San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

I ventured over to Murray with my kayak this morning as today was going to be the only day I could fish this week. Water levels at Murray is up and down every few days now as I stop by the lake often and check it out at the boatramp. What was a foot or two above the average level last week which was positive, now the water is down a number of feet. Talking to city workers there, they will never raise the water back up to the level years ago, but it really bugs me they keep messing with it. Anyway, I can't do nothing about it.
I managed a few small bass on a small Gunfish making numerous casts of some that were hitting the surface. Did land one nicer bass that went 3.50lbs which looked bigger compared to the ones I was catching. Wormed a little for a couple small bass and then the winds came up. There were tiny bass chasing shad along the surface(the ones that @Mcfish goes for, so I just decided what the heck, and tied on a very small jerk bait and started landing little micro bass. It must have looked silly, if anyone was watching but a fish is a fish. Ended up with 13 bass, but all were small except for one and the rest were just micro bass. Definitely a different type of day for me, but bottomline.....I had fun.

Good The Bad A few samples of Lots of Ugly...ha ha

I hope you brought your magnifying glass with you so you could actually see what you caught! You're right though...a fish is a fish....except in this case..lol lol lol..! You didn't catch a skunk, so you are way ahead of the game! I'd take that size any day, except when I'm catching rreal fish! HaHaHaHa.....

Great job Vinny at least u got a nicer one bigger fish there gotta weed thru little guys sometimes I like it for the confidence

Why you making fun of small jerkbaits?
Nice job!

Pwy_FireCapt wrote: Mon Aug 11, 2025 8:49 pm Why you making fun of small jerkbaits?
Nice job!

It was fun having those bass bang that thing and can see how much fun you have throwing them.
And of course I only used a small one to have a better chance of catching those little buggers.
You have proven time after time that jerkbaits don’t just catch small fish. Tight lines to always buddy.

In my book a fish is a fish. What size Gunfish And Jerk bait were you using?

vito1023 wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 7:09 am In my book a fish is a fish. What size Gunfish And Jerk bait were you using?

Vito, just recently I bought a few Gunfish 75NF because of the success a couple buddies have had.
I have never prior to that thrown one that small, but I think it does better at matching the bait(shad)
that the bass are chasing. I have had most of my luck on the chrome colored one.
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lucky_C ... LCGF7.html
I am not sure about the small jerk bait because there is nothing on it to ID it. I have a few
of them I bought years ago and I have a Berkley Flicker shad that is a diving bait that
looks similar so it may be a Berkley bait? Anyway....Good luck.

Was that you on the grey kayak? I was out yesterday all morning with less success. Got out at 5:45 and fished top water for about an hour. 3 missed blowups… chased boils for a while but couldn’t get a bite. Went to the power lines managed to get a 2 on the spybait in about 20-25 feet. Got a decent one on drop shot over there too. Spybait fish are fun so that was great. I was out there thinkin about how you and some of the other dudes on here always seem to manage double digits, I gotta step it up!! Anyhow great report, cheers!

rickskipper wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 9:52 am Was that you on the grey kayak? I was out yesterday all morning with less success. Got out at 5:45 and fished top water for about an hour. 3 missed blowups… chased boils for a while but couldn’t get a bite. Went to the power lines managed to get a 2 on the spybait in about 20-25 feet. Got a decent one on drop shot over there too. Spybait fish are fun so that was great. I was out there thinkin about how you and some of the other dudes on here always seem to manage double digits, I gotta step it up!! Anyhow great report, cheers!

I was in my Green/Camouflage Hobie PA 12 and missed the early bite as I did not get there till around 7. I stayed mostly over near the far fence line and out over in that area and never ventured down to the power lines. I was at the entrance to San Carlos before I left and that is where most of my micro bass were caught. The topwater action is brutal and only picked up 3 on the surface with
the small Gunfish. Made tons of casts to to get those. That is funny as I tried a spy bait for a few minutes but just did not have the patience to make it work...ha ha. You may be confusing me with "other dudes on here always seem to manage double digits." I am more of the guy who may occasionally catch a bass between 4-6lbs at Murray. You may have to teach me what I am doing wrong with
the spy bait as I have not caught many at all on it, but know guys really do well at times using it. My problem is I have to keep it tied on my line for more than 5 minutes probably...ha ha
Tight lines

Man I’d take a single 4lber over big numbers any day! I think I was referring to Mcfish when talking about double digit days lol he puts up numbers! I bought a few spybaits last year and have been forcing myself to use them cause they were pricey, lots of casting but it’s fun when I get bored of bottom fishing. I like to count it down and try to run it underneath any bait balls I mark, or just off the bottom has worked good too. I’m no expert yet but that’s what I’ve learned over the past year. It’s been fun watching the bass do acrobatics even if I can’t catch them, tight lines to you too my friend!

VinnyBass wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 8:29 am

vito1023 wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 7:09 am In my book a fish is a fish. What size Gunfish And Jerk bait were you using?

Vito, just recently I bought a few Gunfish 75NF because of the success a couple buddies have had.
I have never prior to that thrown one that small, but I think it does better at matching the bait(shad)
that the bass are chasing. I have had most of my luck on the chrome colored one.
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lucky_C ... LCGF7.html
I am not sure about the small jerk bait because there is nothing on it to ID it. I have a few
of them I bought years ago and I have a Berkley Flicker shad that is a diving bait that
looks similar so it may be a Berkley bait?
Unknown-2.jpegIMG_2026.jpg
Anyway....Good luck.

Do you tie straight braid or leader of flor or mono?

rickskipper wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 11:15 am Man I’d take a single 4lber over big numbers any day! I think I was referring to Mcfish when talking about double digit days lol he puts up numbers! I bought a few spybaits last year and have been forcing myself to use them cause they were pricey, lots of casting but it’s fun when I get bored of bottom fishing. I like to count it down and try to run it underneath any bait balls I mark, or just off the bottom has worked good too. I’m no expert yet but that’s what I’ve learned over the past year. It’s been fun watching the bass do acrobatics even if I can’t catch them, tight lines to you too my friend!

Oh my gosh, I thought you were talking about double digit sized bass. Yeah making tons of casts helps the odds but it’s more fun if the bass are actually biting. If I had to pick one lake between Murray and Miramar on the best odds of catching double digit number of fish, I would pick Miramar. (I’m not gonna mention Barrett because that’s silly) I was pretty darn lucky to pick up 11 but it was a little tougher last time that I was there but it should be going off a lot better around now and hopefully a good top water bite in September.
And my hats off to Mcfish who really does put up great numbers wherever he fishes.
Tight lines

rickskipper wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 11:15 am Man I’d take a single 4lber over big numbers any day! I think I was referring to Mcfish when talking about double digit days lol he puts up numbers! I bought a few spybaits last year and have been forcing myself to use them cause they were pricey, lots of casting but it’s fun when I get bored of bottom fishing. I like to count it down and try to run it underneath any bait balls I mark, or just off the bottom has worked good too. I’m no expert yet but that’s what I’ve learned over the past year. It’s been fun watching the bass do acrobatics even if I can’t catch them, tight lines to you too my friend!

I know lots of people that only throw bigger baits (I'm working on Vinny) and catch nice fish, I just like to catch more fish, with nice fish mixed in.. Too many people think that throwing finesse baits only gets you small fish! I think that the area and depth youre fishing has more of an effect on the size of fish you're catching! The majority of fish I'm catching on finesse baits are one and a half to four pounds with bigger fish as a bonus. I've caught double digit fish on finesse worms and picked up an eight pounder at Murray last month on a splitshotted 4" worm! I know it might be fun catching a 4lber on a big old crank bait, but I normally fish 8 hours and I prefer catching more than a couple fish during that time! Don't look now, but Vinny has been downsizing some of his baits lately! You won't see them in his photos...for fear of looking like a sissy...lol lol lol......

vito1023 wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 12:04 pm

VinnyBass wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 8:29 am

vito1023 wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 7:09 am In my book a fish is a fish. What size Gunfish And Jerk bait were you using?

Vito, just recently I bought a few Gunfish 75NF because of the success a couple buddies have had.
I have never prior to that thrown one that small, but I think it does better at matching the bait(shad)
that the bass are chasing. I have had most of my luck on the chrome colored one.
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lucky_C ... LCGF7.html
I am not sure about the small jerk bait because there is nothing on it to ID it. I have a few
of them I bought years ago and I have a Berkley Flicker shad that is a diving bait that
looks similar so it may be a Berkley bait?
Unknown-2.jpegIMG_2026.jpg
Anyway....Good luck.

Do you tie straight braid or leader of flor or mono?

If I’m using braid, I never use a leader. So when I’m throwing top water, I’m usually throwing straight mono or fluorocarbon.

Mcfish wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 1:02 pm

rickskipper wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 11:15 am Man I’d take a single 4lber over big numbers any day! I think I was referring to Mcfish when talking about double digit days lol he puts up numbers! I bought a few spybaits last year and have been forcing myself to use them cause they were pricey, lots of casting but it’s fun when I get bored of bottom fishing. I like to count it down and try to run it underneath any bait balls I mark, or just off the bottom has worked good too. I’m no expert yet but that’s what I’ve learned over the past year. It’s been fun watching the bass do acrobatics even if I can’t catch them, tight lines to you too my friend!

I know lots of people that only throw bigger baits (I'm working on Vinny) and catch nice fish, I just like to catch more fish, with nice fish mixed in.. Too many people think that throwing finesse baits only gets you small fish! I think that the area and depth youre fishing has more of an effect on the size of fish you're catching! The majority of fish I'm catching on finesse baits are one and a half to four pounds with bigger fish as a bonus. I've caught double digit fish on finesse worms and picked up an eight pounder at Murray last month on a splitshotted 4" worm! I know it might be fun catching a 4lber on a big old crank bait, but I normally fish 8 hours and I prefer catching more than a couple fish during that time! Don't look now, but Vinny has been downsizing some of his baits lately! You won't see them in his photos...for fear of looking like a sissy...lol lol lol......

Actually, speaking of small baits, I used a 4 inch Googan craw when I caught my 9 1/2 at
Sutherland a few years ago… so you do have a
point that small baits can catch bigger fish sometimes.

Yeah @Mcfish I've been working on him too. I even loaned him a BFS rig to try out, but it reels left handed so he couldn't get the hang of it. So who's the real sissy here lol.

VinnyBass wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 6:37 pm

Mcfish wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 1:02 pm

rickskipper wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 11:15 am Man I’d take a single 4lber over big numbers any day! I think I was referring to Mcfish when talking about double digit days lol he puts up numbers! I bought a few spybaits last year and have been forcing myself to use them cause they were pricey, lots of casting but it’s fun when I get bored of bottom fishing. I like to count it down and try to run it underneath any bait balls I mark, or just off the bottom has worked good too. I’m no expert yet but that’s what I’ve learned over the past year. It’s been fun watching the bass do acrobatics even if I can’t catch them, tight lines to you too my friend!

I know lots of people that only throw bigger baits (I'm working on Vinny) and catch nice fish, I just like to catch more fish, with nice fish mixed in.. Too many people think that throwing finesse baits only gets you small fish! I think that the area and depth youre fishing has more of an effect on the size of fish you're catching! The majority of fish I'm catching on finesse baits are one and a half to four pounds with bigger fish as a bonus. I've caught double digit fish on finesse worms and picked up an eight pounder at Murray last month on a splitshotted 4" worm! I know it might be fun catching a 4lber on a big old crank bait, but I normally fish 8 hours and I prefer catching more than a couple fish during that time! Don't look now, but Vinny has been downsizing some of his baits lately! You won't see them in his photos...for fear of looking like a sissy...lol lol lol......

Actually, speaking of small baits, I used a 4 inch Googan craw when I caught my 9 1/2 at
Sutherland a few years ago… so you do have a
point that small baits can catch bigger fish sometimes.

Uh 4 inches is not small...for a bait that is....

VinnyBass wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 5:19 pm

vito1023 wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 12:04 pm

VinnyBass wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 8:29 am

vito1023 wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 7:09 am In my book a fish is a fish. What size Gunfish And Jerk bait were you using?

Vito, just recently I bought a few Gunfish 75NF because of the success a couple buddies have had.
I have never prior to that thrown one that small, but I think it does better at matching the bait(shad)
that the bass are chasing. I have had most of my luck on the chrome colored one.
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lucky_C ... LCGF7.html
I am not sure about the small jerk bait because there is nothing on it to ID it. I have a few
of them I bought years ago and I have a Berkley Flicker shad that is a diving bait that
looks similar so it may be a Berkley bait?
Unknown-2.jpegIMG_2026.jpg
Anyway....Good luck.

Do you tie straight braid or leader of flor or mono?

If I’m using braid, I never use a leader. So when I’m throwing top water, I’m usually throwing straight mono or fluorocarbon.

I guess I should be clearer, on a jerkbait do you use straight braid and on worms or craw baits, if you use Flo or mono on topwater I thought that they both sink so why wouldn’t you use braid as it floats, sorry about so many questions but you consistently catch fish and I’m appreciative of your openness to share?
Thanks

Dannicus wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 11:57 pm Yeah @Mcfish I've been working on him too. I even loaned him a BFS rig to try out, but it reels left handed so he couldn't get the hang of it. So who's the real sissy here lol.

The rig is cool, but this "sissy" has been using right handed bait casters for about 55 years and it just does not seem natural
for me to to try to reel left handed and work baits. But one thing I did learn is that you can cast a small bait pretty darn far.
Tight lines amigo

Dannicus wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 11:59 pm

VinnyBass wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 6:37 pm

Mcfish wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 1:02 pm

rickskipper wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 11:15 am Man I’d take a single 4lber over big numbers any day! I think I was referring to Mcfish when talking about double digit days lol he puts up numbers! I bought a few spybaits last year and have been forcing myself to use them cause they were pricey, lots of casting but it’s fun when I get bored of bottom fishing. I like to count it down and try to run it underneath any bait balls I mark, or just off the bottom has worked good too. I’m no expert yet but that’s what I’ve learned over the past year. It’s been fun watching the bass do acrobatics even if I can’t catch them, tight lines to you too my friend!

I know lots of people that only throw bigger baits (I'm working on Vinny) and catch nice fish, I just like to catch more fish, with nice fish mixed in.. Too many people think that throwing finesse baits only gets you small fish! I think that the area and depth youre fishing has more of an effect on the size of fish you're catching! The majority of fish I'm catching on finesse baits are one and a half to four pounds with bigger fish as a bonus. I've caught double digit fish on finesse worms and picked up an eight pounder at Murray last month on a splitshotted 4" worm! I know it might be fun catching a 4lber on a big old crank bait, but I normally fish 8 hours and I prefer catching more than a couple fish during that time! Don't look now, but Vinny has been downsizing some of his baits lately! You won't see them in his photos...for fear of looking like a sissy...lol lol lol......

Actually, speaking of small baits, I used a 4 inch Googan craw when I caught my 9 1/2 at
Sutherland a few years ago… so you do have a
point that small baits can catch bigger fish sometimes.

Uh 4 inches is not small...for a bait that is....

I was just using that as an example because that 8lb bass McFish caught was on a 4" worm. I know that it is not small
especially for McFish since he bites the heads off 4" roboworms to make them even smaller.
He likes small.....not that there is anything wrong with that.