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Bassin Buddies fishing for veterans on Delta
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Randy Blankenship snagged this 8-pound bass while recently fishing the Delta. - photo by Photo Contributed

When I joined the military several years ago, one of the things I looked forward to was getting to see different places.

I also looked forward to being able to fish wherever I was stationed. My first day off was while I was in basic training in South Carolina. I went to the local tackle shop, purchased all the tackle I could afford and headed to Lake Murray.

Until then, I had only seen the lake on TV, as several Bassmaster events were filmed there. I didn’t catch much, but being able to fish while dealing with so much chaos in my weekly schedule made my time away from home so much easier to tolerate.

This Saturday, the Bassin’ Buddies Fishing Club of Manteca is holding a tournament for all veterans on the Delta.

If you can help out in any possible way they would greatly appreciate it. If you’re interested in participating as a veteran or would just like to donate your time for this great cause, please contact Ray Yamada at rayyamada@gmail.com, or (209) 482-1943.

Delta Report

There are not many places I’d rather be than fishing the Delta right now. Fishing has been great as baitfish can be seen throughout the system. Big fish are still being caught by anglers fishing beds but a lot of post spawn fish are also being caught.

This past full moon has brought another wave of spawning bass up shallow. For those not sight fishing try tossing Senko’s, Craw Patterned crank baits and spinnerbaits when the wind picks up. The topwater frog bite has also started to pick up so make sure to have one of those tied on as well.

Crappie and Bluegill have made their way shallow now’s the time to get out there and catch a big one right before they spawn. There have also been some reports of anglers doing well trolling broken back rebels in Whites Slough for Striped Bass up to 10 pounds.

New Melones Lake

All the reports of trout being caught have been from those trolling from 10-40 deep in the main lake. Not many bank fishermen are catching trout, as the trout have vacated the shallows in search of cooler water.

Bass fishing has really started to pick up for a lot of anglers. Many fish have made their way shallow and have become very aggressive. Anglers have reported catching anywhere from 20-30 fish per outing.

An increased number of fish have also been seen lately preparing to spawn or spawning in the backs of coves.

Lake Don Pedro

The king salmon bite good for anglers trolling the dam from 60-100 deep with a variety of different baits. Frozen Shad and Anchovies seem to be working real well.

The trout fishing has also been good for anglers trolling in the top 30 feet of water early in the day. Some anglers are even reporting catching a few Kokanee mixed in while trolling for trout.

Bass fishing remains good right now as the fish are in all three levels of the spawn right now. All baits seem to be working well right now for numbers.

New Hogan Lake

With the increase in fuel prices how can anyone pass up this lake? The fishing is great right now as there are a lot of bass shallow up on beds. Small worms and creature baits are working well for those fishing for bedding fish.

There are also schools of bluegill making their way into the backs of coves as they are soon to spawn themselves.

Tip of the Week

For those of you who don’t believe in paying a lot of money for boat wipe-down chemicals, regular Lemon Pledge works great for keeping your boat looking nice and clean. I’ve been using it for years without any negative side effects.

I even use it to wipe down my seats and engine cowling. What’s nice about Pledge is that it also has a pleasant smell to it. Just be careful when stepping in and out of the boat as the surface will be slick.

I also was told to stick to Lemon Pledge as some of the other scents supposedly are bad for the finish.

 

To contact Jarod Ballardo, email jgbbass@yahoo.com.