Brian Sak.

~APRIL~
Largemouth Bass
Clear Lake
Clear Lake remains the largemouth capital of the West, despite the steady pounding it takes. For numbers of 6- to 10-pound fish, there isn’t a more productive body of water this side of the Rockies. California’s largest natural lake owes its reputation to lots of forage and an abundance of cover in the form of weedbeds, tules, rock walls and docks.

A variety of typical bass lures work at Clear Lake, but you should bump up the size if you’re after that fish of a lifetime. Some of the most effective include hitch-pattern swimbaits, brown and orange pig-and-jigs, white crankbaits and dark ripbaits.

For information, call Tackle It at (707) 262-1233.

Other Choices
Diamond Valley Lake’s trophy largemouth bass should be spawning in the shallows, where everything from drop-shot plastics to swimbaits will work. Once you locate a huge fish, patience is the key.

Lake Amador’s cuttbows act more like wild fish than hatchery-reared trout. Soaking PowerBait or trolling small spoons and spinners near the boat ramp, dam and spillway are all proven tactics.

~MAY~br> Largemouth Bass
The Delta
Considered by some to be one of the top bass factories in the nation, the maze of rivers, sloughs and channels that form the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta offer more fishable cover and structure than any other body of water in the state.

Here, you’ll catch lots of largemouths and have a legitimate chance at a trophy. The difficult part about fishing these tidal waters is eliminating unproductive areas.

Start by looking for clear conditions. Concentrate on north-south running sloughs and channels away from the main river. Use crankbaits to just tick the top of submerged vegetation, then pitch and flip bulky soft plastics to holes in the cover.

For information, call Hook, Line and Sinker at (925) 625-2441.

Other Choices
You’ll have to compete with sea lions for king salmon pushing 15 pounds in Monterey Bay, but there should be plenty to go around. Call to see where the hot bite is before deciding where to launch.

Your arm will tire before the white bass stop biting at Lake Nacimiento, where there’s no size or creel limits. Target the major creeks, using live or imitation shad.

~JUNE~
Shad
American River
Catching a dozen aerobatic shad in an hour is reason enough to head for the American River this month. Flow is the only thing that may stand in the way of high-flying action.

Call before you go to make sure that discharges are low enough for you to get on the water, especially when fishing from the bank.

Shad hit small curlytail jigs or shad darts worked along the bottom with reckless abandon. The fastest action occurs both early and late in the day.

Fly-fishers can get in on the fun casting No. 4 or No. 6 fluorescent Teeny Nymphs.

For information, call Fisherman’s Warehouse at (916) 362-1200.

Other Choices
Limits of kokanee to 18 inches are common at Indian Valley Reservoir for anglers trolling dodgers followed by hoochies or kokanee bugs.

Good electronics and downriggers are a must for success. Brown trout are the draw at Silver Lake as they become increasingly active in response to rising water temperatures. Concentrate on depths of 10 to 30 feet, trolling lures over dropoffs.