San Francisco Fly Fishing Guides - Striper fishing in the Bay/Delta
Would you like to add a day of fly fishing to your San Francisco vacation plans? Escape from the stress and unplug with a fishing trip without wasting time driving out of the city.
The San Francisco Bay and Delta region are home to thousands of species of vertebrates and invertebrates. Steelhead, salmon, halibut, rock cod, several species of sharks and rays as well as stripped bass and largemouth bass call this area home. For fly fishers it is the striper and largemouth that gain the most attention and can make for some exciting fishing. Stiper love to eat flies and are some of the hardest fighting fish caught here in Northern California. Couple that with opportunities to have largemouth bass attack your popper right in front of the boat on the same trip and you have a recipe for a real blast!
If you live near, or will be in the S.F. Bay Area and want to fly fish for hard fighting fish then the Bay/Delta is an obvious good choice. We feature the very best local professional guides who love to share this fishery with clients and help them catch fish. No prior experience or personal gear is required.
The Fish
Stripped bass were introduced to the San Francisco Bay back in 1879 from the Navesink River in New Jersey. Known for their hardy nature and as a hard fighting game fish, they soon took off in their new environment and became popular with anglers. Fish and game began stocking them in the California Bay Area waters, but stocking has been eliminated in recent years. Striper like most species are migratory. They move in and out from the Ocean into the Bay/Delta region. They can be targeted with a fly rod not only in the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays and Delta region but also in the tributary rivers where they head to spawn. These include the Sacramento, San Joaquin, American, Feather, and Yuba Rivers to name a few. Although not seen in the astounding number of the 1960, 70's and 80's there are still stripers to be caught and they will most definitely eat a fly!
Striper are by nature ambush predators. Their diet consists of juvenile fish and crustaceans such as shrimp. They lie in wait along current seams and near structure to attack anything that happens to drift by and fit in their mouth. The Bay/Delta river system has smaller "schoolies" year round. These juvenile fish run up to around 18 to 20" and can be a real blast on light tackle. Larger single digit fish in the 4 to 8 lb range are caught with regularity in the Spring and Fall and fish to 20+ lbs are caught every year! Striper of any size pull hard on a fly rod and are a very worthy and beautiful adversary for fly fishers to target.
The Delta also offers opportunities throughout the year to also catch largemouth and smallmouth on a fly rod. This can be an option when the striper bite is off.
Rockfish are available in and around the San Francisco Bay and very fun to battle on a fly rod. They are most commonly seen on our near shore charters outside the Golden Gate along the rocky shoreline and kelp forests. They will readily take a fly stripped near their habitat and pull like bull dogs when hooked.
Lingcod or "Lings" as they are referred to by locals inhabit the rocky areas along the California Coast. They are tackle busting marauders and are worthy adversaries for anglers looking to challenge themselves and their tackle.
Halibut Halibut are another possible species to target here in the San Francisco Bay in tides, weather and seasons align.
Largemouth bass are among the most sought after and fished for warm water game fish in the world. Bass are by nature ambush predators that will attack bait fish, crustaceans such as crawdads and even baby ducks and geese. The black bass variety that we have here in the Delta are hardy and love to eat poppers on the surface. They offer explosive strikes and will put a nice bend in a fly rod.
Smallmouth bass are another great fish to target with a fly rod. They love to hit poppers and are available in such great numbers that landing 50 fish is not uncommon! Most fish are in the 1 to 3 lb range however the numbers and visual aspect of fishing flies on the surface bring back beginner and world traveled anglers alike. June through September is the season for smallies and catching a striper, largemouth and smallmouth throughout the course of the day is a real possibility earlier and even late into the Fall.
Rainbow Trout There is a great fishery for wild rainbows called Putah Creek. If you prefer the quintessential fly fishing experience for trout then Putah is going to be the one for you. Located 1 hour door to door from the Bay Bridge, Putah provides trout fishing for those not wanting to drive all the way to Tahoe, Yosemite or Redding.
Click here to read more about experiencing Putah Creek for yourself.
Lake Berryessa offers good numbers for Bass virtually year round withing a few minutes of the Napa Valley. If you are into catching lots of fish and don't what you catch this could be what you are looking for.Click here to go to our Lake Berryessa page. and learn why our guests love this fishery!
The Fishing
As far as fishing on the Bay goes our guides are Coast Guard approved captains. They have put in the hours that it takes to learn a fishery as vast as ours. They generally fish from outboard boats equipped with a center console and modern electronics. This allows us to maneuver the labyrinth of canals, sloughs and bays safely in search of fish and have room for our clients to cast. We utilize fish finders to locate fish, schools of bait and equally important to search for the right structure and depth where fish are likely to be. Fly fishing for striper involves lots of casting and stripping. Anglers intent on fishing them should be proficient at casting or at least willing to learn and aware that there will be lots of it involved.
We fish a variety of weight rods from 6 or 7 weights for "schoolies" up to 8 and 9 weight rods when large adult fish are a possibility. Lines vary from floating and intermediate ("I-lines") to full sinking shooting lines. These are used to shoot steamers and get them down in the water column to the appropriate depth where striper are feeding.
The Seasons
March through May Spring is the first part of the year when we love to be out chasing stripers on the Bay or Delta. Wind can make for challenging casting at times but we can always find a leeward bank or levee to escape the wind and find fish. Some of our largest fish are caught in the Spring and many of our dates book up early.
June through September - Summer on the Delta brings warmer weather and water temps that send the big fish back to the Ocean. This is "schoolie" time on the Bay and delta with some 4 to 6 lb fish mixed in. Additionally the warmer water temps bring to life the largemouth bass top water bite. This makes for some fun combo striper/largemouth trips. Throwing frog patterns and poppers along the weed lines and tules can be very exciting. Having a bass unload on a hapless popper burping and bumbling along is a feeling you won't soon forget.
October, November, December Brings larger fish back to the Bay and Delta and is prime time for catching California's largest striper on a fly.
San Francisco Charter Rates
Ocean/Near Shore - Consist of 7 hours of guided fishing and instruction with lunch and drinks provided - $725 (1-3 anglers) Additional angler/guest $200, Max of 4)
Inshore SF Bay Charters - Consist of 5 to 6 hours of guided fishing and instruction - $340 per person (1 or 2 anglers) (Additional anglers -$200 per person, Max of 4)
San Joaquin River Delta Charter Rates
Delta Charters - Consist of 8 hours of guided fishing and instruction with lunch and drinks provided - $650 (1 or 2 anglers)
Half day charters available upon request $450 but do not include lunch (1 or 2 anglers)
Delta Smallmouth Charters - Consist of 4 1/2 to 5 hours of guided fishing and instruction for topwater smallmouth fishing with water and snacks provided - $485 (1 or two anglers)
Delta Combo Largemouth Smallmouth Charters - Consist of up to 8 hours of guided fishing and instruction for topwater and streamer fishing for largemouth and smallmouth with water lunch provided - $650 (1 or two anglers)
Lake Berryessa and Putah Creek Rates
Walk and wade trips - Consist of 8 hours of guided fishing and instruction with lunch and drinks provided - $625. Half days $485
Berryessa or Clear Lake Bass trips consist of 8 hours of guide fishing and instruction $585. Half days $450
Guided fly fishing trips with Off the Hook endorsed guides include rods, reels, bottled water, terminal tackle, flies and boots and waders if needed! Call (530) 242-4122 during regular business hours or (707) 287-2939 any time to make your trip a reality.
Note: California fishing license, transportation and gratuity not included.
If you would like to learn more about fly fishing for striper and largemouth on the Delta and experience the excitement for yourself call 707-287-2939. We specialize in groups, fly fishing classes and corporate excursions. Our gift certificates are popular gifts as well.
Delta Getting here
Most of our fishing is done out of B&W Resort Marina. It is located at 964 Brannan Island Rd, Isleton, Ca 95641. It is right off Ca. Highway 12 about an hour East of San Francisco and 45 min from down town Sacramento.
Booking a San Francisco Fishing Guide
To make a reservation, please give us a call at (707) 287-2939.
