Winter Stripers in the Delta

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

It's getting pretty cold now and the easy Striper fly fishing is probably over. Now it's cold and the fish are not as easy to catch but some will fish down there all winter.

I think Dec/Jan/Feb are the cold months with March being the beginning of the spring warming.

From talking with the hearty winter Striper fly fishers like Jim Christensen I gather that we need to fish slower sinking lines like the clear intermediates with lighter flies that having movement and will suspend more. I guess slower retrieves are more effective too.

I know that Discovery Bay and dead end sloughs are popular in the winter.

Another big variable will be the weather this winter. If we have a lot of storms or only a few will effect the water in the Delta.

[Darian]

My son and I went out yesterday AM on the Moke near Hwy 12. No wind, lotsa fog, C-C-C-Cold . Incoming tide, water clarity was very good, water temps 46 - 47 degrees.

We started marking schools of fish at varying intervals. No biters. No apparent surface activity.... There were some Seals workin' the area, tho. Every once in awhile one would stick his head up and look to see what we were doing while chompin' on a fish.

Sloowwww day but it had it's good parts. There were thousands of geese flying up very high. Lots of other birds flying at altitudes in between. One flight of about 20 Swans flew right over us. They were beautiful. Form the blasting going on around us, it sounded like the hunters were having avery good day.

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

Paul and I were out with another friend, Dave Thompson, Saturday too. Fishing was sloooooooooooow. But, Paul caught two 5 lb'ers in Sycamore, and I landed a 4 lb'er towards the end of the day along the San Joaquin . I'll post pics later tonight or tomorrow. I brought in a funny lookin' sucker type fish that we'd like to know the name of too. 7 POUNDS of sucker ... I was disgusted, to say the least, that it was not a striper , but hey, it was a fish ! Also caught a small LMB and a dink (about 16").

And, it WAS cold, but worth the trip !

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

This was the BIG "sucker" (7-lbs):


Anyone know what species this is?


My 4 pounder

[Mike McKenzie]

[quote=". I brought in a funny lookin' sucker type fish that we'd like to know the name of too. 7 POUNDS of sucker[/quote]

You called it right! California Sucker Catostomus occidentalis....

Mike

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

You sure? This is a pic a found for that species... they dont' look like the same fish: http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/e...?imageID=18206

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We have lots of Suckers in Nor Cal. I have caught them while try to fly fish for Steelhead in the Lower American River. Tons in the Pit River. I think they are everywhere.

The color might be different with locations found. I have seen them in nice clear mountain trout streams too.

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Robin, I want to thank you and Paul for the wonderful participation on our message board.