Casitas LMB - 1/17/2009

[SC400DUDE]

Good Morning folks,

Here is a report from Casitas from yesterday...

My buddy Ryan and I decided to fish Casitas after seeing how warm it's been lately. We figured the warmer weather would make the fish bite. So we loaded up his Champion and rolled out at 5:30.

After fueling up the truck/boat/our stomachs, we finally get ready to launch...temp reads 42 degrees...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1290.jpg
Here's Ryan getting impatient and starts casting the Swimbait while I park the rig...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1293.jpg

We decided to fish the sunken island...Ryan had a feeling that there would be fish there...I'm not one to argue...I chose the spot last time...
We start casting and I was bit after a few casts. I swung and missed. Damn...oh well. Then 3-4 casts later, I set the cold steel and bring in this little guy...my first of '09
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1294.jpg
About 20 minutes later, Ryan hooks up...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1295.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1296.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1297.jpg
Just a little guy...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1300.jpg

[SC400DUDE]

I get another small Bass one cast later. Then ryan gets another 2 pounder 10 minutes later. We also had 2 more bass that came unbuttoned half way through the fight....

We continued to work the point, then something strange happened...I casted out and let it sink to the bottom. Then I set my rod down to grab my redbull. As I'm popping open my energy juice, I noticed my rod tip jumping up and down. I picked up my rod and felt weight, a damn fish was hanging on without me working it! I set the hook and got the fish to the boat after a few minutes. It was a solid 3 pounder...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1301.jpg

The bite shutoff after that, then we had about 12 of these...LoL
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/sc400dude/Jan%2017th%202009%20LMB/IMG_1311.jpg

All the fish were caught drop-shotting Red Crawler/Salt River Craw 4.5inch straight tail Roboworms in 35-45ft of water...The bites were very subtle today. There was no wind until noon and the water clarity was clear for the most part. Use light fluorocarbon lines to get bit...
It was definetely a morning bite yesterday...we ended up with 5 bass and missed about the same amount from 7am-11am...cruised it for the rest of the day to scout for other potential hot spots as spring nears.... Can't wait to do it again~!

[DCCTrouserTrout]

Nice fish... I know it's not allowed but that is some nice wakeboarding water right there..

[socalrippin]

good job getting on the bass and budlight bro! looks like a good time. i havent been to casitas yet, i want to get up there to fish the big baits this summer!

[richaaron]

How did you get the boat on the water..? Does he keep it stored there or something..?

[SC400DUDE]

How did you get the boat on the water..? Does he keep it stored there or something..?

If you want to fish Casitas, then you have to be committed only to Casitas. They have to first inspect the boat for Quagga/Zebra Mussels. Then they place a cable and lock which secures the boat to its trailer. They make you wait 10 days before returning for one final inspection. If they deem the boat safe, then they let you in. If your cable/lock has been tampered with(let's say you cut the sucker off to fish DVL or something), then they refuse to let you in. You'd have to repeat the whole process over. Kind of a bummer but that's the price you pay to fish this Lake via personal watercraft. We don't mind it because we're local and have been fishing this Lake for years...

Upon completion of fishing Casitas, they check your boat out again and place the same cable/lock back on your boat. Hope this helps!

[soe18a49]

WTG on the greenies bro, and nothing's like a well deserved Bud! :Beer Toast:

[nismotech91]

Way to go out there. Thanks for the report.

[fishfinder1]

Way to go on the fish. Did you see any fish up shallow?

[SC400DUDE]

Way to go on the fish. Did you see any fish up shallow?

Thanks,

I didn't see any bass shallow...I believe that they'll be shallow in a month or 2 depending if the warmer weather continues to persist. I think the bass will begin to move shallower for the pre-spawn by the second week of February...I only guess this because this is the most consistent pattern the past few years...
Last year, the bass started to stage in 15-25ft of water the week of Valentines day. In fact, we slayed the bass on Valentines day...they were chewing the Red Crawler outta control on the dropshot. Our girlfriends were not happy that day....LOL

[PureAle]

Sounds like you had a good time on the lake. nice bass.

PureAle

[GARYC]

I was there Sat. at Wadleigh Arm (t-dock) I caught a 4 lb Bass w/night crawler. I took it to the bait shop and they wrote my name down. Do you know what they do with the names on the list. Exactly where do you find, their fishing report?

[SC400DUDE]

I was there Sat. at Wadleigh Arm (t-dock) I caught a 4 lb Bass w/night crawler. I took it to the bait shop and they wrote my name down. Do you know what they do with the names on the list. Exactly where do you find, their fishing report?

Typically, they'll publish your reports in the local papers and/or WON. They'll publish your name, the fish, and what you caught it on. If you're the only one catching anything, they'll make your catch the emphasis. Otherwise, they'll add your report as part of what everybody is catching(if other people are catching Bass on nightcrawlers, then they say something like "Bass are being caught on Nightcrawlers for anglers fishing in Wadleigh Arm"). If someone catches a double digit bass the same week as your catch, then it will dominate the headlines for Casitas.
It's kinda sad really...If it ain't over 8 pounds, it's really not gonna make it...LoL...that's why I don't even report to them unless I catch a Bass worth reporting about. Hope this helps buddy!

[sidified]

Yah, hooking up whil ''dead sticking'' is pretty interesting, huh? I remember the first time I saw that done was at Castaic by a kid of maybe 13 years. He tossed this purple worm out and just set the rod down while he rigged another pole--Being the older and certainly wiser fisherman I told the kid he wasn't going to get hit just soaking the rubber like that; that he needed to retrieve it, bumping the bottom ever so slowly, blah, blah, blah---He just looked at me like I was a complete moron--which I proved to be as a few minutes later he set the hook on that dead stick and brought in a hefty 5 lbr. Some lesson--

[SC400DUDE]

Yah, hooking up whil ''dead sticking'' is pretty interesting, huh? I remember the first time I saw that done was at Castaic by a kid of maybe 13 years. He tossed this purple worm out and just set the rod down while he rigged another pole--Being the older and certainly wiser fisherman I told the kid he wasn't going to get hit just soaking the rubber like that; that he needed to retrieve it, bumping the bottom ever so slowly, blah, blah, blah---He just looked at me like I was a complete moron--which I proved to be as a few minutes later he set the hook on that dead stick and brought in a hefty 5 lbr. Some lesson--

Nice story,
I've seen all kinds of youngsters catch fish in ways I wouldn't think twice about...
I've caught one other bass dead-sticking a couple years back...I'm just not that patient to let the plastic kick back...I'm a big fiend for action...LoL...Those roboworms are just too tantalizing to let them sit there. I dead-stick more when I'm surf fishing for Barred Perch...I'll let the double sets of waves move my grub...

[steve092]

Nice work guys!

[bassinnut]

Thanks for the report. I am getting my boat ready for the inspection. I think there will be an early spawn this year.

[crappiemike]

thnx for the report...

cm