Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

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Hookset5
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Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

Post by Hookset5 »

Hello,
I know it's winter, but was just wondering, as an amateur bass angler how does one tell where to target post spawn bass on the CA Delta? My knowledge of finding bass in their spawning state is based on lakes or reservoirs. The Delta has no "deep spots" for a post-spawned bass to recuperate like a lake or reservoir. Where do post spawn bass go in the delta?
nate50
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Re: Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

Post by nate50 »

I’m gonna start by saying I’m far from an expert. I have found that they tend to pull out to the next cut of structure or grass lines. Remember “deep” water is all relative. 10-12ft might be considered deep
Kyle46N
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Re: Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

Post by Kyle46N »

I'm in the beginning stages of learning the Delta, but like Nate said, depth is relative. If you think about the contours of most Delta channels, there is obviously shallow grass, then you hit that channel slope (sometimes steep, sometimes not), and that slope has grass growing to a certain depth. Then you hit the bottom of the channel, and the grass usually disappears to a smooth bottom. So "deep" with cover for the fish is still somewhere on that slope and not so much on the barren bottom of the main channel. I'm learning "deep" may be the bottom of that slope at 10 feet, but there's still grass at 10 feet for cover. I'm focusing on those areas in the winter time too. I'm struggling honestly to find fish, but I think I'm close. My issue now is the right presentation. If you read about the Delta, there are the dead end sloughs also, which can have grass from shoreline to shoreline. Different, but the fish may still be in the middle of that channel because of the grass. I really think one of the biggest difficulties in being consistent on the Delta is the psychological aspect. The mental pull of the shallows is always at the back of an anglers mind. You can start out fishing the ledges, well off the shore, and all of a sudden find yourself working the shoreline....or too close to it. Not as big of a temptation right now in the winter, but I can imagine post spawn will be tough for that reason, especially with little fish still roaming the shallows tempting you with action.
Phil Burgess
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Re: Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

Post by Phil Burgess »

what ever you do dont fish the rip rap walls...... there are more miles than you can cover....!!!!
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ash
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Re: Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

Post by ash »

Phil Burgess wrote:what ever you do dont fish the rip rap walls...... there are more miles than you can cover....!!!!
Man I can hear His voice so clearly in my head saying "Dude that is why i've been tellin ya to pull the boat out to 12' of water and fishin those deeper ledges and grass lines with that TnT Wadda Jig, cause thats where big mamma lives"

If you were to start fishin those rip rap walls that Phillmyballs is mentioning you would start to see that where the river curves on the outgoing tide side you would find deeper pockets of eddies and the same would start to hold true on the outgo side of tulle berms. Make no mistake they do in fact pull off to that deeper water outside ledge on the river and that Jig i mentioned above is a great way to target them.
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Kyle46N
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Re: Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

Post by Kyle46N »

ash wrote:
Phil Burgess wrote:what ever you do dont fish the rip rap walls...... there are more miles than you can cover....!!!!
Man I can hear His voice so clearly in my head saying "Dude that is why i've been tellin ya to pull the boat out to 12' of water and fishin those deeper ledges and grass lines with that TnT Wadda Jig, cause thats where big mamma lives"

If you were to start fishin those rip rap walls that Phillmyballs is mentioning you would start to see that where the river curves on the outgoing tide side you would find deeper pockets of eddies and the same would start to hold true on the outgo side of tulle berms. Make no mistake they do in fact pull off to that deeper water outside ledge on the river and that Jig i mentioned above is a great way to target them.
I stumbled on a bunch of fish in White Slough this past Friday following the current lines across two points and then into a huge eddie with a big drop off and deep water. I couldn't get the fish to eat, but nevertheless, following the above concept, it put me on winter time fish. Half the battle I guess.
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ash
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Re: Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

Post by ash »

Absolutely, I am of the firm belief these fish use the same migratory routes from pre-spawn to post spawn to winter. Those fish to me sound like they are in their winter time positions and they won’t go far from there to that pre-spawn locations. That Wadda jig is going to be great at locating those deeper fish.
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monte300
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Re: Targeting post spawned bass in CA Delta

Post by monte300 »

Not typically an issue on the weedy Delta but always remember, no grass = no bass
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