out at the port 12-18

fishing freak · Post by **fishing freak** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:27 pm

Well,well,well. We got their pretty early I believe around 6:30 with no light out yet. then its time to unload the fully loaded crawdad and off to the launch. Once we were on the water it was nice,cold but overall good.... Then the thick fog rolled in. Our first stop was the bridge. I started with the bone spook for nothing, my buddie nick was working a blade runner spoon in shad color..nothing.

Next stop was the dock, working each and every pylon. I was throwing a fish trap, striper special,buddie throwing a Jr spook. Boom blow up and take..fish on, get it to the boat its a small bass. Rite after I throw to the 2nd pylon and let it drop. Thump and set hook, sure enough I'm getting tuged on, after a lil fight to the boat was this chunky.

Nothing after that. Throwing rattle traps and spoons. Made a move down the way work some bank and picked up this 2.5 on the swim bait.

Oh boy.. it was work after that worked a lot of water for nothing, baits used were.. jerk,swim,spoons,spooks,rattle,cranks.
Talk to my buddie mike from "intimidator sport fishing" he did well at least a dozen fish from 20" and up. Had to work a lot but got them on, live bait,spoons, and the newest cali rig.
Also talked to Rick T, from blade runner tackle at the end of the day working the spoon, didnt get anything rite then but was rite over the lock jaw fish like us but no takes. He ended the day with 20 stripes.

We had a piranha fish finder that the suction cup wasn't staying to the boat, so we were throwing hot dogs down hallways.

This day was tuff and what I learned is if you had a bigger boat and could run and gun, that's were it was at. We worked alot of the same water but it was hit and miss.

If you don't know there is 1 launch that is private and have to get on a waiting list to even be taught of which could take to 10yrs. Lmao yeah rite..

Neways, better luck next time.

fishing freak · Post by **fishing freak** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:20 am

Does anybody have any input about this area?

chinook · Post by **chinook** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:17 pm

You were fortunate that the port authorities didn't stop you. In the old days (before 9/11), we used to catch a lot of stripers drifting minnows alongside the dock pilings but we are no longer permitted to do that. Homeland Security and Coast Guard regs at the port of Sacramento require that you stay approx 250 feet from all ships and docks.
Those of us who are members of the Washington Outboard Club forfeit our membership if our CF number gets reported to the club by the port police as someone that got too close to one of the docks. Not sure what they do to non-members like yourself; maybe you will just get a warning if it is the first time as I don't see the rules posted anywhere you could see them.
Be careful. Continued violations just make it harder on the rest of us as it could lead to closing the port to private boaters. The docks aren't the only place you will find fish there though in the old days they were always pretty consistent.

fishing freak · Post by **fishing freak** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 9:03 am

The posted sign only stated to be 100ft from the dock and boats.which I can cast to that all day long. Security was out but didn't say anything to us because we weren't violating any law. Just to give you a heads up. But thanks for your info[qu. ote="chinook"]You were fortunate that the port authorities didn't stop you. In the old days (before 9/11), we used to catch a lot of stripers drifting minnows alongside the dock pilings but we are no longer permitted to do that. Homeland Security and Coast Guard regs at the port of Sacramento require that you stay approx 250 feet from all ships and docks.
Those of us who are members of the Washington Outboard Club forfeit our membership if our CF number gets reported to the club by the port police as someone that got too close to one of the docks. Not sure what they do to non-members like yourself; maybe you will just get a warning if it is the first time as I don't see the rules posted anywhere you could see them.
Be careful. Continued violations just make it harder on the rest of us as it could lead to closing the port to private boaters. The docks aren't the only place you will find fish there though in the old days they were always pretty consistent.[/quote]

chinook · Post by **chinook** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:15 pm

Thanks for your response; that 100 foot figure is interesting. I haven't been out there in a couple of years but on the club's website, there is a copy of the guidelines we agreed to when the club signed the latest agreement with the port. Those guidelines say what I quoted; 250 feet from ships or docks. If the posted signs say 100 feet, then that's got to be right. Don't understand why the club would have agreed to 250 feet and will bring that up at the next club meeting.
100 feet is still too far for drifting minnows but you certainly can get plugs and jigs in there. One of the other things we used to be able to do is actually fish for crappie underneath the docks. And we say that terrorists haven't changed our lives any! The bureaucracy is pretty ridiculous; I'm sure every terrorist out there is just chomping at the bit to go and blow up the port of Sacramento. What a great target!
Thanks again and keep goin' after 'em........

fish_food · Post by **fish_food** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:49 pm

That 100 feet rule is pretty arbitrary and doesn't make any sense. I remember being warned about distance before any signage went up. It's not even a busy or important port. You can get right into the pilings and right up to the ships at the Port of Stockton without hassle and it's a much busier port.