NorCal Fishing BS

Starting a main Norcal fishing thread to share stories, tips n' tricks, photos/videos, reports, regulations, anything and everything related to fishing here in good ole' NorCal.

 

Finally made it out to the Delta yesterday near Rio Vista and tried my new inflatable kayak. Managed to catch probably 100 bass over the course of a few hours... mostly dinks, but still fun as hell.

 

I just inherited my grandfathers boat so i've been out a lot lately. Mainly striper and then hitting Berryessa for small mouth which are just now starting to come around. Heres some pics from this summer so far.



Took my friend fishing who lives in Indiana and he had to show me up

 

Here's the last time I fished which was labor day weekend. This is the only picture I got. Sorry it's such a bad picture. I had to let it go quick because it was a struggle getting the hook out of it's mouth and I didn't want to kill the fish...


It was my girlfriend's first fish and she got it on her first cast.

The fish were hitting super hard in this lake but I didn't catch anything all weekend.

It was at Kelly Lake in Henry Coe. I think the shortest hike in is 9 miles so hardly anyone fishes there even though there are tons of fish in the lake.

 

Awesome! Yesterday when I was out on the Delta in one of the sloughs, I had stripers that looked to be 10lb+ following my rapala up to my kayak. Was planning on doing smallmouth/largemouth/meanmouth fishing in that area only, but after seeing those giant stripers, absolutely need to go back with some heavier gear/bigger baits.

 

Dang that looks like a nice sized crappie. What did you catch it on?

 

they've been crazy right now. co-worker went out by the mothball fleet and cought over 50 total (catch & release) largest was 38"

 

over 50???? oh my god, that would be a riot. I love how hard stripers fight too. Even the smaller ones put up a good fight it seems like.

 

yeah he said it was nuts. I know we were just sitting there talking and his pole just jumped and bent in half for the one in the pic. Thing was a hell of a fighter too. So much fun when they run.

 

Earlier this season when the salmon bite was hot

 

What gear/bait are you having luck with? I’m down to one striper-ready pole for some reason. Abu Garcia 6500 reel and a fenwick HMG MH rod.

 

I think it was on a kastmaster. I only brought two small lures and my trout rod because I'm out of shape and it was a tough backpacking route to the lake.

I haven't been fishing much at all in the last few years and I haven't actually caught a fish since the Berkeley Pier was open if that tells you anything...

 

for bait i like using shad or anchovy. But lately ive been getting them on shad crank bait 10-15ft divers and top-water lures. Having a striper hit top-water is such a rush.

 

Oohhh good call on the deep cranks. I need to get a couple more of those. Unfortunately since I wasn’t planning on getting stripers yesterday, didn’t have anything to get that deep. There’s supposed to be some giant catfish in those sloughs as well.... might throw nightcrawlers on the bottom or something next time I go and see what hits.

 

I have been having a ton of luck in the Bay for striper. Limits of striper the last 3 times out, wish I could say the same for hailbut ton of shakers. Need to get out on the Petaluma river and do the same after duck season.

 

sturgeon too, never caught one and wouldnt even know wtf to do to it if i did. But bullhead/mudsuckers are primo for the big boys.

 

heres my latest haul to try out at the lake and slough. Since the large mouth have been hitting the shad lures hard at Berryessa i doubled down on them and got some poppers.

 

I’ve always wanted to fish the Petaluma, but haven’t. Good fishing out there? I’m not too far from it... may have to finally check it out.

 

Sturgeon is forsure on my bucket list. Wouldn't know wtf to do either if I hooked into one, but the rush of hooking into a decent-sized one..... couldn't imagine. Those baits look incredible too.... I have heard good things about 6th sense, but have yet to pick any of their gear up for some reason. Just by looking at those poppers pictured, they look like a million bucks action-wise.

 

I am pretty close too, yet I have not done much striper fishing there. Usually duck hunting out there. However, from buddies who are out there on boats and on shore its not bad for striper. Some sturgeon out there as well.