It’s been a year now since I sold my bass boat, and I can honestly say that there have been times when I wished I never would have parted with it.

My new boat is beginning to grow on me, though. Slowly but surely I’ve been able to add those accessories that my current boat didn’t come equipped with. As I’ve gotten to know it better, I’m becoming more and more comfortable with my decision to change types of boats.Don’t get me wrong, every once in a while I still find myself thinking about going out and buying another bass boat.

Recently, I was able to mount an electric motor to the front of the boat recently which has been a game changer for me. Trolling motors have come a long way. Not only am I able to fish along the shoreline for bass, but I’m able to steer my boat from anywhere on the boat wirelessly.

I’ll probably always have a need or desire for another bass boat. As I slowly add more accessories to my current boat, that desire is becoming a little less. 



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 between 25 and 50 feet deep. Not many bank fishermen are catching trout as the trout have vacated the shallows. 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 to 30 fish per outing. An increased number of fish have also been seen lately preparing to spawn or spawning in the backs of coves. There are currently no paved launch ramps open for launching.



Lake Don Pedro

The King Salmon bite is improving for anglers trolling the dam area 50 to 70 feet deep with a variety of different baits. Frozen Shad and Anchovies seem to be working real well right now. The Trout fishing has also been good for anglers trolling in the top thirty 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 right now. All baits seem to be working well right now for numbers.  Fleming Meadows has the only available launch ramp on the lake as Blue Oaks is currently out of water.



Lake Pardee

Anglers fishing in the launch ramp cove are still doing good while using Power Bait early in the day. Those anglers trolling for trout are catching them while trolling 10 to 30 feet deep. Bass fishing is really picking up as there are a lot of fish found up shallow either spawning or just feeding. Bass anglers are catching them on pretty much anything that they are throwing at them.



New Hogan Lake

With the increase in fuel prices how can anyone pass up this lake? Angers trolling for Stripers are doing well while trolling between 20 to 30 feet deep with rolled shad and anchovies.



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.