Striper fishing in Ca. Delta

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FX said:
Well? Anything?
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As I said, a productive morning. I initially went fishing for black bass, but caught a bunch of stripers.
 
Obviously no 20 pounders or we would be seeing the pictures about now. :)
 
No 20 pounders, but you wouldn't see the photos anyway. I practice catch and release, so the fish are returned to the water ASAP. Pretty tough to take a photo of myself holding a large striper anyway.
 
Hevn't seen the schooling in the bays for at least a week. The ones I caught yesterday were loners in the sloughs. I'd see one feeding, go after it and hookup! Then I'd have to move on and find the next one.
 
Tom- I will be going out in the Rio Vista area in several weeks with the boat.  Since you seem to know the Delta very well, what is (in your opinion) the best way to catch them?  Anchor and fish off the bottom or troll?  If you prefer trolling for them, could you please tell me exactly what you use ie. lures, how far back you let the line go...
Like I have mentioned before, I am just getting into this stuff and have a lot to learn so any advise would be great.
 
Bait fishing and trolling will both work well on the Sacramento River from the Rio Vista bridge down river. Bait - I'd use shad, available at Hap's Bait (just tie the boat up at the Rio Vista city dock and walk a short block to the bait shop). Trolling - I'd use something like a broken back rebel, but think big when you buy the lure. Sometimes you just have to mix it up - try one method, then the other.

Brannan Island state park is a great place to launch the boat and camp for the night. (They allow day use/launching also). Hang a right (as you face the water) after launching, go under Three Mile Slough Bridge and you're right on the Sacramento. Head north if you want to go into Rio Vista, or fish almost anywhere on the river.

If you're not taking the RV and don't want to go far in the boat, launch at the Rio Vista city launch ramp. Cross the Rio Vista bridge on hwy 12 and hang a right immediately after the bridge, then turn right under the bridge. It's a straight shot from there to Hap's Bait and to the city launch ramp.

While in the Rio Vista area, you might even get a sturgeon if you anchor on the edge of the shipping channel. But remember they'll be on the bottom and you'll need to use ghost shrimp and a heavy lead ball. November is when the sturgeon head back down to the bay for the herring spawn, so you may or may not see sturgeon in the river.

Looking foward to seeing photos of the big ones. Good luck. Should be a beautiful weekend.
 
Thanks Tom.  I was at the Outdoor Sportman today and they recommended the same thing...broken back Rebels.  They went a step further and suggested a buy a thicker treble hook to replace the middle and back hook on the Rebel.  He said he has seen large stripers straighten out those hooks!
 
FX said:
I was at the Outdoor Sportman today
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Is that the place in Stockton? My car knows how to get there on auto pilot, but I couldn't describe it. Somewhere near March lane/West Lane IIRC. Great all-around outdoor store, including fishing and hunting, with some boating stuff thrown in for good measure. Another great store, but fishing with a little boating, is Fishermen's Warehouse on Hwy 120 near the intersection with Hwy99.

...suggested a buy a thicker treble hook to replace the middle and back hook on the Rebel.
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I've had several serious fishermen on the Delta tell me that. I went as far as to buy a pack of larger treble hooks a year or so ago, but haven't yet changed any.

We're currently berthed at the Stockotn Yacht Cub. Saw a number of fishermen in the sloughs and on the river on our way over here yesterday. Some were trolling, some bait fishing and some were casting lures near shore (more likely to be fishing for black bass). Also  saw some folks fishing from shore.
 
That is the place.  Great store and super help.  The other place you are talking about is in Manteca.  I have heard that place is a step above the place here in Stockton.  I have been meaning to go there. 
 
Both places are good enough for me to be like a kid in a candy store. The one in Manteca is a smaller building, but they specialize in fishing. So they probably have more fishing stuff and a little different selection, but it feels kinda cramped in there. Definitely worth a visit though.
 
Yesterday I walked to the waterfont, where the delta goes right into downtown Stockton.  There were a couple of teenagers there just standing by with their fishing poles at the ready.  What they did was wait until the schools of shad came to the surface and then they casted out beyond the school and reeled in at a moderate pace, right through the school.  Caught a striper EVERY time!  I never knew it was so easy. 
 
FX said:
What they did was wait until the schools of shad came to the surface and then they casted out beyond the school and reeled in at a moderate pace, right through the school. Caught a striper EVERY time!
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LOL, yes that's a lot of fun when the surface is boiling. The stripers are gorging on shad and the shad are trying to get out of the fish bowl. Up until a month or so ago they were schooling behind the house here and I could catch them from the dock. But they move around, so it's better to follow them in a boat.

Did they catch any big ones?
 
We're just leaving for few days afloat at Rio Vista. You convinced me to take my fishing tackle.

Stop by the Delta Marina if you're in the Rio Vista area this weekend.
 
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