’ll look forward to meeting you at the boat launch the day of your trip!

Capt. Jeff,,

Egg cure recipe for Sacramento River Kings.

Fire Power for Sac River Kings!

Pautzke Fire Power Krill is an essential ingredient in todays salmon egg cures.

Nickel size baits are best for Sac River King salmon.

We're edging towards the historical peak of the fall salmon run on the Sacramento River here in Corning, Ca. but the salmon God has apparently failed to remind the King salmon its time to push upstream. This years King salmon run on the Sacramento River was forecasted to be one of the best in several years. Well, lots of guides and recreational anglers are going bald scratching their heads trying to figure out where all these salmon have gone. The ocean season started out with big numbers and the in river King salmon openers were pretty good as well. Since then, its just been small pods of fish spread throughout the system and no one has experienced any consistently good salmon fishing. I've been running trips almost daily since the August opener and not one of our three guide boat Captains have come in with scores over five Kings in the box no matter how many lines we're running on any given day. Its created a lot of frustration for our guides and clients as well, but in the big picture, we're coming in with above average scores when comparing numbers with a lot of other boats. I attribute a lot of our success to fishing experience, but above all other things, its our great bait that keeps us in the top tier of the fishing guide industry in Northern California.

Well prepared eggs will appeal to the Kings and they won’t let go when they bite them.

Good bait is critical when fishing for King salmon on the Sacramento River. That can't be disputed and never is in my circle of friends, guides, and fellow fishermen. Like all good salmon guides, theres always three or four varieties of cured eggs in their boat to cover their day on the water while fishing with clients. Most have base cures on the Sacramento River and add to them throughout the day attempting to dial in the flavor for the day or the particular bait that will trigger bites from these finicky fish. Its no different for me day to day, but there is a component to my cures that is ALWAYS present, and thats the use of Pautzke's Fire Power (powdered krill).

I ordered several cases this year, but ran out and had to get more! Next years order will require a pallet forklift and freight shipping to my front door. Krill is a really a big deal and I've been keeping track of my best performing Pautzke bait cures for years. Its no big secret that salmon like Krill based scents and I prove it to myself every year, over and over again. Its not just powerful for egg cures, but its also super beneficial on many other baits like Sardine Wraps, Fire Corn, and in steelhead/trout baits as well.

My base cure for Sacramento River King salmon.

3 cups of red Pautzke Fire Cure

1/2 bottle of Pautzke Fire Power (powder krill)

1/2 cup of sugar (early season)

1/2 cup of sea salt (late season)

1/4 cup of red Pautzke Nectar

I pour the above ingredients in a blender and thoroughly blend them together until the cure is a fine texture and all ingredients are completely mixed up. Its important to get all the ingredients spread evenly through your eggs during the curing process. Once the mix and blend is complete, I put all the mix in a gallon plastic baggie. I'll pour the mix into the empty Fire Cure shaker bottle so I can use the shaker to apply the cure mix to my eggs when I'm ready to cure.

Just a few good squeezes of Nectar does the trick. Too much and the eggs will juice out but not re absorb all of the extra juice from the Nectar.

After laying out your open egg skeins, shake a layer of the Fire Cure blend evenly over each skein, berry side up. Make sure the cure is in all the egg folds and covers as much of the berry side as possible. Turn the eggs over and shake a light coat onto the membrane side of the skeins. Place them in a gallon plastic bag (no more than half full and I prefer a 1/4 of the bag) and roll them around gently for a few minutes until they start to juice up. I then re open the plastic bag and add a 1 second burst of Pautzke Nectar to the bag. I zip the plastic bag and I roll the eggs around for a minute or so before placing them into my bait fridge. A lot of guides leave the eggs at room temps so they juice out more quickly. My garage averages 120 degrees all summer so my eggs go straight into the fridge. This slows the curing process a bit, but I don't want to warm up my eggs. I save that step for the day on the water after I've cured them and fish them.

Once the eggs have juiced out and re absorbed the juices, I pull them out of the plastic baggies and drain what little juice remains on the eggs while in the fridge. Once the eggs are free from excess juice I get them ready for the paper towel burrito. The last step before rolling the skein in the burrito is to add more Pautzke Fire Power! Roll the paper towel burrito and place them in a plastic bag. Mark the bag with your cure type and date them. This will help later on when you pull them out to thaw before use on the river. This is a killer cure for me and is a top base cure for just about any day I spend on the river when fishing for King salmon.

Fishing for Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon

Ron Shaffer of Cottonwood, Ca. with a hefty Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon he recently caught while fishing with us.

The summer Kokanee salmon season on Whiskeytown Lake is now in full swing and good numbers of 15”-17” Kokanee are being caught by our fishing guides almost daily. The start to this years Kokanee salmon fishing arrived this summer following the aftermath of the devastating Carr Fire in Shasta County last year. The ecological damage was staggering, especially in the area surrounding Whiskeytown Lake. It wasn’t clear if we would even have a viable season this year after the massive fire damage to the surrounding landscape which left thousands of acres scared by the burns to the trees and ground vegetation. Winter and spring rains were unprecedented in 2019 and the debris flows and soil pushed into the Whiskeytown system was profound. Our Mother Earth has provided for our Whiskeytown Lake after the fire devastation and the area is now well on its way to recovery. For the time being, it would appear that the Kokanee have faired very well given the conditions they have seen this past year, and only time will tell how future generations will be affected.

Fishing locations on Whiskeytown Lake

The SR 299 bridge is one of the most popular places to fish Whiskeytown Lake for Kokanee salmon.

Fishing for Kokanee salmon on Whiskeytown Lake is fairly easy due to its size. Its a fairly small lake just west of Redding, Ca. and is bordered by National Parks land. It has three boat launch facilities and two small marinas. Oak Bottom Marina, which is located off of SR 299 on the west end of the lake, has the best all around facilities for day and overnight use of Whiskeytown Lake. The Whiskey Creek Boat Launch is located on the north end of the lake off of Whiskey Creek Rd. It is solely a launch facility with three launch lanes, some beach areas, and has restroom facilities. Most day use fisherman use Whiskey Creek because of its quick and easy access. Brandy Creek has a small marina, a boat launch, and a nice swimmers beach. Its the most cumbersome launch to get to on the lake, but is very well maintained and has its appeal to visitors as well.

Whiskey Creek Boat Launch is used most often by fishermen and for good reason. Its the closest launch to Redding, and the most heavily fished area of the lake. The Whiskey Creek arm is a very productive location to fish for Kokanee and offers the most wind protection when conditions apply. Many people fish in and around the SR 299 Bridge, (Green Bridge) and a lot of Kokanee are caught there in spring and summer. Outside the green bridge is the main body of Whiskeytown and many Kokanee are caught over open, deep water. Once in the main body, looking west along SR 299 is the Buoy line, which can be very productive, and to the far east is the cold water curtain. The cold water curtain often holds some of the largest Kokanee in the lake! Looking south from the cold water curtain, you will see the Whiskeytown Lake dam, which sits high above its drainage into Clear Creek below.

Looking back towards the west, you’ll be viewing the main body of the lake which is also where the main channel winds below the waters surface. Kokanee often hold over the deep water channel in the currents that carry Plankton to feeding Kokanee through the main body of the lake. Mid lake and to the south is Brandy Creek. Brandy Creek can hold some descent Kokanee at times, but primarily early in the season when the water is cold. Brandy Creek is rather shallow and warms up quickly. Finally, the far west end of the lake is where Oak Bottom is located and it also has its hot spots. It is on the Clear Creek Arm and often has cold water coming into the lake year round. It fishes best in spring and early summer because it too is rather shallow compared to the main body of the lake.

Whiskeytown Lake tackle and trolling tips

Downriggers are an essential part of any serious Kokanee fisherman’s boat.

Trolling for Kokanee on Whiskeytown Lake is the most popular technique used to catch them. Because of the light gear that is most commonly used to catch Kokanee and the depths at which Kokanee are most commonly found during the peak of the season, downriggers are used by most anglers during the summer months. Early in the season Kokanee can be caught flat lining or trolling lead core, but to take full advantage of the best fishing during summer, downriggers are essential.

The most common presentation used for catching Kokanee involves trolling a small dodger and a micro hoochie or a fly. The color combinations are endless and when the bite is really on, many colors will work when trolling for Kokanee. When I first started fishing Whiskeytown Lake for Kokanee, I used a silver “Wild Thing” dodger made by Crystal Basin Tackle and a double hook leader with a #10 Spin-N-Glo stacked on a #10 Corky. I liked the leaders to be about 10” long and always have tipped the hooks with Shoe Peg corn. I really like the Pautzke Bait Co. Fire Corn, just add some Atlas Mikes Tuna-Garlic scent and your set. Pink and Orange have always worked for me, even in my early days on Whiskeytown. I’ve used a lot of Kokanee gear since then and can honestly say that everything on the market at one time or another will catch Kokanee on Whiskeytown Lake. In fact, I went through a phase when making my own Kokanee flys and I only used them when fishing for Kokanee. I still use them to this day, but everything you need is available on the Kokanee tackle market so tying your own gear is optional.

Your tackle selection will catch Kokanee, but you have to get your baits in front of them first. Kokanee are temperature sensitive like most salmon and tend to suspend in cold water. Water temperatures will vary throughout the year so keeping tabs on where the thermocline is located will be very helpful. The water is cooler in the winter and spring months, but when summer arrives, the Kokanee will start dropping deeper. I’ve always done pretty well in the 55 degree range whether it is at 25’ or 70’. A good sonar unit will often times show you where the Kokanee are located in the water column, but chasing water temps can be really effective sometimes as well.

Hand tied Kokanee fly thats still catching Kokanee two seasons later!

Whiskeytown lake can be windy in the mornings, but it usually calms down around 10:00 am. That makes trolling much easier, especially for those of us who have a big boat. Wind makes it hard to steer where you want to go and can really mess with your trolling speed. Its really important to monitor trolling speed. In fact, its critical in my opinion. I’ve had a hot bite shut off only to realize I had the wind at my back and my trolling speed was too fast. I slow down and boom, its fish on! if you’re out on Whiskeytown fishing around me and you’re trolling past me like I’m standing still, you’re not going to catch very many Kokanee. Watch the other boats that have nets in the air and troll the speed they are trolling. Take it a step further and just ask the guys that are catching fish how deep they are. Trolling between 1.1-1.5 mph at the correct depth will get you bites. If not, your colors aren’t firing or you forgot to use your scented corn. Those things are really important!

Hire a kokanee salmon fishing guide

June 2019 Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon!

The fastest way to learn how to fish for Kokanee in Whiskeytown Lake is to hire a professional fishing guide. Call any of the sporting goods stores around Redding and ask for a recommendation for a good Whiskeytown Lake guide who is willing to share their information and or get you started on the basics of Kokanee fishing. Better yet, call me and I will provide a reference or recommendation as well. I’m booked solid until October now and won’t be available for Kokanee trips for the rest of the season so Im happy to help get you in a boat with a professional and knowledgable Kokanee salmon fishing guide on Whiskeytown Lake.

I can assure you that this is not a year to pass on as far as Kokanee fishing is concerned. Kokanee, like most fish have up and down cycles and this year is definitely an up cycle. Most guides are able to get their clients into limits daily and have even been fishing for guide limits as well. This is yielding heavy bags of fillets for our clients and people are going home very happy with their Whiskeytown Lake fishing experience. Good luck and if you have questions feel free to send me a short email and I’ll answer what I can to help you out.

Strong run for 2018 Sacramento River King salmon.

The 2018 Sacramento River basin King salmon seasons are typically set in late April of each year. The Pacific Fisheries Management Commission forecasted below average salmon returns for the Sacramento River and the season dates and possession limits were set based on their estimates. The in river season on the Sacramento River was set to begin on July 16th and is set to end on December 16th, which is a normal season for river anglers. The disappointing news sport fishermen and river guides ultimately received, was that there would be a (1) salmon per person daily limit. The PFMC decision was strongly opposed by the NorCal Guides and Sportsmans Association, but our arguments were given no consideration.

The saltwater sport and commercial seasons opened shortly after the seasons were set and to everyones surprise, the offshore King salmon fishing was very good. As the weeks wore on, everyones attention fixated on the catch results which were being posted by our north coast and bay area charter boat fleets. The numbers were impressive and the fishing was far and above what was expected after receiving the PFMC forecast in April. Although the in river salmon regulations remained unchanged, there was excitement and optimism shared within the sport and river guide communities.

Our 2018 season opened on July 16th and although the catch numbers weren’t all that impressive, the boat scores came in much higher than they had in over three years. Two weeks into the season, the Sacramento River opened for salmon fishing above Red Bluff on August 1st. The famous Barge Hole fishery was the focus of the annual August 1st opener and it was a huge success! Early limits were the rule and just about everyone who showed up went home with a nice bright King salmon.

The upper river fishing slowed, but the Corning, Ca. to Red Bluff, Ca. fishing steadily improved and just about every piece of holding water was teeming with fresh run Kings. The Sacramento River water temps were unusually cool and that really helped slow the migration of the Kings headed to Coleman National Fish Hatchery in Anderson, Ca. Guides and sportsmen alike have been spread out throughout the Sacramento and Feather Rivers leaving some of the best sections of the Sacramento River system with relatively light pressure.

Most of the northern guides, such as myself, have stayed up river above Orland, Ca. where we are catching bright King salmon daily. With cool river water temperatures, all the productive holes above and below Woodson Bridge have been holding good numbers of King salmon for us all. For the river guides, its been a banner year already as far as available fish, but the one fish limit has hurt many of the guides who are seeing reduced bookings for salmon trips. People who typically hire Sacramento River salmon guides are conditioned to a two fish limit, and many have been reluctant to book a trip knowing they can only harvest one fish. One and done has been the slogan many guides have been using to describe this years salmon fishing trips.

There are many techniques anglers use to catch Sacramento River King salmon. Back trolling big sardine wrapped plugs at first light, then most are drifting roe after the sun hits the water. This seems to be the two most popular techniques for sport fishermen and guides alike. With water temperatures hovering around 57-58 degrees in the Corning stretch of the Sac, the roe bite has been on fire this year. I’ve limited on Pautzke ‘s Fire Cured eggs on just about every trip so far since I started fishing in late August. I’m enhancing my eggs with Pautzke Fire Power Krill, and some days, the Atlas Mikes sand shrimp Glo scents are getting more bites.

The die hard plug pullers are still out there corking the holes, but the guys drifting eggs are catching way more fish. Boondogging from a jet boat is by far the top technique on the Sacramento River when drifting eggs. Its really caught on here in the Sacramento River valley and more and more boats are heading out in the morning with spin rods than ever before. My typical set up includes a small cluster of Pautzke Fire Cured eggs, a #4 Gamakatsu hook tipped with a #3 Mad River Mfg. Fish Pill, and is attached to a 5’ foot 15 lb. leader. The weight systems are simple and include a 1/4” dia. piece of pencil lead attached by an inline snap swivel. We’re covering a lot of water in a short amount of time, giving our Pautzke baits a lot of looks on every drift we make.

We are knocking on October’s door which means the upper sections of the Sacramento River open to salmon fishing will be seeing some very impressive numbers of King salmon. Currently sport anglers and salmon guides are seeing lights out style fishing near the Barge Hole and are getting their limits for their boats daily. As we see the first few weeks of October arrive, I believe we will see some of the best salmon fishing we’ve seen since 2013. Along with Octobers fantastic salmon fishing, we will likely see another great run of steelhead headed for Coleman Hatchery as well. This should help ease the one salmon limit dilemma, and clients possessing a steelhead report card can continue to fish for steelhead after retaining their King salmon.

The Sacramento River fall King salmon season will taper off in late October, but our late fall run of Kings should be available in good numbers from mid November until the Sacramento River closes on December 16h. The late fall salmon are often the biggest and brightest the Anderson area will see during our 5 month salmon season. This is when we will see an appreciable number of winter steelhead in the system as well making for some very productive days of fishing on the Sacramento River.

Bay Rat Lures for Shasta Lake trout!

Bay Rat Long Shallow “Glow” series brown trout pattern.

Fall is right around the corner here in Northern California and that means our trophy brown trout season is almost here! We catch big Shasta Lake browns all year long, but the fall, winter, and spring months are the best time to fish for these big, hard fighting trout because they will be in the upper levels of the lake after the fall lake turn over. This is also the time of the year when the brown trout begin their annual spawning migration up the arms of Shasta Lake to the tributaries like the Sacramento and McCloud River arms. This annual spawning ritual helps us locate these big beautiful trout with relative ease and we experience some of the best fishing of the year during this time. Now when I say “best”, I mean both quality and quantity of browns that are located and the daily chance of hooking into several big browns is often accomplished.

There are a number of tackle techniques I deploy to successfully catch big browns on Shasta Lake all year, but one of them has become a mainstay in my tackle arsenal which I use daily to find success when pursuing both brown and rainbow trout on Shasta Lake. This past year I stumbled on a specific lure manufacturer back in Pennsylvania the makes what I call stick baits that are very effective for catching big, Great Lakes fish species, but specifically for my benefit, big browns. The name of this lure mfg. is Bay Rat Lures. Their website address is bayratlures.com and they have a great selection of hard baits they have developed for catching all kinds of Great Lakes fish. I’ll break down how I fish for and often catch big trout using the Bay Rat Long Shallow and Slash Rat stick baits on Shasta Lake.

Bay Rats off the back downriggers are a deadly lure for Shasta Lake trophy trout!

Let me start off by saying that I have been fishing these baits through the entire spring and summer season this year and have had a lot of time to test their effectiveness, especially on Shasta Lake. Some of the biggest trout of the season came on the Bay Rat Lures I’ve used, and as a lot of you have seen, we caught some great fish this year! As stated before, these Bay Rat Lures have earned a permanent place in my trolling spread, and to be honest, I’ve hesitated to even talk about them because of their value to me on the water. After working with Bay Rat Lure this past year, I felt compelled to get the word out to trout fishermen here on the west coast. As an American made lure company, and a company that has given me customer service that is as good as it gets in the fishing industry, I feel like they have earned my full support.

I’ve tried several color patterns in the Bay Rat Long Shallow and Slash Rat series this year. Many of the color patterns will work and have definitely had their awesome days on the water. Two color patterns have emerged as the top producers and have caught dozens and dozens of multi pound trout this year. The first pattern that started to really shine was the Brown Trout pattern in the Bay Rat Long Shallow “Glow” series. This 4 3/8'“ shallow diving lure caught fish on its first day out and has been every day since. Its a great hand painted pattern that has fished great as far down as 100’. It fished so well I started to look for similar Long Shallow finishes and decided to give the Goby pattern a try out as well. Turned out, the Goby pattern Long Shallow was dynamite and has turned into a top producer as well. I also ordered some of the same patterns in the Slash Rat series and found them to be very effective as well.

Two top color pattern choices for Shasta Lake!

I use a lot of different techniques when trolling and have found the Bay Rat Lures to work equally as well no matter what technique I’m using. I will say my favorite way to fish them is right off the back of the boat using downriggers. I use a 25’ set back and run them deeper than any of the other lines I have out to the side of the boat. I do most of my trolling in the 2.0-2.5 mph range and both the Long Shallow and Slash Rat series run very well at those speeds. I can also run them in conjunction with the fast trolling Optimizer spoons, which not many other lures can do and still catch fish. The Long Shallow’s and the Slash Rat’s have a tight wiggle, dive very little, and have bb’s that give the lures a subtle rattle. They most often run true right out of the package, but to maximize their effectiveness for your desired trolling speed, make sure you run them next to the boat making sure they are swimming straight. This is critical and should never be over looked when trolling and diving baits, deep or shallow. To tune the Bay Rats, simply adjust the nose wire to the left or right (opposite direction lure is swimming towards). A straight runner will always catch more fish than a bait that leans to the left or right when trolled.

I use a small duo lock snap to attach the Bay Rat Lure to my PLine 15# fluorocarbon leader and will often use a small bead chain swivel 6’-7’ above the Bay Rat which attaches to the 20 lb leader I have spliced into my 30 lb. Power Pro braid line. People are always asking what size leader I use and are often surprised when I tell them 15#. I’ve heard endless stories about the big fish people have broken off using 6 lb. to 8 lb. leaders and I just shake my head. I’ve guided clients into over 100 big browns and rainbows this past year and only one was lost to a leader break and that was because of a frayed leader from a big fish with sharp teeth. Theres no reason to hunt for big fish if you think you need a light leader to catch them. Big trout are not line shy, at least on the lakes I fish here in the Redding, Ca. area. When we hit that 15+ pound brown, I’m not losing it to a light leader break.

Specially formulated Atlas Mikes trout gel scents are a great addition to your Bay Rat Lures!

I’ve fished these Bay Rat Lures both shallow and deep and can say they work at every level. I like to run them side by side at the same depth and normally use two patterns. Rarely will I use two Goby’s or two brown trout patterns at the same time. The trout have a choice with both Bay Rats running in close proximity to each other and sometimes that makes a big difference in the number of bites you will see in a day. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve used several other colors and most have produced fish. There seems to be periods when a loud pattern like the Fire Tiger Long Shallow or Slash Rat will really get a bite going so get a variety of colors, so stay flexible and fish more than just the brown trout and goby’s.

Many people ask me what kind of scents I’m using. I prefer to use Atlas Mikes Gel and Fuzion scents over all others and really think the flavor comes down to personal preference. Atlas Mikes makes a variety of trout scents and they seem to do the trick for me. As much as I enjoy using the gel, glo, or Fuzion scents, I always try to keep the Bay Rats clean after a days use. I think its important to keep your plugs clean whether your running them with or without scent. Dirty lures don’t catch as many fish as clean lures do in my opinion.

2X hooks help get the big trout to the net!

To finish this article, I think its important to emphasize that the majority of the fish you will catch on the Bay Rats will be above average size. I would say 90% of the fish that hit these lures were all multi pound trout. It became so clear that these were big fish lures, I briefed my clients after we set lines about the probability of the big fish hitting the lines on the downriggers. Seldom was I wrong. This brings me to my last suggestion for those of you that start fishing the Bay Rats. Change the hooks on these lures before fishing them if you intend on fishing waters that hold big trout. The Bay Rats come with super sharp, high quality hooks, but if you get into a big brown that fights hard on its way to the boat, you’re going to need a stronger pair of treble hooks. Big fish will straighten the hooks that come with the Bay Rats. Often the bigger fish will go for the head on these lures and will get hooked with the belly hook. As these fish make hard runs and roll or jump, they will leverage the bodies of the Bay Rats to bend these hooks which can result in them coming un plugged. I change out the stock treble hooks and put on #4 2X Gamakatsu treble hooks. These are just tough enough to withstand just about every fish we’ve hooked after changing them out.

I’ve been getting the word out and am hoping our local west coast tackle stores will keep these awesome lures in stock this coming fall season. Ask your local tackle retailer if they will stock them and let them know you’ll be buying some. Once the word gets out, i’m sure they will get tired of the inquiries and get some in their stores. In the meantime, you can order them online at bayratlures.com or contact James@bayratlures.com if you have questions before ordering. thanks for reading this article and if you have any questions for me, please feel free to email me at jgoodwinguideservice@yahoo.com or visit my website at jeffgoodwinfishing.com and fill out the information on my contact us page. Tight lines!

Shasta Lake Fire Brine Shad!

Blue Pautzke Fire Brine/Dye is my favorite for Shasta Lake, but natural and chartreuse are good producers as well.

Shasta Lake has been fishing quite well this summer, but for many, its been a little off from years past when summer trout trolling is generally considered to be at its best.  Continuous releases from Shasta Dam have water levels in the lake dropping rapidly and the smoke filled skies have cast a dark shadow over the water for weeks.  When the bite is red hot like it typically is this time of the year, anyone can simply troll a small spoon, squid, or fly to get their bites.  When the bite slows, like it has for the past few weeks, you have to go to the next level and that means fishing bait.  

Bait is my trump card in any fishery I participate in, and thats what I turn to when the fishing gets tough.  For Shasta Lake in the spring and summer, freshly brined Thread fin Shad is my top bait when the bite gets tough.  Sure, bait prep can be a bit more work, but going for a boat ride instead of catching fish is always avoided if at all possible.  Fresh bait will often catch fish when nothing else will.  Fresh Thread fin Shad needs to be brined before fishing so it will preserve well and stay in tact when rolling the depths to attract the bites.  Brining the baits with Pautzke Fire Brine and Fire Dye is relatively quick process and is easy for all angler skill levels.  Heres how I brine my Shad before fishing them.

A few dozen frozen Shad, Pautzke Fire Brine, and Pautzke Fire Dye are the three things needed for this short tutorial.

The first thing I do is gather up a bag of frozen Shad from the freezer and grab a bottle of Pautzke Fire Brine and a bottle of Fire Dye.  I put the block of frozen Shad in a plastic baggie or in a plastic container, squirt in about 1/3 of the Fire Dye and then about 1/3 of the Fire Brine bottle as well.  For a quick job, I'm usually using a plastic baggie because its one less thing to clean when I'm finished with my overnight soak and I'm going to drain the bait free from the brine and dye anyway.

Frozen Shad submerged in Pautzke Fire Brine and Pautzke Fire Dye via the plastic baggie method.

Thats it as far as the hard work.  Now I simply put the baggie in the refrigerator and let it soak over night.  Since the frozen Shad were placed in the plastic baggie frozen so I'll go back every few hours before calling it a night and mix them up as they unthaw in the baggie. This just ensures the baits are brined and dyed uniformly throughout the brining process over night. In the morning before I head to the lake, I drain off the excess brine and secure the brined Shad in a plastic container before securing it in my ice chest for the day on the water.  If you have time constraints and don't get a full nights brine in, just add some salt to the baggie with the bait and brine solution.  It will firm up the bait even more quickly and will be ready to fish within hours.  

Prop up the plastic baggie so it covers all of the Shad and its all submerged for optimal brining.  You can lay it on its side if necessary, but you will need to turn it often to keep all of the bait bringing throughout the process.

For those of you out there that are new to brining bait, fear not, you really can't screw this process up.  Leaving it in the brine is the only thing that will damage the bait and that won't happen for days!  8-12 hours is a good timeframe to go by in my book and will keep these baits fishing like new for days and days.  keep your bait cool while on the water and make sure your Shad are rolling properly before sending them down deep!  Rolling Shad is another article altogether so in the meantime, go to Pautzke Bait Co's YouTube channel to see how to rig these baits for fishing.  Tight lines!

Big trout tactics for Shasta Lake.

Multi pound brown trout are not easy to catch, but there are a few tactics you can use to consistently catch these monsters in Shasta Lake and other lakes that hold these amazing fish.

I'm going to start off this article by telling you all that I am far from being the best angler to ever guide on Shasta Lake, and I will be the first to admit that there have been many guides on Shasta Lake throughout its history that were excellent anglers and were very good at what they did for their clients to frequently put them on some great fishing.  Sadly, I never met any of the iconic old timer guides, and never had a chance to pick their brains about the fishing on Shasta Lake back in the good old days.  There are still a few long time anglers around, like Stan Kulak who owns Trinidad Tackle in Lakehead, Ca, who have provided some fishing history on Shasta Lake and have given me a few of the keys to unlocking the great fishing on the lake, especially where it pertains to big fish.

I started fishing Shasta Lake in 2012 when I moved to Redding from Eureka, Ca. where I spent many years fishing the coastal rivers, but rarely spent much time on the lakes, as most were relatively far away.  Besides, fishing for river salmon and steelhead was my passion which was fueled by growing up near Fernbridge, Ca. which is located adjacent to the once famous Eel River.  I've nearly always had a jet boat since 1992 and I still do.  I never imagined I'd have downriggers on my boats and never dreamed I'd have a bow mount electric motor, a windshield, and a top for sun and cold weather protection, but here I am with all of those features now.

Having the right equipment on your boat is essential if you want to catch big fish.

I've spent countless hours looking at different ways to fish Shasta Lake and although I haven't invented anything new, I've learned how to use several different methods to get my baits in front of the bigger fish Shasta Lake holds.  Most anglers out here in the west have a set or two of downriggers on their boat and thats the extent of their equipment used to get their presentations down to the fish.  I've identified several ways to accomplish the same thing, but with several other pieces of equipment.  To cover all of the seasons on Shasta and the different water conditions throughout the year, having more than a set of downriggers on your boat is critical to your big fish success.

Some of the techniques I'm about to mention are fairly difficult to deploy, but they are all tried and true techniques, that given time, will produce some of the biggest fish you'll ever catch.  I'm not going to explain how to use every technique in this article or even tell you when they work the best, I'm just going to tell you what they are and why I use them.  I will, at some point, write about each of the techniques and give some detailed information on just exactly how to use them.  In the meantime, you can study up on these techniques online or by reading content elsewhere that goes into more detail about using these methods to catch big fish.

You will notice that many of my picture have these Church Tackle Walleye Boards in the background. Well, I use them a lot, even in the summer months to catch big trout on Shasta Lake.

I'm going to start with the fall fishery on Shasta Lake and take you all the way into the summer months up until Shasta Lake turns over again in the fall.  Shasta Lake is defined as a warm monomictic lake, look it up, and it is very predictable because of this designation and its behavior throughout the year.  Right after Shasta Lake turns over, usually in late October, the fishing you are used to changes abruptly.  Everything you were doing a few weeks before will no longer catch big fish, especially if you keep fishing deep.  Having the ability to find water temperatures at depth throughout the year is important, but I'll talk a bit more about that later in this article.

So fall has arrived and Shasta Lake has turned over because of the much cooler conditions making for similar temperature conditions throughout the entire lake.  Turnover signals the big (adult) spawners to turn into the pre spawn mode and most will begin their migration up the arms of the lake.  I'm not saying you won't catch trout down in the main body of Shasta Lake in the fall, but I can tell you that you won't catch very many.  If you want to catch big fish, head north.  Thats where the big fish will be.  October can be a frustrating month to fish so if you need to take a break on Shasta, October is the month.

Its late October, early November, and its time to break out the Church Tackle inline side planers.

Now that Shasta is pretty much sitting in the mid 50's temperature wise, its time to break out the side planers.  The big trout will be in the top 10' of the lake and will be cruising up the lake arms towards the head waters.  Sure, you can use 150' - 200' foot setbacks off your downriggers or by top lining, but your boat is going to spook more big fish than not.  Big fish, especially browns, are quite weary to boat traffic.  Driving over them will push them to the sides of the boat so why not have your trolling gear out there where they are swimming off to.  Makes sense, doesn't it?  The side planers are going to make little noise and their surface disturbance is minimal.  During windy/choppy conditions, the side planers will impart action on your lures thats just not possible while trolling with downriggers are fixed rod holders.  Lastly, you can cover a lot of water if you have lures off to the side of the boat instead of just running a few lines right behind the boat.

As fall progresses into winter, you will have access to the big fish migrating up river, spawning, and out migrating again down into the lake.  During winter, I will catch both pre spawn and post spawn fish in the same day.  Theres quite a few fish around and the combination of trolling with a spread of side planers and big, fast running spoons like the Trinidad Tackle Optimizer spoon, you can cover tons of water during your day on Shasta and will attract some big bites!  Side planers and even stern planers can be a deadly tool that can be used in many ways with several other items to make them even more effective and to help you cover more layers on the lake.

Big browns on Shasta Lake can be caught trolling Optimizer spoons behind a Church Tackle side planer!

 The only thing to consider when deciding on trolling depth in the winter is the presence of cloud cover and surface conditions.  If its overcast and choppy, fish high.  If its sunny and flat, run a few lines down to 10' as the bigger fish will push down a bit to get out of the penetrating rays from the sun and the predator birds overhead.  Shasta often time gets some great weather in the cold water season, but really the fish will still be up higher in the water column most days this time of the year.

As winter turns towards spring, Shasta will once again start to play tricks on you.  Sunny, calm days and traveling fish can make for a tough day on the water.  One tactic I have come to rely on is to not only work open water, but work the shorelines as the water begins to warm with the spring time sunshine when we tend get it.  The browns will move towards structure and will often times sun themselves along the warmer shoreline areas, especially where structure is available.  When trying to cover both deep water and shallow water near shore, there is no better technique than running side planers.  You can cover both areas at the same time whereby increasing your odds of finding fish dramatically.

This winter rainbow was caught high in an arm of Shasta Lake using a small spoon behind a Church Tackle side planer along the shoreline in less than five feet of water.

Spring brings a little more predictability to the big fish scene.  Most of the browns have migrated back to the arms of the lake downstream of their spawning grounds and the big rainbows are up in the rivers creating the next generation of wild rainbows in Shasta Lake.  Because the big rainbows are a rare find in early spring, its the browns I focus on once again.  A good percentage of the browns you'll catch will be near shore now, especially on big points and rock walls.  With more sunny days than not, I find that trolling right on the surface no longer gets most of the bites and I break out the downriggers again.  I'll still use the side planers, but I want some baits down a little deeper too.  Deeper means 20-30' and if I'm getting lots of bites at those depths, I'll use some line weights to get my side planer  lines down a bit as well.  Trinidad Tackle makes a system perfect for that technique, called Eco Weights.  They are a great tool for getting your side planer lines down to the browns in the spring.

March and April are my favorite months to catch big browns.  They are very active and sometimes their stomach over rides their weariness making them a lot easier to catch.  they have been back in the lake for a while now and most have fully recovered from the spawn.  These browns have the appearance of ocean run browns and are very brilliant in color and shine.  I will concentrate on browns solely during this timeframe and with browns over ten pounds caught this year, my calendar fills quickly and the big fish pics are hitting the internet daily.  I will let you in on one of my success secrets for this time of the year.  When I fish an area I know is holding big browns, I will troll through the areas with big Optimizer spoons at about 3.8 mph.  When I work a section of shoreline and don't get bites, but can see the fish sitting down below, I will size down and slow down.  I find that aggressive browns will crush big baits trolled fast, especially early in the day.  if they are not in an aggressive mood, I know they are in an opportunistic mode and will more likely grafter a smaller bait trolled at a slower speed.  

Big Optimizer spoons catch big aggressive browns. This Optimizer spoon was absolutely crushed by a Shasta Lake brown trout last spring.

As May approaches, the browns will begin to move again towards the main body of Shasta Lake which can present some challenges when fishing for them.  The good new is that the big rainbows are finishing up in the rivers and will be out migrating downstream making for another big fish alternative.  If you've pounded the shores for browns and come up empty, push out over deeper water and you may be surprised when your side planer gets slammed and your reel starts to scream!  The big rainbows are back and they are on the surface again over deep water.  Focus on the open areas of the lake at the entrance of the arms like Dry Creek, Big Backbone, Waters Gulch, and where the McCloud meets the main lake near Bridge Bay.  

I will often use a number of techniques to get my baits away from the boat because these rainbows will once again be high in the water column.  Big spoons, small spoons, and stick baits from Bay Rat Lures are a good bet this time of the year.  I like to troll a bit slower for the rainbows and find 2.5 mph to be a great speed for success.  Be prepared for switching it up and looking for both rainbows and browns this time of the year.  June continues to be a good month for both rainbows and browns, but the water temps are warming and the Thread fin Shad show up in numbers before their spawn.  The Shad like the warmer temps so you will first see them tight to the shorelines where the water temps are the highest.  This is the time of year when rolling Shad cured in Pautzke Bait Co. Fire Brine is absolutely deadly!  I like to use natural, blue, and chartreuse Fire Brine infused with matching color Fire Dye.  Run the shad on a double hook rig, naked or behind a 4" Fish Flash and its fish on!

Blue Pautzke Fire Brine cured Shad rolled off a downrigger in May, June, and July is a deadly presentation for catching big Shasta Lake trout.

July brings the official jumbo summer rainbow trout season and it lasts through September when we've gone full circle and are looking at fall weather again.  The most important factor to consider this time of the year is the thermocline.  It changes nearly every week, starting from the surface to 30' early and from the surface down to 125' by late September.  You will find the fish where the water temps are below 65 degrees.  That is the top of the temperature range the trout will hang out in when they are looking for shad to feed on.  The shad won't go into cold water so the trout will have to come up out of temperature to find them.  As the hot summer sun warms the top layer of the lake, the trout and Shad will gradually go deeper and deeper.  By the time the trout are down below 80' its a downrigger show and thats pretty much the extent of my technique for this last few months of the summer.  Trolling Bay Rat Long Shallow stick baits, spoons (large and small), or spoon dodger combo's are what I use to catch big trout.  The Bay Rat stick baits are a killer lure for big fish, especially browns when trolled down deep.  Optimizers and other smaller spoons are very effective too!

This pretty much sums up in light detail the tactics I use to find the big fish on Shasta Lake throughout the year.  Of course there are tons of fine details to be mentioned, but for the sake of brevity, I think breaking down the specific techniques in other articles would be more informative for my audience.  You all see the success my clients enjoy when it comes to catching big fish on Shasta Lake so take what I've laid out here and implement it into your own strategy when hunting big trout on your own.  This is information I really on so I know it will help you as well.  if you want to get the hands on course, book a trip with me and I'll be happy to share what I know about catching big trout on Shasta lake.  Please remember that these trophy Shasta Lake fish are a precious commodity so handle them with care if you intend on releasing them.  Good luck and tight lines to you all!

Spring tactics for fishing Shasta Lake trout and salmon

The 2018 spring fishing season is in full swing on Shasta Lake near Redding, Ca. and we're just weeks away from seeing some of the very best trout and King salmon fishing Shasta Lake has to offer all year.  When I moved from the north coast to Redding in 2012, I had no idea that Shasta Lake would become one of my favorite places to fish.  Nearly six years later, Shasta Lake has not only become one of my favorite places to fish, but its also proving to be the biggest venue for my fishing guide business.  

People from all over the country are sending me messages or are calling to ask questions about fishing trips this summer on Shasta Lake.  The houseboat trips have been huge, but I'm finding most of my trips are all about spending time with family.  It has been, and will continue to be, viewed as a privilege to to share these days on the water with all of the fine people that come out to fish with me. I've been humbled by the notoriety and the amount of work Shasta Lake has provided and am so grateful to all who have chosen to spend a day or more of their lives fishing with me, and to pay me a good living in the process. 

This husband and wife team are doubled up with rainbow trout on Shasta Lake during their day of fishing with me.  This day was very special to me in that Don Domingo had never caught a brown trout after many attempts and guided fishing trips.  He booked a trip with me to accomplish that goal so It was my pleasure to help Don catch his first German brown.

Where do I start?

During the spring months, Shasta Lake undergo's a big change in that water temperatures that remained in the low 50's for most of the winter begin to warm.  The warm water triggers and springs to life the food chain in the lake which is so important for so many reasons.  Both the German brown and rainbow trout spend most of the late fall through early spring in the upper tributaries spawning.  After the spawn these exhausted and very nutrient deprived fish make their way back to the lake to replenish and restore their physical health.  They do so by foraging and finding food sources which are high in protein content.  Fortunately, this spring period is also when the shad, planktons, and other food sources increase in numbers through reproduction and lake water conditions they also thrive in.

The lake will give away its secrets to success during this timeframe and everything will be told from what you observe.  The two most important things to consider are the water temps and the location of the bait.  Find the right water temps and you'll find the bait.  When you find the bait, the fish will be nearby in the water temps they feel most comfortable in.  The two most effective ways to find trout and baitfish are with your visual observations above the waterline and below the waterline using sonar.  These two very important pieces of the puzzle are critical to pay close attention to.  Because this article is about spring fishing, I will explain what conditions to look for and where during the months of April through early June.

The conditions on Shasta Lake vary from year to year, but, in general, when the water surface temps begin to rise, the winter trout and bait patterns will in fact change over to a spring pattern.  Trout love shad and shad love warm water.  When the surface temps begin to rise, the first areas you will want to look for bait fish will be near the shoreline and coves where the water will heat up first.  The Shasta Lake arms and shallower areas are the first place I look when looking for spring trout because thats where the shad balls will first be visible after wintering in the deep dark depths of the lake.  Many days will be spent high in the lake arms chasing trout.  The two temperatures you need to know the location of in Shasta is 54 degrees and 65-70 degrees.  Right now the trout will be hanging out in the cooler water near shore where they can just swim up and readily eat through schools of shad when they pass by.  It is my observation that the shad will be on the move all spring and so will the trout.

Post spawn rainbow trout caught this month in the Sacramento River Arm above Antlers Marina.

How do I catch the trout and salmon?

It is my opinion that trolling for trout and salmon in Shasta Lake is undoubtedly the best way to catch fish.  This technique can be especially important during the spring months when the trout/salmon and bait are so spread out this time of the year.  Covering lots of water and lots of depths are the main formulas for success.  One of the main reasons I like to troll big spoons like the Trinidad Tackle Optimizer, is because you can cover miles and miles of water that you just can't when trolling or fishing from shore.  Big trout and salmon in Shasta are hunters.  To catch them, you have to beat them at their own game.  Depending on water temps during the spring transition, I will use side planers, downriggers, Eco line weights, or even just top line the surface to find the fish.  Theres a thousand things to use to get bites, but they are all presented by trolling.

I tend to troll spoons or bait as a single presentation during spring.  The fish will be near the surface and will have plenty of light to visually locate your offerings.  Its not until the fish start to dive deeper will I add dodgers/flashers to attract fish that are deep and in low light conditions.  I typically troll at higher speeds in the spring, probably because I have less gear in the water.  When you don't have dodgers or flashers running speed isn't as critical because your not limited by the speed at which the gear will effectively run at.  I generally run 2.0-2.5 mph during most conditions in the spring.  The only exception is when trolling all Optimizers and I like 3.5-3.8 mph when trolling them.

Bait can also be a great option and I think rolling shad is one of the best trolling bait options out there.  Running shad in spring is a top producer because its the top choice for trout and salmon right now.  Nightcrawler worms trolled alone or as an addition to a Arctic Fox Trolling fly can be deadly as well.  If you are looking for spring salmon, I highly recommend shad or anchovy rigs to have the best chance at catching them.  I like to roll shad on a double hook rig or an anchovy in a Trinidad Tackle Bait Head.  Salmon and trout can't resist the smell of fresh meat and the flash and roll of real bait.

Trolling for Shasta Lake trout and salmon is my preferred method for catching these great fish year round.

Where did they go and how do I find them now?

Like I explained earlier, the spring pattern is continuously under change because of the water conditions and bait migrations.  Just when you think you have found the fish and have them locked in at a certain depth, they disappear.  This can be frustrating but thankfully its only for a short period of time during the spring season.  After the weather patterns stabilize and a warm water layer develops on the surface, the fish will settle in and the fishing will really take off!  Once you establish a good depth for the bite, it remains pretty close to the same day after day, but will slowly go deeper as the surface temps get even warmer. This lake water thermocline will sort of lock the fish down into a smaller area and will generally be in the main body of Shasta Lake.  After spending months up high in the arms by June-July I'm fishing the same water nearly every day.  Working through this spring transition period is very frustrating but after a few years you'll have a far better understanding of how to effectively stay on good fishing when the lake is void of other trolling boats and recreational water users we typically see in the summer.

I hope some of this information helps to bring some understanding of how to fish Shasta Lake in the spring and what considerations should be made before heading out or throwing in the towel after the fall transition.  Shasta Lake is a world class fishery and its angling rewards can be extraordinary.  Persistence pays big dividends in the spring, but if you are out of area or just don't get out enough to stay on top of the good fishing please feel free to send me a quick message or call and I'll do what I can to help.  Better yet, book a trip with me and you'll have 8 hours to pick my brain and to accelerate your knowledge of Shasta lake trout and salmon fishing.  Sharing my fishing knowledge with others is a character trait that I hope will continue with future generations of anglers and will be one of the most notable gestures I will have offered to others long after I'm gone.

This young man will likely never forget this fishing trip with his father and I hope that he will also carry something he learned on this day of fishing with me into his future and maybe even share it with his own child or another child he knows someday.

NEW!! "Eco Line Weights" by Trinidad Tackle Co.

Eco Line Weights are a very effective tool for catching fish on the lakes.

Redding area lake fishing

I've made a lot of changes to my fishing style in recent years, especially when fishing the lakes here in the Redding area.  I've spent the majority of my adult life fishing and guiding for salmon and steelhead in both the Washington and California river systems.  With uncertain times in the fishing industry, fishing guides have to adapt to the changing conditions by relocating their business or adjusting their focus on different species of fish that are available in the areas they currently operate.  I've watched the Sacramento River fishing opportunities decline here in the Redding area for a number of years now and started to look for alternatives for running fishing trips here at home.  With three large lakes located within a short driving distance from Redding, shifting my business focus became a no brainer.  Whiskeytown, Shasta, Trinity, Keswick, and Lewiston Lakes all offer excellent fishing most of which is available year round.

Pinch line weights to catch more fish?

I've learned so much the past 4 years about fishing our local lakes and I'm finding great success on them all.  I have shared many of these tricks and techniques I have learned through study and time on the water here on my website, fishing report sites, and on social media.  The last few years have allowed me to spend even more time on our local lakes and I've stumbled on a particular weight system that has significantly increased my success when trolling, especially when fished in conjunction with inline side planers.  Its such a great tool for catching fish, I felt like it would benefit the fishing community by sharing what I've learned about using them.

What are Trinidad Tackle's new Eco Line Weight System made of?

I'll start off by explaining what these weights consist of and why it is important to use the components you'll see in these weight system kits.  First of all, we've all heard about the probable ban on lead fishing products in California, so with this in mind, the Eco Line Weights are made of non lead products, including the actual weights.  The weights are made of molten steel that is poured into molds to create the 1 oz. thru 6 oz. weights.  The weights are then powder coated and covered in a rubber type heat shrink as seen in the picture above.  The red pinch pads are strong and have a nipple inside the pinch surface which secure the clips to the line without coming off.  If you attach your line above the nipple, your Eco Line Weight won't fall off if you scrape bottom or fight a hot fish.  The pinch pad is simply attached to the Eco Weight with a metal "key ring".

Trinidad Tackle Eco Line Weight attached to my main line before letting it out into the water while setting my lines back behind the boat.

How to use Eco Line Weights for trolling.

Trolling with Eco Line weights is simple and effective whether you are using them on a side planer line, downrigger line, or just on your rod line when trolling off the side or back of your boat.  The 1-6oz. weights will obviously take your lines down to different depth when attached with aforementioned trolling methods.  I first realized the effectiveness of the line weights when I started finding that my surface trolling lines when trolling the Optimizer spoons were not producing like my downrigger lines.  Some conditions are such that you just won't find fish near the surface, like when the lake is flat and the sun is high in the sky.  When fishing with line weights in the top 20' of the lake during the cold water periods of the year, your presentation takes on a whole new level of performance.  I've caught more brown trout fishing weighted lines and inline Church Tackle side planers than any other method combined.  Some times of the year I'll be using up to six side planers, especially early in the morning or when we have a little chop on the surface.

No matter which trolling technique i'm using, I attach all the weights the same way.  I let out 50-60' feet of line behind the boat and then I attach the line weight to my mainline from the rod..  I then let the rest of the line out depending on how far I'm fishing behind the boat.  Fishing shallow requires at least 130-150' of line behind the boat, especially with downriggers or rods hanging out the back when top lining.  If you need to get down below the surface when trolling attach a 1 oz. weight and see if it gets your lures down in the strike zone.  If not, go to a 2 oz. or even 3 oz.  The weight, line diameter, and trolling speed will get varying results as far as depth goes so you'll have to play around with your equipment and trolling speeds to get your depth dialed in.  I run 30# braid line and normally achieve about 10-12' feet of depth with a 2 oz weight and around 15-18' feet with a three oz. at 2.5 mph.  It runs slightly shallower for each when I'm trolling Optimizer Spoons at a faster trolling speed.  When you get your speeds and depth dialed in you will be able to target fish below the top 5 feet of the lake more efficiently and your success rate will surely increase.  When you hook a fish, simply reel them in until your line weight is within reach of you or a boat mate, and take it off.  Once its off, you can play your fish to the net weight free.

Finally, it is my opinion that these weights can be used by all trollers while on the lake.  It can be used as a way to get your lines down in a kayak or from a big power boat.  There is no longer a need to attach permanent weight systems or divers to your lines to get your lures down to where the fish are.  They are hassle free and changing your weight size is a snap requiring easy on and off applications once you've found the depth the fish are biting.  www.trinidadtackle.com will have these weight systems available in a week or so.  Please visit their website or contact stan@trinidadtackle.com for more information.  Ask for them at your local tackle retailer.  If they don't have them, let them know you would like them to carry the Eco Line Weights.  Thats the best way to let them know they are in demand.

7 of our 8 browns hooked last Sunday were hooked using Trinidad Tackle Eco Line Weights and inline Church Tackle side planers.

 

Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee bait.

Winter in Northern California can be both beautiful and brutal depending on what kind of weather patterns Mother Nature send our way.  This winter has been relatively mild and we've seen weather that resembles spring time more than it does our typical winter.  On a positive note, some of our local fishing opportunities do very well in the spring so its no surprise that we have been experiencing some great fishing, especially for Kokanee salmon.  Kokanee fishing on Whiskeytown Lake is a well known fishery and every year we see people from all over the west coming to Redding to experience these top notch fishery.  Not only are they abundant, but they are some of the finest tasting fish that will end up in your smoker or on the dinner table.  With limits of Kokanee set at five fish per person, these 1 lb.- 2 Lb. Kokanee can add up to a nice harvest of salmon fillets.

Whiskeytown Lake has become California's Kokanee fishing destination!

Living just 15 minutes from Whiskeytown Lake is beyond convenient for me and its a body of water I guide on a good number of months, especially during June thru August.  Fishing Whiskeytown Lake several months during the year has enabled me to become very familiar with the Kokanee in this lake and my success rates are quite high.  There are a few effective techniques available for catching Kokanee on any body of water that holds them, but Whiskeytown Lake is primarily a troll fishery.  The winter months are quite slow as far as boat traffic and the lake sees very little pressure until late spring when air and water temps start to heat up.  Many days in the winter will only have a boat or two fishing, but come summer time, its not uncommon to see 10-20 boats trolling for Kokanee.  Whiskeytown Lake has become Californias best Kokanee Lake and the increasing fishing pressure is on the rise.  With a steady source of water coming into Whiskeytown lake year round, and the pristine spawning habitat in Clear, Brandy, and Whiskey Creeks, provides for the Kokanee populations to remain abundant even with thousands of Kokanee harvested every year.

Its no secret that Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee respond to bait presentations that include shoe peg corn.  I depend on its use to the extent that I wouldn't put my boat in the water if I didn't have it.  I use it on every singe bait I send into the water without question, unless I'm trolling small spoons.  I believe that the corn presents in such a way that Kokanee are visually stimulated to bite a bait that is rigged with corn.  I also believe that there is a factor that should never be underestimated, and that is the addition of scent to the shoe peg corn.  There are many, many scents out there that people use to add to their corn, but I can tell you that Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee have their favorites.  I go through a lot of corn every year and I don't always have the time or energy to run out to store to get more scent or shoe peg corn.  Fortunately, the Pautzke Bait Company has developed a superior, ready made, Kokanee corn that is deadly on Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee salmon.  Pautzke Fire Corn comes in a variety of colors and has been specially formulated with the addition of scents and bite stimulants, making Fire Corn the most effective Kokanee bait addition I have ever used.

Pautzke Bait Co. Fire Corn and some additional scents I will add when fishing Whiskeytown Lake.

Kokanee salmon in Whiskeytown Lake primarily feed on Plankton blooms which are abundant during many of the nice sunny days we see throughout the year when water conditions are right.  I believe the addition of krill into the Pautzke Fire Corn is just one of the many things that make this Kokanee corn stand above others, including the competitive brands available on the market.  Plankton is similar to krill so it makes sense that Kokanee would have a tendency to react to baits that contain krill.  The Fire Corn carries a strong scent trail and I have found that just one kernel per hook has been quite adequate to successfully catch Kokanee.  Another feature that I have found to be a stand out when referring to Fire Corn is its toughness.  I've used store bought shoe peg corn in the past and I can tell you that the Fire Corn is far superior in its durability.  Its important that your corn has a toughness to it because Kokanee are known for hitting trolled baits numerous times before actually finding the point of a hook.  They also have soft mouths and will often come off before you even notice a rod bouncing on the downrigger.  I've trolled around a bait for hours while the other baits were getting bit only to find out that the corn on that one bait was gone when I finally pulled it off the clip and reeled it in.

Pautzke Fire Corn comes in a variety of colors.  Pictured here are some of my favorites for Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee.

Now while I prefer to use the natural color Fire Corn, there are days on the water when the Kokanee want another color.  This has been a game changer on many days for me and I always take different colors of Fire Corn with me when Kokanee fishing.  Another thing to consider is that there will be some days when Whiskeytown Lake Kokanee will have a taste for other well known scent additions to the Fire Corn.  I will often add the oil from a can of tuna to Fire Corn.  In addition to, or on its own, garlic is another great addition to Fire Corn some days.  And if thats not enough, I will also add a good dusting of the Pautzke Fire Power (krill powder) to give it an extra krill boost the Kokanee will go nuts for.  Pautzke Fire Corn lasts a long time, and lasts even longer if kept cool during your day on the water.  Because the Fire Corn lasts so long, the added aforementioned scents will soak into the Fire Corn over time and it will become even more potent as you continue to use it.  I always have a few jars on hand with different scents added and I know this often times gives me an edge on the water over other anglers fishing around me.  Give Pautzke Fire Corn a try if you haven't already, I think you'll be impressed with your results.

Brining bait for Shasta Lake salmon and trout.

Shasta Lake in northern California is the largest water reservoir in California, holding nearly 4.6 million acre feet of water.  With depths as deep as 517 feet, and over 365 miles of shoreline, it is very rich in its aquatic nutrients for resident fish species. It hosts a massive population of different fish species including, King salmon, trout, bass, panfish, and a variety of bottom dwellers as well.  Because of its excellent year round fishing opportunities, Shasta Lake plays host to dozens of fishing tournaments each year and is truly a fisherman's paradise, especially in the spring and summer months when the thermoclines develop.  As a full time guide on Shasta Lake, I have used numerous techniques to successfully catch the rainbows, browns, and King salmon when fishing my clients.  During the last few years one particular type of bait has stood out above the others and is now a part of my every day presentations.  The bait I'm referring to is not what you would expect to use in a freshwater lake located in the northern reaches of California, but for reasons unknown, its a very effective addition to any fisherman's presentations when fishing northern California lakes.

Shasta Lake King salmon caught with a squid skirt tipped with an anchovy strip.

The bait I am referring to is the Pacific Anchovy.  When properly prepared with Pautzke Bait Company Fire Brine, these small baitfish used whole or even filleted into small pieces, will absoluty get you more bites when fishing Shasta Lake.  Anchovies are rich with fish attracting oils and leave an awesome scent trail in the water when trolled whole or when cut into strips and attached as an additional attraction to a number of baits.  The greasy little baitfish can most often be found at any good bait shop or tackle store and will likely be found in frozen form.  You can buy the tray anchovies if you plan to run them with Trinidad Tackle bait heads and need them to look good, or you can buy the bulk bags if you plan to cut them up into pieces. Either way, anchovies are a fairly soft bait when thawed so brining them before use is highly recommended.

Shasta Lake trout caught while trolling a streamer fly tipped with an anchovy strip.

I use Pautzke Bait Co. Natural Fire Brine because its very easy to use and not only enhances the toughness of my baits, but it increases the shine of the bait which is important when trolling the anchovies whole.  This makes for a very attractive presentation and you can troll the same bait for longer than you would really want to.  It is without a doubt the best bait brine on the market and has been for years.  I use the natural Fire Brine because I have confidence in how it prepares my baits and because it seems to produce the best results for me on the waters I fish.  Pautzke has several other color brines available so feel free to experiment with the different colors of Fire Brine on the waters you fish.  You might find that blue or chartreuse is a better color bait on your local lakes.

Shasta Lake King caught with a squid skirt and a chunk of anchovy.

I'd like to be able to say I have a secret Fire Brine recipe that I'm going to reveal to the fishing world, but the truth is, Pautzke has already developed the perfect brine.  All I have to do is open a bottle of Fire Brine and pour enough to cover my anchovies in a plastic baggie or a container.  Its very simple and saves me the trouble of making an inferior brine recipe like we used in the old days.  The following steps are the steps I take when brining bait with Fire Brine and the only thing that will change how I brine them is the amount of time I have to let my baits brine before I fish them.

Step #1

Anchovies, Pautzke Fire Brine, plastic container, and rubber gloves.

I remove the number of frozen anchovies I anticipate using over the next few days based on the number of anglers I will have in the boat.  I either put the anchovies into a plastic baggie or into a plastic container with a lid that seals tightly when closed.  I will pour enough Fire Brine into the baggie or container to cover all of the anchovies I have in the container.  I like to stir all of the baits around making sure they are all covered in the Fire Brine.  I will then place the container in my bait fridge overnight, but try every few hours to move the bait around in the Fire Brine filled container to keep all the baits submerged throughout the brining process until I call it a night.  If for some reason I have a quick turn around and need the anchovies to firm up a little more quickly, I will sometimes add a liberal coat of non iodized salt over the brining anchovies to help speed up the firming process.

Pour enough Pautzke Fire Brine over the frozen anchovies to fully cover them all.

Step #2

The following morning before I head out to fish, I'll drain the excess Fire Brine from the baggie or plastic container and get them ready for the day of fishing.  If I'm running anchovies in bait heads, I'l obviously leave them whole.  If I plan to use them as part of a presentation as a strip on a streamer fly or on a hoochie rig, I'll often fillet the anchovies and cut the meat into thin strips that will trail the presentations without interfering with their action.  A little goes a long way in the case of fishing for trout or salmon on Shasta Lake, so big chunks aren't necessary to get bites.  I'll often run the strips 1/8"-3/16" wide on a 1" strip, or a 1/4" X 1/4" chunk to put on a double hook rig with a hoochie skirt.

Fillet the anchovy and cut into appropriate sized pieces for your presentation.

Thats really all there is to brining anchovies, or other bait fish like shad or herring, with Pautzke Bait Co. Fire Brine.  At the end of the day after keeping it cold all day on the water, I simply return the container to the bait fridge for use the following day.  I've found that if you can keep it cold, you can use the bait or bait strips for several days.  If you don't have another day of fishing planned, simply put the baits in the freezer and save them for another day.  They will thaw out and fish just fine!

Go catch some Shasta Lake salmon and trout!