Few anglers are as synonymous with one body of water as Bobby Barrack is with the California Delta.
He has a long history with this legendary body of water and is undoubtedly one of the kings of the Delta.
Late season bass fishing on this body of water can prove to be challenging, but Barrack shares his approach for tackling this time of year.
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A Volatile Time of Year
Barrack says late in the year, a time when many organizations host TOC events on the Delta, can be some of the toughest times to remain consistent.
“Starting around September first and through mid-November, there is no consistency. You can be a hero one day and a zero the next,” he believes.
Barrack says this happens for a few reasons; transitioning fish because of water temperatures, water clarity and lack of wind, where the latter of the two often go hand in hand.
“Because there is usually less wind, the water stays clear, and that makes it hard to get a consistent reaction bite. Also, instead of looking for that 21 or 22-pounds you want in the spring, a realistic goal is 16 or 17-pounds this time of year,” Barrack says.
Even on a tidal fishery like the California Delta, Barrack feels one single tide doesn’t stand out late in the year.
“It changes so much from day to day, and the best tide is not set in stone. With everything this year you can have a schematic of what worked the last time out, but be ready to make an audible during the day because you will need to,” he shares.
With the preface of tough fishing and unpredictable fish, there are still a few stand-by’s that Barrack uses every fall to find success in tournaments and for his guide clients. Flipping, punching, and using a Senko and ChatterBait all play a role in his late-season Delta approach.
Senko
The Yamamoto Senko has accounted for many big bass and giant stringers on this body of water. Barrack uses them this time of year and downsizes much more than he does in other seasons.
“I use the 5” in the fall more than just about any other time of year, and that is because of the clear water,” he shares. Barrack keeps it simple and almost always uses a Watermelon Red Flake (#208) wacky-rigged with an O-ring and a 1/O Mustad Weedless Wacky Hook. He likes to use super glue to secure the wire wrapping on the weedguard of this hook to secure it as best he can.
Punchin’ and Flippin’
These two techniques also have a storied history on this legendary waterway and Barrack is most often using a 4.5" Yamamoto Flappin' Hog. He rotates through three colors depending on the situations. Watermelon Copper Orange Red Laminate (#956), Green Pumpkin Large Red flake (#318), and Black Blue Flake (#021) are his picks. “956 is my go-to, but I’ll use the Black with Blue Flake if the water is a little dingier and also if the water is cold or cooling quickly,” he says.
Barrack rigs it up with a 3/O or 4/O Mustad Grip-Pin Max 3X Punch Hook and fishes it on his Falcon Cara T7 Cast 7'10" extra-heavy Bobby's Frog Rod.
“The key with that rod is it has the perfect handle length and a parabolic action which are both crucial for landing fish thick in cover,” adds Barrack.
When asked why he likes the Flappin' Hog over other flip and punch baits, he says the softness of the bait is critical this time of year.
“The bass are generally finicky and they hold on to that bait much longer because they are so soft. I see it all the time where you swing on a fish and didn’t even feel a distinct bite, and then you have a six-pounder in the boat,” Barrack says. “I am often punching it and letting it sit and fishing it slowly, and it gets you another bite or two each day.”
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ChatterBait
The ChatterBait bite can be great this time of year, and last year Barrack fished with the Brett Hite who is known for being a guru for this lure. During this process, Barrack learned the effectiveness of the Yamamoto Zako as a trailer, and he put together a video (see below).
“He made me a believer,” shared Barrack.
Locations and What to Look For
The biggest key for finding late-season bass here is the healthy vegetation, according to Barrack and he says that can be easier said than done sometimes.
“With so much spraying and changes from day to day the spot you found on Monday might be gone by the weekend,” Barrack begins. “A good rule of thumb is to look for where the cover changes. Where it is rock and turns to grass, but you need to be around some vegetation.”
Keeping with the theme of a period of transition, Barrack also mentioned that each day the fish might prefer one type of vegetation over another or one section of the Delta over another.
“Some days they want the matted stuff and the next day they may want grass coming from the bottom. The same is true of where I fish,” he said and mentioned the recent FLW Costa Series where he finished in 2nd place. “I fished south one day, central one day and west another in a three-day event.”
Change and keeping an open mind are two of the biggest keys for fishing here this time of year. Barrack has learned over the years and through thousands of trips that the best advice is to keep an open mind and he firmly believes the best approach is to “fish the moment” and not get hung up on what worked the last time out.
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