GOTTA LOVE THE WINTER BITE! - Amber Russo

All of us summer-time, power-fishermen dread the winter season. You can't throw a top water. You can't throw the wake bait. Can't burn the LV 500 down a bank in your tank top. You're pretty much limited to a handful of baits, foul weather gear, and three presentations...SLOW, SLOWER, AND EVEN SLOWER.... 

BE SAFE
If you're going to fish in the winter, you have to have the proper gear to withstand the cold, and you have to have a life jacket on at all times! All it takes is a push on the trolling motor to lose your balance. In the 46 degree water, if you go in with all your gear on, it's not a going to turn out good. So, first and foremost, be safe. 

FINESSE FISHING
Finesse fishing doesn't mean you have to  hit the water with a big-ass spinning real in your hand, throw a drop shot, and let it sit there for an hour as snot freezes to your face!  It can be more exciting than that!  I will not use a spinning reel for any of my finesse fishing unless I'm on lake Shasta!!  I use a Powell 703 with a bait caster, 10 to 12 lb test fluorocarbon, a 1/0 off set hook with a Texas rigged margarita mutilator or Aarons Magic Worm, and my weight. I never miss a bite. You should do whatever is comfortable for you. Just know that you don't have to use spinning reels and 6 lb test to drop shot. 

The most important thing when finesse fishing in the winter is your rod!  You must use a very sensitive rod to feel the bass pick up your bait. They're not aggressive. The bite is very soft. I recommend Powell rods because I think they make the most sensitive rods on the market.   

TARGET AREAS:
Bass go to deep water when it's cold and shallow water when it warms up. You should target areas where bass have quick access to deep and shallow water such as edges and tule berms. Flip a jig along those drops and work it slowly from shallow to deep. Look for structures such as peat bogs, sunken boats, dead vegetation, and rock piles.  If you catch one, DO NOT LEAVE!! Fish tend to school up in the same areas and do the same thing, so if you catch one it's not alone! When it's cold bass are not active. They will find stable water and suspend in places like the very bottom of the floor, behind some sort of submerged structure, or on the point of a berm or island. If there is a warm front, target dead-end sloughs and marinas.    

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The Delta is full of habitat, so how do you sift through it all and find bass? Fish will find warmer water in the winter.  Two natural heat sources on the Delta are rocks and dead vegetation. Rocks hold heat so, first thing in the morning, fish the first rockbank the sun hits. Another natural heat source is dead vegetation, especially dead tulles and crispy hyacinth.  Tules and hyacinth are very beneficial in the summer and the winter because they are the  most oxygen-producing plants on the Delta. The frost kills the exposed areas of tules and hyacinth which absorbs the heat while the roots are still alive, producing oxygen. This, along with all the crawdads and bluegill living in the roots, makes it a prime spot for a bass to marinate under. So..... PUNCH IT! That's right!  I said punch in the winter! Bust out your punching rod -- Powell 766 is my recommendation, with your 65lb test braid, a 4/0 hook and a pegged 1.5 oz bullet weight. Put your black and blue beaver on that bad boy and punch the hell out of the dead plants! I don't know about you, but I think punching is a lot more exciting then throwing a drop shot!!  

BEST BAITS
The 3 most effective lures in the winter are your black and blue jig trailed with the hematoma or penetration beaver, your margarita mutilator, Aaron's Magic Roboworm, and your Ghost Minnow rip bait! Your presentation must be slow! The body temperature of a bass is the same temp as the water so they're cold as hell! Do everything slow and eventually they will bite.   Winter time is also a good time to tie on the biggest bait you have and chuck it in areas that drop off right along the edge of the weeds.  A big bass is a hungry, lazy opportunist that wants a big meal using the least amount of energy as possible however they will chase when they see something worth eating such as a shad or a blue gill. If you're going for the one big bite I recommend using the bass Huddleston. Swing your Huddy out there and work it back very, very, very slowly. If you get a bite, GET THE NET. It's going to be a pig!   

REACTION BITE IS ON FIRE RIGHT NOW!
On a warm day when the water is glass, go to a dead-end slough and rip the bank. Start from the weed line and reel it slow. Then do a nice long rip, let it float almost to the surface, then reel it again. If you see a pocket, throw it on the side where the current is not hitting. Then work it towards you slowly!

The fish tend to stack up in the dead-end sloughs. They do this because a warm front will warm up a body of water that does not have a lot of flow faster than an area that does. And any source of heat is where a bass will be. 

Another reaction bite to try is slow rolling a deep diving, black and red crank bait. Throw along the rock banks and let it tick the rocks a little when you're retrieving. When you tick the rocks a bass will think it's a crawdad's claws hitting the rocks, and it usually catches their attention. Remember, this reaction bite is a slow reaction. If you work it too fast the bass will not strike.   

A STEP AHEAD
Last but not least, winter is a good time to put your rod down and utilize your Lowrance fish finder. The water is glass in the morning and, other than some duck hunters, you pretty much have the house to yourself, so go out and explore! Get familiar with the habitat,  study the bottom, and mark waypoints when you see beds or good spawning areas. That way, when spring comes you'll be ahead of the game!  The Delta is challenging but that's what makes it fun.  Once you figure out the winter pattern you will never dread another winter fishing season again.  Good luck!  And always...catch and release. 

Amber Russo 

Striper Winter Wonderland……

Brrrrrrrrr. Frosty, Foggy, Icy, and water temps in the low to mid 40's. Sounds like the recipe for a disastrous fishing day. Thank goodness we have the Linesides in this system!! Stripers can definitely pick up the slack during the winter season. For the next couple of months when most other fish species are "sleeping" the Striper can help you get in your fishin'fix!

Leave the top water stuff at home until February. Through the years I have caught some very impressive Stripers on top water, even when the water temp was in the low to mid 40's. However, those bites are VERY far and few between, and many days you will throw up a goose egg. I recommend you stick with subsurface baits through the second week of February, they will provide more bites for you.

  The Basstrix Paddletail Swimbait in the 5 and 6 inch sizes, are a perfect choice for cold water Stripers. A standard pearl 5 inch swimbait can be a player too.  Stren Brute Strength or Trilene Big Game line in 15 lb or 20 lb, will work just fine. Both of these lines are extremely abrasion resistant, have the right amount of stretch, and are easy on the wallet. December through mid February is a "keep it simple", and or, "slow and steady", time period. Try not to have more than 3 rods on the deck during a winter session. Choose three sticks that will allow you to cover the 3 to 15 foot water column effectively. For example, I always rig the Basstrix Swimbaits on a 3/8 and ½ oz Blade Runner weedless jig head when targeting the 3 to 10 foot depths. I will use the exact same lure on two rods, the only difference being the weight of the lead head. Maintaining bottom contact, with an extreme s-l-o-w-r-o-l-l, can be very important when the fish aren't super aggressive. This allows me to cover the whole water column that I am targeting, and determine which zone the most aggressive fish are using.

If I am fishing a "clean ridge" or break line down to 15 feet, then I will opt for the ½ or ¾ ounce Spintrix head by Bladerunner. A "clean ridge" has a minimal amount of brush, vegetation, or snags on it. I prefer ridges and or break lines that have a three to eight foot, 45 to 90 degree slope on one side.  Many times the vibration and flash of the small willow leaf blade, located under the chin of the leadhead, is just what you need to trigger a strike from deeper lethargic fish. If there is little or no wind, I try to get the ½ ounce Spintrix to bump the bottom down to 15 feet. Wind becomes a big variable when using this technique. It is difficult to maintain bottom contact in a breeze over 10 miles per hour using a ½ ounce head. If the wind is in that 10 to 20 mph range, and the fish are eating in that deeper zone of water, I will opt for the ¾ ounce Bladerunner Spintrix head on 15 lb mono. I love fluorocarbon, but in windy situations, I always prefer standard monofilament. Fluorocarbon tends to backlash a lot more in the wind compared to standard monofilament. Keep in mind that to keep it from hanging up the ¾ ounce Spintrix has to be fished a little quicker than a 1/2 once head at these depths, therefore I don't get near as many bites with a ¾ ounce head as opposed to the ½ ounce size.

Keep your color schemes simple. Shad and natural baitfish colors excel for Stripers. It is hard to beat Pearl, Tennessee Shad, Hitch or Hologram Shad when using the Basstrix line of hollow belly baits. If the water has less than 2 feet of visibility, try dipping the tail of the bait in a bottle of chartreuse dye. 

If you are like me, and aren't real crazy about jerking a spoon in a vertical presentation all day long, give these swimbait techniques a try. Each bite you get will create more and more confidence in what you are doing. It may take a winter or two to get good at these presentations, however you will soon find yourself looking a little more forward to winter time fishing.

'Tis the Season To Get Froggy, Fa,la,la,lala,lala,la,la…. - Bobby Barrack

The fall Froggy bite on Clear Lake and the Delta is starting to roll. The Perfect Frog, Perfect Buzz, Buzzbait, Spook etc, can all be major players. Subsurface baits will usually generate more bites, however some of the most exceptional top water fishing of the year, will be available over the next couple of months. A stout rod, some 65# braided line, and a high speed reel are key components for a successful day of Froggy Fishin'. "Bobby's Perfect Frog Rod", from Falcon Rods, Lew's "Speed Spool" TP1SH or TS1SHMG ( both are 7:1 gear ratio reels), a spool of Stren 65# Sonic Braid, and a handful of Perfect Frogs and Perfect Buzz's, will have you moving in the right direction.

Very seldom will a top water bite last for the duration of a standard fishing day, but there will be "moments, or extended moments", during your fall season outing. Do not let the temperature gauge on your boat distract you from throwing the fore mentioned top water baits. Sudden drops in water temperature in a 24 or 48 hour period can put a dent in your surface bait venture for a day or two, but the top water bite will return with a more consistent weather pattern. Steady surface action can be expected until the water temperature gets into the low 50's. Low 50's??!!! You serious??!!!...Oh Yeah!….

Most guys are not aware of the "50+ degree top water bite", because most haven't thrown it during this period. Slowing things down is key. Burning a Perfect Buzz, or standard buzzbait from September through October can be very effective. If you try to carry this pattern through November, you may hit a roadblock. Slow each of these lures down as much as possible. If the bass are rolling, nipping, or not showing any interest at all, then opt for a "walking style" bait.

The Zara Spook, one of the most awesome top water baits of all time, is a fantastic top water choice during the fall months. Bone, Baby Bass and Okie Shad are great colors to try. Stripers, as well as Largemouth Bass, find the "walking" characteristics of this bait very appealing. If you find Largemouth relating to vegetation, then the Perfect Frog from Snagproof is hard to beat. Walking the frog in open water , but staying extremely tight to any available structure, is a great way to entice awesome strikes from extra large Bass.

Surface vegetation is usually dying back during fall months. If you look hard enough, you can usually find sporadic patches still in tact. Duckweed and Cladophora ("cheese"), are very good surface vegetations to locate. These canopies will be found in protected pockets facing to the South or East. The largest bass in the area will usually seek refuge under these mats, and will be focused on Bluegill as their primary forage. Largemouth that are primarily feeding on Bluegill, are usually a better quality fish, and find Brown Bullfrog extremely appealing. My favorite colors during this time frame are, Fred, Black, Cicada Tweety and Brown Bullfrog. Tweety and Brown Bullfrog are the colors that "I Want" them to eat, so I will always try them first. If I can get bit on Tweety and Bullfrog, the fish tend to average 2 to 3 pounds more than with any other color. If the fish are bumping, nudging or rolling on these two color schemes, then I will switch to Fred or Cicada. Fred and Cicada are the "safe" choices. The fish, if there is a frog bite on this particular day, will usually show an interest for Fred or Cicada. Fred has a blast of orange under the chin, which can be an attractor or deterrent. If the Largemouth continue to swirl on Fred and not commit fully, then tie on a Cicada.

Top water fishing through December 1st isn't for everyone. Discipline and good casting mechanics will greatly enhance your chances for a successful trip. Keep your casts low to the water to minimize the splash on entry, and try to figure out the tempo that the fish prefer, on this particular day. If you are fishing a particular top water bait at a slow tempo, then have a fish or two "chase" the bait as you retrieve it back to the boat for another cast….recognize this, and start BRINGING IT!!! That one "Fink", just "Ratted" on the rest of his crew, and may have just opened the door to one of your most memorable fishing days of the year.

"Turnin' Frogs Into Toads"

Bobby Barrack

Bluegill, Americas Number 1 Gamefish - Dan Mathisen

Probably the most sought after game fish nationally is the Bluegill ( Lepomis macrochirus). A great catch for young and old anglers alike yet often forgotten. Bluegills are found just about everywhere. In the lakes the abundant panfish can be found near shore in areas shaded by overhanging trees; sluggish shallow waters of sloughs, ponds, and reservoirs. They can really stack up in the Delta are usually those with little or no tidal influence.

For the most fun a nglers target bluegills primarily with ultralight equipment or fly gear. Really it doesn't even take that much equipment. When bobber and bait fishing there is nothing wrong with getting out the with the traditional cane pole on bobber set-up that can be purchased complete for around 10 or 12 bucks. Those with spinning or fly gear are often found using leaders in the half-pound to 3-pound class are common.

In the Foothill lakes, crickets are the most effective bait, bluegills will also bite mealworms, waxworms, redworms, earthworms, nightcrawler chunks and if you care to try maggots.

Larger bluegills sometimes grab the same size minnows that are used to catch Crappie. When taking the kids out and using worms, be careful not to put too much bait on the hook, as bluegills are accomplished thieves. Smaller pieces will force the fish to bite at the hook, resulting in more hookups.

Bluegill lures include mini jigs, small spinnerbaits, small in-line spinnerbaits, small grubs, small tube jigs, and miniature soft plastics. Many bluegill anglers tip jigs with a small cricket, piece of worm, or other bait. Bobbers are often used to suspend the lure or bait at the right depth and to detect the often-subtle bites.

Bobbers can be very simple and traditional or very high tech, like slip-floats or tip-up designs. When jig fishing, try a 1/32 ounce or smaller jig, with two wet flies or nymphs above it at 1 foot intervals. Bounce the jig on the bottom as you retrieve it, and the wet flies or nymphs will pick up fish that are suspended near the bottom. For very active fish, try a small yellow roostertail with a wind-wind-pause-wind-wind-pause rhythm. This is a super technique at Camanche!

Fly anglers use almost any dry fly or terrestrial and almost any nymph. There are also specially designed panfish popper flies, many of which can also be used with ultralight spinning tackle. The most popular terrestrial patterns are crickets, grasshoppers, foam spiders, and ants. A cool fly setup, especially at spawning time, is a panfish popper with a dropper line and a weighted nymph, such as a beadhead hare's ear. (This can be done using ultralight tackle, as well). Try popping and stopping at different speeds. When the fish are active, work the rig quickly and they'll strike the popper. When they're less active, just pop a few times and stop for up to 1 minute at a time. The nymph will swing down and suspend in front of their faces. They won't be able to stand it, especially if they're guarding a nest.

When fishing dry or floating flies, keep in mind that that bluegills may take much longer than trout to smack your fly. If you're not getting bit and you know the fish are there, try letting it sit a while longer, up to 1 minute at a time. I am no fly expert but I have experimented a time or two.

I know many anglers that are out to catch small bluegills as bait for bass or catfish or stripers, remember that it's often possible to catch bluegills on anything little that moves. As a kid, I used to catch bluegills off the end of a dock by gently vertical-jigging a size 16 golden treble hook with a salmon egg. Since bluegills are both bold and curious, this works anytime the fish are even moderately active.

This technique usually doesn't work during the spawn, as the fish do not congregate around docks when they are in the spawning mode.

Schools nearly out and soon the will be plenty of chances for kids to get out and have some fun bluegill fishing. Keep it simple, wear a life jacket and have fun.

- Dan Mathisen

Springtime Froggy Fishing

February through May isn't usually considered to be "Prime Froggy Time", however if the conditions are right…. you may get to experience some of the greatest frog action of the year. The frog of choice for me is "Bobby's Perfect Frog", from Snagproof.

Most anglers assosciate frog fishing with 90+ degree days, and beads of sweat rolling off the forehead. Summertime is good, but the Spring and Fall months could offer up the most memorable froggin' times of the year.

Spring frogging is extremely volatile. Consistent, or increasing water temperature is key. A northern front can shut a frog bite down quicker than anything. Usually after a northern front moves through, the surface temperature may drop as much as 4 to 7 degrees. This is a common occurance during the Spring months, so evaluate the weather pattern for the prior two days, before you spend too much time working on a frog bite.

Early season frog fishing is usually best from noon through the evening. A band of warm days strung together may offer up a potential morning bite on occasion also. Use your frog as a tool. Try not to "live and die by it", during the cooler months. Subsurface baits will almost always get more bites during the early spring, but a well placed frog, worked at the proper tempo, could result in the fish of a lifetime.

Key colors for me, when the water temperature is between 55 and 65 degrees, are Fred, Sexy, Black, and Brown Bullfrog. Brown Bullfrog tends to get the least amount of bites, but the average fish on this color in the early season is usually in the 5 lb and above class. Fred and Sexy are hard to beat when walking the bait in open water around, or behind boat docks. Rock walls with vegetation is a very solid pattern this time of year. If the rocks have a mixture of tulles and wood, you could find yourself in the bonus round. Day in and day out, the black frog can be the most consistent in the heavier vegetation. Black with yellow is one of the greatest Black Bass color combinations of all time. If the fish are rolling or swiping at your black frog, pull the yellow strands of rubber out of the legs. A straight black frog with black legs, is just what momma bass prefers at times.

Learn to "pitch" your frog with extreme accuracy. The delivery of the bait, color choice, and a slow tempo, is the whole key to generating a trophy bite on a frog. Bass in 1 to 3 feet of water are extremely weary, especially in the early spring. On higher tides you can get a little closer to your target, but during low tidal phases, keep a good distance from the target zone. There will be times on the lower tides, where you may need to throw the frog sidearm. A sidearm throw allows you to reach a likely spot, beyond pitching distance, and increase the odds of a softer entry. An overhand, " Hail Mary" throw, will usually result in a "Cannonball" entry, and your potential trophy can usually be seen making a "V Wake" towards deeper water. Groan.

"When do you set the hook on a frog? Should I count to three? Should I wait until I feel pressure? Etc". My #1 rule with frog fishing is….IF YOU CAN'T SEE YOUR FROG AFTER A BITE THEN SSWWIINNGGG!!!!!"

1. Bass do not have hands or feet. If your frog is underwater, there is only one way it got there.

2. You are NOT going to catch every fish that eats your frog. They will eat the legs a lot. No matter whom you are, that fish cannot be caught on that cast.

3. You are going to lose some real dandy's. Groan.

4. Yes. There are times ( for that day, a couple days in a row, or that hour or two DURING the day) when a "bit" of a hesitation, before you swing, will get put a few more fish in the boat. But, day in and day out, and over the long run, if you condition yourself to set the hook after your frog disappears, you will come out way ahead in the Froggy game.

The photo at the top of this article is a 13.88 lb beauty that I caught on a Perfect Frog the 1st week of April, 2011. The color is called "High Switch" and will be available summer 2011.

Turnin' Frogs Into Toads,

Bobby Barrack
Professional Angler/Back to Class Guide Service
www.bobbybarrack.com