San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Headed out for the short trip north (for me from east Oside) to Vail lake. Got there first, love to see a clear bank. Was just getting light and walked the bank with 6 whopper plopper blowups and 2 fish...nothing special but...topwater. I walked farther than I ever had down the near shore and decided to head back more than a little disappointed because I caught my favorite Kistler rod at the back of what was to be a long cast (it was in my pack) and, snap it went...bummer. Nothing on the way back to the launch and by now the campers woke up and the bank was not clear...so I headed across the mud to the far shore.

Picked up a few little healthy guys and then lost one in some lumber and ended up with a bent hook. For some reason the phrase "big bait, big fish" popped into my head so i tied on a 5/0 EWG hook and put on a fresh worm. As I was about toss it out and saw a boil and thought "probably a carp" but what the hell and tossed at it and BANG! it was on. First time I saw her I still thought it was a carp...it was so big, it just did not make sense as a bass. After a bunch of line went out she came up again and I saw it was a bass and the holy shits started...I got really scared, but kept good tension and she made two more runs and then she was ready. Got her to the bank and grabbed her by the giant mouth and tried to lift her up and it was a struggle...any way here she is. A second picture showing my grimace trying to take the selfie and hold that pig up... And lastly, a blury picture of the scale...just in case you cant read it...it reads 10lbs 15oz!

Congrats! That is a BIG deal!

Too cool.
OK, see the note on the weight, 10.15.
Congrats.

Congratulations on the new PB!
Very nice!!!!
Thanks for sharing and tight lines always

Sheeesh! Congrats!

Nice! I thought that place was closed.

DarkShadow wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2026 8:49 pm Nice! I thought that place was closed.

It is...don't go.

Heck of a fish, in the middle of summer too!!

Beautiful fish, largest I’ve seen posted this year I think.
Congrats

Congrats Tom. What a great fish. Vail and Henshaw were my go to lakes when learning to fish for bass.

Double digits!!!
Yes.
Great catch from the shore!

I have great memories fishing Vail & Skinner in the early 80's.
Private boats were permitted at both & it was great fishing.
Ahh, the good Ole days...

tomnilll wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2026 9:12 pm

DarkShadow wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2026 8:49 pm Nice! I thought that place was closed.

It is...don't go.

I still remember having to slip Yaraslov $10 to fish from shore there years ago.

Those were the days.

I've done many laps around that lake with an Eboat over the last 8 years and shocked several thousand bass and not gotten one over 7 lbs. You got yourself a unicorn. Congratulations!

Freakin Awesome!!

Congratulations! Nice details in your report too!

Queue wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2026 9:56 am I've done many laps around that lake with an Eboat over the last 8 years and shocked several thousand bass and not gotten one over 7 lbs. You got yourself a unicorn. Congratulations!

I think its the first one over 3 lbs for me too!

Amazing fish and great story. Thanks for sharing. I haven't been there in decades. Cheers!

Awesome!! Congrats on the DD and welcome to the club!

Moose wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2026 1:17 pm Awesome!! Congrats on the DD and welcome to the club!

Thanks! Where do i pick up the club patch and learn the secret hand shake?