Shad fishing has finally come to an end on the American River. I took a trip with Rich and his son Mark this past Sunday to bag whatever shad were left in the river. We were rewarded with a quiet river with lots of free elbow room, very little rafters and little to no fish. Rich and Mark scored a fish a piece while I drew a major skunk – that’s unless you want to count the two fish that I lost at the hookset. So long, Poorman’s Tarpon – see you again next year!
Flows on the American River have been very high as of late, and due to that fact, many of the Stripers that were boiling in the evenings have disappeared. Perhaps they moved back downriver for warmer water, or completely left the system altogether. Who knows.
Reports of fish on the Old Sacramento have also been quiet, and the banks have been barren in the usual areas like Clarksburg and Courtland. In the Rio Vista and surrounding areas, a few boaters have been getting fair action on the west bank on shallow and deep diving plugs.
So, with stripers and shad out – what else is there to fish for on the Delta? My recommendation is warm water species like bass, catfish and panfish.
Catfish are probably the most abundant of the three species, and you can catch them just about anywhere you can wet a line. Some areas produce better than others, like the Locke in Walnut Grove, Knights Landing north of Sacramento and Sutter Bypass, which is also located north of Sacramento. Use cut baits like anchovies, sardines and mackerel. Chicken livers and stinkbaits are good as well.
Bass fishing for both largemouth and smallmouth bass is good during the summer. While most areas that produce are closed off from fishing, you can still find fair fishing in the areas that are open. Look for cover and structure such as timber, rocks, weed mats and docks to throw your baits. Expect to find smallmouth in areas with current flow, and largemouth out of the current and holding tight to cover and structure. If were to pick one lure to target both, I would go with a ½ ounce chartreuse and white spinner bait with tandem Colorado and willow leaf blades. I usually catch both species with this bait in the Delta. The Luhr Jensen Speedtrap is also a very good bait to use in either shad or crawdad patterns.
Panfish fishing is often overlooked on the Delta. I think the main reason is because finding bigger fish can sometimes be a challenge. Snags in productive areas can sometimes discourage anglers to fish them. Most sloughs in the Delta have good populations of panfish, and you don’t have to find the most choked up areas to fish for them. I like to look for eddies and cutouts in smaller sloughs with some weed or brush cover. Ideal depth during the summer is 4-6 feet deep. Try deeper if you are working with an outgoing tide. Fish wax worms, meal worms, redworms and nightcrawlers under a bobber. You can also toss small grubs and tube baits. I like to use black baits since the color resembles a lot of the aquatic bugs that the fish feed on. If you are going for Crappie, find the same areas mentioned above but also try and find some good shade. Fish tube jigs and my favorite – a small or medium sized minnow.
Try these tactics out sometime and let me know you do. There’s more to the Delta than just the anadromous species. You’ll find that fishing for bass, catfish and panfish on the Delta is very relaxing as well. To all have a fun time on the banks and as always – make sure you pick up after yourself so the next person can enjoy the spot you just fished.
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