August 26, 2009 12:00 AM
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Delta
Two weeks ago, multiple schools of striped bass suddenly invaded the Delta, especially on the Sacramento River from the mouth of the Old Sacramento River to Sherman Island. Anglers were scoring up to 70-fish days - all keepers - ranging from 4 pounds to 15 pounds. The window of opportunity, however, was brief.
This week, the bite is tough, with fish scattered all over the Delta. Veteran trollers such as Mark Wilson and Clyde Wands managed about 10 stripers per outing, and 40 percent of the catch were undersized fish measuring less than 18 inches. They trolled the shallows and deeper environs from the Horseshoe to Decker Island, West Bank, Old Dairy and above Rio Vista into the Old Sacramento to above the Isleton Bridge.
"I put in 28 miles today," said Wilson, a top-notch guide out of south Sacramento. "We caught limits of bass to 5 pounds, but it is apparent the big schools of fish have disbursed. They move around so much. The fast tides last week could have scattered them to parts unknown."
Wilson said this week's "window of opportunity" was small, centered before, during and after a change of the tide.
"The rest of the time you're just covering lots of water in hopes of running into the fish," he said.
Bait dunkers anchor below Decker Island and down to the powerlines and mouth of Sherman Lake. They use threadfin shad when the bait is available. The pace is slow for them, too, with more undersized stripers than keepers in the take. Morning wind has pushed some boaters to anchor inside Horseshoe Bend to escape the stiff breeze. They're hooking bass there, up to 9 pounds.
Rick Frisk at The Fisherman's Friend in Lodi had anglers fishing Rio Vista area on Monday, trolling at the old Dairy and West Bank, as well as venturing farther down the estuary into Montezuma Slough. They boated limits of bass to 7 pounds.
"Bank anglers are doing well on the Mokelumne River north fork above Guisti's," Frisk said. "They're hooking consistent limits of bass, the largest going 21 pounds, right off the levee. Sardines are the ticket."
Trollers pulling Yo-Zuri and Rebel lures are hooking their share of bass on the Mokelumne River north fork, too. But their catches are smaller in size, 4 to 7 pounds.
Said Ron Halvorson at Thornton Road and Jolly's Bait shops: "Stripers are showing up - finally - on the San Joaquin River side."
He touted Old River near Antioch and farther down toward Tract, also in Old River, as well as the shoals near the mouth of the Mokelumne River.
"They're catching fish, 3 to 10 pounds," he said. "Most guys are using shad and live jumbo minnows. Why I've even had reports of stripers being caught near downtown Stockton on jumbo minnows. So the pace is picking up."
Central Valley Anglers will host an Oct. 3 Striped Bass Derby in Rio Vista. Entry: $25 to $30. Rules and signup at The Fisherman's Friend in Lodi.
Information: (916) 682-1630 (Sacramento); (209) 369-0204 (Lodi); (707) 374-2372 (Rio Vista); (209) 473-2239; (209) 948-6344; (209) 957-4867.
Re: sacramento river
