Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3618 August 18- September 4 2017 | Page 7

FRESHWATER
VOL.36 • ISS. 18
Aug. 18 - Sept. 1, 2017
5
Cal’s Hot New Gear!
presents
Salmon Fishing Delta Style
W
^
Boom! A giant chromer…
That’s what we all want when
we hit the Delta and lower parts
of our river systems in search of
kings. Sharon was fishing with
Captain James Netzel when
this huge 33 pounder grabbed a
Brad’s Cut Plug. Trolling tactics
for hooking kings in the Delta are
pretty simple, yet it takes patience
and perseverance to hook up.
Remember there is lots of water
in the lower rivers with scattered
salmon pushing through.
^
Jordan pulled this beautiful
20 lb salmon out of the
Sacramento River while trolling a
Shasta Tackle Scorpion Spinner
along the bottom. Both natural
baitfish colored spinners and
highly colorful spinners catch
fish depending on the day, so it
makes sense to arm yourself with
some of each.
^
Brad’s Cut Plugs are deadly baits
both in the ocean and in rivers.
The baits roll perfectly every time and
come in a long list of highly effective
colors and color combinations. The
plug opens lengthwise revealing a large
scent chamber that can be spiked with
gel scents or real bait.
^
Scent is a critical part of river salmon fishing
success. Pro-Cure Bloody Tuna is one of the
favorite scents amount Delta trollers. Guys that pull
Brad’s Cut Plugs often mix canned tuna packed in
oil with Pro-Cure Bloody Tuna Super Gel and then
put that mixture in the plug’s scent chamber. This
way both scent and bits of real meat are released
into the water.
e all know that during the late
summer and fall, the upper
reaches of the lower Sacramento River
and the American River play
host to pretty good salmon
fishing, but one thing a lot of
us tend to forget is that before
the fish reach these much
heralded up river haunts they
must pass through Suisun
Bay and the lower Delta. For
anglers with the know how
Suisun Bay and the Delta offer
great opportunities for both
trollers and bank anglers to
hook big hard fighting king
salmon.
For bank anglers, the Beni-
cia area offers the best chance
for success. The bite can erupt
pretty much anywhere along the shoreline,
so it pays to check with bait shops and
other sources to find out where the fish
are being caught on the day you head out.
Having said that places like 1st Street,
Dillon Point and the State Park produce
kings every year.
Targeting Benicia kings from the bank
is simple, but it isn’t easy. The simple part
is the tackle. All you need is a long 8 to 9
foot spinning rod matched with a reel that
will hold 200 yards of 15 to 25 pound test
monofilament. Tip your main line with a
snap swivel and snap on a large spinner
such as a Mepps, Blue Fox or Silvertron.
Once you arrive at an area where salm-
on are being caught, stake out a comfort-
able location and start casting. Cast the
spinner up current, count in down so it
is near the bottom and slow roll it back.
You’ll have no problem distinguishing
the strike. When something grabs the lure
so hard it almost separates you from the
rod, you’ll know that a salmon has come
calling.
The hard aspect of the Benicia fishery
is having the stamina and determination
to stick it out long enough to actually get
a strike. Suisun Bay is a big place and
you’ll be covering a miniscule amount of
water.
Add to that the fact that
most of the salmon that see
your spinner won’t react
to it and you start to grasp
why a king hooked from the
Benicia shoreline is truly a
fish of a thousand casts. Yet
for anglers willing to invest
the time, this is one of least
expensive, least complicated
ways to put a salmon in the
smoker.
Moving up river, we come
to the Delta proper. For our
purposes, we’ll focus on the
water from Rio Vista up to
Walnut Grove.
Every once in a while a guy tossing
lures for black bass or stripers will hook
a king in these waters, but you can’t hang
your hat on such an accident happening.
The tried and true approach for hooking
kings in the Delta is trolling.
Salmon are big, hard fighting fish with
a relatively soft mouth. For this reason,
a fairly long 7 to 8 foot rod with a soft
tip is a good choice. Graphite rods will
work, but fiberglass sticks are even better
because they are more forgiving.
The soft tip plays a duel role. On one
hand it cushions the fight of the salmon,
keeping them from ripping out hooks, but
it also allows you to monitor the function
of the lure to ensure that it is working
properly and hasn’t picked up debris.
The rod should be topped with a quality
level wind baitcaster. For many if not
most applications I’m a big fan of braided
line, but when it comes to Delta salmon
trolling you’ll be best served by spooling
up with mono in the 20 to 25 pound range.
Mono in this range is plenty strong, even
for the biggest salmon and unlike braid it
FISH SNIFFER
HOW – TO
by Cal Kellogg
CONTINUED ON PAGE 13