Trolling For Late Summer Stripers In The Isleton Area   By: Dan Bacher September 20, 2007 More Articles by Dan

The Sacramento River from Rio Vista to Walnut Grove is best known for its spring run of striped bass, but trollers and bait anglers can find great fishing here year round. Although most anglers go elsewhere to fish during the summer, this beautiful stretch of California's largest river can often find superb striper fishing at a time when fishing pressure is relatively light.

The summer of 2007 has been an outstanding one for striper fishing on the Sacramento, with anglers reporting catching limits on a regular basis, as well as releasing lots of fish. Trolling with minnow plugs tipped with plastic worms is the most popular technique this time of year, since most of the fish you will catch will be "keepers" over 18 inches. Bait fishing with sardines, threadfin shad, pileworms and other baits is also very productive, though anglers can expect to release plenty of undersized fish.

Rene Villanueva of Steelie Dan's Guide Service fishes the Sacramento River for striped bass and sturgeon throughout the year. After getting back from 6 weeks of salmon fishing in Alaska, he made a trolling adventure with 3 anglers who bagged 8 stripers from 4 to 9 pounds while trolling with Bombers and Rebels in the Isleton area. The anglers kept their two fish limits and released the other fish.

After getting consistent reports of solid striper fishing all summer, I was ready for a striper trip. I only made one short trip targeting stripers this season, so when Villanueva said he was open on Friday, August 24, I quickly replied, "What time do you want me there?"

"We'll meet at my house at 5:30 am and then drive down to Vieira's to launch my boat," said Villanueva.

We made the 45 minute drive to Vieira's from his house in Elk Grove the following morning. A cool Delta breeze was blowing, compelling both of us to put on our jackets

The first area we tried was above the Isleton Bridge. "This spot along the new rip rap that the Army of Corps of Engineers put in usually holds some fish," said Villanueva. "You can catch stripers along this bend of the river year round. We'll be bouncing our lures along the bottom in 17 feet of water."

Villanueva put out a red/white diving Bomber, tipped with a white trick worm, on the starboard rod. Meanwhile, I let out a black/silver Bomber with 120 feet of line from the Daiwa line counter reel on the portside rod. He began trolling at around 4 mph upriver at the end of the outgoing tide.

The starboard side rod wasn't in the holder for 30 seconds when Villanueva, yelled, "Grab the rod - there's a fish on!"

I picked up the bouncing rod and began reeling. The fish pulled line from the drag and surged, but I slowly gained line. I finally got the fish next to the boat and Rene netted it. It was clean, fat, shiny 7 lb. striper.

"Wow. that was quick!" I stated, thinking the bite was going to be wide-open. However, we made several other passes through the area and didn't get any more bites.

"Let's try further upriver," he said, and we reeled in our lures. "This is the spot where my wife caught a 20 pound striper that won the Fish Sniffer Trash Talkers Derby several years go."

We switched over to Rebels, again tipped with white plastic worms. The day's second fish hit in this stretch, grabbing the Rebel. I picked up the rod and started reeling in, but the fish came off.

While the lure bounced along an underwater hump, we hooked the day's third fish. I got the fish right next to the boat, the fish twisted around and freed itself of the hook before Villanueva could net it.

Finally, the clicker on the first rod began singing as another fish grabbed it. I fought this fish to the boat and Villanueva netted it.

"It'll go 22-1/2 inches," I told him. "Please measure it to find out." Villanueva measured it and it was indeed exactly 22-1/2 inches!

"Wow, you're good," he stated.

I had caught my limit of stripers and lost a couple of other fish, but unfortunately that was the day's last fish and Villanueva wasn't able to bag his limit also. One thing that might have accounted for the slowdown in the action was the increase in water temperature from 68 degrees on Sunday to 73 degrees on Friday morning, due to a heat wave that had moved through northern California the previous three days. By the time we left around 1 pm, the water temperature had risen to 74 degrees.

Fishing was tough in the morning on Villanueva's trip the following day, but the fishing picked up in the afternoon, the exact opposite scenario of our trip. Twelve-year old Alex Flores caught his limit of stripers weighing 4 and 9 pounds, while his 11-year-old sister bagged two fish weighing 4 and 8 pounds. "The fish didn't start biting until the top of incoming tide in the afternoon," said Villanueva.

This stretch of river is also productive for salmon most years, though the action was very slow last year; the traditional hot spot is the junction of the Sacramento River, referred to locals as the "Old Sacramento," and the Sacramento Deepwater Channel. On a fall weekend, dozens of boats can usually be seen trolling below the junction of the two channels.

"Single and double bladed spinners produce the best salmon action, but Kwikfish and Flatfish with sardine wrappers work also," said Villanueva. "I troll with the current at 1.5 to 2 mph and 1.5 to 2 mph when trolling against the current."

Anglers are hoping that this fall's salmon run will be better than last season, although the reports coming from ocean charter skippers to date aren't very encouraging. Nobody really knows why the salmon population in the Sacramento River has declined over the past two years after years of excellent runs. Changing ocean conditions, Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Water Resources water management on the rivers and the decline of the Delta food chain are among the possible reasons for the decline.

Striped bass and king salmon are just two of the species that anglers can pursue on the Sacramento River in the Isleton and Walnut Grove areas. Smallmouth bass can be taken by anglers tossing crayfish crankbaits and plastic worms during the spring, summer and fall, while largemouth bass flourish in slow moving sections of the river and in adjacent sloughs such as Georgiana and Miner.

Channel catfish and white catfish are very abundant in the main river channel, as well as in Miner, Steamboat, Cache and other local sloughs. The summer and fall are the best times to pursue them since this is when the feed most actively on mackerel, clams, sardines, jumbo minnows and chicken livers.

Of course, this is one of the best areas in the Delta to pursue white sturgeon. Like the striped bass, these fish can be pursued in this area year round, but fall and winter generally yield the best fishing.

To book a striper, sturgeon or salmon fishing trip on the Sacramento River, call Rene Villanueva of Steelie Dan's Guide Service at 916-684-7148.  

Sacramento River Isleton Area Facts  

Location: The Sacramento River in the Isleton and Walnut Grove areas is one of the most productive areas in the California Delta for striped bass, sturgeon, king salmon, catfish and smallmouth and largemouth bass.  

Camping and Lodging: Motels and r.v. camping facilities are available in the river towns of Rio Vista, Isleton and Walnut Grove. For more information, call California Delta Chambers & Visitor's Bureau, 169 W. Brannan Road, Isleton, CA. 95641, (916) 777-4041, http://www.californiadelta.org.  

Boat ramps: To fish this section of river, boat launching is available at the Sandy Beach Park Launching Facility in Rio Vista, the Delta Marina Launch Ramp, City of Rio Vista Launch Ramp, Brannan Island State Recreation Area, Vieira's Resort, Isleton Launch Ramp (next to Ramos Oil Company), Hogback Island Fishing Access, KoKet Resort near Ryde, Wimpy's Marina, New Hope Marina and the Boathouse Marina in Walnut Grove.  

Fishing information: Rio Vista Bait (707) 374-5522, Hap's Bait, Rio Vista, (707) 374-2372; Vieira's Resort, Isleton, 916-777-6661; Bob's Bait Shop, Isleton (916) 777-6666  

Striped Bass, Salmon and Sturgeon Charters: Rene Villanueva, Steelie Dan's Guide Service, Elk Grove, (916) 684-7148; Barry and Diana Canevaro, The Fish Hookers Sportfishing, Pittsburg, (916) 870-4226; Kevin Yost, Kevin's Pro Fishing, Pittsburg, (707) 301-8050; Bob Sparre, Rocky Ridge Guide Service, Sacramento, (916) 863-5866

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