I have the perfect marriage. I get to fish Saturday and Sunday the wife and I explore the Cali back roads. There are some AMAZING drives local to us. This one was especially fun. Pleasanton to Napa, east on Deer Park road, Angwin out to Pope Valley and then off to Twin Pines Casino in Lakeport. Debra did not like Twin Pine much but extracted $275 from their slots. We had lunch in Calistoga at the Bistro on Main. They have a great burger. We then ran to Graton in Rohnert Park to play a bit more and watch playofffs. That place was packed. I highly recommend the Napa/Angwin/Lakeport/Calistoga loop as a fine candidate for a spirited drive. Highlights were the auto ephemera seen at the  junkyard in Pope Valley and Litto’s Hubcap Palace.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/littos-hubcap-ranch

I have been out for stripers  one day each weekend as I have done for many years during the World Series. Out of Lauritzens I have been running from Eddos to Grizzly Bay. I have put in some 12 hr sunup to sunset days and  get the feeling the bulk of the run is still transiting the bay to the delta. I have had a  solo 30 fish schoolie day, a blank and a 25 fish  duo day. There are small fish throughout Sherman, Broad, Honker, Collinsville etc.  No size yet but will continue to keep working it. Loving being on the delta in the fall.

Buckwheat, Reverend Mayhew and I spent the morning at Rio Vista (salmon) and the late afternoon at Sherman (stripers). Nothing to report. Full moon=nada.

Early start to my solo adventure today.

I found them early in and around Sherman.

I set up near a dredging barge and had non-stop action on spoons and swimbaits. Pounded that for an hour. Sore arms tonight!

My second fall striper trip was slightly more productive than the last but I am still bewildered at the lack of fish in the system. However with all of the bay potluck  striper success currently, my conclusion is that they are still holding in the bay chasing anchovies. My marina (South Beach) is plugged with anchovies this year. Many years of calendar connection between the baseball playoffs and the advent of the striper season  have to be re-jiggered. If the striper season is delayed much more this will disrupt my schedule stealing valuable research time from New Melones, crabbing out the  gate and Pyramid.

Randy and I launched at Lauritzens with the proprietor touting very good fishing. Chris is normally a pretty trustworthy source so  I failed to extract specifics. Nice morning, dropping tide with some wind predicted.

We ran all over Sherman Lake and Broad Slough with very few grabs. We had busting schoolies at several locations but they were not buying what we were selling.

I got slammed in the NW corner of Sherman by a hot fish that turned out to be tonight’s dinner.

Ric came out from Chicago, Aubrey came down from the mountain and Debra Pat and I converged at Laguna Seca for IMSA races. Good time with the family.