"If we have dingy water in the bays. I will look for clear water in the heads of the creeks. With the clear water you can actually see some of the beds with fish on them," Casey said. "When you find them, it's best to back off as far as you can and wait for the female to move right on top of the bed. Then you should try and cast your bait right in front of her nose to aggravate her into striking. I use a watermelon-colored tube bait with a 1/8-ounce weight that works great in this situation. The slow fall of the bait is key in your presentation." Casey said.

Spinnerbait Slinger
When things warm up early on the Delta, it brings out a lot of activity. This includes anglers who wait for the time to pull out their favorite spinnerbaits and start slinging them. Lee Minto of Mobile is well known in the area as a "Delta Rat." Minto considers the area a great playground for sportsmen, and he spends a considerable portion of the year enjoying it.

"Right after duck season my mind goes straight to thinking about spinnerbait fishing in the Delta's shallow bays. I make mental notes as to where the grassbeds I have encountered chasing ducks during hunting season are. As soon as things warm up in February, I'll be out there casting spinnerbaits looking for bass," explained Minto.

As mentioned several times, the lower Delta consists of many shallow water bays. These areas are tidal influenced, causing the water levels to fluctuate. If the tide is low, some areas can be unfishable. Anglers must wait for the tide to rise and cover the grassbeds to be able to work their spinnerbaits properly, without constantly being fouled with grass.

"I like to fish the bays with an incoming tide. I prefer the water to be 6 inches over the grass. If the water is just rising enough to cover the grass I will toss my baits in the holes of patchy grassbeds till the water comes up," Minto said "If I can't find any holes, I will work the edges with my baits. It's a little tougher, but sometimes can pay off."

The ideal conditions would be for you to be able to let the wind push you over the grassbeds on the Delta. The perfect wind would be a south wind. In addition to locomotion of your boat, a south wind also assists with bringing up water levels on an incoming tide.

"A good south wind will bring the water up in the Delta. That's a good thing, because it allows you to drift over the grass without having to use a trolling motor.

"However, sometimes the winds can get a little strong, pushing your boat too fast," Minto cautioned. "That's when I pull out my drift sock. A drift sock is a bag pulled behind the boat on a rope that fills with water and slows your drift. This allows you to cover water at a more leisurely pace."

When it comes to bait, Minto goes with an old Delta favorite. The in-line spinnerbait known as a Snagless Sally is always tied on Minto's line in spring.