dR. BassLove

@ Hammer 4 - Thanks for the tip! I looked up Savon Tackle and I found out about a closer spot that I think is affiliated with Savon called Fishermen's Hardware on Temple and Anaheim. I went there on Monday to grab some 6 inch Robos. I want to get some in the oxblood color as that worked for me before but no luck so instead I grabbed Margarita Mutilator III (purp/blue/brown). I did see another type of Robos called "Sinking Minnows." Would those be good to try at El Do? Update: August 15th & 17th On the 15th, all amped up by my first bass, I decided to come out early. I got to El Dorado @ 7 am. I tried fishing with the Bold Bluegill worm (4.5 inches). I fished for about 30 mins at the semi-point when another gentleman walked next to me and started casting. He was using a live crayfish. On his second cast he had a fish! I fished all the way until 9 that night without a single bite as far as I know (At points I got discouraged and switched to panfishing so i wasn't completely empty handed all day). Lots of fishermen passed me on that day and all of them told me no luck. Near the end of the day a guy walked by with a couple of baitcasters rigged with a pop-r and crayfish crankbait. Less than 3 ft where I'd been fishing for almost 14 hrs he caught a little 12 incher on the FIRST cast!!! Oh well, I guess that's how the Fish Gods do it. On Tuesday, I came back with my new 6 inch Robos. Got there at 6:30 am (Rangers be damned!). Went to the semi-point. Fished for about 2 hrs with no luck. Another angler came out and was nice enough to show me with "wacky worm" rig. Looked pretty wacky. I would like to try that sometime. You guys have any luck with a WW rig? He fished for about 30 mins with no luck and left. Then another guy came to fish that point and he was using Senkos (black + blue fleck) with Texas rig. He fished for another 2 hrs when I hear his drag start to whirl and he starts to shout. Unfortunately, the fish slips and he loses it. He leaves, but before doing so hands me a Senko (I love the angling culture of sharing!)! I take his spot and fish the Senko. About 45 mins later I get a bite! I am winding in when the fish leaps completely out of the water. I try to keep the tension in the line, but I fail and the hook slips out. So that's it so far. I am planning to head back out there tonight at 6 pm.

Update: August 14th, 2010 I went to El Dorado around 6 pm. The weather was clear. Sunny. The water was very clear. Minimal wind, so very little choppy water. I came armed with a pack of 4.5" Roboworms (I couldn't find the 6" worms anywhere) in oxblood (I decided to go as brown as I could). I had it Texas-rigged with a 1/8 oz bullet weight and #1 offset ewb. Seeing as it was Saturday, there were a ton of people there. I started casting out by the ranger station, but decided there were too many people. I made my way to the semipoint. I would cast out as far as I could (I guess like 25 ft?) and then leave it for 30-45 s then lift my rod. I felt like when I lifted my rod 8-10" it wasn't enough to move my worm, so I lifted my rod tip about 2 ft. Then I would let it drop and reel in the slack. Then wait another 20-25 s before continuing. For awhile, I was afraid that the weight was too much because when I tested the rig in the shallows it looked like it feel really fast. Do you think splitshotting would be a good idea? Regardless, I continued with your technique for a couple hours. Then on one of the falls, just like you said, I felt a bite. So I reeled in and set the hook. Then the fish lept completely out of the water! It was such a rush! I soon got her on-shore, but having not expected to catch anything, I didn't bring my scale. I would guess it was about 2 lbs. and around 16 inches long. It really made my day. @Hammer 4: Thank you for taking the time to help me out. I really appreciate it. If I ever get a chance to meet you at ED, I'd love to shake you hand. @dday07: Sorry for not replying to your message. Before H4 told me to check my PM I didn't even know I had one! By then I thought it was too late to respond. I owe you thanks for the new 1/2oz chrome/blue Rat-L-Trap I picked up. What size senkos would you recommend? Also, many of the lures I lose are due to my inept casting. I am interested in fishing with frogs though. I see many people with them, but have never talked to one who had any luck. Are they hard to fish?

Update: August 12th, 2010 Went out again. 6 to 8:30 pm. Pretty clear water and low winds. Fished a spinnerbait off the semi-point. No luck. Will try robo worms tomorrow. What do you think will be more effective? Margarita Mutinator (purple/blue/brown) or Bold Bluegill (light green/dark green/brown)

Update: August 11, 2010 First off, thanks you Hammer and Urban for your advice! I went out and got a 3/8 oz chart/white spinnerbait with a willow and Colorado like you suggested. I held off on the worms cause I don't really know how to fish plastics. So I have been going to El Dorado almost every day after work to fish from about 6 pm to 9. Today was the first day that I was able to go fishing after reading your suggestions. Today I got there about 6. I walked to the ranger station like you recommended but found it too weedy. I lost my brand new spinnerbait. Then I switched to my Rat-L-Trap, but I gave up because it was just getting caught on too much gunk. Then I tried the semi-point, but it was occupied. Eventually I just walked back to my regular spot. Along the way, I met lots of other anglers, including a few bass fishermen. It seems like no one was having much luck. They were all using plastic worms or frogs. I would really like to learn to fish frog lures one day. Anyhow, I decided to stick with my Rat-L-Trap. I would basically cast out as far towards the island as I could and then reel it back in a variety of ways. Sometimes I would let it sit for awhile after the cast, while sometimes I would retrieve immediately. I also tried constant retrieves in different speeds. Then I tried some retrieves with pauses and twitches. I also yo-yoed the lure. Nothing. Around 7:45, it was getting pretty dark so I resigned myself to a last 5 casts. On the fifth cast, I was retrieving with twitches and pauses when my line got caught about 15 ft out. I figured it was a weed line that I always seemed to get tangled in. But when I looked at my line, I noticed that it was moving! So I quickly set my hook and pulled out this lovely lady! I guess it's a crappie. Nevermind, I can't post pictures. So after 3 weeks and over $30 dollars worth of lost lures, I have finally caught my first fish (Bluegill aside). The weather today was pretty sunny, but not as hot as last week. Also, by 7 it was pretty chilly. When I left at 9, the water was warm to the touch. Water surface was a bit choppy, but wind was pretty minimal. Water visibility was probably less than 2 ft. I also tried a Rapala jerkbait (shad) before I left, but no luck. So what do you guys think? Anything you think I could have done differently/better? Thanks in advance.

Hi Everyone, I am new to fishing. The only place nearby for me to fish for bass is El Dorado Park in Long Beach, CA. I have been doing tons of reading on different lures and techniques. Every time I fish, I excitedly go and try them out, but have never had any success. I have a 7' medium action rod with a spinning reel. My lures are: 1/4 oz orange/bronze Rat-L-Trap, a small Rapala Jointed FireTiger, a small Rapala Original Floater (shad) and a small white spinnerbait with a single colorado blade. My question: What am I doing wrong? Does anyone fish at El Dorado? Any specific advice? Where should I be fishing? I was just out there yesterday and I fished from 5 pm til 8:30 pm without any luck. I usually go to the 3rd lake without any concrete and fish the far side (next to the LBTC). Typically around 6ish I will start to see the jumping schools of baitfish and large splashes (which I am assuming are the bass). I have tried casting my jerkbaits right on and next to the action, but I never get any hits. I have tried just casting out and letting it sit for a long time. I have tried small twitches and jerks. I have tried big twitches and jerks. I have tried slow retrieval and I have tried it fast. Nothing. Any fishing gurus out there feel like that can help out a poor, young fry? Thanks in advance!