The Fish Sniffer

(Stockton) The water temperature has dropped to the mid-forties in response to the long period of below freezing temperatures moving into the Central Valley at the start of the New Year. 

The cold water temperatures have required anglers to change up on their striper and largemouth bass techniques.  

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said, “There is a good bite for largemouth bass with rip baits such as the ima Flit, but you have to use more colorful lures in the chocolate and cloudy water. The three keys are vibration, sight, and smell, and you have to optimize all three keys to get bit.” 

He added, “There are a few of the bright colors you can you, but I advise anglers to find the one that they believe will show up in the water.” 

Pringle went on, “There is a good bite with jigs or worms, but you have to keep the bait in the lures in the strike zone. I like to use the Berkley Power Worm since it has a lot of smell, and you can always add smell to the lures, and with water this cold, scent is a must.” 

Striped bass have moved out of the main river system towards Discovery Bay and Mossdale, and the groups of stripers are small in numbers of fish. Pringle said, “The ima Big Stick on the flats is a good option for larger stripers, particularly with the red/white or ‘Trash Fish’ colors.”  

There are a few stripers to be had, as Captain Stan Koenigsberger of Quetzal Adventures put his clients onto two limits of linesides ranging from 19 to 24 inches using frozen shad while on the anchor near Marker 17/18 on the San Joaquin River.