Tony Buzolich
08-07-2012, 03:48 PM
After the main run of stripers winds down in the spring most folks change over to fishing shad or trout during the summer as they are now. A few of us though that are avid striper addicts just can't give it up even when the main run is over. And this is how it's been for the past couple of months.
We've been hitting the Sac and the Feather both and actually doing okey. Not the big numbers as in the spring but usually six to ten or more fish in a few hours of the morning is normal. And, depending upon how often you're able to get out on the water, you start finding small groups of fish or holding areas where they can be counted on . I've been hitting the lower river a lot for the past few weeks and picking up a fair number of 4# to 8# fish.
Today, Bill and I decide to try going upriver for a change to see what's happening elsewhere in the system. It's often rumored that we start seeing bigger fish around in mid-August and into September before we start heading to the delta for the fall season there.
We launch in the dark and work our way out between the salmon boats already anchored around us and head upstream. A few miles north and we hit our first favorite wall. The water has been high for some time now and running fast drifting our boat quickly past several good spots on our wall. Without getting a bump here we move across the river and start working an opposite wall. I get a quick grab and a miss, and Bill hooks up on a small schoolie. We make another pass on this west wall and I get a hook-up this time to a small squawfish :(
We keep drifting our way back downstream hitting our favorite corners and bends with hardly any action until we're almost back to the ramp. One more pass on this last wall is always good for at least a squawfish before we reach the dock. The bottom comes up quickly here to only a couple of feet deep and quite often snags are the result. Sure enough Bill gets hung on the bottem and yells he thinks he has a tree. But it moves slightly sometimes the way a big limb will drag when snagged. The boat is still drifting and Bill is holding tight to this "limb". I reel in quickly and start the boat upstream so as to regain line when Bill shouts "No! It's a fish!" and his "limb" starts heading to mid-river. No violent head shakes or fast charges across the water, just staying down deep and pulling like there's no tomarrow. After a few long minutes and several laps around the boat we get this girl to the net. A couple of quick pictures and a boga of 28 pounds.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/002upload-1.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/004upload.jpg
Maybe this time of year does produce a few big fish. Not very many but a few. Are they following the downstream shad for food, or are they resident fish that are here all the time and we hook occassionaly? I don't know, but it sure is fun trying to find out.
Tony
We've been hitting the Sac and the Feather both and actually doing okey. Not the big numbers as in the spring but usually six to ten or more fish in a few hours of the morning is normal. And, depending upon how often you're able to get out on the water, you start finding small groups of fish or holding areas where they can be counted on . I've been hitting the lower river a lot for the past few weeks and picking up a fair number of 4# to 8# fish.
Today, Bill and I decide to try going upriver for a change to see what's happening elsewhere in the system. It's often rumored that we start seeing bigger fish around in mid-August and into September before we start heading to the delta for the fall season there.
We launch in the dark and work our way out between the salmon boats already anchored around us and head upstream. A few miles north and we hit our first favorite wall. The water has been high for some time now and running fast drifting our boat quickly past several good spots on our wall. Without getting a bump here we move across the river and start working an opposite wall. I get a quick grab and a miss, and Bill hooks up on a small schoolie. We make another pass on this west wall and I get a hook-up this time to a small squawfish :(
We keep drifting our way back downstream hitting our favorite corners and bends with hardly any action until we're almost back to the ramp. One more pass on this last wall is always good for at least a squawfish before we reach the dock. The bottom comes up quickly here to only a couple of feet deep and quite often snags are the result. Sure enough Bill gets hung on the bottem and yells he thinks he has a tree. But it moves slightly sometimes the way a big limb will drag when snagged. The boat is still drifting and Bill is holding tight to this "limb". I reel in quickly and start the boat upstream so as to regain line when Bill shouts "No! It's a fish!" and his "limb" starts heading to mid-river. No violent head shakes or fast charges across the water, just staying down deep and pulling like there's no tomarrow. After a few long minutes and several laps around the boat we get this girl to the net. A couple of quick pictures and a boga of 28 pounds.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/002upload-1.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/004upload.jpg
Maybe this time of year does produce a few big fish. Not very many but a few. Are they following the downstream shad for food, or are they resident fish that are here all the time and we hook occassionaly? I don't know, but it sure is fun trying to find out.
Tony