Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3821 Sept 27, 2019 | Page 8

6
HOW TO...
Sept 27 - Oct 11, 2019
VOL.38 • ISS. 21
Trolling Tips For Fall Run Bass
<
Cal
Kellogg
teamed up
with Jack
Naves to nail
this limit of
quality West
Delta stripers
during a
fall trolling
mission.
When the
water is
above 55
degrees,
trolling is a
great option
for hooking
big numbers
of Delta
linesides.
>

Here we see a Yo-Zuri Crystal
>
S
triped bass have started pushing
back up the system from San
Francisco Bay. Right now, pods of stripers
are trickling into the West Delta and are
providing good action. In the coming
weeks that trickle should
turn into a flood as the fall
run gets going in earnest.
This being the case I figure
this is a perfect time to go
over the basics of Delta
striper trolling. I know there
are a lot of aspiring trollers
out there in Fish Sniffer
Country and I want them to
get started on the right foot!
Speed and depth are the
two key concerns when it
comes to trolling for delta
stripers and everything else
you do stems from these two conditions.
Speed and depth…remember that.
Before we really examine the signifi-
cance of speed and depth, let’s take a look
at the tackle required for trolling. For
starters, you’ll need a modern lightweight
rod that combines a sensitive tip with
plenty of backbone.
Since your rod will be in a holder while
trolling, you might be wondering why it
needs a sensitive tip. The sensitive tip,
displays the action of the plug. If your
plug picks up a weed or a piece of grass,
it kills the action and you won’t get any
strikes. A sensitive tip allows you to
constantly monitor your plug’s action
insuring that you have an effective lure in
the water at all times.
The rod should be matched with a high
capacity level wind line counter reel
loaded with 30-pound test braided line.
After threading the braid through the
eyes of your rod, put a large bead on
the line and then tie on a swivel using
a Palomar knot. To the swivel attach a
4 to 6-foot leader of abrasion resistant
30-pound monofilament and tip the leader
with a medium size lock snap.
Once you’ve set up a pair of rod and reel
combinations, it’s time to start thinking
about lures. Minnow plugs, jigs and
vibrating crankbaits are the
basic offerings employed by
successful Delta trollers.
Yo-Zuri, Bomber and P-Line
minnow plugs are all proven
striper producers. Yo-Zuri
Crystal Minnows are the current
favorite among Delta trollers.
You’ll want a small assortment
of shallow and deep running
Crystal Minnows. Toss in a
couple deep running P-Line
Predators and a couple shallow
running Bomber Long A’s
and P-Line Angry Eyes and
you’ll be well heeled in the minnow plug
department.
In terms of colors and finishes, minnow
plugs in rainbow trout, chrome/blue,
chrome/black, chrome/chartreuse, metallic
gold and red head/white body will all put
fish in the boat.
With an assortment of plugs in hand,
you’ll need to pick up a package of white 6
to 8-inch straight tail plastic worms. You’ll
use these for tipping the rear hook of your
minnow plugs.
There is wide range of jigs that will take
Delta stripers, but the best of the bunch
is a 4-inch pearl Fish Trap teamed with a
lead head. For trolling you’ll want to rig
your Fish Traps on 1-ounce heads.
Vibrating crankbaits, represent the
final piece of the troller’s lure assort-
ment. Rat-L-Traps are the tried and true
crankbait of delta trollers, but offerings
from Strike King, Cotton Cordell and
Berkley work just as well. If you have a
couple crankbaits in chrome and couple in
white you’ll have your bases covered.
by Cal Kellogg

Delta trollers like to tip their
minnow plugs with 6 to 7-inch
white plastic worms. The bass will
hit plugs without the worm, but
the worm creates more strikes
because it increases both the
profile of the plug and the amount
of vibration it puts off.
You can get by without a
line counter reel for the
occasional Delta striper trolling
trip, but if you plan on trolling
regularly line counters are worth
the investment. The reel shown
here is a Daiwa Lexa. It is one
of the top choices in the large
capacity line counter category
when it comes to striper trolling.
Get Your Troll On For Delta Stripers!
FISH SNIFFER
HOW – TO
minnow. In the old days, Bombers
and Rebels were the gold standard
baits for Delta trollers, but these
days Yo-Zuri crystal minnows in both
deep and shallow running models
are the No. 1 choice of many Delta
trollers.
<
presents
CONTINUED ON PG 14