Link to the 2004 regulations.

NOTE: this is intended as a guideline only. This is my interpretation of the regulations. Rio Vista Bait and Tackle cannot be held responsible for your failure to read and understand the California regulations. Any quotes from the regulation book will be quoted "and printed in red". We strongly advise you to read the regulations yourself and make your own determination of the rules.

This FAQ is intended only for the Delta. It is not designed to cover any lake, reservoir, or ocean; nor any river outside of the Delta.
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What about the 2004 license and Bay-Delta Enhancement stamp?
Do I have to fill out the license before I go fishing? (yes)
Can I buy a license for my friend to save time? (yes)
Can I fish with the yellow duplicate copy? (no)
Can I keep the license in my wallet or purse, or in the boat or car? (no)
Is there a new rule limiting the hook gap to 3/4 inch? (revised for 2004)
How far does the hook have to be from the weight? (18 inches)
How long should my leader be? (at least 18 inches)
How much weight do I need?
What size hook do I need?
What is a slider?
Do I need a slider?
How old does my son/daughter need to be before he/she needs a license? (16)
Do you have live anchovies? (no)
Are your fresh shad alive? (no)
What's the limit on stripers? (18 inches, limit of 2)
What's the limit on sturgeon? (46 inches to 72 inches, limit of 1)
What's the limit on salmon?
What's the limit on black bass? (12 inches, limit of 5)
Can I use my second-rod stamp in the Delta?
Are gaffs legal?
Do pile worms bite? (no, they pinch)
Do blood worms bite? (no, they also pinch)
Can I fish at night?
Can I fish from any public pier without a license? (no)


What about the 2004 license and Bay-Delta Enhancement stamp?
The 2004 resident license cost is $32.80. To fish in the Delta and San Francisco Bay, there is a new Bay-Delta Enhancement stamp that is an additional $5.25. The old Striper Stamp no longer exists. The Bay-Delta Enhancement stamp is good for all species. The Delta is defined as any water that you can get to by boat without hitting a dam. This extends clear up to Redding at Keswick Dam. See the map. It includes the Feather River to the Oroville Dam and the American River to Nimbus Dam, among others.
Yes, you need this stamp to fish for catfish, bluegill, and black bass!
The total combined cost of the 2004 license and stamp is $38.05. The license is purple, the duplicate copy is yellow, and the stamp is yellow. We only take cash or ATM for licenses, no credit cards or checks. We did not raise the prices, please do not blame us!! The prices are set by the government and we are not allowed to charge any more or less for them. We do not make a profit, it is strictly a convenience for our customers.
"The law now provides for a minimum $100 fine for fishing without a license."

Do I have to fill out the license before I go fishing? (yes)
"Regulations require that prior to using any license or license stamps, the licensee shall complete the application so that it contains the licensee's true name, residence address, date of birth, height, color of eyes and hair, weight, sex, and driver's license or California Identification Card number." If I'm not mistaken, failing to fill out the license equates to not having a license; see above $100 fine! Leaving the license blank so that your cousin can use it is strictly against the law!

Can I buy a license for my friend to save time? (yes)
"Regulations provide that a person may purchase a hunting or sport fishing license, tags, or stamps for another person, as long as the application contains the licensee's true name and address."

Can I fish with the yellow duplicate copy? (no)
The yellow duplicate copy is to allow you to purchase a duplicate license if you lose the original. Obviously, this copy should be stored somewhere safe away from the license, not attached to the license. If you lose the license AND the copy, you will have to purchase a new license. If you have the copy, you may purchase a new duplicate license ONE TIME. The cost is $6.55 for the duplicate. If you get caught fishing with the yellow copy, it is the same as fishing without a license. The copy is not a license! The copy, titled "2004 Application for Duplicate Resident Sport Fishing License" has large gray letters across the front that say "NOT A VALID LICENSE".

Can I keep the license in my wallet or purse, or in the boat or car? (no)
"Every person, while engaged in taking any fish, amphibian or reptile, shall display their valid sport fishing license by attaching it to their outer clothing at or above the waistline so that [it] is plainly visible, except when diving..."
"Persons diving from a boat or shore may have their license on the boat or within 500 yards of shore, respectively."

Is there a new rule limiting the hook gap to 3/4 inch?
This is revised in the 2004 regulations. "No person shall use any multiple hook with a gap greater than 3/4 inch or any hook with a shank longer than 2 inches." This means double hooks and treble hooks. A single hook no longer carries this restriction.

For comparison, this was printed in the 2003 regulation book! "No person shall use any single hook with a gap greater than 3/4 inch, or any multiple hook with a gap greater than 5/8 inch in any lake or reservoir, or in the Sacramento River below Bend Bridge, the San Joaquin River below Highway 132, or the Mokelumne River below Woodbridge Dam." And it wasn't new...it was printed in the regulations.

How far does the hook have to be from the weight? (18 inches)
"Weight Attachment Restriction for Rivers and Streams: It is unlawful to use any hook which is directly or indirectly attached closer than 18 inches to any weight exceeding 1/2 ounce." Our pretied striper rig leaders are roughly 36 inches long. If you use Eagle Claw or similar pretied hooks with an 8 inch leader, you need to find a way to get the hook another 10 inches from the weight. These hooks and leaders may be legal in lakes, but not in the Delta, unless you are using a weight less than or equal to 1/2 ounce. If you need help, ask! The regulation booklet does not say why this is the rule. We assume that it is to prevent the possibility of snagging fish. This is just our assumption, though.

How long should my leader be?
We recommend about 36 inches, but whatever length you use, make sure the hook is 18 inches from the weight. See above.

How much weight do I need?
This is a very hard question to answer. It all depends on where you are fishing, what you are fishing for, and how you are fishing. In general, most of our customers buy 1 to 4 ounce weights. If the current is strong, you need a heavier weight. If you are fishing for bluegills, you don't want 4 ounces of weight! If you come in and tell us what you are trying to achieve, we will be happy to help you select an appropriate weight. Most people have an assortment of different weights.

What size hook do I need?
This depends on what species of fish you are trying to get and what kind of bait you are using. Come in and ask us. "I'm fishing for striper with shad. What size hook do I need?" gets a quicker answer than "What size hook do I need?" The point of the hook needs to be free from the body of the bait. If the hook is too small, and the point is buried in the bait, it probably won't hook the fish. So the gap of the hook needs to be wider than the shad's body. A hook smaller than 3/0 may not be big enough for a striper or sturgeon, but would be fine for a largemouth or bluegill. But that's a whole different bait!

What is a slider?
A slider is a plastic device with a snap hook that slides up and down your line with the weight attached to the snap hook. The line passes through the slider before anything like a swivel is tied on. The slider allows a fish to pull on the line directly without pulling against the weight.

Do I need a slider?
A slider is recommended but not necessary to catch a fish. Sliders are normally used with stripers and sturgeon. It makes it easier to feel the bite and lessens the likelihood that the fish will feel a resistance to the bait. Some people use an egg sinker with a hole through it. The line slides through the sinker like it would with a slider. However, if you want to change the weight, you must cut the line. With a slider, you just unclip the weight to change it.

How old does my son/daughter need to be before he/she needs a license?
"Anyone 16 years of age or older must have a valid fishing license..."

Do you have live anchovies?
No. Only dead ocean fish may be used for bait in the Delta.

Are your fresh shad alive?
No. Live shad are only allowed to be used as bait in the water in which they are caught. We don't really know where they were caught. Our fresh shad are shad that have not been previously frozen. I enjoy watching people poke the shad to see if they move.

What's the limit on salmon?
There are so many variations on this that you should read the regulations yourself and make sure of where you are going to be fishing.

Can I use my second-rod stamp in the Delta?
No, the second-rod stamp may only be used in lakes and reservoirs.

Are gaffs legal?
Under certain, very restrictive rules! Read the regulations yourself to make sure you are legal. You may NOT use a gaff on a sturgeon! You must be in a boat, on the Sacramento River mainstem below the Deschutes Road Bridge, the gaff can be no longer than 36", and it must be a legal size fish. If the gaff is longer than 36", then it is illegal to even have the gaff on the boat or within 100 yards of the river!
These may not be all of the rules. If you don't know all the rules, don't use a gaff.

Do pile worms bite?
Pile worms have a pincher very much like an earwig or an ant. I've heard, but not confirmed, that it feels a lot like a bee sting.

Do blood worms bite?
Like pile worms, blood worms pinch. The main difference is that blood worms have 4 pinchers.

Can I fish at night?
Yes, you can fish in the Delta 24 hours a day, except for the American River.

Can I fish from any public pier without a license?
No. This regulation only applies to public piers that go into ocean water. It does not apply to a public pier on a river.