8 mile road night fishing report

I've always been curious about fishing around the delta in my yack, and also about night fishing. Finally gave it a go thursday night at White slough near 8-mile road in stockton. Fished the evening through the night, and early morning.

Got to the launch at the marina on Atherton rd around 8pm (right off of w 8-mile rd on the left). Plenty of safe parking and easy stroll to the launch but it looks like could get harder during the weekend. As I was getting ready to launch, a local guy Al from Stockton showed up in a smaller sit-in. I thought he was a NCKA member but wasn't so I told him to check it out and to keep in touch. I hope he does.

So we launched and started fishing from the bridge area heading towards White slough. It couldn't have been any better, calm breez and water, plenty of light, just a few PBs, and plenty of evening LMB action. I was using a frog and a buzz-bait. The buzz-bait got hit almost every cast around weed edges. Quickly got 3, approx 2lbers LMB in about 1/2 hr. There were also a lot of misses but seeing the fish jump up to take the lure was as exiting, now I'm hooked for life on surface fishing I think I might take up fly fishing next.

I switched over to the frog as we got to the thick surface areas, not much action on the frog, only got about 4 boils, all missed. Al got 3 of his own from White slough area on crank bait, we stopped around past 9PM as it got pretty dark and Al left for the day.

I rigged up my night necessities and continued solo around 10:30PM with a surface popper and the frog. Not much action on neither until about 12PM. Got a small striper probably around 15" on the popper. I thought I had just run into a school of them so I continued casting in the same area but instead got a ~5lber LMB about 10 min later. Fine by me  my catch of the trip. All went dead after that. The popper was collecting too much weed anyways so I switched over to the frog and continued.

The moon showed up around 1AM, helped with vis a lot but still couldn't see much. So as far as fishing at night, the frog pretty much made it happen as it didn't get snagged at all. I couldn't see much where I was throwing but did hear boils every once in a while, quite often right near the yak. It was about 1:30AM when I decided to call it quits that I gave the buzz-bait a try again and quickly got two LMB about the same sizes I got during the evening. I thought it might be the trick and continued until about 2AM for nada so went back to the car, took a nap, and continued around 4:30AM.

So here is the puzzling part. I got to the fishing grounds around 5AM. The sun was starting to come up so I could see everything now. The water was high and fish were jumping all over the placees, I'm talking big fish, good 4/5lbers or even bigger looked like they were going for flies??? I had heard that early mornings and evenings are the best time for bass fishing so seeing them everywhere, I was thinking this was it, my shot at being a bass master. Casted my popper and frog everywhere there was fish, in the water, on the beds, everywhere. A lot of times, they're right on top of the water just sitting there right next to the lure, NOT A DAMN HIT All my casts were just perfect, tried various retrives and still nada. Whyyyyyy? Tried different spots, same story.

Now it was around 8AM, all the jumps pretty much stopped, the big ones are now all under, all the excitment gone, sleeplessness setteling in so paddled back to the car while continuing with my casts on my way back. Nothing. Then I switched to a worm, throwing and flipping around the edges, got a smaller 1lber. Tried the frog again for more misses, tried the popper for another smaller one and called it a day.

In conclusion, early morning didn't work for me contrary to popular beliefs, late evening was a blast, night fishing wouldn't bring any more action than one would expect or any larger fish, not at least in the delta, just that it's a bit more exciting hearing the fish boil in the dark in addition to being out in isolated water and better conditions during the hot summer nights. I'd definitely do this again with someone or a company who know what they're doing but I would much rather prefer evenings. I still wonder what it would be like in the salt.

James

James, Great report and nice work on the LMB.

Al

Great report.

  I've never try'd bass at night, but I have done trout, and crappie with a light on the lakes. If your into cat fish and strippers,  you could have put out some stink bait. (anchiovies, chiken liver)  Might  have been able to fill the slow time,

After hitting the local river, I think its time to do some frog'n   

Craigh

Nice Adventure there!!!!  Never tried something like you did,  would like to hook up and try something like that...

  Nice report.............Danglin

Great Report!

If your into cat fish and strippers,  you could have put out some stink bait

  ..............   

Michael

  Justyakit what headlamp (if any) do u use?  I purchased one at Mel Cottons for my first night time bass adventure, and it worked great!  It was able to illuminate the bank from a good 40yds out.  Costco currently is carrying a headlamp by Rayovac "High-Beam" for $15!! Slightly cheaper than the one I got at at Mel's and the lumen's are higher so it is technically brighter,so I now have 2, I use my $15 lamp around the house.

Troy

Troy, I was using a streamlight trident headlamp that has 3 LEDs and a krypton bulb like the one on this link.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/streamlight-trident-ul-led-headlamps-61049.html

I tried all light modes (1 LED, 3 LEDs, krypton) but they didn't seem that much different past a few yards so I pretty much ended up using just one LED which was more than enough to see what was around me. I'll check out costco for the one you mentioned.

James

I used to fish Don Pedro at night back in college.  I think we used to go 3 days before a full moon.  Drag the bottom with a brown plastic worm with a black stripe.  Used to get 30 to 50 two to three pound large mouth bass.  Don't know if they still allow night fishing there.

This was in a bass boat.  In June, July and Aug.

Ken kickfish

Growing up in TX we would always go night fishing. It is a blast. Only way to escape the heat down there.

Great report, can't wait to figure out a place to try that around here.

seems you guys really what you're doing, i'd definitely like to try again. that place was just a bass paradise. i'd say we start off in the evening and fish into the night. let me know if you guys ever have the time and i'll see what's up.

james

Sounds like you did better then my son and I. We were up at Franks tract Thurs. nite about midnight and the wind was howling so bad we had to seek cover. We were in the bass boat we did manage a few bass. We fished all day Friday around Tower Park area lots of Frog fishing lots of blowups but no frog fish they just were not taking it. Ended up with a good sun burn! I did not see any hookup post for the Delta. I would have joined you with the kayak. Next time maybe.

I used to fish Don Pedro at night back in college.   ...   Don't know if they still allow night fishing there.

Still allowed to night fish as of about 2 years ago.  I used to fish for trout under a light.

Michael

Nice report.  I've been wanting to try night kayak fishing too.