Hello,
I currently live a few blocks away from the Sacramento River and have tried countless time to fish, all unsuccessful. I am use to fishing in ponds and smaller lakes and i don’t have much expereince with big rivers. But I would like to learn how to succefully fish in the river. Can someone please help all tips and advice are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi and welcome to BFT. I am not familiar with the Sacramento river but I’ll try to help. What species are available in the area and which would you like to target?
Oh, and have a look around our Freshwater Forum
Im not sure what type of fish they even have but I found these. King Salmon, Steelhead, Rainbow Trout, White Sturgeon, Striped Bass and American Shad. I will be fishing from shore so whatever would be the easiest to catch.
What baits/lures and methods have you tried so far?
I tried sardines for striped bass but I think I used the wrong type of sardines the ones in a can they just fell of the hook. I also tried some catfish bait stuff I bought from the store no luck with that also.
You’re right. you don’t want the canned sardines, you want whole frozen sardines or anchovies. if there is an Asian or fish market in your area you should be able to find them. Wal-mart usually carries them, but you’d have to check your store.
I’d suggest giving earthworms a try. Just about anything that swims will eat a properly presented worm.
I would highly recommend that you buy some circle hooks. I like gamakatsu finesse wide gaps but any quality circle hook will work.
Are there any tackle stores near you? You could drop in and get some tips from local anglers.
So you say hole sardines or anchovies I seen a package of sardines at Walmart in the fishing isle. They wasnt hole but they look like they would stay on the hook better. Do you think they would work or no and how would I put them on?
And how would I do the earthworms?
Yes, teh whole ones usually come in 1lb bags for about $3. It is important to keep them frozen as they will get soggy and fall off the hook when thawed. Check out this thread for rigging info.
These guys will ship to your house
You learned to fish our area by hiring a guide.
Then you can fish by yourself and have a the info you paid for.
Rig the anchovies/sardines as shown in the thread i posted.
For worms, start by piercing the worm near one end and thread the hook through the body of the worm. Once the hook is covered completely by worm, then pop the point out and thread it twice through the remaining section of the worm.
I’d suggest the dropper loop rig shown in that post for river fishing and use a decent amount of weight (1 to 3oz) to keep you bait in place if there is a strong current.
Be sure to read through this link that Iamsmf posted.
And I think he was suggesting that you could hire a guide to go out once and learn the ropes, and then use the info you gain to fish alone thereafter.
Read up and Good luck.
I found this video how to tie a dropper loop rig. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbrj8c18v0g It looks easy enough to tie but what type and size hooks should I use? Also I was at the Rite Aid store the other day and seen a package of shad in the fishing isle the pack said stipper bass on it so I was wondering if they would work instead of sardines?
For hooks, I’d recommend gamakatsu finesse wide gap in a size 1 or 2. Any circle hook around that size should work well enough.
The bagged shad that I am familiar with didn’t work for me and have never caught any fish to my knowledge. I’ve talked to quite a few people that have tried them and they have never worked. There were even a couple of threads here on BFT and everyone said they were ineffective. I wouldn’t bother with them. I think the brand is Rustys Baby Shad or Shad sides.
You could always give them a shot, but I would rather fish a worm or a piece of shrimp.
If you google “bagged shad” you will find many poor reviews and people that say don’t waste your money.
Good luck and let us know when yo make it out.
How about the bagged sardines at Walmart that are simular to the bagged shad will they work? Where in Walmart can I find sardines in the fishing section or the grocery section? last time I bought the canned sardines because I wasnt sure. Also what type of shrimp?