Fall 2021
®
a Missile Baits Destroyer creature bait. His color choices mirror jig choices. Wielding a 7’6” Daiwa Tatula Elite flipping stick paired with a Daiwa Tatula Elite casting reel (7:1:1) spooled with 20- to 25-pound fluorocarbon line. Monroe dissects his targets with a 3/8- to 1/2-ounce bullet weight depending on the cover.
SUMMER
On the California Delta or Clear Lake, summer means topwater baits are in play. However, Monroe stresses that it’s essential to fish the whole cut as bass will be staged all over it.
“Most feeding fish will be on the flat side,” Monroe stated. “On a hot summer day, they’ll be right in the cut and will still hit a topwater because the current is cooler.”
A River2Sea Rover and Whopper Plopper 130 are his favorites. Under low light conditions or darker water, Loon is the most visible to the fish, while bone and lighter colors are better suited for bright sunny days.
For both, he’ll opt for a 7’4” Daiwa Tatula Elite Ehrler bladed jig rod and a casting reel spooled with 40-pound Daiwa Samurai Braid. Monroe prefers a slower gear ratio for the Whopper Plopper to maximize the sound and triggering qualities of the bait’s tail as it spins and gurgles along the
surface. A quicker gear ratio is sufficient for the Rover walking bait.
Monroe marveled at the impact that Lowrance Active Target has made on his fishing.
“It’s amazing because you can see the fish sitting in the cuts,” Monroe said. “You can now distinctly see fish in trees and see them swimming in the tree and follow your bait. I’ve caught fish and often there are two and three fish with it.” •
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Bill Lowen