Another delta invasion, tiny striper tots!

[JerryInLodi]

I fished the San Joaquin and False River yesterday in the afternoon. It was windless and the smoke made for weird lighting. Topwater was slow so I put a Puglisi bluegill on my Rio 250 and worked the rocks.

Instead of catching LMB I was attacked by 4-5 inch stripers, this year's young. They seemed to be everywhere, at all three locations I fished, even though they were miles apart. I'd fished subsurface last week and didn't find any of these bait stealers around. In fact, the early stripers I've caught so far have all been 14 inches or better.

Being a typical delta day, just when I was enjoying the nice calm weather, a gale came in from the west with big rollers coming up False River and shoving me along by breaking over the transom.

Of course, the top water bite turned on right away and I dropped a drag anchor and worked the wall heading east, catching a couple of two pounders and a number of smaller fish.

I did see a sad sight. An older 35 foot ketch was on its side in the tules, masts and bowsprit still intact, gear still floating, tangled in the deck lines. This boat was not there a few days ago. I wondered how many places this old lady had sailed to before ending her life on False River. If she's not badly holed and just swamped in shallow water from being tipped over on her keel maybe her owner is planning a rescue.

Sad to see the possible end of an old veteran, especially since I spent more than a few years sailing myself.
http://www.deltastripers.com/images/ketchlarge.jpg

[Dave4622]

Sad to see that picture. Once a grand vessel now there. Hopefully she will be rescued. Speaking of smaller strippers as I was fishing out of the south end of Franks Track the end of August I found quite a number of small ones. They were feeding alongside the crappie / bluegill/ smaller size large mouths. They were attacking buggers and worm patterns in the shallows while chasing bait fish.

[HC]

Hi, Jerry, Sad end for the lady, but it could be a hazard having the masts reaching out like that. I hope it is retrieved and set afloat. Could be floated using air bags if done soon before it silts in and buries the keel. Could you post the location as a safety issue. Could be a scuttle job. Did it have CF numbersor documented? Maybe Latitude 38 ould print your picture in their mag. So sad. Harley

[JerryInLodi]

Harley, it was blowing so hard I didn't want to get to close since it was on a lee shore and there might have been lines under the water that could have fouled my prop.

I'm going again possibly today or Monday for sure and will check to see if she's a CF or documented vessel. She's obviously an ocean cruiser since she's rigged with chaffing gear on the spreaders, and her standing rigging and masts were heavy duty. Cabin top was very low and few windows. It should have been able to stand up to some very heavy weather. I THINK that it was a planked hull but again couldn't get close enough to really check it out. No sign of the sails.

I'm also guessing that it was home made rather than shipyard and I'd guess it's at least 40 years old from the style.

Also, when I look at the picture she appears to be a schooner but I'm almost positive it's just a photographic illusion. I remember her as a ketch.

The boat was lifting and falling on the incoming waves, air bags would work easily in moving her to deep water. Then a canvas patch if necessary and a pump, and she'd be floating again. It could be one of those deals though where the owner was a cruiser traveling on pennies and doesn't have the cash resources to put a rescue together.

I don't have a delta chart at home but the little ship is located on False River, north west corner of Frank's Tract close to where Frank's joins Little Frank's. I'll write down the Lat. and Long. when I go back.

[Mike McKenzie]

Jerry,

Just for the record...Those 4-5 inch stripers are 1 year old fish...This years stripers are just now reaching about 2 1/4"--2 1/2" long...

Mike

[JerryInLodi]

Thanks for the info Mike... Strange, I've been fishing subsurface on and off all summer and while I've caught stripers all through the summer, I haven't caught any this small this summer until now. They were thick where I was fishing.

My misake on the size, I thought the fish that were between 8-12 inches were the 18 month olds. I guess they're the 30 month old fish.

You just can't speed up Mother Nature I guess.