Spring on the Delta Bring Sunscreen and enjoy the wind

Wow! What a month it has been as I have been on the water way to much this past week we have experience a typical spring bite. One day "off the Hook" the next just straching my head. The week started off with blustery conditions as client and I fished the Seven Mile Slough and Syamore areas trying to avoid the masses attending this weeks FLW stren Series event. I must say thank you To Ken and his wife Janice for making the last few Days a blast for me. When I met up with them I had already been on the water 14 days straight. This Four day trip with Ken and (rick) his guest for the first couple of days really made this long run fun as he really improve his Delta bass fishing vision and he left with confidence throwing My Quantum rods and reel. While like many of the FLW pros the bites were tough the first couple of days the numbers went way up as we targeted the back waters of Disco Bay the last two days.

Bait soakers aren't doing to bad either as the best action is coming to the bait soakers who lined up in many areas of the Central Delta. There are some anglers finding the stripers to be more willing now. The best action is coming to the bait soakers in many areas of the Central Delta. There are some stripers, and big catfish coming from the Disapointment and Whites area on Livers. Stripers tipping the scales over 40 pounds recently showed up at in the River's end area.

a few good sturgeon are still falling too anglers, but the wind has made things less than diserable in the Rio Vista area. The best areas report have been the Cache Slough and Buoy 36 A a few fish reaching into the 40 -60 pound class. Shrimp baits are the way to go for the diamondback guys. Striper anglers are still bait fishing, but some are trolling as the water clears. The Rio Vista to Isleton area is still kicking out a lineside or two. Look for striper activity to increase.

Further West Sturgeon are super bets for shrimp soaking anglers Mothball Fleet and the Ozol Pier. The wind has brought some ugly conditions at times but the fish are stacked so thick it is worth waiting out the wind There are many anglers finding good fish in the area. The sturgeon are rolling throughout the area. The Montezuma Slough bite is not as hot as it was but it does show signs of improving. The sturgeon are really going well all things considered.

Red worms and mealworms under bobbers are good bets for bluegill enthusiasts. Many bluegill are starting to show in the dead-end sloughs. The bluegill bite should continue strong now through next fall. Whiskey Slough and parts of Old River and Sugar Cut are prime areas for the bluegill.

A word of caution - the warm water also brings more boaters to the Delta waterways, so be please be careful. The Delta had some tragic accidents last year that no one would like to see repeated.

Sacramento Area Report - by Jack Chapman

NO Report This week

Hook Line And Sinker Report
Robert from the Hook in Oakley reports.

Black Bass:
The bass bite continues to amaze. The recent WONBASS pro/am this past weekend went out of Russo's Marina in Bethel Island and it took over 60 lbs! for two days with 5 fish limits per day to win. many fish moving shallow, flipping plastics and jigs is the most effective way to catch numbers and size right now. For plastics stick with senkos 5, 6 or 7" models, Brush Hogs or Beavers either 4 or 5" models and stick with basic color patterns: black/blue, black/red, junebug, watermelon/red and green pumpkin. Stick to weedless texas rigging the plastics with a 3/16 oz. weight or rig them weightless. For the jigs I would stick with black/blue or brown in a 1/4 oz. Otherwise have some fun throwing topwater baits like frogs, buzzbaits and spooks. Any color scheme will work.

Striped Bass:
The west delta striper bite has really fizzled out as the bulk of the spring run either continue to move out to the ocean and bay or up the sacramento river. The best stretches of river have been from Colusa to Sacramento and up the mokelumne from B&W to Walnut Grove. Trolling has been the ticket with rat-l-traps and broken back minnow baits. Try the regular shad patterns(chrome/black, chrome/blue) or a really bright pattern(hot orange, firetiger, chartreuse)

I have had zero reports on other species but catfish should be wide open on any bend in a main river channel or mouth of a slough. Stick with the reliable baits, mackerel, sardines, clams, stink bait and chicken liver. Sturgeon has been a zero for our part of the river but from Colusa up the river has been good. Try ghost shrimp and lamprey eel. Bluegill and Crappie have been very abundant in the marinas and the backs of dead end sloughs. Target the docks and around wood with nightcrawlers and crappie jigs.

Flash Fishing Report www.flashfishing.net

A bit about Captain Steve, Captain Steve fished the San Francisco Bay since 1970, when his grandfather would take him out to the old Berkeley pier. He bought his first boat in 1980 and got his Captain's license in 1997. He enjoys small groups (no more than 6) and gives personal attention to all. Having 2 young daughters himself, he is especially patient with children on the boat. Bring your own equipment or use Steve's top of the line equipment. Steve has impressive state of the art commercial electronics on the boat to optimize your fishing experience! And yes, we went to the same High School, Welcome Capt. Steve!

Left the harbor at 5:15am with 2 fishermen. This was a donation trip. We ended up between buoy
4 and 6 in 12 feet of water. Anthony Ricate from Pacifica landed a keeper. 53 “ and 44 lbs.
Eel/grass did the trick on the beginning of the outgo. The water temp is 60 to 61 degrees which gets the fish hot and active. Great fight and got air.There were two other good bites missed. I was told by Linda Sue on the income he was getting eaten alive by small bass. Same plan for tomorrow with 6 fishermen. Looks like it is going to be a great May. I am staying this year!

Capt Steve Talmadge
Flash Sport Fishing