Lake Casitas - April 2009 - BIG GIANT SWIMBAIT BASS!! (Long Report!!!)

[JohnMarino]

Well it was the time of year again, and you guys havent had any reports from us because I've been having some laptop problems and we just got a new boat a 2008 Ranger Z21 Single Console... We are back at it and now its TIME TO PUT SOME DOUBLE DIGITS IN THE BOAT!!! So we are back at Castias to give you guys some more BIG FISH Reports. :)
We fished Castias hard for 5 months, Throwing the big swimbaits and this was one of the toughest bites we have ever had, early this year in Jan/Feb we had many days of getting skunked.... But we stook with it trying to find location with the low water levels at castias, and then the trout plants started coming in, and then as the bite goes Late march & April with the Pre-spawn and post spawn action,IT WAS ON!!! A quest to break a PB....

My Dad frank marino, Goes and tosses that swimbait out on a point, slow rolling it right on the bottom right as the ridge of the point comes out he snaps the bait... FISH ON!!! He fought this bass straight into the net and we start screaming YESSS!!! We finally got it after months of trying to figure out a bite. never give up!!

A LONG 12 LBER !!! (I thought this bass was like 15+lbs in the net.. lol)
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/1.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/DSC04504.jpg

So we go back A week later with my uncle donny stevens, we get a trout plant a day before, as we were fishing we seen a trout skip across the surface.. SHES GETTIN CHASED he throws the swimbait out there makes 5 cranks and the fish in ON!!!!

8.4 lbs!!
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/3.jpg

Whew the adreline is pumping and now IM pumped to stick a toad...We go back to the same area my dad frank catches the 12 lber...
I toss the swimbait out there, slow rollin it right on the bottom... *thunk* i SWING AND THE Battle is on!! I fight this bass with my drag locked and 25 lb test and get em in the net without even jumping I was only 1oz from breaking a Personal BEST!!

11.0 lbs !!

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/john11lb.jpg

So we go back again.... The 10th cast of the morning I get a BLOWUP FISH ON! Another nice bass I got, 7.8 lbs. What a way to start the morning :)
Around 8:30 am we head out to one of the 5 producing spots we got, Toss that slow sinker swimbait, barley crankin the handle...*tick* I Swing and my ROD IS DOUBLED OVER!!! This is a giant!! I had to loosen the drag just a notch because I was a little scared about my liter!! 25 lb big game on 65 lb powerpro... So I chase this bass down on the trolling motor, and she dragged me out to about 90 feet ! Great theres no snags around :) Get em in the net without jumping... A PERSONAL BEST!!!!!

11.6 lbs !!!!! YESS

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/DSC04523.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/DSC04528.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/DSC04533.jpg

What a day, then my uncle donny stevens sticks another pig at over 8 lbs

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/DSC04529.jpg

Frank with another nice swimbait bass
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/5.jpg

And we took out our Friends Harry From Tennessee and Miller from san diego to catch some big bass...
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/DSC04519.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d152/johntammys/2009/DSC04514.jpg


Gotta love lake castias.... All Bass were released 100% Safely... And a Special THANK YOU to RudyS - Inhale Swimbaits for the 9" Trout baits!!!!! AWESOME. SICK BAITS This would of never happened it wasent for you!!

Rod: G. Loomis Swimbait Rod 957 7'11" Extra Hvy / G. Loomis Swimbait Rod 956 7'11" Heavy
Reel: Curado 300DSV
Line: 25 LB Big Game & 65 lb Power Pro
Lures: (Frank & John Marino) RudyS Inhale Swimbaits 9" Trout - (Donny Stevens) 3:16 Armegeddon

Notes to the lurkers: Sorry you guys dont have to print out these pictures and goto the lake and try to find the spots... I didnt want to blur out the background. So All pictures were tooken at Random spots with a nice background ;)

[FISH_HUNTER]

DAMMMM :Shocked::EyePop::UDaMan: I GUESS YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! :Beer Toast:

[tacklejunkie]

Nice.
Way to jump back in action man.
Missed your reports of swimmy HAWGS on here.
Keep it up guys. :Thumbs Up:

[RamboBoy]

Nice !

Wish you guys get ready for the NBAA-Bass National Bass Anglers Association for tournament to be the FIRST PLACE PRIZE, LOL. $10,000 something...LOL

[Trout-Slayer77]

awesome report !!!!! man you guys killed it out there, those are some pigs for sure !! im no bass fisherman but i'll give credit where its due....congrats on the pb and some monster LMB's.

[Anglerism]

Those bass are huge!!! Great job!

[Santa Fe Eric]

Thanks guys!

What a great read!

[basscatcher]

wow nice fish:Thumbs Up:


God Bless



basscatcher

[Panfish Junior]

Wooooooowwwwww. :EyePop: That's the kind of FISH I wanted to catch all these years. Good job guys!

:Worship:

[bsp]

It's amazing what Casitas can produce in terms of swimbait fish. I hope to get up there this summer for a week or so of swimbait fishing. How many bites did the Armageddon get, and, if you can, could you compare it to the Born Again?

[JohnMarino]

It's amazing what Casitas can produce in terms of swimbait fish. I hope to get up there this summer for a week or so of swimbait fishing. How many bites did the Armageddon get, and, if you can, could you compare it to the Born Again?

The Armageddon got two bites, the two fish my uncle donny stevens caught.. One on a trout chase boil and one in the early dark morning. We have been getting bit more slow rolling the bottom with a directional change with the 9" Trout you see in the pics... The born again will be just as sick as a bait, Now is a good time to throw surface baits. But being in the post-spawn now expect alot of 3-8 lb swimbait fish.

And the shad is probably up by now, and if it is, you got a very small window to catch a swimbait fish in the morning IF we did not get any good trout plants this last week. You might have to throw a smaller swimbait 4-7 inches if we didnt get any trout. They have really been messing with the plants and alot of fish arent commiting to the big bait like they should. Unless you find location and put it right in front of their face. Gotta graph em out.

Good Luck!

[nismotech91]

Sweeeeet!!!

[Fishbrains]

WOW- This has got to be the best LMB post ever, simply amazing guys, WTG!

[fishindude420]

good job out there bro. Those things are frkn beasts! nothing better then a swimbait fish :)

[bsp]

The Armageddon got two bites, the two fish my uncle donny stevens caught.. One on a trout chase boil and one in the early dark morning. We have been getting bit more slow rolling the bottom with a directional change with the 9" Trout you see in the pics... The born again will be just as sick as a bait, Now is a good time to throw surface baits. But being in the post-spawn now expect alot of 3-8 lb swimbait fish.

And the shad is probably up by now, and if it is, you got a very small window to catch a swimbait fish in the morning IF we did not get any good trout plants this last week. You might have to throw a smaller swimbait 4-7 inches if we didnt get any trout. They have really been messing with the plants and alot of fish arent commiting to the big bait like they should. Unless you find location and put it right in front of their face. Gotta graph em out.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the detailed information, especially on the Armageddon. I only have the Born Again, and declined the option of trading it for an original. It's good to know I didn't make that big of a mistake. The info on the shad is great too. Now I will be sure to pack some more shad baits when I go up there. Hopefully the will be more aggressive in a month or so.

[JohnMarino]

Castias fish are always aggressive... This time of the year the shad should be up, or maybe we might need another week or so, But good luck out there, Just keep tossin it :)

[J. Owen]

how are the boating restrictions up there????

[JohnMarino]

how are the boating restrictions up there????

Its pretty tough if you have used your boat a week before taking it up there.Alot of water still stays in the hull, so you gotta clean the hell out of your boat, Took us 2 days to clean and didnt use the boat for 1 month with the plug out so it was 100% clean & dry.

So after you pass you wait 10 days and you can come back and fish. If you dont pass you are quarteened for 30 days and need a re inspection.

[J. Owen]

wow ya thats why havent been up there since years ago but maybe give it a try soon its worth the efort for a good day of swimbait fishing

[imd12nv]

Awsome fish guys congrats!!!!

[SC400DUDE]

Gotta love Casitas...nice going out there!!!

[TroutOnly]

HEY FRANK WHO TAUGHT THAT BOY HOW TO FISH,,LOL,,,GREAT JOB FELLAS,MUST HAVE BEEN FUNNER THAN FISHING IN THE RAIN STORMS,,,t/o

[fatherof5]

Suuueeeey! You guys sure called the pigs in. Great job of staying out there and figuring out the bite!!

[fishntime]

Seriously your putting on a clinic with thoose big bait. Way to slay and thanks for being so informative.

[BIGBASS MB]

Awesom report thanks good job on the bigs.

[idratherbfishin]

Wow!! I cant even imagine landing a fish like that. Very, very nice!!! Congrats!!

[The Angler]

Those bass looks well over 11 LB nice catch..:Shocked:

[jigginjay2]

all i can say is WOW!:EyePop:

nice fish mannnn!!

[KaliDawgFan]

I think that would count as EPIC! Good job out there.