Striper Fishing

Call  (530) 741-1522

May 5th

The past ten days have been fantastic for Stripers. I have managed limits everyday with most days seeing over twenty hook ups. The biggest fish of the week was Les Jacobers big hen that was over thirty pounds. We caught and released this beauty yesterday. We have been hooking at least one big fish everyday and most days are producing at least two hookups on the bigger females. John Dunlap landed his personal best  Striper on Wednesday. He also chose to release  the female which was around twenty four pounds. I have a couple of openings this week so if you would like to get in on this great fishery, now is the time.

Thanks for checking in,

Mike

April 24th

The Striper fishing is still going strong. I have been holding off on my reports due to the boat traffic.  I am fishing an area that does not receive near the traffic that some of the other areas are seeing  We are dealing with a very low and clear water year and stripers will not put up with the constant hammering they are receiving in the more popular areas. Those of you that have fished Stripers with me over the past decade realize how protective I am over the water that I am fishing. Allot of the  guides  do not understand what it takes to keep from spooking these fish under these conditions. Drifting over them with your kicker motor will shut them down and put them off the bite.  Let alone ten to twenty boats drifting over the same school.

  The big spawn is days away. Every female I have landed has had a large group of males chasing her. My biggest fish this week was a 22lb. female that we released. She had a big school of males chasing her and we actually landed three in the net at one time.   Although we struggled one day this week and only landed six nice keepers, most days we have been getting limits of males in the 5 - 15 lb. category and have had a few days where we landed over twenty fish in one day. The weather is supposed to warm up a bit and this should make things a little more pleasant than the cold mornings we have experienced so far.

Thanks for checking in,

April 15th.

For a low water year this season is shaping up to be a good one. We have been getting limits of nice males and most days are producing at least one hook up with at least one of the larger females. Today I had five guys and they landed easy limits of males running 5 to 10 lbs.  This afternoon we released several fish that were bigger than what we had kept after we had already kept our limits. One spot we fished produced a triple,  we only landed two of the fish, and the third took us into a snag and broke off.  The river is on a slight rise at this time which puts these fish on the move. Over the next couple of days the  river should level  off and I would expect the bite to get even better . We should start seeing bigger fish and more of them in the next week or so.

Thanks for checking in,

Mike

. 

Big buck Steelhead landed by Tom Lewis in March

    I have returned home  from another great steelhead season. I will be readying the bait tanks and getting the Jet boat prepared for our live bait Striper trips. Spring is definitely in the air and the Stripers are already making a showing in the Sacramento river. I will be guiding a couple of Turkey hunts the first week in April.  After that, the Stripers should be here in good numbers. 

Thanks for checking in,

Mike

530-741-1522

March 9, 2008

Last minute cancellation:  March 13th & 14th

Call (530) 741-1522 or (916) 769-1482

Just a brief report to keep everyone's interest.  Our fishing continues to be going well for my clients.  Yesterday, my clients were successful in hooking a total of 15 fish and landing 11 of them.  Their fish averaged from 7 - 13/14 lbs.

I believe the fishing is as good as it's going to get for this season.  We've been doing quite well on most of the rivers we've been fishing.  We are still catching mostly fresh fish with a few down-run fish in the mix.

I just had a cancellation for this week on March 13th and 14th.  So, for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to come up this season, you are in luck.  All it takes is a phone call and the days can be yours.  So, call us at (530) 741-1522 or you can reach me directly on my cell phone at (916) 769-1482. 

Thanks,

March 7, 2008

More updates on the Northern coastal fishery

I have to apologize for the lack of fishing reports that most of my readers are accustomed to getting when they come to my website.  The reason for this is that I believe, especially this year, that the waters cannot withstand the pressure if I was to continually report the fishing conditions.  And, I have been withholding specific information regarding the waters we've been fishing out of respect for the locals as well as for the amazing fishery.

Aside from that, I will let everyone know that the fishing on the North coast continues to be good.  I cannot say that it has been excellent as in the year's past.  Over the last few years, I have been spoiled and most fortunate with the number of fish my clients have hooked and landed in my boat.  Needless to say, I admit that anytime one can catch 5-10 fish per day constitutes a "good" day of fishing.

With all that said, we were very fortunate to have caught an exceptional fish yesterday.  I had some very dear friends on board.  One of them being Mr. Tom Lewis, who's caught more fish over 20 lbs. than one man ever deserves.  We estimated the fish to weigh between 18-20 lbs and it was a beautiful up-run buck.  We didn't have a tape measurer on board to measure the girth.  We improvised using a piece of fishing line to measure it.  Once we reached the ramps, we measured the fishing line and found the girth to be 24".  We do not know the exact length.  It was a very heavy fish weighing every bit of 18 lbs.  We managed to end the day landing this beautiful fish along with 5 others.  The fishing was great and more memories were made with good friends.

I am happy to report that 50% of the fish still being caught are up-run fish and the fishing conditions can only improve.  I do have a couple of days open for the upcoming week.  So, if you would like to jump on board and join in on the excitement of this fishery, please call us at (530) 741-1522.

I appreciate your patience and all of your support.

February 26, 2008

Sunday rains blowout coastal rivers

We had fantastic fishing until the weather turned for the worst. Sunday put most of the rivers up a few feet. Weather permitting, we should be back up north later in the week or possibly by the weekend. I have posted a few photos of a very special day. I had long time guests Brian Steck;  Brian's friend, Blaire Carmichael; and Blaire's daughter, Brianna out for a day of Steelhead fishing.  We landed six nice fish while fishing plugs on one of the smaller coastal rivers.  Brianna has been fishing with me since she was 9 or 10 years old.  Now, she is almost 18 years old and quite the young lady.  She has as much enthusiasm for fishing as anybody I have ever guided.  This was her first steelhead trip up north and she did a great job.  Brian and Blaire also landed a few fish including a couple of fish over 12 lbs..

I have 2 days open next week.  Please call us and I will do my best to accommodate your group.

Thanks for checking in,

Mike 

February 22, 2008

Possible rain in the forecast

Despite the recent reports of rain in the forecast, it doesn't seem to have affected the rivers, yet.  Fishing conditions in our rivers continue to be great.

Today, we fished another river in the area and we managed to stay away from the crowd.  We had only one boat lingering around us throughout the day.  The end results of our fishing were rewarding as we landed 13 fish out of the 17 hooked.  The day ended with a double hook-up and my clients were successful in landing both fish.  Our daily average ranged from 7 - 12 lbs.  Not bad for a day's effort.

As if our day of fishing was not exciting enough . . .  Dave Church, from Berryessa, happened to be fighting a mint bright 12 lb. Steelhead.  And, before we could net the fish, out of nowhere a seal attacked the fish breaking it off.  What a disappointment for Dave, I'm sure. 

There is rain forecasted in the days to come.  If it doesn't rain too hard, it shouldn't affect the rivers or the fishing.  The fish are plenty and a majority of them are fresh, bright, up-run fish.  So, keep your fingers crossed that the rain doesn't put a damper on our fishing because I'm far from ready to call it quits.

Thanks,

February 17, 2008

Winter Steelhead Season 2008

Possible opening this week:  Thursday, February 21st

Call (530) 741-1522

Well, we have switched gears now from hunting to fishing.  And, what a great feeling to have when the season has gotten off to a great start!!!

As I previously reported, I did pick up my new drift boat - What a dandy it is thanks to Willie Boats! - and headed up North to start fishing last Thursday.  So far, the fishing has been great.  With the exception of one day, we have been hooking 10 fish per day.  On Saturday, the crowds started to pour in.  So, I decided to try another river today.  And, it paid off.  We were successful in hooking 12 fish, landing 7 of them.  They were fresh fish with 5 weighing over 10 lbs.

My clients today, Mike Garrison, and his fishing partner, Tony, were ecstatic when they both landed their all-time biggest Steelhead ever weighing 13-14 lbs!!!  Certainly a day to remember.

We are looking at a possible opening on Thursday, February 21st.  So, if you'd like to have an opportunity like my clients, Mike and Tony, of catching a beautiful Steelhead, take advantage of this opening and call us at (530) 741-1522.

Many thanks for the continued support and for taking the time to check in with us.

 North Coast Steelhead

Call    (530) 741-1522

Feb, 11 2008

The clearing trend we have been waiting for is here. The lower Humboldt county rivers are in shape and getting better every day. I will be picking up my new Willie Drift Boat tomorrow and will head over to the Eel river to start fishing the next day.  If you would like to experience some of the best steelhead fishing in the country give me a call. I will be fishing 3 major rivers in the area and will continue to do so until the next big rain. This is typically the time of year when we can expect to hook over ten fish a day. I will phone home with a report as soon as I can.

Hope to see you up there,

Mike

                              Sky holding our  biggest salmon of the year.                  Chris Maciag holding a hatchery Steelhead that he caught on the last trip of our season.

 I have returned from the Klamath river and will be getting ready for the waterfowl season.  The Klamath river never seems to let us down. It definitely saved what could have been a very dismal Salmon season. Limits of salmon came fairly easy the last week or two of the season but the steelhead fishing is what impressed me the most. They are getting bigger and better every year. If I targeted just Steelhead everyday it would not surprise me if we hooked over twenty adults per day. You will not see many fish over ten pounds, but fish averaging 6 - 9 lbs. are very common. The majority of these fish are hatchery fish also. The salmon were averaging around ten pounds and are chrome bright. The biggest salmon we landed this year was caught by Sky Boric of Magalia, Ca. on September 26th. It weighed over forty pounds.

 If you would like to fish the Klamath next year you need to get your dates as soon as possible. I have filled over half the season already and would expect to be filled before the first of the year.

It is time to pick your dates for the waterfowl season. We will start around the 1st. of November and will hunt through January.

Thanks for checking in,

Mike

October 6, 2007

Please call (530) 741-1522 ASAP to book

As predicted when the mouth broke open, the Salmon and Steelhead poured into the Klamath River.  On Thursday, my 3 anglers landed 27 big adult Salmon by noon.  On Friday, the same 3 anglers landed 17 Salmon by 11:00 a.m.  Afterwards, we went Steelhead fishing.  They hooked 8 and landed 6 between 6-10 lbs, which included several hatchery fish kept for their limit.  Today, I fished 3 anglers, who landed a dozen Salmon by the early morning hours.  We, then, went Steelhead fishing.  They landed 6 Steelhead with 3 weighing between 7-10 lbs. which they added to their limit.

Fishing is as good as it gets up here on the Klamath.  I would say it is one of the finest Salmon fishing from Alaska to Southern California.  I have several boats available to fish next week.  In my boat, I have October 8th, 9th, and the 10th open.  So, call immediately if you are interested.

Thanks,

October 3, 2007

Mouth of the Klamath breaks wide open!!!

The Klamath has finally reached the standards that we are accustomed to.  Unfortunately, I had the day off.  However, I made use of my time off and watched the mouth of the Klamath break open.  To give everyone an example of what I'm talking about, I watched 17 Salmon roll in just one 10 second period.  The fish are literally pouring in by the thousands. 

This could prove to be the most unique opportunity to get in on the finest sport fishing on the West coast this year.  We are still allowed to retain 2 adults and 1 Jack Salmon per angler.  Virtually all of the guides have packed up for the season and headed home.  For those of us who decided to stick it out should enjoy the rest of the season.  From here on out, I would expect to land in excess of 20 Salmon per day. 

If there is anyone who could head up to the Klamath at a moment's notice and wants to experience this exceptional fishing with uncrowded conditions and lots of fish, I do have a few days left available.  I have October 8th - October 11th open and a fellow guide, Jerry Bass, has several days available in the next couple of weeks.  However, you need to call right away to check for availability.  We can be reached at (530) 741-1522.

Your support is a valuable asset to our business.

Thanks,

October 2, 2007

A real brief report from Mike just to inform his fellow anglers that we are catching limits of Salmon ranging from 6 - 15 lbs.  There is still plenty of adult Steelhead to be caught.

Stay tuned for a more detailed report to follow tomorrow.  This report is to get your attention, simply peak your interest, and keep you checking in from day to day.

Thanks,

September 27, 2007

Only 1 day left available ~ Oct. 3rd

Call (530) 741-1522

or send us an email to

mike@valleyguideservice

Fishing continues to improve.  Unfortunately, I was off today due to a cancellation.  However, the reports I've been hearing from my fellow guides from today is:  LOTS OF FISH BEING CAUGHT!!!  The average for today was 15-20 fish per boat with the average King Salmon weighing 10-15 lbs.  However, my clients from yesterday still hold the record for the biggest fish caught in camp, which I'll remind you weighed in excess of 40 lbs.

Fortunately, the quota has not been filled yet and we are still able to keep 2 adult Salmon and 1 Jack or Steelhead per person.  I am so looking forward to getting back on the river and getting in on the action.

So, stay tuned in for more exciting reports.

September 26, 2007

Hallelujah!!!  THE FISH ARE HERE!

The "buzz" in camp is that lots of Salmon have found their way to the Klamath.  The bite that we've been waiting for has finally broke loose.

Today, however, I started my clients out upriver early this morning, which has been our normal routine.  And, it sounded like there was a bunch of fish below us.  There may have been more fish below us, but we still managed to land the biggest King Salmon so far this season.  The Salmon weighed in excess of 40 lbs.  Let me be a little more specific - it tipped the scales at 45 lbs.  We also landed another Salmon over 20 lbs.  Not bad for a day of fishing. 

Those fishing down river were landing 15+ Salmon, which is where we will probably fish the remainder of the season.

The patience and hard work has paid off.

September 24, 2007

The struggle continues on the Klamath . . .

Everyone agrees up here that the number of fish being caught certainly does not meet the typical Klamath standards.  Right now, my clients are averaging any where from 6-8 Steelhead and 4-8 Salmon per day.  We are targeting areas where the boat traffic is minimal and other guides are not working.  Every effort is being put forth to make things happen for my clients.  To put it mildly, the fishing is not red hot, yet.  And, the key word is "yet".

The river temperature is great and the weather is beautiful.  We are simply waiting for another push of fish to come through for us.  This is a true test of one's patience and we are not throwing in the towel.  It will get better!

Keep you chin up and keep checking in,

September 20, 2007

Today was a tough day for everyone on the river with only a handful of fish being caught.  Eventhough it was a tough day of fishing, my clients still landed 7 Salmon and a couple of Steelhead with the biggest fish weighing 20 lbs.

The weather is cooler and the rivers are cooling off.  So, we are hoping the fishing conditions will improve in the upcoming days.

Your support is always appreciated. 

Thanks for checking in.

September 19, 2007

Fishing has slowed down since our last report.  And, the push we saw in the last few days has come and gone.  The good news is the netting at the mouth has subsided.  So, the next big push should get us through the season without running the gauntlet of the gill nets. 

We are still seeing nice adult Salmon and big Steelhead daily just not in the numbers that we are accustomed to seeing on the Klamath.  However, we know that this river is infamous for going from 5 fish per day to 30 fish per day overnight.

The season's just getting started and there's plenty of fishing left.

So, keep checking in for all the current updates from the Klamath.

Thanks,

September 16, 2007

Klamath Season 2007

~Off to a good start~

For inquiring minds who want to know, we are catching limits of adult Salmon averaging 8 - 12 lbs.  The big numbers are not here yet.  But, it won't be long.  My clients are managing to hook 15 - 18 fish per day.  Friday and Saturday fishing was good.  However, Sunday was better.

There are plenty of nice adults around to provide for a good fishing experience.  And, we cannot complain about the weather.  It is absolutely perfect!!!

The days remaining are limited.  Call us at (530) 741-1522 to inquire about which days are left available.

So, continue to check in as the days go by.

Thanks,

September 11, 2007

Heading to the Klamath

Open dates: The 17th and the 19th of September. The 3rd, 6th and 7th. of October

The last few reports from the Klamath have been great, especially when you compare it to what's going on in the Valley.  Ten to fifteen fish per day and this will improve as the month continues.  You are allowed two adult Salmon and one Jack Salmon or hatchery Steelhead per person.  The nets at the mouth are taking lots of big fish which is a good sign of what is coming in.  When they fill there quota, the big fish will be throughout the river.

I am looking forward to the 60 degree days and beautiful scenery, not to mention the great fishing. It looks like the Klamath will once again save the dismal fishing we have had in the Valley.  I have two days available in my boat this month, the 17th and the 19th of September.  I will be extending my stay this year due to the great fishing for Kings and Steelhead that  I have been experiencing in late September and October. The 3rd, 6th and 7th. of October are also available.  If you need a date after the 7th of October, please contact me and I will see what I can do.  Friend and fellow fishing Guide Jerry Bass will be heading over to the coast with me and he also has a few days available.  Give me a call and I will do our best to accommodate your group.

Thanks and see you up there.

August 29, 2007

I checked in at home and provided Kim with a brief fishing report to post on the website to keep everyone up to date with the current fishing conditions. 

Fishing has been tough and it's been very hot on the Sacramento River.  However, the three clients I've had the last couple of days have persevered and tolerated the hot temperatures.  The fishing was consistent with my clients landing 4-5 fish per day.  The number of fish being hooked and landed may not compare to some of our better seasons.  However, the size of the fish landed by my clients certainly made up for the difference.  They landed fish in excess of 30 lbs.  In the last couple of days, my clients were successful in taking home over 200 lbs. of fish!!!  

Their patience and effort paid off in the end.

Thanks for checking in and continue to do so to be in tune with the latest in Salmon fishing with Valley Guide Service.

August 23 - 26, 2007

               Devon McDonald holding a thirty pound buck.                  Keith, Devon and Mike with over a hundred pounds of King Salmon

I have just returned from several days of Salmon fishing on the Sacramento.  Fishing has definitely improved but is still not red hot.  I have been hooking anywhere from 4 - 7 fish per day and landing as many as four per day.  The numbers are not what we would expect for this time of year, but the  size continues to be better than average even for most Alaskan Rivers.  We landed three fish over thirty pounds today, including a 30, 32 and 34.5.  We have been working hard for every bite.  You just never know when the next bite is coming and you cannot take anything for granted.  This may not sound like a great report.  However, I will say this, you definitely have a chance to catch that fish of a life time.  I would expect to start seeing fish in the forty or even fifty pound class any day.  One of the fish that we lost on Friday fought and looked like it could have been a fish of this caliber.  I will continue to fish the Sacramento through September 10th.  The fishing should continue to improve as more Salmon start to stack up and hold in the deeper holes. 

I have a few days available  for the first week of September.  I will then be heading for the Klamath.  Recently, I had a couple of days that became available on the Klamath River:  Monday, September 17th, and Wednesday, September 19th.  I also have two days together: October 3rd and 4th.

Thanks for checking in,

Mike

Please call or send me an E-mail if you are interested in a trip on the Sacramento or the Klamath.

530-741-1522

The latest news in the hunting world:

It sounds like we are getting a full 107 day season for waterfowl.  We are also getting a limit of six geese in the balance of the state zone.  (This does not include the west side white front goose closure area).  You will be allowed no more then 4 specks or four snows but you can have a total of six in the bag and twelve in possession.  That's a lot of geese!  I thought four geese was plenty generous but apparently we are expecting a big population of geese in the Sacramento Valley this winter.  Make sure you get your dates for the goose hunts as soon as possible.

August 22, 2007

I fished Bill Decker and his son John and Johns friend Carlos when Bill hooked this 30 plus pound King on the first pass of the morning.

Here is our first fishing report of the 07 Salmon season. The fishing is off to a slow start so far but we have been getting a few fish most days out. We hooked several fish on my last trip which was Tuesday. Only two made it to the net. One fish was thirty pounds and the other was thirty six. Un fortunately I do not have any photos because I forgot to replace the batteries in my camera. I will be heading back to the Hamilton City area tomorrow and will remain on the Sacramento unless things improve on the Feather. I realize this is not the numbers of fish we are used to catching but there stands a strong chance that you could hook the fish of a lifetime. I have heard of several fish over forty already and I think we had one hooked that was close to that or maybe even bigger on Monday.

Thanks for checking in, it is great to be back fishing.

Mike

July 22, 2007

I have returned from my summer vacation and we are gearing up for salmon season.  I have  contacted a few friends that have been spending some time on the Feather.  According to them, the fishing has been fair at best.  The reports are not what I would expect considering how good the flows are.  I will be waiting until the first of August to begin my salmon trips when the run should be wide open.  I have based this decision on the timing of the runs for the past couple of years.  Based on the reports from the salt water anglers, we could be in store for a big fish season.  I would expect fishing to be good August through September.

The Klamath should be great  based on the Jack return we had last year.  We should be able to keep 2 adult Kings throughout most of the season.  The limit will be 3 fish:  two adult Kings and one Jack Salmon or hatchery Steelhead.  We never know when the quota will be filled.  However, if I had to guess, I would say around the first week of October.  Due to the shorter season we have been experiencing  in the valley and the north coast the past few years, I have not had room for some of my regular guests.  If you would like to get on board this year, I would highly recommend getting a date on the books as soon as possible to insure your dates.  Please, remember that  I will be completely honest on the quality of the fishing the we have at hand and will allow a re-booking or cancellation if the conditions warrant.

Thanks for checking in and lets go fishing.

Mike

(530) 741-1522 or (916) 769-1482

The Goose hunt I hosted with my buddy, Scott Eberhart of Eberhart Decoys, and Bruce Horrell from Benelli's American Bird Hunter will air August 16, 2007 at 5, 8,  and 11 p.m. eastern on the Outdoor Channel.  So, tune in and watch!