smaller lakes on this list. As we got into fishing tourna- ments and had the chance to get larger boats it seems we all get pulled to the larger tournament lakes and that often times is when our bass fishing seems to suffer. Sure, we all have some awesome days on these lakes and get on that 35-lb limit at the Delta or Clear Lake or find a 7-lb Shasta spotted bass tangled in an A-rig; but many times we take a beating on these larger lakes. I have found that spending some of your “fun fishing” time on these smaller lakes will help you be- come a better angler when you make the trek to the larger lakes. The smaller lakes let you establish pat-
Issue 2
April 2012
terns faster and eliminate water that is unproductive narrowing in on how to catch and pattern fish. This will help you as you move on to the tournament lakes. I have found that when you think the bass just won’t eat some of your old favorites like a spinnerbait or crankbait or even a jerkbait a trip to a smaller lake may change your mind. The fish living in a smaller town haven’t been caught as many times and are ea- ger to knock slack in the line. Many times when I am trying to learn or get a handle on a new technique or gain confidence in a new bait, I head off to one of my favorite small lakes and give it a try. Many of my buddies that chase the larger events are returning to their roots and either fishing from shore, kick or pontoon boats or smaller aluminum rigs leaving their big glass boats behind. I know you Delta guys are thinking that this all sounds good for the lake guys; but you can downscale as well by fishing some of the smaller sloughs, creeks and rivers. This allows you to understand current and how fish relate to cover and work on those baits and techniques you will use on the Delta. Many of you are probably thinking why can’t I just do this on the big lakes during my practice time and this
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