Ken Mah picked me up at Paradise Point Marina in Stockton, Calif., and told me to hurry up and load my gear because he needed to go punch someone. A retired Correctional Safety Fugitive Apprehension Team member, Mah’s a capable guy, but really, he’s not like that—unless you’re a largemouth bass.
About an hour later, the pro from Elk Grove, Calif., proved as much by hauling a 7-pounder through a bucketful of matted hydrilla. The highly effective punching technique worked that day and it will work most any day of the year on the Western gem known as the California Delta, as will multiple techniques.
“The Delta is a labyrinth of waterways with many different habitat features,” says Mah, who has won multiple tournaments on these waters. “This is a fishery where a guy can
