VOL . 37 • ISS . 07

EAST DELTA

Cold Water Temperatures Require Slower Presentation for Largemouth Bass

STOCKTON - The early spring that was appearing a few weeks back is on hold for a bit with the arrival of cold temperatures and windy conditions in the Delta . At press time , the bass did not show signs of backing off of the shallows , but an extended cold spring may change the action .

Randy Pringle , the Fishing Instructor , said , “ Right now it is time to slow things down as the

with lures . On the contrary , I love lures , but I ’ m not a purist . I believe in the deadly effectiveness of natural baits .

Natural bait is just that … It ’ s what the fish naturally feed on . Shad , mackerel , herring , anchovies and other baitfish have put some big fish in the boat for me over the years .

Whenever you talk about fishing with dead baitfish , preparation and preservation of your bait become central issues . Bait brining is at the heart of this .

Beyond the arena of preservation comes the question of whether you can enhance the effectiveness of natural bait by changing its color or adding UV qualities .

The answer is a resounding yes . I ’ ve seen days on the lingcod grounds when a green dyed mackerel would out fish a natural colored bait by a ratio of 3 to 1 . Likewise , I ’ ve encountered king salmon that wanted their anchovies dyed blue and stripers that preferred chartreuse green shad !

If you ’ re a dyed in the wool ( LOL ) bait briner and dyer , or if you are just looking to get into this crazily addictive game , the team at Atlas-Mike ’ s offers up a full line of top notch products . For brining and dyeing at the same time there is Brite & Tight 3 In 1 Herring Formula . For dyeing only Super Dye is a great product that you can add to your favorite brine or directly to your bait .

Brite & Tight Herring Formula Salmon anglers have long known that brined herring holds up better than herring that have not been brined ; especially frozen herring .

Mike ’ s Brite & Tight herring formula makes brining herring as easy as unscrewing the cap , pouring the cure into a container or zip lock bag and soaking your herring overnight . What could be simpler ?

Not only does Mike ’ s Brite & Tight Herring Formula brine your herring so they last longer and are brighter so they attract salmon better , but they have taken it a step further by adding dye and scent to further improve the performance of your herring .

Brite & Tight is UV enhanced which adds even greater visibility to your brined baits . Particularly in low light conditions , UV provides an important advantage that results in more fish !

Mike ’ s Brite & Tight is not just for herring . Use it on shrimp , prawns , anchovies , minnows , crayfish , alewife and more !

This easy , no mix cure makes great prepared bait every time that will give you the edge professional anglers depend on in their businesses . Cure it right , use Brite & Tight !

water temperature has dropped with this series of cold fronts moving through . Last week ’ s temperatures in the high 20 ’ s caused the water temperature to plummet , and you have to fish extremely slow .

You can still catch fish , but you have to find current out of the breeze with clean water . The ima Flit 120 ripbait in shad patterns or Olive Herring continues to be effective , but you have to keep the lure in the strike zone as long as possible . The a black / blue jig on a ½ oz . jig head tipped with a Berkley Max Scent Chunk as a trailer is also effective , but it is important to stay out of the wind .”

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Trout

SUPER DYE & BAIT BRIGHTENER

Spice up your baits with Brite & Tight Super Dye . Just add to your favorite bait cures or directly to bait ... easy and effective ! Super concentrated ... won ’ t easily wash off . UV enhanced Brite & Tight Bait Brightener adds intense shine to your fresh baits and helps rejuvenate old or frozen baits .

Atlas-Mike ’ s Brite & Tight Super Dye Atlas-Mike ’ s Brite & Tight Super Dye works great for most natural baits … herring , sardines , minnows , alewife , eggs , prawns , shrimp , anchovies , etc . Every angler is looking for an advantage .

Dan Mathisen of Dan ’ s Delta Outdoors is hosting another tournament for his circuit out of Big Break Marina , and he said , “ There is a reaction bite once again as the water has clouded up , and I would stick with chatterbaits or 7-inch Senkos in white / white or orange . The bass are chasing a little bite , and split-shotting in the pickle weed on weights up to 1.5 ounces is also working . A few stripers are showing up , but they are moving around all of the time .”

Alan Fong of the Fishermen ’ s Warehouse in Sacramento reported plug casters are finding a number of small stripers on the

Salmon

Quality Baits For Over 80 Years

Steelhead

March 16 - 30 , 2018

13

Marisa Escareno had a great time fishing for crappie at Clear Lake this February .

Photo courtesy of MARISA ESCARENO , Fish Sniffer On Demand .

by Cal Kellogg

Spice up your baits with Brite & Tight Super Dye . Just add to your favorite bait cures or directly to bait … easy and effective ! Not only is it super concentrated , but it won ’ t easily wash off .

For more information go to atlasmikes . com

www . AtlasMikes . com

No other company gives you more fish catching products for salmon , steelhead and trout than Atlas-Mike ’ s . Salmon eggs , floating trout baits , marshmallows , fish attractants , bait cures and brines plus salmon / steelhead accessories , we have it all ! Every angler ’ s looking for an edge , tip the odds in your favor with Atlas-Mike ’ s .