Top 5 Patterns from the Cal Delta – Day 2
Specifically targeting big bass and catching a 9-pound, 4-ounce fish put Gregory Troughton in the lead by a margin of 6 pounds, 11 ounces at the Costa FLW Series Western Division event presented by Power-Pole on the California Delta. Troughton caught the largest bag of two day, 24-14, and holds the top spot with 47-5
The pro from Discovery Bay, Calif., fished unnamed baits in slow presentations around thick grass with abundant forage.
Here are the details of the rest of the top five.
2. Jerred Jennings – Stockton, Calif. – 40-10 (10)
Day-one leader Jerred Jennings turned in a solid bag of 17-15 today and dropped back one notch to second with 40-10. He turned in 22-11 yesterday, but with a cold front moving into the area, the second round proved more challenging.
“It took me a while to get a limit. I think I had a limit by 11:30, and then I culled out a couple of fish,” Jennings says. “I think fishing pressure and the temperature drop kind of hurt them today.
“They were biting funny today. I missed quite a few fish. I probably missed three fish today.”
Jennings caught his fish on a frog, buzzbait and beaver-style bait. A 7-pounder late in the day boosted him from about 12 pounds at around 2:30.
“I caught that big one where I typically find them this time of year,” Jennings adds. “They need a little current. They need a little shade, and if you can find that combination, you get bit.”
Despite a dip in his overall productivity, Jennings says his day-one performance was critical to positioning him for the long run.
“If you can get a big bag, especially in September, it kind of sets the table for the rest of the event,” Jennings says.
3. Nick Nourot – Benicia, Calif. – 37-15 (10)
A strong start that saw him work his way into a limit of about 17 pounds by 8 a.m. positioned California pro Nick Nourot to gain a notch from fourth to third with 37-15. The Benecia, Calif., pro added 18-3 to the 19-12 he weighed on day one.
“I was hoping for a strong start like that,” Nourot says. “I know that area, and you can catch 30 pounds in 30 minutes if they bite. I got two of the right bites – a 6 1/2-pounder and a 4 – by about 8 a.m.
“The afternoon spots where I caught most of my good ones yesterday fizzled out. I saved a few areas for tomorrow, but I’m going to go right back to the big fish, and hopefully they bite.”
Nourot caught his fish punching a Missile Baits D Bomb with a 1 1/2-ounce weight and a Paycheck Baits Bub Tosh Punch Skirt. Hitting multiple types of vegetation and probing different areas of each were essential to dialing in the fish.
“I was searching for them, because you don’t know if they’re going to be in the little thin patch on the edge or if they’re going to be in the heart of it in the back,” Nourot says. “Usually, I punch really shallow, but the fish seem to be off the edge a little deeper in 4 to 10 feet.
“They’re eating the punch bait well; they really crack it. You go for hours, and you think they’re not biting, but then you feel that thud and know it’s the right one.”
4. Ken Mah – Elk Grove, Calif. – 36-7 (10)
Moving up a spot to fourth, Ken Mah backed up his day-one weight of 19-9 with a second-round limit that went 16-14. He got his day rolling with a 3-pounder and then gained a big chunk of his weight on a leeward shoreline that yielded a 4 and a 5 1/2 about 20 minutes apart.
“With the wind blowing today, I couldn’t go to where I caught them yesterday,” Mah says. “Being in that back area was key because it was wind-protected.”
Mah caught his fish on a frog, a buzzbait and two flipping baits. The latter presentation is his comfort zone.
“When it gets tough, some people like to worm and throw drop-shots, but I glue a flipping stick to my hand,” Mah says.
Mah targeted feeding flats in the morning. Later in the day, unseasonably clear water caused him to fish vegetation that’s deeper than he normally targets. Fishing in 8 to 10 feet allowed him to get the afternoon bites when wary fish were tucked into vegetation.
5. Jeremy McKay – Creswell, Ore. – 35-1 (10)
A 7-pound midday kicker was the turning point for Jeremy McKay, who improved from 10th to fifth after catching 17-1 on day two and tallying a 35-1 total.
“It was a tough day. I had three fish in the box when I stuck her,” McKay says of his kicker fish. “I was punching a deeper mat and got her. It saved the day.”
Noting that he ran 50 to 60 miles throughout the Delta, McKay says he made the same milk run he fished on day one. He punched mats and fished a rip bait along the edges.
“It took awhile for the clouds to burn off, but once they did and the sun got out, I just focused on the mats that were protected from the wind,” he says.