Large-Mouth Help

[wirelessbass]

Reading countless fish reports and watching countless dvl videos have put me in a place where i think i know what i am doing when i head out this saturday. Me my dad and my bro are going out saturday renting a bass boat for our second time there and trying to catch a fish (first time got skunked). But my real question is from my countless hours of staying up late and studying this lake during school to please my super tough dad who threatens me with never going back to this lake if we don't land a few bass is, does this sound right for bass. 4-5 inch senkos is green pumpkin, margarita mutilator, some red watermelons and those types of colors will work good. Fishing all the points, using 5-12 pound floro weighted texas rigging and a super slow retrieve. Am i missing anything important or from what i have here does it sound like i can go out and catch a few bass.

Anything will be helpful, and also what is a secondary point? Thanks so much.

[GdHkSet1]

Stop by the Hemet Tackle shop on the way into town called Last Chance B&T, the folks there are cool and provide some good advice, good luck on the next dv outing.

[Matt_Magnone]

keep it real simple man. the lake is giant but break it down in your mind. who cares about "top areas" or "names of coves people talk about"; it means absolutely NOTHING! if you go around and fish off other peoples reports you're going to catch the same size fish as other people. the general consensus on DVL is the bite is tough. 15 pounds is normal with nothing larger. wrong. its all about trying new techniques and new areas. trust your gut. look at a spot and make it happen. as i drive down the lake i can "see" the bottom of the lake in my mind and process the underwater structure and cover. i dont look at it like a lake. i see it as a empty valley. as im going down the lake i can see ridgelines and brush piles, rockslides and boulders in my mind. i can see where fish should be hiding and what shore line plays into a pattern for the day. the exposed shoreline tells the story. the old saying "what you see is what you get" is 100% true! trust your gut and be observant.

without the years on the lake to build this knowledge i know it may be tough for you to really understand whats down below but trust me. look at the shorelines and hill sides. if you see a cut that runs into the lake that forms a cove at the waterline its a safe assumption that goes even further. if you see a rock ridge coming off the same cut that runs into the lake its a safe assumption it goes even further. bingo. before you even had time to really think, you just found a spot on spot. fish will not only untilize the cut/cove to move up and down in the water column but their "street, highway or road" is the ridgeline rocks. if you target that "one" piece of cover on that type of structure i can almost guarantee you a fish. now on that same set up spot add a defined tree edge. imaging the trees growing parallel to the rock bar. you've found an edge spot with cover that prey fish will feel comfortable traveling. structure = bottom terrain , cover = whats on the bottom terrain. rocks, trees, weeds. STRUCTURE + COVER + BAIT = FISH

your structure and cover will vary throughout the lake. dont just cruise down the bank and expect to have a stellar day. its possible; but dont count on it. treat it as if you're stalking your prey. if you go through the hills and see a deer common sense tells you to be quiet right? why? because he's going to get spooked if you make a wrong move and bolt off. same thing goes for fishing. too many misplaced casts or snags present a negative feeling in the underwater environment. keep your game tight. stalk your prey and you're going to kill them. if you get to a spot and dont get bit ; get out of there. why wait for an inactive fish to bite when you can find an active one?

there are so many variables. if you cruise into the shop i can help you get after it all. it all boils down to little things. fresh line, sharp hooks and the right tools for the job.

if you wanna show your family a good time make sure you fish a couple different things. here's a couple numbers baits-

dropshot - 4" /6" mm, aarons, xmas purple weenie
texas - 4" 6" anything watermelon / green pumpkin
split shot - 4" curltail plastics in variations of purple, watermelon and green pumpkin
senko - watermelon, green pumpkin and smoke.

main lake points and secondary points. shoreline out to about 30 / 40 ft. fish slow and methodical but faster paced. all sides of the lake are biting well. if you dont get bit; move locations!

good luck and like i said, stop into Last Chance and we'll help you get your "A" game dialed.

[XMrxSEAUx]

keep it real simple man. the lake is giant but break it down in your mind. who cares about "top areas" or "names of coves people talk about"; it means absolutely NOTHING! if you go around and fish off other peoples reports you're going to catch the same size fish as other people. the general consensus on DVL is the bite is tough. 15 pounds is normal with nothing larger. wrong. its all about trying new techniques and new areas. trust your gut. look at a spot and make it happen. as i drive down the lake i can "see" the bottom of the lake in my mind and process the underwater structure and cover. i dont look at it like a lake. i see it as a empty valley. as im going down the lake i can see ridgelines and brush piles, rockslides and boulders in my mind. i can see where fish should be hiding and what shore line plays into a pattern for the day. the exposed shoreline tells the story. the old saying "what you see is what you get" is 100% true! trust your gut and be observant.

without the years on the lake to build this knowledge i know it may be tough for you to really understand whats down below but trust me. look at the shorelines and hill sides. if you see a cut that runs into the lake that forms a cove at the waterline its a safe assumption that goes even further. if you see a rock ridge coming off the same cut that runs into the lake its a safe assumption it goes even further. bingo. before you even had time to really think, you just found a spot on spot. fish will not only untilize the cut/cove to move up and down in the water column but their "street, highway or road" is the ridgeline rocks. if you target that "one" piece of cover on that type of structure i can almost guarantee you a fish. now on that same set up spot add a defined tree edge. imaging the trees growing parallel to the rock bar. you've found an edge spot with cover that prey fish will feel comfortable traveling. structure = bottom terrain , cover = whats on the bottom terrain. rocks, trees, weeds. STRUCTURE + COVER + BAIT = FISH

your structure and cover will vary throughout the lake. dont just cruise down the bank and expect to have a stellar day. its possible; but dont count on it. treat it as if you're stalking your prey. if you go through the hills and see a deer common sense tells you to be quiet right? why? because he's going to get spooked if you make a wrong move and bolt off. same thing goes for fishing. too many misplaced casts or snags present a negative feeling in the underwater environment. keep your game tight. stalk your prey and you're going to kill them. if you get to a spot and dont get bit ; get out of there. why wait for an inactive fish to bite when you can find an active one?

there are so many variables. if you cruise into the shop i can help you get after it all. it all boils down to little things. fresh line, sharp hooks and the right tools for the job.

if you wanna show your family a good time make sure you fish a couple different things. here's a couple numbers baits-

dropshot - 4" /6" mm, aarons, xmas purple weenie
texas - 4" 6" anything watermelon / green pumpkin
split shot - 4" curltail plastics in variations of purple, watermelon and green pumpkin
senko - watermelon, green pumpkin and smoke.

main lake points and secondary points. shoreline out to about 30 / 40 ft. fish slow and methodical but faster paced. all sides of the lake are biting well. if you dont get bit; move locations!

good luck and like i said, stop into Last Chance and we'll help you get your "A" game dialed.

Where's the like Button on this?:)

[Matt_Magnone]

treat the info right and be respectful to others on the water and there's always more where this comes from!

[HawgZWylde]

Reading countless fish reports and watching countless dvl videos have put me in a place where i think i know what i am doing when i head out this saturday. Me my dad and my bro are going out saturday renting a bass boat for our second time there and trying to catch a fish (first time got skunked). But my real question is from my countless hours of staying up late and studying this lake during school to please my super tough dad who threatens me with never going back to this lake if we don't land a few bass is, does this sound right for bass. 4-5 inch senkos is green pumpkin, margarita mutilator, some red watermelons and those types of colors will work good. Fishing all the points, using 5-12 pound floro weighted texas rigging and a super slow retrieve. Am i missing anything important or from what i have here does it sound like i can go out and catch a few bass.

Anything will be helpful, and also what is a secondary point? Thanks so much.

Try dragging a C-rig with a 4-6 ft leader and a brush hog, natural colors. A drop shot using 7" robos in MMIII or oxblood light/red flake will get you bit as well. As far as line is concerned, I don't go with light line/weight. I power shot using 12lb seaguar invisix. My tag end is between 8-16 inches using a 3/8oz barrel d/s weight. I use a 3/0 roundbend worm hook tied on with a palomar knot, hook up, then drop the tag end back through the hook eye and then T-rig the worm on it. This set up helps keep the dinks away and reduces snags on the brush and trees. I catch a few less, but better quality fish. If you decide to use 6-8lb line, bring a lot of weights and hooks, as you will lose a lot to the lead obsessed rockfish. Fish are from 0-40ft deep. A finesse approach might help your dad boat a few if he doesn't mind catching a lot of dinks. They're all over the shoreline. Better quality fish will be on structure in deeper water. Secondary points are the points within the bays or coves. Main points form the bays and coves.

DVL is a unique lake and has a steep learning curve. It's steep and deep and has structure everywhere. It's known to skunk the best of em. Don't give up. Once you figure it out, you'll be rewarded. Almost everyone pays their dues on the jewel...

Matt knows this lake like it's his backyard, no wait, it IS his back yard. Either call him or go see him at Last Chance Bait & Tackle in Hemet. He can definitely point you in the right direction on getting bit at DVL. Good luck...

[HawgZWylde]

treat the info right and be respectful to others on the water and there's always more where this comes from!

"be respectful to others on the water"

Best advice of the day! We got bombed again the other day. These dudes were on the gas 50ft off the bank with us between them and the shore, in a cove...

[wirelessbass]

keep it real simple man. the lake is giant but break it down in your mind. who cares about "top areas" or "names of coves people talk about"; it means absolutely NOTHING! if you go around and fish off other peoples reports you're going to catch the same size fish as other people. the general consensus on DVL is the bite is tough. 15 pounds is normal with nothing larger. wrong. its all about trying new techniques and new areas. trust your gut. look at a spot and make it happen. as i drive down the lake i can "see" the bottom of the lake in my mind and process the underwater structure and cover. i dont look at it like a lake. i see it as a empty valley. as im going down the lake i can see ridgelines and brush piles, rockslides and boulders in my mind. i can see where fish should be hiding and what shore line plays into a pattern for the day. the exposed shoreline tells the story. the old saying "what you see is what you get" is 100% true! trust your gut and be observant.

without the years on the lake to build this knowledge i know it may be tough for you to really understand whats down below but trust me. look at the shorelines and hill sides. if you see a cut that runs into the lake that forms a cove at the waterline its a safe assumption that goes even further. if you see a rock ridge coming off the same cut that runs into the lake its a safe assumption it goes even further. bingo. before you even had time to really think, you just found a spot on spot. fish will not only untilize the cut/cove to move up and down in the water column but their "street, highway or road" is the ridgeline rocks. if you target that "one" piece of cover on that type of structure i can almost guarantee you a fish. now on that same set up spot add a defined tree edge. imaging the trees growing parallel to the rock bar. you've found an edge spot with cover that prey fish will feel comfortable traveling. structure = bottom terrain , cover = whats on the bottom terrain. rocks, trees, weeds. STRUCTURE + COVER + BAIT = FISH

your structure and cover will vary throughout the lake. dont just cruise down the bank and expect to have a stellar day. its possible; but dont count on it. treat it as if you're stalking your prey. if you go through the hills and see a deer common sense tells you to be quiet right? why? because he's going to get spooked if you make a wrong move and bolt off. same thing goes for fishing. too many misplaced casts or snags present a negative feeling in the underwater environment. keep your game tight. stalk your prey and you're going to kill them. if you get to a spot and dont get bit ; get out of there. why wait for an inactive fish to bite when you can find an active one?

there are so many variables. if you cruise into the shop i can help you get after it all. it all boils down to little things. fresh line, sharp hooks and the right tools for the job.

if you wanna show your family a good time make sure you fish a couple different things. here's a couple numbers baits-

dropshot - 4" /6" mm, aarons, xmas purple weenie
texas - 4" 6" anything watermelon / green pumpkin
split shot - 4" curltail plastics in variations of purple, watermelon and green pumpkin
senko - watermelon, green pumpkin and smoke.

main lake points and secondary points. shoreline out to about 30 / 40 ft. fish slow and methodical but faster paced. all sides of the lake are biting well. if you dont get bit; move locations!

good luck and like i said, stop into Last Chance and we'll help you get your "A" game dialed.


this info is greatly appreciated, hopefully we can get into some nice bite. I would go to the store but we plan on getting to the lake at around 7. Thanks for all the info!

[dixoncider]

That's some good info there. I am no bass fisherman but I hear the term secondary point all the time..could you define? Thanks

[HawgZWylde]

That's some good info there. I am no bass fisherman but I hear the term secondary point all the time..could you define? Thanks

A cove or a bay begins with a point on one side, and a point on the other, or main points. Within that bay or cove are other points of various size in which fish will use on their way in and out of the bay or cove during their transitions from summer, winter, spring and fall "hangouts". Spawning flats are generally located deep within those bays or coves, and depending on the season, they will transition to deeper offshore structure. Those secondary points are places where they hang and rest or ambush their next meal during their transition from shallow spawning and/or feeding areas to their deeper water dwellings...

[dixoncider]

Got it...Thanks

[ddoskocil]

Matt, you're the man. I've heard it from you before many times, but every time I hear your advice, it makes me think more, and gives me more confidence. Gonna pound it next week!

[Yot_bird]

Just to let you know there is a turnament Saturday. So your going to be fishing heavily used water. With that being said slow down all of your techniques. If you think your fishing to fast you need to slow down. I would have a drop shot and senko tied on all day. Try to find the tree line and fish parrell to it.. Just my 2 cents.

[Matt_Magnone]

or go deeper :Wink:

[HawgStalker]

Once again, great advice and info given by Matt and HW.....

Thanx for sharing guys!

[TopwaterTony]

Matt pretty much set you on the right path, but the bottom line is ... you can't catch fish from your computer no matter how hard you try. Period!
You just gotta get out there and put time in. Different days change things drastically at DVL. Some days you can catch them with anything and others only 1-2 things go with some knowledge, but don't be afraid to put out something you might not be hearing anyone talk about, but that you are comfortable with and try it out.

[DVL_Local]

or go deeper :Wink:


This is one thing I think people don't grasp about Diamond, that you can catch bass at 50-60' or sometimes more in the middle of summer. Bass evolve to their environment and fishing “deep” is a relative term that fishermen seem to limit themselves with.


DVL_local