San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Got to the lake right before the sun came up and it was a chilly morning, meet up with @Early release by hauser( I can hear his popper from a mile away ) and started picking fish off the shore went to the mid lake hoping to get some busters but there where no where in sight,so i headed back to the shore to use the lizard... fish after fish they where hitting the lizard hard biggest fish I was able to get was a 3.5 after about 15 20 fish I switch over to a crankbait for 1 fish then switch to a gary yamamoto 3in shad for a dink fest ever cast was a dink so after about 20 dinks again I switch to a lizard and started hitting them at one point I threw the lizard in the mid lake and use it as a swimjig and got hit with a nice fatty ..wasn't expecting that to happen wind pick up on and off around 11ish was off the water by noon... nothing on topwater the Bart simpsons didn't get hit the pikachu didn't get hit the sammie didn't get any either.... overall what a amazing day at barrett numbers don't really matter cause memory's is what really matters...... it sadden me that barret will be closing at the end of this mon th but super happy for next year fishing ... make the most out of the month peeps.... lizards work by rocks and trees shoreline and 3in shad for dinks .... happy fishing

EL_prowler_619 wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 8:51 pm I can hear his popper from a mile away

Man it’s been too long since I’ve thrown a lizard. Plum color?

JWall wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 8:58 pm

EL_prowler_619 wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 8:51 pm I can hear his popper from a mile away

Man it’s been too long since I’ve thrown a lizard. Plum color?

I like to throw more of a neutral color when they are this picky in the beginning of the season I was throwing red , plum and black and blue... now they don't hit those colors so the scoppernogg color is killer this time around the color is a little darker then pumpkin which IMO make it look like a real lizard

When you look back and realize how much joy a body of water can bring

Nice job!
Using lizards eh? I forgot about those. I better go in the garage and bring some out of retirement...ha ha
I have not fished Barrett in decades and it would be nice if it was open year round especially
because so many anglers love to fish there...........or would that be a bad thing?
Anyway...thanks for sharing and tight lines.

VinnyBass wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 9:36 pm Nice job!
Using lizards eh? I forgot about those. I better go in the garage and bring some out of retirement...ha ha
I have not fished Barrett in decades and it would be nice if it was open year round especially
because so many anglers love to fish there...........or would that be a bad thing?
Anyway...thanks for sharing and tight lines.

Great question VB. The seasonality does add to the allure of Barrett. Gives the fish a good long break. Keeps the lake more pristine. But ya, it’s a huge bummer at the end of September’s.

Nice report and it was so funny when you cast the lizard in the middle of the lake, announcing that it was the most unlikely place to get a fish and then your pole bent over and you got that fatty in the first picture. It was a fun day yesterday. It was also pretty cool to watch that osprey nail that fish and take off. I wish we would have gotten video of that.

VB, I like John's idea of the seasonality of Barrett. I think it does somehow make the time more precious. It also forces me to remember there's some other lakes in San Diego, or so I am told.

Totally forgot about the osprey that was pretty cool I thought he was gonna lose the fish but he hold on it pretty good .. I think by them closing the lake it puts a bit of ease on the fish during winter especially since they got beat up during the summer.. maybe opening it up one day a month with only 20 25 people would be cool but i feel it will usually be the same guys fishing it

VinnyBass wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 9:36 pm Nice job!
Using lizards eh? I forgot about those. I better go in the garage and bring some out of retirement...ha ha
I have not fished Barrett in decades and it would be nice if it was open year round especially
because so many anglers love to fish there...........or would that be a bad thing?
Anyway...thanks for sharing and tight lines.

I think you need to make a trip out there this year...still have a couple more weeks to go

EL_prowler_619 wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2024 9:15 am Totally forgot about the osprey that was pretty cool I thought he was gonna lose the fish but he hold on it pretty good .. I think by them closing the lake it puts a bit of ease on the fish during winter especially since they got beat up during the summer.. maybe opening it up one day a month with only 20 25 people would be cool but i feel it will usually be the same guys fishing it

If they ever opened Barrett up one day a month during the off season, to 20-25 people, you don't have to be Norstodamas to predict that
besides yourself.......@Early release will be there also, probably unlocking the gate....ha ha. .
(and of course other loyal Barrett fishermen.)

Late report from last sunday....
I ran into a another bobcat on the shore same deal on lures used lizards and work great.... a couple on top a couple on crank but the highlight was the bobcat ... not sure why I enjoy animals in nature, wind got really bad on the way in around noon water was splashing over the front and got me pretty soaked

Great pics of the cat!!

EL_prowler_619 wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2024 7:42 pm Late report from last sunday....
I ran into a another bobcat on the shore same deal on lures used lizards and work great.... a couple on top a couple on crank but the highlight was the bobcat ... not sure why I enjoy animals in nature, wind got really bad on the way in around noon water was splashing over the front and got me pretty soaked

It may have been the same cat I can tell from the smile.

EL_prowler_619 wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 9:03 pm

JWall wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 8:58 pm

EL_prowler_619 wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 8:51 pm I can hear his popper from a mile away

Man it’s been too long since I’ve thrown a lizard. Plum color?

I like to throw more of a neutral color when they are this picky in the beginning of the season I was throwing red , plum and black and blue... now they don't hit those colors so the scoppernogg color is killer this time around the color is a little darker then pumpkin which IMO make it look like a real lizard

Gotta give you a shout out @EL_prowler_619 with your lizards. Rummaged thru my bags of lizards but nothing wasn’t either too dark or too light. Then checked a bag of pumpkin/purple baby brush hogs I had yet to throw and tossed them into my bag for yesterday. After having a slower senko morning and getting the usual schoolie sizes on grubs and minnows, I tied on a texas rigged BBH. Sure enough they were all over that just past the brush line in front of steep rocks and trees. In one stretch I got 5 nicer ones on just 6 casts. You called it Brother!

JWall wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2024 8:46 am

EL_prowler_619 wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 9:03 pm

JWall wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 8:58 pm

EL_prowler_619 wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2024 8:51 pm I can hear his popper from a mile away

Man it’s been too long since I’ve thrown a lizard. Plum color?

I like to throw more of a neutral color when they are this picky in the beginning of the season I was throwing red , plum and black and blue... now they don't hit those colors so the scoppernogg color is killer this time around the color is a little darker then pumpkin which IMO make it look like a real lizard

Gotta give you a shout out @EL_prowler_619 with your lizards. Rummaged thru my bags of lizards but nothing wasn’t either too dark or too light. Then checked a bag of pumpkin/purple baby brush hogs I had yet to throw and tossed them into my bag for yesterday. After having a slower senko morning and getting the usual schoolie sizes on grubs and minnows, I tied on a texas rigged BBH. Sure enough they were all over that just past the brush line in front of steep rocks and trees. In one stretch I got 5 nicer ones on just 6 casts. You called it Brother!

Nice brotha... thise lizards hit for sure even if it's not the right color it will still hit maybe just not as constantly thou ... next time e you at the tackle pick up a few of those colors I mention they pay off when you have them and no one else