Super User slonezp Posted September 29, 2021 Super User Share Posted September 29, 2021 My kid is heading to CA the end of October for a week. Flying into San Francisco, wants to hit Clear Lake for a day or half a day before he heads south. What say you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User NorcalBassin Posted September 29, 2021 Super User Share Posted September 29, 2021 There are quite a few out there but my recommendation would be Ross England. He has an excellent reputation, charges a modest amount, and always seems to be on fish. Also appeared in a few videos with Matt Allen over the years. http://www.clearlakeguideservice.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Darth-Baiter Posted September 29, 2021 Super User Share Posted September 29, 2021 Zero Doubt. Josh Adams. Get this! He is a teen! Josh got me my PB in November. His work ethics are sick. His boat and some of his gear is older tho. It all worked fine, but don’t expect to find a WOW factor. I didn’t care. He explained the game plan. The why and the where. He showed me on topo maps our strategy. My first cast was a flub. He runs his spools looser than my skill level could handle. And I backlashed badly. He didn’t miss a beat. Got me a new rod and untangled my mess. He didn’t tease me because my friend did. Haha. I had a great experience and the added bonus of seeing a young person working hard gave me hope for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Darth-Baiter Posted September 29, 2021 Super User Share Posted September 29, 2021 12 hours ago, NorcalBassin said: There are quite a few out there but my recommendation would be Ross England. He has an excellent reputation, charges a modest amount, and always seems to be on fish. Also appeared in a few videos with Matt Allen over the years. http://www.clearlakeguideservice.com/ Have you used him? This is the guy that’s does the reports? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User WRB Posted September 30, 2021 Super User Share Posted September 30, 2021 Older old school guides; Russ England and Bob Myskey. New school with state of the tackle and boat Zack at Livefast Movement Outdoors. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User slonezp Posted September 30, 2021 Author Super User Share Posted September 30, 2021 My son has been doing some research and now thinks Clear Lake may not be the best choice based on recent reports. He said there are 2 lakes near L.A. that are considerably smaller than Clear Lake. Said one holds the CA state record. He's flying into San Francisco, was going to hit Clear Lake for 1/2 day and then head down to L.A. and eventually San Diego to finish the vacation. He's willing to change plans. Our conversation today started with he wants a DD bass and then it was 7lbs or better because that beats my PB Doesn't want to drop $400 to catch 3 pounders. I'm(he's) open to suggestions. @WRB or anyone else, any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User WRB Posted September 30, 2021 Super User Share Posted September 30, 2021 Castaic is low water water level right now do to dam repairs, about 150 vertical feet! Castiac isn’t big bass lake anymore because of stripe invasion from a prior dam repair that went bad. Casitas and Castiac were my home lakes but no longer have a boat. Lake Cachuma has a decent bite now, contact Rich Tauber Fishing or Rusty Brown guide service. Rich would be my 1st choice. San Francisco area the Delta offers a good opportunity for a legit 7+ lb bass. My good friend Cooch passed away and no longer know anyone I can recommend. Bobby Barrack has a good reputation and excellent frog fisherman. Good luck Tom PS, I understand Zack of Livefast Movement Outdoors is also a good Delta guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Hands Posted October 1, 2021 Share Posted October 1, 2021 I did hear from someone that returned from Clear Lake a few days ago that his trip was not particularly fruitful, but it is Clear Lake. I know there are not even a lot of places to launch there right now too. But there's a good chance that the guides up there have a pretty good idea of what to do. And it is Clear Lake. Sounds like he might be referring to Castaic Lake for one of the two lakes. Casitas could be the other. Castaic (as far as I know) still holds the official state record with a 22 lb bass that was taken from here (I live in Castaic) a few decades ago. As Tom mentioned, Castaic is not pumping out monsters like it did back in the day, and it is about 150' low. That means Tom could show you the currently dry land that produced many of his behemoths when there was water on them, LOL. Still, the fishing by local standards, has been very good to excellent for the past five months. I have actually been enjoying the fishing and checking out all the topography that rarely get exposed like it is currently. If he just wants to check it out and fish at Castaic with an actual guide, then Tom's suggestion of Rich Tauber is an excellent choice. I don't think I know of any other guides I would give a higher recommendation to, but there are some others that provide a good experience too. If he wants the best chance for a DD bass near LA (or even a 7 pounder), I would probably have to recommend the Castaic Forebay (lagoon) just below the dam of the main lake. The pic is from a few weeks ago when we were waiting in line to go night fishing. This other pic is of a seven pounder that I weighed for this angler in a lagoon float tube derby this past Saturday. It was only good enough for 2nd big fish. The biggest weighed in at 10.33. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted October 1, 2021 Global Moderator Share Posted October 1, 2021 17 hours ago, slonezp said: My son has been doing some research and now thinks Clear Lake may not be the best choice based on recent reports. He said there are 2 lakes near L.A. that are considerably smaller than Clear Lake. Said one holds the CA state record. He's flying into San Francisco, was going to hit Clear Lake for 1/2 day and then head down to L.A. and eventually San Diego to finish the vacation. He's willing to change plans. Our conversation today started with he wants a DD bass and then it was 7lbs or better because that beats my PB Doesn't want to drop $400 to catch 3 pounders. I'm(he's) open to suggestions. @WRB or anyone else, any recommendations? Doesn’t want to drop $400 to catch 3 lbers? Ok I’ve done a fair amount of guiding over the last 15 years and that ain’t the attitude you want to have going in look at it like gambling, you’re paying the $400 no matter what so just kiss that goodbye and hope for the best I had a bunch of clients tell me their expectations before the trip. Let’s just say that the people that said they only want to catch this or that rarely do. The people that could care less what the results are have the best results 99% of the time 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MN Fisher Posted October 1, 2021 Super User Share Posted October 1, 2021 1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said: Doesn’t want to drop $400 to catch 3 lbers? Ok I’ve done a fair amount of guiding over the last 15 years and that ain’t the attitude you want to have going in Ya - guide can lead you to fish...but not to specific size fish. Might be all dinks, might be a few hawgs...no way to know beforehand. You pays your money, you takes your chances. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Darth-Baiter Posted October 3, 2021 Super User Share Posted October 3, 2021 just to note..I would never recommend someone I didn't utilize myself. no word of mouth stuff. "huh..I heard so and so is good".. I called Josh and he told gave me a fishing report first and told me how we would fish. I book right away and he did exactly what he said and found us fish. I am the happy dude on his webpage holding the 6 pounder!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User slonezp Posted October 7, 2021 Author Super User Share Posted October 7, 2021 Rich Tauber it is. Thanks guys 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User slonezp Posted October 27, 2021 Author Super User Share Posted October 27, 2021 Just an update. Kid fished Casitas this morning. Caught a 5 pounder and a 15" bass. Said Rich was a real nice guy and told him up front that it was going to be a tough day. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User WRB Posted October 27, 2021 Super User Share Posted October 27, 2021 I wouldn’t fish Casitas during a bright sky cold frontal day, it’s tough enough right now during ideal conditions. Hats off to Rich for getting a good bass under those conditions. Hope your kids enjoyed the outing. Casitas is a low as I have ever seen it since 1958. Tom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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