Winter 2018
®
best of the delta’s
& H L I O G WS HS
Story & Photos by David A. Brown
T
he Cal Delta, the Dirty D; California’s Central Valley
drainage formed from the confluence of the
Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers consistently presents an enticing network of diverse habitat stocked with Florida-strain largemouth bass, but one tempered by the complications of daily tidal fluctuations.
consistency comes through understanding what this vast waterway offers on different water stages.
Specifically, it’s about understanding what rising and falling water does to vegetation. To this end, Mah offered his insights on the best of the Delta’s high and lows.
From tournaments to fun fishing, the Cal Delta is equal parts beauty and beast; a fickle vixen dishing out triumph and heartbreak with relative ease. Precise formulas for avoiding the latter and maximizing the formula defy summation, but as longtime Delta pro Ken Mah notes,
HIGH HOPES
General rule of thumb, a foot or so of water over grass is reaction bait heaven. Bass are more relaxed with a significant overhead buffer zone and those holding in
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