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Magical time when fish start biting
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From as far back as I can remember I was told that there would be a time when the fish would magically start biting. In fact, I’ve listened to countless tournament anglers’ talk about a 10-minute window of time when they caught all of their winning fish.

With that in mind, I’ve fished countless days and hours hoping to stumble across a pack of giant bass that were biting. It’s since happened twice for me while fishing the Delta over the past 30 years, and once this week for Alvaro Munoz whose picture was sent to me minutes after catching nearly 30 pounds of fish in a dozen or so casts. From my own experience it’s unexplainable as to how to duplicate such luck other than to enjoy the moment and chalk it up to being in the right place at the right time. Fishing the Delta for bass is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever fished before. A couple minutes of being in the right place at the right time is all it takes to keep a person coming back for a lifetime. Alvaro is a close friend of mine. I actually took him fishing on his first bass boat ten years ago, when he was 12 years old.

 His excitement for fishing has since rivaled some of the best anglers that I know of. It makes me happy to know that my stories to him about being at the right place at the right time came true, as he’s never stopped believing.    



Delta Report

Lipless rattle baits are working well right now for numbers of fish. Once the wind is down anglers are having success while tossing Senko’s along the weed lines. For bigger fish many are tossing Snag Proof frogs. The bites are far and few but the quality of fish are above average. As we get closer to fall the bite should pick up and the Stripers should start making their way through the system.



New Melones Lake

Trout fishing has really slowed down for anglers fishing at night for them. They’re still catching them while fishing at night under submersible lights but the numbers are down. Bass fishing has slowed down recently as smaller fish are being caught on small plastics during the day.  Catfishing is still good for anglers fishing the evening hours while using cut bait. Many anglers are fishing right off the bank with chicken livers for catfish up to 11 lbs. All of the boat launching is taking place out of Glory Hole Point by boaters that are willing to launch of a two lane gravel bank. Having 4x4 is essential for boaters planning on launching.   



Lake Don Pedro

Trout fishing remains good right now with most trout being caught by trollers. Anglers are trolling between 35 and 55 feet deep with Apex spoons. Bass fishing is slow right now with lots of smaller fish being caught but very few of any size. Anglers are currently catching bass while drop shotting and spooning anywhere between 25 and 35 feet deep.  Fleming Meadows has the only paved launch ramp on the lake that is currently open.  



Lake Camanche

Anglers are doing well while fishing for trout. Many are trolling between Little Hat Island and Big Hat Island. Bass fishing remains good for those fishing with senko’s and crankbaits during the day. Catfishing remains good for anglers fishing at night off the bank.

Tip of the Week

When searching for the right place to fish off the bank there are a few things you might want to take into consideration. The first thing I look for is structure; I haven’t had much luck while fishing banks that were smooth or shallow. Also, try fishing points; these are areas where the bank comes to a point. If there is a considerable drop in depth once casting out from the point the better. If the points fail to produce, try fishing the backs of coves. Fish sometimes can be caught in the backs of coves when their not feeding on the points. There are times when waiting it out is the best solution and other times when trying a variety of different spots can make all the difference.