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Summer 2023
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If the topwater options aren’t working, three- to four-inch swimbaits are another go-to for me. I’ve found that they work especially well in the current and when fishing around wooden structures like downed trees and large bushes.
Kobayashi: For the high tide a ChatterBait and shallow cranks when around the grass. During the low tide, I work a frog over the mats stopping the bait in each hole. If the grass is thick and they are not eating the frog, I punch the thickest mats, the fish like the shade in the summer. One lure I always have tied on is a Senko and toss it on any tide.
Jones: During the high tide, I’ll use moving baits above the weeds. My top baits are topwater, ChatterBaits, spinnerbaits and a square bill. A Senko around docks with the slow fall can catch those suspended fish. The outgoing to low tide, the outer edge of the weeds and the holes is where I’ll use a creature bait flipped and a Senko. In the current, I throw a drop shot or a weedless swim bait / underspin.
WB: Which patterns do you normally find during the summer months?
Garrabrant: There are so many techniques that work in the summer, especially when the tide is moving or in low light conditions (dusk or dawn). If my summer staples aren’t working, you cannot go wrong with a wacky-rigged Senko. It could be 105 degrees out, with wakeboard boats and jet skis racing past, and fish will still bite a Senko.
Kobayashi: Early in the morning, I always start off with a frog or a topwater bait. Once the topwater bite dies off, I’ll switch to a ChatterBait and work it around the grass. During the high sun, I’ll punch grass mats and the deep into the tules. Late in the day when the evening is close to sunset, the frog comes out once again.
Jones: The most productive pattern for me is the topwater. I’ll rotate through a walking bait, frog, and a whopper plopper. This allows me to cover water quickly to locate fish and then I’ll slow down with a Senko or drop-shot. If the sun is high, then I shift to flipping or punching for bass hiding in the shade.
WB: Do you use technology like Google Earth, WesternBass tournament results, or do you go with past experiences that were productive before deciding which ramp to launch from?
Garrabrant: With a fishery as big as the Delta, I’ve relied on Google Earth to find new areas to fish. One thing that’s great about kayak fishing is you don’t always need a launch ramp to get on the water. Kayak fishermen on the Delta sometimes do what’s termed as a “levee launch” - this could be on the side of a highway or down a farm road. It’s just about getting creative (and sometimes a little dirty) to get on the water. Tournament results and past experience on the Delta can be helpful when planning a tournament strategy, but conditions and the bite can change on a dime.
It’s important to be ready to adapt when
fishing the Delta, hence the importance
of picking an area with multiple types of
features. You might find fish eating under
docks during practice, but the next day,
they could be doing something completely
different given the tide and conditions.
Kobayashi: Normally I’ll fish the areas I
have had success in the past, but if my areas
are not producing bites, I’ll explore new water.
Jones: When I am getting ready for an
event, I use tide charts to see where the
tides are during a fishing day. The best
tide window may be longer south Delta, so
I launch there or if the tide swing is best
West, I launch at a Western launch ramp.
Once I decide where to launch, I check Google
Earth to see what type of structure is in
the area I am thinking of launching. I try
not to pay attention to much more than
my previous notes and don’t really focus
much on tournament results. Most of those
results are boat
tournaments, and
I would not know
if those guys were
running 40 miles or
chasing the tides.
If it was a lake, it
may be a little more
important for me
to read up on, but
as for the Delta, I
stick to what I have
confidence in.
WB: Once you find a tide that is the most productive do you launch at a specific ramp to optimize your fishing time, or do you wait for the best tide in your prime location?