FISHING TIPS and Techniques
Catching Delta Catfish - By Dan Mathisen

The Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta offers many different angling opportunities for fishermen throughout the year. Seasonally, striper, sturgeon, salmon and shad migrate through the hundreds of miles of waterways. Although these migratory species draw a lot of attention from anglers, the many different varieties of catfish are the most sought after fish here every year.

The early spring is great as fishermen can easily fill a stringer with pan-sized catfish. There are several different members of the catfish family caught every day in the Delta.

Most fishermen concentrate on the numbers of fish caught rather than the size. This is fine for most, but those who concentrate on looking for big fish can catch many fish over ten pounds, and some upwards of twenty pounds can be taken regularly.

The baits used to fool catfish vary as much as the techniques used to catch them. Standard baits for catfish include livers, clams and anchovies. Added to this list are soap, dead mice and many different oily stink baits. Worms are also a good choice in the Delta.

A sliding sinker set-up is the best bet for anglers, these rigs are much more successful than other set-up. Keeping your bait on the bottom is about the only rule for consistent success.

A simple two-looped surf leader with the weight on the bottom works well for most anglers. The smaller catfish don't seem to be affected by feeling the sinker, yet the sliding rigs are the most effective. The larger catfish will have a tendency to drop the bait if they feel the resistance of a sinker. Fishermen from all over the state can be found soaking baits in the Delta's many sloughs. Some prefer night fishing, others certain tides. Catfishing is often thought of as boring or non-challenging, but many anglers find the time spent soaking baits off the Delta levees to be very rewarding.

Good catfishermen, like those who search for bass or sturgeon, have their type of fishing down to a science. As I said before, there is only one rule. Keep your bait on the bottom.

Bank fishermen and boaters both have a good opportunity to catch catfish by the buckets full. The advantage for the boater is being able to fish areas where there is no shore access. Anglers, be aware that many people live on the numerous islands of the Delta and their property and privacy should be respected.

The San Joaquin River has many good access areas. One of my favorites is in the Old River areas. Anchovies and sardines both work well here. Shad is also a good bet. The best time to fish this area is when the tide is moving.

Whiskey Slough is also a popular site for many catfishermen. Most every weekend, you'll find the dark shoreline lit up by anglers' lanterns. Night fishing produces quite well for catfishermen here. The abundance of shad in the area makes an excellent home for big channel cats. A sliding sinker rig with minnows or crawfish is a popular choice for the bigger cats. Livers, soap and cut baits also work well. Crawfish have fooled some big fish when fished along the rip-rap banks at night.

Catfish, especially large cats, don't want to work hard for a meal. Look for holes or rocks or dead wood in places I call wash areas. A wash area is a place where as the current carries bait into holes, baits slow down or get trapped as food for cats. That's one reason small deep holes are productive. Another wash area is a hole in front of dead end sloughs or below small islands or berms. This is especially true now as the catfish are congregating in deeper water adjacent to dead end sloughs and flooded islands. They too will be moving to the shallows soon.

Another mistake commonly made by boaters is that some fishermen get in their boats and anchor right adjacent to a shore angler.

Here are some of my favorite spots for fishing from boats.

Old River has many excellent catfish areas as it winds southward through the islands. The best catfishing along Old River I've encountered was along Little Mandeville Island. Shad and other cut baits work well in this section of the river. Old River, from Del's Boat Harbor to Sugar Cut, has many good spots. Clams and livers are excellent baits here. Use heavy line and fish right in the dead wood.

Enjoy!

Dan Mathisen
FishDelta.com - All Species, All Delta
The Ultimate Resource For California Delta Fishing

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