DELTA SPAWN
DELTA SPAWN
The ‘On again - Off again’
By Mike Folkestad
A
s we all know, with one storm after
another this past winter and early spring,
it has kept the Delta water higher, dirtier,
and cooler than normal. This has made it very difficult for bed fishing and patterning the pre-
spawn fish movements. Every time we have three
or four days without a front and a warming trend,
the fish have been setting up to start their spawning
ritual. It’s very obvious with a warming trend before
a tournament at the Delta there are a lot of bags
weighed in over 20 lbs. Then here comes another
front and the fish back off again. It gets very difficult
to pattern the fish. It’s back and forth like a yo-yo.
The water started becoming clearer in late April, still
making it very hard to see any bed fish. The bass have
been spawning since March, but the fry haven’t started
toshowupmuchuntillateApril. Also,therehasn’tbeen
agoodbuckbiteguardingthebedsandfry. It’sdefinitely
differentthannormal. Thereshouldbealotoffryand
plentyofbucksprotectingduringthespawn. Instead
we have seen a lot of 20 lb bags during the warming
trendsandfewbucks. Thenherecomesthefrontand
the females have backed off, you should be able to catch
many bucks guarding the beds, but it
isn’t happening.
I have found and believe that
the bucks are there, and that you
need to fish slower and more
precise. Meaning, that you have to
fish where you think a bed would
be and then sit there long enough
to where it irritates the buck. If you
bring your bait through too fast you
are not going to get the bite. This is
happening because you cannot see
the fish.
Starting in late April, the water
began clearing enough to see
beds at low tides. This gave me
confidence that the beds are there even though you cannot see them at high tide. I have found that you need to concentrate on fish spawning areas with 6” to 1’ of water over the top of the grass swimming bait like a horny toad over the top. If you had 2-3’ of water over the top, fishing a spinnerbait worked well. Both of those baits covered a lot of water. If I found a spawning flat with enough water over it I would use a spinnerbait or a horny toad to locate the fish. Then I would go back and pitch Senkos or jigs into the holes. Using these reaction baits at these tide levels above the grass seemed to be the most productive way on locating the areas where the bass have set up to spawn.
Also, fishing the steeper banks during the frontal conditions seemed to work well, then adjusting to the shallowerbanksduringthewarmingtrends. Dropshotting 7” Roboworms or nail rigged 5” Senkos seemed to work well on the steeper banks during the frontal conditions. During a warming trend fishing a weightless Senko, spinner bait, or horny toad, seemed to be more effective.
Keep a journal so when this same scenario arises in the upcoming years, you will know what the fish were doing under these conditions in 2011.
This has been a very unusual year; I have never seen it like this. Finding beds are more difficult with
the high, dirty, and colder water. You need to
have confidence in the areas that you are fishing.
Believe in your ability and experience throughout
the years and you will catch more bass.
I would like to thank my sponsors: Daiwa, Mercury, Ranger, MotorGuide, Roboworm, Yamamoto Baits, Angler’s Marine, Seaguar,
Reactor Watches, Tackle It, and Lowrance.
If you have any suggestions on topics
to write about you can contact me at:
mikefolkestad@att.net Also visit my
website at www.MikeFolkestad.net and
check out www.TCsportsReport.com
Photo By Jody Only
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