They're Just Full

[Tony Buzolich]

Robin, and all, you're right about the bite being a little off. Even the guys dunking minnows are having a harder time this week. Want to know why? SMOLT.

About the middle of last week we started seeing smolt drifting downstream as they have grown out of their alevin stage and are now migrating their way out to sea. Every day this week the water has been covered with them. A friend said on Sunday that the surface of the river looked like rain there were soo many splashing and jumping.

Well, the stripers, and the squawfish, and every other predator out there is taking advantage of this natural food source.

We've been lucky enough to manage a few fish every trip this week but no big numbers like the week before.

This morning the first striper we took was spitting these little guys up all over the floor of the boat.



I'm not sure if they're salmon smolt or steelhead smolt and I'm sure the stripers don't care either. This is an annual thing with the smolt going out to sea. It usually lasts a couple of weeks and then things get back to the normal spawning time for the stripers.

Speaking of spawning stripers, the water up here is 65 degrees on the Sac and all of the fish we've taken are still spilling milt. Haven't taken a single hen yet but they should be on their way unless they spawn lower in the river system this year.

The other thing is, I hope those fish that ARE here don't follow the smolt back downstream.

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

WOW.... Yeah, come to think of it, there were a ton of smolt jumpin' on the surface Sunday....

Thanks for that realization! Makes me feel a little better about getting skunked....

Paul and Ron got skunked again today too....

[Jgoding]

Now that's what I would call "striper sashimi"..... I think the stripe did a good job preparing that fish for consumption......