IO VISTA – A total of 383 anglers participated in the 74th

The California Delta features 1,000 miles of waterways . The lower San Joaquin River , shown here , features excellent fishing for striped bass and other species .

Photo courtesy of Dan Bacher

Annual Rio Vista Derby on Oct . 7 , 8 and 9 , weighing in an array of striped bass , white sturgeon , king salmon and catfish during the unseasonably warm and sunny weekend . Don Sysengchanh took first place in the adult division of the event , bringing in a 26.48 ” striper , the fish closest to the target length of 26.5 inches . He won a cash prize of $ 3000 for his catch . Mike Todd placed second with 26.47 ” striped bass , winning a $ 1500 cash prize . Dung ( Danny ) Nguyen finished third with a 26.44 ” striper , winning $ 1000 . Additional fishing gear and other prizes were awarded to the fourth through nineteenth places . “ Everyone in this category that entered a striper was given a prize if they were present at the awards ,” said Stacia Olson , President of the Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce . Anglers in the salmon division of the derby competed to catch the heaviest fish . Despite tough salmon fishing on the Sacramento River as warm water conditions persisted , anglers brought in some beautiful king salmon while fishing an array of lures . Rafael Duran captured first place with a 33.41-pound salmon , winning $ 1000 . Armando Nunez placed second with a fish weighing

32.68 pounds , winning $ 500 . Vance Wolfson finished third with a 31.94- pound king , winning $ 200 . In the sturgeon division , anglers competed to catch a fish closest to the target length of 54 inches . Brian Eck won first place with a 53.15 ” sturgeon , winning a $ 1000 prize . Cameron Veach placed second with a 47.12 ” diamondback , winning $ 500 . Justin Hickson finished third , with a 46.25 ” fish , winning $ 200 . In addition to their cash prizes , the top 3 adults in each category won metal fish art of the species they entered The major sponsors of the adult derby were Rio Vista Farms and Coco Farms , with additional prizes sponsored by the Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce , Silverton lures , Walide and Associates and Mega Bait & Tackle in

In the sturgeon division of the Rio Vista Derby , anglers competed to catch a fish closest to the target length of 54 inches . Brian Eck won first place with a 53.15 ” sturgeon , winning a $ 1000 prize .

Photo courtesy of the Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce

Manteca . In the Kids Derby , anglers competed to catch a striper closest to the target length of 22 ”. Kelsie Ellison won first place with a 21.53 ” fish . Liam Freitas placed second with a striper measuring 20.66 ”, while Jesus Gaytan finished third with a 20.31 ” fish . The kids also competed for the heaviest catfish . Richard

Caselas landed a catfish weighing 5 pounds , winning first place . Kallie Graggs placed second with a 1.7-pound catfish . Jason Swars finished third with a 1.6-pound cat . The top 2 kids in both categories received $ 50 gift cards to Sportsman Warehouse , a trophy and a metal fish . They also got to choose a prize , including outdoor tents , fishing poles , and tackle boxes . Beyond the top entries , every kid received a $ 25 gift card and a choice of an outdoor gear prize . The major sponsor of the kid ’ s derby was SMUD , with additional prizes provided by Mega Bait and Tackle , Manteca , Waldie Associates and an anonymous donor . Members of the California Striped Bass Association ( CSBA ), Isleton

Chapter , weighed and measured all of the fish brought in during the adult and kids derbies . Information : www . bassfestival . com . On the following weekend , the City of Pittsburg held their annual fishing derby out of the Pittsburg Marina on October 15 and 16 . The 120 anglers entered in the event weighed in 25 fish , including one sturgeon and 21 stripers . Anglers fished for the striped bass and sturgeon closest to a chosen target length both on-shore and off-shore . Striper anglers used a variety of methods , ranging from drifting live bait to anchor fishing with filleted shad . All of the winning fish were caught from boats . On Day 1 , Grady Rose won first place in the youth striped bass division with a 20.50-inch fish . Steve Bina placed first in the adult striper division with a 25-inch fish . Robert Williams took first place in the senior striped bass division with a 25.81- inch fish . On Day 2 , Hunter Storey won first place in the youth striper division with a 20.81-inch fish . Loren Dennis placed first in the adult striper division with a 26.13-inch fish . Francisco Aguilar took first place in the senior striped bass division with his 25.81-inch fish . Also on Day 2 , Jordan Lexa brought in the event ’ s only sturgeon , a fish measuring 48.25 inches , winning first place in the adult sturgeon division . “ The weather was rough – the wind made it difficult for anglers to see bites on their lines ,” noted Sara