After wrapping up with an Angler of the Year (AOY) top-10 of the FLW Western Series and an AOY in the Wild West California Teams, Bassmaster Elite and FLW champion Greg Gutierrez – also known as Double G looks towards the Best Bass Tournaments BassFest.
For those that have never attended – The BassFest is a two-day bass fishing event at the California Delta.
Day 1 | Saturday, Sept. 10 is all about learning and/or shopping with seminars and a vendor showcase from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Open to all!
Day 2 | Sunday, Sept. 11 is tournament day. Register to compete. Entries (in cash) accepted at the event.
For those ready to prepare for this weekend’s event, Double G shared a little of his own advice on winning The BassFest of 2016
Here is how he would plan his day on the DirtyD.
BIG BASS BAITS
I would say that the topwater bite, the frog and the punch bite are going to be where it is as for the bigger fish.
Yesteryear’s frog bites are today’s punch bites; so I would focus on the same kind of cover (or even heavier cover) with my punch rig that I used to be targeting with my frog.
LOWLIGHT
Starting out with the drain of the outgoing tide, there is no reason I wouldn’t start the day with a topwater bait – probably a walking bait. Most recently, I’ve was on a good topwater bite with smaller poppers. I was specifically using a Duo Realis Popper 64. It is my go-to when the water is falling and it gets into the point of the lowest tide. 17.03
With the poppers, I would stay in the Frank’s area or a little south of there working towards some of the islands. I would looking for the part of the island where the water comes around and makes the little eddy pockets on the backside.
MID-MORNING
Later in the day, (as the tide would be moving), I would go back and revisit the areas that had some bites or had some better fish in the morning; but hit them with different baits. When I come back on the areas, I am looking.
I would try frogging up shallow. Also hitting areas where the fish could move up and back from deeper water to shallower spots. I would fish the outside edge – where it really flattens out (that’s where the fish would be.
In the areas behind the outside edge, I would try a Wacky Saddle-rigged Senko, a nail-headed worm or a Neko-rigged larger Flirt. I’ve been catching pretty good fish, throwing shallow in those kind of areas.
For these presentations, I like to use a few specific colors. For my plastics – green pumpkin/red and Sprayed Grass.
Along with outside edges, I will also throw the Nail in areas with a fairly firm bottom that holds thin grass. The nail slithers through the grass really well. If it holds up a little bit, it’s okay. I will shake it a little and then let it fall down. With this retrieve, half the time it hits the bottom and half the time, the fish swim out and strike on the fall.
I use the Nail in clean bottom situations if there is a ledge. I am looking for areas with 2- to 3-ft of depth that drop into something deeper, where the fish would pull out to. I’ve been running this pattern and getting some decent fish (3- to 5-pounders) by focusing on tule islands in 2- to 3-ft with my boat positioned in 20-ft.
For the nail, I usually throw the brown or I throw the Pumpkin Camo (which is yellow/black flake).
HIGH SUN
Once the sun is high enough, I am switchin’ over to punchin’ and I am most likely finishing the day with that. I’ve been throwing dull (natural) colored plastics with a prototype Frenzy punch skirt.
BONUS TIP
I’ve noticed that with some of those islands, the fish have been coming up out of the deeper water towards the shallow points, so that is a great place to catch ‘em.
I’ve been running the flooded islands like Mildred, Mandeville and those kind of places also drains and other areas where water is coming out and interfacing with other water.
I’ve seen the striper bustin’ in those areas; but the bass were also in there with them.
FOR OTHER TIPS ON WINNING THE BASSFEST, CHECK OUT THE SATURDAY SEMINAR SCENE
1PM Tony Franceschi
2PM Nate Harbison
3PM Ron Howe
4PM Greg Gutierrez
ONSITE VENDOR BOOTHS INCLUDE
Frenzy Baits, Strike King Lure Company, Berkley Fishing, Abu Garcia, Trigger Happy Comfort Grips, Bigolpig, River2Sea USA, BIWAA USA, Toxic Baits, Evolution Baits, Rat-L-Trap, Cousins Tackle, Safe and Easy Boat Care,Hook Line & Sinker, Reel Speed, The Grand Island Mission project, Restore the Delta , The Fishing Instructor and more!!!!
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