Sutter bypass fishing

Hey all you bass popper guys.I have a question.
Has anyone fished the Sutter Bypass ? Peg leg Gus took me for a ride on the levey onetime and the place had great cover for bass. Is the current too strong for Float tubes or pontoons ? I beleave we went in on Sacramento Road. I want to try it this Spring when the water clears.
Thanks for your help.
Sturm

[David Lee]

GUS ????? I haven't seen ol' Gus since I started this crazy fly stuff !! My pal Rick McCall (haven't seen Rick in 8 years ???) took me to Gus's place in Auburn , shot the breeze for several hours and hit a pond .... what a neat guy ! Is he still with us ? I still have one of Gus's #2 Muddler minnows he gave me - I was so friggin' green I had not yet started to tye w/ deer hair yet !
Ahhhhh , those were the days , everything was new and strange ....
Sturmer , I haven't fished S.B. , but whenever ya want to go lemmy know .... If Gus is around , tell him THANK YOU from me - if he isn't , let me know where he rests and I'll drop in and pay my respects . D.J.L.

[Darian]

Hi Sturmer,..... Started many young, new Cat fisherman in the Sutter By-Pass. Lotsa giant Grass Carp and some sunfish caught there. However, in the part that I fish (where the conctrete bridge crosses the second slough), I never once caugh a Black Bass or Striper there. The current can be very strong and the water really never clears. Plus, it's one of the most prolific places on earth for Mosquitoes. I never fish it if the wind is not blowing..... The banks are steep and don't lend themselves to getting out (after jumping in) easily.

Thast being said, I fish it from the bank at night with a stout rod, revolving baitcaster reel with a freshwater clam fly , etc...... Good place for a BBQ/Beans/Beer, etc.

[new-to-the-game]

If you like bumpin' cover, it's a kick in the pants. I've only fished it with spinning and baitcasting tackle. Usually you'll get your strike there just after you've dragged a spinner bait or jig over a log or branch. It's a lot of fun in a float tube, especially late summer when the current isn't as bad. I go at least twice a year to try to hook a few while I'm fighting the bugs!

[Hairstacker]

Interesting that there are so many mosquitos at this Sutter By-Pass place (I've never been there). Fishing must be at least half decent to want to put up with bugs and keep going back. Funny thing, not once did I get bit by a mosquito in over 30 trips to the Delta last year. You would think the place would be loaded with them but narry a one....

[David Lee]

Right !
So .... when are we all going ????
Er , uh ... guys ...?

David :P

[Hairstacker]

Hmmm... I'm not convinced it's worth it, ha. Although New-to-the-game has had some luck there, Darian paints a fairly grim picture. Is the attraction that it's fairly close to Sacramento? Is this actually a stream or a fancy ditch?

[Hairstacker]

Ok, ok, I shouldn't be so negative. Can someone enlighten me as to what this place actually looks like, what kind of water and cover it has? New-to-the-game -- I assume you're catching largemouths out of there?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

It might never clear enough.

We need to look at Cache Creek for Smallmouth?

[Darian]

Hello everyone,..... For those who are unfamiliar with it, the By-Pass is an overflow area for Feather river water during high water years. There're channels/ditches running through it that contain water all of the time. The main channels/ditches are on the sides of the By-Pass. These ditches contain irrigation water that is run-off from rice or other fields and has a current even in dry periods. Needless to say, the water has a high content of herbicides/insecticides so I never keep a fish from that area.

For the most part, the bottom of these channels is uniform but there're areas where there are some deep holes and dead falls from the bank. The entrances to the channels are supposedly screened but fish get into the by-pass anyway. So, there is some fish habitat. The water is almost never clear; containing a high amount of sediment. The mosquito population is very high (clouds of 'em)..... If it's breezy, the "skeeters" don't have a chance to fly much.

Friends that fish that area tell me that they catch Stripers, Black Bass and sunfish there. I've caught catfish and very few sunfish there. It doesn't much lend itself to fly fishing. Lures/bait are better up there.

For Mike,.... The delta has mosquitoes but is a windy area. Mosquitoes are poor fliers and don't appear to be present during windy periods but they are there. Also, mosquito abatement is carried out in the delta by each county.