Predation happens, especially on juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the San Joaquin River Basin in California’s Central Valley. Political interests blame unusually high predation rates on the presence of non-native predator fish, especially Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis). While salmon and their non-native piscine predators have coexisted for more than a century, recent changes in habitat changed dynamic of the predator-prey interactions. Physical and biological conditions greatly influence predator prey interactions and habitat restoration aimed at creating conditions more favorable to the prey (juvenile salmon) can provide long-term solutions to the predation problem.