Fishing Update

Well, we're about two months into the spring bass bite, and even though things like cold fronts, emerging plant growth, and fishing pressure require us to shift tactics, The bite is still hot.

Look for bass to become more and more skittish due to how close they are to actually spawning. The key to targeting these fish is to use lite line (6-8lb test) and throw small plastics like finesse worms, tubes, beavers, lizards and Senkos either weightless, near weightless, or on a drop shot rig.

Now is the time you need to stalk the bank (and beds) like a hunter keeping both your shadow aswell as your thud thud thud foot steps from the bass' awareness.

If that sounds like Fishing Ninja - Part 5: The Stalking or if you want to leave the fish alone when they are spawning, just remember that these fish spawn in waves based loosely around the full moons of march, april, and may. This time of the year offers you the choice of prespawn, spawn, and post spawn fishing

On another note the first waves of post spawn smallmouth bass are entering their regular summer feeding routines so they can be targeted at both Bon Tempe and lake Alpine using reaction baits like SpeedTraps, Lucky Craft Pointers, and topwater Hula Poppers or Chuggers

For those of you who are ready for a change of pace the striper bite is heating up like I have not seen in quite a while with baits like Rat-L-Traps, Yozuri Crystal Minnows, Swimbaits (new Storm Swimbaits have finally arrived!), and Hair Raisers (leadhead bucktail dressed jigs).

With willing stripers spread from Richardson Bay to Elephant rock, and more at Paradise Park, Mcnear's Pier China Camp and behind Home Depot just to name a few. You can even get some top water fishing on Zara Spooks and Pencil Poppers (if you have a healthy heart) at dusk and dawn in places like Corte Madera Creek and Mcnear's beach

Oh, and before I forget , yes they are getting limits of legal size halibut trolling San Pablo bay with traditional salmon trolling gear with a few small modifications ie speed, weight etc. It's just a quick bit of re-rigging, and we'd be happy to run you through it down at the shop.

Bass Bite Heats Up

This week the hot bite has been big pre-spawn largemouth. Even with lake levels having risen as many as seven feet in some areas, the water clarity is still good and the fish are still biting.

Lake Nicasio produced over 25 fish between 2 and 6 lbs for one of my regular customers over the course of 4 or 5 days. He reports a couple big ones caught on spinnerbait. But, almost all the rest were caught on a green neon Robo-X Pitching Craw rigged on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook and red 1/4 oz Brass and Glass setup.

Another local - Kelly Oward - stuck a chunky fish just under 5 lbs on a full size Brush Hog in green pumpkin w/black and purple flake. That bait was also rigged on 1/4oz Brass and Glass, but with a 5/0 EWG hook.

More exciting are reports that Alpine Lake in the Marin Watershed had the start of a great pre-spawn bite earlier this week - joining the ranks of Kent Lake and Nicasio Reservoir as we head into spring. Then, with three verified fish caught in the 9 to 11 lb range, it jumped to the top of the board as a "best bet!" All three of those fish were caught on Booyah Boogie Baits - a "chatterbait" style which has been a lesser known technique to most anglers.

Phoenix Lake also chimed in with a pair of 4 1/2 lbers caught on Chrome Rat-L-Traps and 8 more 1/2 - 1 1/2 pooud fish fooled with wacky rigged 4" Senkos.

Local bass pro and Team Jigmonster tournament angler Chris "Flipper" Franks caught almost 11lbs of smallies for a top-10 finish last weekend at the Lake Berryessa tournament. He had a great time doing it - culling all day and catching over 30 fish on the Jigmonster Chaos series football head jig alone. Flipper says the brown and purple PBJ jig was the hot bait and the only bait they wanted.

Jigmonster Lures in San Rafael -
At the San Rafael store, we've just received our first batch of these custom Jigmonster Chaos series football head jigs, as well as the Jigmonster Mayhem flipping jigs (our Santa Rosa store getting theirs this next week).

Marin County Bass Club Meeting -
On wednesday 03/11/09 at 7:00pm the Marin County Bass Club will be meeting at Western Sport Shop in San Rafael their regular monthly meeting. I will be giving an in-depth seminar on jig fishing starting at 7:30pm and lasting till about 8:30 I will cover everything you ever wanted to know about jigs. The talk is free and open to the public, so head on down and learn some serious skills!