I’m not sure what’s more exciting, the catch itself or the stories that follow well after the catch.
Recently, I was contacted by Manteca resident Randy Blankenship, who caught a 10-pound bass while fishing the Delta. He caught the fish while fishing off the bank around Mossdale Marina at 3 a.m. on Monday.
What made his story unique was that he had been catching smaller fish throughout the night and was totally caught off guard when the fish struck.
“She immediately took drag, and all I could do is hang on,” Blankenship said. “Once the fish got within sight my line broke, so I jumped in the water going completely underwater.
“To my surprise, I was able to grab the fish and bring it to shore. Once I had the fish on shore I was so excited to document my catch that I left my fishing pole there on the bank and headed home.
“I was really hoping to donate the fish to Bass Pro Shops for their tank but they weren’t accepting live fish. So, I ended up keeping the fish and plan to have it mounted.”
Congratulations, Randy. The story of your catch is truly one that will not be forgotten.
Bass are biting jigs. The water clarity varies from place to place. Make sure to use darker colors in areas with less visibility and lighter more natural colors in clearer water. T West Delta is your best bet as much of the south has been muddied. Franks Tract and Little Mandeville seem to be the hot spots of many tournament anglers lately, but expect a crowd as the clearer water has become hard to find lately.
Trout anglers have struggled to catch the numbers of fish they were producing a few weeks ago.
Bass fishing continues to pick up as many fish are being caught shallow on spinnerbaits. Bass are also being found chasing schools of baitfish to the backs of coves making them easy targets for anglers. Limits of smaller Kokanee are being caught between 20-40 feet by the spillway, dam, or mouths of creeks.
Trout fishing remains good. Uncle Larry’s Spinners tipped with night crawlers fished from the surface down to 20 feet is a good combination.
King Salmon are also being caught by anglers fishing from 30 to 80 feet deep while trolling shad or anchovies.
Bass fishing is tough right now, as the lake has yet to warm up enough to bring the big wave of spawning fish into the shallows. There are many beds visible throughout the lake but many of those fish vacated due to previous cold fronts.
The trout bite continues to be good lately at Lake Camanche. Anglers are catching their fish shallow during the morning and between 20 and 30 feet during the day.
Trolled needlefish, Excel Lures, and Rapalas have been working well lately. Bass fishing has also picked up as the Northern part of the lake is providing decent action for a lot of anglers. Anglers have been doing well while using Brush Hogs and Shad patterned crankbaits.
Bass fishing is good to fair for anglers fishing from the surface sown to 20 feet deep. There are a lot of fish that has begun to spawn but the big wave of spawning fish has yet to materialize. Many of the fish that are spawning right now are either smallmouth bass or spotted bass.
You can often tell what a fish has been feeding on by the sharpness of their teeth.
A bass that has been feeding on crawdads is most likely to have worn down teeth that are smooth to the touch. A bass that has been feeding on shad often has razor sharp teeth which can be felt immediately when trying to grab the fish by the lip.
You can also tell by rubbing the belly portion of a fish. If the belly is hard that usually in an indication that it is full crawfish.
A smooth belly indicated that the fish has been feeding on other smaller fish.
To contact Jarod Ballardo, e-mail jgbbass@yahoo.com.
Recently, I was contacted by Manteca resident Randy Blankenship, who caught a 10-pound bass while fishing the Delta. He caught the fish while fishing off the bank around Mossdale Marina at 3 a.m. on Monday.
What made his story unique was that he had been catching smaller fish throughout the night and was totally caught off guard when the fish struck.
“She immediately took drag, and all I could do is hang on,” Blankenship said. “Once the fish got within sight my line broke, so I jumped in the water going completely underwater.
“To my surprise, I was able to grab the fish and bring it to shore. Once I had the fish on shore I was so excited to document my catch that I left my fishing pole there on the bank and headed home.
“I was really hoping to donate the fish to Bass Pro Shops for their tank but they weren’t accepting live fish. So, I ended up keeping the fish and plan to have it mounted.”
Congratulations, Randy. The story of your catch is truly one that will not be forgotten.
Delta Report
Bass are biting jigs. The water clarity varies from place to place. Make sure to use darker colors in areas with less visibility and lighter more natural colors in clearer water. T West Delta is your best bet as much of the south has been muddied. Franks Tract and Little Mandeville seem to be the hot spots of many tournament anglers lately, but expect a crowd as the clearer water has become hard to find lately.
New Melones Lake
Trout anglers have struggled to catch the numbers of fish they were producing a few weeks ago.
Bass fishing continues to pick up as many fish are being caught shallow on spinnerbaits. Bass are also being found chasing schools of baitfish to the backs of coves making them easy targets for anglers. Limits of smaller Kokanee are being caught between 20-40 feet by the spillway, dam, or mouths of creeks.
Lake Don Pedro
Trout fishing remains good. Uncle Larry’s Spinners tipped with night crawlers fished from the surface down to 20 feet is a good combination.
King Salmon are also being caught by anglers fishing from 30 to 80 feet deep while trolling shad or anchovies.
Bass fishing is tough right now, as the lake has yet to warm up enough to bring the big wave of spawning fish into the shallows. There are many beds visible throughout the lake but many of those fish vacated due to previous cold fronts.
Lake Camanche
The trout bite continues to be good lately at Lake Camanche. Anglers are catching their fish shallow during the morning and between 20 and 30 feet during the day.
Trolled needlefish, Excel Lures, and Rapalas have been working well lately. Bass fishing has also picked up as the Northern part of the lake is providing decent action for a lot of anglers. Anglers have been doing well while using Brush Hogs and Shad patterned crankbaits.
Lake New Hogan
Bass fishing is good to fair for anglers fishing from the surface sown to 20 feet deep. There are a lot of fish that has begun to spawn but the big wave of spawning fish has yet to materialize. Many of the fish that are spawning right now are either smallmouth bass or spotted bass.
Tip of the Week
You can often tell what a fish has been feeding on by the sharpness of their teeth.
A bass that has been feeding on crawdads is most likely to have worn down teeth that are smooth to the touch. A bass that has been feeding on shad often has razor sharp teeth which can be felt immediately when trying to grab the fish by the lip.
You can also tell by rubbing the belly portion of a fish. If the belly is hard that usually in an indication that it is full crawfish.
A smooth belly indicated that the fish has been feeding on other smaller fish.
To contact Jarod Ballardo, e-mail jgbbass@yahoo.com.
