Sacramento fishing Report 05/14 and 05/15.

I guess since this is my first post and report I should throw out a little bit of an introduction.  Names, Steve.  Born and raised in Fresno, California.  Been fishing all my life and just got back to good old California after twenty years of bouncing around the US and its territories working and trying to keep my line as wet as possible.  The last five years I was fortunate to have been able to travel all over the world visiting 55 countries, seeing everything that I could see, and occasionally getting my line wet.  My most memorable fishing experience was the month and a half I spent in Narathiwat, Thailand, renting a room above a chicken house, with my own balcony over a river mouth just off of the Gulf of Thailand.  I picked up a couple of telescoping poles, headed to the open air market across the street for bait and caught at least two dozen different varieties of mixed salt water and freshwater fish including Red snappers, four different varieties of catfish, and even meter long plus Conger EEls.  All the fish I would catch I would give to the working ladies downstairs and they would dry them out and make different types of soups and salads.  Fishing 24/7, no tv, no technology, slept with the fishing pole on one side of the bed and the line passing over the bed and out the window.  I mean 24/7.  Add the on going southern civil war with village assassinations and the occasional market bombing, it took fishing to a whole new level.  Second would be catching Piranha in the Amazon and the Congo.  I really like fishing.

Back in Fresno visiting my parents, I dug out an old 12 foot aluminum with an ancient 9.9 Johnson and spent as much time as I could on the water around Fresno, the Sierra Nevadas, across to Mendota Slough, and up to San Luis Reservoir/Oneill forebay. 

A friend of mine got sick up here in Sacramento and I ended up moving here to take care of his business.  I had lived in Sac about fifteen years ago and used to catch some solid Salmon and stripers out of the Sacrament and the port.  When I had the chance to come up here I was stoked, but knew it wasn't going to be possible to bring up my little boat.  I hooked up with some old fishing buddies and while hitting the port I watched a guy floating around in a little plastic boat looking happy as can be.  I knew right then it was a game I had to play. 

And that brings us to my first post and report.

I picked up a new to me Wildnerness Systems Tarpon 140 about a month ago.  It was a newer model bone stock used for diving out in Monterey.  The last couple of weeks I had been adding my own personal touches and heading over to the port to test drive it and pick up the occassional shaker and crappie.  One of my last additions was my fish finder off the old aluminum.  I was looking forward to being able to see what the structure and depth of the port as I had been spending the prior weeks drifting Jumbos and trolling the hell out of the port with nary a shaker to show for it.  On Sat, like my last vist, it was windier as hell with almost white cap chop.  I had picked up a half dozen medium minnows to go with the Jumbos just for this situation as I figured I would hide out under the the docks catching some crappie or bass.  The wind was whipping so hard it made it impossible to even sit underneath with the pilings.  I figured the only sanctuary was by the boat launch near the levee gate.  I ran into Mario(?) tan-Tarpon 140 doing the same thing.  Used the fish finder to scan the area and found a couple of rubble piles where a bunch of Crappie were hovering above (right under the bridge) and paddled my ass off to hover above them until one would smack my minnow.  It was so windy that I could barely get the fish to the top when I had to put the pole down and paddle my ass to the side before I was pushed into the gate.  I ended up catching and releasing five healthy crappie and a solid black bass.  I figured it was a pretty successful trip and I was out of there by 1pm. 

I could have started my fishing reports a couple of weeks ago on my first couple of port trips but it was pretty much a lot of trolling crank baits, drifting Jumbos, and tossing Buck tail jigs all over the port with pretty much nothing to show for it. 

This morning I figured it was time for something new as I had just completed up rigging my anchor system.  I had heard about Discovery Park ("Disco" I finally figured out what the abbreviation stood for "Disco"very Park, what an idiot I am), by reading some of the reports on this site and scoped it out a week ago.  My fishing buddies and I had just fished the Sacramento on tuesday (three shakers and a black bass) on a PB (power boat) and was kind of sketchy about the whole kayak thing with the water ripping so fast.  While scoping the area out there were a couple of people floating around on some really sketchy kayaks on the American side without much effort. I also figured it would be a decent time as the weather was forecasted to be kind of shitty meaning all the bbq family action would be light.  I got a bit of a late start as I wanted to scour through the reports before I left to make sure there wasn't anything that I was missing and to make sure there wasn't a special launch that everybody was using.  I stopped off at Broadway bait and picked up a six pack of Jumbos as the prior days minnows didn't survive the night even though I flushed out the water a couple times throughout the night and ran an aerator.  The bait counter guy said that it was really slow and he didn't think that many people would be out on the water because of the forecast.  After an incorrect freeway choice I finally arrived at "Disco" around eight.  It was pretty much me and two guys crashed out in sleeping bags under the bridge.  I got situated and launched off the car top launch.  Getting out on the water I was relieved to find the current rather slack, and with the wind going opposite the current, I was actually getting pushed up current.  I rigged up my medium-heavy level-wind rigs with a 15lb main line, three ounce weight on a slider, bead, swivel, three feet of 20ln fluorocarbon leader, and a Gamakatsu #1 Octopus hook.  I floated along the color change where the two rivers meet trying to stay out of the Sacramento swift current.  I really didn't mark many fish but tried for about an hour drifting around in circles.  By tenish some nasty looking clouds rolled over so I figured it would be much more comfortable sitting under the shelter of the overpass.  I almost got there when the clouds opened up and it rained for the next couple of hours.  The good part of that was I spent the next couple of hours paddling every section of the bridge.  I ended up popping five shakers and one keeper (all caught and released) by finding a couple of schooling fish and then like the crappie, slow paddling it over them until the rod popped.  It worked out rather well and I ended up scoring a perfect 100%.  By then the river was full of debris and I figured it would be a hassle to try and fish artificials with all the leaves and litter filling the water.  I called it a successful day and was off the water by noon with the sky still pissing rain.

I didn't get a chance to test my anchor system but I was kind of hesitant as I only have a light duty folding anchor which seems like it would get snagged rather easily and then a log would come down and suck me under.  I think I'll look for something a little more suitable before I anchor up in a river.  My only other issue that has popped up is that using longer shafted rods with the Scotty rod holders makes it a bitch to get them out when the fish are hitting directly below.  I was ending up leaving the rods in the holder and cranking a few times to set the hook and then wrestling the pole out of the holder.  I'm not sure how it's going to work out if I lay into a twenty plus pounder.  Anyways, still in testing stage.

And that's my first post.

Catch of the day.

The ride on the ride or how I ride.

If you see this guy around stop and say hello.  I actually still walk around with this fish just like in the picture.  Not so great for meeting women, but it does attract fishing buddies.  I picked this one up at the port back in November.  Drifting Jumbo minnows on a PB.  I would have never been able to get the pole out of the rod holder with this dude tugging.

If you are into fishing or adventure stories, you can check out my blog that I kept on my fishing/adventure trip.
http://www.steveislost.com/blog/24-hours-in-the-life-of-fisherman-steve.html/2313

EXCELLENT 1st post.

I didn't get a chance to test my anchor system but I was kind of hesitant as I only have a light duty folding anchor which seems like it would get snagged rather easily and then a log would come down and suck me under.  I think I'll look for something a little more suitable before I anchor up in a river.

This ought to help your anchoring worries.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,16289.0.html

that is one nice striper you got there 
nice

Thats an awesome first post hope you enjoy the yak they are endless fun!!

Hello and welcome.

Great post, and I look forward to more,

Great intro and fishing report.

But I am more interested in this little bit you said: "All the fish I would catch I would give to the working ladies downstairs"

Working ladies?

Just kidding.  Welcome back to California.

thanks for the excellent read, cameron

Welcome.  I hope you enjoy your time back in the states.  Thailand with a fishing pole next to you while
you are sleeping.  Most of us fish junkies have done that during our lives. 

Hope to meet you around.

Great post! And welcome!

Thanks for the welcome.  I look forward to doing some paddling with you guys.  Hopefully I can get more involved with some of the hookups.

Scotty-  It was an actual brothel but real low key and kind of a locals set up.  It is kind of unique that it tailors to the backpacker set upstairs (cheap homey rooms) and the working ladies limited to downstairs.  It was so low key that it was in the older Lonely Planet and other guidebooks as it was one of the more pleasant places to stay in the fishing village.  The ladies were all older mamason types so they kept the place spotless, made great food, and were just like mom (if mom was a prostitute).

Tote: Working on that set-up now.  I think it will work better than a trolley system in heavier current.  I need to pick up a heavier mushroom or pyramid type anchor.  It would be a nightmare trying to free a stuck anchor.

Matt:  I'm a watt and American guy too.  Right off watt and fair oaks.  Go down to the river all the time to see how the guys fish the area.  Seems a bit sketchy for a kayak at the moment.  Will look forward to trying it when the flows slow a bit.

Again, thanks for the welcome guys.  It makes posting a lot less intimidating.