12 Mile Float Down The American River - What Fish Were Spawning?

5-20 · Post by **5-20** » Wed Jun 28, 2017 3:48 pm

I am pretty amazed but I just did a 12 mile float down the American River on an inflatable SUP designed for fishing and the outdoors. The Isle Inflatable Sportsman model.

It honestly was pretty dangerous but the flow was just at the right point for me to try something like that. There were a couple of really powerful deep holes.

Saw hundreds of fish. Wanted to get a giant striped bass but was too nervous navigating the river most of the time around the upper stretch right below the last dam on the river. Caught one small striper on a pointer.

But I saw many, many big trout looking fish spawning. Not sure if they were some type of salmon. They seemed to have a dark gray head that was just a little different color from the rest of their body and a somewhat light pinkish stripe along their body with a light whitish or orangeish belly. They seemed to be between 20" and 26" mostly.

What were those fish?

Today was pretty amazing. Just glad I survived the float. Lots of snaggy spots and powerful deep holes...

But this SUP did its job and then some in getting me back to the launch safely.

Fish Trap · Post by **Fish Trap** » Wed Jun 28, 2017 8:28 pm

American Shad

5-20 · Post by **5-20** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:45 am

Fish trap, no, I saw plenty of Shad and those fish that were spawning were definitely from the trout/salmon family.

Whoopbass · Post by **Whoopbass** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 12:07 pm

Not sure of the name but we just call em suckers because of their mouth shape. They spend their time in shallow rapids. I doubt they were spawning. They are trash fish.

NoCAL · Post by **NoCAL** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 1:42 pm

Possibly squawfish. They look kind of troutish while underwater.

NoCAL

bustout · Post by **bustout** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 5:29 pm

squawfish...delta pike

yjjustforme · Post by **yjjustforme** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 4:49 pm

Most likely squaw fish, I can't think of anything in the Delta that would look like them that are running right now

DDG · Post by **DDG** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 6:47 pm

yjjustforme wrote:Most likely squaw fish, I can't think of anything in the Delta that would look like them that are running right now

Damn thats a biggon

5-20 · Post by **5-20** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:02 pm

Hmm, that might be the fish I saw. I'm not really sure I remember noticing those scales though.

I also saw what seemed to be a few really fat trout. Like one literally had to be around 4-8 pounds. Is that possible?

Funny, I didn't really know what to expect but it was kind of surprising seeing a bunch of large mouth bass between 2-3 lbs. one might have been 4 stacked up in an area of pretty fast current.

I really wish I could have fished some of those deep holes. Giant stripers have to live in some of those areas year round but the current was really something, particularly on a SUP and again, really just glad I made it down the river to fish another day!

briansII · Post by **briansII** » Mon Jul 03, 2017 11:02 am

If you are seeing dozens of trout like fish, it's probably "suckers" or pike minnows. Both can get big, and are shaped like trout/salmon. Underwater, pike minnow will look a lot like trout. If you are occasionally seeing scattered "trout", it's possible you are seeing steelhead, or "half pounders" as they are called this time of year. It's a little early to see them, but with this years high water, I guess anythings possible.