Fishing the Windy Delta
Fishing the Windy Delta
Where would you fish and launch your boat at the Delta, knowing it will be 15 mph winds or more? I was thinking Discovery Bay or part of the Delta where the pumps are to shield some of the wind. Would you just stay home? Planning on going tomorrow. Love is blind (for fishing that is). Any input would be appreciated.
Re: Fishing the Windy Delta
Russos is a great launch facility as it is shielded in Taylor - just go out to piper and stay outside of the tract. Paradise has never been an issue for me in the wind and there are areas around whites and dissapointment that are barriers to the wind.
Re: Fishing the Windy Delta
Thanks Ash. I thought about fishing around that area up to Sandmound but wanted to try a different area. You think Discovery Bay is tough to fish when it's windy?
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DeltaBassBuster
- Posts: 344
- Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:01 am
- Location: Stockton, Ca
Re: Fishing the Windy Delta
Disco Bay should be ok with all the homes and other structures around. Paradise Point like mentioned above or Ladd's are good luanch points. Runn up to 14 Mile Slough, Disappointment, or White slough areas. If you really want to go south then head to Whiskry Slough area, I've done really well in the past around Tiki Lagoon.
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Cooch
Re: Fishing the Windy Delta
Where you might launch and spend your fishing day, is gonna be relative to both the wind direction, velocity and tidal direction. First and foremost, I'd be the first to recommend fishing here on windy days, as these have been some of the most productive fishing days this year. What ya have to take into consideration though, is which direction the wind is coming from. We've had a lot of wind direction coming from the East, SE, South and SW the past month, more so than the winds we typically see from the West, NW and North during the summer and fall here. 10-25 mph winds are very tolerable here, it's really those from 25-65 mph ya need to be concerned with. It will affect your travel plans coming to and from a ramp, as well as how and where ya might or can fish during the day.
If ya have a big West or North wind, launching out west is an issue, especially on outgoing tides. That wind is howling against the out go tide coming down the San Jaquine and Sacto Rivers, fishing the big flats of Sherman & Big Break are gonna be troublesome. Certainly if you launch there and travel east, yer ride home is gonna be miserable and potentially dangerous, more so if ya hit the west/north winds on an outgoing tide late in the day.
The same can be said for launching out of the many Frank's Tract resorts with an East or southerly winds, especially on the incomming tides. The winds are blowing against the tidal flow and the areas around the western and northern sections of Frack's are gonna be brutal. This can cause you great concern both early and late when returning or leaving Franks. It may be very calm while yer first coming into the Tract at the end of the day. Yet by the time ya reach the middle, it's gonna be ugly and possibly overwelming the closer ya git to the west end. Or, it could be really ugly as ya leave the western resorts first thing if the winds are coming from the east/south.
Launching out of Ladds on a brutal windy day, can cause you a lot of issues no matter which wind direction ya git. That San Jaquine can git just plain ugly out there no matter what yer presented with. Although, yo do have far moe short runs to off the channel sloughs that allow you to git away from the rockin-n-rollin SJ River without having to run far in the nastiness.
You really won't have these concerns if yer launching from Tracy Oasis, Del's, up the Mok, Whiskey, Holland, Orowood or any othe many launch facilities that are located in the backwater slough areas. In these locations, yer not presented the big water situations that yer gonna see out west, at Franks or at Ladds. Finding fishable water is far more easily achieved from these launching areas.
As far as yer day's fishing goes, you need to learn to use the wind to your advantage. If yer a settle down kinda angler, and gotta be tossing a weightless rig, dropshot, light T-rig, flip or drag jigs, yer in fer a misserable day unless ya find protected areas to fish. Certainly Marinas and the many flooded ponds are the first choice of most anglers. But looking at the big lakes and many long meandering sloughs, you can seek out protection and reasonable fishing areas by going to the banks at the front of the wind. What I mean by this is, if ya have a north wind, go to the north bowls of the flooded lakes, the wind will be blowing right over the tops of the tules and levees here and these are gonna be most protected. The opposite is true with a south, east, west wind, go to the south, east & west bowls accordingly. If ya try and fish the down side banks in the wind, yer asking fer trouble as that is gonna be the final path of the brunt force of the wind and waves.
The winds alone, are a primary reason you see most of the Delta regulars with 101 or 109 trolling motors here. Anything less, is fine on a lake, but not here with the wind and strong currents. Ya need that power to control yer boat. You must also make absolute certain that you charge yer batteries the night before. NEVER overlook this, or try to venture out on the river on windy days if yer batteries aren't at peak performance.
What I like ta teach guys how ta do though, is git right in the path of the nasty winds and use that wind as yer friend. Right now, some of the best fishing is being experienced on windy days tossing chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, paddle tails and crankbaits. All ya gotta do is put the wind at yer back, don't concern yerself with what direction the tide is going. Let the wind push ya down the bank. Then ya only need to use the t-motor to keep ya parallel as yer casting with the wind. You can chuck and wind like this all day long and get into some great reaction fish. You'll also avoid the constant overspins casting with the wind, versus casting into or across it. It's easy fishing here and allows you to cover a whole lot more water than ya would on a calm day.
I live for ugly windy days here, it always provides us with some of the best fishing this time of year the river has to offer as fish are transitioning to their spawning areas. They are already on the move, looking to feed more and get very agressive on windy days. Learn to LOVE the wind, you'll NEVER stay home again!
If ya have a big West or North wind, launching out west is an issue, especially on outgoing tides. That wind is howling against the out go tide coming down the San Jaquine and Sacto Rivers, fishing the big flats of Sherman & Big Break are gonna be troublesome. Certainly if you launch there and travel east, yer ride home is gonna be miserable and potentially dangerous, more so if ya hit the west/north winds on an outgoing tide late in the day.
The same can be said for launching out of the many Frank's Tract resorts with an East or southerly winds, especially on the incomming tides. The winds are blowing against the tidal flow and the areas around the western and northern sections of Frack's are gonna be brutal. This can cause you great concern both early and late when returning or leaving Franks. It may be very calm while yer first coming into the Tract at the end of the day. Yet by the time ya reach the middle, it's gonna be ugly and possibly overwelming the closer ya git to the west end. Or, it could be really ugly as ya leave the western resorts first thing if the winds are coming from the east/south.
Launching out of Ladds on a brutal windy day, can cause you a lot of issues no matter which wind direction ya git. That San Jaquine can git just plain ugly out there no matter what yer presented with. Although, yo do have far moe short runs to off the channel sloughs that allow you to git away from the rockin-n-rollin SJ River without having to run far in the nastiness.
You really won't have these concerns if yer launching from Tracy Oasis, Del's, up the Mok, Whiskey, Holland, Orowood or any othe many launch facilities that are located in the backwater slough areas. In these locations, yer not presented the big water situations that yer gonna see out west, at Franks or at Ladds. Finding fishable water is far more easily achieved from these launching areas.
As far as yer day's fishing goes, you need to learn to use the wind to your advantage. If yer a settle down kinda angler, and gotta be tossing a weightless rig, dropshot, light T-rig, flip or drag jigs, yer in fer a misserable day unless ya find protected areas to fish. Certainly Marinas and the many flooded ponds are the first choice of most anglers. But looking at the big lakes and many long meandering sloughs, you can seek out protection and reasonable fishing areas by going to the banks at the front of the wind. What I mean by this is, if ya have a north wind, go to the north bowls of the flooded lakes, the wind will be blowing right over the tops of the tules and levees here and these are gonna be most protected. The opposite is true with a south, east, west wind, go to the south, east & west bowls accordingly. If ya try and fish the down side banks in the wind, yer asking fer trouble as that is gonna be the final path of the brunt force of the wind and waves.
The winds alone, are a primary reason you see most of the Delta regulars with 101 or 109 trolling motors here. Anything less, is fine on a lake, but not here with the wind and strong currents. Ya need that power to control yer boat. You must also make absolute certain that you charge yer batteries the night before. NEVER overlook this, or try to venture out on the river on windy days if yer batteries aren't at peak performance.
What I like ta teach guys how ta do though, is git right in the path of the nasty winds and use that wind as yer friend. Right now, some of the best fishing is being experienced on windy days tossing chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, paddle tails and crankbaits. All ya gotta do is put the wind at yer back, don't concern yerself with what direction the tide is going. Let the wind push ya down the bank. Then ya only need to use the t-motor to keep ya parallel as yer casting with the wind. You can chuck and wind like this all day long and get into some great reaction fish. You'll also avoid the constant overspins casting with the wind, versus casting into or across it. It's easy fishing here and allows you to cover a whole lot more water than ya would on a calm day.
I live for ugly windy days here, it always provides us with some of the best fishing this time of year the river has to offer as fish are transitioning to their spawning areas. They are already on the move, looking to feed more and get very agressive on windy days. Learn to LOVE the wind, you'll NEVER stay home again!
Re: Fishing the Windy Delta
Thanks Cooch. You just gave me a totally new outlook in fishing those windy days. I've been launching out of Frank's most of the time and anytime the wind starts to get well over 10 mph, it can get nasty in that big body of water to my tolerance. Your explanation of wind direction in accordance to the direction of the tide really makes alot of sense, which I never have taken into account before when traveling around. Once I learn, apply, and experience all the factors you mentioned, I will have more days on the water and less on the couch. Thanks again for your detailed explanation. My confidence fishing windy days has gone up dramatically!!!
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