First Stop: Cal Delta

The Cal Delta event was a pretty frustrating start to my Elite Series season. Practice for me went pretty well, but I think the unpredictability of the tides got the better of me. In practice I was able to dial into a couple of patterns. The first one was cranking a Luhr Jensen Speed Trap along riprap banks. The second was flipping a Tightlines UV Beaver bait. I didn’t ever catch any hogs in practice, but I had enough bites to make me feel comfortable going into the first day of the tournament.

Day 1:
I picked an area to fish that I felt comfortable and confident in, and I stuck with that area. Everything started off great. I caught my first fish at about 6:40 A.M. on my fourth flip with my UV Beaver. The rest of the morning lasted forever, as I didn’t get another bite until about noon when I finally switched things up and started fishing a Tightlines UVenko. My third and final fish of the day came right before I headed back to the ramp. I was cranking the Luhr Jensen Speed Trap along a riprap bank. It was a pretty rough day, but I kept my sights set on day two.

Day 2:
I fished some different water, and again caught my first fish right at the start of the morning. This time I was throwing a War Eagle spinnerbait. As the day progressed, I managed three more keepers on that spinnerbait, but I was never able to tap into the big fish that I really needed.

I felt as if I was in the right areas to do well, but never could get the rhythm of the tide and the feeding periods figured out. What really hurt was when I found out that John Crews spent his tournament in an area that I fished last time we visited the Delta. I fished there in practice, but must not have timed it quite right because I never found anything that made me want to stay. All in all, I really wish I could have managed a better finish, but I have to remember that this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. I have seven more chances at redemption, and it’s going to be sweet!

We’re headed to Clear Lake next, and I am very excited about this one. There won’t be any tides to worry about, and we just might hit it at the perfect time!