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Fishing the Delta in
the summer
Summer is here and the Delta black bass are in
the post spawn mode.
The bass are just getting
done spawning and are starting to feed to get their energy back. Most of
the bass have spawned, but there are always some that have not spawned
yet.
It is this time of the year that I concentrate on
fishing large weed beds close to the main river channel. As the water
temperature starts to warm up into the seventies, the bass will stay
closer to the river currents. These large weed beds are rich in plankton
in which the baitfish feed on. The weed beds have everything a bass could
want, the weeds filter out the water and produce a lot of oxygen. If you
can find a weed bed in which the moss attaches to and forms a canapé on
the surface, this is the kind of spot that has the potential of holding a
ten-pound plus bass.
Best places to look for this kind of areas are on
the San Joaquin River. There are many islands off the river,
which hold large weed beds. On most of the islands one side will be deep
(10 to 20 feet) and will have a lot of current. The other side will
usually have a bend in it and will be a lot shallower (1 to 3 feet) and
have a lot of weeds. The shallower side of these islands is the prime
areas.
The
tides play a big role in fishing these kinds of areas. The best time
to learn to fish these kinds of areas is on high tide. The best time to
look for these areas is on low tide so you can see the large weed beds. On
the high tide you will be fishing over the top of these beds. The bass can
travel underneath these beds, right to the tulles. Behind the weeds,
you will find a buffer zone. A buffer zone is a clear spot behind the
weeds. A good buffer zone will have some sparse tulle and have a water
depth of a foot or two. In the morning I like to throw buzz
baits (Bull Dog) on the top of the weeds, so I can cover a lot of area.
Then I will turn around and throw a Zoom Super fluke or a Yamamoto Senka
weight less worm. I also like to flip Zipper Worms and Brushhogs into
these small pockets.
This time of the year I like to throw a Tournament
Frog on top of the moss  beds. Just to have one of these big bass
explode on your frog will make you tremble. Work the frog like you are
working a top water lure. Move it and let it sit for a while like a
popper in open water. When the bass want it, they will explode right
through the moss.
One of the most important things to
remember is a bass deals with current and water height everyday of their
life's, so they know when to back off. One foot of water is plenty deep
for these bass. Last year I caught a bass weighing thirteen and a half
pounds and I saw an inch of her tail out of the water. If you think you
are in to shallow of water, you need to fish shallower yet!
| Good
Luck, Alan Fong |
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Practice
catch and release! |
You can contact "Alan":
Email fishfong@aol.com
| Fisherman's Warehouse |
| 9035 Folsom Blvd. |
| Sacramento, Ca |
| (916) 362-1200 |
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