be pushed by the wind into pockets and the debris becomes solar blankets that are all dark floating cover. It is just a big canopy for the fish. The punchin’ (whether it is with a jig or a big sinker) is going to be phenomenal.”
Whetherit’sflippin’or casting ajigonpoints, Reese’s primarypickwasa5/8-ouncejiginblack andbrown.
“You can catch them at Shasta on a full-size jig, in a tree on Folsom, on the Delta at Clear Lake, when it’s sunny, when it’s cloudy – it just covers all conditions,” stated Reese.
He adds a trailer, using a Berkley Pit Boss or Pit Boss Jr. – the former when a larger profile and more action is desired.
“There are three colors that I can take to almost any body of water across the country – black and blue, green pumpkin and watermelon red,” he said regarding trailer colors. “The darker the water, the darker the color that I put on.”
Reese uses his signature Wright & McGill rods and reels. For this application, he opts for the 8” flippin’ stick with a high-speed reel.
“With the 7:1 reel, I can get the bait back quicker to make more casts – it just makes me more efficient,”
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he said. “My line is Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. I will go as light as 15-pound-test when casting on points; but I typically flip with 25-pound-test for shorter, combat fishing – when I’m pitchin’ into heavy cover, real close to the boat.”
A LUCKY SPINNERBAIT
“Spinnerbaits will be the fun part,” said Reese. “Over the years, the spinnerbait has been one of the lost techniques in California. Swimbaits have taken over and we don’t use spinnerbaits so much anymore; but when we have all this flooded shoreline to fish, the spinnerbait will go through the shallow grass and the debris well. With the dirty water, the spinnerbait will
be good for the flash and vibration and
a bait you can cover some water with.
It’s going to crush the largemouth in
the Delta and Clear Lake more than
they have in a long time, especially
with the water color that we’ve got
coming in there.”
Reese’s spinnerbait choice
comes from the Redemption lineup
that he developed with Lucky Craft.
“I would use a 5/8-ounce to
get it out there and slow roll; but if
I’m trying to go deeper, I will go to
¾-ounce,” he stated.
He advised not getting stuck
on double willow blades, simply
because of the dirty water,
suggesting double Colorados and
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