Fresh hens show up in the Barge Hole!

Sacramento River - Lower - Redding, CA (Shasta County)

Fresh hens show up in the Barge Hole!
Bright female King salmon are very desirable for anglers who fish with eggs this time of the year.
Photo Credit: JGGS Team.

by Jeff Goodwin
9-28-2019
Website

Justin, Kenny, and I have been on salmon that have been in the system for a bit of time now, and as you have seen, many of them have darkened up quite a bit.  These cold water salmon still hold up very well, but by the end of October, many of the hatchery bound salmon will be up in Battle Creek where they will take on the last stage of their pre spawn appearance.  Fortunately, we still have salmon coming in from the saltwater and lower Sacramento River which are now moving up stream.  We have started to see some bright Kings again from Sac Metro all the way to the Barge Hole at the mouth of Battle Creek.  Just like many fish species, the hens, or female Kings, trail the main run so we're starting to see more of them this last week.  This is always a welcomed change for anglers who use eggs to catch salmon.  I often rely on this years egg harvest to catch next years salmon with.  Believe it or not, there are ways to entice bites from the hens and we're putting that to work right now for sure.  If you catch a bright hen like the one pictured in todays report, harvest the eggs!  If you dont fish with eggs, its not hard to find someone who does and I can assure you they will appreciate getting them.


Jeff Goodwin is a full time Northern California fishing guide.  He guides year round for salmon, trout, steelhead, Kokanee, and bass on Northern California rivers and lakes. He fishes many bodies of water in the Redding area, but also guides the Sacramento River and Feather River during certain times of the year. Jeff can also be found on the California coast chasing ocean fresh King salmon and steelhead each year. To learn more about the fishing trips Jeff has to offer, please visit Jeff Goodwin's Guide Service.  You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or please feel free to call him anytime at (707) 616-1905.



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