Striper
Action Continues To Improve
Stripers
show in good numbers as the Delta waters stir with their presence
and anglers smile with success. The stripers bait-fishing anglers
are now starting to see some real good results. The bait fishing
action in the area around the confluence of the Sacramento and
San Joaquin Rivers has been remarkable at times when the weather
cooperates.
The wind and rains last week had slowed some anglers
access, yet during the accessible days linesides to 35 pounds
have been caught. Mudsuckers are the top choice of many of the
area anglers who have been concentrating their efforts in the
area, but if you can find fresh shad it has been working too.
In the interior Delta the stripers are still chasing
baits in protected areas of the Delta like the many submerged
islands and sheltered bays (like those In the back of Discovery
bay).
All of these areas yield a variety of species
and allows anglers the opportunity to use several different techniques.
Black bass anglers will find some excellent areas for both flippin'
and crank baits. Catfishing anglers soaking baits like clams or
sardines can hook up with a mess of whiskerfish. The fall through
spring months bring some consistent action for stripers throughout
the entire Mildred Island area.
As for linesides there are several different ways
to for anglers to find success. I've written and spoke a lot recently
about the plug casting techniques that work for the stripers but
there are also old reliable favorites that work when the water
temperatures drop as colder wet conditions prevail.
Many anglers believe the most consistent technique for stripers
in these locations is drifting live
jumbo minnows. Using these minnows in open water, the key to success
is keeping the bait close to the bottom. The set-up used consists
of a three-way swivel. Use an eighteen inch drop-line to your
sinker on one side, about a thirty-six inch leader with a 1/0
or 2/0 octopus hook on the second side, and attach the third side
to the line on your rod. When using this particular leader set-up,
just hook the live jumbo minnow through the lips.
Fishing this technique is really simple. Lower
your line until the sinker hits the bottom, then reel up about
two turns. Drifting the edge of the tree line on the north end
of the island has always been a good place to start. The stripers
will work tree lines in search of baitfish, making this a fairly
consistent producer. And yet, this technique has been successful
throughout these areas.
Trolling is a very popular method inside the broken
levees of Mildred Island. Most anglers troll a single lure such
as a Rebel or Rapala. I use an orange-backed Rebel tipped with
a plastic worm. Trolling the Old River is a good spot to try,
as quite a few anglers have found success here.
Still the best bet for me is plug casting are
around the current of points, island breaks and of course near
schools of shad. Often you may see active fish chasing shad to
the surface, then cast to the outside edges of the boiling shad.
Another indicator of feeding fish is the activity of the birds
kind of like the “Here’s Your Sign” of the Delta
Eco system. The birds diving into the water picking up shad is
generally a pretty good sign.
The
other morning I was pulling out of River’s End Marina looked
up and saw hundreds of birds working the area. Everywhere there
were shad being chased to the surface and right up on the bank.
So I of course grabbed my favorite top water striper weapon the
Super Spook and went to work. First cast first fish twelve pounds,
Second cast 18 pounds and that was just the beginning. The next
40 minutes yielded 24 more stripers from the 8 to 15 pound class.
Unbelievable fast paced action. My hand where cut up and sore
but well worth the effort. This fast of action is REALLY not all
that common. Still twice this season I has had fish at this pace.
At other times I haven’t been as consistent when they are
on top. Well. Until dropped my rt359 Rat-L-Trap straight down
over the side of the boat one day and shook it just off the bottom.
I’ll talk about spooning with unconventional baits like
Rat-L-Traps and mare Vertical techniques. Next time. Enjoy!
Dan
Mathisen
FishDelta.com
- All Species, All Delta
The
Ultimate Resource For California Delta Fishing
Would
you like to use this article to add content to your website or
newsletter?
Send an email to: articlerequest@fishdelta.com
Inlcude your name, your website, and the name of the article you
would like to use.
And we'll respond back to you within 48 hours or less with the
details
