Striped bass move shallow as big tides push into SF Bay and Bodega

What's biting

What's next

The Full Moon overhead means spring tides are in play, and the next high-tide windows recorded this morning, 11:49 a.m. Pacific time at station 9418767 and 10:58 a.m. at station 9416841, bracket a stretch of stronger-than-average tidal exchange over the next few days. Bigger swings tend to pin bait and predators against structure around the turn, so the hour bracketing each high is worth building a session around this week.

With striped bass already working close to the beach per Bushnell's report, the same bird-and-bait pattern that produced fish near Santa Cruz typically holds as long as bait stays pinned against the shoreline, making dawn and dusk high-tide windows the higher-percentage plays heading into the weekend.

Context

Late September sits in the fall transition for Northern California's saltwater fishery, when striped bass typically push into the shallows to feed ahead of the cooling months and nearshore structure along the coast tends to hold the most consistent action of the season. The wide spread between this morning's two temperature readings is typical for this stretch of coastline, where upwelling and bay influence can produce sharply different water character within a short distance. Striper activity typically builds through early fall before tapering as water cools further; check California state regulations before harvesting.