Seewald at Clear Lake, CA., 7-'08. Click to enlarge.

Michael Seewald's
fishing adventures for
the first half of 2010.

Have you visited this page before?
Then you should then re-fresh your browser to see the newest reports, otherwise the 'catch', which is a memorization of the page from a previous visit, may not show updated reports.

January 1st thru June. 31st, 2010
From the most recent to the oldest.
4.8.10- Count 33

6.31.10
El Capitan Lake,
Vince 3, me 1

Water 70-72 Sunny

Met at 1pm at 7-11, His boat, I paid.

1 me on buzz, lost one on it, had a big hit in new back tree area. Had a lot of hits on the frog.
Vince 3, first on blade, then two on larger Gunfish bobbing with home made feather rear treble.

Some drunk ran over his trailer, we had to leave his boat.

Click image to enlarge
The drunks are getting worse, this one ran right over Vince's trailer,
took him two months to replace it.

6.30.'10
Discovery Lake
Solo 0

Headed over for a quickie after work, got there at 7:10 and put on waders and hit the dock first. Tossed the frog, then the Excaliber and got a 2, but she jumped twice, tossing it the second close to the dock.  Tried the Punker but nada, then moved to the honey hole, between the tulles, and tried all three again till dark, about 8.30, for nada.

6.29.'10
DVL - Diamond Valley Lake
Rob't S. - 3 / me 1

Met Robert at his house at 5 a.m., loaded up and prayed he'd pass the Quagmire Inspection (JK, Quagga Mussel), and he did.  One water by 6:15 and off to Ronson's cove. He tossing the Gunfish, me the Punker.  Nada, and after 10 minutes made a run to the west end and Robert got on them fairly fast, with some hits, and some hookups. I continued to fish the Punker from the back of the boat, no hits. We were hitting points as that was where the action picked up.  I missed one on the Sammy. Switched to the larger TD Pencil I had on (the 115) but nada on it.

Robert continued his assault and ended up getting three before I switched to an Excalibur, brown, and finally got one just before a point, and she buried herself in the salad at the bottom, but 8# Izor held up and I pulled her loose, TUL.

  
Click image to enlarge
2+ on an Excalibur, first with the grass on her, then cleaned.

Roberts back was acting up so we called it a day a couple of hours earlier than planned, at 10.

6.23.'10
Barrett Lake
Ken N. -2, me- 4.

We went in on Ken's ticket this time, and trolling motor, so he had the front.

Sunny all day, slight to strong breeze after 10 am.
Ken 7, me 6 (all before noon for me, Ken had 3)

We had done real well opening month, but the last two times out no so.  I got the first on fluke (a three right off the bat at the dam),

Click image to enlarge
3 pounder on the fly-lined fluke right off the bat

A good bite was had be dipping single tail grubs down into the trees, but we did not want to catch them with that pattern. I did get one with it, on an IKA.

Click image to enlarge
Ken surveys the shore on the way back to Hauser, about a 1/2 hour cruise from the dock's.

Click image to enlarge
SOVP on sdFish with his friend that just got a 4 on the grub dropped next to the trees pattern, they reported 11 each by 8.30.

Got a four on the fifth cast back at Hauser trees on a chart. spinner bait, and some two's, all healthy.

Click image to enlarge
4 pounder on the spinner bait.

Then I got a two on the frog in far back end as Ken was high tailing it away, pause, pop, un-engage reel, lock, pop, un-engage, lock, pop, and whamo!

After noon I had one that ate the frog, and a 10" patch of cheese, all in one mouth full. Could not believe it. AND as it had so much cheese surrounding the frog there was no way to get a good hookset, so I fought the conglomeration right out of her mouth, she had to be a 5 or 6 minimum to inhale all that, and the frog, and basically blew my mind that it had done so. Usually they bust through to eat it. No bite at dusk, which also blew my mind, except for one a a frog back past Becky's at the next bay just before the string of live trees now are.

Click image to enlarge
Ken with one from his spinner bait.

6.22.'10
Lake Elsinore
Robert S. - 1 catfish, me- 0.

Next day I went out w/ Robert S. to Lake Elsinore, he was pre-fishing the CBC for the semi-finals, finals at Clearlake. This is the one I did not get into from my try at El Cap, and the bite was reportedly non-existent. Well, he got a 5 right off the bat, problem was, it was a catfish snagged in the tail SOMEHOW w/ a spinnerbait, what's the odds.

Click image to enlarge
Robert snagged this 5 pounder w/ a spinnerbait!!!

That was it for the day, no bites. Off the water at noon thirty, good luck to them for today's tourney, lot of skunks can be expected.
 

6.21.'10
Diamond Valley Lake (DVL)
Ken N. -2, me- 4.

Sunny after cloudy morning (till 10 or so), gentle to strong winds.

I got to Ken's house at 5 a.m., and first off he said he was having a hard time getting into the bilge area to get the few water drops out for the intense inspection that would be done before letting us onto DVL. He has a new aluminum bass boat and the bilge was really cramped and I barely could shove a towel into the area. I did the best I could and we left with the lid ajar hoping the air would dry it all out during the 90 minute drive.

I suggested stopping at the big incline and checking one more time, and sure enough water was again in the bilge, even more so because of the incline. We let the water drip to the back for 15 minutes and kept drying it, it looked like we were good to go. I said let's drive back down the hill, down a couple of lights, back up the hill with th lid down and make sure not a drop was to be found, we did and there was a few more drops, DARN! :rant: :puke: :chair: :fish:

We dried all again and decided to give it a go, but just before we did I thought I'd just check into his live well as well. He said don't bother as it's never has been used. I did anyways, but I had a hard time opening it, the new carpet holding it in pretty good. When I got it open my friend was left staring at it with mouth agape!!! It was chalk full of water -to the top... :chair:, :chair: . We emptied it and the carpet around the edge kept dripping water into the well, it has sloshed up into it and was so soaked- that's why it was so hard to open, and we were out of dry towels.

Click image to enlarge
3 pounder on Lunker Punker was my best fish for the day.

We drove all the way back to the freeway with the lids up to buy more towels from the supermarket. He got some chamois and we did our best to dry it again. One last stop on the hill and sure enough, a small trickle still emanated into the bilge area. I stuffed a bit of chamois into an area further up where it was draining from per his suggestion, seemed to 'plug the hole'. One on each side. We through the last two dry towels into the live-well, for good measure like we were told you were supposed to, and one small one stuffed into the bilge area, just to help any last drops- maybe!??

He'd never been there and we needed to be checked for all the safety gear and motor compliance anyways, and I said without a miracle there was no way we were getting thru; one finger into the drain hole by the inspector and we were most likely done for, we'd be packing to some other lake. I prayed for a miracle as we drove in. I told him we needed to keep the guys busy with small talk too and hope they did not check, but what were the odds of that- slim to none. They did the visual, lowered motor, looked in live-wells, etc., but NEVER put there finger in the open drain hole, TUL! We passed.

At the ramp I put my finger in the drain hole just to see, and sure enough the finger came out WET! We launched by 9 a.m..

Got four, one Punker fish of 3# and a few d/s fish. Had some awesome blow ups on the frog by that cheese in the back of coves (yellow yucky stuff that floats on the water back in the coves, a kinda yellow moss 1/2" thick that is real tough for them to eat through).

We were the last off the lake, it was a BEAUTIFUL day on the water, his first.

6.15-17.'10
Murrieta Hot Springs, CA
Herbert 15, Mike C. 4, me- 15.

Sunny, cloudless, gentle winds.

Got there Tuesday night and started fishing at around 9 p.m., nada in the small pond and a few hits on the buzz but no takers.  Herbert had been there since 11, and Mike C. and relatives since 3.  They both had caught a 4 pounder already. 

Up at 5.30 and had 6 on the buzzbait by 7, then threw varying baits but only got two more all day, ending at 7 so we could go to dinner at Sizzler, then to hot springs and to bed early (10 a.m.).  Clouds all day made the weather perfect.

Up late Thursday morning (8) and bite sloooooow, sunny and cloudless. Mike had left the afternoon before and Herbert and I had a fun tourney, $1 for big fish, $1 for most. He got a 1-15 right off the bat, my biggie went 15 oz., but I ended with 4 by 1.30 p.m., my departure time, and he 2, so we split the pot!

6.11.'10
El Capitan
Cloudy all day, gonna kill 'em.

Vince 0, me 1.

Took the Answered Prayer and met at 11 a.m.- Vince had been there fishing shore, topwater 115 Gunfish, the larger model w/ his custom made feather treble tail, for nada. We went to trees in N. end and I got a nice 3# right off the bat on the Punker, next to the 'front side', windward side, of a green tree. Worked our way to the newly flooded backside and went the the shallowest part, tons of bluegill beds w/ some still on them, no bass to speak of. Found more 'miniature green pea' gatherings, usually great for frog fishing, but no takers that stuck.  Some explosions.

Click image to enlarge
3 pounder on the Punker

Worked the area where I got the 5 days earlier, nada, except got a 4 on the gunfish -but she threw it at the boat, bummer.

Worked the secret passageway along the right side back to main cove, all for nada.  Worked the outside w/ frog, Vince the gunfish, nada.  Ended up at dusk trying some steep cliffs at, and back past, boulder bay w/ Punker and had one hit. 

6.7.'10
El Capitan.

Bill Cummings 1, me 3.

Took the Answered Prayer and met Bill out in Santee, he was getting hi Ranger looked at (would not get on plane).  We hit the lake in the afternoon had been there fishing

Click image to enlarge
Frog fish just shy of five pounds.

Click image to enlarge
Bill's first frog fish of his life.

6.5.'10
Barrett Lake
Solo- 6, got tic. in trade for art TUL.

By the way, did you know my day started the Border Patrol union?

Got there a little after 7, but Jose was not waiting as usual (last three times), so I figured he'd be back at 8 a.m., for last train in. At 8.15 I had a sinking feeling he wasn't coming, and nobody else was in link, which would have made it more likely he, or whomever was working, would. I flagged some folks over to borrow an At&t cell phone, which works there, but no luck.  Decided to drive back to Jamul, 15 miles away, where I get Verizon service but found someone leaving there home not far away whom let me borrow their landline. Called Valerie and got the dock's phone number and then called the dock, darn, no answer. Left a message I'm stranded at gate and went back, hoping they'd get it and come get me. Waited till 9 and flagged a Border Patrolman and his partner down and talked him into opening the gate, they have a key, TUL. 

"Are you guys stilll in a union" I asked while they tried to open the gate. "Yes", the replied, "why do you ask?".

"Because my dad, Ray Seewald, was a Border Patrolman too, and he started it years ago, back when he would work double shifts everyday and only get paid for one" I said proudly, finally realizing how special my day was to these folks now. "Unfortunately he just passed" I followed it up with. "Oh yeah, that name sounds familiar, I was just on his honor guard" one replied. "No, he was buried up in S. Dakota" I said, "but I read about it at the office" he continued. Wow, my dad still being remembered, cool!

I went in and found Laurie and the new older gentleman at the docks, office open and them jabbing with 'St. Croix', whom I'd sold the tube tic's too! I was a bit livid I must admit, why did they not come get me?  I calmed down, must be an explanation.  Sorry Laurie said, these guys made it sound like you sold you ticket, and everyone else was already in! Bummer I thought, nothing I could do about it now. "I'm not going to charge you the $20 permit fee" she said, taking the sting out of the feeling a bit.

I loaded up the boat, it now being 9.30 and headed to the long arm that lines the road in. Looked good way back there, but nada on the frog. Worked my way out with the Punker, no takers. At the entrance turned left, working my way towards Pine, worked the 'island', now all tulles and brush, no dirt, too far underwater, nada. It was now 11.30.

Headed to end of Hauser, figured I'd get some spinnerbait fish like two weeks earlier, but first stopped and worked a nice looking cover with the frog and the Punker again, but an hour of try for nada.  Continued to the end and sure enough, stripe off back in short order, now it was two thirty. 

Worked the corner honey hole for another two, and then found a black and blue jig on top of a tree, with a nice crawdad trailer on it. Figured it was  a sign from the Lord, and after another 1/2 hour of nada on the blade tied it on.  It did not have a rattle, so I added that and second cast netted a nice 2 pounder in about 10' of water, cool.  This was by the spot I got the 7 1/2 pounder.  Two more casts and got another, was onto something. BUT after an hour more in that area, nada!

Went to the back corner honey hole and noticed the rattle had come out of a hole in the trailer I'd not seen, figured it'd done that back on the second bass over an hour ago, no wonder nada since.  Put another back in, first cast WHAMMO, another 2.5 hit, fought and landed  moments later. Cool. Wind was up, so I tossed the anchor and settled in for some good fishing.

Then I started to hear some banter on a walkie talkie and thought maybe some illegal's had it to listen to the Border Patrol, keep tabs on there movements to catch them. But no, moments later I saw a patrolman walking along the lakes edge, coming from the back.

"Can you help us out by taking a sick patrolman back to the dock's to be airlifted out" he asked. Now I'm over a half hour from the dock's I thought, and now at 6 p.m. I've just figured out a good patter, NOT NOW of all times!!! "No problem, my pleasure" I lied.

"Thanks, he's back a ways and we'll bring him out". I continued fishing, but not for long as I realized if I worked my way back there the patrolman would have an easier time getting out. I worked the boat back there but for some reason, maybe too shallow, could not land it on shore.

"Does he need cold water" I asked.  "Yes, he's got heat stroke, he's resting under that giant boulder over there" as he pointed to a boulder the size of a house 50 yards away. I tossed him the one that was still semi-frozen, the one keeping the others cold. "Thanks so much" he said, "and great toss" as he caught it from 20 yards away after me throw to him.

I have to go back to where we first talked I told him, the boat does not seem to be able to land here. I made my way back through the heavy, freshly flooded brush and trees to deeper water. Three other officers, one a woman- first woman patrolman I'd ever seen, then slowly brought him towards the boat.

I tried to land it again, this time the same thing happened, the front of the boat took a hard right just before shore. I backed up and tried it two more times, but no luck, instant turn from shore.

"Your anchor is still out" the woman informed me! Ouch, what an idiot, I'd forgotten I'd thrown it out a little earlier, I never hardly do. It gotten stuck in a tree and I had to got back out to deeper water, pull it with the boat in full throttle and pull it from the submerged roots it gotten lodge in.. No wonder it did not make it earlier too at the closer point I'd tried earlier, again I thought how embarrassing

We need to get him to a spot for that helicopter to land they said, as they pointed to one that flew into view as we motored down the lake. No problem I said, and about 1/2 mile away the copter landed, and I steered in that direction.

"Hey, did I tell you my dad used to be a Border Patrolman" I threw out as they made their way towards the copter, but my words got drowned out by it. I got some shots as they departed with the officer, and shortly after I saw Jewell pull up in the faster lake patrol boat. He herded the other patrolmen into his boat for a lift back to the docks, and as they went by stopped and gave me some extra waters the copter had brought, since I'd asked if they had any cold ones and I was now out. 

They turned and left, the patrolmen all saying thanks and waiving goodbye again.  "Hey, did  you guys know my dad was a Border Patrolman too" I tried to let them know, but the boat motor drowned me out this time, nobody hearing a word of it. Oh well.

So I stopped back at the cove I'd hit earlier, with some flats that looked promising and threw a Sammy for about a half hour for more nada.

As I headed back in flashbacks of times with my dad flooded my senses, times I'd not thought about for years. Besides, with his death so fresh I'd not wanted to revisit them, it was too hard. But now that I'd seen so many folks wearing the same green colored uniform my dad had worn over the years I could not help it. Remembered the times he'd take my brother and I hunting, or fishing, or camping, teaching us how to track, even at night.  Even the time the FBI came and interviewed my dad because one of the many flights he had taken to Washington to get the union started had nearly been blown out of the sky, but the bomb had been in the suitcase that was dead center of the pile, thus only blowing up luggage, not fuselage, TUL. 

I almost made it back to the main turn before I broke down and sobbed like a baby, tears of grief I'd not shed since I held his lovely, dying hand in that hospital just two months earlier, remembering how he'd praised Jesus for taking his horrible pain away after prayer for Him to do so; cancer having racked half the outside of his body before he passed.

I got back a dash early, and drove out at about 7:50 with the other two boats of folks, still thinking about good old dad. Hey, did I tell you my dad started the Border Patrol union?

5.26.'10
Barrett Lake
7.30 - 2 p.m.
Solo - 1.

Got my boat from a last minute sale, TUL, and was glad to go, even with it being soooo slow.  

Second train in, Jose, the dam keeper that opens the gate to let us in, stayed at gate for the last four boat owners to arrive.  I drove in and stayed at the docks, working the area till 8.30, he came back by himself, so four boats never left the docks that were paid for.

Got a nice 4 pounder close to the docks right off the bat and she fought like a bat out of hell- those northern's never cease to amaze on a new Booyah blade I got at Wally world the night before (to replace the blade me/fish destroyed last week (TERMINATOR T-1 SPINNERBAIT- 3/8 WHITE CHARTREUSE), of which six arrived today from my eBay purchase for about $4 each last week.

Took photos of the fish, then next cast let it sink to the bottom by a large sunken tree, mostly the tree was submerged as many are now, and got it stuck in a bush.  Pulled hard, not that hard, but it broke off. BUMMER! It looked to break at the knot, the line had a bad curl on the end- 12# Maxima fluoro.  No similar blades in the tackle box. Oh my, not good! Note to self, change line, bring more back up blades next time.
 

Click photo to enlarge.
Looked to be a great day, a four pounder right off the bat.

Tied on the similar, tossed it, and the frog, for 15 minutes for nada, and as I started to get ready to start the motor to leave the area the thought came to pray for a miracle to get it back! "But Lord, what kind of miracle would it take" I asked Him? Well, a lure deep down in a bush, which had sunk down about 10-15 feet, with no line on it would be (near?) impossible to get back, unless a miracle did happen I figured.  It would need to somehow now get to be on top of the bush when I went back to take a look-see, as how else could I ever get it back? Promised God if indeed this miracle happened and I retrieved it I’d gladly make a report about it/HIM, giving Him the glory. But I really doubted it, but it's not up to me, but Him right?

Nothing but dark green water was visible when I went to the spot however, and I did not even see the top of the bush it had got caught in (12” visibility- stained green with algae bloom). Thought, oh well, maybe the answered prayer would be a semi-smaller miracle, me sweeping my rod down into the depths and snagging the lure off the bush somehow. Tried a few times with my new 7’3” Dobyn’s frog rod but did not even feel the bush, let alone a lure. So much for that idea, and with the last swipe still nada, so I gave up.  

BUT as I lifted the rod out of the water to go, to my amazement, a bit of line was caught on the rod tip. I thought maybe I snagged someone else’s line, my lure was line-less, right? Well, I quickly grabbed the line as it slipped off and started to sink down to Davey Jones Locker and pulled on it. It looked like my flouro and the line headed a couple of feet away, and down. I pulled, it was stuck on something.  Could it be maybe mine after all?

Took the rod and started trying to follow the line down with the tip, but with arm extended and hand into water could not feel the end of the line/lure.  I did manage to get the rod snagged into the bush once, the braid catching on something, but it looked hopeless as the rod did not hit anything after a few valiant tries.  Ok, one last extended stab at it before giving up and then trying to pull it up, most likely then breaking it off, whatever it was, but I then felt it hit the lure. Jiggle wiggled for quite a few seconds, line in one hand, extended rod in the other, chest against the boat's railing, pushing the rod even deeper, staining with all my might, with nothing happening.  AND THEN the line in my hand started pulling up the line a little, then with rod twitching, even more easily she came up.  AND then, there she was, my new lure. Thank U Lord. 

Click photo to enlarge.
Pretty much now a miracle bait in hand.

Would love to report I tied it on and caught a lunker but actually that was the only bass I'd landed. Tossed topwater, (frog, buzzbait, spook) but mostly this blade, and mostly in new areas over the previous two trips. Had some hits on the frog, and a couple on the blade, and then tried some tried and true spots before leaving on the 2 pm train out to get my numbers up- nada. Was surprised I did not get more.

As I was leaving talked to one tubber going out on his friends, now empty, boat.  He said he'd done better that morning than the week before, and was happy. I asked how many 'done better' was, he'd gotten three!

I did not see, nor have I seen, very many dead fish. Those I did see were not bass. I don't think the greenery is rotting yet, and I don't think the bass are having problems yet either, but that could change fast with the water warming up. The ones I get are super healthy, I just think a lot of suspending is going on. Also, they are keying in on fry, and I saw some real monsters coming up and hitting fry no bigger than 1/2 inch. Seems like a lot of work but I guess as large as their mouths are it's like us eating an hors d'oeuvre, it will fill you up with enough bites.  I'd say a month from now it will be wide open again.  Look at the numbers from 2 weeks ago, those tens of thousands of bass are still there, just not eating the usual offerings from, mostly, shore pounders.

Yes, I guess the oxygen is staring to get used up by that algae bloom.  Every tree and bush is covered with thick algae, like thick green spiderwebs, and almost every cast of the blade I had to clean it off as the blades would not spin. Seems every spring that happens there, but this year might be one of the worst with all the new flooding that happened recently...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algal_bloom
Freshwater algal blooms

Freshwater algal blooms are the result of an excess of nutrients, particularly phosphorus.[1] The excess of nutrients may originate from fertilizers that are applied to land for agricultural or recreational purposes, these nutrients can then enter watersheds through water runoff.[2] Excess carbon and nitrogen have also been suspected as causes.

When phosphates are introduced into water systems, higher concentrations cause increased growth of algae and plants. Algae tend to grow very quickly under high nutrient availability, but each alga is short-lived, and the result is a high concentration of dead organic matter which starts to decay. The decay process consumes dissolved oxygen in the water, resulting in hypoxic conditions. Without sufficient dissolved oxygen in the water, animals and plants may die off in large numbers.

Blooms may be observed in freshwater aquariums when fish are overfed and excess nutrients are not absorbed by plants. These are not generally harmful for fish, and the situation can be corrected by changing the water in the tank and then reducing the amount of food given.
 

5.19.'10
Murrieta Hot Springs, CA
Herbert 15, Mike W. 4, me 16.

Sunny, cloudless, gentle winds.

Got there later than I wanted, 5:30 p.m.. Herbert and Mike got there at 10 and Herbert got an 8.1 on a 4" red Texas rigged worm! Congrats Herbert.

First hour I only got one on a white/chart Matzuo spinnerbait, (the one that did not work so well at Barrett) and lost one. 

From 6.30 till 8 I got 15, two more by 7:15 and the balance in the last 45 minutes, all on top fishing it similar to a buzzbait, cool! Lost a few during the fight, barbless, and one big one on the small pond just before the Kellner's were leaving at 8.10, stealing the skirt to.

Being barbless I counted the ones I hooked and fought, (about 4 or 5) even if they threw the bait as they would not have with a barb; I did not want to take the time out to change it out. Nada after that.

5.12.'10
Barrett Lake
Ken N. 15, me 7.

Sunny, cloudless, windy from 10 on, water temp?.
Second train in (6.45 actually) last rain out (7.15 be back time).

My tic, sold the tube spot and decided to not sell the third seat, giving Ken and I more room, like we did the previous week. Was a lot slower than the Sat. before too.  We went directly too the back of Hauser and tried the spinnerbait earlier than before, but the pickings were slower.  I lost a big one from the bottom of a dead sunken tree and proceeded to cast the Terminator white/chart bait directly into the top of the tree and it exploded, leaving half dangling on it and the other half on the lake bottom, broke right on the bend. This lure had caught over 35 the Sat. before, incl. a 7-13, and a few this morning. The Matzuo replacement lost me a lot of fish, the hook bend being different was the cause I believe.

We went back to Pine around 11, fished our way back to the springs by 3 but two boats plugged up the back, so we left and hoped it'd be open later so we could try the frog fishing again. We went to the Honor Camp cove and we both picked up a couple. Went to the point that is on the right as you enter that cove and I really got into a batch, pumping the lure and bouncing it of the bottom, but lost 4 of every 5 on that Matzuo.  Ken loaned me a Terminator at that time but it was pure white. I added a chart skirt but it was too thick then and did not work right.

We got back into the stream area and worked around the single boat still back there. I blew some big ones by waiting too long on the hookset; one came up from behind in the clear water leaving a large wake as it stalked it, that was way cool.  But it did not explode on it, just sucked it in and swam into the brush. I waited too long to reel down, should have instantly, and she was not there when I finally did- bummer. Ken lost a few on hits too. I did land a nice 4.0 out of it all. Pic to come.

5.8.'10
Barrett Lake
Ken N. 30, me 42.

Sunny, cloudless, windy from 11 on, water temp?.
Second train in (6.45 actually) last rain out (7.15 be back time).

Went in on Ken N.'s boat on second train in. His son had backed out so it was just the two of us. (Actually, Jose, the dam keeper, was at the gate at 6.45 when we arrived and just told up to go on in slowly, cool). Plan was to hit Hauser first, see all the new water/lake, and then check out Pine in the afternoon.  Heard the bite had not been on fire early so we did not try for first train in, as usual.  And that was cool as when you stay till closing, 14 hours later, you are really beat up. This way we only fished for 12.

    
Click image to enlarge.
Hauser Arm as we arrived, Ken prepping for 'war'!

The newly flooded trees looked so good.  The lake is up about 15' and was nearly at full pool, first time I've ever seen it this high. So the first 15 minutes we just fished from the dock towards the dam, me with the frog, Ken the blade- he got one. At 7:45, as we asked around on our way to the back of Hauser Arm, the reports came in of only 2 or 3 caught per boat, so that ended up being a good call.

"...And being that it's a Northern bass, not a Florida one, that would be equal to about a 15 at any other lake that has those around here (all others do)."

I tried frogs, and Ken blades, in the far back- all newly flooded trees.  Ken got two or three, me zippo, then we both got on a good blade bite a little further out in the middle of the back. I'd notice one guy get one off a dead tree, then another as we motored to go out of the area. I decided to stop and fish some even further out, good call. About a half hour into nailing them I got fish number nine as I slow rolled the blade after tossing up to the bank. It took line pretty well right off the bat (on 15# Max fluoro.) and I called for the net. 

I half way saw her in the murky water, the first time she came up and tried to jump, and I got even more excited and called for the net again. Ken had not started to get yet as he was still retrieving his own lure. Seconds later she came up again, a little closer and shook her giant head on the surface, really letting me get a better look at her size, and my friend was now dinking with the net, which he had caught up in a reel which had been on top of it, and I got nervous.

Now everyone in the back end was probably looking our way, and knowing how easy they throw barbless hooks I yelled even louder yet for net, and at that point I had her sweep the boat and Ken tried to catch up with her from behind, the worse way to net one, quite often helping them get off. But she remained buttoned and I brought her back around and he had the net down - I gently guided her into it- this thing was HUGE! I quickly got the scale out, it ranged from 8 on the high end, and 7-10 on the low, ending at 7-13 more than not COOL!  My new PB at Barrett, beating my best by about a full pound.  Way to start the year there. High fives all around.

And being that it's a Northern bass, not a Florida one, that would be equal to about a 15 at any other lake that has those around here (all others do).

I was so excited about catching her and getting a quick shot of her I almost forgot about getting any 'special shot', and since I'm entered into the latest 'RA bass for cash' contest, a private fishing board, I then got the left thumbs up shot with her and then got the weight shot too before getting her back in' too late'.  As it was, she sort of sat on the top of the water for a few seconds afterwards. She had not dumped her eggs yet, (water still very cold up at that altitude) so of course she was soooo beautiful. 

    
Click images to enlarge.

7-13 lunker Northern bass caught on the blade. Scale shots too bright to see almost.  They move up and down making it tough to get an exact reading, I usually take the middle of the readouts as the weight the one it settles on for more than a couple of seconds..

We got a few more then worked our way through a lot of trees and went deep into the far back for one small one for me. On working our way I got two more and then  got into a honey hole in the main open area in the far left corner. I got about 8 more in a half hour there.  The wind came up pretty good at 11, but we were anchored at that point at the honey hole.

By noon the bite had died for everyone, which at that point I'd counted 13 of the lakes 25 boats in view, most tossing blades on dead open water trees or outside live tree areas. We headed towards Pine, eating lunch, but stopped 10 minutes out to fish the outside set of trees lining the shore. I got one on the blade over a 100 yard area, then we went to the back of Pine.

We stopped just where it used to have a 'gate' of trees that were now deep underwater and started to work our way further back. One boat w/3 guys was further in, reporting a poor day so far.  We did not want to tell them we had about 50 already! As we got into the very end Ken was getting some on the blades in small pools between sagebrush and boulders. It looked like nothing would be that far back, and a heavy brook was sending thousands of gallons of water into the lake per minute within casting distance, clear fresh water. 

I tossed the frog into a pocket at the bubbling brooks ending, on top of a thick, stick covered surface, about 40 yards away. I had to cast over so much 6' high sage brush to get it back there that I knew it would be a real miracle if I ever hooked one to land it- but I'd worry about that when it happened. Popped the River-2-Sea black frog once and a huge explosion occurred.  Time to worry about it! 

"Got a big one" I yelled after I reeled down and felt weight. I knew it'd be a heck of a battle as she instantly started to thrash on the surface as I started reeling for my life, and when she would hit a bush I'd pull back real hard and reel hard at the same time, gettin' her to bust through it. At one time she got stuck on one larger one, but I pulled all the harder, the 80# Power-Pro braid line slipped a bit, but then she continued her journey surfing across any open water pockets, about 3 or 4 of them, and through brush again between them.   Ken netting her perfectly, as I'd called for the net right after hooking her, and us having it ready and away from gear this time! A 4-6 on the scale, a real beauty, thank U Lord!

 

    
Click images to enlarge.
My 4-6 w/ frog (black Spro popper ) in it's mouth, fish from a distance, real battle to land her. You will get a better idea of the area I pulled out of from the 4-3 pictured below.

Minutes later the same thing all over, another pocket, another explosion, anther battle for speed and netting, this time just she was not from so far away in the fight, and yet another pic of another beauty, another lunker, a 4-3 this time. How cool was this? Ken got a three, white/green big scum-frog, with me having to net it in such thick floating debris that it was a guess, first time coming up with a net full on it only.

  
Click image to enlarge.
My 4-3 w/ frog in it's mouth above,

 
Click image to enlarge.
My 4-3 crud covered. Notice background? I pulled her out of it about 20 yards back in that brush out of a hole, as I did the 4-6 above.

 
Click image to enlarge.
A 3-5 frog fish by Ken, he lost a moster a few minutes later.

Beautiful overall day and the lake looks so fishy all over, can't wait for warmer weather as the frog bite will be off the hook with all that newly flooded trees surrounding the entire lake, especially the ends. 

        
Click images to enlarge.
Left, buzzbait fish/ Right, Gunfish fish.
Both caught the last hour on topwater.

Ended up with 42 for the day, a new PB for numbers, beating the 32 I had few years back.  I usually go for size over numbers, but this time I thought I try and see if I could get some of the numbers the guys get that do! Ken ended up with 30. And surprisingly, "NONE came on plastics" ken reminded me! WOW, un-head of not getting some on plastic worms, brush hogs, Ikas or lizards. I got four on frogs, 1 on a buzzbait and 1 on a Gunfish (Ken's rod I'd borrowed)- all the rest on blades (chart-white Terminator, gold and silver blades 4.5)!

We left from the far back at 6:30 and got back at 7 and fished the dam trying to up our numbers at the last minute, no go (have to be back to dock by 7.15). You can go right up to the dam now and get a heck of a view all the way down the giant canyon and see Mexico in the distance! 

We left quite happy/proud of our great day on last train out.

 few pics soon.

Paul 3, me 3.
water 69 at dock at 1 p.m., 74 in back tress at 4 p.m..

Took the Answered Prayer, my '87 Skeeter, to Paul's house in Ramona for a couple of hours, arriving at about 9:30.  He ran a compression test on all 6 cylinders, all read 115, bottom one 119- good to go. Thank U Lord, that's answered prayer, as the motor had stopped two weeks previously at El Cap after getting up on plane coming back from the north end at closing. It had started the next time out but ran poorly, at least motor is not blown. One plug, #3, was dry looking (rest had oil on them) and cracked dry stuff coated it. We cleaned it hoping it would make it run properly. It didn't, but it gets on plane, just takes longer.

The trolling motor was loose, we worked on getting it secure, and then one tire was also bulging so we changed it. Paul greased the bearings and added oil too. I headed to the lake, Paul joined me three hours later.

Just after launching James Nelson and his guiding buddy, Kelly, whom was introduced to me there, came up to me while I worked a Punker.  They reported ok success on all baits.

Met Paul at 3 after zero results from fishing 'ramp bay' for two hours for no hits.

I went to the dam area and we tried the steep walls.  Got a dink on the Punker, and had another hit just over the buoy line on the right.  Went to left side and worked back to wards honey hole, which it's boulders are now deep underwater.

Headed to the N. end at 4 and started to work the far end after saying hi to Vincent in his nice Lowe aluminum boat, he said ok success on topwater and that he'd lost a real monster in open water by the red buoy out 'front'.

We worked the trees with frogs but it was not moving them much. Finally got one hit on Black Spro popper frog but she did not want any follow up baits.  Hit some open water pockets with eh Sammy and it got sucked down without much fanfare (explosion) but the fish tore off with my lure fast. I had 15# line on and punched the trolling motor to run her down before she went too far, too late. She had sounded and wrapped up into a giant dead tree. I finally broke her off, losing the lure I'd just repainted with silver finger nail polish as it's had been hit so many times there was no paint left (originally an aurora blue paint job).

Tied on a Spook Jr. and proceeded to get two more fish. Paul finally got one and then two more, the last being a little over 3, very nice. Left at 7:20 and got back right on time, 7:30.

5.3.'10
El Capitan Lake

Paul 2, me 1, all on frogs.
water 69 at dock at 1 p.m., 74 in back tress at 4 p.m..

Met Paul at 9:30 , fished till 4, 1st fish at 12.45 (me) in trees on frog. Had one hit on outside of newly flooded live tree.

     
Click photos to enlarge.
Paul gets into a 5 pounder on the frog.
Mine ran 3#. Good topwater day.

He a 5# (his lure got slammed while dangling on the edge of a tree on the surface of a flooded tree), and a 2 on a green River-2-Sea green frog. Mine was a 3# on a black Spro popper, three other hits. Back to ramp and off water by 4:30.

4.7.'10
Murrieta Hot Springs
Mike C. 9, Herbert 3, me 9.

Sunny, water 70 at 10, and 75 at 5 p.m..

Mike C. was there from 6 am till 1 pm, got 9.

We arrived at 10:15 and Mike and I had tourney, largest/most. We tied w/ 3 each and a 9oz each too. Mine on d/s, Aarons Magic 5" curl tail.

After lunch Herbert and I has another tourney, I won both, 5 fish and one at 1.2#. Most on d/s and some on new LC Pointer 78 yellow Shad. Left at 6, just when top was starting as Herbert needs to eat.  Got four hits on fluke, one a 2# in wood deck corner off cloth island, in last 1/2 hour.

4.2.'10
El Capitan Lake
California Bass Championship.

Sunny, water 65 at 7a.m.

I was very excited to fish my first 'serious' solo tournament. Had prepped the night before, getting all the tackle boxes straightened out, then got all nervous as I could not find my new culling system I'd purchased at Bass Pro Shop months earlier (I figured I might to start fishing tournaments soon, I felt a bit more comfortable with my skill level finally). Well, after searching the whole van and every compartment in the boat (except for the tiniest of them, a key holder one about 8x10", which was locked and probably not big enough to hold them) I decided to make my own. I cut a mental stringer apart for the clips, and cut a small rope in 12" lengths, attached one end to a foam bobber, which I painted different colors, and one to the clip. Took about an hour, and as I was locking up all the compartments on the boat decided to un-lock that one tiny one and take a look-see. YEP, there was the batch of culling balls, DARN!

   "I did have a half gallon orange juice bottle I used for a pee-pee container though - I cut off the top off it and started bailing..."

Well, got about 4 hours of sleep, hit the local J.I.Box for some grub to go, and headed to El Cap, a 50 minute drive, arriving about 5 a.m. Checked in and met Mike McLernon and found out he was in a club (North County Bass Club) that meets in Vista, not too far from me, then waited till 6:15 for the gates to open, lake staff was late.  Went in, bought the permits from the iron ranger while Tom Leogrande, the tourney director, and his assistant, made the tourney announcement and rules, I'd missed it. 

"Only 14 boats of 50 possible spots had sold" Tom told me as he stepped into my van to go park it after launching me, "you'll get in no problem"- I'd hoped so.

While on the water with everyone, waiting for blastoff, I ran across acquaintance Scott Wingo. He said he figured it would take about 15 pounds to make the cut, that the bite had been pretty good and that there were a lot of 'good sticks' in the tourney.  I thought, ok, about 3 lbs each- a good goal. But BIG problem; most of the fish had not been that big that I'd been getting, maybe I'd better throw the Carolina rig more? It'd been getting better fish for folks, I think.

They called the names one by one, the all headed to the back and stopped short of a point I'd wanted to hit as someone was on it.

After making just three casts I thought I'd better prep the live well for the fish I'd catch, knowing even my poor days netted me 5 fish, with the better days getting me 30 there lately.  Well, I'd not used the live well for a whole year, since the fun tournament at Vail Lake for the 'Wounded Warrior' event, and it had worked fine, as always since I owned it, but NOW it did not. I ran around the boat trying all the electrical switches that control the front and back live wells, all to no avail. I then opened the back battery compartments and reached down into the bottom of them and rattled the wires that  connect to the pumps down there, nada.  I also moved  the battery wires around, thinking one of the many connections to them might be loose, nada again. 

(Note: I took a better look at the pump connections 5 days later and found the fuse connectors down there that I could not see (had been too dark). They were a bit corroded, but by jiggling them I got it to work again -now!)

I realized I'd need a bucket to fill it manually, about 50 gallons water worth, but did not have one. I did have a half gallon orange juice bottle I used for a pee-pee container though, so I cut off the top off it and started bailing, in reverse. After 5 minutes I'd filled her up and went to the front and hit the trolling motor to move off the bank, which the wind had blown me onto.  Nothing!!!

"THEY got two more nice bass while working down the shore, how humbling..."

Now what???!  Time was ticking, and the sun was creeping into my area, which changes the bite I did not have time to try yet.  I went back and jiggled the battery wires again, looked for fuses but I'd installed auto-set ones, not much I could do with those. Got my tool box out, looked for sand paper, found none, decided to clean the contacts the best I could by scratching them with a flat head screwdriver and started unhooking each connection and going through a scraping process.  About the time I'd finished the last one I noticed a wire had come undone from a connection, had it done so when I shook them with the live well wire 'shakedown', maybe. 

Anyway, I finally finished and went over, success, it worked again, Thank U Lord (I'd already been praying like crazy, knew I'd need it).

I tossed some more topwater; frog, Lunker Punker and Sammy, for zippo results. Move offshore a bit and picked up the C/R armed with a baby brush hog wat./red flake and started to work the area, about 15-20' deep.  Some older guys not far away (me being 58, that means they looked 65 and 70) had already got a couple, one on the C/R and one on d/s.  I tried and tried, no bumps. The two guys got two more.  What the heck? I'm the one that needed 'em.  Looked down to 'my' point, same guy still on it.

The two older gentlemen came by on the inside and I asked some questions, what weight leader, what bait, etc.. Come to find out that my 17# fluoro leader might have been too heavy, he gave me the last of a 8# P-Line flouroClear, I put it on. He had a short leader, I shorted up. He had the same color B.Hog, I kept mine on.  I continued with the new set-up, same results, nada. They got two more working down the shore, how humbling.

"...After all, I was fishing for that $20,000 in prize money too- hopefully, eventually!?"

After losing an hour, and another working the area for nada, I started to work down to the point, further towards the shallow tree northern section. I got a bump but nothing there when I raised the rod.  When I got to the point the gentleman working it had drifted about 40 yards away. I tossed my lure on the boulder and he came over quickly, asking if I was in the tournament. I answered in the affirmative, he said he would appreciate it if I would leave the area alone, he was there all morning and was going to camp there all day! I asked if it was the rule (I'd just heard and wanted to make sure) that you could fish no closer than 25 yards. He said yes, which means I actually owned the spot in effect as he's drifted off, but I decided to just go around him some and fish a little further into the arm. 

Asking him how he'd been doing as I trolling motored around him he replied "5 keepers"!).  I fished the deep drop off I knew that was there, but he kept slowly drifting into me (by the wind) and I moved further from the point.

I finally realized he was 40 yards away from it, and me 65 as I was keeping my distance from him, so I decided to go back to where we originally had our conversation near the point and  hit the trolling motor, now on high.  But he noticed and did the same, beating me to the point. I continued around it and tossed the d/s, telling myself as long as I was 25 yards away I was fine.  After all, I was fishing for that $20,000 in prize money too- hopefully, eventually!?

Well, I got one in short order (on the d/s Aaron's Magic 5" curly tail w/ spinner loaded w/ 10# braid and 3' of 6# Maxima Fluor topshot), a nice 2-6 on my scale! FINALLY, and it was now 11 a.m.. "ABOUT TIME" I said to myself, but I was in agony still really. 

I fished that spot for about another hour, the wind up now and constantly pushing me into the shallows, or over the boulder itself if I was not careful. The other fisherman continued his assault on the bass, getting one every five minutes, fishing from just off, or from the other side of, the rock point- mostly on d/s, which looked like he changed up every five to 10 minutes, probably giving them options in size and color he had not shown them yet, wise. I did not, and only got one other bump. 

"I reeled down and tried to keep her from sounding back down into the brush and trees below, she was a nice sized one..."

As I went by him on my way to the back of the arm I wished him luck and introduced myself and found out his name was Mike Martin (found out later he was maybe the 'best stick' in the tourney AND he ended up winning this event).  It was then that he said thanks, that he'd caught over 30 now but admitted they were not as big as he'd wanted, and that his hope was that they would come.

I told him it was my first tournament and he suggested a spot not far away, near shore and a drop off that he said some guys got some off earlier. I tried if for a few minutes then moseyed further back.

I worked my way back, tossing the Sammy at tree stumps in 20' of water, a pattern that netted me a nice one the week before. About an hour of tolling, casting, fighting wind and still NADA.

Went further back still, saw Art Berry and got advice- Trick worms on shore (he was using a C/R himself, metering fish in 15' of water in the middle, landing dinks he said).  I saw him get one earlier. 

I went to one of my spots in the back right corner, but got zippo on the d/s, had got three there the week previously.

Tied on the new L.C. pointer 78 lure, yellow shad pattern over by the 'honey hole' the week earlier and started to work it (it was the lure Jason from Palm Springs was killing them on the week before- looks like he did not make the cut either), nada for me there. Started to work a deeper area with only ONE HOUR LEFT, had just told fellow competitor (Mike McLernon) I could still do well, when a very nice bass came from the depths and GRABBED my lure, which I could see, about 5 foot below. 

I reeled down and tried to keep her from sounding back down into the brush and trees that I know were down in the murky water below. She came up and jumped, or tried to, as I was keeping a lot of tension on her, she was big- 3 to 4 lbs). She sounded again and boom, she was gone.  Brought the lure in empty handed, 'what the heck had just happened' I wondered, how did I lose her?  I asked Mike the same thing, he asked "did you set the hook?" Well, not really I said, usually you don't have to, especially with a new lure right out of the box, sharp hooks. But, it might of needed a good hook-set anyways I then realized.  Live and learn. This fish would have added a lot to the weight at this point and given me a fighting chance to do well. I was bummed but continued on, you don't win by giving up, I know that much.

I put on the Lunker Punker, needing a hail Mary pass with 1/2 hour to go. Nada.  On heading back out of that area, with many other guys headed back too with 20 minutes till weigh-in, I noticed Mike was off the point. Wondered how he finished?  A guy and his son were fighting the wind on the boulder now; I quickly pulled up for three casts, stayin' 25 yards away like I'd fished earlier. Nada. Off I went, five minutes behind everyone else but still arriving four minutes before deadline. Most had already weighed in.

The weird thing? The best weight, by Mike Martin, the guy on the point, was 13.40, with Scott Wingo coming in second with 13.05, and many guys got only eight pounds (8.25) that got in the top 10! It was not the 15# minimum that Scott said would probably be needed at all! One guy got less than me, a 1-5, stating, like me, he thought he would need bigger fish and stayed away from the 1 to 1.5 pound dinks on the shore he could have got too! Live and learn!

I was the last to be weighed- 'Michael Seewald- one live fish- 2.85 pounds" was blasted to no one over the loud speaker that Tom had brought with him.  "Next time" I thought.

I loaded the boat and after chatting with them for five minutes wished Tom and his assistant a safe journey home, up in the San Francisco region.

Top 10 finishers/weight:

1 Mike Martin 13.40
2 Scott Wingo 13.05
3 Scott Ferguson 11.70
4 Art Bailey 10.90
5 Fred Vecht 10.65
6 Jason Chang 10.05
7 Ralph Huberts 9.65
8 Chip Gilbert 9.05
9 Terry Chenowth 8.6
T10 Mike McLernon 8.25
T10 Robert Duffy 8.25
 

4.5.'10
Discovery

6 p.m.- 7:30 - Clear.

1 -2# bass on C/R, wat/red baby brush hog after zippo on frog and L.Punker.

3.22.'10
El Capitan Lake
Mike C.-2, me - 8.
Count 30

Nice overcast day all day, windy mostly but stopped before dusk and then came up w/ a vengeance at dusk for a very bumpy ride back (takes 10 minutes at full bore- 45 mph). Water stained and  63 in the trees.

Met Mike at lake and I started out w/ swim baits for nada at 1 p.m. at the honey hole, boulders too deep now, Mike tossed plastics. Moved to the buoy line in the north in short order, got a hit on the spook, very exciting, but too quick on the hookset, pulling it out of her strike zone before she hit it right; was out of practice on topwater. 

Worked the narrows further down for my first fish, a 1.5, on a green brush hog, shaky head, off a boulder w/ 15# Max Fluoro.  Mike tossed his med. chrome/black back spook on some shallows there and got exploded on by a 1-12 and landed her, at the same time I was getting hit on my larger white, chart back Super Spook Jr, we almost had a double.

Continued to go further back with me getting a small one on mine, then I changed up to a white fluke on 12# Izor and started to get some great action, one went 2-15, one 1-15 and 1-12, all up tight to shore, some under floating tree trunks pushed together- plenty there. 

Went passed a gentleman w/ nicer Lowe bass boat (saw him last Mon. and he told me he was getting topwater action- had fished against Mike L. the prev. Sat. but only did so-so / Mike won w/ 26#, 10 over second place, fishing solo- lost 14 hudds doing it of point down there.) who was on a hole getting some 1# fish regularly on plastics (d/s? - think so) and said he saw something bigger off the 'brush point' further back and hoped I'd get it on a swimbait. Now I had a fluke on and maybe that's what he meant, but I also thought maybe he recognized me from the fishing boards and meant the 'real' ones, as I more often than not report getting them on. I also thought that maybe it was a 'sign from the Lord' to use the 'biggie', and sure enough, not long after I got a nice 1-8 to hit the Punker on the second pull of a cast in about 6' of depth, off a 9' creek-bed.

I felt I could get more on it but decided to stick with the fluke (and keep this for the CBC tourney). Mike put on a frog and we worked to the back, me getting another. He finally got an explosion from under a tree, between us and shore that I told him to hit (we had just gone by it and he had not hit it) and bammo, but he did not wait the second needed for it to get a better grip in it's mouth and it came whizzing past my head out of it's mouth at 90 mph from his instant hookset try! I instantly tossed the fluke at it, missed the spot, reeled in, re-cast and waited; then felt a hit a few second later and set the hook, maneuvered it through a lot of brush, getting stuck once, but landed a nice 2#.  Then we had to go, it was 6:45- times flies.

Sun up, clear and up to 80 degrees by noon, some wind. Water stared at 55.5 by ramp/ at 63 by end of day way in back.

Took the A.P., and was on the water by 8. 1st hour across 'new' ramp (other now underwater, lake came up 12' in two months, TUL), Punker/BBZ slow sink, nada.

D/S 6# Max F.C. at honey hole on main point for 1 1#, (Aaron's magic 5" curly) after hour of swimmie there for nada.

Saw James (Fishicon) and his two clients on right, main point, as heading back- He said they got 5 on d/s -PINK, I picked up dink next to them on 'used water', d/s same. About 10:30 am.

Went to back, started across from Boulder bay, nada, topwater- frog, white kick frog (got hit off underwater rock) and worked my way with swimmie frog to buoy line for nada.

11:30 got to buoy line, got two more on d/s, one 1.15, in 12' of water outside a little boulder cove. Little further down one more, 1.3#

12:30 worked the start of narrows, got three more on shaky head w/ Wat. Red sm. Brush hog on 15# Max F.C., one 1.13, two hours, second hour zippo on Drk Blue/purple flake B. Hog test.

2.30- Went to middle area further back, guys tossing plastics and spinners. I mixed it up, d/s, shaky for nada, westerly winds picking up quite a bit. 4:30 pm started to work way w/ topwater to far end into even stronger winds, noticed now an extra 1/4 mile or more of flooded 6' depth trees; two guys reported poor results. Worked way back out w/ spinnerbait, saw one guy get one on it. By 6:25 was back to narrows and tried a little top as one guy reported some on it two days earlier. 6:35 blasted off for return.

3.8.'10
Discovery Lake
solo -3.

Overcast and threatening, fished slow sink BBZ for an hour, along w/ the frog, no hits, at honey hole.  First case w/ C/R baby brush hog Wat./black flake nail a 1#, then a 2 on the next cast. Nada for next hour, then another 2 then went to drainpipe hole for nada, top (frog, BBZ or C/R). Same for island (now getting sunk, water way up- had waders so could get on it) and then dam rock wall for nada, left at late dusk. Nice to get hits and fight fish after three weeks hiatus for dad's death.

2.9.'10
Otay Lake
w/ James N.

Overcast and cold. Supposed to rain, as day before, but did not. Air 62, water in back of Harvey's 56.6, Bushlowe 54.5, Northwest shore in afternoon 58.5

Met James at 7 at lake, worked the back cove in Harvey's with TD Pencil while James tossed a deep diver crank and a shaky head worm for an hour, then out and towards the west by 100'.  James said maybe they would be easier to get in clearer water so we went to main lake just past the narrows and rock piles.  James missed one right off on the shaky. I then did the same on d/s P.Shad. We worked that area, tulle points, back to opening and then to Bushlowe. Just before Bushlowe I got one on a red/black 1/4 oz spinner.

We then went across to the west bank and worked the points just N. of the docks. James broke one off on the hookset on C/R. He left at 1:30 and I fished same side but area N. of the Olympic Center w/ c/r. Met Fred Olson on his silver Triton, he was pre-fishing for the CBC on the 20th also.  He had got three at DVL for 12, missing the cut. He was getting quite a few on the c/r oxblood brush hog and slow crawling (by wind like me) a c/r Ika.

I got back at 4:30 and left at 5, '97 Dodge Caravan needing tranny fluid to pull boat up again (leaking).

2.7.'10
Diamond Valley Lake
w/ Paul M. - 6 bass me/ 3 Paul - all on d/s

Overcast and cold, supposed to be the end of the rains.

Called Paul M. and let him know about my delay at 6.  I’d met him thru another fishing buddy, and I back seated all day on his Triton.  From 7:30 till noon we did not get a bump. D/S, C/R and for me, swimbaits all for naught, trying my new honey hole by the east dam first, the rock point on the left of Ronson's, his island in front of it, his point on the right of it and quite a few points headed west from there. 

Click photo to enlarge.
The one was the biggie for the day.

At noon it really heated up, literally and figuratively, and we both started to get some nice fish on d/s, he on M.Dawn, me on straight tail Prism Shad Robo 6". They were 2# clones mostly. I ended up with 6 and he 3, my biggest went 4-11. All back towards the quarry, first couple just before, and then on, the round peninsula 1/2 way back from the first main point that delineates that part of the lake. The biggie from the 'cut' close to the dam, and we got four back there and the last by me at the saddle just off the quarry proper. TUL.

2.3.10
Lake Hodges Opener
Solo - 1 bass on TD Pencil

Was very nice out there today. Got out for the afternoon bite, but heard there was no morning bite to speak of from all the guys leaving at 1 pm. Most someone got was three, some skunked, some 1 only.

Water was 59 back towards the 15 and 56 over towards the dam, about 58 in the narrows. The boat dock has been moved over close to where it used to be, but is still pretty far from the old ramp due to water shortage. One foot visibility, water color mud brown.

I was skunked till last 15 minutes, then hooked into a lunker and lost her after a 1/2 minute fight near the boat -BUMMER, but then got her little sister, a 2 pounder, on the same pattern. WHICH WAS??? Believe it or not, I remembered a guy saying he got a couple at DVL last Friday on a TD Pencil near shore, after seeing some busting fish. Sooo, I tied one on and got my first explosions of the year today, TUL! Nothing beats it. The one I lost was at least a five by the fight, she just kept running everywhere and I did not want to force her in too fast and bust her off on 12# Izor.

Sure is nice to have her open again. Gonna be a good year there.
 

1.29.'10
Diamond Valley Lake

Mike C. 0
Me 1

Water 56 degrees, partially sunny to sunny. Slight winds.

Mike C. joined me and we got on the lake by 7:30 or so.  Took the aluminum Lowe w/ trolling motor only still and went east towards the dam. Tossed the slow sink BBZ for nada, and some d/s on the points.  We made it to the last, and longest, point and anchored down and worked 20 to 40' w/ d/s and c/r for nada, about 2 hours. Move to a seemingly secondary point that some of the tourney guys (CBC that I was going to compete in, that story is below) and found that spot to be a steeper dropoff and with some rougher bottom, an obviously better choice to fish.  After 1/2 hour I got a nice 3-8 on a curly tail 5" prism shad Roboworm, TUL.

We got a ride from some guys we met headed west about a mile away, a 1/2 mile on the other side of the ramp, just past the 'buoy point' to the middle of the cover, where we'd got some three days earlier. We fished it for nada once I found the 'rock' and then motored to the point where I'd got a 5-8 on Tuesday, for nada.  Robert S. pulled up, he had two of about 2# each for the day, caught on the c/r early morn, then nada. By 1:15 we started to motor to the ramp, taking a 1/2 hour to do so.  Got to the weigh in where Tom L. was having problems with the telecast. I shot the guys as they came and weighed in. 

The trailer tire had warped on the way to the lake and we needed to change it, but ruined one lug nut trying to get the rusty thing off and had to limp all the way back to San Diego, leaving the lake at 5. 

1.25-26-27.'10
Diamond Valley Lake (DVL)

Water 56 degrees, each day partially sunny, pre or post storm

Pre-fishing for the CBC (Calif. Bass Championship)

Monday, 1/25
Well, I'm still pumped to get into my second tournament of my life (that cost big bucks to get into, as in not a 'fun/bragging rights' type which I've done a few times now- good practice though).  Problem was, it was at DVL for the first of the CBC (Calif. Bass Championship- a new tournament trail where you fish solo against 49 other folks- IF the field sells out), and my Skeeter does not qualify motor wise (older two stroke) so I was praying for a miracle, as in someone letting me borrow their boat. 

Now I know about 10 guys with boats, only two that would get on that lake, and one said he was not going to let me, as it was only 1 year old and for sale and was 'in perfect shape', as if I was going to total it, right?  The other guy I did not know that well to ask, it is a big favor of course. Well, not to worry, God ALWAYS answers prayer, so I prayed to get one somehow.

Not to let the lack of a decent boat stop me from getting prepped, Monday I went out solo to pre-fish, as I'd done a little over a week earlier, just before the big rains, in the old motor-less aluminum 14' Lowe, powered by the 40# trolling motor only.  (For you new guys, my 25hp four stroke was stolen last fall at the Delta- it was good for DVL too, which only lets those, or newer 2 strokes, on). Water was 56 degrees, has been for weeks. Talked the lake staff guys into a tow out to one of the islands, which when they heard about the theft sympathized/ helped.   

They asked 'how you going to get back', as they un-hooked the tow rope and I said "the wind and a prayer" (it was over a mile from the ramp in the middle of the lake). Well, they gave me the phone number of the 'boat house' just in case!   Some guys were getting a couple with either crawdads, or jigs, did not get close enough to know.  Nada for me after two hours.  Wind came up from west to east and I headed for a submerged island not far away, headed to the eastern dam, for more nada. Made it to the point between the dam and the ramp by 3, for more nada, but noticed a lot of biggies in 10' on way back to ramp along the shore, at least 5 to 8 lbs each. Note to self, come back and hit with swimmies tomorrow. 

Tuesday, 1.26

Next day, joined forces with Luke P.. It was his first trip to DVL and he was excited.  We got on the water and over to the drop off I wanted by 7:45, and he got one fairly fast on his swimmie- slow sink BBZ, but lost her half way back to the boat.  BUMMER, would have been his first on a swimbait too.

I had been throwing the topwater BBZ and punker over the past couple of weeks for nada, an hour or two per trip, and decided to change it up after his hit to a slow sink too.  Half hour later I got slammed, but it did not stick.     A little while later he got slammed again, but nada. He got a 2# on d/s fairly fast on the East Dam point when we reached it, about an hour later, and I thought we were going to slay 'em; I metered a lot of fish.  BUT they got finicky, and got lock-jaw. Two hours of trying c/r and d/s did not work.

Click photo to enlarge.
Luke's fist DVL bass

We saw the lady staffer go by in the lake boat and flagged her down. I talked her into giving us a tow about a mile away, to the point to the west of the ramp, so I could try new water, and was so far away, and upwind, that you could not see the buoy marker, Never would have made it with the trolling motor. Looked too good not to throw the swimmie once we got to it, so I did.  Just after tossing the third cast I decided to tell Luke that he should think twice about using the d/s over the swimmie, when as I started to open my mouth to say so I got hit and suddenly was fighting one, yep, fish on. Yelled, 'get the net' when I saw her big mouth try to expel the lure on the surface, too big to jump out of the water, and moments later he did an excellent netting job, helping me land the five and a half pound pig!!! NICE FEEESH. But that was it. We motored back to the ramp by three;  Four swimbait hits, two fought, one landed, plus the d/s fish.  I was feeling a little better but still feeling like I needed another week or two to pre-fish, not just two more days, and thought the lack of boat my be a God-send, but did not want to think negative either.

Click photo to enlarge.
My 5.8 swimbait bass

Wednesday, 1.27

Next day, Wednesday and three days before D-day now, I went out with a Brian Kemp, a nice young man I'd met over at Murrieta Hot Springs the week before.  He'd had a boat (sold it to help buy his first home) and fishes DVL regularly (he lives in Hemet). He'd given me some pointers so I was excited to go out with someone that could show me 'how to do it right'.  Well, right off the bat we ran into Arden (swimbait8er), whom just joined the site, as we were launching at 7.30. He was going out w/ Tim, the guy that runs the swimbait website he helps monitor.  They threw the top stuff, but when we ran into them at noon or so they had not had any luck yet. They gave us a lift to another point 1/2 mile away too, into the wind- westward, and we tried swimmies and d/s. We worked to the next point back towards the ramp (the wind helped us, always the plan), and then as we crossed a large 'bay' back to the long point we originally started on we ran across a rock with large fish marks in the middle of 'a desert' (as in the bottom looks like a desert, flat and treeless, fish-less usually too). Brian dropped a d/s on their heads and quickly got a 3.5#.  Should have dropped a buoy on them as I could not locate them in the winds/waves again, so went back and worked the point and was back to the dock by 12.30, Brian had to get to an appointment.  Fun day, BUT his friend that might loan me his boat canceled, and with us only getting one fish (and me getting the big stripe) made me a bit ill.  COULD I COMPETE? I figured most good fishermen would have had 5, culling from 10!

And you know, as I said, God always answers prayer, BUT, what I did not tell you, is sometimes the answer is NO, and that's what happened. Did not line up a boat.  So on the way home I called Tom L., the tourney director, and told him I'd have to bow out, and transfer my entry over to the Otay qualifier (yeah, one more month to practice) and here is the silver lining, "it will be easier to qualify Michael' he said, "as 10 of the better sticks won't fish against you, they will have already qualified for the regional!". Hey, never thought of that! "And less folks were signed up to fish them, making it even easier to make the top 10 that will then move to the regional fish-offs".  COOL, thank u Lord!  A GIANT silver lining huh?

More silver lining- I'd called Art Hill to see if he was fishing it, to help him with what little knowledge I could give him about the bite Thursday, and he said he was not fishing it (he'd mentioned he might the month earlier) and that it was so tough that he'd got skunked earlier that day, and which, he says, basically never happens! Now if that's how tough the bite was for him that made me feel a bit better about how poorly I'd done three days straight before that (and most fishermen reported only a solo fish too).

Saga to be continued- Otay, here I come!

1.12.'10
Murrieta Hot Springs
Mike C., Herbert, Mike W., me (Val., Gitta, Rocio)

Noon till 7. Celebrating B-day, won the mini-tourney for largest (all three 2# or more -2 were given to me to 'catch up'' with their already going tourney), tied for most (5- w/ Mike C.), and last bass caught.

1.9.'10
Diamond Valley Lake
6:30-2:30 pm / water 56 degrees a.m.

Pre-fishing for the CBC (Calif. Bass Championship)

Solo, just before the big rains to come in.

Started out about 8 and fished the ramp cove, east of the ramp, with a swimmie (new trout punker), for nada.  Worked towards the dam and got a 2.8 on a watermelon baby brush hog w/ shakey head setup (w/ chart. head).

Worked my way to the long point and got two more, a 3 and a 2. Worked to dam and fished c/r and d/s, some swimmie and then motored back tossing swimmies for nada, got to dock at 4, deadline time to get off lake.

1.2.'10
Diamond Valley Lake
6:30-2:30 pm / water 58 degrees a.m., 60 by 2 p.m./ sunny.

Pre-fishing for the CBC (Calif. Bass Championship) w/ Brian Day

Met him at Newport Ave. off ramp in Murrieta, in his Champion F150 Gray Ford truck at 6 am, fished till 2. He drove from there.  We got on them right away, he missed two right off the bat then stuck the third throwing  C/R brush hog- watermelon in 25' in cove with rock vein. It went 4-4.  It slowed after that. I tossed the c/r also, but picked up the BBZ floater quite often for nada.  We worked over towards the quarry in another cove but nada there. Over to the humps but in 65' of water d/s for nada. Over to the corner by the intake, nada. Over to the dam and Brian got a nice 3 pounder on the d/s. Over to the 'humps' by the quarry again for zippo. Over to Ronson's, more fresh air only. Over the the east dam where Brian got two undersized on the d/s.