I have arrived at the Klamath for my one month stay on the lower river. Conditions seem to be good and will have an up to date report for you on Saturday. Stay in touch and I'll keep you informed.

Ok, as of August 15 the fall salmon quota is now in effect, meaning that the count is on for the 22,500 fish that the sports anglers have been given for the Klamath river this year. The river is giving up some very nice steelhead along with several jack salmon, under 22 inches, and a few adult fish, but with the amount of nets a the mouth, it is difficult for the adults to get pass the blockage. I talked with the counting station and they told me that as of last night almost 3,000 fish have been caught by the natives with approx. 24,000 fish remaining on that quota. I know, but lets not go there. If this is any indication we are looking for a great September and October. Hope to you soon.

New Salmon and Steelhead Regulations on Klamath and Trinity Rivers July 31, 2008. -- New fishing regulations to increase the possession limit of returning adult fall-run Chinook salmon from four to six along the Klamath River system become effective Aug. 15. The California Fish and Game Commission adopted regulations increasing the possession limit at their June 28, 2008 meeting in Upland to reflect an expected increase in harvest opportunities that will be available to sport anglers. “Based on predictions of a strong return of adult fall-run Chinook salmon, fishing on the Klamath River system is expected to improve this year,” said Neil Manji, DFG Fisheries Branch Chief. “This is good news following the closure of the California ocean salmon season and restrictions in the Sacramento River system earlier this year to protect diminished stocks of Central Valley fall-run Chinook.” The anticipated strong return of salmon to the Klamath will provide an in-river harvest allocation of 22,500 adult fall-run Chinook salmon for sport anglers - up from 10,600 last year. It is the second largest harvest allocation in 30 years. Run size projections for 2008 are based on the number of fish that returned to the river by age class in 2007 and the expected number of fish harvested at sea during the course of the 2008 offshore fishing season. Offshore closures enacted this season combined with an expected strong return of 4-year-old fall-run Chinook salmon are responsible for the large 2008 in-river sport harvest allocation. The tribal harvest allocation is 27,000 fish.

Chinook salmon fishing on the Klamath River will be open as usual, with a larger than normal quota (22,500 fish) allocated for the 2008 season. Two factors contributed to the quota, Biologists already were expecting a big return to the Klamath; and, severe offshore restrictions will lead to drastically increased ocean survival for the Klamath fall salmon. I will arrive for the lower river fishing on Sept. 6th and stay until Sept. 28th Upper river fishing starts on Oct. 4th 2 Jet Boats Available! 2 Drift Boats Available!

Shad article from last week. Outdoors - Show time for shad http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/A_SPORTS03/806250311&emailAFriend=1 Dave

Shad fishing continues to be very good like it was last night Thursday. Things started off real slow and we didn't hook a fish until almost 7:30pm but when we did it was non stop action for the next 90 minutes. Last night we hooked some very large females and I looked at the maturity of the eggs and they seem to me to be about a week away from the spawn. With the quality of the fish we hooked last night, things should continue at least another week. Remember to book with me early for the up coming Klamath.

Shad fishing on the American has really turned on since they raised the water last week. They seem to be everywhere with the evening bite the best. Last night we were surrounded by boiling fish at sundown and the bite was fast and furious. I personally believe that the bite will continue for the next week at least because the fish have not gone on the spawn as of yet. So if you want to get into the action, I have considerably reduced rates for the evening bite. Lets go!!

Shad fishing on the American has been hit and miss since they raised the flows last week for the three day weekend. I fished on both Tuesday and Wednesday with mixed results. On Tuesday, for my boat an on other that was next to me, we had a grand total of four bites for six fisherman. On Wednesday, my boat hooked 26 shad for three people and one 9 pound striper. In my opinion some warmer weather and warmer water will help the bite now that there is more in the river. I look forward to a good june with plenty of fish.

Shad fishing is improving everyday with this hot weather and should continue to get better as the month go one. I have been hitting the river in the evenings and hooking 15 to 25 fish a night.

The shad are starting to show in growing numbers in the American from Sunrise down. The evenings have been a better bite for the 2 to 4 lb silver bullets. I have been using pink and chartruese grubs and very little weight. This hotter weather should ignite the the bite and we should experience good fishing throughout next week.

Shad are starting to show up in the Freeport area and I have heard of some even as far as the mouth of the Feather. I will be all over these hard fighting fish this week and will continue to fill you in.

Since I moved most of my salmon fishing to the Klamath last year this is good news for us and if you are thinking of going this year, please call me ASAP. While ocean salmon fishermen are still reeling from the total closure of offshore Chinook fishing this summer in Crescent City, Klamath River salmon anglers have reason to celebrate. During meetings last week in Seattle, the Pacific Fishery Management Council set a 22,500-Chinook quota for Klamath River sport anglers. The tribes will get another 27,000 salmon for their net fishery. Two factors contributed to this year's generous Klamath fall Chinook quota, which still has to be approved by the California Department of Fish and Game. Biologists were already expecting a big return to the Klamath. Two years ago, the hottest fishing on the West Coast occurred in the lower Klamath, when guides and other anglers were hooking 20 to 30 jacks a day. Now the adult salmon from that same run component will be returning to the river this fall. Severe offshore salmon fishing restrictions, meanwhile, will lead to drastically increased ocean survival for the Klamath fall salmon, which are expected to return in large numbers.

The steelhead fishing on the American River has hugely improved since the rains of last week. The river has a nice off green color to it and we have been catching some very nice fish. It is not unusual for us to get fish in the 10 to 14 pound class once in awhile, but the last two times out, we have boated several in that class along with the usual 1 to 5 pounders. It seems when get one bite, we get several in the same place making things a lot of fun. I believe for the next three weeks we should have very good fishing here on the American. Hop on board!

The Yuba is the place to be if you want to catch a combination of steelhead and trout. My two trips last week yielded at least 30 fish both days with steelhead running up to 5 pounds but most in the 1 to 3 pound range. The rainbows are extremely hungry this time of the year and are responding very well with what we are offering. Remember this is a catch and release river with a barbless hook restriction in effect. But if you want to have a fun day fishing and also catch a fish in every spot we try, this is the place to be right now.

Back again from the Klamath where the fishing was still very good on the upper section of the river. We have been having a special year on the whole Klamath river system. I have been fishing from the mouth to Iron Gate and slamming them for over 2 straight months. This weekend we hooked 16 on Friday, 15 on Saturday and then with one person on the boat on Sunday with the a hard bite happening, we were hot boat with 7 hooked, 5 more than any other boat we spoke to. It seems to me that we had a good run of jack's this year also which means we can expect another good run of chinooks next year. Speaking of next year, my book is filling up fast for the Klamath so please make your reservations early to guarantee getting into these hard fighting fish. Give me a call and I'll fill you in.

What a great four days we just had on the upper Klamath. The last rain really pushed up some great fish. From Friday until Monday when I left the river, my drift boat has been averaging 12 to 14 salmon a day, but on Monday we netted 17 for 22 hooked. The fish are in very good shape for this time of the year, but since the run is late again this year like last, we are seeing some really good looking chinooks. Most of the fish are running between 10 to 15 pounds, but some are going as large as 25. I fully believe that this run could run until mid November, but we will have to wait and see. I am positive it will be good this next weekend for sure. I have two days open this week, Friday and Monday. So if you want to get into some very good fishing give me a call and I'll hook you up!

The fishing on the upper Klamath continues to be very good for salmon and steelhead. We are averaging in the range of 12-14 chinook's a day with some 4-8 lb steelhead in addition to that count. There are still more fish arriving each and every day so I expect this type of fishing to continue until at least the first of November and maybe beyond. With the slow run on the Sacramento and what should be a run on the American not happening yet, I will continue to fish where the fish are. If you want to catch several hard fighting fish in a day, give me a call. Rip Their Lips Off

Sorry for the delayed report, but I have been fishing the upper Klamath with great success. I am currently averaging 12 to 14 salmon a day with a few larger steelhead a day. I completely believe that this run will last into the first 2 weeks of November with this type of fishing. Here is a recent article written about the fishing and me. Please enjoy. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/A_SPORTS03/710170326&emailAFriend=1

I am now fishing the upper Klamath with some very good success. Yesterday my boat landed 13 of 17 salmon hooked and I didn't even count the steelhead we landed in the faster water. The salmon are averaging 10 to 14 pounds and the steelhead are very aggressive and running 4 to 9 pounds. We had some rain last night but it really didn't do anything to the river. All the boats are having a blast and the fishing should continue to improve throughout the month. I have a couple of days open this month, so if you want to jump on board give me a call.

Well the salmon fishing on the Sacramento is still slow at best. Reports from down the river all the way to Woodson Bridge is that three fish days are huge with most guide boats landing one or two a day. The fish that we are landing have been coming from backed bounced roe or boondogging. I wish I could report something better but... On the other hand, the fish could still be running late because they are just starting in mass on the Rogue and are still pouring into the Klamath. More on the Klamath in that section. The mouth of the Klamath opened again with huge amounts of king's pouring into the lower part of the river and have been charging up so they can reach cooler water all week. I will be establishing my fish camp there early next week and am confident that my salmon and steelhead combo trips will yeald 20 to 30 fish days. Give me a call to get into this great fishery this year. It is only a 3 hour drive from Sacramento for terrific fishing. Dave

ALERT ALERT, additional report. I just got off the phone with two different guides on the Klamath and they both told me it is 30-40 fish days right now. If you want to go, I am willing to travel back next week to get into these fresh from the ocean kings. 888-924-5477

Hi, Well the salmon fishing on the Klamath was good to this guy and his boats. We hooked fish everyday even when the fishing was slow for most. I did use a lot of gas fishing these fish, but that is what I believe I should do to find the fish for anyone on my boat. The fishing did finally explode last week and we were getting the usual 15 - 20 fish days. I will be fishing the Sacramento for the next 2 - 3 weeks and then will get into the awesome fishing on the upper Klamath. Just to let you know how good that is, last year the two anglers I had on the drift boat for the last fishing day there, we netted 97 adult king salmon in two days. Give me a call and we can get into this great fishery. I did fish the Sacramento on Wednesday landing three fish and loosing three. Not a bad day overall, the fish are large and still very bright. We caught all the fish on roe in different holes for Hamilton City up river. 888-924-5477

Fishing for King Salmon on the Sacramento River has remained about the same as last week. We are catching some very nice size fish as most of the salmon are running in the high teens to higher twenties. My boat is averaging just under a fish a rod while boondogging a new product from Pro-Cure. I am so far very happy with not only the cure but their little secret Slam-Ola! Get it a try for better results. Heading to the Klamath on Thursday and will fill you in from there. If you want to come up and get into these feisty kings, my cell number is 209-483-1725. I will have three boats running up there for everyone to enjoy. Rip Their Lips Off.

Last weekend on the Sacramento really pick up for salmon out of the Hamilton City area. My clients landed 4 of 5 that they hooked the largest going 31 pounds. We hooked all the fish on a special new cure that I received from Pro-Cure. It sure seems to be working so far. On Sunday I only fished two people and we landed three fish in the mid 20 range. I will be heading for the Klamath on Sept. 6th and have just a couple of open days, so if you want in on this huge run, give me a call. 888-924-5477.

Hey Guys, fishing improved BIG TIME this week on the Sacramento. My boat on Saturday was extremely happy with fish of 31, 24, 22, 19 and sadly losing one in the twenty pound range. We boondoggled for all these bright freisty Kings. The water level is holding nicely and the temp is very good also. Most boats I saw had fish and smiles all around. The counts over the diversion dam also increased this last week, proving that the fish are finally moving through the system. Word also has it that there was a good bite in the grimes area so more are on the way. So pick up the phone and lets get fishing!! I move to the Klamath on Sept. 6th to the 23rd and then back on the Sacramento to catch the slugs.

The steelhead bite on the lower Klamath is still very good with the fish running large from 5-10 pounds. People are hooking them from the estuary up the river to Blue Creek. Cast masters is the key in the tidal water and then roe is the ticket in the faster running sections. Salmon a starting to stage at the mouth and could break open within a week or two. It is going to be a very good salmon year on the Klamath and I will be arriving on Sept 6th staying at the Klamath RV Park. Give me a call and get on the boat. 888-924-5477

Aug. 8 The Sacramento river salmon fishing has slowed down a bit on the upper section above the Red Bluff diversion dam. Last weekend saw a one to two fish norm per boat norm while some boats scored zero's. This is normal for this time of year and will continue to improve until the main run arrives in Sept and Oct. The lower section of the river from Hamilton City to Woodson Bridge has been producing between one to three salmon per boat per day this last week. I am expecting this trend to continue throughout month and break open in mid-September. All indications are that the fish are running larger this year like last year, so the average fish will be in the twenty pound class and we always get some 40 to 60 pound fish in the fall. Please get me a call and we will set a date to go fishing. Remember I will be arriving at the Klamath on September 6th and we are expecting a great run. Book early. Rip Their Lips Off. Dave

August 1. The Sacramento river above the Red Bluff diversion dam opened yesterday to Salmon fishing and Rip Their Lips Off Guide Service had a pretty good day. I had three anglers on board for this annual event for which the "guys" Brad Kernahan, Steve Mizes and Ken Kopkosky, say that name three times, went four for four all on backed bounced Pro-Cured bait. (with a little secret additive) The fished weighted in at 14, 15, 15, and 27lb's. We had a hole all to ourselves for around two hours before two other boats came in and set up camp with their kiwk fish. I certainly wish that if people are going to fish a hole with either bait or a lure, that they learn to move though the hole and not just sit in one place to try and hog what they believe to be the prime spot. It just doesn't do any one any good, especially them, to sit in one spot. Fish move! All in all, we had a good day and was off the river at noon. Remember, book early for the Klamath, Sacramento and American rivers.

The salmon opener on the Sacramento was a good one for our boat. Phil hooked the first fish of the day at 6:45 am and we had three beautiful fish in the box by 9 am when the bite stopped dead. Most boats we spoke to had between 1 to 2 fish and the most I heard was 5. A good opener this year vs. last year. Remember to please book early.

The shad fishing is red hot right now. Since they raised the water levels for the time being, the shad have been coming to the boat by two's and three's. It is not unusual for the boat to have doubles and triples on. The catch is consisting of both males and females with some of the larger fish to 5 pounds. This should last until the end of the month. Give a call and jump on board.

Shad fishing on the American continues to be about the same. The water board has increased the flows to over 4000cfs for a short period of time, so the bite has become a later one. We are still averaging 20-30 an evening. On another note. It looks like we've ended up with a great quota this year. The Department of fish & game has estimated that the Klamath River has 600,000 three year old Salmon returning from the ocean. Along with 26,000 four year old fish. If the DFG predictions are accurate most of the run will be three year old fish that average 8 to 15 pounds. The PFMC & fish & game has set the quota at 10,600 fish. A far better scenario then last season. Anglers will be able to keep 2-adults & 1 jack per day with a total of 12 Chinook in 7 days, no more than 4 adults in that 7 day period. Lets not forget about 1 fin clipped Steelhead. I will be at the Klamath the first part of September, so if you want to get in on this good fishing, give me a call.

We have a very fun night of fishing on Monday as I had a world famous bartender and a much re-nouned northern California fishing guide on the drift boat for three hours of shad fishing. The about mentioned bartender had a hard time at first landing the fish he hooked on our light tackle, but after around the fifth fish, he got one to the net. As we all know, shad have a very soft mouth and you must play them carefully. Well Jr. sure put that to the test and proved it true. Now the larger of the two Dave, did some great teaching and coaching himself and finally got the bite down to an art. Good times were had by all. Rip Their Lips Off Dave

Hi, we have been fishing for shad in the evenings for anywhere from 20 to 30 fish a trip. I have been to the usual spots with just about the same success rate. The fish are starting to spawn right at dark which is a lot of fun to watch because the really get active and start chasing each other all over the surface. If you want some good action, lets get together for an evening. Remember to book early for Salmon season on the Klamath and Sacramento rivers. Thanks Dave

Shad fishing on the American continues to be a challenge with us hooking a few fish each night. But the news is that the water agency will be increasing the flows on American this Memorial Day weekend for all the rafters, so with increased flows the fish will push into the river and we will see the fish numbers increase dramatically. On the Feather River the shad have been stacked up behind the falls above Boyd's Pump and the shore anglers have been doing very well by casting into the fast water behind the snags and current breaks. Both the American and Feather rivers are very low so if you are boating be very careful. Remember, I am currently taking reservations for the upcoming salmon season on the Klamath, Sacramento, Feather and other rivers. Give me a call.

Shad, Shad, Shad. They have arrived in the American and the evenings will become much more enjoyable now. The smaller males have been biting our rigs with a fury. Most of the fish are still down lower in the river, but if you know shad, they travel fast. So I expect the river to be loaded with fish from the mouth to Sunrise by this week. I have evenings available at the SPECIAL rate. Give me a call.

Striper fishing continues to be very good from Verona to Colusa on the Sacramento and terrific in the Mokelumne. Most fish are being caught on live minnows or trolling. Shad have started to show and will only get better over the next three weeks. Remember fishing for these shad in the evenings is very exciting. It is nothing for us to catch 30-50 in a evening. And I run a very special price. Call for details.

Stripers continue to be the fish of the day. Live minnows and trolling different lures is the key. Shad are also showing and I will be running my first combo trip of the year on Friday. Shad in the morning and then we'll go get the pin sides right after that. Remember the salmon fishing is right around the corner and I have been fishing the Klamath for over 44 years straight now. You can guess my age. Book early for Salmon on the Feather, Klamath (lower and upper), Sacramento and American.

The striper fishing on the Sacramento is very good right now. We are landing anywhere from 12-30 fish a day. The larger females have not showed their heads as of Sunday, but any day now. Just about everything is working.

The striper fishing is picking up in the Colusa area. We are currently picking up between 4 to 10 fish a trip. This run will continue to built until mid May. Remember that Shad fishing is just around the corner. I promise to have your arms burning after an evening catching these hard fighting fish!! Go light for the big bite!

It's about that time of year for us to get in on the fun striper and shad combination trips on the Sacramento & Feather rivers. I'm sure the fish are already here...we just need the water to drop down a bit and then things will take off! The high water should really make shad fishing on the American River a hot prospect this May and June as well!