Delta 6-18

[Hairstacker]

Well, took advantage of an opportunity to fish the evening bite today for a change. Started early around 4:30 pm so played around with the 2 wt. rod and pestered a bunch of these while waiting for things to get serious:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0605.jpg

Also pestered some of these:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0606.jpg

Caught 'em on a little subsurface bug I came up with at the vise yesterday. Didn't get any of any size though. The biggest one I saw hit my foam indicator rather than the fly.

Anyway, when the shadows started getting longer, I decided it was time to get down to business so I put away the 2 wt. and started casting the 7 wt. with one of these tied on the end of my 0X (15.5 lb) tippet:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/BlackbirdDahlberg.jpg

Since the water level was really low, I started fishing the deep water side of a weedline bordering a long flat and got a few hits here and there and picked up one about 13" and missed another. Was kind of slow, though, so I started searching for and casting to holes up against the bank when I picked up this one that taped at just over 19":

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0607.jpg

Here's a zoomed-in picture of the hole she was in -- if you look towards the bank, you can see the little bit of open water:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0610.jpg

You can see why it pays to cast accurately in this type of fishing to keep your fly out of trouble. You can also see why you don't want to carry a wimpy rod for Delta bass fishing.

She was a good, strong, healthy fish and I was happy to release her in great shape to do some more growing.

I kept fishing a little while longer and missed the strike on another really good fish but that was about it. This was my view as I paddled on the way out:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0612.jpg

All in all, a fun session. I am so happy summer is finally here! :D

[David Lee]

Very nice !!

D. -

[jbird]

great report mike!

is that the yak you were reporting on in the other thread?

Man, your ability to spin deerhair is definitly something to be proud of. Just beautiful.

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

Nice fish Mike =D> , as usual! LOL.

We'll be out there with a newbie tomorrow... Gonna convert him :unibrow:

Just a quick note, I used the online service for buying the one day license for our friend tomorrow, and it is REALLY easy to use. Maybe more people will take the time to get them since they are available online... SO much more convenient.

[Rodney D.]

Sweet Bluegills!! Those are my favorites. Great pictures. Were you fishing the low tide? Gotta love those Delta weeds. Great report.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Great HS/Mike

What are your favorite months in the Delta?

[Hairstacker]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate all the nice comments!

Jay, yes, that is the yak I reported on in the other thread. I figure I have it, so might as well use it in the right circumstances. But yesterday I also patched two of the Colemans I also own. :)

Robin, good luck tomorrow! I hope your new person gets a blowup that almost gives him a heart attack. :lol:

Rodney, yes, unfortunately, I was near the bottom of the low tide, which is exactly opposite of where I would prefer to be for the twilight bite. I like it best when I'm near the top so there's enough water to fully flood the weeds over shallow flats -- I feel that's one of the best opportunities to pick up some really nice topwater fish within the hour or so before it gets dark.

Bill, for topwater largemouth bass, my favorite months are May through September. I really like June, since it is not too hot yet but at the same time the topwater bite seems like it's getting more consistent with more stable weather and warm water temps. I don't know if you recall, but it was in fact June of last year that my son got this one on top:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/Delta200806-142.jpg

September may be my favorite, though, because it's starting to get more comfortable again after the heat of July/August, there aren't as many windy days as in June, and it seems like the bass are roaming the weedlines and aggressively fattening up on shad, which can make for great days fishing topwater poppers like a Tap's Bug, also with the possibility of picking up a striper. I've had some of my most memorable days fishing the twilight bite in September when the sun drops below the horizon and the water surface turns to glass.

October can be a lot of fun too, although topwater can start slowing down towards the latter half of the month with the arrival of cooler water temps. Those are my impressions anyway.

[jburge]

Mike, a great report, fantastic pix, a gorgeous bug, and wow, what a fish! You scored on every level. Thanks for sharing.

John