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It’s been awhile since my Dad and I first floated the Stanislaus River, almost a full year. So, it was about time we did it again! It’s one of the more scenic rivers here in the Central Valley and to top it off there are a variety of species that inhabit the water. Everything from Trout to Smallmouth, and even the occasional Striped Bass.
I brought along my Coosa FD and my Dad brought his Kilroy. We didn’t get the earliest start, arriving at the launch around 11am. But we soon got underway and began fishing. I brought along two set-ups, one for Trout and my light-weight Striper se-up. My main goal was to get a Striper on one of my home built lures. The Stanislaus presents a little more challenge than most of the Striper waters I target, crystal clear waters. I’m not a huge fan of fluorocarbon so I opted for a little lighter line than what I normally use. In hindsight, using fluoro would probably be the way to go and could make the difference in your success.
Long casts are mandatory, along with being as silent as possible. These fish spook easily! After spooking many fish and several lazy followers on my Striper gear, I switched over to my Trout set-up and was soon rewarded with a feisty rainbow. I picked up a couple others, as well as lost a couple after a few jumps. After getting the skunk off I switched back to my primary target. And once we dropped down a short run into a nice pool, I bombed a cast and was soon hooked up to a nice schoolie! On my light set-up the fish was able to make a couple short runs and attempted to pull me into the faster water. But I was able to work my way closer to shore so I could land it. I was stoked! I ended up getting one more striper before the end of the float. My Dad finished the day with a few nice Trout to the kayak. Overall a great day on the water and I can’t wait to invest more time on the Stanislaus!