BY CHUCK WOLF COLUSA— Striper season is finally here, and it couldn’t come at a better time for guides and anglers alike. After what could be argued as a mediocre season last year, the closed salmon season, restrictions on sturgeon, halibut, and weather that soaked the coastal ranges, I don’t think that there is anyone who can’t wait to get out on the water and by all indications, this is going to be a very good year. Captain Justin Thompson has his finger on the pulse of the river and has reported that the “striped bass season on the Sacramento River has started!”The Sacramento River is loade ..read more

BY ERNIE COWAN MAMMOTH LAKES—Snow continues to accumulate at higher elevations in the Eastern Sierra, but lower levels are clear and winter trout are biting like it’s the general season. There may be a few more late season storms sweeping the high country, but at this point it looks like not much will stick. And, there is lots of good news for those eager anglers waiting to enjoy another opening day Fishmas in the Sierra. Crowley Lake is wide open, free of ice and docks are already in place for the opening day surge. One caution at Crowley, however. The staff there has advised the lake is comp ..read more

BY DAN O’SULLIVAN SAN CLEMENTE– Clear Lake, nestled in the Coast Ranges of California mountains, at the foot of Mount Konocti is known as being the largest natural lake entirely in the state of California.  It is known for its picturesque scenery from any direction and for being a rich, fertile body of water. It is also known as one of the best bass fisheries in the world.  For many years, Clear Lake has been ranked as one of the top 10 bass fisheries in the country by BASSMASTER Magazine, and the northern California waterway has been the site of fireworks for WON Bass and the Clear ..read more

BY DAVE HURLEY SACRAMENTO– The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended Alternative 3 – Salmon Closure during the final days of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) meeting mirroring the opinions of commercial and recreational charter boat anglers. The department’s position is a significant change from early March. The PFMC meetings are being held in Seattle from April 6 to 11, and the final recommendations of the council will be forwarded to the California Fish and Game Commission in May. Marcy Yaremko, Environmental Program Manager, Marine Region (Region 7) presented ..read more

Stories by Mike Stevens    NorCal mountain lion attack leaves one dead GEORGETOWN— A mountain lion attacked a pair of shed hunters on March 23 in Northern California leaving one man dead and the other injured. The brothers (age 18 and 21) were shed hunting in a remote area when the incident occurred. The 18-year-old dialed 9-1-1 and reached the El Dorado Sheriff’s office at 1:13 p.m. According to a press release from the Sheriff’s office, he and his 21-year-old brother had been attacked by a mountain lion in a remote area of Darling Ridge Rd. and Skid Rd.,  inGeorgetown. The rep ..read more

IRVINE – Bass Pro Shops today announced plans to celebrate the official grand opening of its new Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Irvine, Calif. with a special Evening for Conservation, open to the public, on Wednesday, March 27, 2023. Grand Opening Night’s “Evening for Conservation” To Support Local Organizations The outdoor and conservation company invites the Irvine and greater Los Angeles community to a special ribbon-cutting ceremony and weekend-long celebration for the conservation company’s new premier location, highlighted by fishing and hunting celebrity appearances, leaders in co ..read more

Catch-and-release only on bass through May BY MIKE STEVENS POWAY— The City of Poway officially announced a new lake-record for largemouth bass along with a congratulations to angler Jesse LaMar who knuckled down on the 14.1-pound trophy. That catch came on the heels of a 13 pounder out of Lake Hodges (along with several in the 7- to 9-pound range, a 12.3 out of Lake Murray and countless footballs from various San Diego City lakes as spring continues to take hold. LaMar reached out to Western Outdoor News when he made the catch. I rented a boat and started doing a lap and seeing what I could fi ..read more

By Dan O’Sullivan As 2023 drew to a close, WON Bass officials were able to announce a partnership with Bassmaster that would provide WON Bass competitors a chance to qualify for one of the most prestigious events in competitive bass fishing – the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship – giving them a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic. At each of the 2024 WON Bass Opens, the top five highest finishing pro and AAA anglers will receive an invitation – a Golden Ticket per se – to compete in the 2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship event. At that event, the three highest finishers will receive berths ..read more

BY MIKE STEVENS COSTA MESA— One of the coolest promotions that went on at the PCS Show was Berkley offering to fill any new reel purchased at the show with line. When it was all said and done, Berkley filled 1,005 reels with a grand total of 299.7 miles of line, and it took half-a-dozen constantly running line winders to get the job done. Everything from ultra-light reels on up to big Penn International 50s came through the line as PCS attendees took advantage of this unique on-the-spot promotion. While Berkley Pro-Spec Chrome, Berkley X5 or X9 Braid or Trilene XL (depending on the reel) was b ..read more

Not the only wall hanger to hit the scale BY MIKE STEVENS ESCONDIDO— Lake Hodges might not look the same with its city-mandated low water level and no trailered boats zipping around, but one characteristic that seems to have powered through is the lake’s tendency to kick out tanker largemouth in not-quite-spring-yet March. It’s been going on in essentially all but the first week since it opened for the 2024 season, and the biggest bass this time around is one that, unfortunately, will remain under the curtain of semi secrecy. Western Outdoor News was contacted about four times in as many days ..read more