The wind has been a demon to freshwater and saltwater anglers alike. Too make matters more difficult, shrimp baits are nearly impossible to find, further hampering striper and sturgeon hunters. Every Bay Area shrimp boat is down and there is no relief for at least another week.Fortunately, there are other options, including big kokanee at Berryessa, halibut in San Francisco Bay and shad in the Central Valley. Here are this week’s Best Bites:

SAN FRANCISCO BAY halibut: Halibut bite has come back. Alcatraz and Paradise are the two best spots. Live shiners are the best bait. Bass bite has dropped a bit, but it is still quite good. Would be better with less wind. Loch Lomond Marina (415) 456-0321

LAKE BERRYESSA kokanee: Kokanee bite is underway. Limits are possible – wide open some days but more challenging on others. Kokes close to 18 inches have been landed. Fish are scattered. Find them 25 feet early and 42 to 45 feet deep once the sun hits the water. Troy Barr (707) 372-7599. www.Fisht-roy.com

CENTRAL VALLEY RIVER shad: Shad are throughout the Central Valley rivers. On the Sacramento, there is great action in Colusa above the trailer park. Upstream in Butte County there are fish from Ord Bend to Scotty’s to Los Molinos with the river near Scotty’s the best spot. The Yuba has been productive from Simpson Bridge downstream and on the American shad are all the way to the basin and anglers can enjoy 10 to 50 hookups per evening.