Hi on3,
I'm not from Cali, but there are sveral members who are (chime in anytime guys). Here is some info from the Bassmasters Tourny on the Delta (it's a bit old but perhaps it might give you some ideas)
Tournament Trail: California Delta
By Brian Sak
BASSMASTER Magazine, June 2007
How Martens Finessed the Giants
"Painfully slow."
These were the only two words Alabama pro Aaron Martens needed to describe the presentation he used to entice huge Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta bass into biting during the second stop of the 2007 Elite Series.
"Fishing that slowly here is one of the hardest things I've done," elaborated the California native, "but I know I wouldn't have caught big bass if I had been moving faster."
Martens spent up to three hours in each of a handful of 50- to 100-yard-long sheltered areas during the Duel in the Delta presented by Mahindra Tractors. Most of his 85-12 four-day winning catch fell for a drop shot rig fished in small hydrilla openings among tule clumps.
The finesse approach built a sizable lead over all but one opponent going into the final day of competition. The drop shot, however, almost cost Martens the win.
"The wind was blowing (the last day), but I started with a drop shot anyway," admitted Martens. "I eventually tried fishing faster, but too late. I caught good fish right away — I should have been doing it all day. I thought I blew it."
Martens' cushion was enough to secure the win, but it did something else equally impressive. The victory vaulted him over bass fishing's million-dollar winnings mark.
Winner's Stats:
Classic Titles: 0
Times in the Classic: 8
Times in the Money: 73
Total Entries: 98
Career Winnings: $1,018,976.30
Avg. Per Tournament: $10,397.72
Winning Details
LURES: 4-inch junebug Yamamoto Kut Tail worm, 4 1/2-inch Aaron's Magic and M.M. III Roboworm Fat Straight Tail worms (drop shot) and 3 1/2-inch Roboworm Zipper Grub (Texas rig).
TACKLE: Megabass Aaron Martens Signature Series rods, Daiwa Steez reels, Sunline 14-, 12-, 10- and 8-pound Sniper (drop shot) and 22-pound Shooter (Texas rig) fluorocarbon lines, Roboworm ReBarb (drop shot) and Gamakatsu Superline (Texas rig) hooks.
TECHNIQUE: Martens used drop shot rigs to target openings in tules and hydrilla where a gravel bottom was clear of vegetation, going with lighter gear each day.
Remitz Rolls With The Tide
The timing of the tides plays a role in the way most anglers target Delta bass, but they had little influence over Derek Remitz, one of the hottest sticks fishing this year's Elite Series tour.
"I lost my tide chart the first day of practice," admitted Remitz, "and thought if that's the way it's going to be I'm not paying attention to them."
Remitz caught bass during pre-fishing, but they were on the small side. He found the quality he was looking for during the contest by turning to exposed flats.
"Within minutes of moving off (the bank) on the first day, I hooked one on a trap that went 8 or 9 pounds," said Remitz, "and I lost it. But that told me they were out there — I just had to go to work."
Remitz' efforts were almost enough for consecutive tour wins as he boated limits that included huge bass on each of the first three days of competition. His four-day total of 78-6 fell short during the final round, however, when the big bites failed to materialize.
Details
LURE: 1/2-ounce Bill Lewis Lures red crawfish Rat-L-Trap.
TACKLE: 7-foot St. Croix medium fiberglass rod, Shimano Curado reel and 16-pound Sugoi fluorocarbon line.
TECHNIQUE: Remitz concentrated on expansive flats, casting to prespawn bass that were grouped up over high spots or relating to isolated clumps of grass. He used a slow wind to just tick the grass.
Browning's Change-Up
Arkansas pro Stephen Browning used a reaction bait to locate concentrations of active bass, but it was a subtle presentation that landed the fish that put him in contention on Day 1.
"I knew Franks Tract would get pounded," said Browning, "so I started at Mildred (Island) with a spinnerbait. But the better bite was back in Franks when the tide was out far enough for me to deadstick Senkos around isolated grass clumps."
Browning returned to an aggressive presentation when winds muddied his open water areas during the final round. By working two miles of bank in Franks with a Rattl'n Vibe, he moved from 10th to third (75-8) with the heaviest bag of the day, 24-4.
Details
LURES: 3/4 ounce War Eagle Mouse spinnerbait, 6-inch green pumpkin Yamamoto Senko and 5/8-ounce red crawfish Yo-Zuri Rattl'n Vibe.
TACKLE: St. Crox Legend Tournament medium-heavy (spinnerbait and Senko) and medium (Rattl'n Vibe) rods, Abu Garcia Revo SX reels, 20-pound Vicious fluorocarbon (spinnerbait and Senko) and 50-pound Stren Superbraid (Rattll'n Vibe) lines, and 5/0 Daiichi worm hooks.
TECHNIQUES: Browning focused on individual grass clumps in open areas, catching bass with blades and plastics. He moved to the bank on Day 4 and found a reaction bite.
Big Bass
Aaron Martens, 11-2
"I was dragging an Aaron's Magic Robo Fat Worm through an outside tule clump and it just stopped — I didn't feel anything, but kept tension on the line just in case. When I sensed a slight scratch I set the hook into what felt like a concrete block. I told my partner to pray as the fish wallowed around in the tules."
Article found at:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassm ... ta_BMM0706