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View Full Version : The Delta on Sunday, We Sucked, My Fault!



JerryInLodi
10-15-2006, 09:07 PM
Hairstacker and I went out on the delta today. I stopped while on the way to the striper honey hole because we saw lots of bait on the surface. On about the fifth or so cast I stuck a 3'10'' LMB. We both grinned at each other. It was going to be a great day.

WRONG!

Obviously that easy fish jinxed the rest of the day!

We covered the rest of the water to the striper grounds, saw fish working, dropped the trolling motor and moved in. It was like we were a steam roller on the water. Everywhere we went, the fish shut down. After we had covered the entire slough and shut down every corner and ruined fishing for a friend in another boat as well, we headed back for some bass fishing. Even though the water temps were down in the 64's, Hairstacker managed to raise some fish, not large but fish. I worked the woolly bugger and managed a few more.

Overall, we'd have to say that the fish in the delta are safe! We certainly were no threat. Score for the day was Jerry: 4 LMB, 1 striper; Hairstacker 3 or 4 stripers, and three or four LMB. (He tried to lie and say he only caught five fish like me but I'm not too proud to admit he caught more)

He also packed a great lunch!

Some people might make excuses because a major front moved in at about the time we started fishing but they wouldn't be telling the truth. WE SUCKED! MY FAULT!

10-15-2006, 09:12 PM
Jerry, that would have been a good day for me. Congradulations!

Darian
10-15-2006, 11:34 PM
Jerry,.... Did I read the measurement on the first LMB correctly (3'10") :?: :?: If so, that Bass would be 46" in length.... How much did he weigh :?: :?:

JerryInLodi
10-15-2006, 11:37 PM
I wish! Three pounds, ten oz.

I think an LMB close to four feet long could swallow Jonah!

Hairstacker
10-16-2006, 12:08 AM
Jerry is painting entirely the wrong picture here. He managed to have us SURROUNDED by fish, both stripers busting the surface all around us and largemouths prowling the banks and weeds, but I just couldn't get 'em to bite. I think Jerry purposely kept his numbers low just so I wouldn't feel embarrassed. :lol: I also can't help but note he gave me 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shot at EVERYTHING and refused to switch places with me at the front. He actually tried to convince me he PREFERRED the back of the boat but I didn't buy it. :lol: He even took me to one of his honey holes to take a couple of shots at a spot where he had previously encountered a double-digit bass. All that said, Jerry's 1st fish was easily the best fish of the day:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/JerrysBass.jpg

This was a real nice fish and, unfortunately, the picture I took really just doesn't do justice because of the way she's angled in the photo -- she was a really beauty, a blocky fish just a little under 4 lbs.

Ah well, I had a GREAT time! The stripers were a hoot on my 7 wt. rod, and you know how I feel about topwater bass. 8)

The stripers I caught went for a size 1/0, 4-inch sparsely dressed chartreuse/white Clouser with 4 - 6 strands of silver Krystal Flash and about 20 strands of pearl Flashabou tied a little longer than the bucktail on an EC 413 hook with small red dumbbell eyes. I caught the largemouths on a size 2 blackbird diver (black ostrich herl tail, black deer hair body with yellow deer hair head, on a TMC 8089 hook). I believe Jerry caught all of his fish on his size 3/0 chartreuse/white-tailed, chartreuse mylar-bodied flashtail wolly bugger with palmered olive hackle and a silver Flashabou tail tied on an EC 413 hook.

You guys have GOT to tie up some of Jerry's flashtail woolly buggers -- they fish extremely well and I believe they're going to continue to account for a lot of really nice fish. Gotta love a fly that both stripers and largemouths will pounce on. . . . 8) Jerry definitely KNOWS the striper and largemouth games and, just as importantly, he knows where to find these fish and how to target 'em, so if you have the chance, I HIGHLY recommend you book a trip with him for a fun, action-filled day on the Delta. Moreover, as a FFF certified casting instructor, he would also be a perfect guide choice for someone new to the striper or largemouth fly fishing game. By the way, I found his boat absolutely PERFECT for fly fishing -- multi-level casting decks on the front end that are completely clear of ANY line snagging hardware/features!

Anyway, I had a fun time and owe much thanks to Jerry for getting me out there in his boat. Would love to do it again given the chance!

JerryInLodi
10-16-2006, 12:22 AM
MIke, who did you go fishing with? Was I there? Please don't cash that check I gave you to make the post until the first, otherwise I'll be way overdrawn. LOL

Mike's flies are works of art. There, at least there's some truth in this whole string!

Hairstacker
10-16-2006, 02:01 AM
Ha, ha, very funny Jerry! :lol:

Sturmer White
10-16-2006, 03:41 PM
Jerry,After looking at that bass picture,I think you cast left handed? Am I right?

Katz
10-16-2006, 04:33 PM
I would say right handed as the finger protection for strippin' are on the index and long finger of the right hand :?:

Oh yea, very nice fish. :)

Kraig

Charlie Gonzales
10-16-2006, 06:28 PM
Jerry, your not the only one that might not have been on yesterday but at least you stayed dry, I'll get to that in a tick.

Was excited to get out to the delta since I hadn't been there in a while, and I was fishing with a friend who I hadnt fished with for a couple of years. Got to our first hole and hooked up on the first cast with a solid fish. POP, busted him off after a few head shakes. I suck! We picked a few fish at the next hole; a mix of LMB's and schoolie stripes.But then went a while between fish. Couldn't find any working fish and we didn't mark that many either and we covered a lot of water. We were going to end the day throwing top water for bass and decided to take turns on the same rod. Dan picked up a nice 3#'r, a couple around 2# and it was my turn on the rod. I went to cast on the front platform while he opporated the troller from the same position, got hung up on tulees behind us, gave the gurgler a good yank sending it directly at Dans head........and he pushes me in(wink, wink). Anyhow, I ended up wet no matter how he says it happend. Luckily it was at the end of the day.

Sturmer White
10-16-2006, 07:04 PM
You are right. Dumb me,Looking at the picture It was on my left.
LOL :!:

JerryInLodi
10-16-2006, 08:02 PM
Sturmer, Cast with right, reel with left. Tried the rod hand swap thing 20 years ago and couldn't make it work.

Charlie, I would have jumped in the water myself I we had a day as good as you guys. That's not a lie. Ask my old partner Al. I jumped in some river in God Knows Where, Alaska with a silver salmon on to free a snag, swam to the shore, landed the fish and then got back in the boat. Guide thought I was nuts, especially since I fished soaking wet another three hours. Caught a lot more fish too.

Also fell out once with Al aboard in the Sea of Cortez. No fish on, just cranked the throttle the wrong way on my little Western 14 when facing backwards and launched myself overboard. It would have been a three mile swim to shore if I had been by myself. That's about a three hour swim!

Charlie, what time did you guys quit. We were at the dock at 2pm and it looked like things were going to get better but we were tuckered.

Got some good weather coming for the end of the week. Time to go fishing!