Spring 2020
®
Vibrating jig with a Gary Yamamoto Baits Zako trailer
make my ChatterBait rise over the grass a lot easier on a low tide with a 3/8, versus a high tide when I want to keep that ChatterBait down.”
Elsewhere, Mah integrates a black/blue jig with a 3/8- to 1 1/2-ounce jig with a chunk style trailer into his Delta pre-spawn game. Hyacinth edges, laydowns and any specific targets where staging bass my hold are worth a few flips.
KEEPIN’ IT REAL
Expectations can determine our actions, so Mah points out the importance of pre-spawn patience. “You can have day between the first part of February and the end of March where you’ll be lucky to catch 4-7 fish in a day, but they’re all going to be the right ones. I’ve had numerous
tournaments (during this time of year) when I
literally caught 6-7 fish, but I weighed a 28- to 30-something-pound bag.”
Uribe adds this pointer: “During the pre-spawn, it’s still going to be cold. The full moon in March is what’s going to trigger the fish to move up, but when you get those cold fronts that come in, it will back those females off. The males might stay up, but those females will back off to those deeper weed clumps.
“If I get a cold front, I’ll tend to move to rock levees with sparse tule clumps. Rather than throwing reaction baits, I’ll back off and throw a 6- or 7-inch Senko.”
No doubt, the pre-spawn typically overlaps some of the year’s most fickle weather, but don’t ever lose sight of the fact that proximity to the real tanks will never be greater. Stay sharp, adjust as needed and this could be your ticket to a monster catch. •
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