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FISHERMAN'S CALENDAR
SO—season opens (or opened); SC—season closes (or closed).
C—clear water; D—water dirty or roily; M—water muddy.
N—water at normal height; SH—slightly high; H—high; VH—very high; L—low; R—rising; F—falling.
WT50—water temperature 50°.
FG—fishing good; FF—fishing fair; FP—fishing poor; OVG—outlook very good; OG—outlook good; OF—outlook fair; OP—outlook poor
TUNA: BAHAMA ISLANDS: 13th Annual Cat Cay Tuna Tournament ended last week with William K. Carpenter of Delaware scoring his fifth win in six years with seven qualifying fish that weighed 2,882 pounds. Carpenter was hard pressed by Louis Garavaglia Jr. of Michigan with six bluefins weighing 2,563 pounds and E. E. Dale Shaffer of Miami Beach with six tuna weighing 2,447 pounds. Heaviest fish of tournament: a 539-pounder, boated by Jorge Cuevas of Mexico City. Run will taper off at end of month, but OVG through June 15, says spy.
NORTH CAROLINA: Small school tuna (to 15 pounds) being caught off Hatteras and Oregon Inlet; OG through June.
STRIPED BASS: NEW JERSEY: Biggest striper reported last week was 53-pounder taken from charter boat out of Highlands by Charles Alario of Bloomfield. Evidence points to better season than last year. Many charter boats have switched to night trolling to avoid parade of daytime pleasure boats along the beach front. Most reliable night-trolling lures are rigged eels 18 to 24 inches long and pikey-minnow-type plugs about 8 inches long. Bunker spoons still best bet by daylight. For inboard motor skiffs, 700 rpm would be about right trolling speed.
CALIFORNIA: Best fishing is off beaches and Mission Rock. A good series of minus tides indicates summer run may come early; largest striper reported at Baker Beach is 24½-pounder taken by Daniel Higgins of San Francisco. FP at San Pablo Bay because of wind, but calm weather should bring fair action. Sacramento River clearing fast, and OG, with small fish abundant. Local sportsmen delighted at passage of bill prohibiting netting in Sacramento above Carquinez Bridge as protection for spawning stripers and salmon.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Stripers reported schooling in lower Santee-Cooper Lake about two months earlier than normal, but schooling activity is only for short period after sunrise. Fishery biologists who examined stomach contents say stripers are stuffed with May fly larvae, indicating wet flies and nymphs might be productive.
NEW YORK: Boats out of Montauk have taken a few fish at night, but to date no beach action reported, and OP.
TROUT: NEW YORK: At press time Schoharie Creek was in beautiful condition, but fly-fishermen were doing poorly despite fair hatches of Green Drake and other May flies. Beaverkill is about two weeks ahead of normal, with fishing best in several years despite low water and WT 65-72. Green Drake hatch petered out last week, and best artificials are No. 12 Light Cahill and No. 10 Quill Gordon and Blue Dun. During day, No. 16 or 18 dun flies should get some results, and fanwing Royal Coachman might tempt a buster during the evening rise. Ausable agent reports FG for dry-fly fishermen, with streams C and M, WT 60-68 and Green Drake hatch due June 10.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: OVG through June for brook trout fishing, especially in ponds where most of fish are unstocked. Upper Connecticut River in fine condition, and OG.
VERMONT: OVG throughout state. Arthur Ruby of Hydeville took 23-inch 7-pound brown from Castleton River at Fair Haven. Battenkill has been producing well but is already too warm for good midday results in slow lower stretches.
PENNSYLVANIA: Stream conditions are ideal throughout Allegheny National Forest and north and central areas of state, with Green Drake hatches in full bloom and big trout moving briskly, especially from dusk to dark. Officials are worried about extremely light pressure in northwestern area, where big streams like Tionesta, Big Sugar, Big Broken Straw and Oil creeks are in perfect condition, with heavy hatches and few fishermen. In north central area Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning producing good rainbows from long, deep runs. Most central Pennsylvania streams report FG, especially Big Fishing Creek, but in Harrisburg area streams are L, WT 68-72, fish surly and FP.
NEW MEXICO: High lakes still frozen over and roads blocked with snow. Hottest spots among lower streams and lakes are Pecos River, La Jara Lake, Chama River below El Vado Lake, west fork of Gila River and Bear Canyon Lake.
WASHINGTON: Warm weather defrosting west side high lakes fast, and soothsayers predict high-mountain fishing at least three weeks earlier than normal, certainly by June 3. Currently hot are Lake Whatcom, where Bill Herford of Bellingham boated 7-pound cutthroat, Thunder Creek Arm of Diablo Lake on Upper Skagit River (a good rainbow lake notable for Dolly Vardens to 12 pounds), Domke Lake in Chelan Mountains.
OREGON: Crane Prairie Reservoir on Upper Deschutes River reports FG for brooks, rainbows and kokanee, with bait fishing best, but algae is starting to bloom and will reduce production during the summer. In general, Oregon streams in good condition, fly-fishing improving on all waters and OG.
COLORADO: Most streams H and M throughout the state, but outlook improving steadily with better weather. Frying Pan River H and D but C in upper stretches, FF/G with bait, flies and spinners. Roaring Fork H and D, FP/F. Gunnison, East, Lake Fork and Taylor rivers and Tomichi Creek H and D, FF/G for bait and lures. Eagle River H, FF with bait below Wolcott but poor above.
CALIFORNIA: Good weather and good fishing marked May 30 opening in Del Norte and Humboldt counties and entire Eel River watershed. Pillsbury Lake and major feeder streams report FVG. Northern and western Sierra hot-spots include upper Sacramento River, Lake Almanor, Buck's Reservoir, small creeks in Butte County, American and Mokelumne rivers. Merced, San Joaquin and Kings rivers still muddy at press time, may clear this week. On east slope of Sierra best bets are Crowley, June, Grant and Silver lakes, Rush Creek, Convict Creek, Owens River at Benton's Crossing and at Pleasant Valley Dam. Outlook spotty, as warm weather has started melting snowpacks below 8,000 feet and streams will be roily in afternoon.
IDAHO: General SO June 4. Northern lakes still producing good catches of rainbows and cutthroats, northern streams beginning to clear and OG. High lakes still frozen in. OP for Primitive Area as runoff has not yet reached peak.
MONTANA: Most streams H and M because of melting snow, but Madison River below Ennis Lake C, and FG with flies and lures. Lake fishing good throughout state, and top producer is Tiber Reservoir near Shelby with abundance of trout to 2 pounds.
MICHIGAN: Best rainbow spots are Sturgeon River above Wolverine, Maple River, and main branch of Manistee. All Lower Peninsula streams H, C, FF/G.
TARPON: FLORIDA: Tarpon are active all along west coast, with 42 brought in to St. Petersburg docks last week, of which 11 topped 100 pounds. Sarasota, Venice, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs and Homosassa also report FG.
ATLANTIC SALMON: MAINE: Alton Bell of Dennysville, making his first try for Atlantic salmon, hooked and landed a 22-pound 8-ounce specimen at Sol's Point on Dennys River. This was largest salmon reported from a Maine river in two years and brought season's total for the Dennys to 15. Pools of Dennys and sister stream, the Narraguagus, holding a number of fish. OVG.
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