Striped bass continued to move into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region and there seems to be more interest by anglers targeting this popular sport fish. The stripers being caught are fair sized averaging 24 to 30 inches in length. Bait dunkers tossing archovies, cut sardines and threadfin shad. Another good method for hooking striped bass is drifting live blue gills or casting Zara Spooks or Optima’s Bad Bubba Shad swim baits. Trollers dragging YoZuri’s either the deep diving or shallow running models are also scoring on some decent stripers. Presently, anglers fishing from the Antioch Public Fishing Pier have been taking fish up to 30 inched in length on cut baits. Two other locations now producing fish are Brown’s Island area tossing Zara Spooks and False River between Jersey Island and Bradford Island on the outgoing tides at anchor tossing cut baits.

Large mouth bass fishing has been best in shaded areas where there are some currents. The current is best for those casting spinnerbaits or chatter baits. Striped bass fishing on the Sacramento River is picking up with reports coming in from the Decker Island section of the system, especially for bait dunkers using the basic offerings, such as cut sardine, anchovies and shad. Most of the recent catches are in the 22 to 26 inch range, up to an occasional 25 to 30 incher. The fishing will only get better as we move into the fall months. Sturgeon fishing reports are nil with very little interest in targeting the species.

Salmon fishing is still slow in the Sacramento River north of the Rio Vista Bridge due to warm water conditions in the 73 degree range. As soon as the water temperatures drop into the 60 degree range the salmon fishing should improve on the Old Sacramento River up to Walnut Grove. Stay tuned for the periodic updates on the local salmon fishing prospects. Up around the Freeport Bridge anglers are still hooking and landing an occasional salmon, trolling spinners or casting spoons from the shoreline. Again, the water temperatures are slowing down some better action at this location. The fish are moving through in good numbers, but they want to swim further up stream into the cooler waters of the American and Feather rivers and beyond.