Delta fun increasing with temperature
It takes only a few seconds for the delta to get inside your head. The turn of a key, a few paddle strokes, the sensation of the breeze in your face.
In those few seconds, all traffic ahead of you is gone, no stoplights in sight. Miles of waterways, heading in all directions, surround you. Some say they literally can feel their cares falling away.
All you need is to be afloat. In a few hours, we counted 20 different kinds of craft, and with each, those aboard with the same mission: to realign their senses.
The delta is within range of 10 million people, just over the hill from the Bay Area on one side, extending to Sacramento, Stockton and Tracy on the others.
There are hundreds of miles of rivers, sloughs and cuts amid a matrix of 55 islands and levees. Many who boat there have been exploring the delta their entire lives and haven’t seen it all yet.
Last week, we were out again, this time on the San Joaquin River side, exploring the haunts; from Stockton on the San Joaquin pass Windmill Cove to Mildred Island for dinner, where we anchored and barbecued.
Everywhere we turned, there was another memory, catching catfish and bass at Frank’s Tract, my first wakeboard lesson on Old River and the adjacent Victoria Canal, the sight of Mount Diablo on the horizon and all the amazing sunsets we’ve seen over the years.
We’re invariably astonished how you can go from jammed traffic on Highway 4 to the west, 580 to the south, 5 to the east, 80 to the north, and one way or another — to wide open spaces. That is, if you just can get on the water.
There is also a matrix of hundreds of miles of two-lane roads, most on levees, that are connected by 70 bridges and ferries. Just stay off the main routes, like Highway 4 and 12, and you can avoid traffic and find all kinds of hideouts.
If you don’t own a boat, you can rent just about anything, from jet-ski-style personal watercraft, waterski/wakeboard boats, patio boats, fishing boats and kayaks.
Here is a synopsis of how to make it work:
Wakeboard/water ski
The key at the delta is that flat calm mornings come in late summer through early fall. Conditions are often far better than on big reservoirs because the narrow waterways in the delta make for calmer water. Another huge plus is that you don’t need to run into coves to find flat water on a lake, which leads to conflict with lowspeed kayaks, swimmers and anglers. The best areas on the delta for water sports are on the San Joaquin River side, which usually gets less wind than the Sacramento River side. The best spots are in the vicinity of Orwood Resort at Discovery Bay on the south San Joaquin region and include Victoria Canal, Woodward Canal, Middle River and Old River. Other good ones are Snodgrass Slough, False River, Bishop Cut to White Slough and some people’s favorite spot, because of its long, flat run, the Grant Line (H20 has a rental center here). A personal note: For beginners, you can use my experience to calculate your learning curve: To stand up and cruise on a wakeboard took me six tries; on waterskis, first time was good, but the following kerplunk, when I tried to jump a cross wake and get air, was spectacular. Personal watercraft: PWCs include Jet Skis, WaveRunners and the like. The most popular sport is to jump the wakes of big yachts on cruise. Rentals are expensive but popular. Most owners of PWCs are safe and understand the safety boundaries. In the hands of inexperienced operators, the boundaries can be broken with erratic, self-absorbed driving. One rule: Stay clear of bass fishermen.
Rentals: H2O Craft, will deliver, (209) 833-6893, Tracy, www.h2ocraft.com; InvertSports, will deliver, Bethel Island, (888) 205-7119, www.invertsports.com.
Patio boats/skiffs
Patio boats: These are great for family outings and lowscale, on-the-water picnics and parties. Most will cruise to a quiet spot, anchor or tie up to the tules, and then use the boat as a swimming platform and picnic site.
Skiffs: From Bethel Island, you can rent a small boat and then venture to nearby Frank’s Tract, Old River and the San Joaquin, or the northern end of Frank’s Tract to False River. These are often good fishing areas for bass on incoming tides. Rentals: Delta Rental Center, Sugar Barge Resort, Bethel Island, (800) 799-4100, http:// deltarentalcenter.com.
Kayak
Bird watching: The narrow, quiet back sloughs of the delta often provide shelter from wind, PWCs and wakeboard boats. They also provide access to habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, and excellent bird watching. On the Sacramento River side, one of the best spots is from Brannan Island State Recreation Area and Three Mile Slough or Seven Mile Slough. On the San Joaquin side, you can launch from Big Break and paddle along the shore into Dutch Slough, or from Bethel Island into Old River. Tule-lined sloughs and cottonwood uplands provide habitat for ducks, geese, white pelicans, egrets and virtually all raptors.
Rentals: Kokopelli Kayak, Brannan Island/Isleton, (925) 788-2103, www.deltakayakrentals.com; Delta Kayak Adventures, Antioch, (925) 6425764, www.deltakayakadventures.com; Adventure Sports Kayak City, Stockton and Kayak, (209) 462-5400, www.kayakcity.com.
Fishing
Bass factory: The San Joaquin Delta has the qualities of a tidal lake, and with its rich aquatic food chain, has become one of the best fishing spots anywhere for largemouth bass. You need to time it for an outgoing tide, when freshwater is the sweetest (as opposed to an incoming tide, with brings in saltwater). My favorite spots are the edges of Frank’s Tract and adjacent sloughs along the inside of submerged fence lines, Old River and Victoria Slough. Striped bass and sturgeon improve in the fall on the Sacramento River side of the Delta, best at Pittsburg, Rio Vista and Isleton.
Contacts: Fishing supplies/ guide: Delta Sportsman Bait & Tackle, Bethel Island, (925) 684-3300 (and Facebook page); Fish Hookers Sport Fishing, Isleton, (916) 777-6498, www.fishhookers.com.