It's been a little different this year in terms of weather and water temperatures on the California Delta, and that means that the striper bite is still wide open, according to guide Vince Borges. Typically, it's the tail end of the fall run, but the fishing is going strong right now, and Borges expects it to continue for the foreseeable future. A largemouth guide for much of the year, this is when he switches gears to line-sides and guides clients to some fast and furious action, both by trolling lures and casting topwaters and glide baits.
The water temps are right
Like all fish, Stripers make their moves by water temperature, which delayed the Delta striper bite this year. The good news is that it's here now and will continue to improve.
"We had a cooler year but a warmer than normal fall that kept the fish out in the bay longer," he said. "We didn't have the runoff like normal and that changed things. At the end of November, the temperatures were 57 to 58, and the stripers like when it gets to 55 degrees before they start to move in with big numbers."
Borges says the bite will continue because they are still catching fish in the bay. "I'm always listening to how guys are doing out there and they're still catching them," he said. "That means more are on the way into the Delta."
Trolling to find 'em
One of the best and easiest ways to cover ground is by trolling, which is what Borges likes to do when he's searching for active fish. He has a bass boat but trolls with the help of his Minn-Kota trolling motor and the remote, and it works like a charm.
"I use my Ultrex and the remote and it's very easy to keep the right speed and maneuver along grass lines," he said. "The best speeds are just under 2 miles per hour up to 3 miles per hour and we use two different trolling baits, a shallow and deeper version of the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow. It's a 7-inch bait, but we add even more to it by putting a full-sized trick worm on the back hook to give it a wild action. Stripers are like cats and curious and drawn to it to chase it down before they bite."
Borges likes to troll with 15 to 17-pound Yo-Zuri T7 fluorocarbon or a braid-to-fluorocarbon combination and says he alternates between the two baits simply by the depth he's fishing
"The shallow version is for 10 feet of water or less, and the deeper version is for when I'm trolling and trying to catch those fish cruising deeper waters in the main channels," he said. "The T7 is great because it is durable and abrasion-resistant; we're constantly trolling baits over rocks, wood, and even old sunken boats. 15 to 17lb seems to be the best size for strength, so it doesn't deaden the action of your bait when you're trolling."
Casting once they find 'em
Trolling is great for searching for stripers, but Borges and his clients will also cast lures to fish once he finds them or when looking for a true monster.
"The biggest stripers are loners and will cruise the flats by themselves, but you can get some huge ones on topwaters and glide baits," he said. "We also start casting these baits by trolling once we get into the bigger schools. When the fish are up on the shallow flats in Franks, Sherman, or Liberty Island, you can catch a bunch with a Duel Hardcore Twitch'n Ninja Glider or Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil Popper."
He'll fish the big glide bait on 20-pound Yo-Zuri T7 fluorocarbon and the topwaters on straight braid and says to go wild with color choices. "For everything we use, we go with the ugliest and brightest colors because stripers like that," he said. "We use bright colors like clown or red and white and use loud colors on everything."
Also, Borges likes to beef up all the split rings and hooks because the fish are so aggressive. "These fish are so strong; I like to go with bigger rings and thicker hooks and will even use the 3D Inshore Pencil Popper made for big saltwater fish," he said.
There's still plenty of time to get in on the striper action this fall and Borges keeps things simple. Troll to find them and then start casting baits once you locate them. It's the best way to maximize your day on the water.
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