Water temperature: 62-67
Air temperature: 53-79
Wind direction/speed: NW 0-5 mph
Water clarity: 0-3 feet
Tide: high outgoing

Moon phase: waning gibbous 82% visibility

On May 4th 2018 I decided to do a little fun fishing out of the California Delta. I launched out of Ladds Marina located at 4911 Buckley Cove Way in Stockton.

The tide had reached its peak so I decided to try my luck with topwater baits. My baits of choice were the River2sea bully wa 2, and the River2sea Whopper Plopper.

I targeted center islands adjacent to spawning flats where big post spawn bass should be sitting on the edge of current waiting for their next big meal. I had several small fish come up on my bait but none of them fully committed.

After giving up on topwater I started flipping rock banks where sparse bull rush and grass were present. My baits of choice for this technique were the Gary Yamamoto 6” senko and the Strike King Rage craw.

This technique produced 10-15 fish in the two and a half to three and a half pound range. After working over similar areas with the same results I decided to run north in an attempt to locate bigger fish.

The tide had nearly fallen completely out and heavy matted vegetation was present. I used a River2sea trash bomb 1.5 ounce weight and a Strike King Rage craw to penetrate the vegetation.

I flipped into a very specific spot in the mat and immediately my line jumped. I set the hook and winch in a beautiful post spawn beauty which weighed 8.57 pounds.

The better quality fish our definitely in the mats and you just have to work for them. If your interested in booking a guided fishing trip feel free to contact me at [email protected] or call 209-345-7721