Lot's of Little Stripers

[Tony Buzolich]

The last few trips out , we've been seeing a lot of little stripers. They're all fun too, but it got me to wondering, Where do all these little guys come from? I can't imagine they're migrating all the way up here in the rivers from the bay or the delta. They're too small to be here for spawning. So what is it ?

The other thought was,,,, Could they possibly be THIS year's brood from those that DID spawn in the spring ? If they did hatch from those eggs laid in March / April / May, do they grow THAT fast to be catchable already?

We don't purposely target these juvenile fish but when the bigger fish don't seem to be around, these little guys are still fun even on an 8 wt. And if you want to have a lot of fun, just drop down a size or two on your fly and rod. It's amazing how hard these little guys fight.

If you stick with the bigger rod and flies, you'll be getting lots of little taps and grabs as they bite the tails off your 3/0 flies trying to get that hook into their mouths,,, and they often do.



And if you're just getting the grand-kids or young ones started in fly fishing these little guys offer up a lot of easy fun while learning how to fish.



So what are your thoughts about all these juvenile fish that are here? Are they this year's spawn growing up fast, or did they swim all the way up here from the delta with last spring's migration ?
Tony

[STEELIES/26c3]

Heya Tony... Good to see you getting your BOSOX fan out on the water to fish again... Here's some answers to some questions and my take on things.

Striped bass don't grow as quickly as salmon and steelhead. 3.75-5.5 inches per year is the norm in first 4 years. Males like the 11-12" fish in your second photo is quite likely a post-spawn male as male stripers (not to be confused with male strippers...) are sexually mature at 2 years old. I don't know for certain the answer to the question of migratory versus residential but neither do CDFW biologists. It is unsure whether or not the strong presence of sub-legal stripers in our rivers is a result of migration or simply a response to the environment. I tend to think it is related to environmental factors.

Based on my own observations and fishing experiences, I notice that in high water years, there tends to be a greater number of dinks and small schoolies and fewer quality schoolies (8-12lb) and even fewer still, larger adults (20-50lbs) in the American River.

My take is this; small stripers are able to feed successfully in the faster currents of higher flows because their smaller body size exerts less energy to chase and catch their prey in such water. Larger striped bass have a difficult time feeding in these higher flows because their heavier, less-than-agile bodies cannot move fast enough through the water to catch those shad or other baitfish zipping through the river currents.

I have caught a few fish on the AR over 40lbs this year but that was back in April/May and I have caught no large fish in June and far fewer than normal numbers of fish over 8lbs but I can go out and catch diaper stripers by the dozens any given day if I want to...

I believe that the higher and relatively colder water on the American River has kept the majority of the larger striped bass down in the warmer waters of the delta where food is much more abundant and easier to catch. The lack of monster stripers in the American River would also explain the greater presence of sub-legals which are rarely seen in the same stretch of water by my experience... Stripers LOVE to eat stripers, especially small ones with under-developed dorsal and opercular spines!

The biggest factor however for lots of small stripers in our rivers right now, though is that for the last couple of years, we have had lots of water... This has caused greater survival of ALL FISH hatched between 1 and 4 years ago. High water triggers spawning. It offers more spawning habitat. It enhances egg survival. *Striped bass eggs eye out 48-72 hours after fertilization and if an egg sinks to the bottom, it dies!* Higher water also creates more nursery habitat for young fish to develop and it decreases predation by other fish and birds.

I am certain that in a couple or a few weeks, when the snow is all melted and DWR backs the flows down to more reasonable summertime flows... when the water temperatures rise and the crawdads and pike minnows are thicker and fatter... and the shad are weary and weak... that the bigger stripers will find their way back into the rivers and life will again be LARGE!

These last couple years have been rebuilding years... Great for fish, less so for fishing. Hopefully, mother nature keeps giving us rain and snow and the folks in charge of managing our waterways do so in a way that benefits fish as well as humans. I'd bet first on Mother Nature

I know you like real names so...
CHEERS! from Mark Lynn in Carmichael

[Tony Buzolich]

Thanks for the good input Mark. These are good observations from your own experience.

I wonder if Fish & Wildlife people have done much in this area of migration and habits. There used to be a fellow by the name of Marty Gingris who had a good feel for the habits of stripers and was often on this and Dan's board both.

I'd like to get some more input from others as well.

Thanks again Mark, Tony

[STEELIES/26c3]

Yes I remember Marty Gingras. I think he moved on from CDFW.