STRIPED BASS ANGLERS GET VICTORY OVER AB 1253!!
In a great show of solidarity, fisheries groups, biologists and conservation organizations from across California showed up in force at the State Capitol on Tuesday to help shoot down the dangerous anti-striper legislation, Assembly Bill 1253.
Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) introduced AB 1253 in the California legislature, declaring war on striped bass and proposing to remove all gamefish restrictions. If passed in its original state, AB 1253 would have removed all harvest restrictions, allowing unlimited take of striped bass (of any size) statewide, even by commercial methods such as netting. The bill would have even allowed sale of harvested fish. With a market already well established – as evidenced by the illegal poaching arrests that occur every few months – this lack of protection would have surely meant the demise of this prized (legally-introduced) game fish.
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Striper Fishing…On Like Donkey Kong!
April 25, 2009 by JD
Filed under Fishing Videos
Striper fishing in California’s Central Valley can be an emotional roller coaster at times. The highs can be so sweet, but then the lows can come outta nowehere and kick ya to the curb. Unlike other anadramous species like salmon that pretty much head one direction — upriver — stripers can disappear overnight and you’re never sure if they went up or down.
Here’s a glimpse of the beauty of striper fishing…the chaos, excitement and, in this case, family bonding, from a recent trip of mine…
SAVE CA STRIPERS NOW!!
If you value striper fishing in California, you’re going to have to act quickly because assemblywoman Jean Fuller, (R) Bakersfield, wants them dead!
Fuller introduced AB 1253 to take game fish status away from California’s striped bass.
AB 1253 will remove all protections that striped bass currently enjoy and will allow unlimited harvest in all waters, fresh or salt, throughout the entire state. Even commercial harvest of striped bass will be legal if this bill becomes law. And guess what, largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, brown trout, brook trout, mackinaw, kokanee are next on the list!
What you can do:
1) Sign the petitions at:
2) Comment on AB1253 at CA STATE ASSEMBLY (Just type “1253″ in the bill number box and “Fuller” in the “Author/Text” field.
30 Attend the rally. The Assembly Bill AB 1253 Hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at 8:00 am at the California State Capital Building and we need a STRONG showing of anglers!
Also, watch the following video for more information…
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Swimbait Colors for Stripers
So, what’s the best color for a swimbait for striper fishing? Well, here’s our no-frills, super-easy to follow, at a glance guide!
Keep ‘er simple, that’s what I say! In general, go more subtle in clear water/sunny conditions and brighten everything up on dark days or in murky water.
2008: The Year in Review
December 31, 2008 by JD
Filed under Cool Photos
Reilly and I snuck down to the Delta for one last fishin’ mission Dec. 30 to round out the year and we came away with a handful of stripers, including this nice one I got on a popper right at sunset.
Barring any unforeseen trips on the 31st, this striper has the honor of being my last fish of the 2008 campaign. The year definitely had its ups and downs with the salmon closure and all, but I still had a great 2008. Here’s a quick photo tour of my year on the water…
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Pre-Christmas Striper Report
December 16, 2008 by JD
Filed under What's Biting?
Well, the weather’s got us on hold at the moment…but prior to these storms, striper fishing was as good as it has been all season. Every trip was yielding at least 30 fish and 50+ wasn’t out of the question.
We were still getting fish on poppers in the mornings and evenings and on swimbaits in between. The streak of 20 plus pounders came to an end, but there were still good numbers of 10-14 pounders in the mix. Read more
Another Swimbait Salmon!
Reformed salmon angler Tony Koregelos of Sacramento, CA shows off a chrome 20-pound Chinook salmon that ate a swimbait intended for striped bass in the California Delta.
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Swimbait Rig for Stripers?
Hey JD,
I love the videos. They’re informative and fun to watch. Anyway, what do you primarily use when fishing swimbaits for stripers? Your tackle setup (reel, rod, line, swimbait)?
Thanks,
Robert
Robert,
For fishing swimbaits I use a GLoomis 7.6-foot GWR 901, which is rated for 10-20 lb. test. Lately, I’ve been running my old Shimano Curado Super Free 201 spooled up with 20-pound braided line and 20-lb. flouro leader. Swimbaits are from Mad River Outfitters: (707) 826-7201.
I’ll also be doing seminars on stripers at the Sacramento International Sportsmen’s Expo this winter, so stop by for more info!
Take care,
JD
Striper Double Dip!
December 7, 2008 by JD
Filed under Cool Photos
Just how hungry are the stripers in the Delta? Just ask trusty sidekick Reilly, who got this double-header on one plug while fishing Sunday evening.
“We found ‘em on a flat we’d never tried before and the fish were there — and going crazy,” he says. “For the last few minutes before dark, they were eating our Pencil Poppers as fast as we could cast them back in…it was crazy!”
Stripers Going Strong!
December 7, 2008 by JD
Filed under What's Biting?
While it’s been super chilly in the pea soup fog down on the Delta lately, the striper bite has been very good and I’ve been getting somewhere in the mid-20’s to 35+ fish per outing so far this week. We haven’t had any real jumbos over the past few days, but there have been nice fish like this in the mix every trip…
The nice thing about this fog is it has helped the topwater bite stretch longer into the day. Over the past three days, the white stuff has been hanging around at least until 1 p.m. and the stripers have continued to feed on the surface as long as the sun’s been blocked out.
On Saturday, the sun never really came out but the fog burned off on Thursday and Friday in the afternoon and we switched to throwing swimbaits for plenty of biters like Harry’s nice keep-sized bass:
The water temps have come down quite a bit since the warm weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Right before Turkey Day, we had 59 degrees but that’s now down to 52-54, which is really about perfect. This bite should just keep building until we get a bunch of muddy water in the system (not likely anytime soon) or a prolonged cold snap that drops the water temps down into the low 40’s.
At this rate, we should still be knee-deep in stripers at least into the New Year!