Sep
PITTSBURG – August and September mark the peak of warm water fishing in the West Delta. Catfish are on a very good bite and black bass are hitting well. Stripers are beginning to show in stronger numbers point to a great fall bass run.
“The striper bite is really good right now and the fishing pressure is light,” reported Captain David Hammond of Delta Pro Fishing. “We are averaging about 20 bass per day while trolling. Some days are better, while other days are slower.”
Bait anglers are hooking stripers while fishing shad and anchovies near the Power Lines, but you have to sort through lots of shakers for a keeper or two.
The occasional keeper sturgeon is being pulled out of the deep water below Pittsburg, but fishing pressure is very light. The top baits continue to be roe and eel.
For catfish, anglers are advised to soak standard offerings like clams, mackerel and cut anchovies in 10 to 20 feet of water. Target areas that feature current. The best fishing takes place early, late and after dark, but you can also catch them in the daylight hours.
Smallmouth bass are active in the sloughs above Rio Vista for anglers tossing surface poppers and crawfish pattern crankbaits. The average bass goes about 14 inches, but fish to 3.5 pounds are possible.