It's almost time for another Snag Proof Open on the famed California Delta. Now running for over 20 years, this is one of the best events in the region that many anglers look forward to every year. The chance to throw a frog all day on a fishery with giant bass is a blast, and with a three-fish limit, one big bite goes a long way in this event and everyone has a great chance to cash a check.
Tournament Director Randy Pringle of Best Bass Tournaments, who runs the event, shared some insights on the fishing and what to expect from this year's event that will be held August 5th and 6th out of Russo's Marina.
The state of the Delta
Everyone knows that this has been a crazy year for California fisheries. The Delta had plenty of cold water and high water for much of the year, making things a little challenging for fishing, but Pringle says things are returning to normal.
"It's still higher than normal, but things are settling down and the bite is getting better and better," he said. "The bite is picking up after taking so long for things to settle down and for the fish to regroup. Some anglers called it the 'dead sea' for a while, but we are seeing fishing improve as the anglers adjust to the changes."
Pringle said some historically good areas are changing a bit with all the extra water. "Those storms we had and all of the heavy rains moved and destroyed a lot of the grass," he said. "The current has also created new sandbars and adjusted islands. This is a big deal because the water doesn't flow the same way, and the fish move around to better position themselves in the current. They're still there; they've just repositioned like trout in a stream to adapt to the current."
Another thing that bodes well for this event is the stable weather after months of turbulence. "We were going from wearing jackets one week to being in 110-degree weather the next," he said. "The forecast calls for 90s all week, which is perfect for frog fishing. Stability is the best thing you can have for the bite and that's what we have leading up to the event."
Frogs and areas in play
The tournament rules allow for any Snag Proof and Scum Frog frog on the market and while they are all good, Pringle pointed to two that should be great options for the anglers fishing this event.
"The Scum Frog Smash Mouth is a great popping frog and will allow them to pop it hard and make those big marks in the grass and get fish to hear the bait," he said. "The Snag Proof Phat Frog should be a big player because it always plays in this event. I expect anglers to do well with it in the backwaters."
Pringle said there are several potential winning areas, but he predicts that getting away from the crowds will be one way to succeed.
"The community holes don't seem to be holding the same amount of fish as usual and those places have been getting beat up with fishing pressure," he shared. "I think the anglers who can find some out-of-the-way areas with fewer boats will do well."
Three divisions this year and plenty of fun prizes
In addition to the standard Pro and Am divisions, there will be one more for junior anglers this year. It's open to any angler at the high school level or below and will have a unique spin.
"The anglers will weigh in their best three but can also compete with an adult in the other divisions," said Pringle. "They keep their best three but can contribute towards the best three for the boat. We want to get more kids involved with fishing and this is a great way to do it."
If you've never fished a Snag Proof Open, you are in for a treat, as many great prizes will be distributed to the anglers.
"American Baitworks, which owns Snag Proof and Scum Frog, has donated a lot of prizes," said Pringle. "We have frogs, Halo Rods, Net Bait plastics, tungsten weights and a bunch of other things. We do random winners for certain boat numbers, big fish prizes, and more. This fun event brings friends together once a year to see each other."
The Snag Proof Open is always popular because it's a great atmosphere with the chance to catch some monster bass on topwater frogs. For more details on the event or to register, visit bestbasstournaments.com.
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