SD_BaSsAsSiN

I have been looking into fishing on the San Diego river and several of the lakes it attaches. I live in east county(Santee) and the San Diego River goes right through town and there are small little ponds that are connected by it. I looked all over the net for some info on fishing on the river or one of these little ponds but I could not find any information. I did find a report from someone claiming they catch bass at Hazard Point in Mission Valley but this was back in 05. My question is, are there fish in the San Diego River and can I just fish there(with a fishing license of course) or is it like every other body of freshwater in this county and I have to pay to fish on it?

Bigger fish use less energy because they are not growing as fast. The reason dawn and dusk produce a lot of quantity is that these younger fish need to feed more to keep up with their fast metabolism so they get to feeding as soon as they can see which is usually dawn. Not only this but baitfish are attracted to light so as soon as light hits the water these baitfish become active and start moving towards the surface and shallows to feed. Bass instinctively know this and are more prone to feed during this time. That's why you only catch them on crankbaits and I bet they are shallow water cranks too. The crankbait looks like their natural food. Why do big bass hit during the middle of the day? Simple, they are lazy and sleep in. No but seriously think about it. Who needs more energy, a 3 year old or a 70 year old? Who has better eyesight? Older fish are not going to hit everything that swims in front of them, and they are sure as heck not going to go eat with all the other fish, its too much work. That's why I think big bass hit most during the middle of the day. They can see easier and don't have as much competition for food because everyone else has already eaten. This is just a theory btw don't take this as commandment.

That is a great technique as well for slow hitting days. cabulwinkle try working it on what I call the 5 cast method. Do 5 casts with a slow retrieve, 5 with a faster one, 5 with a stop and go, 5 with a jerking or twitch, etc. I was doing a slow retrieve and slowly moving rod tip up and down maybe 12 to 15 inches to give it a little more action. This changes the depth of the bait without stopping it and letting it fall. This small little trick was the difference in catching fish and not catching fish. If you have a boat there is a huge point on the west side of the island at Lake Casitas. Position your boat right off that point facing south southeast into that cove. Right there, literally at the opening of the cove is a rapid depth change so fish are more than likely going to be located there probably suspended on the drop off depending on cover. Its like a little underwater gorge. They like these spots because they are close to the shallows to feed and close to deep water if they need a quick getaway. This kind of structure holds bass year round and makes for great go to spots when you aren't having a great day. I have no idea if this true on Casitas, I have never fished it. I am just going by what a topo map says and where I would fish if I were to fish there. EDIT: caught another yesterday at Santee Lakes on the same spinner.

Bunny Leeches huh? I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the reply. Well I can't seem to talking him into waiting so my buddy is going to order one and see what it does. I'd still like to hear if anyone out there has used them and if so how durable are they? I'd figure that after a while the hair would get weak from being wet all the time and fall apart. If anyone has any experience with these lures, please help me catch more fish...or help me make a fool of my friend. Thanks!

UPDATE: Went to Santee Lakes today and caught 2 bass on a Strike King KVD Sexy Shad Spinnerbait. They hit it pretty hard! Spinnerbaits do catch fish here.

For surface skimming fun wait until the fall. Bass are more active and will hit a spinnerbait moving decently fast near the surface. When I lived in Virginia I would love to fish in the late summer to early fall because bass get really active and hit pretty much anything. I like working topwater baits or fast moving baits like spinnerbaits or a broken back minnow. The best thing to do is learn about the lake you are fishing and see what kind of forage the fish have to eat on. If there are a lot of bait fish or crayfish then a spinner should get good results once you locate feeding fish. Blade color, size and shape as well as skirt and head color will depend on water clarity(clear-muddy), weather(rain,temp,wind), lighting condition(sunny,cloudy), time of year(pre,peak,post spawn) and the type of food you are trying to mimic(shad,bluegill,trout,crayfish). I general stick to silver big blade and if I have a small blade on it I'll go with either silver or gold depending on water clarity, weather and what type of bait I am trying to mimic. Now comes the fun part, figuring out what combination works best for that day. I unfortunately can't tell you that since I have no idea where you are fishing and I probably haven't fished there. Spinnerbaits work anywhere. They are so versatile and can be fished so many ways that they are bound to catch fish on any lake or pond. The can mimic a variety of food that bass eat. Try different presentations and erratic movements to get fish to bite and see what works. Hope this helps.

I was wondering if anyone has tried any rabbit hair lures? My buddy and I found a video of them on youtube and bass hold on and don't let go. I was thinking of trying them out but wanted to check and see if anyone on here has used them. Anyone?

Micro gear and a small little spinner(beetlespin) or crankbait and catching bass that small is fun!

I sent you a PM since I don't have 10 posts yet I can't post weblinks. Hope it helps.

I don't live in VA anymore but my family still does and every time I go back I go fishing with my brother. We fished a lot of different places growing but my favorites are still small farm or neighbothood ponds In Virginia Beach there are a lot of neighborhood ponds that hold some big fish.

First off let me say thanks for serving for our country Second, if you did any fishing at all in Virginia do not expect the same kind of fishing out here. I'm from Virginia Beach and I moved out here almost 2 years ago. The lakes out here are nice but unfortunately due to it being so dry in the last few years they are really low. I fished Hodges last Sunday and I was in shock at how low the water is. Its about 15 feet low. There is definitely plenty of fish but getting to them is a chore because of all the exposed trees that are suppose to be underwater. San Diego County Water Dept releases a weekly measurement of all the reservoirs they run and most of the lakes are in the 55 to 85% full range. The 2 lakes that have the least amout of water loss are Miramar Lake near Miramar and Murray Lake in La Mesa. I haven't fished much out here, didn't have anyone to go with until recently so I can't say what the situation is as a whole. I am just going by talking with other fishermen at walmart and the lakes I have been to. I will say that there are a lot of waterholes around this area that I can't wait to drop a lure into. We are going to fish Lake Dixon in Escondido next time. The biggest largemouth ever pulled out of water alive was pulled out of Dixon(25lbs 1oz) so you know there are big bass in there. El Capitan is suppose to be decent as well as Otay down in Chula Vista. Lake Elsinore is the biggest if that's what you are looking for. San Vicente is closed from what the SDWD website says but I have heard its good fishing there as well. They flooded a town to create the reservoir and partial buildings are still under there. That's just what I have heard so I don't know if that is true or not. There are several little places as well like the Santee Lakes, Lake Jennings and Lake Poway. Jennings and Poway are more like parks near lakes. I would not recommend Poway at all. There are fish in it but it is really deep(118'), half of it is barricaded so you can't fish the whole lake and the recreational activities just kill any kind of fishing success. If Poway was a fishing only lake it would be nice but it is too small to have 25 to 30 boats on the water with kids screaming, paddle boats splashing, teenagers playing bumper boats to fish there. I haven't been to Jennings yet and am hesitant to go after my experience at Poway. My favorite small lake to fish has to be the Santee Lakes. They have 4 lakes lined up next to each other that are stocked with a healthy largemouth population. I like fishing there because its quiet, no boats are allowed, and its right down the street from where I live. They remind me of farm ponds back in VA with a Socal twist. They stock them every spring with catfish and every fall with trout and there is a healthy bluegill population as well. I am sure there are more around as well I just haven't found them yet. There are plenty of fishing spots here in Socal if they could just keep water in them. The ones I mentioned are just a few that I have heard are the best spots to check out. If you want to go further up north there are several more lakes to check out too. Castaic Lake, Casitas Lake and Diamond Valley Lake are a few that have been recommended to us and if you don't mind a little drive, Big Bear Lake up by San Bernadino. Like I said plenty of places to fish just don't expect it to be like the east coast. Hope this helps.