Tough Day in Lake El Capitan

Got to the gate at 6:00 a.m. only to find out that there was a tournament, so there were 50 boats ahead of us. After, being in line for awhile we finally got to launch at 7:30 a.m. The lake looked beautiful and the water level was up. Unfortunately, the fishing was tough, it was overcast, cold & windy.

We tried just about everything but could not get a bite. We saw quite a few fish, just could not entice them to hit. After 4 hours of frustration and getting beat up by the cold wind, we called it the day. Oh well, that's why they call it fishing and not catching!

Fished Santee Lakes this morning!

Hit up Santee Lakes this morning. Got there at 6:30 am and it was pretty cold, hands were frozen, probably missed hits cause I could not feel them. I know, some of you from the midwest who are reading this are probably calling me a whimp. I undertand, but I grew up in SoCal and born in the islands, so anything below 70 degrees is cold.

Started out at Lake 4, those of you who are familiar with Santee Lakes, there are 5 chain of lakes. Started out tossing weightless Senkos next to the tullies without much luck. Moved to the end of the lake and saw shad busting the surface, so I tossed the Senko in and right away I got hit but missed it. I snagged a shad while reeling in, so I tied on a lipless crankbait to match the shad color. Sure enough, threw it out and hooked a small largemouth, but that was about it. So moved over to Lake 5, but had no luck with the crankbait. Switched to Senkos and jigs tossing next to the tullies & logs, but no love there.

After 2 hours of fishing with just 1 fish, I was getting a little frustrated. So I moved on the Lake 3. As I was walking up I saw a guy hook up on a dropshot rig, so I switched to a dropshot with my go to bait the Roboworm (Margarita Mutator). First cast, hooked a 2 lber, not bad. After a few more cast, nothing. Moved back over to Lake 4 by the paddle boats and caught 1 there about the same size.

It 11:00 am and it was starting to get hot and all picnikers are starting to arive, so I called it the day. 4 hours with 3 fish, usually that is a bad day, but for me at 3 largemouths at Santee Lake is not bad. I've caught lots of trouts, catfish & bluegills there in the past but the bass have not given me much love. So 3 fish there, I was happy.

Can't Wait To Fish Lake Barrett Again!

It is now March, 2 more months and Lake Barrett will open. Ending months of waiting to fish it again. I fished Lake Barrett for the first time last year and fished it once more after. First time I fish it, caught a few fish only because I was not familiar with the lake. The second time was so much better, found some great spots. We found a cove that was just loaded with fishes. We were pitching plastics (lizard, worms, creatures, beavers) next to tullies. We were fishing them texas rigged with weights & weight-less on the Senkos. But the most productive was the dropshot rigs with roboworms in margarita mutator color.

Lake Barrett is unique among publicly operated reservoirs, located in locked gates in a remote area of San Diego County. It is one of only two reservoirs in the region that operates under strict regulations to protect both the quality of the fishery and fishing experience. The fishing regulations at this "zero kill" fishery calls for the use of barbless hooks and artificial lures only with all fish release.

This is a great place to fish if you are able to get reservations. Ticketmaster handles all reservations for Lake Barrett fishing. The lake is open only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the fishing season of May through September. Reservations are available a month in advanced, always beginning on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm. One reservation is good for up to four people and boat & motor included. I found it to be a good idea to bring in a trolling motor & battery with it. The boats are your regular aluminum lake boats which is really not ideal for four anglers, so what usually happens is that 2 people with fish on the boat & the other 2 fish from float tubes or from shore. Also, due to the fact that road to the lake passes through private property, all parties must be escorted on and off the premises. To find out more about Lake Barrett regulations visit http://www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/barrett.shtml

Springtime is probably the best time to go and also the toughest to get reservations. You will get quantity in the spring (30+ days), but quality in my opinion is during the summer when you get the bigger fishes. The only thing about summertime that people have to deal with is the heat. Temperature can get very hot during the summer season, so we usually go at first train in and out at noon-2pm. There are no concessions at Barrett, so make sure to bring your own food & lots of water.

If you've never fish Lake Barrett before, try it. I guarantee that you'll fall in love with it just as I did!