San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Thanks to the incredible wisdom of our City Lakes leaders, D.K. will be closing this week for the season....and like every other year, it's right when the lake is really heating up!!!
Started out at sunrise with perfect overcast skies and was instantly on fish! My first 2 casts were blowups on the Gunfish, missed both of them...damn! I was on a reliable rockpile so my next cast was with a creature bait..hookup...nice 5lb fish that jumped and proceeded to get lodged in a tree...gone! Next cast, 5lb fish that jumped at my tube and came off..0-4...damn! My next cast I finally landed a fish, smaller of course! I fished a few nearby rockpiles, pulling a couple small fish off each..! I decided it was a good time for a move, so I moved off to some flats and started probing with my splitshot rig...bingo, fish on! I started getting fish on every 3rd or 4th cast, all in the 2lb clone class. My next stop was on Vinny's rock pile, which most people don't know exists! First cast, hook up, nice fish...instantly heads into the underwater tree on the edge of the rocks...broke off! I've told Vinny to get rid of that tree! My next 2 casts I broke off my creatures in the rocks and then broke off a nice fish on the rocks....damn! I finally landed a couple 3lbers and figured that I had fully milked the spot and decided to call it a day! I ended up with 17 fish, mostly clones. The trees and rocks definitely won the battle for the larger fish! What could have been! I shall return...in 5 months, with heavier gear! I'm also bringing a chain saw......

I have to wait till the water goes down more to move those trees on my rock pile. Also will need to not spend money for a week at Tackle warehouse so I can use that money I saved for gas to drive all the way up there...ha ha Nice job @Mcfish .....it is sad that they close the lake right about the time when things really start picking up. Maybe you can organize a petition drive to try to keep the lake open for an extra month? Well I am predicting that will not happen so now you can focus on fishing San V or coming down to the lake near my house. You are always welcome there as long as you don't catch any more 8lb bass.

Everybody knows about Vinny's rock pile...and mine...and everyone else's!

Fisheromen wrote: Sat Sep 27, 2025 10:39 am Everybody knows about Vinny's rock pile...and mine...and everyone else's!

At least the tourists don't know! Yours is too obvious!

I was out there as well, tough morning for me.
1st fish not on til around 10am. Started picking up clones on the minnow and free rig over the next few hours. Seen a feeding frenzy over at the bouy line nxt to the dam around 1, got a few missed bites and finally landed a 2 1/2# clone.
Decided to move all the way back on the dam side. I got a few aggressive dinks, one torpedoed my yak so hard, he unhooked himself, it's okay. Bite was kinda weird all day for me. Moved to the rock pile across from the launch, got me 3 dinks back to back to end my day on a plum free rig. I did break off 3 times as well, not normal for me, usually I'm able to round my bait and get it out. Figured it was time to call it after the end of day heroics with the dinks and break offs.
I was loading up and a guy that launched when I did said he did okay but had struggles like me with his 1st fish around 10am, said he switched to darker colors and bite was on. I was stubborn and continues to scope with the minnow most of the day. It's been so good, I struggle to put it down.
It's gonna be a bummer for the nxt 5 months, I've really grown to enjoy the lake of d&k, started figuring things out in the kayak, prior years it's been all bank angling. Being able to move around is awesome. Til next year

Dramad1 wrote: Sat Sep 27, 2025 2:01 pm I was out there as well, tough morning for me.
1st fish not on til around 10am. Started picking up clones on the minnow and free rig over the next few hours. Seen a feeding frenzy over at the bouy line nxt to the dam around 1, got a few missed bites and finally landed a 2 1/2# clone.
Decided to move all the way back on the dam side. I got a few aggressive dinks, one torpedoed my yak so hard, he unhooked himself, it's okay. Bite was kinda weird all day for me. Moved to the rock pile across from the launch, got me 3 dinks back to back to end my day on a plum free rig. I did break off 3 times as well, not normal for me, usually I'm able to round my bait and get it out. Figured it was time to call it after the end of day heroics with the dinks and break offs.
I was loading up and a guy that launched when I did said he did okay but had struggles like me with his 1st fish around 10am, said he switched to darker colors and bite was on. I was stubborn and continues to scope with the minnow most of the day. It's been so good, I struggle to put it down.
It's gonna be a bummer for the nxt 5 months, I've really grown to enjoy the lake of d&k, started figuring things out in the kayak, prior years it's been all bank angling. Being able to move around is awesome. Til next year

My best fishing was the first hour and then about 10:30'-1:00...it was a strange bite in between! Those are smart fish, they know to bury themselves in a tree as soon as you set the hook!