Shaver Lake Fishing Report

Zach, from Clovis, shows off his nice 16 ½-inch kokanee caught with Dick’s Fishing Charters at Shaver Lake recently. (Photo courtesy of Dick’s Fishing Charters)

It has been a very exciting week here at Shaver with excellent fishing.

We have been fishing for most of two weeks straight. I have seen some roller-coaster type fishing during those two weeks but, I think you can say that mixed limit fishing is great. We have collected three or more limits a day for the entire week. Almost every day we catch at least three large kokanee to 17 3/4 inches.

This week I had double days of fishing by two groups. The Borgatello brothers David and Mario, and David Shiffen, all from Santa Barbara, fished two days collecting their three limits each day plus tossing at least a dozen small kokanee or trout each day. The trio fished Wishon in between our Shaver trips and picked up seven on Trout Busters behind Mountain Flashers, including a 19-inch brown. I think this success is going to last a while.

There is a good mixture of large kokes and nice planter trout. The kokes are in the upper column of 20 to 40 feet deep. We are marking a lot. Fishing near me for two days were regular Shaver kokanee fishermen, Earl Taniguchi and Carl House, both of Clovis, who have connected limits of kokes each day at about 30 to 40 feet deep using Terry Walton pink spinners behind Terry Walton blades.Shore fishermen are doing quite well near the Sierra Marina areas and Tunnel Creek. Several trophies have been caught. They are just now showing.

It all started when Department of Fish & Wildlife planted between 3,500 and 4,000 nice sized planter trout on June 16. Nina Nagel and her neighbor Pat Fitzpatrick, both of Clovis, limited out with mixed fish on that day. Then while having great success with the planters, the large kokes began their bite. Funny, but the range of the kokanee in depth is not reflective of the warm surface water temperature of 72 degrees. Of course it is much colder down 20 feet, but you would think that the kokanee would be more in the 40 and 60 feet level. There are some that are, but I have found 20 to 40 feet to be my go-to area on the downriggers.

Strangely, we are getting considerable amount of kokanee on my side poles which are at about a 20-foot depth. As usual, the side poles are equipped with Trout Busters tipped with crawler and corn behind a weighted Mountain Flasher. The combination allows trollers to get to depths of 20 feet or more while using monofilament line. Our downriggers are equipped with Koke busters, tipped with shoepeg corn, behind a Captain Jack C.J. Dodger. Speaking of my great friend the Captain, he is doing well. I expect to see him back at his sporting goods store in Shaver soon. He is such a tough guy and is hard to keep down.

Bank fishermen are scoring regularly with the planters around the Sierra Marina area. Powerbait or crawlers have had the best effect on the trout. In the Tunnel Creek area, bait fishing has been quite productive for trophy sized trout. The creek is receding a little but is still providing great excitement.

Speaking of excitement, Shaver will be celebrating the Fourth of July this year on July 1 with a great aerial show of quality fireworks over our beautiful lake. Contact Keith at Cressman’s Store for more information, 559-841-2923.

I have seen so many of you out on the lake this year. How nice it is to see you all there and catching fish. If I can be of any assistance, please contact me at dickchip@netptc.net or by text at 559-281-6948. Until our next edition, have a great Fourth and a great fishing day on Shaver Lake.