Delta Stripers off the hook right now

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:11 pm

I am not a big striper fisherman.. actually, the first time I have ever been. Mark Mendez put us on the fish but, there were lots of them with the big one going about 30 lbs. Wow.. That was fun...

Caught it on a Optimum Swimbait 5 inch like this one

Gear - Quantum Energy 860 reel and Quantum 7'6" Heavy Flippin' stick. 50 Lb Izorline Braid.

Hit right at the boat - I watched this monster eat my bait 3 feet from the rail of my boat. Mendez was landing a 10-12 lber so we were looking right at it when it appeared from the depths and destroyed my bait. The bait was only good for this one fish -- But well worth it. I'll pay $6 for a fight like that all day long!

Fishing this swimbait about 5 feet off the top of the water. Find the birds diving for bait and cast right into them. Careful not to catch a bird - but, hang on because the big striper are eating!!

Stretch1 · Post by **Stretch1** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:48 pm

So did Mark put ya on the fish in Disco? They are in there according to a few guys that have come into the shop that work up at Oroville Outdoors...The fishtrap works well also and doesnt get all torn up...later Stretch

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:02 pm

Mark definitely knew where they were. I wasn't too excited about catching striper. I usually try not to catch those things! But a 30 lber changed my mind!

I have pictures and will post them soon as Mark sends em to me!

The bait was completely gone.. Nothing left but the lead weight and the hook from the inside of it. This fish ABSOLUTELY HAMMERED the bait and then took me for one heck of a ride!

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:28 am

Those thing are amazing.
I tried to help a guy revive a 28lber last winter back in Elizabeth at Castaic that he'd deep hooked on an ice jig at the bottom of his drop shot rig. He was fishing for largemouth.
All I got for my trouble was a shredded thumb.
The fish died, and another friend took it home and ate it.
And we got some great photos of the fish. Biggest stripper I've seen out of Castaic, although I've heard there are bigger ones in there. My biggest is a 10, on 6lb., while I was throwing a fluke into largemouth crashing shad.
What an adventure.

DAN · Post by **DAN** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:23 am

stay off my fish mark!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:05 am

[img]<img%20src="/shared/photos/photos/resized/3546_resized.jpg">[/img]

JamesH · Post by **JamesH** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:41 pm

Tom, I think you need a new scale buddy. Nice fish lol.

James

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:43 pm

How big do you think it is?

We weighed it with a boga-grip scale. Dee Thomas' Boga Grip scale to be exact.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:40 am

buddy brown · Post by **buddy brown** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 12:45 pm

Hey tom,

toad striper. musta been fun on a short leash. 50 lb goat rope with low stretch musta been fun

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 3:02 am

It was a good time. Need to get my butt off this computer and back out there again for some more big fish!

TTCal · Post by **TTCal** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:03 pm

nice fish Tom! congrats!

Cooch · Post by **Cooch** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:48 pm

You havin' that ancient beast mounted? I sure hope ya wasn't plannin on eatin it! Ya know how many times that ole fish has been in and out of the Delta, through the Bay, out to the Ocean and back? They are polutant & toxin collecters buddy! Them fish over 12 pounds are Mercury magnets! There will be some who say they've done it, but then there are a whole bunch of us that know better than to take that chance!

I don't mean ta scare ya, just passing on sound advice. Had some neighbors down the levee catch one about 32 pounds couple of weeks ago. Had the whole family over fer a fish fry, everyone that ate it, got terribly sick. There are warning posters all over this county about them bigger stripers. Be careful with yer consumption of these Bay/Delta stripers folks! Best ones fer eating are the 3-10 pound, younger schoolies. Anything beyond that is 3-10 years old. Stripers are more succeptable to picking up toxins than any other fish.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:24 pm

Hey Cooch -

That sounds like sound advice to me. I personally don't ever eat fish... I stick to land creatures like cows and chickens myself! ha ha ha However, it was fileted for someone to eat. I will pass on the info not to eat it. Kinda stinks.. I would have released it but, no camera, plus Dee wanted to see it... and we thought someone would eat it.

That is the first fish I have killed since I gave up trout fishing back in 2002. EVen the trout I only killed the stockers.

Thanks for the insight!
Tom