Tony Buzolich
03-08-2014, 04:13 PM
This report has been slow in coming and we can only blame it on the drought and poor water management. Last August it seemed like there was more water than ever coming down the Feather being drained from Oroville. This January and February there was barely a trickle and surely not enough to launch my boat or bring spring run fish up river.
So what is a guy to do? All I kept hearing was how great the action was in the delta so off we went. And yes, the stripers were there. There was no reason for them to come upstream without a good flow of fresh water which has finally arrived. The delta is big and finding good schools of biting fish can be a real hit or miss experience.
We'd usually launch out of B&W off Hwy.12 on the Mokelumne, head down to the San Joaquin and either cross over to Old River or head farther south toward Three Mile Slough. Eventually we'd cross over and hit all the "High Percentage Spots" as Dan call them, usually working False River, the Tract, Sandmound, and even taking Holland Cut clear down to Mildred and points south.
Two weeks ago we found fish scattered and started out the day with at least six black bass before we got our first striper. Same fly, we just couldn't find a good school till later that afternoon. There was nice bubbling pipe on Sandmound and the screen lit up with solid fish. Three casts, three fish,,,,, and then a boat comes right in and wants to chat. That stopped everything and the bite shut down. We moved some more and found another school holding on a nice shoal along with a great outgoing tide. We'd make a pass and get a hook up or a double on every run. We stayed there for almost two hours without a break in the action. Our day ended with over a dozen black bass and between 30-35 stripers with lots in the 4 -6 lb. range.
The following Monday I had to go try out my motor on the Sac. I'd been having a warning sound come on and wanted it fixed before the season got going. It's fixed fine now. The water was quit muddy with barely a foot visibility but I was already here now so why not make a couple of casts anyway. I drifted from below Grimes to the warehouses and actually picked up four stripers to six pounds. Even in the muddy water. I was wishing I had some darker colored flies. Eel patterns in black or purple can be a killer in dirty water.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/DonPayne325.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/DonPayne325.jpg.html)
The next day I was back in the delta again hoping for a repeat of the day we had a few days before. NOT! Same route, same flies, same HP spots,,,,,, they just weren't cooperating. We fish hard and ended the day with four dink stripers, one black bass, and get this ,,,,,, a CRAPPIE on False River.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/001_zps05e41264.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/001_zps05e41264.jpg.html)
With the rains last week the rivers have come up and I'm sure they'll bring some fresh new fish upriver. Now it's a waiting game of when will they clear enough to fish? I check the Feather almost daily and it's been running mud as has the Sac which I checked the day before at Knights Landing.
Last night my buddy Jim calls and says "lets go hit the Feather". I said I just saw it and it looked pretty dirty to me. "Let's go try it anyway" and off we went this morning. Knowing things weren't going to very clear I tied up several black eel patterns. Jim started out with huge Red/White Whistler and got an immediate first grab right at the falls. A few quick head shakes and it's off. I'm throwing my eel fly and got one grab on the drop that I wasn't ready for and no hook up either.
We moved up and down the river, saw several sturgeon roll, saw a couple of stripers chasing bait on the surface, but they sure didn't want what we were throwing at them. After a couple of hours of nothing we start changing flies hoping for the right color. If black isn't working, let's try white. Those fish have to see something in this dirty water.
It wasn't long before I get my first solid grab and hook up. A nice bright 8 lber. My first striper this year from the Feather.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/005_zpsd032842d.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/005_zpsd032842d.jpg.html)
We keep moving hoping to find a school of cooperating fish but it's still a bit early until these flows stabilize and the actual run begins. We move to the other side of the river and try some of my favorite HP spots and luckily I get another grab. A big grab! And it's a lot heavier than my fish. Over under and around she goes as Jim motors the boat toward the middle of the river and away from some trees.
Now at the net she comes aboard all 14 lbs. of,,??, HIM ? Yep, a male! Spilling milt all over Jim's deck. A big FAT MALE :) My second striper from the Feather this year.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/008_zps0e4eb106.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/008_zps0e4eb106.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/007_zps87059194.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/007_zps87059194.jpg.html)
So, that was our day today, and some of the fun we've been having the last few weeks. Hopefully the rains will continue and bring more fish up. Muddy or not it's still good to get outside and give it a try.
Tony
So what is a guy to do? All I kept hearing was how great the action was in the delta so off we went. And yes, the stripers were there. There was no reason for them to come upstream without a good flow of fresh water which has finally arrived. The delta is big and finding good schools of biting fish can be a real hit or miss experience.
We'd usually launch out of B&W off Hwy.12 on the Mokelumne, head down to the San Joaquin and either cross over to Old River or head farther south toward Three Mile Slough. Eventually we'd cross over and hit all the "High Percentage Spots" as Dan call them, usually working False River, the Tract, Sandmound, and even taking Holland Cut clear down to Mildred and points south.
Two weeks ago we found fish scattered and started out the day with at least six black bass before we got our first striper. Same fly, we just couldn't find a good school till later that afternoon. There was nice bubbling pipe on Sandmound and the screen lit up with solid fish. Three casts, three fish,,,,, and then a boat comes right in and wants to chat. That stopped everything and the bite shut down. We moved some more and found another school holding on a nice shoal along with a great outgoing tide. We'd make a pass and get a hook up or a double on every run. We stayed there for almost two hours without a break in the action. Our day ended with over a dozen black bass and between 30-35 stripers with lots in the 4 -6 lb. range.
The following Monday I had to go try out my motor on the Sac. I'd been having a warning sound come on and wanted it fixed before the season got going. It's fixed fine now. The water was quit muddy with barely a foot visibility but I was already here now so why not make a couple of casts anyway. I drifted from below Grimes to the warehouses and actually picked up four stripers to six pounds. Even in the muddy water. I was wishing I had some darker colored flies. Eel patterns in black or purple can be a killer in dirty water.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/DonPayne325.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/DonPayne325.jpg.html)
The next day I was back in the delta again hoping for a repeat of the day we had a few days before. NOT! Same route, same flies, same HP spots,,,,,, they just weren't cooperating. We fish hard and ended the day with four dink stripers, one black bass, and get this ,,,,,, a CRAPPIE on False River.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/001_zps05e41264.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/001_zps05e41264.jpg.html)
With the rains last week the rivers have come up and I'm sure they'll bring some fresh new fish upriver. Now it's a waiting game of when will they clear enough to fish? I check the Feather almost daily and it's been running mud as has the Sac which I checked the day before at Knights Landing.
Last night my buddy Jim calls and says "lets go hit the Feather". I said I just saw it and it looked pretty dirty to me. "Let's go try it anyway" and off we went this morning. Knowing things weren't going to very clear I tied up several black eel patterns. Jim started out with huge Red/White Whistler and got an immediate first grab right at the falls. A few quick head shakes and it's off. I'm throwing my eel fly and got one grab on the drop that I wasn't ready for and no hook up either.
We moved up and down the river, saw several sturgeon roll, saw a couple of stripers chasing bait on the surface, but they sure didn't want what we were throwing at them. After a couple of hours of nothing we start changing flies hoping for the right color. If black isn't working, let's try white. Those fish have to see something in this dirty water.
It wasn't long before I get my first solid grab and hook up. A nice bright 8 lber. My first striper this year from the Feather.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/005_zpsd032842d.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/005_zpsd032842d.jpg.html)
We keep moving hoping to find a school of cooperating fish but it's still a bit early until these flows stabilize and the actual run begins. We move to the other side of the river and try some of my favorite HP spots and luckily I get another grab. A big grab! And it's a lot heavier than my fish. Over under and around she goes as Jim motors the boat toward the middle of the river and away from some trees.
Now at the net she comes aboard all 14 lbs. of,,??, HIM ? Yep, a male! Spilling milt all over Jim's deck. A big FAT MALE :) My second striper from the Feather this year.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/008_zps0e4eb106.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/008_zps0e4eb106.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/007_zps87059194.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/007_zps87059194.jpg.html)
So, that was our day today, and some of the fun we've been having the last few weeks. Hopefully the rains will continue and bring more fish up. Muddy or not it's still good to get outside and give it a try.
Tony