Fall Fishing is in full swing on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta & throughout Northern CA! Weather has been great with cool 50 degree mornings but warming nicely to 70 degree afternoons. With cooler temperatures I would expect water temperatures to drop & more Stripers to move into the system over the next month. Current water temperatures are mid to high 60’s with 67 degrees fairly common. The Stripers are spread around & have been a bit inconsistent over the past weeks. That said, each day we have found some quality fish to keep the days interesting. My hope is the coming forecast will continue to cool the waters & bring even more Stripers into the system!
The highlight of my past month has been an increased focus on Topwater fishing for Stripers. I have been using 3/0 & 5/0 Charlie Bisharat Pole Dancer Topwater Flies on a 9 or 10 wt. we have had good numbers of 10-16lb Stripers explode on our flies & that has been fun! This type of fishing is incredibly challenging & can be very inconsistent but a few guests have been up for the challenge. Willing guests & myself have recently had sone epic days of multiple fish over 10# on Topwater! I always say this type of fishing is a “labor of love” as you are fortunate to get one good shot but when you do it’s all worth it!
My guide season is all booked up at this time but looking forward to finishing out 2026 strong 💪🏻. Best wishes to all & happy fishing as we enjoy this wonderful Fall time of year, so many fishing opportunities all over the place! Cheers
