Fishing Report: Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel aka DWC April 21,2018
I was invited to go with David on his boat to troll the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel aka DWC. My last visit here, we hammered them on the chartreuse colored Atlas umbrella rigs.
The is one of those places I’d love to fish more often but live too far to visit on a regular basis. We made the trek all the way to the cargo docks from Rio Vista.
Its distance from the closest public boat ramp deters many boaters from traveling here. Most water craft in the area are kayaks and recreational speed rowers.
The water way is dammed off from the main river. When most of the California Delta is murky, the area around by the cargo docks is usually clearer which makes for better striper fishing.
David landed the first fish on the shad colored Atlas Umbrella Rig right as we were passing around a giant cargo ship.
We trolled parallel to shore in 20’ of water. We used the electric trolling motor to get us down to 2 mph. At this speed, letting out 70 feet of line got us about 15’ in depth using the Atlas Umbrella Rig.
One thing that attracts me to the DWC is how easy it is to fish for striped bass. Most fish are caught right along the channel edges. Some can be shallow and right up against the banks.
When trolling for stripers at the DWC, the easiest way to catch stripers is to troll that channel edge. My first visit here, I tried zig zagging the area and found that most of my catches came when we were right over the edge of the channel.
Troll with an umbrella rig like the Atlas Rig at a 12’-15’ depth and you’re odds of catching a stripers will be high.
I’ve noticed that the bite can change throughout the day. In the morning, these stripers will hit the chartreuse colored Atlas Rigs more often. As the morning progresses, the Shad colored umbrella rig will get more hits.
You’ll have to fish around the many recreational speed rowers that regularly use this area. Some rowers will speed right by you like they own the place. Just be aware of your surroundings as you get closer to the docks.
We trolled up the first bridge and found the water there murkier than it was near the private boat ramp. I also wasn’t marking much fish so we headed back to clearer waters.
You can watch the full video of the trip below.
We trolled the Atlas Rig along the northeast shoreline south of the private boat ramp and that area yielded bigger striped bass. It was also a high traffic area with rowers, kayakers and shore anglers so we didn’t stick around too long trying to pick off these stripers.
We left early noon. On our way out, we caught a smaller striper around the bend down river of the cargo docks. Overall it was a steady bite but made for a fun trip. Having several colored Atals Rigs was key to catching more stripers.
Now you know. Go get em!
You can find the same gear I use in the affiliate links below.
–TackleBuilders Atlas Umbrella Rig
