Winter "Sponge Bite" ... Sunday 12/13/09

My guide book has been a little sparse with bookings this Dec, so.., i took some time to do a little Striper fishing of my own with my good friend Carlo. We didn't fish all day as we chose to focus just on the incoming tide. We hit the water with a stiff S.S.W. wind to our back as we headed down river. The weather was a bit windy with heavy overcast and a slight drizzle, but a lot warmer than i had the week before on my client trips.  Last week we were starting our days with temps in the 20's. This morning felt like a tropical vacation with morning temps in the mid to upper 40's. I think the fish felt the same.

We dropped into a spot that provided some "calmness" from the storms that had come in over the weekend. I mentioned to Carlo that i try to search out areas that have some protection from these big storms in the Winter. The fish always seem more settled and relaxed and ready to eat in these environments. These places are usually far off the beaten path and often much smaller water than the main sloughs and river channels. Combine these areas with some deep water "holes" and you have the making for some great fishing even in the worst of weather conditions. The deep water holes in these type of places will concentrate the bait and fish and the grabs can last for hours.  This was the winning strategy on Sunday...find sheltered water with deep holes with 15-20+foot depths.

The fish were there and feeding and we ended our 5hr trip with a very good number of fish to hand. Although we didn't find any really large fish, we did have consistent hookups in one spot for over 2hrs with fish in the 3-8+class. The key to hooking them was mentioned in my earlier post on Winter fishing. The "sponge bite" was in full swing and once Carlo keyed in on it, slowing down and staying connected on the drop, he started getting bit. From then on, we had both rods bent almost nonstop. Carlo ended up with a beautiful 8+lb Striper that he said ate "so soft"...just a slight pull back on the line...that he wasn't sure it was a fish. That sums up the "sponge bite" pretty well Carlo!

Everyday is different on the Delta, but the Winter can provide some great angling opportunities

...some of our best fishing is here now...you just have to be there to get in on it!

I have many open days available, so if you want to set a date, just look me up at Delta Adventures.com or send me an email: capt.kev@deltaadventures.com

Capt. Kevin Doran