My Lucky Bass Hat

[John H]

The wind forecast for this morning in the Delta was kind of brutal so I tried an area I thought would maybe have some wind protection. I found the wind protection I wanted and also found a nice bass in the shallows who was looking for his breakfast. I must have dropped my bug right on top of him because he grabbed it before I could even make a strip. A beautiful seven pound largemouth. I got two pictures of the fish, a picture of the fly and a picture of my lucky bass hat which will now be worn only for bass fishing so that the luck in the hat will not be used up on trout, steelhead, stripers or any fish other than bass. I am not superstitious or anything like that, I just need to save all the luck in my hat for the bass.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Healthy looking bass.....


Andy said his best top water LMB days in the Delta had zero wind.

[Odonata]

Wow, that fish is l a r g e.

I've noticed that a nice ripple on the water can tend to embolden trout into whacking hoppers and the like. Not so much with bass. I wonder if it is a difference in how they sense prey; more of a focus on visual for trout vs. lateral line with bass ?

[John H]

Odonata - good to hear from you. I have many theories on fishing that have no basis at all. One of them is that bass think they are the biggest, baddest critter in the water, everything is prey and they have nothing to fear. Trout and walleye seem to have some fear and like some protection. They come into the shallows at low light and if there is chop for protection. Bass like cover but I think they only like it because it hides them from their prey and improves their chances of a successful ambush. Pike are even more fearless than bass. When you get one it seems to fight a little bit then swim to the boat and sit in the water looking at you saying “if you want a piece of me I am right here.” You then have to wrestle with a well rested toothy fish to get you fly back. That is not so much fun.

[MThompson]

Fence panda!

[John H]

MT - I had to look that one up. I don’t know how a five pound bass ends up being called a fence panda but I like it. I need to bag a few more fence pandas. Maybe even a fence grizzly.

[MThompson]

You seem to be on the right track.