2/23/2013: More Early Season Stripers!!! (Non-

Decided to fish the end of the Carquinez Strait (near the I-680 Bridge between Martinez and Benicia). I did some researching online before heading out because I've never fished this area before. I figured that the stripers should be in this area as they are migrating out of the delta into the bay. I did not expect to catch anything and for a while me and my two buddies were thinking we're going to get skunked after not even getting a single hit in 4 hours. Things changed an hour into the outgoing tide when we found some bait jumping by a point that created a back eddy. A school of stripers were staged up there and feeding on baitfish. We casted a bit past the boils and started hooking up like crazy. I was fishing with a Jack TN70, my friend Kevin got his on a 1/2oz 4" Fishtrap swimbait, and my buddy Paul got his on a 4 1/2 inch broken-back Rebel. I ended up with a 3 stripers ("18 incher which was released, and kept a 23.5" and 22"). Kevin caught (a 16" shaker, 19", and 22") and Paul caught the most with 3 shakers and 3 keepers. Paul released all his fish so he didn't measure any of his. Me and Kevin kept our limits. The fights were amazing on a LMB gear. We were fishing from approximately 9PM till 3AM. Sucks that I'm a weekend warrior. I gotta wait a week before I can go out again after having to go through the trouble of finding them... ugh. So go get them guys!!!

Here are the tide tables for Benicia the night I fished:

Sa  23     High  12:36 AM     4.8   6:48 AM     Set  5:12 AM      90
    23      Low   5:54 AM     2.0   5:56 PM    Rise  4:13 PM
    23     High  11:41 AM     5.3
    23      Low   6:47 PM     0.2

Su  24     High   1:09 AM     4.9   6:47 AM     Set  5:47 AM      95
    24      Low   6:37 AM     1.8   5:57 PM    Rise  5:14 PM
    24     High  12:22 PM     5.5
    24      Low   7:16 PM     0.2

And here's the fish pics - they were taken at home:

Thx for the detailed report.  Good to learn about how the tides and conditions affect stripers in the delta. Makea me wanna go striper fishing!

Peace & blessings!

Great report and pics, doesn't get any more detailed than that! I haven't fished for stripers in a few years. Got to get out and give'em a try.

Nice, thanks for the report and pics.

Looks like a great time. Way to go putting the time in to find them, that's the fun part for me, the hunt!! Great report
Jeff

Nice score! 

Nice ! Great Job.  Your taking me back to my roots  .  Unfortunately now,  i'm usually asleep by 9pm. . When I lived in San Jose I would fish Sherman Island. Stripers and Sturgeon.

Nice Work! All the old timers I talk to used to fish at night, looks lke I should give it a try sometime.

Thanks for the report and pictures TPK.

Great change of pace report.

Bad ass man.  Thanks for the report!

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Good looking fish. Thanks for the info