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Fishing Articles

Catching Stripers in the Delta

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DELTA STRIPED BASS FISHING Stripers are my favorite fish to target. There are plenty of fish in the delta system to make a successful trip almost year round. The winter months are a little slower than the spring and summer but limits can be had all year. Bait fisherman seem to have the best results on cut bait such as shad, sardines, anchovies, etc. Live grass shrimp and ghost shrimp work well. Live minnows are also a fun method in the spring and summer months and most anglers prefer mudsuckers, bluegill, bullheads, etc for live bait. I like to fillet the side of the shad to provide more scent and better rolling action in the water. With sardines I use a 2 inch piece of fillet from the side of the sardine. Try to use a hook that fits the size of your bait. Ranging from 2/0 to 5/0. When fishing with bullheads or mudsuckers you should thread the bait down the back so your line enters near the tail then continues just under the skin and your hook is exiting the skin at the top of the head. Stripers attack their pray head first. Seasons- The spring run up is the best season in the Delta for trolling and catching fish in large numbers. Summer months usually produce a little less fish than the spring but is shortly followed by the fall/winter run which seems to be when a lot of really big fish are caught by the anglers soaking bait. Some trolling spots - Franks Tract, San Andreas shoals on the San Joaquin, White Slough, Potato slough, the Mokelumne River on the San Joaquin side. Steamboat slough, Cache slough, Power lines below Rio Vista, and the old Sac river on the Sacramento river side. I like to troll deep more often than most anglers running Broken Back Rebels. I do however troll shallow if the deeper fish won't cooperate. For shallow trolling I use shallow Bombers and Yozuri’s. Don’t forget the worm trailer!