can pop the bait and get the fish to react to it. I used a 3/8 oz on the beds.
WB: Overall, how was the condition of the bed fish? Were they locked? Skittish? Already hot or did you have to work ‘em awhile to get ‘em to go?
JL: They were very skittish. It was just not an easy task to go catch a bed fish. You really had to work ‘em, take your time and have patience. I couldn’t do that without having my limit first, which is why I went west first. There was one that I worked for over an hour, but it was worth it.
WB: What’s your strategy to get a skittish bed bass in the boat?
JL: I think that bed fish can be skittish of the braid, so I used the same braid and fluorocarbon combo that I used for flippin’. I like the strength and responsiveness of the braid, but I add the fluoro, so that the fish cannot see it. You never know when one of the big powerful ones is going to run at you, so I would rather have that 9.1 reel on again for its line pickup capabilities.
WB: Was there any common conditions to the beds with the monsters on them?
JL: The grass was growing really thick, so I was just looking for beds in cleared out areas, hard rock banks that didn’t have as much grass. When I found those areas. It seemed like the bluegill were using ‘em and so were the bass. There were bluegill beds and bass beds and bluegill eating bass eggs and bass eating bluegill eggs. There was ton of life when I found those areas.
WB: Was the Delta everything you remembered?
JL: It was. There is obviously a lot of big fish still there. I saw a bunch over eight pounds and caught two of them over that. Only having five or six hours
to fish did make it tough. I was proud that I was able to put together over 20 lbs a day on average, while we were running that far and having that little time to fish.
Lifetime Memories!
Vacations, Weddings, Graduations, Pets, etc. A canvas print makes
a great gift!
Transfer your photo to canvas and turn any moment into a beautiful memory as if it were
hanging in a gallery.
www.visionsoncanvas.com
SUMMER 2015
51
http://www.visionsoncanvas.com