I'm a beginner, trying for largemouths for a while now, but no luck. Been to a lot of bass sites, read a lot of magazines--Bassmaster, Bass Angler, FLW--and also watched some videos (like Bigmouth), but still haven't hooked into one yet.

I'm not trying to land trophies at this point, just hoping to have some fun. Do you know any really easy spots from the shore/bank? I'm pretty much land-bound. Looking for anywhere up to a two-hour drive from Oakland--anything around the Greater Bay Area or Delta, etc.

I was on another forum (which will remain nameless ), but all the members could give me were general bodies of water (like "I heard Discovery Bay, Shadow Cliffs, etc. was good"...). I appreciate the advice, but I don't have the skills yet to identify potential spots by sight (though I've tried really hard). And, so, I've decided I should try to ask on other forums as well. If you don't mind, I'd be truly grateful to hear about some of the productive places you fished. If you have specific locations with descriptive landmarks to make them easier to find that would be great!

God bless!

You could give San Pablo Resevior and Lake Chabot a try. Also, there is also a small pond in Martinez called Hidden Lake. Its pretty small and easy to navigate. Pretty decent day if you're pitching Senkos or dropshotting. All these places are pretty much right next door to you!

Bassinhopeful, might I suggest you look into joining a bass club. By joining a bass club you won't have to be shore bound, you will be exposed to different techniques and a variety of water. In answer to your question of close by lakes, Lataman hit on two great fisheries within 45 minutes of Oaktown by suggesting Lake Chabot and San Pablo Reservior. JB