LAKES WE FISH
California Delta
Situated just east of the Bay Area and between Mount Diablo and Stockton, the California Delta levee system was
built in the early 1900's to reclaim the vast swamp that was the Delta for farming. The system formed a maze of dredged waterways
and sloughs with a lot of structure that has become one of the top 5 largemouth bass fisheries in the country. Fishing for big striped bass
is also very good in the Delta especially in late fall and early winter.
To the novice fisherman who is unfamiliar with the Delta, every spot seems like it would be ideal for holding lunker largemouth.
Weeds, tules, rock, deeper water, wood, old docks, and bridges are everywhere. Combinations of these structures and how the current
reaches them are usually the key to finding fish. The Delta is a good test of your bass fishing ability. Having
an experienced guide to show you the spots and how to read the water can make the experience much more rewarding.
Clear Lake
Clear Lake is situated just north of the Califonia wine country and about a 2.5 hours drive from the Bay Area.
It is California's largest natural freshwater lake with about a 44,000 acres surface.
Because it is relatively shallow, 60 feet at maximum, it supports an abundance of wildlife and a huge population largemouth bass, especially lunker largemouths.
Clear Lake is considered one of the top 5 largemouth bass fisheries in the country.
If you like classic shallow water and top water bass fishing like you see Roland Martin doing,
Clear Lake in the spring and summer is the spot for you. Top water plugs like the Zara Spook, buzzbaits, and
plastic frogs all work well when the topwater bite is on.
Lake Berryessa
Situated just east of the Napa Valley wine country and within a two hour drive of the Bay Area,
Lake Berryessa is an excellent bass fishery with an abundance of largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass.
This is a big lake with 17,000 acres of surface area, 170 miles of shoreline, and a maximum depth of 275 ft.
The lake was created in 1957 with the completion of the Monticello Dam.
Because of the variety of structure on the lake, all kinds of bass fishing techniques can be practiced here.
Bass can be caught shallow fishing old stream channels in the north or caught drop shotting down at 75 ft
next to steep dropoffs. When the bite is wide open, 30 to 50 fish days are not uncommon.
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