Entry 194-5

Bass Fishing with Kevin VanDam and James Niggemeyer in the California Delta

Part 5: When to Fish Little Baits on Big Bass Waters

Question: The California Delta is a giant-bass fishery. You caught two bass that weighed more than 7 pounds during this tournament, and you lost a 6-pounder. On this kind of lake, big swim baits like Strike King’s King Shad seem to be more appropriate than a 4-inch creature bait. Why did you decide to start fishing a little creature bait on these big-bass waters?

James Niggemeyer: You have to be aware of everything that’s happening on the body of water you’re fishing, if you’ll be able to find and catch bass. When I say everything, I’m not only talking about water, wind and weather conditions, but I’m also talking about fishing pressure and the recent history of the lake. The California Delta is a classic example of why the recent history of the lake can help you find and catch more bass. When you fish big swim baits like the King Shad, you have to rely on the bass’s ability to see the bait. When Kevin was fishing the King Shad at Amistad, he was pulling bass up from 10, 20 or even 30 feet of water to the surface to eat that bait because the water was so clear.

Although the California Delta has the same size bass as Amistad does, we had 25-mph winds with gusts even higher, and those wind and wave actions muddied-up the area I was fishing. I also was sharing the same water with a competitor who won, Aaron Martens, and the second place finisher Derrick Remitz. This isn’t to say that big baits don’t work in stained water because they do. But another factor that influenced how I fished was there was a 200 boat pro-tournament on this same area of the waterway the week before the Bassmaster Elite Tournament in which Kevin and I fished. So, the history of the lake dictated that these bass had been heavily pressured and probably were sore-mouthed before I got there.

I had the top-two finishers in the tournament fishing the same water I was fishing, and I had muddy-water conditions. When you add all these factors together, you know that you’re not fishing for a bass that will be really aggressive and wants to chase a bait a long way. I realized that I’d have to downsize my baits and do some finesse fishing in order to have a chance at winning in the area where I thought the biggest bass lived.

Remember, even though you’re fishing big-bass waters, which will normally dictate you fish with big-bass baits like the King Shad, you can’t ignore the fishing pressure the lake’s had before you’ve arrived, the fishing pressure the area’s getting while you’re there, and the water conditions, which were muddy and not conducive to fishing big baits. When you add these conditions together, you understand that even big bass don’t want to run away from cover to chase a bait. Of course, the exception to the rule is that Derrick Remitz caught his fish on a lipless crankbait, and he finished second with 78 pounds, 6 ounces. Like Kevin, Remitz was running that lipless crankbait through the grass and then ripping it out of the grass and getting a reaction strike.

Question: So, why did you decide to go to the creature bait?

Niggemeyer: I went to the Delta, believing I’d catch my bass on a Strike King Premier Elite jig, flipping either the 3/8- or the 1/2-ounce jig around tules and current breaks. I love to fish a jig and I thought that was a technique I could use to win. But I never got a bite flipping the jig, although I did get bites swimming the jig. I think I caught the bass on the KVD swim jig because they were reacting to the jig when it swam close by them.

I also caught the bass in practice on Pure Poison, which I also believe is a bait the bass react to when it’s close to them and aggravating them. I’ve learned that on most lakes I fish, I can usually catch bass either flipping and pitching a jig, or flipping and pitching soft plastics like tubes, lizards or worms. Usually, the bass will prefer the soft plastics or the jigs, but not both. In this tournament, because of all the pressure that the bass had put on them and the water conditions, I felt that the soft plastics would work better than the jigs and that a really-small creature bait would give me the best option to win. I was fishing a black-neon creature bait. Strike King is in the process now of coming out with this type of lure.

Question: Is this the first time you’ve ever seen a big bass lake where you should be fishing big-bass lures turn into a small-lure fishery?

Niggemeyer: No, I’ve fished other lakes like Clear Lake where the next tournament will be held, using finesse tactics. Clear Lake is in California, and you can expect to see the same types of weights brought in that we caught in the California Delta because it’s a deep, clear lake. You also have to remember that just a few weeks ago, Derrick Remitz won the Lake Amistad tournament fishing a 1/2-ounce football jig, which isn’t an enormous bait with a twin-tail trailer.

Remember that big bass are just like small bass when you add in heavy fishing pressure and muddy water conditions. Both big bass and little bass react the same way to those conditions. You also have to remember that not all the contestants in a tournament will all be fishing the same lures in the same way. Oftentimes, the person who wins will be fishing a different lure or fishing a lure with a different method than everyone else. To be competitive in any tournament you fish, you have to fish the body of water with an open mind, taking in all the factors that will influence the fish. Just because you’re fishing a big bass lake doesn’t always mean you need to fish big-bass lures, and just because you’re fishing a lake with a lot of small bass in it, doesn’t mean you should fish strictly with finesse lures.

When you have heavy fishing pressure and muddy water, and bass are hard to catch, the rule is always downsize. But also remember that every rule can be broken, and you can be successful with it. I’ve also seen some really-big bass caught on small Strike King 4-inch drop shot finesse worms. The biggest bass I ever caught in my life weighed 12 pounds, and I caught him on a 4-inch finesse worm on 8-pound-test line using the drop-shot tactic. So, don’t be afraid to use little line and small lures when you’re fishing for big bass, if the conditions dictate that’s what you should use.

Question: You won how much for your week’s fishing at the California Delta?

Niggemeyer: I won $12,500, which is a great payday for me. I’m very happy with it.

Question: Where’s the next tournament?

Niggemeyer: We’ll be fishing on Clear Lake here in California. This lake is only about a 3-hour drive from the California Delta. There was a team tournament held on this lake three weeks ago, and anglers had to have 10 bass weighing 73 pounds to win over a two-day period. A 12-pounder was also brought in during this tournament. So, Clear Lake is a premier big-bass lake out here in California.

Question: How do you plan to fish it?

Niggemeyer: If the fish are moving up on the bed, I’ll sight fish for them. There’s a lot of heavy cover here, so a flipping-and-pitching technique can work well. I’ll be fishing a creature bait and a jig, if that’s the conditions. Now, if the fish aren’t on the beds, I’ll probably use a Strike King finesse worm and the drop-shot tactic. I’ll also consider using Strike King’s King Shad swim bait and the Red Eye Shad. I intend to let the fish tell me what bait they want to bite. I won’t tell them the kind of bait they have to take. I’ll try not to be hard-headed by trying to make the bass bite a flipping-and-pitching technique, if they prefer to take a drop-shot worm or a Red Eye Shad. I plan to speak to the bass and let them tell me the way they want to be caught.

Question: You finished 17th in the Bassmaster Classic and at the bottom of the list at Lake Amistad. With an 11th-place finish in the California Delta tournament, you’ve gone from a zero to a hero. Will you be going into this next tournament with a lot of confidence, enthusiasm and a good chance to win it?

Niggemeyer: That’s the game plan. I hope you call me next week for an interview because I’ve done well in that tournament, too.

Contents:

• Part 1: My Boat Sunk
• Part 2: How Kevin VanDam Fished and Caught Them All
• Part 3: The Mindset of a Winner
• Part 4: From a Zero to a Hero
• Part 5: When to Fish Little Baits on Big Bass Waters