Summer is here, and it’s time to make every cast count!

Off Leash, at Last!

Hello friends,

Summer’s on, and the bite is hot! Stripers are cruising the Napa River, bass are feeding at Berryessa, and your next great catch is just one cast away. This is your season — grab your gear, hit the water, and fish like you mean it. One life. One summer. Let’s go!

Largemouth Bass Fishing Report: Late May / Early June

As summer approaches largemouth bass are generally in a post-spawn to early summer pattern. This period can offer some of the most exciting and consistent fishing of the year as bass recover from spawning and begin to feed aggressively.

What They're Doing: Following the completion of the spawn in most California lakes and reservoirs, female bass are recuperating and moving towards their summer haunts, while males are often still guarding fry or moving off beds. Bass will begin to orient themselves to structure and cover, seeking both ambush points for feeding and protection from the sun. You'll find them active in both shallow and intermediate depths, often relating to submerged vegetation, rock piles, standing timber, and points. Early mornings and late evenings will see them more active in shallower waters, while midday typically pushes them deeper.

Depth: During this transition, bass can be found anywhere from 3 to 15 feet of water, with some deeper fish holding on ledges or main lake points up to 20-30 feet in clearer lakes, especially as the sun gets higher. Look for concentrations of baitfish, as bass will follow their food source. Shallow flats adjacent to deeper water, submerged hydrilla beds, tules, and rock transitions are prime areas.

Lures to Use: This is a versatile time for lure selection. Match your lure choice to the specific cover and activity level of the bass:

• Topwater Lures: Early mornings and late evenings, when bass are actively feeding near the surface, are prime times for topwater. Poppers, walking baits (e.g., Heddon Super Spook, Lucky Craft Sammy), and hollow-body frogs fished over matted vegetation or lily pads can draw explosive strikes.

  
  

• Soft Plastics:

  • Texas-rigged or Carolina-rigged worms/creatures: Effective for working through submerged grass, around timber, or on points. Colors like green pumpkin, junebug, and watermelon seed are consistent producers.

  • Flipping and Pitching Jigs: For targeting heavy cover like tules, thick brush, or boat docks, a 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz jig with a matching trailer (e.g., crawfish imitation) is highly effective.

  • Drop-shot rigs: Excellent for finicky or deeper fish, especially when targeting submerged structure or open water schools. Small worms and finesse baits work best.

    
    

• Crankbaits:

  • Shallow-diving crankbaits: Work well over submerged grass or around shallow wood, especially square bills bumped off cover.

  • Medium-diving crankbaits: Ideal for covering points, humps, and ledges in that 8-15 foot range.

    
    

• Spinnerbaits & Chatterbaits: Great for covering water, especially in stained or slightly murky conditions. Use white, chartreuse, or natural baitfish patterns. They are effective around sparse vegetation and timber.

  
  

• Swimbaits: Smaller paddle-tail swimbaits on jig heads or rigged weedless can be deadly when bass are chasing baitfish in open water or along edges of structure.

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Catch Happy!