http://www.pajarowatershed.org/archi...0Breaching.pdf
Large (190 to 380 mm Standard Length) striped bass (Morone saxatilis) were apparently common in August of 1991, although none were captured in May, June or early August gillnetting. They apparently entered the open estuary in mid-summer. Striped bass were also common in the Salinas River lagoon in 1991, although the sandbar closed in that system by early June. In 1992 only 3 striped bass were collected in the Pajaro River lagoon. Striped bass cannot spawn in the Pajaro River, but schools of bass probably opportunistically enter the estuary to feed.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/publications/docs/FishGuideR3.pdf
Lower Rodeo Lagoon: This saltwater lagoon is also located on Fort Cronkite, across the road from the upper Lagoon. Winter storms periodically break open the sand bar at the mouth and allow several species of ocean fish to enter. Species often found in this lagoon include striped bass, starry flounder, surf perch, and smelt.
Salinas River: This river has a poor steelhead run. Warmwater game and non-game fish are present in some areas. Striped bass are often found in the lagoon.
http://www.flycasters.org/index.php?...id=8&Itemid=25
Gill Net Fish Survey of Pajaro River, Aug 7, 2011: We then returned to the vehicles to have lunch and prepared to retrieve the gill nets. Now the fun was about to begin. What fish would be in the nets? The first net retrieved was a large mesh net which recovered some very large Carp, Sucker and Pike Minnow. As the nets were pulled up, a surprise to many of us was the capture of several large Striped Bass. After the final net was pulled Joel and Jerry had tallied 6 large Striped Bass. The large number of species included Carp, Sucker, Pike Minnow, Black Crappie, Bluegill, wild Gold Fish and Striped Bass. The gill net size was too small as to not capture some of the smaller species. No Largemouth Bass were captured and may have avoided the nets as they mostly inhabit the shoreline areas.
http://www.mcwra.co.monterey.ca.us/S...S_2001/5_6.htm
Experimental stocking of striped bass was initiated in 1971 to take advantage of abundant shad populations in the open waters of the reservoir. Striped bass are an estuarine species originally from the Atlantic coast and cannot successfully spawn in most reservoirs. It was thought that their numbers could be controlled in San Antonio Reservoir. Regular annual plants of striped bass were started in 1976 and continued into the 1980's. The striped bass fishery was quite popular with fish as large as 30 pounds being caught. Current management objectives do not favor striped bass in San Antonio Reservoir since this species can prey heavily on other fish species and result in management conflicts with other species such as steelhead. Stocking has been discontinued but there is a small self-sustaining population of striped bass in the reservoir.
http://www.pajarowatershed.org/archi...0%20ENTRIX.pdf
Most of the fish inhabiting the Pajaro River Lagoon (refer to Table 9) are euryhaline saltwater fish with broad salinity tolerances (Swanson and HRG, 1993), including Pacific herring (Clupea harengus), topsmelt (Atherinops affinis), staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus), starry flounder (Platichthyes stellatus), shiner surfperch (Cymatogaster aggregata), and striped bass (Morone saxitilis). Resident estuarine fishes include: threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), arrow goby (Clevlandia ios), and tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi).
http://www.stripersurf.com/california_history_4.html
An Historical Review of the Fish and Wildlife Resources of the San Francisco Bay Area by John E. Skinner WATER PROJECTS BRANCH REPORT No. 1 June, 1962
Spawning Locations. In California a few striped bass spawn in the larger coastal rivers, the Russian River particularly, and formerly the Salinas River. A few apparently persist in Elkhorn Slough, which enters Monterey Bay, and spawn there also. The major tributaries to San Francisco Bay are the principal spawning grounds, however, particularly those above Antioch and Collinsville.
http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=...re&anchor.id=0
Many interested individuals contend that the striped bass which occur in the coastal waters south of the Golden Gate are of a separate race from those of the San Francisco Bay region. The bass, for instance, that inhabit Monterey Bay and its flanking sloughs and rivers, are believed to spawn there year after year. These rather serious contentions on the part of several interested sportsmen led to a study of the population of these fish occurring in this region several miles south of the Golden Gate. The results of this study seemingly disproves the theory that they are a separate population. For instance, no evidence of bass fry was obtained during the spring or summer when they should have been found in great quantities if the mature fish spawned in these southern regions. The smallest bass observed were in their second year or three inches in length and larger. The large bass examined during May, or about the time spawning was in progress in the San Francisco Bay region, contained ovaries in mature condition, but they were far from ripe. Over 95 per cent of the fish examined were females. None of the males were in ripe condition. Another fact noted as a result of seine hauls in Salinas River and Waddell Creek during May, 1927, was the complete absence of the third and fourth year classes. The second, sixth, seventh and eighth year groups were quite evident while the fifth year class was represented by only a few individuals. Samples of specimens received from anglers in this region were well over twenty inches in length, which classed them at five years of age or older. An interesting point was made when sportsmen reported that good catches of large mature bass are made in the spring until May, after which time they apparently disappear and as a consequence very few are taken. Late in July and early August these large bass again appear in Monterey Bay and are caught in considerable numbers. It is not probable that these fish refuse to take the hook during May and June, for in San Francisco Bay anglers have no difficulty in making substantial catches during this period.
The three main points determined, then, in this investigation of the striped bass found along the coast south of San Francisco Bay are as follows: (1) the absence of ripe bass during the spawning season, and the absence of small fry which would be the result of a spawning in this area; (2) the presence of only the second, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth year classes, and the total absence of the third and fourth year classes; and (3) the scarcity of large mature bass during May, June and July as reported by anglers.
All of these points seemingly indicate that the movement of the striped bass along the southern coast of California is entirely seasonal, and the spring months reveal a migration of mature bass back to San Francisco Bay for the purpose of spawning.
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North by.....
I've seen recent reports of Stripers being caught around Stinsons Beach and Bolinas Lagoon but nothing north of those locations. Haven't even heard of any being caught in or around Tomales or Bodega Bays.... 
Russian River....
So far, the Russian appears to be the northern coastal limit of their travels in recent times. 
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