El Dorado Park in Long Beach 2024
dR. BassLove reply :
Hi Everyone,
I am new to fishing. The only place nearby for me to fish for bass is El Dorado Park in Long Beach, CA. I have been doing tons of reading on different lures and techniques. Every time I fish, I excitedly go and try them out, but have never had any success.
I have a 7' medium action rod with a spinning reel. My lures are: 1/4 oz orange/bronze Rat-L-Trap, a small Rapala Jointed FireTiger, a small Rapala Original Floater (shad) and a small white spinnerbait with a single colorado blade.
My question: What am I doing wrong? Does anyone fish at El Dorado? Any specific advice? Where should I be fishing?
I was just out there yesterday and I fished from 5 pm til 8:30 pm without any luck. I usually go to the 3rd lake without any concrete and fish the far side (next to the LBTC). Typically around 6ish I will start to see the jumping schools of baitfish and large splashes (which I am assuming are the bass). I have tried casting my jerkbaits right on and next to the action, but I never get any hits.
I have tried just casting out and letting it sit for a long time. I have tried small twitches and jerks. I have tried big twitches and jerks. I have tried slow retrieval and I have tried it fast. Nothing.
Any fishing gurus out there feel like that can help out a poor, young fry?
Thanks in advance!
UrbanAngler reply :
Welcome to the world of fishing. I wish could help you out with Eldo. All I can say is that they're difficult lakes to learn to fish. I myself have fished those lakes for bass about four times and came up empty. The only thing I've caught out of those lakes were sunfish(cpr'ed).
The only advice I can give you is get out there early, don't give up because there are nice ones(bass) in those lakes and focus on the lake with the paddle boats. 
I'm sure hammer4 on this site can give you some better tips about those lakes since he fishes them more than I.
Tight lines.
Hammer 4 reply :
El D lake are tough due to very high pressure. I would concentrate on the ranger station lake, it has the paddle boats on it. The lake your fishing does have bass, but are usually in heavy cover, which requires flipping, or pitching jigs ect into heavy weeds or tullies.
Spots on the ranger lake to fish are in front of the old ranger station, starting from the north side tullies to the bend by the paddle boats, then the semi point just after the bridge on the so.west side, and opposite side of the lake where the old ranger station is.
As for baits..Nothing is for sure, these are baits that I and guys that I know that fish there have caught decent bass with.
Worms, including Senko's. Best to fish these Texas or Carolina rigged, dropshot can and does catch fish, but the other 2 seem to produce better numbers.
Worms in Senko's should have brown as the main color, these should be the 6" ones.
Roboworms, again Brown should be the main color. For a Carolina rig and Texas rig, use the Lightest weights that will allow you to cast a decent ways.
The Carolina rig, should have about a 2' leader. I have found the best way to fish the texas rig is to cast out, let it sit on the bottom for a min. of 30 secs. then raise the rod tip up about 8 to 10", and let the bait fall, let is sit for 20 secs, or so and repeat. Be Ready, because most bits happen on the Fall regardless of the bait.
The Carolina rig is casted out, let it sit for 30 secs.then give your rod a few twitches, just enough to get the worm to wriggle, then reel for a turn or 2. let it sit for 20 secs. then like the Texas rig raise the rod tip about enough to get the worm up so it can fall, again, be Ready. BTW, Creature, and craw type baits will also produce with the above rigging and presentations.
Spinner baits. 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2oz, in White, White with Chartreuse, and chartreuse, with Willow-leaf blades, or at least the main blade being a willow, and the secondary blade being a Colorado blade. never needed a trailer bait, but a trailer hook is a good idea. I favor fishing these either with a slow roll, or a med. slow retrieve, depending on the weed situation, you'll need to go faster to keep them out of the weeds, unless you don't mind picking snot grass off your lures.
keep in mind, even the El D regulars get skunked a bunch. The more you fish there, the more you Learn, just takes time, as any lake does.
I only mentioned the above baits for the best chance to catch fish, that's not to say other baits, such as cranks, frogs, swimbaits, and Chatterbaits won't catch fish, because they do.
As for gear, if I'm not swinbaiting. I take a 7' M spinning rod with a size 2500 reel, and a 7' or 7'6" baitcaster, casting distance sometimes pays off. The spinning rig will have 6 or 8lb Yozuri ultrasoft. The baitcaster, will have at least 10lb and up to 20 lb Yozuri ultrasoft, depending what I'm throwing. Oh, with regards to hooks, don't buy Cheap hooks, I like the Owner's, they are Sharp,and don't bend, but they aren't as cheap as some hooks either.
This should help to get you started. Good Luck, and tight lines.
dR. BassLove reply :
Update: August 11, 2010
First off, thanks you Hammer and Urban for your advice! I went out and got a 3/8 oz chart/white spinnerbait with a willow and Colorado like you suggested. I held off on the worms cause I don't really know how to fish plastics.
So I have been going to El Dorado almost every day after work to fish from about 6 pm to 9. Today was the first day that I was able to go fishing after reading your suggestions. Today I got there about 6. I walked to the ranger station like you recommended but found it too weedy. I lost my brand new spinnerbait. Then I switched to my Rat-L-Trap, but I gave up because it was just getting caught on too much gunk. Then I tried the semi-point, but it was occupied. Eventually I just walked back to my regular spot.
Along the way, I met lots of other anglers, including a few bass fishermen. It seems like no one was having much luck. They were all using plastic worms or frogs. I would really like to learn to fish frog lures one day.
Anyhow, I decided to stick with my Rat-L-Trap. I would basically cast out as far towards the island as I could and then reel it back in a variety of ways. Sometimes I would let it sit for awhile after the cast, while sometimes I would retrieve immediately. I also tried constant retrieves in different speeds. Then I tried some retrieves with pauses and twitches. I also yo-yoed the lure. Nothing.
Around 7:45, it was getting pretty dark so I resigned myself to a last 5 casts. On the fifth cast, I was retrieving with twitches and pauses when my line got caught about 15 ft out. I figured it was a weed line that I always seemed to get tangled in. But when I looked at my line, I noticed that it was moving! So I quickly set my hook and pulled out this lovely lady! I guess it's a crappie.
Nevermind, I can't post pictures.
So after 3 weeks and over $30 dollars worth of lost lures, I have finally caught my first fish (Bluegill aside).
The weather today was pretty sunny, but not as hot as last week. Also, by 7 it was pretty chilly. When I left at 9, the water was warm to the touch. Water surface was a bit choppy, but wind was pretty minimal. Water visibility was probably less than 2 ft.
I also tried a Rapala jerkbait (shad) before I left, but no luck.
So what do you guys think? Anything you think I could have done differently/better? Thanks in advance.
Hammer 4 reply :
Check your PM's..
The bite is really tough, as I explained in my pm. You could have done a few things more, but I'm not sure it would have helped to get you a bass..
dR. BassLove reply :
Update: August 12th, 2010
Went out again. 6 to 8:30 pm. Pretty clear water and low winds.
Fished a spinnerbait off the semi-point. No luck. Will try robo worms tomorrow.
What do you think will be more effective?
Margarita Mutinator (purple/blue/brown) or
Bold Bluegill (light green/dark green/brown)
Hammer 4 reply :
Tough to say. I'd favor the Bold Bluegill. If you have em, take both.
Good Luck.
dday07 reply :
nice of you to reply back to my p.m....not!
try fishing in the morning early....poppers,frogs,buzzbaits you will def. lose less lures that way.
Hammer 4 reply :
Quotenice of you to reply back to my p.m....not!try fishing in the morning early....poppers,frogs,buzzbaits you will def. lose less lures that way.
Who are you talking to..????
dR. BassLove reply :
Update: August 14th, 2010
I went to El Dorado around 6 pm. The weather was clear. Sunny. The water was very clear. Minimal wind, so very little choppy water. I came armed with a pack of 4.5" Roboworms (I couldn't find the 6" worms anywhere) in oxblood (I decided to go as brown as I could). I had it Texas-rigged with a 1/8 oz bullet weight and #1 offset ewb. Seeing as it was Saturday, there were a ton of people there. I started casting out by the ranger station, but decided there were too many people. I made my way to the semipoint.
I would cast out as far as I could (I guess like 25 ft?) and then leave it for 30-45 s then lift my rod. I felt like when I lifted my rod 8-10" it wasn't enough to move my worm, so I lifted my rod tip about 2 ft. Then I would let it drop and reel in the slack. Then wait another 20-25 s before continuing. For awhile, I was afraid that the weight was too much because when I tested the rig in the shallows it looked like it feel really fast. Do you think splitshotting would be a good idea? Regardless, I continued with your technique for a couple hours. Then on one of the falls, just like you said, I felt a bite. So I reeled in and set the hook. Then the fish lept completely out of the water! It was such a rush!
I soon got her on-shore, but having not expected to catch anything, I didn't bring my scale. I would guess it was about 2 lbs. and around 16 inches long. It really made my day.
@Hammer 4: Thank you for taking the time to help me out. I really appreciate it. If I ever get a chance to meet you at ED, I'd love to shake you hand.
@dday07: Sorry for not replying to your message. Before H4 told me to check my PM I didn't even know I had one! By then I thought it was too late to respond. I owe you thanks for the new 1/2oz chrome/blue Rat-L-Trap I picked up. What size senkos would you recommend? Also, many of the lures I lose are due to my inept casting. I am interested in fishing with frogs though. I see many people with them, but have never talked to one who had any luck. Are they hard to fish?
Hammer 4 reply :
You can get all the Roboworms at either Savon Tackle in Sant fe Springs, or Long Fin in Orange.
Savon is off 605 and Telegraph Rd. on Orr Day..right around the coner from the Chevron station.
dR. BassLove reply :
@ Hammer 4 - Thanks for the tip! I looked up Savon Tackle and I found out about a closer spot that I think is affiliated with Savon called Fishermen's Hardware on Temple and Anaheim. I went there on Monday to grab some 6 inch Robos. I want to get some in the oxblood color as that worked for me before but no luck so instead I grabbed Margarita Mutilator III (purp/blue/brown). I did see another type of Robos called "Sinking Minnows." Would those be good to try at El Do?
Update: August 15th & 17th
On the 15th, all amped up by my first bass, I decided to come out early. I got to El Dorado @ 7 am.
I tried fishing with the Bold Bluegill worm (4.5 inches). I fished for about 30 mins at the semi-point when another gentleman walked next to me and started casting. He was using a live crayfish. On his second cast he had a fish!
I fished all the way until 9 that night without a single bite as far as I know (At points I got discouraged and switched to panfishing so i wasn't completely empty handed all day). Lots of fishermen passed me on that day and all of them told me no luck. Near the end of the day a guy walked by with a couple of baitcasters rigged with a pop-r and crayfish crankbait. Less than 3 ft where I'd been fishing for almost 14 hrs he caught a little 12 incher on the FIRST cast!!! Oh well, I guess that's how the Fish Gods do it.
On Tuesday, I came back with my new 6 inch Robos. Got there at 6:30 am (Rangers be damned!). Went to the semi-point. Fished for about 2 hrs with no luck. Another angler came out and was nice enough to show me with "wacky worm" rig. Looked pretty wacky. I would like to try that sometime. You guys have any luck with a WW rig?
He fished for about 30 mins with no luck and left. Then another guy came to fish that point and he was using Senkos (black + blue fleck) with Texas rig. He fished for another 2 hrs when I hear his drag start to whirl and he starts to shout. Unfortunately, the fish slips and he loses it. He leaves, but before doing so hands me a Senko (I love the angling culture of sharing!)! I take his spot and fish the Senko. About 45 mins later I get a bite! I am winding in when the fish leaps completely out of the water. I try to keep the tension in the line, but I fail and the hook slips out.
So that's it so far. I am planning to head back out there tonight at 6 pm.
dR. BassLove reply :
I had a few questions I was hoping someone could help me out on:
1. When is it more appropriate to Carolina vs Texas rig?
2. How do you guys decide when to change worm colors? I fished for 2 hours before catching something. Should I have been changing more often (all the fish I've caught were after doing the same thing hour after hour)?
3. Where should I be aiming for when casting? Right now I am mostly aiming for the middle of the lake. Sometimes I cast near the reeds and stuff, but I have not gotten any action there. Are jumping schools of baitfish good targets or are the bass not interested in worms at that point?
4. Is the presence of ducks an issue when fishing (i.e., they scare the fish)?
I really appreciate all your help guys!
Hammer 4 reply :
QuoteI had a few questions I was hoping someone could help me out on:1. When is it more appropriate to Carolina vs Texas rig?
2. How do you guys decide when to change worm colors? I fished for 2 hours before catching something. Should I have been changing more often (all the fish I've caught were after doing the same thing hour after hour)?
3. Where should I be aiming for when casting? Right now I am mostly aiming for the middle of the lake. Sometimes I cast near the reeds and stuff, but I have not gotten any action there. Are jumping schools of baitfish good targets or are the bass not interested in worms at that point?
4. Is the presence of ducks an issue when fishing (i.e., they scare the fish)?
I really appreciate all your help guys!
1..Change when your Not getting bit after about 15 or 20 mins..I wait a bit longer. The bass will let you know what they want..i.e. when you start getting hits. Some days one will work better than the others.
2..In most cases, color doesn't have much to do with catching fish, However, I find that the bass there are more likely to hit browns, and or cinnamon colors more than others. Size can be a factor too, if they are hitting the 6" worms, go down to a 4.5" worm. You can also try, Oxblood, Hologram shad, and sexyshad, in the roboworm colors.
3..Try Fan casting, i.e. cast along the shoreline, to your left, and work back toward your right, that way you cover more water. Sometimes a bass will hit if they are chasing a baitball..and yep, they will hit a worm, best if it weightless, or use a Very light weight.
Some guys will yell and scream at the ducks, and geese, I don't worry about them, and I don't think the bass care if they are around, I mean, what is a duck going to do to a bass..?lol
The best thing you can do at el d..is stay Positive..keep working the ranger lake, change baits when you feel the need..think outside the box, if you will..If there's weeds, don't be afraid to throw your bait in the thick of them, most likely, that's where the bass will be.
dR. BassLove reply :
1. Oh wow, 15 - 20 mins? That seems like only few casts using the technique you showed me. So far I've only had luck with the T-rig. Also, as far as I know, the only action (i.e., bites) that I've ever had were the two catches. Do you think I am missing a lot of subtle bites?
3. I have been using a 1/16 oz bullet head weight.
4. Okay, I didn't know if they might make the bass skittish, but I will continue to ignore them.
Thanks Hammer!
Hammer 4 reply :
What rod, reel, and line are you using..?
As far as waiting to see which presentation, or color ect.works..you can fish as long as you see fit..I've spent well over an hour just throwing a bluegill colored chatterbait before I was getting ready to leave. left it tied on, went back the next day, in the same spot, 4th cast, bam..solid 5lb'r..sometimes, lady luck might have a bit to do with catching fish.. ;D
dR. BassLove reply :
Rod: Berkley Lightning Rod 7' Medium spinning one piece
Reel: Daiwa Shock 1500-B
Line: Trilene 8 lb green
Yeah, I know it's a lot of luck, but it's so hard to know whether I am doing things right.
Hammer 4 reply :
O.K...try this, t rig a worm of your choice..cast out, let it sit for a bit, then lift your rod tip about a foot, then lower it on slack line, when the bait hits the bottom, reel in the slack, and at a slow pace and a steady cadence reel continuesly..that's called slow rolling, I have caught plenty of fish using this method, but it doesn't always work..anytime you feel resistance, set the hook, even if you think it's a snag, which it very well may be, but hooksets are free.. When setting the hook, lower your rod, reel in the slack, and snap your wrist back toward you, keeping the pressure on, if you feel the fish starting to come out of the water, stick the rod tip in the water, and continue to reel in..Make sure you have quality hooks, and they are Sharp..I like the Owner hooks.
I'll have to see if I can get to el d soon, maybe we can snag a decent bass or 2..lol
dR. BassLove reply :
That sounds great. I will try that tomorrow morning. I was talking to another fisherman today and he very generously gave me a handful of various plastics, including some roboworms, senkos, lunker city, and some others I don't recognize. How should I store these? Can I just throw them into one bag or does each one need it's own bag? I can't wait to try some of them out tomorrow. I am using Gamakatsu hooks. Size 1/0 offset EWG.
Hammer 4 reply :
If they are similar in color, throw em all in a zip loc baggie. I would get some 2 and 3/0 ewg hooks too..although for the roboworms, a 1/0 offset worm hook works fine. I say 2 and 3, cuz I don't know exactly what you have, but you'll use them down the line for sure.
dR. BassLove reply :
Update.
So I have been continuing to hit up El Dorado pretty regularly and I continue to be regularly skunked. I usually go 3 or 4 times before getting any action.
Last time I managed to pull out a dinky little thing on a 5 inch watermelon/red fleck senko t-rigged. Just as I was all proud of myself a gentleman to my right pulled out a huge 4 lbr! I walked over and asked him what he was using. He told me that he was out there for the first time with his family and decided to try to use one of the little bluegill his son had caught for bait. Lucky duck!
Then later than day, while fishing next to a bluegill fisherman, a huge bass struck the guy's line as he was dragging in a bluegill.
Those two incidents convinced me to try some sort of fish imitator, but all I had was a green pumpkin swim senko. Tried it regardless, but no luck. That night I went to Big 5 Sport and bought a little 2 inch crappie (chrome/silver) swimbait by Creme (Spoiler Crappie) as well as some 2/0 and 3/0 hooks. I will try it later today.
Another method that was shown to me was to fish for the very close inshore bass. Next to the spot where I like to fish (semi-point, near the green pipe) there are a lot of overheading trees to my right. There are a few nooks to poke into and I have seen some bass cruising around in them especially in the mornings. The guy told me to just throw your worm in there and wiggle it around, which I have tried the bass don't seem to care.
To try to get more action, I tried a wacky worm rigged 5 in senko and a neko rigged 6 in robo. I felt I had decent action, like what I saw online, but no success. Do you have any concrete methods to fish those spots like you showed me for open bank fishing?
Thanks!
dR. BassLove reply :
Booyah! I can finally posts pictures!
Here's the first fish I caught. I think it's a crappie (black or white?). Used a 1/2 oz chrome/blue Rat-L-Trap.
Here's the first bass I caught with a 4.5" Roboworm (oxblood):
Here's the little dink I caught with a 5" Senko (Tx-rig) watermelon/red fleck:
I've circled the parts of El Dorado that I frequent.
Hammer 4 reply :
Nice black crappie.
Those are about the only decent spots on the north lake to fish for bass, unless it's pre spawn, or spawning.
I might head to the ranger lake Thurs. or friday morning..have a new rod I want to test out.. 
dR. BassLove reply :
That would be great if you could do it on Thursday as I will be out as well!
Any ideas about the close-range bass?
LazyBASS1301600404 reply :
they used bluegill as bait? Think thats a no no.
Hammer 4 reply :
Went for a couple hrs. yesterday, nada..too dang hot.
Not sure if I can make it out today.
dR. BassLove reply :
Two quick questions:
Has anyone ever fished at the El Dorado golf course lake?
Does anyone know what is the deal with the lake south of the El Dorado Nature Center (next to Willow)?
Hammer 4 reply :
QuoteTwo quick questions:Has anyone ever fished at the El Dorado golf course lake?
IIlegal
Does anyone know what is the deal with the lake south of the El Dorado Nature Center (next to Willow)?
No Fishing there..that's what I was told by one of the park rangers
dR. BassLove reply :
Oh I see. So no one is ever allowed to fish from the golf course lake? Are there even fish in it or is it just a pool of water and golf balls?
Any idea what that southern lake is all about? It's just there because or is it connected to the nature center?
dR. BassLove reply :
So it's been about a week since I got to hit up El Dorado. I am going to be in the South Bay area and was considering trying out Alondra Park. Anyone fish there before? I tried googling for some more info but couldn't find anyone who mentioned a specific place to try. I won't be out there until 6:30 pm so I won't have time to really thoroughly scout out the park. If anyone can give me a tip on a starting point it'd be greatly appreciated!
dR. BassLove reply :
Hey Hammer, have you had a chance to hit up ElDo recently again? Any luck? I'd love to meet up and see how a real fisherman tackles El Dorado.
Hammer 4 reply :
Was gonna go today, but woke up to late.. ;D
I'll try for tomorrow morning..starting in front of the old ranger station.
dR. BassLove reply :
Hey Hammer, did you end up fishing at ElDo today? I was out there pretty early around 6:15 - 6:30 am.
Wow, I haven't been out there when it's been so foggy and I was amazed by how beautiful it was out there! As if the normal mornings weren't beautiful enough!
I started off at my usual spot (green piped semi-point) and tried some more frog fishing in the tully cove. I seriously do not know what I am doing wrong. The last 4-5 times I've been out there I have been totally skunked by those darn bass! It's probably been around 15 hrs of strictly frog fishing without any luck. I try to be as quiet as possible when I approach. I know they are there as I can see the occasional explosion as they feed, as well as the quivering of the reeds as they swim past.
I have 3 different frogs: 1 black Snagproof, 1 chartreuse Mann's Super Frog, and 1 brown/green striped Spro Bronzeye. None of which has sparked any interested from the fish.
If I had to guess what in particular was wrong, I think it might be the cast? I just got my first baitcasting setup and so maybe it's the sloppy casting? Often the frog will slap pretty hard on the water so maybe it's scaring them off? Your thoughts?
Anyhow, around 7:45, I was packing up to go to the Ranger station and I met another fisherman who told me he'd just caught a 6 - 7 lbr in that cove only a few days before.
I walked over to the tullies in front of the old ranger station and saw about 4 other guys fishing. I started casting my frog using a hop-hop-hop-pause retrieve. Is it better to have smaller rather than larger hops?
Around 9:30 I start to lose confidence and got discouraged. I switched back to my spinning rod and started tossing a little 1/8 chartreuse jig with a slug-go rainbow trout colored plastic connected to a jig spinner. I figured it would be nice to catch something and panfish are a whole lot easier to catch than bass. On my 3rd to last cast, I saw a shadow shoot out and take my lure. I figured it was a decent sized 'gill. Turns out that I caught a personal record... the smallest bass I've ever caught! Haha, it was a tiny little 7-8 inch guy. I thanked him for salvaging my day, casted a couple more times and headed off to work content enough... something is always better than nothing. :
Hammer 4 reply :
Might have been Dan that caught the 6-7lb'r.
ranger lake, first cast, got a 5.5 lb'r..an hour or so later, switched to a spinnerbait and got a smaller bass.
I always start my day in front of the old ranger station.
I was there with a couple other guys..early. I was the old guy with the maroon sweatshirt, and green shorts.
Here's the bass.
Hammer 4 reply :
And, the smaller bass.. ;D
dR. BassLove reply :
Wow, nice pix! Man, your first cast? Jeez. Was it on a worm?
Is Dan a 50ish year old gentleman carrying about 5 premium looking rods?
I do remember seeing some other older guys, but I don't recall what they were wearing. Do you remember seeing an Asian guy with semi-long hair wearing a hat + brown jacket + black backpack + rollerblades + not catching jacksh*t? If so that was me.
Hammer 4 reply :
Yup, you walked right by me. I believe you said hi. I thought, jeez, what a pain to have to carry those blades..lol
Dan has many,many, many high dollar rigs. Shorter guy with a gray gotee..
Not a worm..was a paddletail swimbait.
dR. BassLove reply :
I remember now! Yeah, I did say "Hi." Were you wearing earphones? I think I asked you if you had any luck and you didn't respond so I just kept walking.
Dan is great. He has been so helpful and taken a lot of time out of his fishing to give me advice.
Can I ask you what kind of swimbait it was and how you fished it? I bought several swimbaits in an attempt to imitate your success. ;D
What do you think of this? (It's kind of hard to tell, but it's Rainbow Trout colored)
Or this?
I've tried a bit with the swimbait, but all I catch is a ton of weeds.
My real goal now is to learn how to use a frog. I have dedicated the past 7 trips to El Dorado to just fishing with a hollow-bodied frog. That's a total of over 25 hrs of fishing without a single bite!
At least I have gotten much more proficient at using a baitcasting setup (I got a Berkley Tactix 7' MH rod + Pinnacle Vision Slyder baitcaster + 20 lb Berkley Fireline (crystal) just for frogging). I had a terrible time getting used to holding the rod in my left hand and winding with my right, but I am started to get it.
I would so appreciative of anyone who can give me some concrete techniques to get me my first bite. Thanks to some tips from Dan, I have learned to watch for movement in the tulles to home in on the bass, but even when I get a good cast to the spot, nothing happens.
I was out there for about 4 hrs today (from 3 - 7 pm). I spent almost the entire time at the cove pitchin' into the tulles. A couple of times, right as my frog landed I would see a rush towards the lure and I would tense up and prepare to control myself to not set the hook immediately, but then nothing would happen. Could it be the frog I'm using? Here's four frogs I have. I started with the black Snagproof for a couple of trips, then switched to the brown Spro, then the chartreuse Mann's, and the last couple of times I've been using the chartreuse Kurmit.
Which would you guys concentrate on using?
I have been reading every single article that I could Google. I have read at least 30 hrs worth of material the past 2 weeks, but nothing I read seems to help. Some say fish it fast. Some say fish it slow. Some say leave it for long periods. Others say jerk it all over.
You guys have helped me so much already to accomplish my goal of catching a bass on a plastic worm and I want to thank you for that. Now I would really appreciate any step by step instructions on how to successfully fish with a frog lure.
Hammer 4 reply :
No headphones. Was wearing a tan visor, maroon sweatshirt, and green shorts.
Not to offend, but don't buy anymore of the storm stuff, waste of $$$. Plus they aren't weedless.
I'll PM you with the details of baits ect.
LazyBASS1301600404 reply :
Try some top water poppers if they aren't hitting on the frog.
When do you guys go out to El Do? I live about 15-20 min and usually go solo.
dR. BassLove reply :
Greg,
Thanks for much for the tips! I took your advice and returned the Storms. I figured I don't want to distract myself from learning to frog anyway.
So another week passed and another week of no fish. I continue to dedicate myself to picking up one technique at a time. I was at a Sports Chalet today and came across some more frogs. Mostly they were Snag Proofs (Bobby's Perfect and T-Frogs although after throughly reading the back and asking the salesman I couldn't figure out the difference except for price and Gama vs Owner hooks). I also spotted a lone River2Sea Bully Wa frog (brown/yellow). Any comments on these? The R2S looked really well made and detailed so I bought it, but I hope that I wasn't made a victim again of companies catching fishermen and not fish :-[
I had read that many people like to stick rattles into their frogs for added effect. What are you thoughts on that? I got some glass rattles, but should I stick in just one or would more be better? I am willing to stick so many rattles up my frogs that they'd be crapping glass for the rest of their lives if I have to ;D
dR. BassLove reply :
QuoteTry some top water poppers if they aren't hitting on the frog.When do you guys go out to El Do? I live about 15-20 min and usually go solo.
Hi LazyBASS,
I usually go whenever I can, which is usually 6 am - 11 am and 6 pm - ? As for the days, it's really scattered. Whenever I don't have work. I usually go at least one of the weekend days. I'd love to hit you up for some fishing. I have met several dudes over there that I see somewhat regularly.
Dan the Man, Brad, Devon, Steve.... I see some other regulars too but haven't had a chance to introduce myself. My name is Steve in case you say "Hi."
dR. BassLove reply :
I also forgot to mention. When I said fishing with a frog, what I mean primarily is flipping in the deep cover of the tulles and on top of the snotty vegetation floating on the water.
Hammer 4 reply :
The frogs you got are fine. Never used rattles, as the frog should create enough noise.
Re; the swimbaits, the ones I suggested have to ordered online. Again, any and all baits are not a guarantee that you'll catch fish, but they will give you a better chance at it.
I go to el d whenever I can, usually when the gates open, until about 11:00am..or a bit later if the bite is good..lol
dR. BassLove reply :
Update: Sept 13th, 2010
Went out to El Dorado again yesterday. No luck. It's been about a month now that I've started my crusade to catch a fish on a frog. Not even a single bite.
I was out there about 6 hours. I finally got to see Brad again and fished with him for awhile. He was murdering them bass, pulling out 4 (a 2 lbr, a 1 lbr, and 2 thumb sized). Brad says he's a finesse fisher and uses either tiny 1" Bass Assassin shad lures or a 4" Yum Dinger (Junebug). He casts them and then just grabs his line and plays with it. He says he's sort of deadsticking it. He says he gets nibbles all the time.
I was extremely tempted to switch to plastics too, but I am so determined to land something with my many many frogs.
I briefly saw Dan. He got skunked too. I also saw this other guy (I don't know his name) who is the only person I've ever seen catch anything on a frog. I immediately stopped fishing and walked over to watch him. I was really glad to see that his style looked a lot like mine and that he didn't get any action either.
I told him my story about not catching jackshit for a month and he sounded surprised. He said some of his friends were telling him how they were slaughtering bass out there at the tulle cove on hollow-bodied frogs. He only fished it for about 20 mins before heading off.
Overall, I'm feeling a little bit more confident that it's just been bad luck and not necessarily me that is the reason I haven't caught nuts.
@Greg
I think I went rattle crazy and stuck 2 -3 rattles in all my frogs. Do you think that rattles can be a bad thing? If you were me, would you pull them out? Thx.
Hammer 4 reply :
Brad always fishes with small baits..lol I have given him some bigger plastic's to fish, not sure if he ever used them..
As for people telling you what they caught..take any fish info. with a grain of salt...as the info. isn't a;ways accurate. Believe me, I've heard stuff like that many times, only to find that instead of killin em on lure A, it was in fact lure C that got em.. ;D
I'd ditch the rattles, unless they give You more confidence..
dR. BassLove reply :
QuoteBrad always fishes with small baits..lol I have given him some bigger plastic's to fish, not sure if he ever used them..As for people telling you what they caught..take any fish info. with a grain of salt...as the info. isn't a;ways accurate. Believe me, I've heard stuff like that many times, only to find that instead of killin em on lure A, it was in fact lure C that got em.. ;D
I'd ditch the rattles, unless they give You more confidence..
Yeah, it's funny how Brad only really has one style of fishing, but he fishes it really well.
To be honest, I don't know what makes me more confident. At first, I thought the rattles would because I read a lot of people do that, but then you and that other guy said no so now I'm all confused :-/
dR. BassLove reply :
My first success with a hollow-bodied frog!!!! Yay!!!!
LOL. Too bad it wasn't a bass... or even a fish for that matter! As usual, I was pitching a white+black fleck frog with green+black fleck skirt in the tulle cover out in the North Lake. Been pitching for about 3 hrs.
Then Devin shows up. I talk with him awhile, telling him how just minutes ago like 3-4 bass were jumping clear out of the water, deep in the tulles, trying to grab some dragonflies. He gets the idea of trying to flyline a Yum Dinger (Junebug) to imitate the dragonflies. After a few casts, he decides to switch it up to a black/blue frog. A few minutes later he calls me over and points out a nice bullfrog stalking his frog. First bullfrog I'd ever seen! Unfortunately, he loses the frog in the tulles and decides to go back to fishing plastics on the bank.
I, of course, stubborn as I am, remain at the tulle cove to pitch my frog. After a few retrieves, I notice a pair of dark mounds popping up a few feet behind my frog. I stopped hopping my frog to try to get a better look at it. I realize it's the bullfrog and continue to retrieve my lure. A hop later and I see a eyes disappear. Hmmm I think... is he going for my.... Next thing I know he popped other from under my frog and chomps it!!! I'm thinking... holy crap what do I do now?! I call over to Devin and he hooks me up with a pair of pliers. I struggle with the hook for a few minutes before freeing the bullfrog. He plops back in the water and swims off. I chuckle and make some comment about how he (the bullfrog) should give up cannibalism.
I cast out again and begin to worry that perhaps the hook hurt the frog and now he won't be able to hunt. Next thing you know I hear a small plop and wouldn't you know it the damned bullfrog is munching on my frog again! This time I totally stop and let the bullfrog chomp on my lure for a minute before letting go and hopping away.
Yeah, so that's my funny story of the day. No fish though, except for some bluegill when I got bored and fished with some mealworms.
LazyBASS1301600404 reply :
QuoteQuoteTry some top water poppers if they aren't hitting on the frog.When do you guys go out to El Do? I live about 15-20 min and usually go solo.
Hi LazyBASS,
I usually go whenever I can, which is usually 6 am - 11 am and 6 pm - ? As for the days, it's really scattered. Whenever I don't have work. I usually go at least one of the weekend days. I'd love to hit you up for some fishing. I have met several dudes over there that I see somewhat regularly.
Dan the Man, Brad, Devon, Steve.... I see some other regulars too but haven't had a chance to introduce myself. My name is Steve in case you say "Hi."
Maybe I'll see you one of these days, if anything it will be Saturdays soon as the gates open.
I have a frog but have never succeeded with it at El Do hehe. Sometimes you just have to change it up if they aren't hitting it.
Good luck!
Hammer 4 reply :
There are other frogs, besides the floating frogs, such as the Ragetail, and Yum frogs. Although these are as weedless as the Spro, ect.
I was there today..Hardly anyone there, didn't see anyone catching anything, including small gills..The weather was nice though.. ;D
dR. BassLove reply :
@Greg
Wow that's a great shot! I don't recognize it though.
I was out there two about 2 pm. I met up with Brad by the semi-point on the North Lake. He convinced me to walk around the Ranger Lake with him. Didn't catch anything, but it gave me a chance to practice my over/side hand casts. He said I've improved a lot since he first saw me with a baitcaster ;D Makes me feel a lot better about not catching anything this last month. Brad had no luck today either. You're right the weather was terrific today and there were like no other people which is always nice. I am headed back out there tomorrow morning, so maybe I'll catch ya there!
As for the other types of lures, I was considering using a toad like a Ribbit, but I can't seem to find any locally. Until I do, I'll stick will my Spro and Snagless. I wish I could find a Sumo or Tru-Tungsten Mad Maxx as those are suppose to be good for walking.
What are your thoughts on Senko Swimbaits?
@LazyBASS
Sorry brah, I can't do Saturday, I'm gonna be hiking the San Gabs. I will be out there Sunday afternoon though.
dR. BassLove reply :
Anyone have any luck this weekend?
I went fishing yesterday and today @ about 4 to 7:30. Nothing either day. This weekend has been the first time I've actually been pretty discouraged.
On Saturday, I was at the cove and saw some bass just hanging out. There was one 2 lbr, a couple of 1 lbrs and several smaller ones. I tried enticing them with my frogs (a white gummy bear with green skirt and a 1/4 oz green/white + chartreuse skirt). Those fish could not care less about my lures. They did not even look at them. I couldn't even spook them. Nothing.
Then today, my first cast, I got a hang up. As the lure dangled above the water, I saw a pop and a fish leaped out of the water to get it. It totally missed and just got a mouthful of air. Technically that's my first hit on a frog, which is what I was hoping for, but I feel like that hit was an attempt for something other than a frog. For the rest of the 3 hours I got not as much as a rustle in the tulles.
This was a rough weekend 
dR. BassLove reply :
I had a long lunch today so I stopped by Alondra Park Lake for 45 mins of fishing. I originally had a dropshot rig set up to try, but after about 10 mins realized I had no idea what the heck I was doing so I switched to a 3/8 oz chartreuse spinnerbait. I managed a dink, but it was the first fish I've caught with a spinnerbait and the first fish I've caught in over a month so it was a nice morale booster.
I have been to Alondra a couple of times now and I am surprised by how much topwater action I see going on. Both times I have fished there I have seen several boils about 4-5 ft from shore. Anyone else here fish Alondra?
Hammer 4 reply :
I use to fish the A pond everyday when I lived in Torrance. Kind of a hit or miss thing there. Seems like it takes a different type of bait on a daily basis to catch a good fish. I have caught some nice ones on the dropshot and texas rigged worms, ya just have to keep at it. If there's any weeds left, drop your worm right down in the thick of them..
My least productive bait was a spinnerbait. Also try a chatterbait in a bluegill patteren.
LazyBASS1301600404 reply :
QuoteI had a long lunch today so I stopped by Alondra Park Lake for 45 mins of fishing. I originally had a dropshot rig set up to try, but after about 10 mins realized I had no idea what the heck I was doing so I switched to a 3/8 oz chartreuse spinnerbait. I managed a dink, but it was the first fish I've caught with a spinnerbait and the first fish I've caught in over a month so it was a nice morale booster.I have been to Alondra a couple of times now and I am surprised by how much topwater action I see going on. Both times I have fished there I have seen several boils about 4-5 ft from shore. Anyone else here fish Alondra?
I usually go once a week, Friday early mornings. It's hit or miss for sure, top water in the morning, its a very tough pond but I always see the Bass busting the little minnows. Need to throw new stuff at them, tons of moss and weeds.
Never really had any luck with the Plastics over there, always pulling up too much moss and weeds even on a t-rig.
dR. BassLove reply :
I hit up the lakes during the heat wave and saw a surprising amount of action on the water. I could see lots of 2-3 lbers cruising the water, but couldn't get any of them to bite, although I could get them to at least give my frog/craw/spinner some looks. I brought a friend out to let him try out fishing and the monster bluegills were really out in force. He caught about 4 really nice 'gills and I was so jealous I joined in for a couple myself. Here's a few pix I took of them.
dR. BassLove reply :
What is this world coming to?! Someone stole my rollerblades while I was fishing! I had them tucked behind the powerstation next to the bridge, covered with my jacket, and was fishing just on the other side in the cove and along the tulles. When I came back it was just my jacket on the ground. I just can't believe it. I've always had the utmost trust in my fellow El Doradoers, but I guess the truth ain't pretty...
LazyBASS1301600404 reply :
wow that sucks.. Im pretty sure it wasn't another fellow fisherman though.. The people around there isn't the safest place to leave stuff unattended..
Hammer 4 reply :
I'm bettin it wasn't fishermen that took your blades. I've seen guys just walking around all of the lakes. I NEVER leave any of my stuff to where I can't keep an eye on it. Also, thieves can look like they are fishing, but just waiting for an opportunity to snag your stuff. >
hmongkidBee reply :
I finally have success at El Dorado. It happened on Sunday when we went to El Dorado. It was my cousin, little brother, and I. Man the freaking weather is hot. Went early, got to the lake around 8 and started at the ranger station. Water is very very low, and dirty. Threw everything from swimbaits to jigs to spinnerbaits and crankbaits, nada. Went around the lake and casted a jackall cover craw on 6lb test towards the tullies and slowly dragged it back. Got the familiar tap tap tap, set the hook and got this lovely baby:
Kept casting in the same spot and didn't get a bass to bite. Then tied on my lucky booyah spinnerbait and very first cast into the same area and on the retrieve another bass hit my lure.
Overall it was a fun day. El Dorado is a very hard place to fish especially now with the hot weather. But I bet the swimbait bite should be picking up soon and those big bass might want to come out and play. Until then keep at it my fellow El Doradoers.
t.h. reply :
man, i wanted to head out there today with some watermelon colored senkos with red flake. i doubt the weather would permit today though.
last time i fished el dorado was like 2 years ago in the summer with a silver and white belly shad. left skunked.
gonna try some early "so cal winter" fishin there hopefully within this weeks time
civicsurfer reply :
I checked out ElDo today for an hour. I didn't see anything in the water besides a turtle. It was pretty dead. Needless to say I got the skunk.
slick rick reply :
So... How has it been for you guys?
I'm new to the park there but have been putting in a lot of time testing different techniques and lures over the last couple weeks.
I've been focusing on the back lake but have only managed a few dinks down there. I was able to fool one larger model who spit the hook near the shore but that is about it.
For now... I'm enjoying being able to test different baits and techniques so close to home.
If you ever want to meet up, let me know!
Hammer 4 reply :
Rick, fish the ranger / paddle boat lake. Throw suspending jerk baits..
slick rick reply :
I'll give that a try Hammer... thanks for responding. I'm not use to throwing jerk baits outside of saltwater so I'll have to do a little testing to see what works.
For now... I'm packing some Jig n' pigs in darker colors for the overcast/rainy weekend we should be having. As well as a variety of worms in sizes 4" and 6". Focusing on the darker patterns. I'm also thinking that a spinnerbait, dark in color, with a single colorado blade will produce something.
I was wondering if this thread or section for that matter had completely dried up! lol
I'll be there Saturday if anybody want's to come out.
Thanks again,
Rick
Hammer 4 reply :
I find that lighter colored spinners work better, i.e. white with dual willows in gold, and white with chartreuse and again dual willow blades. The Colorado blades thump more, not really needed at El D, even on the worst days, due the depth of the water mostly. This is just what worked for me in the past, that's not to say something else won't work. Might be there tomorrow at the paddle boat lake. I'm a tall skinny old guy with a grey gotee, stop by if ya see me.
slick rick reply :
I appreciate the advice Hammer...
Again, being new to bass fishing and very new to El Dorado, I appreciate any and all help I can get. It's so confusing to me how each of our lakes can be so different in similar conditions.
I think after El Dorado tomorrow, I may get the boat out and head towards Diamond Valley.
This should be a great weekend!
slick rick reply :
caught the skunk on Saturday...
Started off with Spinners trying to locate the fish with no luck. Used White, White/Chart, White/Black, Black/Red, sizes from 1/8 to 1/2 oz. with no luck.
Worked multiple worms on the Texas, Wacky, and Drop for no luck.
Tossed Jig n' pigs and Texas rigged Creatures for no luck.
Fish where there, talked to one guy on the paddle boat lake who said he had about 5 already :-?
Hammer 4 reply :
Suspending jerk baits are the call..get the ones that dive 3 to 5' max.
slick rick reply :
Any particular pattern hammer? Are there Shad in El Dorado?
I hit the park last night from 5:00 to 8:00 for no luck. Other then the heavy rains during the day the condition during the time I was there seemed perfect! I witnessed quite a bit of top water activity but couldn't get anything to take the plug.
Hammer 4 reply :
Any shad pattern, i.e. silver with a blue, or black back..sexy shad, ghost, pearl white, ect.
Also, the males might be lookin for the big girls, so check the back lake close to the shore. Toss a 1/2oz White jig, with a brown colored craw type trailer in the reeds. You'll need heavy line. Good luck.
slick rick reply :
Will do....
I'll be back out there tomorrow from 5 - 8 if anybody wants to meet up for some fishing.
Weather permitting, of course.
bman310 reply :
Any recent reports guys?
I was there a few weeks ago and caught 5 in a couple of hours. All close to 2 lbs and on plastics. Was hoping for some larger models, but it was the first time I fished there this year.
brian
via reply :
i went today with my brother and cousins fishing at the paddle boat lake. Very cloudy and windy today but it was fun though. i caught a one pounder on a war eagle in chartreuse and white spinner bait while my brother caught a 3 pounder on a chartreuses boyahh spinnerbait and a 2 punder on a white pointer. my cousin on the other hand got the skunk while the other one missed one on a war eagle spinnerbait in white. so i guess that spinnerbait and suspended jerkbaits are the best lures for now.
Hammer 4 reply :
Just to show there are some quality Bass in the paddle boat lake, here's a 7lb'r I got last Tues. 7'6" Shimano MF spinning rod, 8 lb Yozuri ultrasoft in mist green, bait was a 6" flatail hologram shad roboworm.
The pic was altered to protect the innocent.. 
hmongkidBee reply :
good job greg. You wanna go fishing at eldo tomorrow? I'm going if anyone is interested.
Hammer 4 reply :
On 5/27/2011 at 1:32 PM, hmongkidBee said:good job greg. You wanna go fishing at eldo tomorrow? I'm going if anyone is interested.
Wish I could, but I have other plans. Stick a good one out there.. 
hmongkidBee reply :
d**n i missed a big one today greg....i yanked the swimbait out of its mouth...man I was ticked. Anyways ended up with one bass about a pound and a half to two pounds. Can't post up pics cuz it's on my pathetic phone.
via reply :
anybody getting hit out there? went today and saw bass blowing up on shads in the morning but they were to far away to get to. my brother was able to catch a one pounder but besides that we got nothing else.
luve2fishSC reply :
I went to el do yesterday around 8am, I was using a Booyah white buzzbait 3/8oz. I got a 1lber bass by the ranger station and cant wait to go again soon
Hammer 4 reply :
Alright, being that I rarely fish anymore, due to health problems. I'm gonna give you El Do guys a great tip, doesn't work all the time, but is your best bet to get a decent fish.
I prefer a spinning rig, and 6 to 8lb copoly, or a good fluro line, such as Yozuri Ultrasoft. Tie on a # 2 or smaller worm hook, then rig up a 6" flat tail roboworm, or any worm that has good action while SLOWLY retrieving it. Then ad a #5 splitshot about 18" above the hook, make sure you clamp it down tight so it doesn't slide down the line. Cast out to where you think fish may be, let the bait SIT for a good min. then slowly bring the bait in, 2 turns on the crank every 30 seconds or so.
Keep in mind that if there are weeds your gonna get hung up, once you feel the snag, Do Not pull, lift the rod tip as high as you can, then with your arm, lift even higher, at the same time gently pull the rod toward you, most times that will save a bait. good Luck to you guys.
BarrioBass reply :
thanks for the tips hammer4, haven't gone yet but i will
DryHop reply :
[First time posting]
related Western Bass Fishing topic
previous topic
most viewed Western Bass Fishing topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.