Delta 5-26-07

[Hairstacker]

Grabbed the fly rod and hit the Delta today for a few hours for some topwater bass action out of the inflatable kayak. It turned out to be one of those days you wish you had a friend with you to show the place off. :) Conditions were ideal -- very little wind and just a gorgeous day:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/5-26-07Delta1.jpg

Once the tide starting rolling in and sections of weed mats started submerging, the bite just took off. Among others, caught several hefty fish in the 16" - 19" range. Here's one of the bigger ones I caught on one of my blackbird divers on the edge of a weedline bordering a flat:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/5-26-07Delta2.jpg

This was a really fun fish, as it put a nice, sustained bend in my rod, bull-dogging back and forth under the kayak. In fact, all of the bigger ones put up a great fight today. My 7wt. rod seemed perfect for the occasion. Here's another one of the better ones I caught on a black and yellow Dahlberg Diver:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/5-26-07Delta3.jpg

I had planned to post a photo of another good fish but he managed to wiggle out of my hand while I held him underwater as I reached for my camera. Ah well, no big deal.

For a little while there, I was getting hit on almost every other cast while fishing big open pockets over submerged weeds. One energetic fish hit my bug once, missed it, and then rapidly turned and hit it again as it chased it down during a fairly rapid retrieve. On another cast, soon after I moved the bug after touchdown, a decent fish charged at warp speed from about 10 feet away and just nailed it. :shock: Unfortunately, he got unbuttoned about mid-way into the fight. That's ok, I was already fully entertained! :D

Definitely a fun day today. Gotta love the Delta!

Thom, you out there? It is time. :)

[Adam Grace]

It's nice to hear that you had a great day Thom, the delta is a cool place. Hopefully I can fish it with a friend or two this summer, especially since I have just started my summer vacation!

[David Lee]

:evil: Every Dog has his day !!!!!

Great job Mike !!! Time to grow a longer arm ...??

David :D :D :D

[mikenewman]

Nice one, Mike - sounds like one of those idyllic Delta days!
I'm curious about your approach. It sounds as though you concentrate on fairly open water as opposed to the bankside structure that I focus on. How much water do you cover in a typical session? Are you parked up or drifting with the current? Do you take more than one fish from a particular spot? Spill the beans on your yak attack system :)
Cheers
Mike

[SullyTM]

Mike...Nice whales :D And I don't mean Delta and Dawn.

Later...Thom

P.S. Adam, I'd love to take the credit for catching those fish, but Hairstacker is the man! :lol:

[Hairstacker]

I'm curious about your approach. It sounds as though you concentrate on fairly open water as opposed to the bankside structure that I focus on. How much water do you cover in a typical session? Are you parked up or drifting with the current? Do you take more than one fish from a particular spot? Spill the beans on your yak attack system

Mike, I know you fish out of a motored boat, so you have the freedom to search out multiple areas with good bankside structure. However, since I fish out of an inflatable kayak, its limited range dictates that I generally fish within a mile of where I park my car. Thus, I often have to take a multi-dimensional approach to take advantage of the good structure that I have available, rather than searching out a specific type of structure I might prefer to fish.

Now there are areas where I also will focus almost exclusively on bankside structure, such as in White's Slough, for example, where there's enough of it to enable you to spend all day tossing to it and nothing else and do very well, if not better, than fishing any available alternatives. However, in the spot I fished yesterday, for example, there is some great bankside structure within striking range and, when the tide is right, I do fish it and have done very well. But that is only one type of structure amongst a broad array of other great structure, and these alternatives are often better bets. For this area, that is often true for weed beds and related edges, tule stands away from the bank, flats, and natural coves (all again depending on what the tide is doing). I would be very limited there if I just tossed to the bank. And again, the fish are often concentrated in these alternative areas rather than posting near the bank. One of my real favorites for this area is when the incoming tide starts to sink the weedbeds over several flats, opening up big holes and pockets where the fish often visibly turn on.

One thing I don't do is fish in completely open water unless I KNOW there is some kind of structure underwater that might attract bass, like a submerged weed bed or, say, a relatively shallow point (e.g., where the hump of a tule island, for example, extends far out underwater). As you know, bass are so structure-oriented that they will ALWAYS choose any kind of structure over none. I also try to keep in mind that they are generally an ambush predator.

I always keep moving so I can present to as many fish as possible. To me, this is a critical rule and can't be emphasized enough. As you know, bass fishing is emphatically not a "sit in one spot and hope one comes along" type of fishing.

Anyway, usually, this means drifting with the current. If it's really windy and I want to fish a pause-and-pop approach, though, I may park on a weedbed to make the cast so I can remain still but, after that cast, I will cast to a different spot or move down the line for the next cast. I never target more than one fish in a specific spot, although I often will catch multiple fish in a relatively small area. I also rarely work a bug more than 6 or 10 feet from where the bug landed. I feel if it hasn't been hit by then, it's not going to happen.

Bottom-line, due to limited mobility compared to your boat, I try to take advantage of all the possibilities that I feel are promising. As an aside, I feel it is also advantageous, if feasible, to get to know an area well so as to maximize productive time on future trips. Without a doubt, there are spots that look fantastic but just don't seem to hold fish for some reason. Doubtless, there's a reason, it's just not always evident. Only on-the-water experience tells you to avoid these areas in favor of higher percentage targets. Well, that's some of my thinking in a nutshell, although there are a lot of other factors and details doubtless worth mulling over as well. :D

[jbird]

Great report and pics Mike! Those delta bass are very pretty and healthy! I'm glad you got your "topwater fix" :D Its like a drug tho...alls you want is more more more!

Jay

[JerryInLodi]

Mike, what was the tide and time of day at the time you were fishing?

[Hairstacker]

Jerry, I fished from about 10:30 - 1:30. The fish turned on during the rising tide around 12:30, if I recall correctly. Don't take these times as gospel, though, as I didn't keep a record and wasn't tracking at the time. :oops: