June 28,2000

My plan was to go bass fishing with a friend in the delta during mid-week. My day started out the night before. The weather prediction for tomorrow's fishing was over 100 degrees with light northerly winds. So, I bought some sodas, water and something to eat for all of us. Then, it was time to get out the rods and reels (4 of them), and the tackle and lures. I wanted to travel light so I packed them into one plastic box (2 spinner baits, 2 buzz baits, 3 frogs, 2 packs of zipper worms, 2 packs of flukes, some worms and other junk). I got the small ice chest ready. I rounded up my sunglasses, cellular phone, and a long sleeve shirt, found my coffee travel mug and put the coffee maker on automatic for 3 a.m. I'm ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow starts with a loud buzz at 3 a.m. Wash my face, brush my teeth and put on the sunscreen 45spf. Gather up my stuff and load it in the truck. Head for the AM/PM to buy ice for the ice chest. All set!

We meet at I-5 and Florin Road. 3 of us are going bass fishing. Can't wait. As we drive south, drinking coffee, all of us are talking "fish". How big, how many, where at. It's 5 a.m. It is starting to dawn. We are still on I-5. 'Bout 1/2 hour later we are launching the boat. 20 rods, 3 people, tackle…we are ready.

Now we are heading somewhere by boat. Because I've never been there before, my hosts blindfold me, until we are deep in the tules on some flooded island where I don't recognize any landmarks. They take my blind fold off and tell me to start fishing. They tell me to use a frog and they start casting buzz baits and catch fish. I switch to a buzz bait, they switch to frogs and catch fish. I switch back to a buzz bait, they switch to flukes and catch fish. I switch to a fluke, they switch to brush hogs. I don't have any brush hogs, but you've got it, they catch fish. Anyway, after they caught several bass, up to around 5 lbs., and I haven't had a touch, I finally switched to a zipper worm and got going with the program. I caught several small bass. It was a good morning bite and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The afternoon bite slowed down and our day finished around 2 p.m. All said and done, we caught around 15 bass and missed a lot more (I'm sure those bass were cross eyed). We brought home a few small keepers for the dinner table and released the bigger fish. I ate my share of fresh bass that night.

I learned a little more about the delta that day, and I sure had some good company. Maybe we can do it again some time?

Alan Fong and Creighton Yee, thank you very much….Mark.

Note:  You can read more of Alan Fong's Fishin' Tips @ FishinReport.com's Fishin Tech.