Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

[ngt]

I live in the northern Bay Area, I fish in Bodega, Napa, Lake Sonoma, and some small lakes around the area. Anyone on this board from the area? Got any places I haven't listed that are public and ok spots? Any tips for fishing in the areas I have listed? On shore or on a SMALL boat?

thanks!

Mostly looking for striper, sturgeon, large mouth bass, catfish, flounder, shark, eel, cod....depending on where I am

tips or advice or a new spot, would be great! I need to get up to the Ponds in Windsor....heard they are doing great on Large mouth bass right now.

 

[FishyFish]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

NGT,

Montezuma Slough is an excellant spot to catch Stripers, Sturgeon....HUGE Sturgeon, they say catfish and other assorted fish. How big is your Boat? There is an ez ramp located on Grizzily Island, the water runs fast at in and out go tides but is manageable. The Mothball Fleet located in Suisun Bay is one of my favorite playgrounds but can get a bit choppy at times. If you launch from the Vallejo, Mare Island ramps you can head west toward the Mare island cause way and fish in any of the area near Fishermans Cut or just anywhere in the channel. ....Just to name a few. Good Luck.


Fish

 

[ngt]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

NGT,

Montezuma Slough is an excellant spot to catch Stipers, Sturgeon....HUGE Sturgeon, they say catfish and other assorted fish. How big is your Boat? There is an ez ramp located on Grizzily Island, the water runs fast at in and out go tides but is manageable. The Mothball Fleet located in Suisun Bay is one of my favorite playgrounds but can get a bit choppy at times. If you launch from the Vallejo, Mare Island ramps you can head west toward the Mare island cause way and fish in any of the area near Fishermans Cut or just anywhere in the channel. ....Just to name a few. Good Luck.


Fish

My boat is only 12 ft. I am looking to pick up a replacement of 14ft, but still a small aluminum boat. Do you think the 12ft aluminum boat would be too small for out there? 12ft, deep V, 57 inch beam, 700 max capacity.??

I'd love to get out there and find some big stripers and a sturgeon or 2 I usually fish under the 29 bridge, but just got this boat and want to try somenew spots.

Which of those spots, if any, do you think a 12ft aluminum boat would be ok in? I've heard of those spots, but am just not sure exactly where they are.


edit: and THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTIONS!!!!

 

[FishyFish]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

Which of those spots, if any, do you think a 12ft aluminum boat would be ok in?

Hummm, That's a hard question for me to answer. That, I would have to let you answer. It really depend on you knowing your boat, I have seen guys out there in 12 ftrs, with their dogs and doing just fine. I have been out there and felt as if I was in "The Perfect Storm". You never know, but I know what I can do with my boat.

Montezuma would be a good start, take Hwy 12 east and you'll see a right turn to Grizzily Island launch, cost $5.00 .

This is a good day in Suisun, not a great day but a Good day.

Fish

 

[ebry710]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

I haven't tried the ponds on Hembree. My nephew says their good. I always see people with poles.

I am land locked for another month then I will be hitting Lake Sonoma.

I haven't fished Bodega yet. My whaler is not ready yet. I am still waiting to buy my kicker and install my downriggers.

I used to fish Berryessa, but I haven't for along time.

The Delta is great and Carquinez Straits are great for sturgeon.

SF Bay is good for flounder, rays and leopard sharks. We use to go off Tiburon.

 

[itsneverfinished]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

i fish in the slough, i live 5 minutes from grizzly. you wanna go out to the mouth of the bay, or around the mothball fleet, or WAY up in the slough for striper. sturgeon stick with the deep water channels in the bay. the problem out there is that the water can be 50 ft deep and drop to about 1 ft with no warning.

good thing about that is if youre in the middle of the bay and break down you could probably get out and push it back in

 

[ngt]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

lol, thanks guys! I'll need to go out with a buddy and check these spots out. Sounds like some cool places though. Again, I am in a 12 foot aluminum boat, so not sure how it is out in the bay. I caught my only sturgeon in the napa river under the 29 bridge from shore. I went out there on my boat on Saturday and my girl and I caught 11 striper between us, but nothing big enough to bring home. Mostly 15-16 inches. What do you guys usually bait up out here? Live grass shrimp? frozen Anchovies? Bullhead?

 

[itsneverfinished]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

imo frozen anchovies are the way to go. you can get two rigs out of one anchovie cut in half, and you dont have nast dead shrimp all over the place, on the other hand i have had good luck with both.
like i said though in most places the bay is extremely shallow. you can at least do the mouth of the bay, which is one of my favorite spots.

if youre going to be out in the slough/bay do it right and go to walmart and get a map. it will have the depths of the whole area, every turn, obstructions underwater... etc

 

[FishyFish]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

What do you guys usually bait up out here?

Please excuse me but I can get kinda anal on the visiuals..

But we like to use Ghost and or Grass shrimp. It's a natural food source for the Big girls. I agree that a map of the area is very important, I use charts from MapTech, I can download an area and take it with me as needed.

Fish

 

[ngt]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

thanks! I can grab those over off of hwy 37 and head back. Ever launch from that shop/marina? I'll grab a map this morning. Thanks for that too...

Any other advice for the area?

 

[itsneverfinished]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

there is a great bait shop off of 12 across from the intersection where grizzly island rd starts. i mainly go there because its so close to the launch ramp

 

[ngt]

Re: Any Bay Area members have any tips for fishing the area? good spots?

there is a great bait shop off of 12 across from the intersection where grizzly island rd starts. i mainly go there because its so close to the launch ramp

Oh that's great! I only know of the two good bait shops that sell live bait that I want. The one off 37 and the one past China Camp in San Rafael. I'm going to have to search this one out.

Do you know the name of the shop?