Try 3' off the bottom for stripers. My partner, guide fished the bank. I'm on the outside in the current. He's got me four to one 'til I put a 1/2 oz sliding egg above my 2' twenty lb steel leader. 12'/16' depth, decent current. We trolled up and downstream if we were on fish. Stay with them. They weren't picky. Steamboat and Miner Sloughs. Kayak launch would be Hogback on Steamboat, Arrowhead on Miner. Both West of Courtland. If you choose Hogback, turn right. Ticket booth to the ferry was always good. Right bank. Reel in to pass the ferry, you'll hook that sunken cable for sure.

I was up near where the other 'Gonna chase the stripers' Stagers were fishing on the Sacramento River near Rio Vista.

Unfortunately, my partner bailed at the last minute and by the time I got my kayak launched I missed the tidal pocket for my planned drift.

Not one to give up, I tried a little trolling (live minnows 40" behind a dodger at approx 12' below the surface) but struck out.

I know how to successfully drift for stripers and troll for trout, salmon, tuna and halibut but will be the first to admit I know very little about trolling for stripers.

My assumption is that stripers tend to stay at the same depth in the water column independent of the bottom depth (ie, like salmon or trout).

The question I have is whether or not my assumption is correct.
Should I troll the same depth in the water column (eg, 12' below the surface) or troll 3' off the bottom (like you would for halibut)?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated (especially from the 'Gonna chase the stripers' crew)

PapaD

Thanksgiving is done, black Friday's a wrap,
I'm happy to not be out shopping for crap.
At this phase of life, we don't need more stuff,
A lifetime collection is surely enough.

I do hope the basses enjoy the vacation,
No boats on the water for prop-made aeration.
A cold front tomorrow behind rain today,
Might stimulate catchin, I might just go play.

Happy Thanksgiving Stage family, a coupla days late. Y'all help make my new life on the lake where I grew up more enjoyable. Hugs n handshakes all around.

Another stage vis'tor is checkin my spellin,
I don't take offense bout my fancy pome tellin,
Sure, it makes more sense to use the word poem,
But it just makes it harder to write here at hoem.

So I'll stick with my habit of spellin stuff wrong,
I should get my banjo and write a pome song.
And maybe I'll start up some fun pome classes,
But no, I don't think so, I'd rather catch basses.

Like this'n here, cotched today about 15 minutes before the wind whooped about from the warm south to the frosty north. Ain't fall transition fun? 🤪
And yes, cotched is a word. It's past tense of cotch. You know, like cotchin basses.
Can y'all tell I'm wore out? Us old guys ought not be diggin up hard rocky ground lookin for septic tanks.