Top water LMB is over till Spring........

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

........but there is plenty of action under water with wet flies/streamers.

Clouser minnows work as well as anything.

I think that many Nor Cal Valley reservoirs and the Delta are fishing very well for LMB right now.

Maybe try 5 to 10 feet deep now?

[Rodney D.]

Thanks Bill for the info. I am going Wednesday to Snodgrass Slough in the Delta (in the North end past the Twin Cities rd. bridge) for LMB and Stipers so I will give the Clousers a try. Hopefully it won't be too foggy and I'll have a good report to share.

[Scott V]

I refuse to give up on the top water, I will continue to spend atleast 30 - 45 minutes trying for that bite. Bill is probably right but I refuse to give up. :D

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Scott

If we had a week of really warm weather now I would bet if you could find some Delta water in the mid-60s you might get some top water LMB in the afternoon/evening?

[Rodney D.]

I love your attitude Scott. I will ALWAYS give topwater a try... The forecast for Wednesday is 80+ degrees. The water temp. in the back of that slough should be close to that if the fog doesn't stick around too long. I'll stay loyal to topwater as long as I can.

[Ed Wahl]

Hey Rodney, is there anywhere to launch a pram around there? Ed

[Rodney D.]

Ed, I am lucky enough to have access to private land at the end of the slough that has a beach that I launch my kayak from. The closest launch that I can think of is a public access behind the town of Locke but without an engine, it's a bit of a haul. You used to be able to launch off of Twin Cities Rd. bridge but they may have fenced it off. It sure helps to have grown up out there and know all the farmers to get access to their land.

[Hairstacker]

Rodney, glad to see you've joined up, as it was nice talking to you that day at Kiene's. Looking forward to your assessment of how you think topwater is faring, as I can't decide whether it's worth devoting another weekend to it or not, especially with all the good striper reports now filtering in. Knowing me, I'll remain indecisive until I'm stringing up my rod and will end up choosing topwater bugs and retrieves that will appeal to both. :lol:

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

No more top water...

I'm so depressed.... :cry:

Guess I'll have get used to the sinkin' lines... :wink:

[Rodney D.]

Hey Hairstacker,
Good to hear from you. Yea, that's exactly why I am going to that spot...the chance for stripers. There's a big, deep channel that was dredged in the middle of that slough years ago that usually holds stripers in it. You can find it with a depth finder and it's about 1/4 mile long. It was dredged for irrigation purposes and it's especially good when the pumps are running. You need to get down to about 12 - 15 feet to where the channel is. Maybe I'll get lucky and find some stripers.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I'm cheating....going to Anglers Inn on El Salto reservoir in Mexico which is northeast of Matzatlan in early December with others from Sacramento.

Actually Leo Gutterres of Stockton, CA is going, who is one of my old fishing buddies and one of the best top water LMB people I know.

This is the best LMB fishing in the world according to many.

It is also peak top water time.

http://www.anglersinn.com/galeriamen/images/men_31.jpg

Anglers Inn on El Salto is one of the nicest lodges we have been to and very nice for couples and families too.

http://www.anglersinn.com/

http://www.anglingonthefly.com/travel/anglersinn/

I think Dec/Jan/Feb is top water time. Nice time to 'get out of Dodge'?

5 nights lodging and 4 1/2 days fishing

$2,145/angler (land package - double occupancy room/boat)

If you like top water LMB this might be something to put on your list even if it's not till you retire.

Delta LMB guide Kevin Doran, travel consultant Keith Kaneko, industry Rep John Sherman and Jerry Siems of Sage rod company went down there last year to train the Anglers Inn guides about fly fishing for bass. They now have 6 out of their 30 boats that are rigged for fly casters.

[Ed Wahl]

Topwater LMB bite isn't quite over yet. Scott V. and I had 'em busting up on bugs and poppers early this morning at Lundborgs. Only lasted a little while though, but landed a couple. Scott's first attempt at a deer hair bug(the one he posted) was the first to get blown up by a bass, way to go Scott. My wine cork popper still hasn't caught anything, it may have to wait 'til next year now. Caught a few schoolies there in the slough this morning on Clousers, then when David Lee and Jared showed up we moved on to other pastures. I landed one "keeper"size striper on a blue and white clouser, not big but my biggest so far. Strikes were few and far between all afternoon, but we were entertained with big wakes and overly friendly jet skiers :roll: . Here's a pic of my fish, I think Carl may have used it to measure out the seat on this pram. Ed http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/edfish333/IM001588.jpg

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I was thinking about the Delta today with all this warm weather.