Plug-caught delta striped bass.

Things took a turn for the better yesterday for me. Not DD epicness, but still had a 5 hours fishing new spots with results.

And it happened quick-like for us. Put in right as the sun was coming up @ Hogback. Shoot, didn't even get on plane when we saw good striper busting up some bait. Dropped the trolling motor right there in that lil cut leading to the launch and immediately starting having our way with some decent fish:





This was a nice spot of fish - decent keeper grade mixed with some shakers, spread out and bustin on a two-hundred yard stretch of bank. And the luck if it all, being a stumble-upon deal? I'll take it.

We worked it for a good 20 minutes of furious catching, doing several more keeper grade a piece as well as some shakers. And tried as I might, no TW love, even when working the boils...strange. But, throw that medium pointer and it was instant. Matching the hatch worked great until a sea lion showed up and shut all down as quickly as it started for us. Oh well, we did about 6 keepers and at least as many shakers so I'm stoked that the day started off with a bang.

Bait was everywhere. I did the smart thing and just stuck it out right there in Steamboat for the remaining hours that we had for a steady pick of 18" to 21" inch fish every 20 mintutes or so. They got a bit more willing to take some other baits as the sun came up - 4" fishtraps, cranks and a few on the 'wing made it a bit more fun. We also had a nice pattern working - schools were on tuled-up shoals where the flooding tide was pushing directly up on them - very predictable in that regard. So I spent the morning focusing on those, running up and down the slough looking at contour lines on the GPS vs. what I was seeing above the surface. New spots producing made all the more fun.

Eyeballed a particulary good looking dog-leg with all the right features about mid-morning. Fired off a cast with the LV and got my best fish of the day:



Nate had the #'s award with alot of these:



As the tide slacked, so did the bite, but we had a great few hours of steady fishin. A day where quantity trumped quality, but a few nice ones, along with doing some successful calculations made all worthy.

Trailered the boat by 1130. DFG Game Warden came over to us as we were getting stuff stowed (First time on the Delta for me). 20 questions, but not once did he ask us to show our licenses. He seemed more intent in proving that I was not a CNR angler, looking in all storage compartments of my boat for whatever. And to that, I say whatever.

Fun half day, and I now have a new-found confidence in steamboat.