Sac River/ China Camp/ BFI Mishmash (old and older reports)

I haven't reported anything for awhile, mostly cause of skunks.  In the spirit of getting a jump on my new years resolution to report all, even skunks, here are a handful of my last few outings...

Nov. 11, 15, & 22 - Sacramento River

I've never even tried for salmon anywhere in CA, let alone on a river, so this was all new to me.

All three days I launched out of Knights Landing and explored upriver. I tried wrapped kwikfish and spinners, both from anchor and attempting to backtroll to no avail.  Jigging didn't do it, either. 
Cut my losses, and accepted that there will be no AOTY salmon points for me, as time is dwindling and I need to concentrate on my real devilfish...Sturgeon.


Nov. 30 - China Camp

Launched from China Camp around noon to fish as much of the outgoing as I could before dark.  First stop was just past Rat Rock.  That spot always gets me!  It looks like it would be a good place to try on the depthfinder, and even though all I've ever caught in that area is kingfish, I have trouble paddling past it without giving it a go. 
With nothing to show after a few re-baits, I pick up and move out to deeper water.  A few minutes after getting bait (ghost shrimp) back in the water my rod gets thumped.  Set the hook, and the fish took some line.  Didn't hit like a sturgeon (but what do I know? I've never caught one), and felt smaller than I would expect for a sturgeon (a legal one, at least).  Felt some headshakes, so I knew it wasn't a ray.  I was expecting a shark, and was wrong again.  Turned out to be a nice striper.  Taped out at 28".  Brought it home as sort of a "last hurrah" striper.  I've decided that even though they are delicious, from now on any striper I catch from the bay or delta will be returned to the water.  It WAS delicious, though.
So in the end, I got stripes, no diamonds.


Dec. 7 - BFI

Went out yesterday morning with intentions of going back to China Camp, but upon arriving I discovered that as well as being quite cold, the chop was already in full swing. So, I drove back to the A to find the ferry area still cold, but pretty flat. 
I know the shore guys have stuck a few surgeon recently, so I stayed in close to the ferry.  By noon I was done.  It was c-c-cold! My hands were numb, and I'd seen no action on my line to compensate.  Those damn sturgeon elude me again!

On a side note, I figured out that a ram rod holder pointing straight up makes a decent balancer in a pinch.

Nice work Nate.  I was on a sturgeon/salmon vision quest this same exact time next year...good luck...the color of your yaks bow looks different!?!!

Nice report Bungle. I need to start fishing for the sturgeon myself. I want to burn up
my sturgeon stamp.

Jedmo

...the color of your yaks bow looks different!?!!

My P13 was already set up for an anchor, so I decided to not drill anymore holes in the Tarpon.  Its in hibernation till spring.

Hey Bungle, thanks for the reports... even the skunks. I know how you feel when you get home from a fresh skunk. Last thing you want to do is tell everyone how your day was mostly pain. But you really stuck it out and awesome to hear the madness flowing! You'll get that dino braddah.

Z

Nate,

What's up with this...you and Eric go out looking for sturgeon and you both end up with nice stripers.  Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong I should be thinking sturgeon not a delicious striper.  If I'm on the water and you catch a throw back striper, call me on the VHF and you can "throw it back" onto my stringer...LOL. 

Nice effort, it's amusing that you're disappointed with a striper that I'm sure everyone would be happy with.  Thanks for the report, you're a true sportsman and I feel for you Bro...you're working hard for those points.

Gary

uh huh!...that's where you've been! ComboTrip'n&Port'n em' now ehh?!

DO00OD!...you forgot the "company line" at the end of your 'port!
...you know the drill! 
"even though I've been skunked'piss'd & will never fish sturg' again!, ITwasGREATtoBEoutONtheWATER"

I'll be thinking up new picture angles of the same ol' shit i've posted TIME after TIME! up in SuckaSlough VERY SOON!
....standby!

oh,..and NICE FISH Nate!!  I don't know whut it is, but you seem to catch stripers in the bay regularly......I've witnessed it myself

Sucka!  Ya shoulda rigged up a kingfish or a baby batray, thats it, thats how you catch a monster!  JTF

I am convinced, there are no sturgeon in SP bay at the moment,,,,

But it does seem that there are some nice stripers showing up

Nice looking fish, and a beautiful river shot,,,,

BFI ??

Nice striper Nate!

...and a good read too.

SuckaSlough