OFF THE HOOK: Upper bay striped bass continued into winter

This has been one of the most unusual winters in a decade, with a dry first two weeks of January following the fourth-driest December on record.

Fortunately, a series of big winter storms moved into northern California on Thursday, raising river levels and perking up sturgeon fishing on San Pablo and Suisun Bays.

Before the storms arrived, clear water conditions made striped bass fishing the top prospect for anglers. On six trips in a row in December, Gordon Hough, captain of the Morning Star, reported limits of stripers for all aboard.

On Dec. 16, the 12 anglers aboard the boat caught limits of bass to 10 pounds and one shaker sturgeon on a day with light tides in Suisun Bay.

"This time of year our first choice is always San Pablo Bay, but with less than two feet of water moving in either direction, the crabs steal our baits faster than we can cast them out," Hough said. "That makes the mostly crab-free Suisun Bay our best bet."

The anglers fished with grass shrimp, ghost shrimp, bullheads and mudsuckers just east of the Benicia Bridge near the tip of Suisun Bay's largest sand bar.

"It was a steady bite throughout the outgoing tide, and we had all we wanted by 12:30 p.m.," Hough said.

On a Dec. 23 trip, the eight passengers opted for shark fishing, landing two leopard sharks while fishing mudsuckers in the deep water at buoy No. 7 in San Pablo Bay. They also bagged a 53-inch sturgeon and two bass at the bottom of outgoing tide at the mouth of Sonoma Creek.

Five anglers fishing on Monday, Dec. 26 landed five bass to 19 pounds, again underneath the Benicia Bridge, according to Hough.

Hoping to hook a bass or sturgeon while using my 2011 license before the new year began, I went out on the boat on Dec. 29. After almost missing the Crockett exit off the Crockett/Vallejo Carquinez Bridge in the thick fog, I met the other six passengers on the boat, berthed at the Crockett Marina.

"We got bullheads, mudsuckers, grass shrimp and ghost shrimp, take your pick," Hough said.

The fog was thick on the water around the marina and through the strait, but began to clear on the other side of the Benicia/Martinez Bridge.

The bite was very slow on the outgoing tide. One angler hooked a kingfish, showing the saltiness of the water in Suisun Bay. Anglers also landed several shaker bass, but no keepers.

Finally one fisherman hooked a shaker sturgeon. Four other shaker sturgeon in the 30- to 34-inch class followed that.

The only keeper landed was a 7-pound bass that Mike Shimel, the deckhand, caught on a bullhead.

I must say that I had a nice relaxing day on the water on an unusually warm December day once the sun came out — and I was able to read a good chunk of the current book I'm reading. We finally called it a day at around 3:30 p.m.

The reason for the tough fishing?

"I blame it all on the deckhand," Hough said. "I'll never let him pick the spots again."

Although the tides were a "C to C-," he was still expecting to land a lot more fish.

"The fish that were here for the past one to one and a half months are now gone," Hough said. "Our motto on the Morning Star is get used to disappointment."

However, the sturgeon fishing on San Pablo Bay has improved dramatically since our trip.

On Wednesday, the anglers fishing during a series of big tides aboard the Morning Star landed two legal sturgeon, one oversize sturgeon, seven or eight shakers and had "many, many lost opportunities."

"We also caught one 7-pound bass and eight flounder," Hough said.

Winter trips from October through April aboard the Morning Star target sturgeon, striped bass and leopard sharks from the Crockett Marina. Departure is 7:30 a.m.; they quit fishing at 3 p.m. and are back at the dock by 4 p.m.

Spring, summer and fall trips depart daily from the Loch Lomond Marina in San Rafael and target halibut, striped bass, salmon, rockfish and "anything else that happens to swim by the boat," Hough said.

Departure is 7 a.m.; they quit fishing at 3 p.m. and are back at dock by 4 p.m.

Regardless of the type of fishing I've done aboard the Morning Star and whether the fishing has been hot or not, I've always had a great time hanging out with Hough and second captain Mike Shimel.

"Sturgeon Worship is not a crime," Hough said.

For more information, contact the Morning Star at 1-800-464-1431 or www.morningstarfishing.info.