Sacramento port technique fo stripper fishing

Hello, I'm new to fishing as well as kayak fishing . On 1/8/11 I went to the Sacramento port for stripper fishing. I tried to fish with sardines off the bottom but no luck and the current was weird almost as undercurrent because my line would loosen the tighten while being anchored. I tried using rattletraps from the top Also  not even a bite. My question is am I using the right bait/ lures to catch strippers and if not what seems to work better? Any input would help but I would love to go fishing with someone that's familiar with the area any kinda give me a few pointers. Let me know . From one kayaker to another.

Vlad

Live Bait- 3way swivel with 2oz. ball weight and circle hook with jumbo minnow.

Swim bait- Bouncing off the bottom /jigging or casting them

Trolling- Broke back deep divers or troll slow with the live bait set up.

The best time is incoming high tide and water temp in the 50 deg neighborhood.

Here's two links to check the tides.
NOAA
http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/images/cnrfc/tides/2012tides_north.pdf
or this one when they post the 2012 charts
http://www.washingtonoutboardclub.org/Port%20Tides%202011.htm

Funny thing about striped bass in the delta I think timing is every thing. Now the bite seam's to be off not that you wont catch one but I would cover more water trying to locate them. I have better results fish around Rio Vista side of the delta this time of the year. The east side of the delta is better in October and November. Over all I think the west side is the better side for striped bass.
I catch more fish using lip less crank baits than any other technique when the fish are active and I fish outgoing tides along the tules. The stripers sit at the edges of the tules waiting for bait fish to come out of hiding. Where I fish the water is only about 4 to 6 feet deep when I use this technique. Although it will work in deeper water also. When I fish deeper water like the port I will switch to minnows or a jig. Minnow on a slow drift over some sort of structure or in a school of fish.
or jig through it. This is where a fish finder is very valuable. Learn to use one. When I am trying to catch a larger fish I use bluegills. I like gills in the 2 to 3 inch range I get better hook up with that size gill. If use a 4 or 5 inch bait you really have to let that baby get chewed up. Trolling a broken back minnow is a good way to locate them when they are singled out or in a school. but personally I like top water the best. Keep a Zara spook with you at all times. I can go on and on about striped bass its one of my favorites but I hope this helps. If I were going to fish right now I would go to the Rio Vista side and soak bait or use a minnow. But thats me.

Good luck

Kevin

P.S. There is a hookup at San Luis coming up. Great place for striped bass.

My question is am I using the right bait/ lures to catch strippers and if not what seems to work better?

In a word, NOPE!!!  Everybody knows that the best way to "catch" a stripper is with money.  The larger the denomination the better!     

In all seriousness, Kevin provided some GREAT info on how to catch stripers.  Thanks Reelfish!!!

I've been fishing the port for a couple of months with pretty good success, however, I was skunked this afternoon.  Kevin pretty much covered the best techniques.  Slow rolling swimbaits have been my primary method, but the bites have definitely been few and far between for the last couple of weeks.  I saw a few caught on jigs today, but the ones catching just happened to be in the right place at the right time when a school passed thru.