Posts: 149
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
Hey guys...
Just thought I'd post a quick report here about my first time really float tubing the Delta here in northern CA today. I fished in White Slough. Definitely a good place for tubing and not much current at all. I ended up with a limit of 5 largemouth bass weighing about 18.5lbs (2.5#, 2.5#, 3.5#, 4#, and 6#). While I caught 5 fish, I missed TOO many bites (probably missed 10+ good bites). Fish were caught by flipping pilings and by fishing ledges. All bites and fish caught were with a watermelon seed w/ red flk 7.5" Toledo Tickler (a zipperworm-like bait made by ReAction Lures). Had all kinds of weather today, but there was a slight breeze that stayed most of the day. Started off overcast, then to sun, then to rain, then back to sun. Overall, a good day on the water and you can bet I'll be back out at it again soon and hopefully hook all those fish next time.
[signature]
Posts: 150
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2003
Reputation:
0
[  ][size 4]ahah good, sounds good did u get any other species? gimme info!! thanks.....[/size]
[size 4][/size]
[size 4]-chris[/size]
[signature]
Posts: 149
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
Nope, sorry Chris...I just do the bass thing most of the time [cool]
[signature]
Posts: 35,757
Threads: 262
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
49
[cool]Good report, Bro. Been wondering how you were doing. Makes me kinda lonesome for that part of the country. I spent many a day driving up and down dirt roads, finding access spots I could dunk my donut in the maze of waterways up there. There's no way a guy could ever fish all of the little nooks and crannies in the delta. I even found some little ponds and lakes that were evidently created by overflow or seepage, and a lot of them had big unmolested bass and some other fishies too.
About missing those fish. That's why they call it fishing...and not harvesting. It leaves a few fish for you to dream about and keeps your mind working...on how to hone your presentations and techniques...so you stick them the next time. Of course, the next time it's something else. Like the 10 pound mama that jumps right at the tube, looks you in the eye and spits the jig back at you. That keeps you twitchin' for awhile.
Two questions. 1. Do they still have restrictions on Contra Loma to keep you off the water? 2. How is the progress on the boat thing?
Good to have you drop in, Kid. We have a couple of recent additions to our little family here that are young and eager, and like to chase bass too. I'm sure they will appreciate any good tips you can offer. They fish mostly in the regional park ponds and lakes, for the often abused fishes that try to survive near big cities. A little bit like Utah Lake fish.
And, for the benefit of the young tubers I am referring to, Sturgeon Kid is a young but extremely accomplished bass chaser. He has placed in some decent tournaments already (as a non-boater) and will be a recognized player on the bigtime bassin' trail soon. His story is not unlike many of the big boys on the trail today, who started out the same way. He has a passion for bass and is very good at it. He just needs a boat and a couple of sponsors and he could probably compete on any waters.
[signature]
Posts: 149
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
Hey TubeDude...
I agree, the Delta is a [size 1]phenomenal[/size] place with SOO much fishable water and tons of sloughs going off in every which direction. I'm glad to be here in CA now to fish it more. It'll be a fun place to concentrate on this next year and start to figure it out a little more on my own. Of course, I've fished it quite a few times before, but always out of the back of a boat and just kind of gone along with whatever my boater is doing usually. It always feels good and reassuring when I know I can get out on a body of water and figure out a pattern all by myself, and since I don't quite have the boat yet to do that...my trusty little float tube is the next best thing. LoL.
Ya, yesterday for some reason, the fish always seemed to know when I had a bunch of slack in my line...LoL. Pretty much every hit I had yesterday, I found myself quickly taking up the slack so I could try and get a good hookset, and most of the time I just wasn't ever able to catch up to them quick enough. But it is indeed days like this that make ya pay a little more attention the next time out. No more of this slack business! LOL
As for your questions...1) Yes, they've still got the restrictions on Contra Loma, so I've still been limited to just bankin' it when I can. However, I've been trying to get around it by taking my waders with me and wading out just to the outside edge of the tules in water about 6" shy of the top of my waders and gettin' some flippin' in. LoL. I think most of the bigger fish in the lake have already spawned now though. Senkos and jigs are still the ticket but I haven't stuck anything more than 3lbs in the last couple of weeks there...the fact that they're constantly screwing with the water level really doesn't help either. One week it's up higher than ever, and the next it's down 10ft. That has kind of really screwed with the bass spawn, and has left many beds high and dry. When the water is down, I've found quite a few obvious bass beds left up and out of the water. So, if there are still any big fish spawning, I think they've learned not to make their nest too close to shore, so they've most likely positioned their beds off shore. 2) As for the boat, well, I'm pretty sure that I told you my dad has kind of backed out on that deal a little. My mom though is still trying to be supportive and has been keeping her eye out over there in Vegas. Her and my step-dad are really my best bet in helping out with a boat right now, but it's hard because they're pretty strapped for cash. They don't have much right now and won't have much until the bankruptcy thing gets settled in UT (that's why they moved...LOL). My mom says though that if it goes how they want it to go, they may get lucky and end up with some extra money that could go towards helping with a boat. Right now my dad is telling me that he'll pay my entry fee to fish as a non-boater in ANY tournament (BASS, Everstart, etc) and then any money that I win will go directly towards a boat. However, since I've been here I've really been focusing on the school thing and getting that over with and out of the way ASAP. I just got back from my friend's house though watching ESPN2 BASSMASTERS on the Delta seeing Robert Lee kick butt with his insane Delta 4-peat. So that's got me pumped, and I'm going to look around today for a tournament to fish. Plus, you know how fishing as a non-boater is...it's tough and unpredictable seeing as to how you're often left at the mercy of your boater and the luck of the draw.
Glad to hear we got some more young blood joinin' in on the board here. I will make sure to check in and offer tips and suggestions when I can. Thanks for the good words, TubeDude, and hopefully I will make it big in this bass fishing thing sometime soon...
[signature]
Posts: 4,329
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2002
Reputation:
0
Hey there SturgeonKid,
I'm a saltwater basser yet don't do freshwater bassing but still I enjoy hearing about guys on their way up on the tournament trail. The proof of how smart you are will be if you can succed in having people pay you to fish! ha ha ha I'm sure they will!
Good report and hope to hear your fishing reports regularly or at least till mid-may when I plan to make a trip up that way. just joking! Do you belong to the Belly Boat Bassers and the other coupla clubs for bassin' tubers up there?
JapanRon
[signature]
Posts: 149
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
Hey JapanRon...
No, I don't belong to the Belly Boat Bassers, however I am looking into Bass-N-Tubes, and just decided yesterday that I'm going to try and join in on their next tournament that's in like a week at Los Banos. I've never fished there before, and hopefully I'll be able to try and get in a day or pre-fish or something before...well, we'll see what happens! LoL
[signature]
Posts: 4,329
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2002
Reputation:
0
Hey there SturgeonKid,
I know a number of websites of both such clubs and boards up in central California where many of them set up fishing trips. If you know of them that's good. Otherwise if you would like the website addresses, send me a personal message. I don't favor posting off-site links unless specifically asked to do so.
JapanRon
[signature]
Posts: 432
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2003
Reputation:
0
Hey sturgeonkid,
I along with the other Dh tubin's live in the Long Beach/Cerritos area. All of us have placed in tourneys, and Ive placed 1st in a catfish tourney in LB at El Dorado Regional Park. I think because of that Im on the cover of United Anglers magazine.... Still tryin to figure out if its true, anyway how old are you? Im 15, tubin Chris is 14 and tubin Joe is 14. Me and Chris love to slay the bass in the local lakes and some duck ponds youre not supposed to fish in. Nothin better than catchin fish around a NO FISHING sign ]
Where exactly is the Delta, Ive heard alot about it but have never exactly been able to figure out where it is.
Big and small kill em all
Aaron
[signature]
Posts: 35,757
Threads: 262
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
49
[cool]I'm sure the Kid will get back to you with his particulars. But I will toss out a couple of things in advance. I live in Arizona and Alex...his real name...was living in Utah. He came down to visit relatives in my area over Christmas last yaar and I got to meet him.
He is just graduating from high school, after being moved to California in the middle of his last year...Bummer. He teaches dancing...break dancing. He has a lot of talents besides fishing. But, when it comes to bassin', he kicks BASS when completing as a NON BOATER with most of the older pros.
The Delta is the area east of San Francisco where the two big rivers come together...the Sacramento and the San Joaquin. Just like with most other major river systems, these rivers have deposited mud over millions of years to form a big fan shaped area of small river channels and backwaters, that are great spawning and nursery areas for a variety of fish.
Being close to the ocean, it is affected by the tides and fishing is often a matter of knowing when the tides are running and where the water will be high enough to have bass up in and feeding. Many of the bass in the delta are current oriented. They lay in ambush in the grass and stickups, waiting for current flow to bring food to them.
There are also a lot of man-made canals and backwaters where farmers set up pumps to take water out of the river for irrigation. Many of these slack water side channels are great places for big bass, and if you learn the roads that run around the area, you can find some private fishing ponds full of eager fish. The delta gets a lot of fishermen, but it is so vast, and there are so many places to fish, that you can have days where you do not see a boat or another fisherman. Of course, the "hot spots" close to marinas get hammered.
In addition to the huge bass that have been coming out of the delta in recent years, you always have a good chance of hanging into a big striper...on your bass lures. In the fall months there are also salmon up to 50 pounds and steelhead on their way upstream to the American and FEather rivers too.
There aree also big sturgeon to be had in the Sacramento. I caught several in the hundred pound range and watched a guy fight one out of a little cartop boat that he eventually landed...420 pounds, on 20 pound line, while fishing for stripers.
Hey, Kid. Hope I didn't tell too much about your personal stuff. We're all friends here. No need for false modesty. When you get your boat, we will all sign up for bassin' lessons.
[signature]
Posts: 150
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2003
Reputation:
0
[ ][size 4]hey arron its in central california!i noe this becuz i saw wen they fished it on the citco bass. torney trail.. its the coolest lake here![/size]
[size 4][/size]
[size 4]-chris[/size]
[signature]
Posts: 149
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2002
Reputation:
0
Hey Aaron...
Well, Tube Dude here did a pretty good job of covering most of the details for me. BTW TD, don't worry about tellin' anyone stuff about me. LoL. I've got nothin' to hide. haha. And thanks for answerin' most of it, because I don't have too much time on my hands here. I should really be getting my stuff together right now to be ready to pre-fish tomorrow for the B-n-T tourney on Los Banos. Anywho, Aaron, ya, I'm 18 years old and have been tournament bass fishing since 14 and got my first sponsor at 15. I've made some guest appearances in fishing magazines myself, but no cover pictures yet like you. LOL. Mainly just a couple of pics in the mags, and have had my name mentioned a few times in articles by some of the pros who have fished with me...Bassin' and Inside Line...
Well, like I said...I don't have much time here right now to putt around on this computer...I need to put my gear together so I can prefish tomorrow...
[signature]
|
