Delta giants

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SacRtrain
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Delta giants

Post by SacRtrain »

Well, I think I know why the numbers of the Dd+ fish are declining, Saw this girl float by yesterday. Easily was 10 before she was chomped. Also saw multiple sea lions. I've seen more of them over the last year than my previous 10 years on the delta. These things are the worst.
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Last edited by SacRtrain on Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
DDG
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Re: Delta giants

Post by DDG »

Since their worried about the declining salmon population, why dont they just round up the sea lions and drop them back off on the other side of the bay
Devon8604
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Devon8604 »

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/S ... 38193.html

NBC did this news report in the middle of January. I agree the sea lion population going up means more food for them and less game fish for us.
BigBassDaddy1190
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Re: Delta giants

Post by BigBassDaddy1190 »

Open season on sea lions?
kporter
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Re: Delta giants

Post by kporter »

It's very sad.... the delta was one of the best big bass fisheries in the world... but with all the weed control spraying and the sea lions it will probably never be the same. I hope I'm wrong. And if they ever made it legal to hunt the sea lions I'd be the first to sign up.
Freefall
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Freefall »

I watched one get multiple big girls last spring in Frank's. It was heartbreaking to watch.
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crawdaddy
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Re: Delta giants

Post by crawdaddy »

If there is a bright side to it that fish probably had many spawns. With all the weeds still left in the Delta the fish have a lot of hiding places. I agree the sea lions are tough but there are some humans out there raping the Delta as well.
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monte300
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Re: Delta giants

Post by monte300 »

Freefall wrote:I watched one get multiple big girls last spring in Frank's. It was heartbreaking to watch.
I have seen many sea lions on the Delta through the years and only twice have I seen one eating. Both times they were eating 5 pound carp and both times they played with their food for 15 or 20 minutes before finally eating.
tinybass
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Re: Delta giants

Post by tinybass »

There're many good recipes on sea lions on the net. Seen them chopping on strippers, catfish, bass. Anything they can catch. Don't think they go on diets.
Ranger519v
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Ranger519v »

This is nature adapting to change. Some of the changes are natural and some are man-made.

The coastal food sources for sea-lions are on a steep decline. They've discovered an easy and abundant food source on in-land Delta waters. Add that there are no predators. While there are still many places for fish to hide, there's no denying that spraying and pelleting have had a significant reduction on vegetation.

I've seen MANY sea lions feasting. Most of the time it is on carp and some catfish and bass. Never have I seen them chomping on a salmon in the in-land Delta. A mature sea-lion consumes between 20-40lbs of fish PER DAY. There are way more environmentalists worried about Salmon than warm water species like bass. For every sea-lion consuming 40lbs of warm water species is 40lbs of salmon saved.

I read an article that on the Columbian River(?) that licensed guides have been granted permission to shoot sea-lions on-site given how they are decimating the steelhead runs. I don't see this ever happening in this liberal state.

Add it all up and I don't see any hope for relocation or killing of sea-lions within the Delta. Until the sea-lions find a better food source (either from an increase in coastal water species OR no more food left in the Delta), they are here to stay.
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185vsfrog
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Re: Delta giants

Post by 185vsfrog »

Sea Lions have evolved since they spend more time in the delta water system. They definitely target black bass when they can. I’ve seen them go up shallow on berms/spawning flats and chase bass. I’ve seen them catch bass and and bring them out from under mats and ive seen them under docks. They have evolved in their hunting of fish and especially black bass. They know when it’s spawning time and know where to go to get an easy meal. It really is sad that we can’t do anything to get them out of the delta water system.
stickbait
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Re: Delta giants

Post by stickbait »

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sometimes the bass win..
monte300
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Re: Delta giants

Post by monte300 »

or the .357 wins.....
Bassfishman
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Bassfishman »

Was fishing long range off the coast of Baja many years ago. Sea Lions were having a heyday with the yellow fin tuna we were catching as we were landing them. They are smart. They wait until the fish are right at the gaff and then eat the whole body from right behind the head. The fish has no where to go. And the fish we were catching were too big to just bounce on deck. Its an easy meal.

But one of the deck hands had the gaff ready to gaff the hooked fish when a giant sea lion came in for the meal. Trying to fight him off the deck hand accidentally on purpose put the gaff in the seals nose. The fight was on. Seal was barking and trying to get away. Deck hand with gaff in hand was pulling back hard. Finally the seal won and dove down with a 12' gaff stuck in its nose. He was big boy, probably 400 lbs easy.
monte300
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Re: Delta giants

Post by monte300 »

as much as I hate sea lions eating Delta toads, they are simply doing what comes natural........
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fishercurtis
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Re: Delta giants

Post by fishercurtis »

I have to agree, I've seen more sea lions this year than ever. I can't pull up on a spot without hearing them surface. On Monday I was on a great pattern and every place I went the sea lions appeared thrashing around and tossing fish. Must have seen at least 8. Of course the bite shut down. I thought the sea lions where just following me around. Best 5 went 18lbs but I can't help but think it should have been more :shock:
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DDG
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Re: Delta giants

Post by DDG »

monte300 wrote:or the .357 wins.....
:lol:
Ifishalot
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Ifishalot »

I've seen them throw sturgeon around in the Napa river like toys take one bite out of the belly and the rest goes floating away.
Jerred A Jennings
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Jerred A Jennings »

I live on the Delta.
Daily I see Three sea lions that live under the port of Stockton pier. They make there rounds up and down the River daily. They never go far from the pier. At night they bark for hours. It doesn’t matter what kind of fish It Is they will chomp It. I have seen every type fish the Delta has to offer either get eaten or tossed and left to die.
I give the Delta five more years and It will be one of the worst fisheries on the list. I have seen the Striper schools come In to the area and move right back out as they are chased by Sea Lions. You can literally watch the Sea Lion work up and down a school of fish.
They are here to stay and the numbers are going to keep growing.
Tell pier 39 San Francisco they can have there water rats back.
We will never get the green light on hunting them In this state. So not much we can do but bitch on Social media.
mark poulson
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Re: Delta giants

Post by mark poulson »

The Water Resource people start spraying and pelleting this Sunday, so there will be even less foliage for the bass to hide in.
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Stratos278
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Stratos278 »

Ranger519v wrote: I read an article that on the Columbian River(?) that licensed guides have been granted permission to shoot sea-lions on-site given how they are decimating the steelhead runs. I don't see this ever happening in this liberal state.

Add it all up and I don't see any hope for relocation or killing of sea-lions within the Delta. Until the sea-lions find a better food source (either from an increase in coastal water species OR no more food left in the Delta), they are here to stay.
Unfortunately, the States have little or no say, even if they WERE so inclined to do something about the problem. This effectively ties their hands:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/
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SacRtrain
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Re: Delta giants

Post by SacRtrain »

It looks like their numbers have reached a number where the state can take over management. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature- ... -new-highs

I say we feed them to the homeless
mark poulson
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Re: Delta giants

Post by mark poulson »

They will continue to be a problem in the Delta if nothing is done.
Why would they leave?
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Fisher84
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Fisher84 »

I caught a 23lb striper at light 12 on the Sacramento River and like an idiot tried to the side of the boat 20 minutes later the boat tip sideways the damn thing swam up to the nose took a bite out of it and let it float away couldn't get to the gun in time. Then one night in Sherman Island caught about a 2 lb striper was reeling it in when the sea lion got it he put up a hell of a fight but he was pissed when he came to shore.
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185vsfrog
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Re: Delta giants

Post by 185vsfrog »

DDG wrote:Since their worried about the declining salmon population, why dont they just round up the sea lions and drop them back off on the other side of the bay
How bout rounding up the Sea Lions and dropping them off at the Farallon Islands! Maybe then our Bass population on the Delta will have a chance.
monte300
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Re: Delta giants

Post by monte300 »

185vsfrog wrote:
DDG wrote:Since their worried about the declining salmon population, why dont they just round up the sea lions and drop them back off on the other side of the bay
How bout rounding up the Sea Lions and dropping them off at the Farallon Islands! Maybe then our Bass population on the Delta will have a chance.
and Great White's will be well fed! :mrgreen:
wph13
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Re: Delta giants

Post by wph13 »

Here is my 50 cents worth. Russo's has many tournaments out of it's marina, correct? After you weight the fish don't they drop the fish down a tube? I believe that is a dinner bell call to the seals. Then once the weight in stops the go roaming around looking for more EASY meals. So wouldn't it make sense to release the fish out in the middle of somewhere else rather than the docks of Russo's? Correct me if I am wrong, doesn't take about 8 years for a bass to grow to 6 pounds? your thoughts please.
Dave Wilson
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Dave Wilson »

Moving Sea Lions has been a failure, as they usually return to their point of capture . Even when relocated during mating season, the captured pinnipeds tended to head back home. Lots of sea lions are being released by marine mammal rescue centers, so diseases and starvation aren't quite the limiting factor in population size that one would expect. I'm always surprised by my area's white shark population, and the few attacks on sea lions.
Vieira73
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Re: Delta giants

Post by Vieira73 »

357
sugarwhite
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Re: Delta giants

Post by sugarwhite »

.45
stickbait
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Re: Delta giants

Post by stickbait »

BigBassDaddy1190 wrote:Open season on sea lions?
Possible...
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