Delta Stripers

[birdi23nls]

I posted this a few days ago in the striper form, but it seems like there is little traffic there.

I am new to fishing the delta and even newer to fishing for stripers. I have ran into a few big groups of small stripers but no schools of bigger ones yet.

In general what type of water am I looking for when fishing for stripers on the delta.

Current? off of weed lines? Is there a general area that I should be fishing right now? I've noticed that they seem to be in places where the river ""Y's". I guess it is just a natural place for bait fish to gather...i don't know.

How do you guys find the schools? Just look for fish boiling? Sealions? Are there places where the stripers always are going to be? Birds?

Is there places where stripers will always school up, or is it pretty much a crap shoot.

Any help would be most appriciated, as I am pretty clueless...i'm headed out tomorrow and hope to find a school or two throughout the day.

thanks
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[YZKEN250]

Look for the birds. Its still early for stripers, wait until November-December.

[frankc]

next month top water,get ready.....san luis will be hot....

[R.Cook]

Hey birdi, call me up and we'll go out. Let me know a few days ahead of time.

[acm95301]

I'm headed out with Steve on Friday, I'll make a report if we get into anything.

[rickd]

Stop at every intersection and flat between rivers and toss a pencil popper / spook and rip bait. If they aren't there move on.

[brambo0311]

I am on them really good. Biggest this year is 17 but dozens in the 10 range.

Here is a hint the eatin size I fillet have on average 6 orange brown craws in there gut. I know it's not how people usually fish for them. But I'm crankin wiggle warts and bomber fat A b05 and 6's. Been fishing small mouth way up the sac and keep getting these monster striper. Lots of water from Freeport to knights landing, up the American and even back in the sloughs off the sac. Just go for smallmouth cranking eddies, wingdams, and wood. Believe it or not you will find allot of striper in there.

[Rydaddy]

I fish a lot for stripers red is the key I have keeped only the 22 inchers 4 of them 3 had craws in them from pittsburg to antioch Red is always good as the water gets colder I switch to rip baits and topwater early like the guy said above stop @ everthing that looks good schools of striper our fun but the big ones are alone will be on something by themselfs time on the water is everthing its not so good yet few more weeks

[fishnhunt21]

Fished from 3 to dark today. Caught about 30 stripers all on topwater with about 8 keepers with biggest around 12-15 lb. Sammys and spooks. All on SJ on flats.

[acm95301]

"All on SJ on flats."

I'm sorry what is SJ? San Joaquin?

[brambo0311]

I don't know either but I'm finding them all over the place. I was cranking wood up tight on the bank catching striper rolling out of cover like a large mouth. So I through out in the channel and stick a nice largemouth. Best I can figure is the striper move up for those craws and push the bass out. I don't know, what I do know is they are in on the Sacramento.

[fishnhunt21]

yup, flats on the San Joaquin off the deep water channel. Coming from B&W, once you hit the SJ, straight across to the last tule island, flat runs pretty much all the way to the entrance to Washington Cut.

[birdi23nls]

when you guys say flats...are you talking about the sand bars that create flats in the slough entrances? Or flates that are like flooded backwater type stuff?

[DeltaDan]

when you guys say flats...are you talking about the sand bars that create flats in the slough entrances? Or flates that are like flooded backwater type stuff?

Points/Flats on any tidal point playing the natural eddies into it - or the minimal tial water with some movement as well where the baitfish will pause to take a breather for a spell.

For myself ~ the LineSiders are still down deep- and comming up for a quick feeding before they godown deep again ~ and then move on to a new spot after they have taken their quick meal.

[fishnhunt21]

The place I have been doing well on had the the deep water channel on one side and than the flat comes up to anywhere from 5-8 ft and than drops off back down to about 15 ft on the other side before hitting the levee. Lately, this is the only place I have been catching keepers compared to just small ones. There are a lot of weeds, so I stick with topwater. But, two weeks ago when they were just bumping the topwater, A swimbait thrown at the same time by whoever was with me got an instant hook up. The keepers are 4-5 lb fish. Lost another in the 5-10 lb range yesterday and than caught the biggest one right at dark. It was game on when we showed up yesterday at 3 when there was still a little current left. Definitely slowed down when there wasn't any current. Still caught fish, but the activity on top slowed as well as the birds. The were everywhere there for a few. I stll have a lot to learn out there, but finding this spot and actually getting a consistent bite is nice. Now if only for the LMB...