Delta Turnover

[striperwannab]

Guys,

I heard someone say the other day that the striper fishing is not goo right know, but it will be hot "when the delta turns-over". What does "turns-over" mean? When does this take place?

StriperwannaB

[DeltaDan]

For myself those words TURNOVER are when Striper fishing comes to crap "for the fall/winter Turnover"

The "Turnover" to me is when after the Shad do their final die-off while seeking the last of the warmer/warmest water in the cut's/bays -and that that they can still sustain themselves.

54 degree water and below -is when the shad will start dieing off -- and the Stripers will sort of become lathargic themselves in the colder waters.

Then the stripers will make a mad dash back down the river to get back out to the ocean waters where there is bait. (basically will not stop off anywhere on the trip back down)

Most of the fall run bait at the middle ground will be burried in mud by then as well (crawdads/bullheads) For the Interior of the Delta the bluegills will hide in the grass/tulies- Crappies in the deep muddy water again @ the same time that the Shad start to die off) .

So the Stripers will seek the ocean waters out where it can be warmer water- and there is bait off shore .... Later then the male juvies will come up first and start to milk first for the spring hens to come up and spawn when the water here hit's 59-61 again. (march-april'ish) . That will be even a faster Turnover as there is not any mature bait in the system at that time. They just want to mate/spawn - and then go take a shower ASAP back in the ocean/bay as they are very vivacoius in thier daily diet.

There will always be resident year long fish in the delta - but most will still be in the infant stage as they grow/mature before moving to the bay and then the ocean waters.

Like Gene said in his 18th report post -- the bigger # of fish have just shown in Broad - They will be making their way into the interior of the delta here really quick. More than likely after the cold front moves out on Monday. The Shad are in big bait balls -- but the ones I have perdonantly seen are way deep .. 20'-25'+ -- And they are not comming up to the surface because they are still not populous from the big Stockton kill as of yet - and they are still in self-survival mode.

This is all just my hypothesis mind you.....

Taylor should be putting out this next week with the number of live small bluegills in there currently. If there is no shad and oils in the water - They will be sniffing out all the bluegills in the grass beds that they can forage through.

[MT]

Fellas, do we really have to listen to this for another year? The fishing is bad because there are no fish. It's just that simple. No fish. None. They're gone, and they're not going to show up no matter WHAT happens. I'm sorry but it's over. If you are new to the game then I feel bad because you missed it and they really were alot of fun when they were around. Stop wasting gas money and buying giant topwater baits because you are just going to be frustrated. Don't hate the messenger. I'm just trying to help.........GONE!!!!!!!
You're Welcome, Mike Thompson

[striperwannab]

Though I am new to stripers, and the people I talk with tell me 15 years ago was incredible (and that the numbers have decreased), I have ran across them and gotten into numbers of them.

The one thing I wish would end, would the party boats in the bay. I do believe that they really spank the fish in huge numbers.

[Tin Can]

lol Dan. None of what you just posted has ANYTHING to do with "turnover"

The turnover is when the surface water cools to a temp lower than the water below it. The cooler water sinks to the bottom forcing the now warmer water to the surface. hence the water "Turns over"

[striperwannab]

Tin Can,

Thanks for the info. When does "turnover" actually take place? Meaning, what water temp forces this to happen?

WannaB

[Tarpon120]

I don't think that rivers and tidal systems(like the delta) "turn over". The tidal movement and relative shallow depth don't allow for significant stratification of the water column. Dan pretty much explained the closest thing that resembles a turnover with the fish movement on the delta.

On the other hand, if you want to witness a turnover here in the bay area then watch a random Niners game. You will not be let down!

[Tin Can]

Tin Can,

Thanks for the info. When does "turnover" actually take place? Meaning, what water temp forces this to happen?

WannaB

I'm not sure when it happens or what temp, but it does happen on slower moving rivers and tidal waters.

[DeltaDan]

Dear JoeW (Tin Can)

Can you please links us all with what article from a magazine you read that at ?

[Tin Can]

That's fishing 101 Dan. Sorry you have not graduated from remedial bait soaking.

[striperwannab]

Tin,

I am in the remedial class bro, trying to learn and appreciate everyone helping me out.

WannaB

[Tin Can]

I just like messing with Dan.

[DeltaDan]

And I love messing with you BrothA Joe !!

[Tin Can]

Like a fat kid loves cake!

[SLoGiN]

when the delta turns over i like to use live salmon smolts or delta smelt on a 7/0 treble....when you get a bite put it in freespool for 3 minutes to make sure they have it real good then set the hook....and please practice catch and release

[925_Angler]

when the delta turns over i like to use live salmon smolts or delta smelt on a 7/0 treble....when you get a bite put it in freespool for 3 minutes to make sure they have it real good then set the hook....and please practice catch and release

[Cooch]

Guys, I heard someone say the other day that the striper fishing is not goo right know, but it will be hot "when the delta turns-over". What does "turns-over" mean? When does this take place? StriperwannaB

SWB,

Tin explained it to a T. It's the basic law of heat, as in "heat rises". The "turn over", is a typical term we hear and use when fishing lakes, especially lakes that have depths of 30 feet or greater. Not all areas of a lake will turn over, as a for instance, the area at Clearlake up around Nice, Lake Port & lucerne, with an average depth of 8 feet, does not turn over where the deeper south ends of Clearlake do. Affects of this turn over, certainly can be experienced through out a lake, as during the shift, a lot of bottom sediment is turbulated thru the water column, then distributed thru out the lake by winds and other currents. It is an occurance that happens every fall. Each and every lake has a unique situation and time that they will "turn over", there really isn't any designated temperature that this occurs at, but most often is associated with the first drastic temp drops(6-12 degrees between surface and deeper columns) at 70 degrees or less.

As for the Delta, due to the constant current flow and shallow nature of the river system, this type of turn over is very uncommon, yet you can get into non-current, deep area, like the Marina Bay in Disco or the new developement Delta Bays on Bethel Island, were a turn over most certainly occurs in the far back reaches where there is 30-45 foot depths and no current flows. It's affect of stripers in non-existant.

There are two other type of situations that some may refer to as "turn over", as Dan tried to explain, in regards to stripers here. These both are in relation to their food source preference and habits, as well as once again temperature changes. The first "turn over" is while in the Bay and on the coast out in the salt water, a stripers primary forage is the herring, anchovies and mackerel schools found there. When the temps in the Bay and along the Pacific coast drop, these forage baits will migrate off shore to warmer waters. The stripers DO NOT follow that forage out, but infact "turn over" to a new food source. The schools they have been feeding on, are fish species that typically roam from the surface to mid range depths in the Bay and along the coast. When they disappear, the stripers, turn over and become bottom feeders, looking for such prey as Mudsuckers and various crab species. This typically happens in the fall, they can "turn over" again as they now move into the fresh water system of the Delta, looking for shad & blue gills. Once agains, as with the forage species in the saltwater, these fresh water species are upper to midrange schooling fish and stripers are in that upper water column feeding on them. This is when we typically experience some of our best striper fishing here in the Delta referred to as the fall striper run, from September and as far as into December some years. Yet as the water temps here also begin to fall, the shad and gills also seek out deeper water depths where they can find more comfortable situations. The stripers will "turn over" from being surface to midrange feeders, to bottom feeders, following the forage. When this happens, the stripers will either follow the shad into areas like the Port of Sacto, or the Stockton Basin, deep into the river system where the shad find deep water areas to survive the cold blast. Those stripers that don't hang around, will head back out to the Bay in search of forage there.

I have heard over the years though, some of the anglers here, refer to this change in food source as well as their location preferrences for feeding, as a "turn over" in feeding habits. So, there can be two types of referrences to "turn over", one in regards to the water temps and the shift of water and thermal cline, as well as the feeding habits of the stripers.