How to Catch Striped Bass in the Pacific Coast
The short answer
Striped Bass in the Pacific Coast hold on the surf, open sound water, rivers and streams. They peak Mar–Jun and Sep–Oct. Start with paddletail: Shad-pattern swimbait worked along flats and channel edges. Best on moving water through the rips, flats and river mouths. Dawn, dusk & night.
When Striped Bass bite in the Pacific Coast
SF Bay & Delta: spring and fall runs, fishable most of the year
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
around | around | peak | peak | peak | peak | around | around | peak | peak | around | around |
What to throw for Striped Bass
Best first. The retrieve matters more than the lure, so each one says how to work it.
- Paddletail — Shad-pattern swimbait worked along flats and channel edges.
- Topwater — Pencil popper at grey light over shallow bars.
- Cut bait — Bullhead or shad on the bottom in a Delta hole.
Where to find them
Look for the surf, open sound water, rivers and streams, inlets and passes.
West-coast stripers run the SF Bay system and the beaches around it. Work the tide rips and flats like a Northeast surfcaster and you'll find them — same fish, different ocean.
Tide and timing
Moving water through the rips, flats and river mouths
Dawn, dusk & night
Tackle
7'6"–9' medium-heavy spinning · 30 lb braid · 25–40 lb leader
Check the regulations
Size and bag limits change by state and by season, and they change more often than any article gets updated. Check your state agency before you keep anything.
Sounder links the right state agency for wherever you drop a pin, and flags a fish that’s out of slot as you log it.