Good man! If every one had your "ex fishing buddy's" attitude there would be no trout.

Terry,
Sad commentary on Puget Sound. Unfortunately that same scenario is happening all up and down the West Coast. Just like here in the Sac./ S. J delta when you destroy the food chain from the bottom up you leave nothing for the larger species. Here 20 year old stripers are half the size they would have been just 30-40 years ago. Different estuaries have various problems but the results are always the same, declining fish stocks.

West coaster,
You are absolutely right! I am on a Stakeholders Committee on the new tunnel plans. I can tell you first hand from conversations with officials at Dept.of Water Resources (DWR) and from this committee that DWR does not give a rats ass about habitat or fisheries. Even though the law that initiated this project calls for the "co-equal goals of habitat restoration and water system relying LESS on delta water" their plans are to export more through a tunnel and have no habitat plans what so ever. This same plan failed to be approved when it was two tunnels now they hope to slide it by as one. My feelings are that they want a tunnel so you won't see that water leaving the delta.

It really depends where you are. I have fished the Sacramento/San Juaguin river delta for over 50 years. The reason for the decline here is the state of California for the last 70 years has been pumping water to southern California. Water goes mostly to huge farms in the southern valley trying to grow nut trees in a toxic desert. The volume pumped goes up every year. The water rushes to the pumps in the southern delta with such velocity it actually makes two smaller rivers flow backwards!!!This has scoured the bottom to the point where nothing grows. They have destroyed the food chain from the bottom up. Then they wonder why striped bass are hardly re-producing and the wild salmon population must be supported by hatcheries. The state of California realizes full well these affects but do not want to restrict pumping because they make so much money off of it. Habitat destruction is always done in the name of profit. It always boils down to $$$

I work with F&G a lot, and I am not aware of any California lakes that are closed. But if you are planning to launch a boat you might want to call ahead. Many of the launch ramps are closed due to COVID restrictions. I know all the launch ramps in Contra Costa County are closed by order of the county health board. That may be a county by county regulation.

Tie an overhand knot on your leader about 4" from end. Take end of line below knot and go through lure eye.Then take end of leader back through the loop of the over hand knot and tie another over hand knot above the first one and pull together. Sounds complicated but is really simple. I will try to find an illustration

Hi Guys I am Capt. Jim a retired charter boat capt. I fished the delta/bay/ocean most of my life and 23 years professionally. Trolling is my favorite technique. When trolling lures primarily for stripers I use a rod with a lot of action in the tip, about 7-8' long. Braided line on the level wind reel and a 7' 30lb. mono leader. For trolling lures I would never use a swivel. Figure "8" type snaps work much better. A swivel allows the line to rotate or swivel, a straight snap does not. A straight snap holds the line preventing a twist and making all the lures motion go into it's swimming action. I put a straight snap at the end of the braid and then tie the lure on the mono. I like a fisherman's loop knot for tying lures. It does not cinch down on the lure eye but is a loop pulling against the lure eye. Again trying to get every last bit of action out of the lure.
Salmon trolling is where I would use swivels. Many salmon lures or bait holding lures (such as a Rotary Salmon Killer) work in a big circle pattern. You need the swivel to help keep the line from twisting up, and kinking. In fact I will add a barrel swivel to the leader as well as the snap swivel on the end of the braid to insure that circle pattern is working.
Good luck trolling and practice hook and release on those stripers!