Napa River Stripers

[Rooger]

Got an invite to go out on the Napa River next week for some stripers. Never fished it before. We'll be on his Whaler, not sure where we're gonna put in, but I think it's either in Vallejo or maybe Cuttings wharf.

Any reports and/or suggestions on rigs, lures, or locations is greatly - I MEAN GREATLY - appreciated!

Thanks,

Rooger

[SLoGiN]

If I was going to fish there right now I'd make I could get some large bullheads and thread them with a needle just under the skin from the tail to the top of the head...I clip one hook off a 2/0 treble and place it on top of the bh's head..put that on a slider...bullhead will be very lively..many fish them dead but i like them lively..I'd fish that in freespool with the clicker on from the mouth of napa river to the bridge...wherever i mark fish..should be some big girls in there about now...maybe try rodeo sport and liquor for the bullheads or millies bait i believe the name is...in vallejo...ive heard trolling or throwing rattletraps can be good up river but ive never done that...another choice would be throwing 1/2 hairraisers along the north shore of the straights right by the carquinez bridge around those pilings there...just kind of let them fall down the slope...bullheads are also great on the benicia flats and up by the fleet just off the channel between the ships and channel around buoy 2 on up to buoy 4 or up in grizley bay in shallow water above the ships....good luck

[Rooger]

Thanks, slogin.

I talked with my host today and he said we will be up around the Napa "Southern Crossing" bridge casting and trolling. I've got a bunch of stickbaits that I use for bass and walleye fishing when I go to Canada. I'm assuming natural shad type colors are the norm. Do you think "hot" colors will work?

Also, since I've never fished stripers before, do you use steel leaders or can you tie direct to the line?