Western Division faces a tough test on the Cal Delta

The Western Division anglers are in for a tough one this week on the Delta. Photo by Rob Matsuura. Angler: Ken Mah.

March 15, 2023 • Jody White • Toyota Series

OAKLEY, Calif. – The second stop of the Western Division of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats heads to the California Delta for what might be one of the toughest events ever on that body of water. High, dirty water and cold weather have socked it to the bass on the Dirty D, so whoever wins this week will have to absolutely earn it.

The Western Division of the Toyota Series is presented by Tackle Warehouse, and this event is presented by Psycho Tuna.

High water and cold temperatures will impact the competition on the Delta this week.

About the fishery

With the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Calaveras and Mokelumne rivers feeding the Delta, there’s no shortage of water to fish. All told, there are about 1,000 miles of navigable waterways that feature all types of bass habitat, from natural to manmade.

Since the Delta is connected to the Pacific Ocean, it is a tidal fishery. That can play a role in the tournament, as veterans of the Delta may choose to run the best tide to capitalize on prime bites, while others may pick an area and hunker down all day.

Generally speaking, anglers on the Delta can pick an approach that plays to their strengths and stick with it. From cranking to punching and everything in between, a 20-plus-pound bag is possible doing whatever you’re comfortable with. Of course, the conditions this week are likely to shift those norms significantly.

Setting up the event

Delta ace Ken Mah says the bass are still there, even if local tournaments haven’t exactly reflected that.

“It’s been frickin’ tough,” Mah admited. “How it started was the cold winter we had, the water temps, up until this week, were in the 50s. Today, it was 58 in the morning. Typically, once it’s 52 in the morning, there’s a big bag of Delta bass to be caught somewhere.”

Theoretically, warming water should bode well for the anglers, but a new wave of high water has things even more dire.

“With Thursday and Friday’s storms, they’re letting out a ton of water from the reservoirs above us,” Mah said. “On Friday, the Sacramento River raised almost 14 feet, and all that water is going to the Delta. So there’s a lot of new water in the Delta now, and a lot of the water is blown out. I think about 70 percent of the Delta is blowing mud – like, nearly unfishable mud.”

Mah says that the swathes of muddy, cold water are bad for the fishing, and hard to adjust to. At least once in practice, he got bit in one area, only to return a day or two later to find it muddy and unfishable.

Though the field isn’t gigantic, it sounds like the Delta is going to fish extremely small.

“I think a lot of people are going to be down south,” Mah said. “And, there’s some clear water up north. All the traditional areas I like to fish and have been successful at in the past, I can’t fish there. When I drive there, I don’t want to even make a cast, that’s how dark the water is.”

Critical factors

Kicker bites – Bites of any kind aren’t expected to be plentiful this week, but the Delta does have some really big fish in it. An 8- or 9-pounder could carry someone a long way.
Clean water – Cold, muddy water is almost never good, and being in clean water is likely to be key. If an angler has clean water to themselves, that others haven’t found, that would be even better.

Predictions for this event are all over the board, the hope is that the fishing will improve over the next few days.

Dock talk

As far as winning weights go, nobody thinks we’re in for a slugfest.

Previous Delta champ Logan Huntze thinks that a three-day total of 43 to 46 pounds should get the job done.

Phillip Dutra thinks a massive range is in play.

“The water has been warming for three days, so it’s really a crazy situation,” he said. “Nothing would surprise me, anywhere from 47 pounds to 60 pounds. I think it will probably be the lowest weight ever to win on the Delta. But then again, it’s the Delta, so you never know.”

Mah is also predicting low weights but notes that there’s always a chance for someone to run and hide from the competition on the Delta.

“There could be one or two people on a different planet,” Mah said. “Right now, if someone caught 17 or 18 pounds a day, they would be on a different planet. I think that’s going to win for sure. Worst case scenario, I could see mid-40s. In team tournaments, other than the one 20-pound bag last Sunday, it’s been taking 13 to 15 pounds to win. I think if you caught 10 pounds all three days, you could be in the Top 10. It’s pretty bad.”