Being a weekend angler, I don't get to choose the opportune times to go fishing. The last few times I've been to the California Delta the conditions weren't great. Whether it be an influx of muddy water, to cold and windy, I just don't know what to do. I normally flip in the Delta, like the billions of other anglers, but I want an idea of what I need to do in bad conditions. Fishing lakes my entire life, the Delta is a whole nother beast.

 

Just yesterday I went and it was in the middle of a spring cold front and windy. Had maybe a couple bites. Can anyone point me in the right direction on what to do in any combination of cold, windy, and muddy? I know when the wind is blowing reaction baits work, but that's offset by the cold shutting down the fish. I know the fish are catchable, heck, Bub Tosh just won a tournament with a 33lb day. Not asking for any secrets, locations, or anything specific, just a point in a right general direction. 

Assume you have a boat....For me when its muddy water, its trying to find pockets of clearer water....This may mean heading to the backs of some of the Sloughs or getting out of the main channels.  An area which is normally better when is very muddy or windy in fact is Disco Bay and heading to some of the back pockets.  A few weeks ago I was out on the San Joaquin and flipping tules and catching fish....along comes a big tanker ship and basically muddies the water with the waves and the bite died.

 

I've only covered a drop in the bucket when it comes to the water of the Delta, but its really knowing spots to fish when the weather or water conditions suck.

 

 

 

14 minutes ago, camman said:

Assume you have a boat....For me when its muddy water, its trying to find pockets of clearer water....This may mean heading to the backs of some of the Sloughs or getting out of the main channels.  An area which is normally better when is very muddy or windy in fact is Disco Bay and heading to some of the back pockets.  A few weeks ago I was out on the San Joaquin and flipping tules and catching fish....along comes a big tanker ship and basically muddies the water with the waves and the bite died.

 

I've only covered a drop in the bucket when it comes to the water of the Delta, but its really knowing spots to fish when the weather or water conditions suck.

 

 

 

Thanks for the response. So it's more productive to run around and find a good place than trying to get fish to bite in a bad place. 

 

Do you ever have issues with how crowded the Delta can be sometimes? It's a big fishery but there can be so many boats out, especially during tournaments. I feel like some spots can be blown out not by mud but by fishermen. 

For me its more productive to run to better water then to mess with a bad area.

 

Yes it can get crowded especially like Franks Tract.... Again my scenario here is to run to different water/areas....try new spots.  It seems like most fisherman pound the rip rap or the tulies....I've started to focus on submergered vegetation and have done fairly well.