Powered by RedCircle
In this week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report, host Nick Williams checks in with Justin Dunham of Eight Mile Drifter and Dip McMillian of Dippi Outdoors for a spring look at bass and crappie across the Delta. The overall theme is that fish are active and moving with the season, but anglers still need to stay flexible. Justin says bass are still in a strong spring mode, with fish willing to chase faster baits before the late-spring slowdown sets in, while Dip reports that post-spawn crappie are feeding hard when the tide gets right and that careful note-taking continues to pay off in a big way for tournament anglers.
Conditions Recap
The big story this week is classic spring transition fishing. Cooler mornings are still sneaking in after passing fronts, but water and fish activity are lining up for aggressive bites in the right windows. For bass, that means a good chance to start with moving baits early and let the fish dictate whether they want a faster presentation or something slower. For crappie, tide remains a major factor, and Dip made it clear that success on the Tensaw still depends on finding moving water and timing the bite instead of simply camping on one spot.
Both reports pointed to fish that are active but not static. Justin is seeing bass that will move in and out of areas depending on light, wind, and water position, while Dip described a tournament day where the crappie bite changed dramatically once the tide began to move. The takeaway is simple: anglers who stay mobile, watch conditions, and adjust throughout the day should have the best shot this week.
Bass Report with Justin Dunham
Justin said the Delta is still offering a good spring bass window, and this is one of his favorite times of year because fish are active enough to reward anglers who want to cover water. He expects bass anglers to keep starting with topwater baits, especially around daylight when a possible shad spawn bite can make things happen fast. He also likes spinnerbaits and crankbaits when wind is present, saying this is the time of year when bass are willing to chase.
That said, Justin does not leave home without slower backup options. He stressed that anglers still need to keep a worm and a frog handy because you cannot go fast all day every day. In his view, tournament fishing is about knowing when to give up on the fun stuff and adjust to what the fish are actually doing. A worm can usually get bites around here, even if it is not always the best tool for finding the biggest fish.
One of the most useful patterns he discussed was fishing a circuit instead of overcommitting to one place. He is less patient this time of year, not because the fish are absent, but because they often reposition through the day as tide, wind, and light levels change. Rather than burn too much time on one stop, he likes to hit an area, move on, and then come back later to see whether new fish have moved up on the cover.
Justin also highlighted the Sixth Sense swim jig as a strong tool for covering water around pads and thick grass. With a swimbait trailer, he can fish it over vegetation and then let it fall once it clears the grass, which helps him read how fish are behaving. If he gets bit in the grass but misses the fish, that may point him back toward a frog. If the bites come on the fall, it may be time to pick up a plastic worm and slow down.
He has also been experimenting with newer chatterbait-style lures, including options from Sixth Cents and the Strike King Rattlin’ Thunder Cricket. Another bait he has been enjoying is the Megabass Karashi, a light, minnow-style lure that works best on spinning tackle or a BFS setup. He described it as a subtle, highly detailed bait that can almost walk under the surface and slowly sink on slack line, making it a fun choice for active spring fish. The discussion also touched on older confidence baits like the Rapala Original Floater F7 and F11, which still fit the same small-minnow profile.
For anglers heading out this week, Justin’s advice is to start with moving baits, especially early, and let the fish tell you when to slow down. A little wind should make a spinnerbait even more attractive, while low light can set up a strong topwater window. If that aggressive bite fades, switch to the more dependable worm pattern and keep rotating through likely areas until you dial in where the fish have repositioned.
Crappie Report with Dip McMillian
Dip said the crappie were on fire during a recent tournament out of Cliff’s Landing, where he and his partner finished second with a strong sack after leaning on years of notes instead of a pre-fishing trip. His report underscored something he talks about often: if anglers take serious notes on the Delta, those notes can become one of the most valuable tools they own. He tracks the month, moon phase, tide, and other conditions, then uses that history to revisit the same kinds of places when everything lines up again.
This latest tournament was a great example. Dip said the fish were in a post-spawn feeding mode and holding in roughly six to ten feet of water where they were ready to feed once the tide started moving. Early on, the bite was slow with dead water, but once the tide picked up, the whole thing changed fast. In a short span, they went from barely having fish in the livewell to boxing a strong tournament catch and filling a cooler with eaters.
Even though Dip personally loves a falling tide, his bigger point was that some kind of moving tide is essential on the Tensaw. When the water starts moving, fish reposition, slide out to feed, and become much more predictable. For anglers chasing crappie this week, that makes tide timing at least as important as lure color or exact location.
Dip also reinforced the value of matching written notes with photos from your phone. That helps him remember not just the date and conditions, but also exactly what jig he was throwing, what colors worked, and how the fish were set up. He mentioned using a June bug and chartreuse pattern as one example of the kind of detail that becomes easier to recover when notes and photos work together.
His overall crappie advice is practical and proven: write everything down, pay close attention to tide, and trust recurring patterns when conditions match what you have seen before. On a system as big and variable as the Delta, that kind of discipline can make the difference between guessing and pulling up on fish with confidence.
What to Expect This Week
Bass anglers should be in a good spring window where fish are still active enough to chase, especially early and around windy banks or shallow cover. Start with topwater, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, or a swim jig, then slow down with a worm if the aggressive bite does not materialize. Keep moving, but do not be afraid to circle back to productive-looking areas later in the day when the conditions shift.
Crappie anglers should keep their eyes on tide movement first and foremost. If the water is dead, the bite may feel sluggish, but that can change quickly when the current starts pulling. Dip’s tournament report suggests fish are still feeding well after the spawn in the right windows, so anglers who time it right and stay around good structure in that mid-depth range should have a real shot at putting together a solid box.
Community Update
Dip also shared that the next benefit tournament for Elsa Claire is scheduled for May 23 at Hubbard’s Landing. The event is set to include both a crappie division and a catfish division, with proceeds going toward helping Elsa Claire’s family with ongoing travel and medical-related needs. It sounds like another strong example of the Delta community rallying around a good cause through fishing.
