I have this empty space on my living room wall that would be the perfect place for a mounted bass. It’s right above my fish tank and would look perfect.

The only problem is that a replica mount costs a lot of money.

Twenty-plus years ago if you caught a trophy fish that you wanted mounted, you would freeze it and take it to a taxidermist as soon as you had the chance. The problem was that many people, after finding out how much it cost per inch to have the fish preserved, often left the fish in their freezer until they could get all the money together. As a result, a lot of fish ended up being buried in freezers and eventually thrown out.

Skin mounts aren’t the only option anymore. There are thousands of companies that do replica mounts that will last a lifetime and require only measurements and a picture of the fish you caught. Problem is that they’re still pretty expensive but will definitely fill up a blank wall in your house.

Like that fish stuck in the bottom of the freezer I plan on getting around to it someday. In the meantime, I think a large-sized picture of my trophy catch will have to do.



Delta Report

There is plenty to catch on the Delta, and bass fishing is at its best. Bass are shallow willing to attack pretty much anything you can throw at them. In the morning hours there’s a pretty good top-water bite. Once the sun is up you can’t beat a Senko tossed around obvious spawning areas.

This weekend kicks off the Yamamoto Big Bass Challenge which will surely draw a lot of boats. Combined with wake boarders and other pleasure boaters, the Delta should be pretty busy.



New Melones Lake

Kokanee fishing is red hot. Anglers trolling are catching easy limits of 12- to 13-inch fish. A lot of baits are working for kokanee. Most are opting for hootchies behind a small dodger tipped with shoe peg corn. Anglers catching them are trolling from 40 to 75 feet deep pretty much all over the lake. 

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 is as fair for anglers trolling the dam area 50-70 feet deep with a variety of different baits. Frozen Shad and Anchovies seem to be working real well.

Trout fishing has also been fair 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, as the fish are in all three levels of the spawn. All baits seem to be working well right now for numbers.  



New Hogan Lake

The fishing is great, 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 there way into the backs of coves as they are soon to spawn themselves.



Lake Pardee

Trolling for trout and kokanee is still hit or miss for anglers fishing up river. The winning combos have been Uncle Larry’s and Apex lures with night crawlers or scented corn behind medium flashers or medium-size dodgers in red, blue, and chrome.

Bass fishing is good for all three species of bass. The water has cleared some and the temperatures have risen, creating great bed fishing opportunities for sight fisherman.



Tip of the Week

The drag systems on most reels consist of two small washers that are slightly bent towards each other. When tightening down on those washers they flatten out creating resistance which is your drag.

Over time, if your drag is set tight and the pressure isn’t taken off those washers, your reels drag system can weaken. Because of this design its good practice to loosen your drag when you’re not fishing.



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