San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Another great day on the water Sunday. Motoring out by 6, this time with a boat rental. We explored Pine Cove — haven’t been there for a while. Finally got some top water action going with my dad’s really old popper. I feel like I know what the action should be like now. Caught both large and small; mostly they were hanging out a foot or two from shore. Had a lot of fun in Pine and Becky’s cove then dropped a buddy at the dock at 4.

Theo and I went back out for the late afternoon session and totally scored. We found honey hole that was on fuego. First 10 hours of the earlier session I caught 26, largest was 4.4. The next 3 hours for the afternoon session I also caught 26, including a 5.2, 4.8, 4.7, 4.3, and several over 3. Not by rocks or under green overhangs, but in the middle next to dead branches in about 10-12 feet. It was amazing and my thumbs were toast yesterday.

I also may have solved a mystery I’ve been trying to solve for. Like some other days recently, on Sunday I was fishing a large lure specifically thinking about quality over quantity. My 9 inch curly tail got slammed and the line snapped before I could even set the hook. I kept thinking that my knots were somehow weak, and by extension I was weak as well But Sunday I caught the same fish that snapped my line just a few casts earlier. Peaking out of the fish’s stomach was the tail of my previous lure. I was stoked to be able to easily pull it out and make her comfortable again. 9 inches of the entire perfectly intact plastic worm came right out, complete with the hook — which somehow did not stick anywhere on the fish — and a bit of line broken just above the knot.

The mystery that I think was solved is that I believe this fish swallowed this entire large lure in one bite, with her sharp teeth coming down on my line and immediately severing it. Knot was fine, lure was like new, and my thumb was bleeding. This type of thing has happened to me several times — I don’t know if I should be doing something different so that I can hook these larger fish without them severing my line. Is this a known thing?

Oh, and I broke my PB record by 12 fish Sunday and beat my son Theo by 3 fish (not that we’re counting). And throw in top water action with my dad’s old lure, catching a bunch of big ol’ fish, and solving a friggin mystery… damn fine day at Barrett!

Great full day out there!! On your line break…I personally doubt the fish bit through your line. Not a bass anyway. My guess is there was a nick in it right above the knot from an earlier catch. Nicks can happen from wood or rocks pretty easily and you don't realize it. Check the first foot or two above the lure several times throughout the day, it will keep you from losing your next PB or the bragging rights vs. El Machino lol. If not that, it could be the dreaded bad spool of line with manufacturing defaults throughout or weakend by heat or exposure over time. In that case you are better off throwing away the entire spool and starting over with fresh. There’s not much worse than respooling what you think is good line only to lose several fish in a session.

Headed out for my 2nd date Saturday and can’t wait. Hope to run into you guys!

PS I see Theo back there driving. There’s nothing that kid can’t do!!

saw you guys leave the dock . my bro and i did pretty well , but very few on the jigs for us. we found a little cove with bass chasing shad spawn and got them on underspins and tiny topwaters. glad you had a good time

That’s so cool that you caught fish on your dad’s old lure.

Super rad and epic with the grom!! I was out there on Sunday with my two boys and we scored as well with a similar experience. The kids got most of theirs fishing uphill with neko rigs / wacky stickbaits, but the standout fish were on the chatterbait, poppin frog and flippin a jig in the trees surrounding bluegill beds. Our first trip of the year and it was so damn fun!

Always retie your knot after catching a large fish.Even if it appears fine, the intense pressure and stress during the fight can weaken it, making it more prone to failure.Retieing your knot ensures it remains strong and reliable.

JWall wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 6:06 am Great full day out there!! On your line break…I personally doubt the fish bit through your line. Not a bass anyway. My guess is there was a nick in it right above the knot from an earlier catch. Nicks can happen from wood or rocks pretty easily and you don't realize it. Check the first foot or two above the lure several times throughout the day, it will keep you from losing your next PB or the bragging rights vs. El Machino lol. If not that, it could be the dreaded bad spool of line with manufacturing defaults throughout or weakend by heat or exposure over time. In that case you are better off throwing away the entire spool and starting over with fresh. There’s not much worse than respooling what you think is good line only to lose several fish in a session.

Headed out for my 2nd date Saturday and can’t wait. Hope to run into you guys!

PS I see Theo back there driving. There’s nothing that kid can’t do!!

Hey John! Damaged line makes sense. I never check it, and as another poster mentioned, I should have a look at the knots too. I’ve been breaking off A LOT this year and besides losing fish I hate to think about the other impacts. Btw, I tie my leader to lures with the Rapala knot. What knot do you use?

And we will be back on Saturday so I hope to see you! Theo has a bday party so Julian has agreed to join me on Bassquatch. Won’t be arriving until about 11. And I’m barely going to fish — I’m just going to focus on getting Julian into fish so he picks up the Barrett stoke (he prefers catching over fishing)

bass at sunrise wrote: Wed May 28, 2025 10:46 am Always retie your knot after catching a large fish.Even if it appears fine, the intense pressure and stress during the fight can weaken it, making it more prone to failure.Retieing your knot ensures it remains strong and reliable.

Thanks for the tip! I’ve never done this and lose plenty due to line snaps. I’ve been using the Rapala knot to tie on lures. Which do you generally use?

Hey John! Damaged line makes sense. I never check it, and as another poster mentioned, I should have a look at the knots too. I’ve been breaking off A LOT this year and besides losing fish I hate to think about the other impacts. Btw, I tie my leader to lures with the Rapala knot. What knot do you use?

And we will be back on Saturday so I hope to see you! Theo has a bday party so Julian has agreed to join me on Bassquatch. Won’t be arriving until about 11. And I’m barely going to fish — I’m just going to focus on getting Julian into fish so he picks up the Barrett stoke (he prefers catching over fishing)
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I tie the fastest knot I can! Seriously I tie an improved clinch knot or a palomar knot depending on line size, bait size, etc.

I generally use a uni-knot to tie on large crank baits, large spinner baits and Palomar for plastic worms,jigs, and of course hooks.

You can watch videos on how to tie these two knots on YouTube.I use a arbor knot to tie line onto a reel.

You'd be surprised at how much damage the gristle plate can cause to your line. After EVERY fish, I just run my fingers up and down the line. Even one little nick can substantially weaken the line - especially if you get a good fish. If there's a nick, retie.

Sometimes, in all the excitement of frequent bites, I forget. After a few fish, when I remember, I check and the line feels like sandpaper...

If you are using lite line on a bait caster, the line can sometimes get between the spool and body of the reel, making it notched and weak? This may happen temporary and you would not realize it. Seems strange for your line to be breaking so easily?

Great trip with you Son! Thanks for sharing!

I use straight Pline...green 6-8lb mono . I never break off and have had several 5lb plus bass this year out of Barrett....just my thoughts. I don't do the florocarbon any more.

Check your line after every couple fish or after any fish that rubs against cover. Retie if it's even slightly frayed and you're using under 20lb test. Bass can't bite through line but their coarse lips will wear it down and weaken it. Probably use heavier line, my impression is that the majority of SD Fishers use excessively light line purely to their detriment. On baitcasters I use 20lb for things that are going to be around cover and 14lb for things that are going to be in fairly open water. For spinning my setups prefer to use 6lb/10lb but go up to 10lb/14lb when they need to be able to pull fish away from cover faster. Never in my bass fishing life have I felt like using heavier line caused me to get fewer bites because the fish could see the line. It does make the action on your soft baits marginally worse/less lively and make crankbaits not dig as deep which is why I use lighter line when I'm not around heavy cover. Ages ago I used 10/12lb on baitcasters; going to 14lb/20lb has been a massive benefit. For the price, I don't think there is anything better than Sunline Sniper. It's the only thing I've used for probably 10 years.

Rapala knot is fine for bass fishing; any knot you tie properly and quickly is a good one. I personally use a uni knot for all lure connections except drop shot/punching. It has never failed me.

Epic session that day btw. I hope it's just one of many this season! Hoping to recreate that magic today

I have had bad line that broke very easy.
Here is something interesting I think. Last trip to Barrett I was using an elaztech bait and as I was fighting a bass I saw another bass ripping at the bait that had slid up the line. It was really going at it, bait in the mouth so line in mouth. As it was doing it, it felt like head shake and line pulling loose like from branch. I had just retied and where the bait was it did have some fraying. I did drop back down and catch him. I have been baffled at my line getting so frayed only going through bushes, I think I know why now.

As soft and slimy as those submerged sticks feel, they are like sand paper when your line digs through them. That’s how the stick ups at Loveland are. Every time your line goes through the sticks when bringing in a fish, the line is trashed.

Glad to hear you like the P-Line green I just filled one of my reels 8lb green that’s all they had I was a little worried about the green I always use clear so thanks for your input, it takes me back to my Maxima days.