El Capitan is fishing true to summer form right now. Bass are hitting topwater early, with poppers and walking baits drawing strikes along shallow brush and exposed structure. Once the sun’s up, the bass pull off into deeper water, settling into 15 to 30 feet around rock piles, creek channels, and submerged points. Deep-diving cranks, small jigs, and drop-shot rigs are doing the work here.

Catfish action is hot right now, with reports of 20-plus pounders coming up regularly. Big blues are holding deep in river-cut channels and along drop-offs. Heavier setups and typical cut baits like shad and mackerel are the go-to.

Lake levels are low, exposing more structure and tightening up the target zones. Morning topwater and afternoon deep structure are the keys to staying on fish. Ramp is still open, but it’s tight.

The bass bite at Thermalito Afterbay is a grind. Fish are scattered and roaming, and the lower-than-normal water levels have left much of the shoreline cover, including tules, too shallow or completely dry. Productive zones are limited to rocky banks, offshore structure, and the dam area, but even there, fish aren’t holding—they’re constantly moving.

Water temps are in the low 70s. Water clarity is good, but drops in spots with heavy boat pressure in the afternoons.

Weightless worms are getting most of the consistent action, around 10-15 feet with a slow fall working best. Downsizing bait and hook size has helped trigger more bites too. Dropshots are working for fish holding offshore. Craw imitations are a solid choice right now... many fish are puking up bright red craws. Big trout-pattern swimbaits have produced some 5–6 pounders recently, but the swimbait bite is hit-or-miss. A light early chatterbait bite is also in play up shallow.