San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Hit up San V for my first trip out of the new year. Got a late start. Hit the water at about 10 and fished until 2. Well Hell, I never got a single bite I started in Toll Road hitting both the backs of the coves and the points out to 50+ft. Saw some 2-3lb cruisers in the backs but they were extremely skittish. marked fish between 20-50' but couldn't interest them. Worked some of the deep bushes by putting my dropshot right in the middle of the bushes, which has always worked for a couple of catches (as well as some lost tackle)....NOTHING.

Decided to run back to Barona. The water is low in the lake but its at almost the same level as it was a couple of years ago and i was always able to find some deep fish to salvage the day. Not this time! I worked my way from 1-2' out to 60'. Same results as Toll Road. Saw some fish shallow and marked fish deep but no one wanted to play. I did see a guy in a rental catch about a 3lb fish on a DEAD shiner he threw out, but that was the only fish I saw caught.

I tried Slow rolling a spinnerbait deep, a jerkbait with the wind coming up, jig, 10" worm, shakey head, dropshot 6", 4", all the way down to my (usually) foolproof Fluttercraft. All baits that I have had good luck on this time of year with not even the hint of a strike. Oh well, I guess after the winter/spring I had there last year, I was due to get my butt kicked by the fish. It was one of those weird days where nothing felt right. From the time i hit the water until I called it a day, everything just felt "off".

Ill be back you little green bastards! I shall return!!

Moose, we had the same experience at Otay yesterday. There were 4 of us and we were all doing different things. It just wasn't a fishy day.

Sounds like a real tough one out there, but you gave them lots of opportunities to gobble up your baits.
I have no doubt that those bass will pay the price in the future when you are slaying them for being jerks over the weekend. Thanks for sharing and tight lines always!

Misery loves company so it seems lol

Don’t take this the wrong way but I’m relieved that others have these days. Especially someone with your talents. You will crush them next time

Prespawn...tough tough tough!

Can't say you didn't try.

Our last few visits to San V in the last 6 weeks have been a crap shoot. We've caugh fish junk fishing, but we never did get down a pattern. San V doesn't seem to be in our horizons for the rest of 2025, as our only tournaments left in '25 are at El Cap and Otay.

I hear this place can get some pretty good topwater action later in the year.

I have a feeling its going to get a lot better in the coming weeks. The water is already 58 and it seems like the fish are staging on the point out deep but just didnt want to play on Saturday.

When they are off, they can be complexly shutdown. Keep it up and enjoy life!

JWall wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:43 am Don’t take this the wrong way but I’m relieved that others have these days. Especially someone with your talents. You will crush them next time

Don't let anyone fool ya, we ALL have those days, or even those stretches!

Early release wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 3:42 pm Moose, we had the same experience at Otay yesterday. There were 4 of us and we were all doing different things. It just wasn't a fishy day.

Feel your pain. Went out three times end of Dec., 1/2 day each. I got a blow up at El Cap, a top water catch which got off halfway to the boat at Otay, and just plain ol' nada again at Otay.

Made up for it this past few days though. As you know, it's been darn cold here lately, and slow, so went to Baccarac, where it's 85 daily now. Buddy Chuck @619bassin and I got a couple of dozen per day each, averaging 2.5 lbs.Lots of 3's, 4's and 5's, (many on topwater, which I LUV) up to 8.6 for me. Chuck got a 8.7 biggie. Funny (strange funny), our guide threw my deep diver XD10 one time 'just for fun' right after I tossed the same lure 10 times and he got A 10.2! Go figure. Will post a report soon.

Baccarac is such a great experience. Chuck and I were there last year with the same guide you had. Sounds like you guys had a great time. Welcome back.