4/21 afternoon sesh at Cap

[CorsoEnthusiast]

Wrapped up the weekend in my favorite place, doing my favorite thing. Weather was absolutely gorgeous. Wind was pretty gnarly on and off for the whole afternoon.

Some observations:
water level is still going up. It had been about 10 days since my last visit and stuff I was standing on then is underwater. Snow melt must be feeding the inlets well. It is about 6’ shy of where the water level was this time last year by my estimation.

There are lots of bucks up shallow on beds. They seem to prefer smaller baits which makes them easy to filter out some of the time. These guys are 10-13” mostly. Good if you need a skunk buster and they’re pretty easy pickings right now.

The second class of fish I’m seeing in that part of the lake are 2-2.75ish. Practically carbon copies. I had to look at some of my pics closely to make sure they weren’t the same fish caught twice because they seem to ALL be about that size once you get out deeper than about 10-12’. And they love a brush hog about any way you can rig it. Today, t rig and free rig (need to see if Zoom makes a non salt version that falls slower for the free rig)

Next weekend will likely do a tube trip out here one morning and try to take advantage of the calmer time of day before the wind starts to howl out there.

Fun times as always. After fishing out of town yesterday and not getting anything close to the result I wanted it felt good to be back at “home sweet home”

[JWall]

Boy you weren’t kidding about the wind! We got a late start which meant we only missed the first hour of cold, damp gusts from the east. When that finally settled around 9, we expected about an hour or two of that usual sunny calm before the westerlies kick in. Nope! It was westerly gusts almost right away. Oh well, we hung in there long enough for me to establish a mini-pattern split shotting small margarita mutilator robos. I was dragging them in 10-12 feet and had a steady pick on both sides of the north arm about midway out. They were that 2-3lb class you described. One a female still holding her roe. The girl busted her skunk on those smaller males on reapers shallower. We bailed around 10:30.

[CorsoEnthusiast]

Boy you weren’t kidding about the wind! We got a late start which meant we only missed the first hour of cold, damp gusts from the east. When that finally settled around 9, we expected about an hour or two of that usual sunny calm before the westerlies kick in. Nope! It was westerly gusts almost right away. Oh well, we hung in there long enough for me to establish a mini-pattern split shotting small margarita mutilator robos. I was dragging them in 10-12 feet and had a steady pick on both sides of the north arm about midway out. They were that 2-3lb class you described. One a female still holding her roe. The girl busted her skunk on those smaller males on reapers shallower. We bailed around 10:30.

How does the splitshot do coming through all the trees? That would be my biggest concern

[JWall]

Boy you weren’t kidding about the wind! We got a late start which meant we only missed the first hour of cold, damp gusts from the east. When that finally settled around 9, we expected about an hour or two of that usual sunny calm before the westerlies kick in. Nope! It was westerly gusts almost right away. Oh well, we hung in there long enough for me to establish a mini-pattern split shotting small margarita mutilator robos. I was dragging them in 10-12 feet and had a steady pick on both sides of the north arm about midway out. They were that 2-3lb class you described. One a female still holding her roe. The girl busted her skunk on those smaller males on reapers shallower. We bailed around 10:30.

How does the splitshot do coming through all the trees? That would be my biggest concern

It’s a delicate lil dance. You get good at telling the difference between the slow resistance of a tree limb and the pop of a bite. Occasionally you get hung up but it helps with the mobility being on the water vs shore pounding. Getting right over the snag or just on the other side usually gets it unsnagged. I was essentially dragging parallel to the shore in the zone just beyond most of the trees tho. I was snagged on a boulder and as I was shaking my rig to extricate, I got bit by one of the nicer ones. Surprise!! We do throw split shot reapers right up on the banks trying to tease bass out of the trees and brush. They get in the limbs a bit but the smaller size shot seems to eliminate too many hang ups. Again, not setting the hook unless you feel a tug vs resistance is key.

I did follow your lead on a brush hog a bit yesterday but I rigged it on a ned rig. Mistake! Out of maybe 4 casts I hung it up once and retrieved it with my hound dog. The next cast got stuck immediately and the dog was no help. Next time I’m definitely throwing it T-rig and weedless. Do you peg the sinker?

[CorsoEnthusiast]

Boy you weren’t kidding about the wind! We got a late start which meant we only missed the first hour of cold, damp gusts from the east. When that finally settled around 9, we expected about an hour or two of that usual sunny calm before the westerlies kick in. Nope! It was westerly gusts almost right away. Oh well, we hung in there long enough for me to establish a mini-pattern split shotting small margarita mutilator robos. I was dragging them in 10-12 feet and had a steady pick on both sides of the north arm about midway out. They were that 2-3lb class you described. One a female still holding her roe. The girl busted her skunk on those smaller males on reapers shallower. We bailed around 10:30.

How does the splitshot do coming through all the trees? That would be my biggest concern

It’s a delicate lil dance. You get good at telling the difference between the slow resistance of a tree limb and the pop of a bite. Occasionally you get hung up but it helps with the mobility being on the water vs shore pounding. Getting right over the snag or just on the other side usually gets it unsnagged. I was essentially dragging parallel to the shore in the zone just beyond most of the trees tho. I was snagged on a boulder and as I was shaking my rig to extricate, I got bit by one of the nicer ones. Surprise!! We do throw split shot reapers right up on the banks trying to tease bass out of the trees and brush. They get in the limbs a bit but the smaller size shot seems to eliminate too many hang ups. Again, not setting the hook unless you feel a tug vs resistance is key.

I did follow your lead on a brush hog a bit yesterday but I rigged it on a ned rig. Mistake! Out of maybe 4 casts I hung it up once and retrieved it with my hound dog. The next cast got stuck immediately and the dog was no help. Next time I’m definitely throwing it T-rig and weedless. Do you peg the sinker?

Yep, my bro was dragging a Ned and I played around with a shaky head and there’s just so much of that algae slime close to the bank. He fishes a really light EWG ned head and he still snags a lot in the trees and rocks. Dropshot and t rig come through that stuff pretty good for me but I still hang up sometimes.

Re t-rig, I will peg my weight for flippin 100% of the time. Most of the time I’m casting I fish it unpegged like a free rig. For just regular Worm fishing stuff where I’m not trying to punch through cover I don’t really notice a difference if the weight is pegged or not honestly.

[camobass]

Split shot is pretty snag free. Get either smooth ball or clam shots.

You can always peg an egg sinker if you’re worried about pinching the line. Bill Murphy had a great technique crimping the split shot on the tag end of your line then running it up and down the line to wear a smooth groove in the weight that still holds, then slide up, cut your worn tag and tie your hook.

[CorsoEnthusiast]

Split shot is pretty snag free. Get either smooth ball or clam shots.

You can always peg an egg sinker if you’re worried about pinching the line. Bill Murphy had a great technique crimping the split shot on the tag end of your line then running it up and down the line to wear a smooth groove in the weight that still holds, then slide up, cut your worn tag and tie your hook.

Yep I’ve only ever used the ones with the ears on em and they snag up pretty badly for me.

[JWall]

Split shot is pretty snag free. Get either smooth ball or clam shots.

You can always peg an egg sinker if you’re worried about pinching the line. Bill Murphy had a great technique crimping the split shot on the tag end of your line then running it up and down the line to wear a smooth groove in the weight that still holds, then slide up, cut your worn tag and tie your hook.

Yep I’ve only ever used the ones with the ears on em and they snag up pretty badly for me.

I recently switched to round and they are much better. Not reusable though, or movable without damaging the line around them somewhat.

[JWall]

Split shot is pretty snag free. Get either smooth ball or clam shots.

You can always peg an egg sinker if you’re worried about pinching the line. Bill Murphy had a great technique crimping the split shot on the tag end of your line then running it up and down the line to wear a smooth groove in the weight that still holds, then slide up, cut your worn tag and tie your hook.

Always awesome to see Lunker Bill references

[CorsoEnthusiast]

Split shot is pretty snag free. Get either smooth ball or clam shots.

You can always peg an egg sinker if you’re worried about pinching the line. Bill Murphy had a great technique crimping the split shot on the tag end of your line then running it up and down the line to wear a smooth groove in the weight that still holds, then slide up, cut your worn tag and tie your hook.

Always awesome to see Lunker Bill references

My grandpa and uncle knew Lunker Bill, they were a part of the Pisces Bass Club and the group of guys that helped write the book on fishing for Florida strain LMB in SoCal. He used to tell stories about all of that and it’s cool to hear it corroborated on stuff like the Big Bass Podcast half a century later.

[camobass]

Split shot is pretty snag free. Get either smooth ball or clam shots.

You can always peg an egg sinker if you’re worried about pinching the line. Bill Murphy had a great technique crimping the split shot on the tag end of your line then running it up and down the line to wear a smooth groove in the weight that still holds, then slide up, cut your worn tag and tie your hook.

Yep I’ve only ever used the ones with the ears on em and they snag up pretty badly for me.

I recently switched to round and they are much better. Not reusable though, or movable without damaging the line around them somewhat.

Check out clam shots from bass pro. Only place I have found them, I think it’s their brand.

[KillinTime]

I have been a fan of the mojo weights for split shoting. You can use a needed threader and your old silicone skirt strands for the stoppers. If they slide due to a hang-up, just slide it back into place. You can also change split shot length at anytime.

[VinnyBass]

Split shot is pretty snag free. Get either smooth ball or clam shots.

You can always peg an egg sinker if you’re worried about pinching the line. Bill Murphy had a great technique crimping the split shot on the tag end of your line then running it up and down the line to wear a smooth groove in the weight that still holds, then slide up, cut your worn tag and tie your hook.

Always awesome to see Lunker Bill references

My grandpa and uncle knew Lunker Bill, they were a part of the Pisces Bass Club and the group of guys that helped write the book on fishing for Florida strain LMB in SoCal. He used to tell stories about all of that and it’s cool to hear it corroborated on stuff like the Big Bass Podcast half a century later.

My father and I used split shots up the line a lot with plastic worms especially when we fished Lake Miramar, so that your worm didn’t disappear with a heavy bullet weight in that grass. It was basically a finesse technique that made that worm go down slow and have a little bit more action when you were working it. What’s crazy is I was in Pisces Bass Club and my dad would drive me out to Lemon Grove for the meetings and I think I was in ninth grade or 10th grade. All the key bass fisherman in San Diego were part of that and it was really exciting for me when I was a kid. They were all bass fishing heroes to me.

[bendopolo 44+]

In heavy cover, try a small finishing nail slipped into the worm behind the hook. With a Texas rigged hook it is virtually snag free and is smooth so it goes thru the algae. Very inexpensive little trick from the 70s when I listened intently to the Bass Pros in my Dads Fishing Club, the Fullerton Spinners.

[camobass]

Or you can just fish a 12-16” worm with no weight at all. Haha

[bendopolo 44+]

Or you can just fish a 12-16” worm with no weight at all. Haha

You are correct in many situations. In clear water I usually flyline if possible, depending mostly on the wind. In tinted or muddy water the act of the Worm sliding on the bottom and smashing thru cover triggers the bite. It also aids in casting distance and you have a more direct connection with the bait.

[KillinTime]

Or you can just fish a 12-16” worm with no weight at all. Haha

You are correct in many situations. In clear water I usually flyline if possible, depending mostly on the wind. In tinted or muddy water the act of the Worm sliding on the bottom and smashing thru cover triggers the bite. It also aids in casting distance and you have a more direct connection with the bait.

Depending on the wind........ Too bad we are talking about El Cap..... Hahahahaha

[Mcfish]

In heavy cover, try a small finishing nail slipped into the worm behind the hook. With a Texas rigged hook it is virtually snag free and is smooth so it goes thru the algae. Very inexpensive little trick from the 70s when I listened intently to the Bass Pros in my Dads Fishing Club, the Fullerton Spinners.

I thought I invented the finishing nail for weighting worms back in '65 ! I use to split shot my plastics worms and when I ran out of split shots, I couldn't afford more so I raided my dad's workbench and stuck the finishing nails in my Creme worms. I would hacksaw the nails in half and get a 2 for 1 deal... until I could afford more split shots..! Thankfully, I can afford split shots now!

[camobass]

Or you can just fish a 12-16” worm with no weight at all. Haha

You are correct in many situations. In clear water I usually flyline if possible, depending mostly on the wind. In tinted or muddy water the act of the Worm sliding on the bottom and smashing thru cover triggers the bite. It also aids in casting distance and you have a more direct connection with the bait.

Depending on the wind........ Too bad we are talking about El Cap..... Hahahahaha

Your mistaken if you don’t think 12-16” worms get fly lined at cap

[camobass]

In heavy cover, try a small finishing nail slipped into the worm behind the hook. With a Texas rigged hook it is virtually snag free and is smooth so it goes thru the algae. Very inexpensive little trick from the 70s when I listened intently to the Bass Pros in my Dads Fishing Club, the Fullerton Spinners.

I thought I invented the finishing nail for weighting worms back in '65 ! I use to split shot my plastics worms and when I ran out of split shots, I couldn't afford more so I raided my dad's workbench and stuck the finishing nails in my Creme worms. I would hacksaw the nails in half and get a 2 for 1 deal... until I could afford more split shots..! Thankfully, I can afford split shots now!

Is that when you walked to school and back miles up hill in the snow?