Striped Bass Fishing

Striper Fishing, Sturgeon Fishing, and More. Get Out There and Fish!

Raith with a large striped bass weighing 48 pounds

Sacramento River

Striped bass and sturgeon are being caught on the Sacramento River. For striper, lures like the Sneaky Pete and Poppa Pete from G-Ratt Baits are go-tos. Be sure to add some Pro-Cure Sardine or Pro-Cure Anchovy scent to your lures for an added edge. For night fishing and early morning hours, casting a black rubber worm with Pro-Cure Eel or Pro-Cure Garlic Bloody Tuna is also producing fish. During the day, swim baits are also a good bet.

If you haven’t checked out our Wintertime Striped Bass Fishing episode of AnglerWest TV, check it out on our videos page!

Sturgeon fishing is producing some nice fish with ghost shrimp and Lamprey eel being the best baits. Sturgeon are being caught all up and down the Sacramento River, from Knights Landing to Butte City

Captain Raith Heryford with a large striped bass
Two nice keeper striped bass

Feather River

Striped bass are being caught in the Feather River using live minnows in the deep holes. Also, casting glide baits and swim baits are producing fish as well. There are some big fish in the system!

California Delta

Halibut fishing is picking up with trolling frozen sardines and anchovies catching fish.

The Delta is producing good numbers of sturgeon as usual for this time of year with the best sturgeon bait being fresh cured roe.

Also picking up is the striped bass fishing with trolling Yo-Zuri and Rattletrap minnow imitation lures producing fish as well as using live bait, bullheads and shiners.

Collins Lake

Trout fishing is heating up at Collins lake for nice trout. If you’re fishing from the bank, your best bet is using bait or casting Kastmasters. If you’re in a boat, the best bet is trolling Rapalas and other minnow immitation lures.

Winter Time Fishing in January

Raith Heryford with a striped bass caught in January 2022

Sacramento River

Striped bass are being caught on the Sacramento River. Night time fishing is producing the most fish, but striper are being caught during the day as well. For night fishing, casting a black rubber worm is producing the most fish. During the day, swim baits are your best bet.

Also during the day, for a variety of fish—smaller striper, catfish, steelhead—bait fishing with smaller hooks and light line using night crawlers and pile worms should get you some action.

California Delta

The California Delta are producing good numbers of sturgeon. The best sturgeon bait is fresh cured roe.

Collins Lake

Trout fishing is steady at Collins lake with your best bet being using bait as the water isn’t clear enough for trolling Rapalas and other minnow immitation lures.

Striped Bass Fishing is Red Hot!

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Sacramento River

Striped bass fishing is the best of the year and is red hot. There is great fishing from Verona to Colusa in the Sacramento River. A variety of techniques are producing including trolling plugs (Yo-Zuri minnows and P-Line Predator minnows), casting pencil poppers and spook top water lures (a crowd favorite for the explosive bite!), casting jerk baits, flies for your fly fishermen out there, casting rubber worms, drifting live minnows, and bait fishing using cut bait.

Sturgeon are also being caught throughout the Sacramento River system from Verona to Colusa.

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California Delta

The California Delta and the San Joaquin River are still producing good numbers of striped bass. Techniques that are catching the most fish are trolling minnow imitation plugs (Yo-Zuri minnows and P-Line Predator minnows) as well as using live bait and drifting minnows.

Sturgeon fishing remains good in the Delta as well.

Feather River

The Feather River water level is mostly too low to fish. That said, some stripers are being caught, mostly from the Nicholas Bridge down.

Lake Oroville

Landlock King Salmon fishing remains steady, with fish being caught with regularity. Your best bet for fish are using a white hoochie with a small piece of anchovy, or Brad’s Cut Plugs paired with garlic Pro-Cure scent.

Steady Fishing for Striped Bass, Sturgeon, and Rainbow Trout

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California Delta

The California Delta and the San Joaquin River are the best bet for numbers of striped bass. Stripers are being caught on all the go-to artificial baits including trolling rattle traps, Yo-Zuri minnows and P-Line Predator minnows. Casting swim and glide baits are also producing fish, as are minnows.

Sturgeon fishing remains good in the Delta as well.

Sacramento River

Sturgeon are being caught throughout the Sacramento River system. Striped Bass fishing is steady, but you will need to work for your fish. That said, fishing is getting better by the day and should start picking up soon. Right now, Knights Landing area seems to be producing the most fish.

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Feather River

Some big stripers are being caught from the Nicholas Bridge down.

Collins Lake

Good rainbow trout fishing can be found at Collins Lake, with the lake being planted regularly. Trout can be caught by trolling Kastmasters and minnow imitation lures like Rapalas and other like lures.

San Francisco Bay

Good halibut and striped bass can be found in the bay with good numbers of each. Drifting tray bait, anchovies, is a good producer.

Sturgeon Fishing is Hot with Striped Bass Fishing Getting Going Also

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California Delta

Sturgeon fishing is hot in the Pittsburg area of the California Delta. Along with sturgeon, Striped Bass are also in the Delta system, with good numbers of fish being produced.

Sacramento and Feather Rivers

Sturgeon are starting to show in the Sacramento River, from Verona to Colusa. Striped Bass are also staring to show up, but not in large numbers yet. Some trophy Stripers are being caught in the Upper Sacramento from Colusa to Red Bluff.

Lake Oroville

Steady Spotted Bass fishing is happening at Lake Oroville. Land Locked King Salmon fishing is on the slower side, but fish are still being caught.

King Salmon Fishing Slow, But Good Fishing Elsewhere

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Feather River

Fishing has been very slow out of Yuba City, but there are a few fish left if you have the perseverance. Your best bets to try and land one of these remaining King Salmon is on sardine-wrapped plugs like the Brad’s Killer Fish (KF-16 size) or boondogging roe.

Sacramento River

The Knights Landing area is very slow with the lower Sacramento RIver closed for the season.

There are a few fish being caught in the Sacramento Metro area in the last week, but overall the entire river system is slow with lots of anglers going home empty handed.

The Upper Sacramento RIver in the Redding area is only open for a few more days, with the Barge Hole being your best bet with the usual roe and Brad’s Killer Fish plugs.

Sacramento Delta

Sturgeon fishing is wide open with salmon roe (fresh is best), ghost shrimp, and eel being the baits of choice.

Striped bass fishing has been consistent in the Delta, with casting big swim baits and live minnows producing nice fish.

Lake Oroville

Bass fishing has been good being caught all over on a variety of methods.

Still Getting Great Quality Salmon in the Feather River

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Feather River

The Feather River is still seeing quality fish in the system. Fishing isn’t red hot, but fishing is averaging one fish per rod. So make sure your knots are tight and hooks are sharp, you’ll only get a few chances to get your fill of King Salmon.

Best plugs that are producing are the Brad’s Killer Fish in the larger KF-16 size with chartreuse and silver still being the most popular color. Don’t forget to wrap with a sardine and add some Pro-Cure bait scent. Boondogging roe is also producing these great fish.

Sacramento River

The Redding area is seeing good trout fishing with egg patterns being the top producer.

Sacramento Delta

Sturgeon and striped bass fishing are picking up in the Delta. Don’t forget to keep the fresh roe from your salmon catch, it’s the best bait to use for sturgeon.


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New Salmon Moving Up Into the Feather River and Sacramento River

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Feather River

The Oroville Outlet Hole continues to produce salmon for bank fisherman with beads being the top producing fishing technique.

Boats fishing at the Oroville Outlet Hole to a mile or so below continue to catch fish using plugs like Brad’s Killer Fish in the larger KF-16 size with chartreuse and silver being the most popular color.

There is spotty salmon fishing on the rest of the Feather River with jigging being the top producing technique. Using Brad’s Killer Fish plugs as well as boondogging roe are also producing results.

Fishing has still been decent outside of the Golden Gate Bridge, so there’s hope for new fish entering the system as the season progresses.

Striped bass can be caught on the Feather River using flies, swim baits, and jerkbaits.

Sacramento River

Salmon fishing at the Barge Hole has been good with hanging roe being the best technique. Fishing seems to be the best and produce better early in the morning. Later morning into midday has seen success boondogging roe as well.

In the Chico, Butte City, and Colusa areas of the Sacramento River also producing fish with sardine wrapped Brad’s Killer Fish in the chartreuse and silver being the top choice. Fish are also being caught trolling spinners and using roe.

The lower section of the Sacramento River, including the Verona, Sacramento Metro area, and Rio Vista have been seeing success jigging and trolling spinners.

Striped bass can be caught on the Sacramento River using flies, swim baits, and jerkbaits.

American River

The American River has been producing steelhead and salmon while bobber drifting roe.


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Landlock King Salmon Bite is Wide Open and Feather River Striper & Shad

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Lake Oroville

The landlock King salmon bite is wide open! Baits and artificial lures that are working include Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear cut plugs with Pro-Cure scents added.

Also, hoochies and trolling anchovies works as well.

Feather River

The Feather River is producing good striped bass and shad fishing. Stripers are being caught on live minnows, cut bait, and a variety of lures.

Shad are being caught on pink head and chartreuse body grub jigs.

Sacramento River

The Sacramento River is also producing large numbers of striped bass and shad between Colusa and Los Molinos.



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