Date: March 8, 2019
Location: California Delta
Air temperature: 48-59
Water temperature: 51-55
Water clarity: 1-3’
Wind direction/speed: 2-12 mph W/NW
Tidal influence: outgoing/incoming
Seasonal fish pattern: winter transition
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There are two categories of vegetation in the California Delta. Emergent vegetation and submerged vegetation.
Examples of emergent vegetation are, but not limited to:
water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes)
South American Sponge Plant (Limnobium Laevigatum)
Water Primrose (Ludwigia Hexapetala)
Examples of submerged vegetation are, but not limited to:
Brazilian water weed (Egeria Densa)
Hydrilla (Hydrocharitaceae)
Whether your fishing emergent vegetation, or submerged vegetation, they both can provide you with giant fish twelve months out of the year. When fishing the California Delta there are an unlimited amount of factors which come into play.
Tidal influence, water clarity, aquatic vegetation, water temperature, wind direction/speed, seasonal fish pattern, moon phase, and fishing pressure are just a few factors which come into play when figuring out Florida Strain Largemouth Bass living in a shallow water impoundment.
Winter transition is a seasonal fish pattern I recognize as when bass are transitioning from their deep dark wintering holes such as deep ledges, and bays, to the secondary points such as grass lines or shallower rock ledges.
When the bass reach these areas they have become more active, and they’re looking to feed in order to fatten up prior to pre-spawn. During this particular time of year which is usually from February to late March, I’ve found that locating and catching bass can be very challenging.
Over the years I’ve leaned towards locating and fishing vegetation both emergent and submerged in an effort to consistently catch bass. Breaking down why the fish tend to gravitate towards these areas is the key to catching them.
I believe there are three reasons why the fish tend to gravitate towards these areas.
* The first reason why is water temperature. During winter transition I’ve found water temperature plays a big roll in catching fish. Both types of vegetation hold water temperature better then just open water.
Emergent vegetation gets baked by the sun during hours of daylight, so I find that these areas are regularly 1-2 degrees warmer then the rest of the area I am fishing.
Submerged vegetation I’ve found is better on a low incoming tide. I came to this conclusion because, on a low tide the vegetation is exposed to sunlight which provides heat to the vegetation.
* The second reason why fish tend to gravitate towards vegetation is cover. Fish want to feel safe and being close to cover especially in dirty water allows them to feel comfortable.
* The third and final reason why I believe fish tend to gravitate towards vegetation is to feed. Crawfish, split tail shiners, shad, bluegill, and crappie, use vegetation to do all the things bass do.
Severely varieties of baits can be used to catch fish in and around vegetation. Flipping/pitching just about anything, and moving baits can be ideal for catching fish in these locations. If you know limited areas which have vegetation present I recommend driving around on a low tide marking the locations you see, and fishing those locations on a low incoming tide.
Hopefully these tips I provided, help you catch more fish next time your out on the water. Like, comment, share, and be a subscriber to RBbassFishing.net
If your interested in booking a guided fishing trip on the California Delta, feel free to email me at bigbasssniper85@gmail.com
