Location North Delta
Water 72-75
Wind 20- 25
Sunny
High tide falling
Clarity 2′ +-
0330 wake up to meet Mike Tremont my boater for the day. I was excited to fish with Mike, as this is my first experience in the back of someone else’s boat. The goal today was to locate some frog water, for top water action. We launched out of Pirates Lair, because B&W had the California State Qualifier tournament going on. The wind was already up to 15 and increasing.
We are going to check the North, so up the Moklumne River we ran stopping at various places, that looked promising but I noticed right away that most, and I mean most, of the grasses, hydrila, hyancith and “frog water” was non existent. I know they have been spraying but dang!
The places that had a little frog water we fished, with no blowups!
Usually first thing in the morning, they come out to play, but nothing. Frustrated, I threw a Whopper Plopper at the corner of intersecting sloughs outside some scattered tules and it was destroyed by a 3.5-4 lb bass. So with that hook up in mind, we were encouraged.
We ran North up the river all the way to Beaver Slough thinking that maybe some of the backwater sloughs might have more frog water….but they didn’t. We went about a half mile past the Blossom Road bridge and though we frogged all day, even on non frog water, we only caught bass on bottom gear or Spinnerbaits. Mike finally got a small blow up late in the day on a mixed tulie edge and scattered matt, but the bass missed it.
We all love the top water bite, but it was non existent up there. We threw until 4 pm when we got of the water. We would have stayed for an evening bite but the trolling motor stopped working.
It was a good day, with the exception of the howling 25 mph wind which made it hard to finesse anything , but we caught fish, dinks only, on a Whopper Plopper, flip/punching, drop shot, senko and Spinnerbait! Next time, maybe look at the South Delta!
Though it was Hot and Windy, don’t let the elements stop you searching and having a blast doing what you love and doing it with good people. Thanks Mike Tremont!