Kevin Brock's Assessment of Striper Fishing on the Sacramento River. Saturday morning started off cool, with a 10 MPH SW breeze on the Sacramento River. The air was crisp, and the sky was slightly overcast for most of the morning.

Fishing at first started a little on the slow side, but warmed up to limits of striper for Jeremy, Zane and Mitchell, with Mitchell catching the largest fish of the day. Tackle used was the same as for the Feather River on the previous day.

As the day went on, the weather continued to improve, turning into another beautiful Northern California spring day. Wildlife spotted today included wild turkeys, mallard ducks, a beaver and a river otter.

After the scouting trips, the Sacramento River is the best bet. We're fishing there with daily limits, as you'll see below:

On Monday, 4-9-12, Doug and Greg were on the boat, and during the day, got 3 double hookups, and limits.

On Tuesday, 4-10-12, Samantha and Joey caught limits of stripers as well.

Today's fishing (Thursday, 4-12-12) was excellent. The employees from Bass Pro Shop, pictured above were aboard, and soon 8 early limits were on board too, for a great spring fishing day on the Sacramento River.

The size of the stripers so far this season has been perfect for eating, typically in the 3-6 pound range, with some larger. There's always a chance that a big 30-pound striper will grab that minnow, you just never know. These fish are scrappy, hard-fighting, and lots of fun. No wonder these striper trips are a springtime favorite with many clients!

We've been using live minnows on sensitive G. Loomis STR980 rods, P-Line CXX high vis line, and 10 LB CXX green leader with a Calcutta reel, sliding sinker, #1 or #2 mosquito hooks, and a 3/4 or 1/2 ounce sinker.

The forecast is for more great striper fishing this season.

The water has been in fantastic condition, but the recent rains have put the river on the rise. While it clears up, the weekend may be a little tougher, but the silver lining is that the colored water can make the biggest stripers less wary.