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Light tackle plug casting is the best bet for anglers now in the West Delta. Look for weed beds, pilings or rock piles. These areas offer the protection and food for the bait fish. Most anglers concentrate on fishing in five feet of water or less on the sandbars and in the backs of the Bays during the last two hours of the incoming tide and the first two hours of the outgoing tide. Don't give up if you miss these tides. Just move to ten to 20 feet of water adjacent to the shallows, as the bass tend to move to these areas for protection from being trapped in the shallows. Don't be afraid to move around if the bite slows. Often, I'll troll broken-backed Rebels close to the weeds and pilings with good success. I know it's a little away from the "norm", as many regulars look at me like I'm crazy, but the looks change when we grab the net. Plug casting is continuing to gain in popularity as more and more anglers who, regularly use their casting rods throwing baits for largemouth, try for stripers. There are some great stripers rewarding those who are casting plugs, too. |
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How does this sound? There have been fish weighed in recently up to 32 inches. Imagine that in shallow water on the end of your favorite casting rod. Oakley anglers are certainly seeing some increasing numbers in the Big Break and Sherman Lake Areas. Rat-L-traps are getting the most mention but, hair-jigs also get some mention. Mike Ives at the "Hook" (510.625.2441) has seen a consistent improvement in the action here over the past few weeks as there are more and more quality fish around for the plug casters. Ives has had success to the west when the wind allows the venture, yet the quality is improving in Big Break too. More and more 7 to 10 pound fish are starting to show now added Ives. The Hair Raiser or bucktail-type jig are good bets too added Ives. Most regulars prefer Road-Runner type heads with Colorado blades. The 1/2-ounce size works best, but sometimes in fast water I'll use 3/4-ounce. The fish are being taken in a number of different areas, including the Sacramento side of Sherman Lake, Big Break and Light 17 on the San Joaquin River, to name a few. The wind here has also been the biggest deterrent for anglers, but when things calm down, there are big fish being caught. I'll be writing more about the growing popularity of plug casting for stripers and talk more about techniques, lines and lure selection in the weeks to come. Black bass action still remains OK, with many 1 to 2 pounders around, yet larger fish are harder to come by. This year's action has been strange for the black bass, really on and off, but flippin' will get bites. Enjoy! |
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