SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA
Contra Costa, Sacramento And San Joaquin Counties
For a change of pace, get away from your favorite lake or reservoir. Test your skills on the Delta's tidal waters. This complex system, considered by many as one of the nation's premier largemouth factories, is a structure fisherman's fantasy come true. But one angler's dream can be another's nightmare -- with so many places to cast to, figuring out where the bass are can be a formidable task.

The Delta's sheer size can be overwhelming, so simplify things by concentrating on a small area. Good places to start include the Big Break, Frank's Tract and Discovery Bay areas.

Popular patterns worth trying on the Delta include

• Crankbaits, cast parallel to riprap banks during incoming tides,

• Spinnerbaits, weaved through sparse tules as the tide heads back out, and

• Soft-plastic creature-type baits, pitched to holes in weed mats.

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

WATERS WORTH A TRY
These lakes and reservoirs don't always get the publicity they deserve -- but each is worth the time of even the most avid bass angle. There's a lot of variety here. Waters range from being small enough to fish from shore or a float tube to so big that it's difficult to know where to start off.

You'll find largemouths, smallmouths and spotted bass -- and the option to go for numbers, for big fish or both.

TRINITY LAKE
Trinity County
A former state-record smallmouth bass -- a 9-pound, 1-ounce bruiser -- came from here, and Trinity remains one of your best options for trophy bronzebacks.

Things happen earlier in the year here, compared to other regional waters. So you'll want to be on the water no later than March.

For those who want to wait a bit for the weather to warm up, there are largemouths in Trinity, too.

Start your search for smallies by casting downsized reaction baits to stumps and ledges. When bass are inactive, switch to soft-plastic grubs in deeper water. When fish develop a case of lockjaw, live crickets are the ticket. For largemouths, try topwater plugs in the morning and jigs or worms during the day.

Note that special regulations here allow only two bass a day between March 31 and May 31.

For more information, call Phil's Propeller at 1-800-462-3917.