American River

[ICE]

Greetings,
I have a job at CSU Sacramento starting soon and I will be frequenting the campus, I was wondering if anyone might share some good bank access for wading where there is a decent chance as a fish or two.
This will be pretty casual as I typically only have an hour or so early morning maybe an evening if I spend the night.
I threw some line at the Howe River Access park last week.....

Thanks in advance.

J. Ice

P.S.
The bite is turning on in the Santa Cruz area. Hit me up if you are looking for intel.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I like to go into the Watt Avenue access that is on the south side of the river.

Drive into the river bottom and park at the bridge, and walk upstream on the access road for a hundred yards or so.

Fish back down to the bridge and below. There might be some spring run half-pounders around.

Below the bridge can have stripers. Early and late is good.


What do you know about Santa Cruz?

[Tony Buzolich]

Hey ICE,

Head over to Paradise Beach below Sac State late or at night. I went there in the sixties and almost went to Viet Nam because the fishing was so good.

Don't fish the riffles unless you want shad. Below the curve (bend) there's good slower water and the river is full of small lamprey. The stripers love them.

Go at dark, AM or PM. Easy wading with sand bottom.

I'll ask the same question that Bill did, What's turning on in Santa Cruz?
Tony

[ICE]

Thanks for the response guys,
The striper bite in Santa Cruz has been picking up for those fishing regularly and paying attention to the low tide structure.
Right now low low tide on the rise at first light has been the ticket, as the holes and rips are in better casting range.
Things should be heating up as the fish start moving out of the bay.
Perch bite has been pretty consistent
J. Ice

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Where are some good places to wade or do you need a boat?

What Bay?

What are the best months for Striper around Santa Cruz?

I guess you live there?


Spent a lot of my childhood in Santa Cruz in the 1950s, '60sa md '70s.

[ICE]

Hi Bill,
The fishing I am writing about would be surf casting. Here we are using 7-8wt (some fish 6wt). single and double hand (switch) rods fishing shooting heads or integrated lines.
This is wading with a stripping basket (necessity). Most of the beaches south of the Board Walk produce with Manresa State beach being very popular.
The Bay I am referencing is SF bay, though we have resident fish that get pushed out of some of our local rivers during the winter when the high flows blow out the river mouths.
Best months for stripers? July thru October. But the residents are hungry now and fish are being caught.
Being able to recognize the beach structure is very helpful and typically where you will find fish. Rips, troths, holes, nervous water, etc.
And birds, look for feeding birds.

J. Ice