A Bass is a Bass is a Bass,,, Until It's a Striper
Okay, I've had enough of this talking about the homeless and gun totin' destitude along our river banks. Maybe move it to FF Travel, or Conservation, or even Cheap Camping locations :) We're here to talk about striper fishing not government negligence .
Yesterday Jim and I hit the river again hoping for some stripers to show up. It's been a strange year so far with weather and water conditions. We saw smolt coming down over a month ago with little or no action to trigger those stripers. We saw the hatchery dumping more smolt like always at the boat ramps but still no major explosion of stripers gorging. This always used to be a dinner bell for the start of the spring striper run. But not this year.
We'd already made several trips out unsuccesfully until last week when Jim went out with Andy from the shop and they got one. One. But at least it was a start. Some guys having been getting a few while bait fishing for sturgeon. Some guys have been trolling and picking up one here or there, but for the most part it's been slow. The other thing I forgot to mention is the temperature. The water has been running at 48 degrees. Yesterday the Feather came up to 53 degrees, with the Yuba still running at 48.
We get to our first stop early and begin our drift as usual. We see the usual geese and beavers doing their spring thing but suddenly there's a sizeable boil just a few yards from the boat. We make a couple of casts close to the rise and Jim gets a grab. Fish On! Great to see a bent pole and knowing you're going to get a grab next. Them Jim kind of disappointedly says “It's a bass”. We get “bass” often in the Feather and the Yuba but this isn't what we came for. Is it a “smallmouth” or a “spot” Jim asks? I don't know for sure either. Maybe a hybrid?
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...pszfcc7ifl.jpg
So off we go drifting along nicely enjoying the sunrise and the beautiful spring morning. Not a breath of wind, and not a fish either. We try our normal spots that have been successful in years past, but not even a tap or a grab. We drift quit some ways down the Feather and then move up the Yuba hoping for something to happen. Still nothing here either, and the water temperature has dropped to 48 degrees. Not opportunistic findings and decide to head home. Lets just give one more spot another shot before leave. The sun is up now shining on the water. I decide to change flies and put on a RED Clouser. Yep, the old striper favorite Red and White.
Just then Jim says “Gotta grab” but couldn't get tight. I make a cast to the same spot and get that wonderful arm jerks everyone wants. I'm hooked up! And then a second later Jim yells he's hooked up too. A double! Yahoo! Finally after hours of nothing we're both hooked to fish. I start to get mine to the surface and can see, “It's another bass!” Jim too as he gets his in says the same thing, “I got a bass too”. Nice fat smallmouth / spotted / hybrid bass.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...psdcgk900g.png
Fun as they are, they're still not stripers. Still with my red and white Clouser I make another quick cast and get hit again right away. This one pulls a lot harder and with a little help from Jim we get to the boat. Finally a striper. My first for the season. A nice schoolie male full of milt and ready to spawn once the temperature warms and gets to the mid sixties.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...psgbod2lth.png
So, it's a slow start to the season but they're on their way. Tony
