BY DAVE HURLEY
ANTIOCH – There are still large schools of striped bass in San Francisco Bay, but more and more linesides are migrating east into the California Delta in response to cooling water temperatures. Sturgeon action remains outstanding for catch-and-release in Suisun Bay. Largemouth bass are abundant but finding quality largemouths remains a challenge.
Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo’s Sport Fishing out of Lauritzen’s Yacht Harbor in Oakley continues to head west toward the Benicia/Martinez Bridge for limits of striped bass drifting live mudsuckers. He said, “The stripers are popping up outside our harbor, but I have been seeking the larger fish further west. Fishing has been very good.”
The schools are moving into the Sacramento system as Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop caught and released 27 striped bass to 23 pounds drifting minnows near the Rio Vista Bridge. Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors added, “There aren’t many large schools of striped bass, but they will start moving in soon. One day soon, they will just pop up.”
The water temperature is averaging between 64 and 66 degrees in the central Delta, and there are striped bass showing up around Frank’s Track with Swavers, flukes, or jerkbaits along with chatterbaits. The stripers are holding along flats, island points, and rocky points with moving water.
For largemouth bass, Fong continues to find good action flipping and punching along with spinnerbaits in the north Delta as the bass are holding tight to structure. Winning weights at large tournaments are in the 22-pound range, but most teams are working hard for 13 to 15 pounds. Senkos, plastics on the drop-shot, or chatterbaits are producing numbers, but the larger fish are found with crankbaits, jerkbaits, or punching the weeds.
Sturgeon fishing remains outstanding despite slower tides this week, and experienced captains with quality cured roe continue to put their clients onto multiple opportunities to catch-and-release. Most sturgeon action remains in the stretch of river from Pittsburg to Martinez. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg still located several fish for his clients despite the poor tides.
Hyacinth has been breaking off with the colder water and the storms over the past weeks, and trolling, drifting, and sitting on anchor have been plagued by the surface and subsurface weeds when the tide is rolling. Fog has also been a concern in the early mornings in certain areas of the Delta.
