Bite Tougher Than Normal At Chilly California Delta

It's been a colder-than-usual winter across much of the country, and Northern California hasn't been exempt from that phenomenon. For the most part, February and the early part of March have been relatively cool, wet and windy.

As a result, the region's big-bass factories that are set to host the first two Bassmaster Elite Series events of 2010 are a little bit behind their normal schedules. Both the California Delta and Clear Lake have been in stingy moods recently as they await a prolonged spate of warm weather that'll heat up their water and get the pigs headed for the food trough in preparation for the annual spawning ritual.

The Delta is first up this week, and some pros have lamented that the fishing is tougher than they'd anticipated. Whether they drove across three time zones to get here or are California natives preparing for a rare "home" event, most say they aren't getting the quantity of bites that they expected.

Of course, five bites are all that's needed to fill out a daily limit. And at this place, there's a good chance that at least one of those will come from a very large fish. That alone will make for respectable weights, even if the possibility of anyone compiling a 100-pound total for 4 days remains as remote as it seems right now.

Before getting into more bite info, here are some particulars about the fishery itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Name: California Delta
> Type of Water: Tidal network of channels and tributaries fed by five rivers that surrounds a series of agricultural islands
> Surface acres: 61,000 (approx. 1,000 miles of navigable water)
> Primary structure/cover: Tules, weeds and grassbeds, some rock (levees) and wood
> Primary forage: A veritable smorgasbord that includes bluegills, golden shiners, threadfin shad, crawdads, crappie, baby steelhead, baby stripers, Delta smelt, etc.
> Average depth: 10 feet
> Species: Largemouths
> Length limit: 12 inches
> Reputation: A longtime giant-bass Mecca with a prolific number of fish over 5 pounds
> Weather: A mix of sun, clouds and possibly a few showers; high temperatures a little on the cool side for this time of year.
> Water temperature: Low to mid 50s
> Water color/visibility: Slightly stained to muddy, depending on location/zero to 2 feet or more
> Water level: Fluctuates about 3 feet per day this time of year due to the tides
> Fish in: 0 to 10 feet
> Fish phase: Late winter/early pre-spawn
> Primary patterns: Flipping plastics and jigs, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, crankbaits, topwaters, Senkos, maybe some sight-fishing.
> Winning weight: 80 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 50): 31 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 2 for the Delta
> Biggest factor: Weather – if the water temp goes up just a few degrees, it could turn on the big ones
> Wildcard: Monster bites – one could come on any cast

Much Different than Last Time

Conditions for this event are markedly different than the last time the Elite Series showed up here in 2007, even though its placement on the calendar is almost identical. Aaron Martens won that event by averaging a little more than 21 pounds a day.

Back then, water temperatures throughout much of the huge labyrinth of channels had already surpassed the 60-degree mark. Right now, that benchmark hasn't even been approached in most places.

Most of the water is in the 52- to 56-degree range, which is about 3 degrees cooler at the upper end than the magic number that will push a big wave of fish to the spawning beds. The region is in the early stages of a warming trend, so a big migration could happen before the tournament ends on Sunday.

If it doesn't, the natives might have an advantage. Or they might be at a disadvantage because, while they're focused on places they know, they're less likely to stumble across a random cluster of quality fish.

Another condition that's been created primarily by the weather is off-colored water. The region hasn't gone more than a few days in a row without rain in the last month and a half and the wind has often blown violently.

With few fish on the nests and the ones that are there difficult to see, sight-fishing will likely be less of a factor than on previous visits. That won't stop a lot of anglers from looking around, though.

Tides not Ideal

The tide is a factor that must always be taken into account at the Delta, regardless of the weather. It hits high and low extremes twice each day, with a fluctuation of between 3 and 4 feet at this time of year, and the peaks and valleys are about 45 minutes later on each successive day.

Most of this event will be conducted on an incoming tide, which isn't the preferred state. The majority of the field would prefer to have the last couple hours of the outgoing tide in the afternoon because it positions the fish on the edges of cover, but that won't occur this time.

But no matter how much less than ideal the conditions are, big fish will be caught. Those who fare best will be the anglers who can mix an 8-pounder with a quartet of 3s, and then go out and do it again the next day.

And considering the favorable weather pattern, things could bust wide-open by the weekend.

Notes from the Field

Here are practice notes from some anglers who'll be fishing this week.

Ish Monroe
"The fishing's so-so, and I'm glad I know the Delta. It's one of those deals where it's not as good as in previous years and you can't just go anywhere and catch them. There's a lot of good water where I haven't been able to catch them.

"My last few good finishes on the Delta were from places where I never really fished hard before. I went looking for new water this time, but it wasn't working and I've had to rely on old-school stuff where I knew I could catch a few.

"I think 18 pounds a day will be pretty strong, but obviously there's going to be some big bags with so many 8- and 9-pounders in here. But I didn't even catch a 5 in my first 2 days of practice."

Aaron Martens
"Normally this time of year the Delta would be awesome, but it's cold and it hasn't been good. The fish are still there, but you have to work for them. All the same stuff will work, but just not as good because you have to fish a lot slower and you'll get fewer bites in the colder water.

"It was a lot easier to get bit last time. Now you could go right by a bunch of fish and not know it because you were fishing too fast. I'm still confident, but I'm not overconfident by any means.

"Everything looks really good – it's amazing how thick and healthy the grass is here in the wintertime. This place has the healthiest hydrilla I've ever seen."

Brent Chapman
"I'm getting a few bites, but I'm not overly excited about what I've caught. It's definitely not like the last two times I was here. This place has had a lot of weather and it's been so windy that we could hardly fish.

"I found one area that I feel okay about, but I really don't know what to expect as far as weights because I've never fished here in these conditions. I think in another week or 2 things are going to be a lot better, but regardless of how tough it is, somebody's going to win.

"The frustrating thing is we only get a few opportunities to come to places like this and you're always hoping it'll be at its best so you can really enjoy it."

Mike McClelland
"Last time here there were certain areas where the fish were concentrated and those got quite a bit of attention. Now it seems you can get a bite here and a bite there, and that could keep people scattered out. Unless other guys are doing something different that I am, it's hard to get multiple bites in the same area.

"To me it looks like the biggest problem with these ponds is the wind has been blowing so much that it's muddied up a lot of the water. That might be a big factor in why we're not getting as many bites as we ought to be."

"This is going to be a tournament where I'm going to have to put my head down, cover a lot of water and try to catch fish that are wanting to eat."

Grant Goldbeck
"I haven't been able to get on any consistent pattern. I think the majority of fish are still in the winter pattern and having fished the Potomac River my whole life, I know three or four places there where I can go and catch them in the winter.

"But I don't know any places like that here, and to find one I'd have to get real fortunate.

"I burned two tanks of gas the first 2 days, just running and gunning, and I need to slow down. My problem is it's hard to get any confidence in any one area. I always feel like the best spot is just around the corner, but I haven't found the Mother Lode."

Top10 to Watch

With the above in mind and more, here are BassFan's recommendations for the Top 10 to watch in this event.

1. Skeet Reese – He has a long history of high finishes here and he's got some hot blood flowing after a dismal performance at the Bassmaster Classic. With his versatility and knowledge, the tough bite should play to his advantage.

2. Ish Monroe – He's torn up lower-level events on home water for the last couple of years and could use a strong start after a sub-par 2009 campaign. The Hughson, Calif. resident likely knows this place as well as anyone in the field.

3. Gary Klein – He was schooled in the intricacies of the Delta long ago by the legendary Dee Thomas and always relishes his opportunities to return. He's been very consistent as of late but hasn't won since 2003, and this would be a fine time to rectify that.

4. Aaron Martens – He won here last time to notch his initial Elite Series triumph and could certainly pull it off again. He'll go places and try things that few others will, and one of them might prove to be the ticket to the top.

5. Greg Hackney – He started talking about the Delta as soon as he missed the cut at the Classic. Finished 10th last time on his maiden voyage to this place. This is his kind of fishery.

6. Tommy Biffle – The flipping bit is supposedly off, but that doesn't mean much to him. He's long made his living from shallow, muddy water and this tournament sets up nicely for him.

7. Kevin VanDam – There simply are no conditions that the defending Angler of the Year (AOY) and recently crowned Classic champion can't overcome. Plus, his record here is excellent (6th in 2007, 8th in '03).

8. Mike Iaconelli – He has so many single-digit finishes over the last 2 years that it's difficult to pick against him anywhere. Didn't do particularly well here last time (54th), but he's fishing a lot better now.

9. Stephen Browning – Another guy who excels in cold, muddy water. A hot start last year propelled him to a good season and he'd certainly like to get off on the right foot again.

10. Jared Lintner – A bit of a darkhorse pick because he hasn't fished to his potential the last 2 years (just one Top-20 finish since the 2008 Classic). But he comes into the campaign with a fresh attitude and gets to employ it at a place he knows well.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

The field will launch at 6:20 a.m. PT each day from Morelli Park Boat Launch (828 W. Weber Ave. in Stockton). Weigh-ins will commence at 3:30 p.m. at the Weber Point Events Center (221 N. Center St., Stockton).

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the tournament days.

> Thurs., March 11 - Sunny - 66°/44°
- Wind: From the SW at 4 mph

> Fri., March 12 - Cloudy - 63°/41°
- Wind: From the S at 9 mph

> Sat., March 13 - Mostly Sunny - 63°/41°
- Wind: From the NW at 12 mph

> Sun., March 14 - Mostly Cloudy - 68°/46°
- Wind: From the NW at 10 mph

Notable

> BassFan Big Stick John Murray is a westerner with vast experience on the Delta, but he hasn't fared particularly well in his two tour-level events here (43rd in 2003, 91st in '07). To read his practice report, click here.