Cranking California Delta Stripers – Part II
By Chuck Bailey
The Lunker Punker
Earlier, (in Part I), our guide Bobby Barrack inferred that if an angler wanted to target large stripers – topwaters were the most exciting way to get the job done. “My favorite topwater lure is a Lunker Punker. (Black Dog Baits Co). I like the 6 to 7 inch models if I am guiding, though when I am out alone I tend to throw the 9 inch.”
“And I will throw the wood one when the wind is blowing less than 10 miles an hour, and I will throw the plastic injected one that has rattles, when the wind is blowing over 10 mph because it provides more presence. But even in the wind, I refuse to work the topwater hard. Very seldom will I work my top water extremely aggressively.”
What makes these topwater baits so unique? “They way they move,” insist Bobby. “They’ve got a really nice natural swinging Z-action on the surface.” Bass fishermen are familiar with the “Walking-the-dog” technique, in which the angler causes the rod tip to jump during retrieval, causing the bait to leap first to the left, and then to the right, and back again. The erratic zig-zagging pattern is continued all the way back to the boat. In terms of cadence and speed, “I to walk-the-dog nice and steady.”
The AC Plug
“The other bait I really like is an AC Plug. If you get the stripers to popping your Lunker Punker pretty well, and you sense that this is the time of the day when the activity level is on the rise, then I reach down and I grab my AC Plug Minnow, which is a jointed top water bait. It’s a 7 inch wooden bait, and I call it ‘a crankbait on steroids!’”
“The key is not to crank the AC Plug below the surface. I keep it right on top. In other words, I’m waking it. You can get them from 6 to 9 inches long, (I don’t throw the 12 incher), and rainbow trout is the only color you need. Just throw it as far as you can with 65 pound braid, let it hit, and start your slow wind back, keeping it on the surface.”
“And those bites are special. Sometimes in the evening when I’m fishing over sandbars, and I suspect there are some 15 pound plus fish nearby, I will reach for an AC Plug before I throw my Lunker Punker. Sometimes, if I’ve got a client that has a tough time walking the dog with the Lunker Punker, (and a lot of guys do), I’ll also give them an AC Plug.”
“I instruct them to wind it back real slow, keeping the bait on the surface. It’s important to see the V coming off both sides of the bait as it is being pulled through the water. If the wake disappears – stop and start over. That’s not to say big stripers won’t eat it under the surface – I’ve caught a lot of them when I am working the bait 6 inches below the surface. But I’m just a junkie for that 'topwater thing'.”
Top Water Colors
When it comes to picking colors for the other topwaters, “There are three colors that I really like – rainbow trout, baby bass, and pearl white.” But having said that, Bobby doesn’t want to make too much out of his color choices.
“Here’s the deal. When the stripers get active and start cracking your Zara Spook or your Lunker Punker really well, those fish will eat a Barbie doll with hooks on it,” laughs Barrack. “They are in the zone, keyed up, and there is fierce competition for food. Any thing that looks appealing to a 15 plus pounds striper is going to get clobbered before its two nearby buddies get to it.”
Color is a low priority for our guide, and he recommends an angler use any color they have confidence in. “It’s more about confidence and location. If you have the right location and it’s ‘go-time’, the stripers will eat a bait in Table Rock Shad, Chartreuse Shad, Citric Shad, a Crawdad color, ...they’ll eat anything.”
Topwater Modifications?
Bobby doesn’t modify his topwaters except to swap out hooks. “I change the factory hooks to a stronger wire 2X Mustad.”
Never Stop!
As our guide describes the topwater bite, his voice reveals a deep passion for the technique. “The beauty of the topwater thing is the stripers let you know they are coming before they eat it. You can see them approaching! They will boil behind the bait before they chew it.”
Obviously an angler needs some discipline upon seeing the boil to fight the temptation to set the hook prematurely. But an even greater mistake is repeatedly made throughout the course of the year by inexperienced anglers. “My clients will suddenly realize they’ve got 3 foot diameter slick behind their bait, and the first thing they do is kill the plug. It is essential to keep the bait moving. 60% of the time of the time, when you stop the retrieve, the striper will just turn away.”
Solo Stripers
“A lot of times you will have a big fish on the flats that’s stalking a Lunker Punker or an AC Plug. If it is a solo fish it may stalk the bait for 8 to 10 yards, and you’ll see the boil 45 inches behind the bait. But that’s not her, that’s her tail. Her head is right underneath your plug. She’s got her lips 6 inches from your bait, so it’s important not mess this up by stopping.”
BUT...Where Two or More Are Gathered
This knowledge is especially important when the boil belongs to a solo fish. The error of stopping the retrieve is not as critical when another fish involved because of their competitive nature. “A lot of times there might be 4 or 5 stripers in a 25 foot stretch. So you get one behind it wondering if it wants to eat this or not. But when a nearby striper comes firing towards the bait from 13 yards away, the closest fish says, ‘I better grab it before the other one does!’ When you get that 2nd fish involved - it is a fireworks show.”
The Luck Craft 127 and the 110 Flash Minnow
My number one bait for stripers is a Lucky Craft 127 Rip Bait. Usually each of my clients have a 127 tied on in either Ghost Minnow, Chartreuse Shad, or Lavender Shad. Their second crankbait is a Lucky Craft 110 Flash Minnow. With these baits tied on everyone’s rods, I know I can put fish in the boat.”
Crankbaits or Topwater?
Early in every guided trip, Barrack evaluates his new clients to determine if they want 'numbers' or 'size'. This will affect the decision to as to whether he has them cast diving crankbaits for numbers or go topwater for larger fish.
That doesn’t mean larger fish can’t be caught on subsurface cranks. “Bill Johnson got a 41.3 pounder on a Lucky Craft 127. Without a doubt, the bait is appealing to a large fish. But the truth is... the 127 is appealing to all of them – all sizes. So the chances of getting that 20 pound plus bite is tougher with the 127 Rip Bait.”
Often a client will catch 15, 17, or 19 fish on the 127 Rip Bait or 110 Flash Minnow and then turn to Bobby and ask “Hey, this is great Bobby, but is there anyway we can catch a bigger fish?” That question quickly motivates him to pull out the topwater gear.
Topwater When Conditions Permit
That is… if the conditions permit it. If the water surface is like glass, or the wind is barely breezing, Bobby tells them “Well, we need for the conditions to change, before we switch to topwater. Let’s just stay with this, and let’s see what happens. If the wind can increase for us, say, 5 to 10 miles an hour, we’ll put the 127 or the 110 away and we’ll start to play with topwater.”
Unable to control the weather conditions, Bobby realizes that unless the conditions are just right, the chances of a successful topwater Lunker Punker bite is slim to none. “I can’t just go catch stripers on topwater because I want to catch them on topwater. We’ve got to have some things fall into place. We need a couple of planets to line up for us, and then we’ve got a chance.”
Ripping the Ridges
Until the topwater conditions are right, the diving baits are utilized to put fish in the boat. Bobby explains to his clients their proper use, “With our rip baits we are using 15 pound Big Game, and we’re going to fish ridges; especially the sides of ridges, and sometimes on top of the ridges. If we’re fishing on top of the ridges where the water is 2 to 4 feet deep, we are throwing the shallower running 110 Flash Minnow. We’ll us the 127 for the deeper water along the sides of the ridges.”
‘Ridges’ are simply high spots that may have three feet of water on top of them, but are surrounded by 6 to 8 feet or more of deeper water. “If the fish are not on the sides, they are probably eating on top of the ridge – that’s a 110 Flash Minnow situation.”
Rip and Pause
“We can rip those baits pretty aggressively – pop, pop, pop – stop. Pop, pop, pop - stop. Pop, pop, pop - stop. Very rarely will these stripers eat a rip bait while it is moving. You’ve got to stop it. (If you do get bit with continuous movement, that fish will not be over 20 inches).”
Ironically, Bobby instructs his clients to never stop the cadence when working a topwater bait, but the opposite is true when using rip baits running under the surface. After each series of sharp rips, Bobby says it is important to “…let your line relax off your rod tip as it goes to the surface of the water.” It’s during the pause that the stripers usually crunch the crankbait.
Diving Colors
When using diving crankbaits, our guide is a little more purposeful in color selection. “Table Rock is a color combination with purple on the back, chartreuse on the sides, and a pearl belly. It’s a great color if you have dingier water, or lower light levels, (perhaps some clouds moved in). Any time the light penetration is reduced – like when you have 5 to 7 MPH winds – it’s a perfect situation for table rock shad.”
“In situations when you have 100% light penetration, and 2-3 foot visibility, it’s probably a Ghost Minnow situation.”
“So, first thing in the morning, (low light), we’re going to start with Chartreuse Shad. As the day begins to move along and the sun starts to come up and the wind diminishes a little bit, Ghost Minnow gets the nod. But have some clouds come over the top – we’re switching to Table Rock.”
Maintaining Perfect Suspension
Our guide does not change out the hooks on his new Lucky Craft rip baits for a good reason. "If I try to change hooks on those baits, they either sink or they rise. Left alone, are perfectly balanced right out of the package. Because they are the 'best there is', they are the only rip baits I throw. My clients are paying me to catch fish for them, so we’re using the best.”
Bobby has tried other suspending crankbaits but was never satisfied with the results. “If I buy a bunch of them, two will sink, two will float, and only two of them will suspend properly. I haven’t got time for that. I want to take it out of the package, tie it on, and throw it out there knowing it will suspend perfectly. And when my client stops his rip bait with a 9 pound striper close by, I want that fish to eat that bait. I don’t want that fish to turn away because the bait started to sink or started to rise – I want that bait to sit there like natural forage - for as long as it is paused.”
Often a 3 to 4 second pause is more than a striper can stand. This is especially true during the colder months. “You’ve got to tease those fish sometimes. They are usually sitting on the sides of the ridge, and here comes the food source over the top, ‘Hmmm, should I go get that? The water’s kinda cold, I’m not real frisky right now, but if that thing stops one more time, I’m gonna eat it.’” The tempting pause and a perfectly suspended crankbait combine to draw a strike from a semi-active striper.
Casting into the Current
When targeting ridges, the direction of cast can be critical. “When I’m casting – the current dictates which way I throw. Current over rules everything. You want your bait to come with the current. Though there are exceptions, generally this means you are throwing into the wind. Never-the-less, you always have to pull your baits with the flow.”
Obviously the incoming and outgoing tides affect the current flow of the water. “Moving water always increases your odds of activity," says Bobby. “Calm, dead water minimizes your chances of success. But when the water is not moving up on the flats, it usually doesn’t last for more than 20 minutes. Until it does flow again, you can either move out towards a main artery where there is almost always moving water, or you can remain where ou are and wait for that water to start moving again.”
Hunting Roamers on the Flats and Bays
The fish that tend to leave the ridges and chose to roam the flats and bays are typically a group of two to three fish in the 15 pound range "...looking for a bluegill or two to eat". But our guide admits, “Locating them is like looking for a needle in a haystack. However, those are usually the times when we throw topwater. So as we move across the big flat or bay we are going to fan cast it. The stripers could be anywhere along a 300 to 400 yard stretch, and we’re going to try to get their attention with a top water bait.”
Cranking Ridges
“But if we want to increase out chances of getting bit, without looking for the needle in the haystack, then we are going to go set up on a ridge. Normally I pull up close to a shallow ridge but keep my boat in the deeper water – and approach so that the current is coming at us.”
“If we can see some grass on top of that ridge, we throw the 127 right along the grass line. If the weedline bends in and makes a little pocket, we fire our rip bait across that pocket at a 45 degree angle, right to the edge of the weeds. The fact that the pocket only sucks in about 15 yards and then it comes right back out to the main channel - makes it a perfect ambush spot.”
Not all ridges have grass, but Bobby has his clients work the edges and the sides like they would any sand bar next to deep water.
First Timer Advice
If you have never been on the Delta, it can be an intimidating waterway. Obviously hiring a guide is a great way to crack the code in the limited time you may have during your visit. But it is not impossible for a first time visitor to find some action on their own. To everyone who chooses to go it alone, Bobby encourages them with this advice:
“If you are going to try it alone, you are going to need a 127 in Chartreuse Shad and in Ghost Minnow. You’ll need a LV500, lipless rattling baits in Red Craw, Ghost minnow, and Chartreuse Shad. Definitely have a half ounce chrome and blue Rat-L-Trap. Those are the baits you are going to take with you.”
“But,” warns Bobby, “because you don’t know this place yet, I suggest you bring some topwater stuff in your rod locker, but it shouldn’t be out on the deck. First time visitors don’t need that distraction.”
Lipless Search Baits
“As a first-tiimer we’re going to find a little grassy flat and make long throws with our LV500. If we are loading up in the grass every cast we need to move out. We’ll move our cast over about 5 yards and throw it again. We’ll keep moving over another five yards until our retrieve is clean. Follow that depth. Let your lure be you’re depth-finder.”
“If you are roaming around in the grass and it has only 3 feet of water on top of it, recognize that this is not a good situation for an LV, which sinks quickly. Clearly it’s alright to try and catch a striper by fishing over the grass flats, however, you will want to use a ½ ounce Rat-L-Trap because it doesn’t sink as fast and will stay shallower. But understand, if the stripers are in that grass, it will only be for 20 minutes – they won’t in there for very long. Most of the time they prefer to be along the edge of the weeds.”
The LV500 - Before Topwater
So most of the time we’re going to use that LV500 to cover water. Its ¾ ounces and it can be thrown a mile. It is very appealing to both 20 inch and 20 pound stripers. A 20 pounder... if she’s got a couple of buddies, and they come across the bait, one of those fish in the group is going to eat that thing. Most bass fishermen understand how to throw a lipless bait in open water.”
Should a visitor have several days on the Delta, and they begin to catch some nice 6, 7, or even 8 pound stripers, they may be ready to try topwater if the conditions are right. If some clouds are coming in, and the wind picks up a little, an angler may want to throw some topwater on the same water they caught their fish on the day before with diving baits. But Bobby says it’s important a visiting angler to spend their first few days locating feeding stations with the lipless baits before attempting to find larger fish with a topwater presentation.
“For covering water the LV500 is one of the greatest search baits of all time. We all know that. It works for smallmouth, largemouth, redfish; anything with fins will eat it. If you want to eliminate water, that bait is one of the greatest ways to do it.”
Water Temperature
Needless to say, it is important to pay attention to water temperature. “For topwater you want 57 to 72 degrees. (14-22 C). That not to say they can’t be caught on topwater in cooler water – the water temperature right now (January) is about 47 degrees. If we threw all day long we might get 2 to 3 bites on it. But do I suggest people go do that? No I don’t. You’re probably not going to have a great time.”
“If the water temperature is above 57 degrees you can play with your topwater stuff. If it is below 57 stay subsurface and slow your presentations down.”
The Magic Crawdad Crankbait for Big Stripers
“For guys that like to crank, one of the coolest ways to catch stripers when they are in the shallows, is to throw a crawdad colored bait. If something looks like a crawdad, usually the biggest striper in the bunch is going to eat it.” But Bobby warns us, “You won’t get as many bites.”
“There are a couple of shallow running crankbaits that you can throw. But if the water has some stain to it, (especially with heavily stained water), you can throw a crawdad colored Speed Trap, because it’s got some rattles. But for the most part our water has pretty good clarity during that time of the year and so you want something that doesn’t rattle and runs well in a shallow water environment. I use the BDS 2 and the BDS 3.”
BDS 2’s and 3’s
“The BDS 3 will dive a little deeper and whenever I’m working with 4 or 5 foot of water I am throwing the BDS 3. But if the stripers are on top of the ridges, then I’ve got to throw the BDS 2. It’s got a wide wobble and a lot of presence, and… it’s just like you’re fishing for smallmouth.”
Bobby will experiment first with the BDS baits in the Ghost Pro Blue color. “But if I’m getting hits on this setup, (and they are 3 to 6 pounds), and I suspect there are some bigger fish around, then I switch to a crawdad color. Again, I’m not going to catch nearly as many. Realistically, I’m looking to get 2 or 3 bites with that. But one of them can be a 17, 18, or 19 pound fish. So that’s how you can expand your game.”
Lower Light?
Remember, if light conditions change during the day, and it starts to cloud over, that’s a positive situation. But dramatic changes in presentation are not necessary. “I’ll usually fish shallower. If most of the fish have been in 4 to 8 feet of water, and all of a sudden we start to have some clouds come over, I’ll jump up in that 2 to 5 range.”
The Reel Set
The proper hookset is important when fishing for stripers. “What we want to do is watch our line every time we pause our submerged bait. If that that line just quivers, twitches, or tightens up, that means the fish has engulfed the bait. But don’t try to cross their eyes with a jarring hookset. All we want to do is start reeling in as fast as we can. And when your rod loads up, you can swing all you want. But until your rod loads, fight the temptation to swing on these guys.”
Don’t Give Up!
The hookset is not the only error beginners tend to make. “One of the biggest mistakes clients make when fighting a striper is giving up on the fish. Often I hear then say, ‘Oh! Lost Him!’ They mistakenly tried a quick hookset, reeled 4 or 5 turns, but could no longer feel the fish. So they gave up - not realizing that stripers often eat the bait and come at you so fast that you will think that you lost them. But that’s why it is so important to ‘reel set’ every time you get bit, and you won’t have that problem. If you just keep reeling, you will never loose the load in your rod, and you will catch 8 out of 10. You never want to give up on a fish.”
Fighting a Striper near the Boat
It’s rare to have stripers perform air acrobatics, but they will tend to go crazy as they get close to the boat, so if an angler hooks a good fish, our guide recommends raising the trolling motor or big engine (which ever is closest to the angler) to prevent break-offs.
It’s also smart to recheck the drag as the striper gets nearer the boat.
It’s equally as important to keep the rod up and fully loaded at all times. Barrack says beginners tend to drop their rod as the fish gets closer. And “If that fish wants to pull, don’t reel – let the drag work.”
Panicking!
Another major reason anglers tend to lose fish comes as result of panicking after sighting the fish. “A lot of these anglers have never caught a fish over 10 pounds. And they get even more excited if it is over 15 pounds, (or especially if the fish in the 20 pound class). When they see a forty inch fish, panic sets in and every thing amps up; they get tense, they drop that rod down, they start winding faster, and they want to end this thing right now! That’s when the wheels come off the wagon.”
Our guide cautions his clients, upon visually seeing a big striper, to relax and take their time. Staying cool puts more fish, especially bigger fish, in the boat. 
Final Advice:
To every angler planning a trip to the California Delta to try striper fishing, Bobby offers a final piece of advice, accompanied by a wink, “Give it a shot, it is a great fish. Just be careful, because striper fishing will latch on to you - and you are going to want more. It is really addicting!”
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In PART I - pro-angler and expert guide Bobby Barrack revealed how easy it is for largemouth and smallmouth bass anglers to make the transition to striper fishing. Our guide shared the basic information concerning striper behavior, seasonal locations, and insights concerning the most productive techniques to catch them. The proper rod, reels, and lines were also discussed.
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Bobby Barrack is a highly well known and successful bass angler, with several FLW tournament wins, and 16 top-ten finishes. But when he isn't out on the tournament trail he is guiding through his "Back To Class" Guiding Service. The name indicates his passion for teaching anglers of all skill levels how to fish for stripers or largemouth bass on the California Delta. For more information contact...
BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDE SERVICE.
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