San Diego/Inland Empire Bass Fishing Locations 2024
Jonas Staggs reply :
Hit lake perris today, rented a boat for the full day, didnt catch a thing, place is way over fished and over crowded, I thought getting a boat might change things cause fishing from the shore has always sucked there too. Staff told me they recently lowered the water level and fishing has been crappy since. Also worth mentioning the employee by the name of Justin at the boat rental was a really rude. Anyways kind of frustrated as at this point, all the legal places to fish suck and are way overcrowded and over fished. Irvine Lake sucks too and I am not in a hurry to go back.
I am willing to drive, Ill be shore fishing until i get my own boat, can you guys make some suggestions of any other lakes to fish that are worth going too?
Hammer 4 reply :
If you live in O.C..there are several park lakes/ponds that hold decent bass, Irvine is worthless without a boat. My Son lives close to Laguna Niguel and fishes there Only during the weekdays, there is limited shore fishing since the city took it over, so no boat rentals any longer. Casting near the toolies with something weedless works, swimbaits seem to be the call according to him. I'm sure other baits would work. Get there as early as possible, to beat all the folks that fish for other types of fish..In the past I've caught some nice bass out of just about every park lake in O.C..If your in L.A..the same holds true for those park lakes as well. Happy hunting.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 10/20/2019 at 8:24 AM, Hammer 4 said:If you live in O.C..there are several park lakes/ponds that hold decent bass, Irvine is worthless without a boat. My Son lives close to Laguna Niguel and fishes there Only during the weekdays, there is limited shore fishing since the city took it over, so no boat rentals any longer. Casting near the toolies with something weedless works, swimbaits seem to be the call according to him. I'm sure other baits would work. Get there as early as possible, to beat all the folks that fish for other types of fish..In the past I've caught some nice bass out of just about every park lake in O.C..If your in L.A..the same holds true for those park lakes as well. Happy hunting.
Im in the IE, I was looking more towards areas in the IE, or San Diego county, looking on the maps theres a ton of reservoirs and lakes in between IE and SD, just not sure which ones would be worth the drive. Laguna Niguel has been on my radar!
Hammer 4 reply :
I really like Lake Hodges, but it can be tricky with the rise of the water level..Also there's a ton of underwater stick ups that will cause you to lose a lot of baits..unless you know where to fish. Lake Wholford is another good lake, friendly people work there..Again good fishing along the toolies, time on both lakes imho is a must to get good fish.
Just fyi, later in the year DVL will catch fire. PM me for info..
skekoam reply :
Hey OP.
Have you tried DVL yet? I got skunked there a few weeks ago on a boat at well. I mentioned in another post that boat fishing is really hard on a large lake unless you know exactly where to go or have some electronics. I may as well had a blindfold on that day because I didn't have a clue. I will stay the staff and rental people were very friendly at DVL. I only hooked one LMB, but he knew I was a novice and spit the hook on a head shake as he charged the boat.
With regards to @Hammer 4 advice, my son and I went to Laguna Niguel lake on Sunday afternoon and the place was pretty packed since it seems like there is limited areas to fish. Guys were there all day and took up most of the shoreline. It seems like there might be good areas on the other side of the lake, but not sure it is accessible. I saw a guy catch two LMB, but looks like he was going for catfish using a weight and nightcrawler. I made about 50+ casts with a senko and not even a bite. Went near the docks and let my son catch a few bluegill there, but even the docks were super crowded. Some guys there were catching bluegill and casting them out again for bait.
BASS302 reply :
On 10/23/2019 at 12:28 AM, skekoam said:Some guys there were catching bluegill and casting them out again for bait.
skekoam reply :
On 10/23/2019 at 1:45 AM, BASS302 said:
Yup. My son pointed it out to me that they aren't supposed to use bluegill. Not sure of the present of G&F there, but wish these guys got caught.
WRB reply :
San Bernardino and Riverside make up the IE, San Deigo being south of Temecula on the I15.
North EI includes Lales Silverwood, Arrowhead and Big Bear in the mountains, all decent bass lakes. Mathews is off limits city lake. South IE is Perris, DVL, Elsinor, Canyon lake (private) and Skinner. East SD is Henshaw and Moreno, North SD is Hodges, several private lakes around Escondido, San Vicente, Dixon, Poway, Wolford and a dozen SD city lakes further south is Lower Otay.
With the exception of the mountain lakes with trout populations all these lakes can require finesse tackle about presentations 80% of the time. Remind me what type of tackle you use and lures you prefer?
Tom
Hammer 4 reply :
Weekends is the Worst time to fish Laguna Niguel..
Someone needs to call the DFG re: people using blue gills for bait. Get their ph # and put it on speed dial, call when you see a violation..
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 10/23/2019 at 1:45 AM, BASS302 said:
where do you get live shad for bait? As a kid, we used to chum the water with bread, the shad would eat it, we would then snag the schooling shad with large treble hooks, and use the shad as catfish bait. Pretty sure that wasnt legal but me and my friends were doing it at about age 10, fishing on our own.
On 10/23/2019 at 3:55 AM, WRB said:San Bernardino and Riverside make up the IE, San Deigo being south of Temecula on the I15.
North EI includes Lales Silverwood, Arrowhead and Big Bear in the mountains, all decent bass lakes. Mathews is off limits city lake. South IE is Perris, DVL, Elsinor, Canyon lake (private) and Skinner. East SD is Henshaw and Moreno, North SD is Hodges, several private lakes around Escondido, San Vicente, Dixon, Poway, Wolford and a dozen SD city lakes further south is Lower Otay.
With the exception of the mountain lakes with trout populations all these lakes can require finesse tackle about presentations 80% of the time. Remind me what type of tackle you use and lures you prefer?
Tom
Thanks for the info dude, I have heard about people ninja fishing lake mathews, the lake is beautiful but Im not up for ninja fishing it. I dont doubt some of the locals that live nearby probably do at night, but still a risk not worth taking IMO but man the water is beautiful.
The baits I typically use are lipless crankbaits, man I love my cotton cordel superspots, I have a ton of them, catch a lot of fish on them, the random one I bought and didnt want cause it was the only crankbait left, turned out to be my most successful lure, its now my favorite. I think its called foxy shad. Anyways when I fish I typically start out with that crankbait, if I dont get anything on it Ill switch to a few other colors crankbaits, still nothing ill go to texas rigged plastics, I have a ton of YUM plastics since they are only $2 at walmart, but I mainly fish YUM lizards as those have been the most productive out of all my plastics. If I dont get anything on my T rigged lizards, Ill switch to wacky rig worms. I have this weird pink worm that I always catch fish on when wacky rigged. I fished 6am-1:30pm today and almost got skunked, yet I caught 7 bass last time at this location, anyways, the wacky rig did it for me today, caught a little guy but at least 1 fish for the day is better than none. I dont use the drop shot much, but I have never caught anything on it when I try. I tried the drop shot alot today with a fluke, and some other worms with no success. Oh yeah, I typically use 1/2 oz bullet weights for my T rigs so I can get good distance casts, and with my new rod I can really huck em and my crankbaits as well, plus a little wind and I got some long casts now. I dont have a kayak yet so Im stuck shore fishing. I have never caught anything on spinnerbaits, or football jigs, or with craws. I have never tried a chatterbait, I need to buy one.
oh yeah, i never tried any of those lakes up in the mountains, I thought they were trout fishing places, but I am slowly learning, correct me if Im wrong, but where theres trout, theres bass, or if theres trout it should be good bass fishing cause the bass feed on trout? The only fishing I have done and know is bass fishing lakes. Dont know nothing about ocean, trout, or river fishing. I have done some of those pay to go out and catch fish ocean fishing trips but Im not a big fan of it, no skill or technique, grab a bait, drop your line and wait while they chum the water.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 10/23/2019 at 12:28 AM, skekoam said:Hey OP.
Have you tried DVL yet? I got skunked there a few weeks ago on a boat at well. I mentioned in another post that boat fishing is really hard on a large lake unless you know exactly where to go or have some electronics. I may as well had a blindfold on that day because I didn't have a clue. I will stay the staff and rental people were very friendly at DVL. I only hooked one LMB, but he knew I was a novice and spit the hook on a head shake as he charged the boat.
With regards to @Hammer 4 advice, my son and I went to Laguna Niguel lake on Sunday afternoon and the place was pretty packed since it seems like there is limited areas to fish. Guys were there all day and took up most of the shoreline. It seems like there might be good areas on the other side of the lake, but not sure it is accessible. I saw a guy catch two LMB, but looks like he was going for catfish using a weight and nightcrawler. I made about 50+ casts with a senko and not even a bite. Went near the docks and let my son catch a few bluegill there, but even the docks were super crowded. Some guys there were catching bluegill and casting them out again for bait.
havent tried DVL yet but its on my list.
WRB reply :
Your tackle, lures and thought process limits your ability to catch high pressured bass in SoCal lakes during day light hours a high % of the time. I don't believe I could catch bass using your tackle and lures the next 4 months.
Threadfin Shad are phytoplankton or vegetable eating fish, bread crumbs are worthless although may work for bluegill (illegal baitfish) and any shiners that may be around.
T-rigs using 3/16-1/4 oz bullet weight and 8 to 10 lb line and 6" worms is considered heavy tackle for most of these lakes during day light hours.
The problem is the bass are now Florida intergrades and not willing to chase down artifical lures that northern strian bass react to.
The mountain lakes like Big Bear have northern strain bass and Smallmouth bass, both are more aggressive and most private lakes have northern strain bass.
You either adapt to more finesse style fishing or practice casting.
Tom
PS, the guys at Last Chance Tackle in Hemet can get you set up with what needed for you.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 10/23/2019 at 10:47 AM, WRB said:Your tackle, lures and thought process limits your ability to catch high pressured bass in SoCal lakes during day light hours a high % of the time. I don't believe I could catch bass using your tackle and lures the next 4 months.
Threadfin Shad are phytoplankton or vegetable eating fish, bread crumbs are worthless although may work for bluegill (illegal baitfish) and any shiners that may be around.
T-rigs using 3/16-1/4 oz bullet weight and 8 to 10 lb line and 6" worms is considered heavy tackle for most of these lakes during day light hours.
The problem is the bass are now Florida intergrades and not willing to chase down artifical lures that northern strian bass react to.
The mountain lakes like Big Bear have northern strain bass and Smallmouth bass, both are more aggressive and most private lakes have northern strain bass.
You either adapt to more finesse style fishing or practice casting.
Tom
PS, the guys at Last Chance Tackle in Hemet can get you set up with what needed for you.
I get what your saying but you gotta be able to reach the fish to catch them. I have had pretty good success fishing plastics on a weighted hook, but I dont like how short you can cast them, its good if the fish are close, or tossing under cover or a dock or what not, but if the fish are farther or deeper out, you need heavier weight to reach them. If you dont need to make long casts its great, i think that style of fishing is more applicable from a boat where you can just pull up as close as you need to be. The places I fish in OC are high pressured, I get skunked at night a lot, but when I fish during the day, on a good day I might catch 4, on a bad day maybe only 1, sometimes skunked but usually at least 1. Im really not in a rush to go fish overcrowded over fished parks in OC though. If im gonna drive that far, I might as well make it worth it and drive to a good fishing location.
I wasnt aware of the florida strain bass, but it makes sense, went fishing today, saw a lot of huge bass jumping out the water, but could only catch littler guys. I think live bait is in order to catch the bigger ones.
For us snagging shad as kids with bread crumbs, it must have been shiners then, we thought they were shad as kids and always referred to them as that so its what stuck in my mind and I always thought thats what they were, this was nearly 30 years ago.
I do have some lighter smaller pole setups when I first got back into fishing that are much better for tossing the lighter lures. Once I get a kayak Ill probably switch back to a lighter setup as I wont have as much of a need for the long casts.
Ill take your recommendation for lighter line though, im using 10lbs flourcarbon now as thats what most the youtube videos recommended, but the biggest bass I have caught so far was maybe 4-5 lbs, so I should be able to drop down the line quite a bit, this will probably help me cast the lighter lures a bit farther too. Ill definitely have to give that a shot and see if it makes a difference.
Hammer 4 reply :
So, being that I have fished just about every L.A. and O.C park lake/pond, I can without a doubt say that having to make long cast's all the time is not needed, in fact, a lot of times I make a pitch of maybe 20 to 25 yards parallel, or at a slight angle to the shore line. The bass you see in my avatar was caught doing that very same thing, she went about 7 lbs, in the middle of a warm sunny day without any wind on 6lb fluro, bait was plastic..
The only lures I would make long cast's with are..6" and bigger swimbaits, 1/2 oz and heavier spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and sometimes topwater (spooks, ect).
Also, I've caught many bass, 3lbs and up about 3 to 6 feet from me while shore fishing. All this would apply to any high pressure park lake. The KEY to catching Bass in these lakes is Experience, learning the nuances of the body of water, meaning any structure that it has, i.e. shopping cats tossed in there, milk crates, chucks of concrete, and any vegetation, if any. Example, there is a park lake we use to fish all the time, in one of the lakes, about 18 to 20 yards from dry land, someone has tossed, drug, or in some way got a 55 gal drum/barrel out there, guess what it did...held some good size bass. These things are learned from time fishing, making friends with long time locals, ect.
I will say this, imho, these park lakes/ponds are the most difficult to catch quality fish for a few reasons, unlike fishing from a boat. Both can be challenging, not saying having a boat even with electronics is easy, but it does improve your chances. If post's like these help new anglers, great, but you need to get out and do it.
skekoam reply :
Thanks Hammer. I'm going to go try my luck during lunch at a lake in Fullerton. At this lake, you can literally see the bass swimming in packs of 3-4 but man are they ever hard to catch. People have recommended large fake blue gill lures, but I haven't bought one yet as they are like $30 each. I've caught one on the lake so far with a drop shot robo worm. I'm going to try that again and then switch to a fat Ika and maybe Senko.
I need to fish with you one day. ????
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 10/23/2019 at 1:54 PM, Hammer 4 said:So, being that I have fished just about every L.A. and O.C park lake/pond, I can without a doubt say that having to make long cast's all the time is not needed, in fact, a lot of times I make a pitch of maybe 20 to 25 yards parallel, or at a slight angle to the shore line. The bass you see in my avatar was caught doing that very same thing, she went about 7 lbs, in the middle of a warm sunny day without any wind on 6lb fluro, bait was plastic..
The only lures I would make long cast's with are..6" and bigger swimbaits, 1/2 oz and heavier spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and sometimes topwater (spooks, ect).
Also, I've caught many bass, 3lbs and up about 3 to 6 feet from me while shore fishing. All this would apply to any high pressure park lake. The KEY to catching Bass in these lakes is Experience, learning the nuances of the body of water, meaning any structure that it has, i.e. shopping cats tossed in there, milk crates, chucks of concrete, and any vegetation, if any. Example, there is a park lake we use to fish all the time, in one of the lakes, about 18 to 20 yards from dry land, someone has tossed, drug, or in some way got a 55 gal drum/barrel out there, guess what it did...held some good size bass. These things are learned from time fishing, making friends with long time locals, ect.
I will say this, imho, these park lakes/ponds are the most difficult to catch quality fish for a few reasons, unlike fishing from a boat. Both can be challenging, not saying having a boat even with electronics is easy, but it does improve your chances. If post's like these help new anglers, great, but you need to get out and do it.
I agree with you 100% dude, time on the water, aka experience makes all the difference, experience makes all the difference regarding what sport, hobby, profession, etc you are doing. The lake that I mainly fish in OC is a private community lake the lake that I learned to fish and grew up fishing on as a kid, I know it very well. I dont do it now but as kids, we used to hop the fences and go onto all the private docks or private beaches and lawns and fish, no one paid as much attention cause we were just kids something an adult cant do now, and of course those are the better spots on the lake. The reason I recently go so concerned with making long casts, is on one end of the lake, theres a large cove, its very shallow, but deep in the middle, you can see huge bass jumping out the water, but only way out in the middle. I have never caught anything on that side of the lake, with my smaller poles lighter tackle. So I just got the idea to try and huck'em out there. Its the deepest part of the lake, and probably the least molosted from the public, as no one fishes it cause it cant be reached and you cant fish from boats, so I figure its where all the bigger older smarter more elusive fish are staying. But its probably 100 yards from one side to the other. Im aware of casting along the banks and keeping the bait in the strike zone. Ill usually find a little point that sticks out a bit and cut the the pie, and then move on. I got some smaller/lighter poles and a ton of small crankbaits with bills, I think rigging my smaller pole with much lighter line will probably help quite a bit. anyways thanks for your input and advice man, next time I head out Ill bring my smaller poles and give that a shot
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
Medium light or Light spinning setup is fun to catch small pond size bass. You can cast weightless finesse worm a good distance with those. The key is to use smallest diameter line you can get away with. I use 8-10lb power pro or Sufix 832.
RB 77 reply :
There is some pretty good advice in this thread already. While not always required, it can quite often be required to use more finesse presentations to catch fish in the incredibly small, highly pressured reservoirs in this area of the country. This could mean 10 lb test with a T-Rig. It could mean 5 lb test with a drop shot. Spent many a day at Diamond Valley Lake (a reservoir recommend earlier in this thread) drop shotting 5-6 test in 40+ foot of water for bites. It was either that or make an almost 200 mile round trip road trip from San Diego with nothing to show for it. Good luck and tight lines.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 10/29/2019 at 12:48 AM, RB 77 said:There is some pretty good advice in this thread already. While not always required, it can quite often be required to use more finesse presentations to catch fish in the incredibly small, highly pressured reservoirs in this area of the country. This could mean 10 lb test with a T-Rig. It could mean 5 lb test with a drop shot. Spent many a day at Diamond Valley Lake (a reservoir recommend earlier in this thread) drop shotting 5-6 test in 40+ foot of water for bites. It was either that or make an almost 200 mile round trip road trip from San Diego with nothing to show for it. Good luck and tight lines.
you use that light of a setup at DVL? I have never fished there yet but if thats where the big bass are I would think it would require heavier line?
RB 77 reply :
1
On 10/31/2019 at 4:01 AM, Jonas Staggs said:
you use that light of a setup at DVL? I have never fished there yet but if thats where the big bass are I would think it would require heavier line?
Big Bass can be caught on light line and at times it is often a prerequisite to even get bit in the first place. If most angles had their druthers, all their big Bass would be hooked on heavier line to give them the best chance possible of landing the fish. However, getting them to bite in the first place is always the first step in landing a big fish. I subscribe to the school of fishing as heavy pound of test that the fish will bite. DVL can be crystal clear at times with 20+ foot of visibility and these are the times when light line rules the roost.
WRB reply :
Line size/diameter affects how the lure can be effectively presented to the bass so the fish strikes the lure. I use line size that works with the lures being used and where I am fishing them. It isn't rocket sceince, your presentation works or it doesn't.
I use 25 lb Sunline Defier Armillo Nylon line (.016D) for all my swimbaits between 1 1/2 to 7 oz and catch big bass at all SoCal lakes. 5 lb (.008D) Maxima UG mono and 7 lb (.009D) Sunline Sniper FC and catch a few big bass at all SoCal lakes. 10 to 12 lb (.010-.011D) Sunline Shooter FC for my jig fishing during day time and 15 lb (.015D) Berkley Big Game mono at night and catch big bass ar all the SoCal Lales including the 5 PB's listed.
Line size is relative to the lure and presentation. In our clear deep rocky structure SoCal lakes we use what works here. Up north in the Delta and Clear lake with primarily heavy cover I use 60 lb braid to cut through the vegetation. All the other NorCal deep structure lakes the same line that works in SoCal works.
Looks like the 50-70 mph winds and fires are ending this afternoon and should be good to go fishing.
Tom
PS, when the bass out weigh your line strength simply control the fish and you will land it.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 10/31/2019 at 9:17 PM, RB 77 said:1
Big Bass can be caught on light line and at times it is often a prerequisite to even get bit in the first place. If most angles had their druthers, all their big Bass would be hooked on heavier line to give them the best chance possible of landing the fish. However, getting them to bite in the first place is always the first step in landing a big fish. I subscribe to the school of fishing as heavy pound of test that the fish will bite. DVL can be crystal clear at times with 20+ foot of visibility and these are the times when light line rules the roost.
i understand the concept of using thinner line, whats throwing me off is how you land a fish heavier than your line.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 10/31/2019 at 11:19 PM, WRB said:Line size/diameter affects how the lure can be effectively presented to the bass so the fish strikes the lure. I use line size that works with the lures being used and where I am fishing them. It isn't rocket sceince, your presentation works or it doesn't.
I use 25 lb Sunline Defier Armillo Nylon line (.016D) for all my swimbaits between 1 1/2 to 7 oz and catch big bass at all SoCal lakes. 5 lb (.008D) Maxima UG mono and 7 lb (.009D) Sunline Sniper FC and catch a few big bass at all SoCal lakes. 10 to 12 lb (.010-.011D) Sunline Shooter FC for my jig fishing during day time and 15 lb (.015D) Berkley Big Game mono at night and catch big bass ar all the SoCal Lales including the 5 PB's listed.
Line size is relative to the lure and presentation. In our clear deep rocky structure SoCal lakes we use what works here. Up north in the Delta and Clear lake with primarily heavy cover I use 60 lb braid to cut through the vegetation. All the other NorCal deep structure lakes the same line that works in SoCal works.
Looks like the 50-70 mph winds and fires are ending this afternoon and should be good to go fishing.
Tom
PS, when the bass out weigh your line strength simply control the fish and you will land it.
thanks for the informative post my friend, you answered many questions as well as some I wanted to ask. specifically, landing larger fish the the pound test line your using. I was not grasping the science behind how the line doesnt instantly snap. The only thing I can think of would be drag and the flex of the pole reducing the load limit, however I didnt think those 2 things would reduce it that much.
MN Fisher reply :
On 11/1/2019 at 12:44 AM, Jonas Staggs said:i understand the concept of using thinner line, whats throwing me off is how you land a fish heavier than your line.
Having the drag set properly and playing the fish rather than trying to horse it in. I've caught a 12# pike on 8# test line - of course it took 20-30 minutes to play it until it was tired...but I did catch it.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 11/1/2019 at 12:58 AM, MN Fisher said:Having the drag set properly and playing the fish rather than trying to horse it in. I've caught a 12# pike on 8# test line - of course it took 20-30 minutes to play it until it was tired...but I did catch it.
I suppose I will have to figure how to correctly set my drag next than, guessing it must be done by feel, gonna hop on youtube and figure it out.
WRB reply :
Simple rule is 1/3 rd the line pound test, excluding braid. 15 lb test mono use 5 lbs, 12 lb line use 4 lbs of drag force.
We catch Off shore big game fish like very fast strong tuna and Marlin that weigh 10X the line lb test.
2 LMB at 17.4 lbs and LMB weighing 17.6 lb, 18.6 lb and 19.3 lb all caught on 10 to 12 lb mono line fishing jigs should be all you need to know. Fish are not dead weight, they swim and fight tiring out against the constant reel drag force and rod lifting power. The only way a bass can break your line is you put too much force on it and usually happens trying unsuccessfully to control the fish without having the skill needed or the fish gets into something that breaks the line or teeth to cut the line.
Tom
RB 77 reply :
On 11/1/2019 at 12:44 AM, Jonas Staggs said:i understand the concept of using thinner line, whats throwing me off is how you land a fish heavier than your line.
Like mentioned already, its all about having the drag set correctly and using the rod to correctly fight the fish. A smooth, correctly set drag is a must, usually 1/4 to 1/3 the breaking strength of the pound test. The lighter the line, the more I lean towards the lighter setting. Using the rod to help move and guide the fish away from potential structure and cover and into open water is crucial.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 11/1/2019 at 1:25 AM, WRB said:Simple rule is 1/3 rd the line pound test, excluding braid. 15 lb test mono use 5 lbs, 12 lb line use 4 lbs of drag force.
We catch Off shore big game fish like very fast strong tuna and Marlin that weigh 10X the line lb test.
2 LMB at 17.4 lbs and LMB weighing 17.6 lb, 18.6 lb and 19.3 lb all caught on 10 to 12 lb mono line fishing jigs should be all you need to know. Fish are not dead weight, they swim and fight tiring out against the constant reel drag force and rod lifting power. The only way a bass can break your line is you put too much force on it and usually happens trying unsuccessfully to control the fish without having the skill needed or the fish gets into something that breaks the line or teeth to cut the line.
Tom
so my rods now are setup with 10# flouro but everyone is suggesting to go lighter.
WRB reply :
On 11/1/2019 at 1:56 AM, Jonas Staggs said:
so my rods now are setup with 10# flouro but everyone is suggesting to go lighter.
Spinning or casting?
I use lb FC for both jigs to 1/2 oz and 3/16-1/4 oz bullet weight T-rigged soft plastic worms 6" to 9" on bait casting tackle. Spinning 8 lb is max, prefer 7 lb FC or 5 lb Maxium UG line depending on the presentation. Spinning to me is a finesse outfit suited for lighter line and lures like drop shot or slip shot using 4 1/2" to 6" worms.
Sounding like a broken record.
Tom
MN Fisher reply :
On 11/1/2019 at 1:56 AM, Jonas Staggs said:
so my rods now are setup with 10# flouro but everyone is suggesting to go lighter.
I have 10# Yo-Zuri Hybrid on my Trion which I mainly use for crank/jerk baits. But I have been known to put 3/8 and under T-Rigs and Jigs on that as well so long as I stay out of the heavy slop. I think it's a pretty good, all-around strength for a variety of techniques. There are some techniques you'd want to go lighter or heavier with the line, but 10# will do quite a few things.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 11/1/2019 at 2:06 AM, WRB said:Spinning or casting?
I use lb FC for both jigs to 1/2 oz and 3/16-1/4 oz bullet weight T-rigged soft plastic worms 6" to 9" on bait casting tackle. Spinning 8 lb is max, prefer 7 lb FC or 5 lb Maxium UG line depending on the presentation. Spinning to me is a finesse outfit suited for lighter line and lures like drop shot or slip shot using 4 1/2" to 6" worms.
Sounding like a broken record.
Tom
I see, was thinking of switching to 5# for my smaller rod setup.
On 11/1/2019 at 2:13 AM, MN Fisher said:I have 10# Yo-Zuri Hybrid on my Trion which I mainly use for crank/jerk baits. But I have been known to put 3/8 and under T-Rigs and Jigs on that as well so long as I stay out of the heavy slop. I think it's a pretty good, all-around strength for a variety of techniques. There are some techniques you'd want to go lighter or heavier with the line, but 10# will do quite a few things.
Thanks yeah I was thinking of dropping my bigger rod down to about 8# flouro, should still sort of serve as all purpose I would figure.
thanks for the advice guys.
WRB reply :
Caution; Yo-Zuri Hybrid is one of the largest diameter per lb test line on the market. Bass are not line shy fish but they can be extremely picky how a lure (or live bait) moves or doesn't move because of line diameters.
Example 6 lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid is .010D or equal to 10 lb Seaguar or Sunline FC.
Tom
skekoam reply :
On 10/20/2019 at 8:07 AM, Jonas Staggs said:Hit lake perris today, rented a boat for the full day, didnt catch a thing, place is way over fished and over crowded, I thought getting a boat might change things cause fishing from the shore has always sucked there too. Staff told me they recently lowered the water level and fishing has been crappy since. Also worth mentioning the employee by the name of Justin at the boat rental was a really rude. Anyways kind of frustrated as at this point, all the legal places to fish suck and are way overcrowded and over fished. Irvine Lake sucks too and I am not in a hurry to go back.
I am willing to drive, Ill be shore fishing until i get my own boat, can you guys make some suggestions of any other lakes to fish that are worth going too?
I've been reading a lot of recent posts about guys killing it at Lake Perris off the bank. One guy saying he caught 30 or so LMB. Like anywhere else, location is key but the fish are definitely there. I want to go try my luck one day soon.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
@skekoam
Fish at this ramp evening to sunset.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 11/6/2019 at 1:14 AM, skekoam said:I've been reading a lot of recent posts about guys killing it at Lake Perris off the bank. One guy saying he caught 30 or so LMB. Like anywhere else, location is key but the fish are definitely there. I want to go try my luck one day soon.
I used to live in Perris, I have caught fish there, but not a big fan of the place. The water level used to be much lower and years ago you could enter through bernasconi road for free, park at the gate and walk in to the abandoned side of the park. In 2018 I think it was they raised the water levels and i guess the fishing got better, however they have dropped the water levels again. They are still higher than what they used to be. The place is heavily fished, the area circled in the map, if you go on a saturday, there will be so many guys out there in kayaks it looks like surfers at the beach. Aside from that location, there is just a ton of people fishing everywhere, both from shore and boats. Theres fish in the lake sure, theres also a ton of fishermen, a ton of boaters, and just a ton of traffic. Theres so much action on the water I think the fish are probably hiding most of the day, might be more active at night when things quiet down and everyone leaves. But yeah you can pull up to a bunch of submerged trees that 5 guys just hit right before you and 5 will hit right after you. Anyways, I have fished there a handful of times, didnt enjoy it, and not in a rush to go back, but give it a shot and see what you think.
At any location some days are better than others, at my newest favorite place, I caught 7 LMB in one day, the last two times I have been there, I have been skunked. 7-0-0........gotta be at the right place at the right time
skekoam reply :
On 11/6/2019 at 3:44 AM, Jonas Staggs said:I used to live in Perris, I have caught fish there, but not a big fan of the place. The water level used to be much lower and years ago you could enter through bernasconi road for free, park at the gate and walk in to the abandoned side of the park. In 2018 I think it was they raised the water levels and i guess the fishing got better, however they have dropped the water levels again. They are still higher than what they used to be. The place is heavily fished, the area circled in the map, if you go on a saturday, there will be so many guys out there in kayaks it looks like surfers at the beach. Aside from that location, there is just a ton of people fishing everywhere, both from shore and boats. Theres fish in the lake sure, theres also a ton of fishermen, a ton of boaters, and just a ton of traffic. Theres so much action on the water I think the fish are probably hiding most of the day, might be more active at night when things quiet down and everyone leaves. But yeah you can pull up to a bunch of submerged trees that 5 guys just hit right before you and 5 will hit right after you. Anyways, I have fished there a handful of times, didnt enjoy it, and not in a rush to go back, but give it a shot and see what you think.
At any location some days are better than others, at my newest favorite place, I caught 7 LMB in one day, the last two times I have been there, I have been skunked. 7-0-0........gotta be at the right place at the right time
Yikes. sounds dreadful. Thanks for the heads up. If I do go, I plan on a weekday for sure. Hopefully its a lot less busy out there.
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 11/6/2019 at 3:48 AM, skekoam said:Yikes. sounds dreadful. Thanks for the heads up. If I do go, I plan on a weekday for sure. Hopefully its a lot less busy out there.
dont let me deter you from going, i have caught fish there, during the week is probably a lot better. The only thing I have ever caught bass there on is crickets.
TnRiver46 reply :
On 11/1/2019 at 12:55 AM, Jonas Staggs said:
thanks for the informative post my friend, you answered many questions as well as some I wanted to ask. specifically, landing larger fish the the pound test line your using. I was not grasping the science behind how the line doesnt instantly snap. The only thing I can think of would be drag and the flex of the pole reducing the load limit, however I didnt think those 2 things would reduce it that much.
I caught this fish with 10 or 12 lb cheap mono. The bent rod takes a lot of the force off the line, much like the leaf spring on a truck takes the pressure off the axle. Also objects in water are way lighter than they are out of the water. And then there's drag.....
Jonas Staggs reply :
On 11/19/2019 at 2:47 AM, TnRiver46 said:
I caught this fish with 10 or 12 lb cheap mono. The bent rod takes a lot of the force off the line, much like the leaf spring on a truck takes the pressure off the axle. Also objects in water are way lighter than they are out of the water. And then there's drag.....
nice, how many pounds is that fish?
TnRiver46 reply :
On 12/4/2019 at 2:27 AM, Jonas Staggs said:
nice, how many pounds is that fish?
Not exactly sure, people that would know said 30-35
Oregon Native reply :
On 12/4/2019 at 2:27 AM, Jonas Staggs said:
nice, how many pounds is that fish?
Well done....by looking at the tree's it's a good ....no....great time of year for those line-sides.
TnRiver46 reply :
On 12/4/2019 at 8:34 PM, Oregon Native said:Well done....by looking at the tree's it's a good ....no....great time of year for those line-sides.
Got that one april 4 but they are going bananas right now too!
Oregon Native reply :
On 12/7/2019 at 3:00 AM, TnRiver46 said:Got that one april 4 but they are going bananas right now too!
I don't see them on my little lake much anymore....guess they quit planting them and the muskie I heard....sadness....
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