Tom Mailey's fishing report for the week of Feb. 16-22

Folsom Lake It remains to be seen how the most recent rain system will affect what has been a truly epic rainbow trout bite on Folsom. For the last month, the fish – a mixture of holdovers, stocked and wild trout – have been at the surface (which has an optimal temperature right now of about 52 degrees) and aggressive. Multiple anglers report double-digit days of catching – and a lot of releasing, which is great to see! Let the little ones go to grow ... especially small chinook. These latest rains will likely dirty up the water a bit and cause it to rise, but I think it's likely the bite willcontinue once Folsom stabilizes again. Pink and orange Trout Trix worms with the Wiggle Disc have been really effective for me, as have various brand spoons in frog pattern, cop car and fire tiger colors. Other anglers have had success with Apexes, rattle baits and small flashers with nightcrawler trailers. Collins Lake Again, the latest rains could change everything but for Collins, that might be a good thing. For most trout anglers, the bite has been mostly tough for several weeks. Collins is a completely stocked lake with fish anywhere from 3 pounds on up. But stocked fish often need time to acclimate before they become aggressive, and that, combined with continued murky water that started with the last storms, has made it a mostly challenging fishery for trollers. One exception has been Rudy Divin of Rudy's Guide Service (916-818-8423), who's scratched out some respectable hauls lately. "Morning bite is best," he says, adding that fish seem to be cruising the shoreline in anywhere from 5 to 25 feet of water. "Late in the morning the fish have been suspended, and slow trolling worked on my last trip." Because the fish seem to be holding in shallow waters, shore fishing, especially soaking Power Bait or nightcrawlers, could be effective. California salmon, 2026 Early projections for chinook salmon sports anglers in 2026 are, dare I say, fairly optimistic? The Pacific Fishery Marine Council still has tohold final meetings in March and April, but early data is suggesting marine numbers are good enough, thanks in large part to good water years in 2023 and 2024. Final seasons, including the Sacramento River watershed, won't be set until those April meetings, but to get an idea of what we can (hopefully) expect, check out the recent live-stream video from James Stone, president of the NorCal Guides and Sportsmens Association at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHejXrnefE8