10 March 26 , 2021 VOL . 40 • ISS . 6

Steven Burke shows off an awesome 13lber that he caught on the California Delta . He was trolling with Chris Ditter of HeadRush Sportfishing .

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Photo Courtesy of HeadRush Sportfishing .

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You can never go wrong with a white shallow running lure when trolling for stripers on the California Delta . Shallow running lures typically dive between 3-7ft depending on your speed . You may want to try various colors but white is definitely a great starting point .

Deep

Divers can reach depths between 13-20ft deep depending on which model you are using . Stripers love the chartreuse color so make sure to have this color in your arsenal . Most trollers on the delta add a worm tail to these bait to give it more action .

Zoom worms are often added to the back of shallow and deep running lures when trolling the California Delta for striped bass . White is the preferred color but many use a variety of colors until they figure out what the stripers want that day .

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aggressive when attacking their bait . So when anglers use a relatively light fishing rod and reel the fight can be amazing . You never know if you are going to catch that 3-5lb or that 20-40lb fish . Anglers find stripers great table fare but most would agree that the smaller fish are better to eat than the larger ones . Anglers have several options on what technique to use when targeting striped bass . They often use a variety of baits while sitting on anchor or fishing from shore . Pluggers cast a variety of lures while others troll for them . I have had the opportunity to troll for stripers with a lot of friends as well as fishing guides in the California region . In my opinion , the best trollers are the ones that troll their baits into specific spots or zones . They are using the current , tule islands , and other structures to their advantage . They locate depth contours in the river to identify paths the stripers are traveling . They identify schools of bait and what depths the bait is in . I believe great striper pluggers and great shallow water striper trollers have many differences but they do have a lot in common . Pluggers make a cast into a specific spot or zone because they “ think like a fish ” and when they make a cast they believe that a fish is there for a reason . A few of those reasons include ambush spots , current and back eddy ’ s . Shallow trollers often use their boat to troll their lure into similar areas as well . Let ’ s use the West Bank on the California Delta as an example . Pluggers and shallow water trollers are able to get their lures into similar locations like near the tules and up tight to other structures in the shallow water . Most importantly , they are able to get their lures where the shallow water meets the deep . Remember , stripers love to ambush bait and will sit against tule islands and use the current to their advantage . Usually , waiting for baitfish coming down the current line right to them . I believe that when the stripers are deep they are most likely not feeding . I think this is important to know because it changes your approach on how to catch them . A real example for me is when I pull up to a spot and plan to fish shallow there are times I notice my electronics have identified a huge school of stripers below me in deep water . They are actually on the edge of where the shallow water meets the deep . I believe there are a few possibilities on why the stripers are there . One , they are resting . Two , they are moving along the deep water . The third reason , the exception to my thought , is that there is a school of bait and they are feeding on it . Trollers should mark on their electronics where this school is located

By Ernie Marlan

and grab a lure that will dive to this depth . Make a mental note of what depth the fish are in and try trolling in this zone and definitely back and forth over the top of this school . Try and figure out why the stripers are there . Is it bait ? Is there a big depth change ? A hole ? There is a reason so try and figure it out . Another thing to try and figure out in this situation is whether the stipers are in a tight group or if there are just a bunch of them in a general area . If they are tightly grouped you should troll over them , turn around and do it again . If they are scattered you should troll a larger area before turning around . Make sure to take note of the depth the fish are located in . It could be a pattern . In this same situation , those who enjoy jigging or spooning for stripers would naturally grab a BladeRunner Spoon and drop it down . Stripers cannot handle a dying bait fish falling right in front of their face and that is exactly what the spoon looks like . I like to believe a group of stripers that are deep are resting . They are not interested in eating at that moment . However , if I am sitting on the couch after I just ate a large meal and my kids bring over my favorite dessert , I rarely turn it down . Stripers are the same way . If you troll their favorite meal right in front of their face even if they are full their instincts are just to eat it and rarely will pass it up . The other time I think deep diving lures are effective is in the Spring . I believe a striper in the delta in the spring is moving upriver and has one thing on their mind , to spawn . The spring striper feeds , of course , but its main purpose is to spawn and I believe they are constantly on the move . Trolling the deep water can be effective during this time . The fall striper on the other hand is in the delta for one reason , to feed . They are not inclined to move around as much and they will be most likely hanging out with the shad schools . Because spring stripers are headed up river to go spawn I believe that they use the deep water to travel . I think they are following deep water contours and have a specific path . Therefore , I do not think trolling blindly in deep water is effective . In my opinion , it seems to be more productive trolling deep water and you need to find their path . Usually , it ’ s something different in the deep water . Current , shallower water ( in the deep water ), deeper water , or even bait . Use your electronics to identify a pattern . I would suggest immediately marking the spots where you caught a fish and maybe after you land a few the spots may tell you a story . The action of your lure is most important and you can tell if it is

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