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Don Pedro Fishing Report | June 9, 2025

Report by Capt. Monte Smith
Monte Smith runs Gold Country Sport Fishing on Don Pedro and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop Monte Smith's tackle.
What is working right now

Don Pedro produced a respectable 12-fish mixed bag on a tough June 9, 2025 outing against a full moon. Fish are schooled and mixed, from 50 to 83 feet. Purple was the hot color. Troll a Gold Trolling Dodger with Uncle Larry’s UV Squid and Uncle Larry’s Hoochies, tipped with Kokanee Slammer corn for scent.

What is biting at Don Pedro right now?

A mixed bag. Capt. Monte Smith ended a tough June 9 day with 12 fish: six rainbows, a king, and five kokanee. The kokanee bite is starting to pick up, with respectable 14.5 to 15 inch fish that are fat and healthy and beginning to school up. It was a pick-scratch bite fighting a full moon.

What depth are the fish holding at Don Pedro?

Fish are catching from about 50 to 83 feet, and they are all mixed in rather than separated by species. Water temps are rising fast, 73 to 75 degrees on the surface, but cooling quickly with depth. Monte marked lots of fish on the LiveScope holding in tight schools through that band.

What lures and colors are working at Don Pedro?

Purple was the hot color, and pink that worked last week was not producing. Troll a Gold Trolling Dodger paired with Uncle Larry’s UV Squid and Uncle Larry’s Hoochies around 75 feet. Tip your gear with Kokanee Slammer corn to add scent appeal.

How is Monte finding and presenting to fish?

He runs the LiveScope to find tight schools, then circles back once he lands a fish to confirm the species. The fish are schooling up as kokanee season builds. Match the purple color, run Uncle Larry’s Hoochies and UV Squid behind the dodger, and tip with corn and scent.

What are the conditions at Don Pedro?

The lake is six to seven feet from full and in great shape. Water clarity is crazy clean, almost too clean, so fish can see gear from a long way off. Surface temps are rising through the low to mid 70s. A full moon made the bite a tough pick-scratch on this trip.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Monte Smith): We ended the day with 12 fish. We had six rainbows, a king, and five kokanee. Kokanee bite is really starting to pick up. We had respectable 14 and a half, 15-inch fish, and they're fat, they're healthy, they're starting to school up. We're catching fish just 50 to about 83 feet, and these fish are all mixed in.

Don Pedro Lake June 9, 2025 FAQ

How deep are the fish at Don Pedro in early June?

Fish are holding from 50 to 83 feet, all mixed in rather than separated by species.

What color is hot at Don Pedro right now?

Purple was the hot color. Pink that worked the prior week was not producing on this trip.

What lures work at Don Pedro now?

A Gold Trolling Dodger with Uncle Larry's UV Squid and Uncle Larry's Hoochies, tipped with Kokanee Slammer corn.

How big are the kokanee at Don Pedro?

Respectable 14.5 to 15 inch fish that are fat, healthy, and starting to school up.

Why was the bite tough at Don Pedro?

A full moon made it a pick-scratch bite, though a window opened around noon to put more fish in the boat.

What is the water clarity at Don Pedro?

Crazy clean, almost too clean, so fish can see gear from a long way off.

Tags: don-pedro kokanee monte-smith
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Sacramento River Fishing Report | August 1, 2026

Report by Capt. Jeff Goodwin Jeff Goodwin runs Jeff Goodwin Guide Service on the upper Sacramento River and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Reach him at (530) 510-2925 to book a trip. Shop Jeff Goodwin's tackle. What is working right now The upper Sacramento River king salmon season opened August 1, 2026 at the world-famous Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. It was a slow opener with under a dozen fish caught, but Capt. Jeff Goodwin says prime fishing is only 2 to 3 weeks out. His go-to is back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on 10 ounce weights, double-wrapped with fresh sardine and wild prawn. What is biting on the upper Sacramento River right now?King salmon are the target at the Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. August 1, 2026 was the official opener, and Capt. Jeff Goodwin called it a light, slow opener with fewer than a dozen fish caught. His daughter Gracie boxed the first fish. More salmon are arriving as the run builds. What technique is working for Sacramento River king salmon?Back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on the bottom. Jeff runs 10 ounces of weight to reach bottom in the deep water, with 12 to 18 inch droppers and about a 48 inch leader. The lead gets the plugs down where the fish hold since they will not dive that deep alone. How do you wrap plugs for Sacramento River salmon?Double-wrap the plug with fresh sardine and a piece of wild-caught prawn. Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. Start with a loose wrap that keeps the hooks free so you do not tie them to the plug body, then add a couple of wraps on top. More bait draws more bites as long as it does not kill the action. How do you tune a Brad's KillerFish plug?Wrapping bait shifts the center of gravity, so a plug that ran straight can start leaning one way. The fix is the eye: if the plug swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. Test it beside the boat until it dives straight and dances side to side. Out of tune plugs will not get bit. What does massaging the plug mean?It means keeping continuous action on the plug so it never sits dead on the bottom. Pull up on the rod to make the plug dart to one side, then drop the tip so it flutters back. Salmon often hit on that flutter, so be ready for a hard, full-on strike that takes line right away. What is the guide's outlook for the Barge Hole?Jeff says the area is about 2 to 3 weeks out from really good fishing. August, September, and October are the prime months, and a late fall run from November through the end of December produces some of the biggest fish of the season. Eggs, boondogging, and hover fishing come later in the run. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Jeff Goodwin): One of the favorite techniques for fishing out here in the Barge Hole is to back-bounce Brad's Killerfish. Today, we're using 15s and 16s as far as the size goes. We're running 12 to 18-inch droppers, and then about a 48-inch leader. We're using 10 ounces of weight today because we've got quite a bit of water, and we let out enough line to get down to the bottom. Sacramento River August 1, 2026 FAQ When did the upper Sacramento River salmon season open in 2026?The Barge Hole area opened August 1, 2026. Jeff notes his openers have always been July 16th and August 1st, though an open river does not mean the fishing is great yet. Where is the Barge Hole?On the upper Sacramento River near Anderson and Cottonwood, California, just below where Battle Creek dumps in. Salmon stack here and hold until the first October rains, then turn up Battle Creek to Coleman National Fish Hatchery. What weight do you use to back-bounce at the Barge Hole?Jeff ran 10 ounces of weight on opening day because there was quite a bit of water, letting out enough line to stay on the bottom. What leader and dropper lengths does Jeff Goodwin use?About 12 to 18 inch droppers and roughly a 48 inch leader, sometimes into the 50s. What baits do you wrap on Brad's KillerFish plugs?Fresh sardine and wild-caught prawn are the go-to, and Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. How do you know a plug is tuned correctly?Pull it up toward the bow of the boat. If it stays alongside the boat and dances side to side while diving straight, it is tuned. If it swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. When is the best salmon fishing on the upper Sacramento River?August, September, and October are prime, and a late fall run from November through the end of December brings some of the biggest fish. The opener itself was slow, about 2 to 3 weeks from really good fishing. Who guides the upper Sacramento River Barge Hole?Capt. Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin Guide Service. Call or text (530) 510-2925 to book. Shop the Tackle Brad's KillerFish KF15 Brad's KillerFish KF16 Shop Capt. Jeff Goodwin's Tackle Shop River Salmon Gear

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San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | July 27, 2026

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