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View Full Version : The stripers are in the delta!



JerryInLodi
10-03-2006, 01:22 AM
With the advent of the cooler weather I thought I'd give striper fishing a real effort tonight. It was well worth it. Details follow.

I had tied some new flies this weekend. I was fascinated as to how well the tried and true woolly bugger worked for LMB so I thought I'd tie some super woolly buggers for stripers, say on a 3/0 hook. I only tied four, two with lead eyes, two without, all chartreuse over white marabou tails, mylar chenille chartreuse body and olive hackle. All flies had a good portion of silver flashabou in the tail. None of the flies were weighted except for the lead eyes.

I hit the water about four and tried a few spots on the big water and then left and cruised up into some of the quieter sloughs. I was motoring along when I saw bait being ripped all along a shoreline, right up against the tulles. I quickly dropped the trolling motor and set up on the fish. The next three hours were insane. I landed over 25 stripers, the largest at seven pounds, the next five and most in the three to four pound range. I lost another ten. I also landed two LMB that were working the bait right along with the stripers. One of the two LMB approached five pounds.

I have NEVER had a season start like this! If the rest of the season is anything like this, we are in for a very good year!

Both flies worked but the eyeless fly seemed to be the better producer of the two.

Pict's of the two largest below.

http://ww1.pureupload.com/stfiles/309/s100206.jpg

http://ww1.pureupload.com/stfiles/309/s100206a.jpg [/img]

Darian
10-03-2006, 11:02 AM
Hi Jerry,.... What a great way to start the day/season. 8) 8) I guess that's one more vote for the good ol' Wooly Bugger as a fish killer. 8) 8)

What were the water temps at the time of the catch :?: :?: I wonder of the weighted Bugger'll work better, later in the year, when the water temps are cooler :? :? (Now,.... Where's my fly tying hooks/materials :?: :lol: )

JerryInLodi
10-03-2006, 11:39 AM
Water's down to 65 and that's at the end of the day. Cooler at the start.

Darian, a couple of things with the fly.

First, make sure you use enough flashabou, about 30-40 strands and have it stick out a half inch behind the marabou. Tie it in just before the bend of the hook.

Second, when tying in the marabou, use the whole feather. I tie the pinfeather portion up the hook to fatten the area where the chenille will be wound. Wrap it tightly before tying in the hackle, thin wire and chenille at the base of the tail.

I tied in white marabou on the bottom and chartreuse on the top. Lots of it.

After winding up the chenille and palmering up the hackle and wire, finish off the head so it's tapered to the material with thread. I used the jig hooks. I just started using them and am pleased so far.

As far as eyes vs. no eyes. It makes a major difference in the movement of the fly. With eyes, the fly immediatly dives when stopped. With no eyes, the fly slowly drops in a horizontal positon and does not dive. I'm beginning to think the jigging action that we've all thought was such a great idea by weighting the front of our streamers may not ALWAYS be the thing to do.

As I understand it, the hardware guys now work with plastics that drop horizontally rather than the Carolina and Texas rigs where the plastic was weighted in the front and they're getting excellent results. Maybe they can teach us something.

lee s.
10-03-2006, 02:19 PM
Jerry,
The bug we have used for quite some time VERY successfully, has NO weight. We care NOT to toss weight. It too suspends or barely drops. Ever watch a minnow or shad when NOT injured or chased.....they dart or swim and suspend when they stop.....generally. This is our go to and survival bug wherever big fish are eating little fish.....BUT we have only used it on the west coast from Baja to Canada, fresh and salt. We are not world travelers. :wink:
We DO carry a "modifier" to give the bug that jiggy action. ESPECIALLY when Jay shows us THAT is the desired presentation for that particular school. :wink:
....lee s.

Katz
10-03-2006, 02:46 PM
Are Deceivers normally a weighted fly. I have always been a Chart/White Clouser Striper guy!

Hoping to find a non-weighted fly out there so I can do a little head to head trial of my own.

Kraig

lee s.
10-03-2006, 04:06 PM
Katz,
Mine are non-weighted. :wink:
I should'a asked.....you tie'em or buy'em? :roll:
If done as per the tuitorial, those bugs will pretty much suspend until the line drags'em down.....nose first. :wink:

JerryInLodi
10-03-2006, 06:26 PM
Katz, with deceivers you can't be sure whether they're weighted or not. Some have some lead winding on them and all have the head shaped and epoxyed so that the fly will naturally dive, the front of the fly being heavier, narrower and with less resistance than the feather portion. Try what you've got along side the boat and watch when you put slack in the leader.

You might try tying some woolly buggers or whistlers without eyes and try the dive vs. no dive for yourself. The whistler, like the woolly bugger is bulky up front and will stop the fly from diving unless weighted with eyes.

Katz
10-03-2006, 06:56 PM
Thanks, I will start working on deceivers and "big" buggers.

I live in Dixon and plan to start working out the north-west portions of the Delta for striper and LMB. Hopefully I will be able to contribute to the board as I start exploring.

Thanks to the regular reportes - I'm learning a ton! :)

Kraig

Sturmer White
10-04-2006, 12:51 AM
Great post Jerry
Are you using the 413 hook?
What line were you using??
I can't wait to get out there again.
Love those stripers.

Hairstacker
10-04-2006, 01:02 AM
Holy moly, what a day Jerry! I'll have to tie up some of those uber buggers myself. :lol:

jbird
10-04-2006, 01:10 AM
Jerry

What an incredible report!!! I would love to fish the delta with ya sometime. October is the month I wish I could morph into 10 jbirds and fish all the places I've always wanted to. :D

Jay

JerryInLodi
10-04-2006, 01:21 AM
Sturmer, yes, I'm using the 413 hook.

I was using my T-14 but it's just about used up. After the salt this summer and all the fish in Baja and now, this last crazy day, large hunks of plastic are missing. I'll change it when I go out tomorrow. Actually I think anything from a type II would work. Weeds were about six feet under the surface so with the T-14 I started to retrieve right away. If I had something slower on I just would have done a short count down before starting the retrieve. A slower sinking line actually might have helped the horizontal sink of the unweighted flies. I'll try some tomorrow if I can find some fish. May even use a type II.

One thing nice about the non-weighed, no-eyes flies, much easier to cast!

May take my eight weight but I may be asking for trouble doing it! I know I'll need my raincoat!

jbird, (and any other long distance delta fishers) I have a fisherman's hostel at my house. It's a part of a converted garage, two beds, heating and air, kitchen, bathroom. It's yours to use if you make the drive from Medford.

10-04-2006, 01:24 AM
Hery Jerry,

Wow, what an awesome day :) ! You sure got all the rest of us fired up with that report I'll tell you that. Guess I need to tie up some of those large wooly buggers as well. I guess that bodes well for our November 4th trip. I probably can't wait that long now however.

Look forward to seeing you soon. We are playing this Saturday in West Sac again but if I were you I would be out fishing instead :wink:

Bill

jbird
10-04-2006, 02:51 PM
jbird, (and any other long distance delta fishers) I have a fisherman's hostel at my house. It's a part of a converted garage, two beds, heating and air, kitchen, bathroom. It's yours to use if you make the drive from Medford.


Jerry
That is an incredibly kind jesture and I will certainly keep it in mind! :D

Thanks

J

paulegan81
10-04-2006, 09:41 PM
The suspending fly I am using to off set the clousers or half and halfs is a flashtail lime punchin a 2/0 or 3/0 on a 34007 with a 30# mason weed gard

sculpin
10-05-2006, 12:34 AM
Great report Jerry. I love to hear about the striper fishing you have down south. We should trade a steelhead trip for a striper trip sometime.


Mark

JerryInLodi
10-05-2006, 02:05 AM
sculpin, you're definately on. Look at my calendar on line and pick a date. I've only fished the Rogue up at Shady Cove to the dam with limited results and that was several years ago. Actually, I fell in love with the Holy Water just below the dam and forgot about the steelhead.

sculpin
10-05-2006, 01:04 PM
Jerry
We need check when you can make it up here. We are getting close to prime time while the weather is still good.

Mark
Check your in box.

Bill Kiene semi-retired
10-05-2006, 01:11 PM
Weather wise I think Oct/Nov is pretty great in the Delta.

JerryInLodi
10-05-2006, 03:09 PM
Sculpin, what about January right after Christmas for Oregon?

As far as the delta, I'd give it a couple more weeks, say around Nov. 1st!

Unfortunately I'm totally tied up in October as far as an Oregon trip is concerned.

sculpin
10-05-2006, 05:06 PM
Jerry
January is kind of a dead month on the upper Rogue. The fish are pretty stale but if there are a few warm days it's possible to have a good day.
November is a good month but like December the weather is a gamble.

Mark

WinterrunRon
10-05-2006, 11:59 PM
Super report, Jerry. I'm glad to see someone had a really spectacular day! Seems most of the reports have been hit and miss lately.

I usually don't focus on the delta for stripers until late in October, love November, ecstatic about December, but then I move on to steelhead the first of the year. But I just might have to adjust my calandar and advance my delta striper plans for this year!

Thanks again for sharing your good fortune!

Ron