On July 19, the 11th annual Conroy Oakley Pro-Teen Tournament will be held out of Russo’s Marina on Bethel Island.

The purpose of the event is to introduce teens 13 to 19 years old to fishing through a professional-style tournament. They will be paired up with a boater for six hours of fishing.

I’ve participated in this event for the past four years, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger. What really nice about this event is that as a boater you’re really treated well. There’s a free barbeque for all participants and their families, valet launching for boaters, and lots of raffle prizes for the teens.

Currently they’re in need of more boaters for the event. Boaters fish for free.

For more information, call (925) 684-9775.

Shade is the most important factor when fishing for bass on the Delta.

Pay attention to the banks and look for any shade pockets. This past weekend, the bigger bass were caught on Sweet Beavers on the shady side of isolated islands.

The top-water frog bite has remained excellent for those willing to toss it all day. Anglers are catching frog fish in both open water and above matted vegetation.

Catfishing has been very good recently along Whiskey Slough for anglers fishing with clams and anchovies.  

Anglers are starting to catch trout but have to go deeper in order to catch them 50-60 feet deep.

The Kokanee bite has remained wide open for those fishing the right depths. Anglers are reporting that the Kokanee are being caught fairly shallow during the morning hour and between 45-80 feet deep during the mid day.

Bass fishing has been good for smaller fish on small plastics during the day and top water lures early morning and right before sunset.

Catfishing has been really good for night fishermen fishing just about anywhere on the lake right now.

Bluegill and Crappie are also cooperating as many anglers are doing well fishing the backs of coves with minnows or worms under a bobber.

Lake Amador is a night fishing lake this time of year. Not many anglers are braving the heat, as the fish have become very sluggish during the day. Bluegills are about all that is being caught.

At night, there are some big catfish being caught and even an occasional trout for those fishing the dam area. There are also reports of crappie being caught on minnows at night by those fishing around the dock area.

If you do plan on fishing Amador at night, make sure to get there before 9 p.m. when the gates are locked.

The hotter it gets, the better Pardee becomes for smallmouth bass. Crickets are a must for sheer numbers of smallmouth bass.

Rig and fish crickets just as you would a split-shot rig with a smaller hook of course and get ready for some action. Bigger smallmouths are usually caught by those who anchor and drop a line over the side and wait them out.

The nice thing about using crickets is that you have a chance at catching just about anything that swims in the lake.  

The bite is real good right now for those fishing for bluegill and bass. Bass are being caught just about anywhere on the lake, with rocky points being the best spots.

Lures that are being used are spinnerbaits and crankbaits, while the bigger fish are being caught by those dragging plastics along the bottom.

Bluegills are being caught shallow by those fishing with red worms in the backs of bays.

Carl and Jerry’s Fishing and Hunting Show Update
This week’s show will be airing at 10:30 a.m. Saturday on Comcast SportsNet California.

Carl and Jerry will be hunting Rooster Ranch Chukars, the show is scheduled to re-air on Sunday at 8 a.m.

Certain knots will slip when using braided line. In fact, my first attempt at using braided line was miserable due to improper knots.

Most braided lines come packaged with a diagram of recommended knots. The Palomar knot is a good one.

For a little extra security try adding a drop of super glue to the knot.

To contact Jarod Ballardo, e-mail jgbbass@yahoo.com.