San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Well for the first few hours it seemed like bad business as usual at the old lake. Just cold and rainy! The game plan was to throw a buzz bait through flooded brush. If that failed, a spinnerbait through flooded brush. I just knew they had to be in flooded brush! Well, if they were, they were not interested in my offerings. Started flipping stick baits up almost onto shore. Finally, about 7:00, I caught a respectable 2lb fish. My fourth fish of the year in 3 trips. Not a stellar Spring! Then I caught a 13... inch Bass. Then I hooked what looked like a 4 pounder that tail-walked off my line Just 3 feet from my net. That felt bad and good at the same time! Seems the lake is slowly waking form it's rainy winter slumber. Caught 3 more and lost two more. About 8 bites, in all. Broke my rule about pic-worthy fish. This one was just over 2 pounds. Not sure why it is sideways. Just turn your monitor sideways.

Very nice! I was getting concerned last week that spring was never going to happen on D.K.! I think when summer gets here, they'll be in the brush...if the City doesn't take all the water out first! I never thought of taking a photo while laying on my side!!!

Nice job @fisheromen and under cool conditions at the lake of D & K. Looks like you had some fun and sorry to hear about the one that got away(you will hopefully catch him and bigger ones sooner or later). The water level at the lake has been so high that I thought you had to fish sideways judging from your pic...ha ha
Great to see you out fishing, catching and posting again. Tight lines always

Thanks to whomever fixed my photo!

I have very good (Luck) fishing this method at Sutherland during high water.
It is basically a heavy drop shot, I make my weights 3/4 oz from a piece of lead from a 1lb spool of hollow lead. (Main use is river drifting for salmon) cut to length and insert a swivel put in vise to crimp. Rebar hook 5’ leader to a swivel , there is some line swist after many casts. Pitch to base on flooded brush, shake a couple times, reel up repeat.
I use 15lb mono. My findings are there deep in the brush.thats where there nesting.
This is only something that works for me. Thought I would pass it along.

Thank you , great photos and fish report.

I forgot to add, if your getting a lot of snags.
You can cut 1/4” surgical tubing to slide over your weight , it will pull off and you’ll get your weight back.
Good luck

That lake was steller in the old days. You could walk across the schools of threadfin. If they would just leave a consistent amount of water in there, maybe it would return to the glory days? Love that place, just a little far for me, since I live in Lakeside and SV and El Cap are so close.
Thank you for the reports!

Nicely done, glad to see some fish caught

Hallelujah!

Stringbean wrote: Sat May 06, 2023 3:59 pm I forgot to add, if your getting a lot of snags.
You can cut 1/4” surgical tubing to slide over your weight , it will pull off and you’ll get your weight back.
Good luck

I learned that surgical tubing trick fishing steelhead on the Klamath River!

Would magnets work on Steeleheads?