Fly Anglers Guide to Largemouth Bass Lure Fishing: Arkansas River and California Delta Hot Spots April 2026

About this episode

This episode covers the latest bass fishing techniques and hot spots for largemouth bass in the Arkansas River and California Delta.

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here, slingin' the latest bass buzz from the US heartland. If you're a fly rod wizard eyein' a switch to chuckin' lures for those hawg largemouth, this week's action's got that cross-over thrill—think precise casts to tules or river edges where flies shine too. Kickin' it off in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the 2026 Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at the Arkansas River exploded on Day 1, April 16. Fisher Anaya, last year's Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Angler of the Year, smashed over 20 pounds to snag the lead, hittin' Pool 17 where low water flipped the script and bass schooled up tight. Bassmaster reports 71 of 71 anglers had limits by 2 p.m., with the 50th-place cut pushin' past 12 pounds—fish everywhere, but heavy pressure on key spots means ya gotta finesse it like a dry fly drop. Anglers like Mark Menendez, Bill Lowen, and Hunter Shryock are grindin', and Day 2's brewin' hot. Out west, California's Delta's reelin' from storms but bouncin' back strong, per the Weekly In Deep Fishing Report for April 16. Tournament sacks dipped post-front, but largemouth are adjustin'—hit deep water off tule clumps for the big girls, while smaller males junk-fish flukes. Top…

People in this episode

Host: Artificial Lure

Topics covered

• bass fishing
• fly fishing
• lure fishing
• tournament fishing
• fishing techniques
• hot spots

Keywords

• largemouth bass
• Arkansas River
• California Delta
• fishing lures
• bass tournament

Mentioned in this episode

Products: LV500 swimbaits, Megabass Spark Shad, crankbaits

Places: Muskogee, Oklahoma, Arkansas River, California Delta

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