It’s funny how things have come full circle in my life.

Growing up, my dad used to always tell me to “be patient and wait for the fish to come.” That is now my No. 1 piece of advice for my own son. He’s not like me though; he wants to catch a fish almost immediately and insists that I not help him.

There was a time when I would fake like I had to tie my shoe, meanwhile handing him my fishing pole knowing that a fish was on the other end for him to reel in. Not anymore. He’s grown wise to my tricks and his frustration level is at an all-time high, especially when others are catching fish around him.

As much as I’ve repeated the advice his grandpa gave to me, nothing seems to be working. So, my last resort has to be starting him off the way I started off — with a container of live worms and a bobber.

Thank the fishing gods for bringing us bluegill! I believe that’s how most of us started off fishing.

So, my next trip with my son is going to be a bluegill trip. I just hope I can get him to put his own worm on the hook. 

Delta Report

Fishing continues to be tough for a lot of bass anglers. For a lot of people fishing this past weekend, the flip bite all but died down as the top water bite accounted for some of the bigger fish caught.

There are lots of smaller schools of bass actively feeding on small baitfish which can be caught on reaction lures and small top water baits.  Catfishing remains good right now for anglers fishing cut bait. Look for bigger catfish to be relating to deep holes along the river.

New Melones Lake

Bass fishing continues to be good for smaller bass on soft plastics while worked along the bottom. Bigger bass are being caught in the early morning hours on topwater lures and at night on top as well.

During the day anglers are dragging Carolina rigged plastic baits such as brush hogs and lizards. Kokanee fishing is slowing down, limits are still being caught but they are less than 2 pounds on average.

Bluegills continue to provide steady action for those fishing around boat docks and the backs of coves. Fishing for catfish is good for those fishing at night. Recently there was a 13-pound catfish weighed in at Glory Hole Sports.

Lake Don Pedro

Bass are being caught on Senko’s and top water baits right now. Hula grubs and crank baits are also working well while fished between 5’ to 10’ deep. Trout are pretty active right now in the river channel near Moccasin Creek at depths from 40’ to 60’ on small spoons, spinners or blade/crawlers.

Lake New Hogan

Bass fishing remains good for those fishing Senkos and topwater baits during the morning and evening hours. New Hogan is one of those lakes that get’s very little fishing pressure compares to the other local lakes.

There is a small fee of no more than $5 to launch a boat and fish for the day. It does get a lot of boat traffic during the weekends though. It’s well worth the visit if you can manage a day off during the week.

Lake Pardee

Kokanee and trout are providing plenty of action for anglers trolling early on in the day. Kokanee anglers are trolling as deep as 90 feet deep, and trout anglers are having luck trolling between 25 and 35 feet deep.

Bass fishing is hit or miss. The best bites are coming early and late in the day.

When storing your tackle it’s important to separate certain items in order to prevent rust or damage to your tackle box. Some plastic baits, for example, will actually melt through a plastic box if having direct contact with another plastic.

They’re also most likely to have a high salt content which will also take its toll on exposed metal. Lead weights and hooks should never be stored in the same box as the moisture from the lead will surely create rusty hooks.

Hard baits should be left out to air dry before placing back inside a tackle box. Silicone packs that come with a lot of items we purchase today can be re used to help keep moisture out of your tackle box. 

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