San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Been out at my favorite local body of water a lot lately as things have been pretty fun there. 3 trips over the past week and all of them produced fish, mostly of the 2lb+ variety but nothing bigger than 3 and change.

Pattern has been a little different every day. Saturday morning was all power fishing, only threw the DS for about 10 minutes cause they were eating moving baits. Monday evening the quality fish all came on moving baits (spinnerbaits and squarebill cranks) and dropshot was the “dink slayer” catching all the little bedding bucks. Last evening I worked more bank and covered more water, with the little males jumping all over the spinnerbait and the bigger females eating the dropshot.

Also was nice to meet SDChris out there and chat for a few minutes on Tuesday!

Nice looking fish for sure!

Nice job out there again.
You definitely have that lake pretty
darn wired and looks like you are having
lots of fun. Thanks for sharing your
adventures and always love the pics.
Tight lines

VinnyBass wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2024 3:24 pm Nice job out there again.
You definitely have that lake pretty
darn wired and looks like you are having
lots of fun. Thanks for sharing your
adventures and always love the pics.
Tight lines

Thanks Vinny! Get to learn the lake all over again from a float tube now!

This fish was the male…. ~ 49cm/19”, 4.5+. The female was huge - guessing 8-9 range. She had lockjaw most of the day and when I finally got her to take, she bent out my hook. I am going to be on a mission to get her on some heavier gear..

Some more fun yesterday..

Didn't take the float tube?

Early release wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 12:03 pm Didn't take the float tube?

Not yesterday. Bro and I were planning to take them out at Murray today but the weather had other ideas

Yesterday we only had 3 hours to fish in the AM and wanted to save the tube debut for a day when we have a little more time. Weather forecast so far doesn’t look like it’s gonna be cooperative, but that could all change.. hopefully next weekend we’ll get out in them!

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:54 am Some more fun yesterday..

The Fat Ika!!

JWall wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 5:23 pm

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:54 am Some more fun yesterday..

The Fat Ika!!

When you need to get in every little nook and cranny..

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:06 am

JWall wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 5:23 pm

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:54 am Some more fun yesterday..

The Fat Ika!!

When you need to get in every little nook and cranny..

I almost gave up on those buggars after missing so many hooksets. They get bit great but all that plastic to come thru on the set. Trying to skin hook them now. Any tips?

JWall wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:08 am

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:06 am

JWall wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 5:23 pm

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:54 am Some more fun yesterday..

The Fat Ika!!

When you need to get in every little nook and cranny..

I almost gave up on those buggars after missing so many hooksets. They get bit great but all that plastic to come thru on the set. Trying to skin hook them now. Any tips?

Yep I do the skin hooked “texposed” thing with a 3/0 Hayabusa EWG. Could probably get away with a 4/0 even but I haven’t had any issues with a 3/0

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:16 am

JWall wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:08 am

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:06 am

JWall wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 5:23 pm

The Fat Ika!!

When you need to get in every little nook and cranny..

I almost gave up on those buggars after missing so many hooksets. They get bit great but all that plastic to come thru on the set. Trying to skin hook them now. Any tips?

Yep I do the skin hooked “texposed” thing with a 3/0 Hayabusa EWG. Could probably get away with a 4/0 even but I haven’t had any issues with a 3/0

Awesome, thanks!

JWall wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:08 am

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:06 am

JWall wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 5:23 pm

CorsoEnthusiast wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:54 am Some more fun yesterday..

The Fat Ika!!

When you need to get in every little nook and cranny..

I almost gave up on those buggars after missing so many hooksets. They get bit great but all that plastic to come thru on the set. Trying to skin hook them now. Any tips?

Try using a 1/0-2/0 weedless Wacky Hook just through the tip of the skirt. I like the VMC ones with the metal wire weedguards

I never had issues with ikas and hookups. I use super line wide gap hooks, rigged reverse with skirt in the front and weedless just like T RIG.
I fish them like dads, stitch em. And when the fish are chewing them good, I’ll fish two rods with a loop of line hanging. Most bites are when they are sitting, Let the fish run with it till line is tight and swing for the fence. Stout jig rod.

camobass wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 4:45 pm I never had issues with ikas and hookups. I use super line wide gap hooks, rigged reverse with skirt in the front and weedless just like T RIG.

Yep, the backslide rigging is the way. I dunno if there’s a better bait for picking apart a piece of brush.

I do both. I fish them T. Rigged and off center skin hooked to one side, then when the "wear out" i hook them through the skirt on an open hook. I figure they're a free bonus lure at this point

Fishtricks wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2024 5:21 am I do both. I fish them T. Rigged and off center skin hooked to one side, then when the "wear out" i hook them through the skirt on an open hook. I figure they're a free bonus lure at this point

Are you fishing the open hook more adjacent to cover rather than in it? Where I’m throwing them that seems like it’d snag often. I try to throw Neko in the trees and even with the wire brush guard I still end up snagging and breaking off or bending out hooks often.

Of course it has to be structure appropriate.

To be honest i use senkos and ikas about 1hr a year, its a last resort if/when im super desperate. Im dont enoy that type of bassin much.

Yes i know they work, ...still not my style

Just to add my 2 cents: Everyone has their way of rigging it, but this is the way I used to rig the IKA.

I use a weedless wire hook and a nail weight in the back end. Ready for action