Bassin on the Upper Sac

 

As mentioned in the earlier post,  This time of the year I hit the lower end of the river often.

In addition to the Lake Run rainbows,   the Bass fishing is very good.

Mostly I use a sink tip and cast wooly buggers into bassy looking water

Bass water

Same spot

Bringing him in

A small spotted bass

A small spotted bass close up

A little bigger Spotted bass

Nice bass

Sometimes you get a trout even when bassin

The Lake Runs are in.

Who:
Lake runs are a local name for a strain of rainbows that come up out of Lake Shasta into the Upper Sacramento river every year around mid-summer.

What:
16″-18″ rainbow trout are the standard size for lake runs. Some are smaller and a few are bigger. Fish to 22″ are not out of the question.

Where:
Lower end of the Upper Sacramento river. For our purposes that is the water south of the Gibson exit off I-5.
Approx 36 miles north of Redding, California, or about 18 miles south of Dunsmuir, California.

When:
NOW.  The lake runs usually start entering the river by the end of June. By mid July they are well spread through-out the lower river.
The  weather can get quite hot in the mid to late summer.  Temperatures match Redding and can hit 100 by early afternoon.
Also the river water temperature climbs to levels that are not conducive to trout fishing (70+)
This is recommend as  a morning trip.  Best water temps are generally about 8-9 AM.

How:
As usual the most consistent way to catch the lake runs is indicator nymphing.

However at times swinging woolly buggers or soft-hackles is a very effective technique.
Occasionally dry fly opportunities occur.   Dry and Dropper is also effective in the right water.

Wading into place

Hit that spot right there

The Cast

The Drift

The Swing

Fish On

Keep the tip up

The Fish

The happy angler