Looking for some new fish

I love catching rockfish and lingcod. But now I'm wanting to expand my experience. So I'm looking for some advice on a few different species in regards to location and setup. This is for AOTY stuff so it has to be from a kayak. But I'm not looking to catch the biggest fish possible. Just want to discover new things.

I'm wondering about surf perch. I've never caught one before (never fished for one either). Where's a good place in the SF Bay to seek them out?


What about a good place to catch trout, bass, and catfish?

Someplace scenic would be awesome. up to 4 hour drive from my house in Dublin. A place to car camp would be awesome too. I'm happy to go out of the way to find a isolated place with good fishing and camping. Like the national forests and parks over in eastern CA.

I mean I can get those local at places like Del Valle and Shadow Cliffs. But I'm looking to make a fun trip out of it.

Feel free to give ideas that are not quite what I'm looking for. I just want to discover new places near and far, as well as learn to fish in the process.

Love Lake Sonoma!

Bill

You have been driving to Santa Curse to fish, from DUBLIN???   Skip on Del Valle, even though it's got tons of species, it's one of the toughest bites I've had in the Bay Area, unless you mean small trout.  Shadow Cliffs, good place for learning to target stocked trout, and there are good size bass in there too. Something like 10-12$ for fishing/parking.  Head further east and you have some great camping fishing destinations like New Melones, Don Pedro, and further up into the Sierras for mountain lakes.  What I like about NM is the Kokanee population.  Wrong time of year for easy targets, but still trout, bass, crappie/bluegill.  What I like about DP is the salmon population, but the others are there as well.  Your closer to delta and Port Of Sac, and that's a great spot!, and other delta locations too.  You could be jigging up salmon, stripers, or trolling for them, and hooking up on Crappie and Bass as well. 

My family lives in Santa Cruz. So I drive up there Friday nights and come home Sunday night. It's not so bad that way. But I am definitely looking to find closer places.

I think I am mostly looking for a lake in a forest. Not in the grassy hills like Del Valle, Don Pedro and the Delta. I want to hit those places up too but forest lakes are what I'm in the mood for.

I will look into the places you listed. Thanks! I want to try Sonoma Lake too!

do you have 4wd and chains ?
if so the lakes up here are awesome
water temp in winter can 36 deg so be prepared.
guaranteed to be alone except for me out there.
all my big macks come around jan. feb.

Ryan,

There are some good perch spots down here...dpshim has caught some monsters over on the Monterey side....

http://aoty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2583

I know from diving where I would fish for them if I wanted them...if you decide to give yak perching a try down here let me know and I can give you some more info.

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/275

 

Sincerely,

Jim

There's still time to bag a fat salmon on the Marin coast! That would add a little excitement to the routine.

Well check out Lake Almanor then, and see if you can hook up with the Mayes Bros.    Id also suggest Berryessa, one of the most diverse fishing lakes in the bay area, and largest in CA. But i'm not sure how the lack of water has been affecting the lake, camping/launching, etc.  More suggestions, pick a species, and i'm sure you will get good suggestions!

for Bass and Cats you may want to try Clear Lake.
Lake(Pond) Mendo still has Cat, Bass, Crappy, and Stripers.

O'neill Forebay stripers, it's on, not alot of big ones, about 1/3 legal, but bite is pretty good. I caught 2 off the dock before my buddy had backed the boat down the ramp last sat. great kayak lake too.

Some of the lakes off the 50 would fit the bill. But it's getting late in the year. Jenkinson aka Sly Park is usually accessible though.

Catfish for size- Clear Lake or berryessa...For eating- Sonoma, Lake Valley Res, Utica & Union

Trout Rainbow planter bos- Lake Valley Res, Fuller, Beardsley,  shoot almost any lake in the sierras

Wild or nice holdovers rainbows- Salt Springs, Jackson Meadows, Almanor, Tulloch, Melones, Cherry

Browns- Sly park, icehouse, loon, gerle creek, bowman, Beardsley afterbay, bear river Gold, twin lakes, Bridgeport res, mccloud res, and many more out there too, it always fun for me to discover new lakes that have browns.

Macs- UVR, Sly Park, Gold, Donner, Stampede, Bear River

Smallmouth- Trinity

Largemouth- Nothing beats a clear lake bucket mouth!

YOu know a good bet could be Sly Park/ Jenkinson lake, it has macs, browns, rainbows and some pretty big smallmouth. The rest of the lakes I just named off the top of my head, with time I could probably think of a few more that have multiple species. I wish I knew more about Perch fishng, but I would be down to meet up in monteray area sometime and try for them with ya.