Feed: Shallow Shad - AggScore: 14.0

Shallow Shad

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Shallow Shad [phpbay], 5, "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "SEKW", "1", "", "4"[/phpbay] [phpbay]Shallow Shad, 20, "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "irfac", "2", "", "4"[/phpbay] Shallow Shad [affmage source="ebay" results="30"]Shallow Shad[/affmage]

Bass Fishing In Northern California - A Visual Treat Even To The Vision Impaired…

Northern California's bass fisheries can be divided into three general categories, each providing its own opportunities. Regardless of whether you're looking for someplace to catch lots of bass, quality fish or have a legitimate shot at that trophy you've been dreaming of, the North State has what you want. When anglers discuss about fishing in California, they generally refer to Northern California fishing. In this area, you will be able to find Salmon: Kokanee and Chinook; Trout: Steelhead Rainbow, and Browns; Catfish: Channels, Whites and Bullhead; Bass: Smallmouth, Largemouth, Stripers and Spotted. There is also Sturgeon, Crappie, and Shad runs.

It's difficult to believe that you can find quality bass fishing within minutes of massive metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, let alone a world-class fishery. That, however, is exactly what you get here in a number of places.

Anderson Lake (Santa Clara County) -- This South Bay reservoir is the largest in a series of county-operated waters, but still relatively small in comparison to other well-known Northern California bass lakes. The quality of the fishing here, however, is far from proportional to its size. Limits of healthy largemouth are common, with fish often averaging 2 to 3 pounds. The key is having enough rain in the spring to keep Anderson full.

Start your search for bass around the rocky points near the dam, casting rip baits, crank baits and poppers. When the fishes don't cooperate, move to the narrow south end of the lake. Try targeting shallower waters with reaction bait first. If that doesn't work, slow down with soft plastics. Casting parallel to wind-formed mud lines is often productive in spring.

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Contra Costa, Sacramento and San Joaquin counties) -- Many of us have read the reports describing dramatic declines of pelagic fish populations in the Delta. Although there is cause for concern long-term, bass anglers have nothing to worry about this year. The tidally influenced rivers, channels, sloughs and lakes that make up this complex system will remain the premier largemouth fishery of the entire West Coast.

Leave your finesse equipment at home. The Delta takes beefy rods and tough reels spooled with heavy line to land fish here. Popular methods include weaving chartreuse spinner baits through sparse tules, bouncing red crank baits along rock levees, slowly working white frogs over weed mats and pitching blue-on-black jigs to submerged vegetation.

Fluctuating water levels are a way of life in this arid region. You can expect dropping reservoir levels (watch out for obstructions!) during summer, no matter how much precipitation Mother Nature provides.

Black Butte Lake (Tehama County) -- With healthy populations of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, and the lake's proximity to Highway 5, Black Butte receives fair pressure for such a small lake. But even with occasional poundings, it remains one of the region's top destinations. You can expect most fish to average 1 to 1.5 pounds, with the occasional 5- to 6-pound kicker.

Black Butte's larger bass typically stick to the backs of coves, where shad-pattern crank baits and rip baits work well when fish are active. Try Texas-rigging a chartreuse grub when the fishing is slow, working your way from shallow to deep until you locate bass. When all else fails, tie on a drop-shot rig and target the submerged trees on the south side of the lake.

Lake Oroville (Butte County) -- Spotted bass are king at Oroville, where 50- to 100-fish days are commonplace. The problem is that there are so many fish that they all look like they came out of the same small-bass mould. However, if it's non-stop action that you're after, this is where you want to be. The lake also has large mouths and small mouths, but they are tougher.