San Diego Largemouth Bass Fishing

My first time on fresh water I got skunked. My second time San Diego Largemouth Bass fishing was a different story. [VIDEO Below]

I took part in a friendly fishing meet put on by California Kayak Bass Fishing at Lake Murray. We started early and I had the cameras rolling. I paddled and fished about 30% of the lake and wasn’t getting any bites so I was starting to stress. The water was green with algae. There was no visibility.

My First Largemouth Bass

With so many boats and kayaks I figured I’d fish where everyone else wasn’t fishing. So I started looking for places and one of them was at the boundary for the dam. No one was casting past the floating barrier so I tried and got slammed by the biggest bass I’ve ever seen. Granted, this was my first bass but it was big. I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time since I had nothing to compare it to. I caught her on a Yamamoto Senko worm drop shot setup. Details below.

The Lure
Yamamoto Thin Senko Bait, Pumpkin with Large Black and Small Green Flake, 5″
Owner Oversized Worm Hook, 11/0

The Spot
The spot looked undisturbed beyond the barrier. The tullies lined the side and there was a matt of old tullies that stuck out about 10 feet past the tully line. It was right at casting distance. I casted and landed on the dead tully patch. I pulled up on the fishing rod just enough to let the drop shot fall off the matt. I let it sink.

The Retrieve

Now at the bottom I took up the slack with the rod tip down. Without cranking I pulled the rod tip up and feel the weight drag along the bottom. I wait a few seconds then repeat the whole process.

My Second Largemouth Bass

With the little success of my “Fish where no one else is fishing” strategy I moved on to fishing the shallow areas in front of bare beaches without tullies. Since the water was so green I thought the fish would be out and about since they had cover the whole time. This also made it hard for them to find food by sight so I started casting the a lipless crank bait. On my third cast the line felt heavy. My second largemouth bass was on. Slightly longer than my first but not as fat. I’m super stoked.

The Lure:
Rat-L-Trap Lures 1/2-Ounce Floating Trap (Chrome Blue Back)
The Spot:
In about 5 feet of water and started casting parallel to shore. The shore had no tullies and the water was green with algae.
The Retrieve:
The retrieve was similar to the drop shot retrieve in the pattern but faster and sweeping the rod to the side instead of lifting the tip. As soon as the Rat-L-Trap hit the water I took up the slack and swept the rod to the right. I could feel the vibrations from the lure shaking. I pointed the rod back to the lure and took up the slack as i brought it forward then swept again. The noise from the rattle helps the fish become aware of it and the semi-pause while taking up the slack gives the fish time to pounce on it.

Fishing Tackle I Use

Here is a list of the fishing tackle I currently use. RomanCastro.com/fishgear