Those of you that use personal watercraft like fireballs floatie and swimbait's canoe, do you ever use big football heads with hula grubs and walk them down those steep points? Use a carolina rig much? I know that using a deep running crank like a dd22 is almost impossible from the floaties and kayaks but what about sinking rapalas or little georges, do you use anything like that? Just wondering how you fish it both technique and strategy wise.

I fish swimbaits from my tube, but that is pretty hard, lol. BIG swimbaits too, not little ones. I haven't tried carolina rig yet, but I can use football jigs and lipless crankbaits, anything really. I couldn't see why you couldn't use some things.

I use them all, I guess what I'm asking is if you are using the right lures for the structure you are fishing. The "right tool for the job" concept. When you fish are you fishing, are you specific structures or just casting around in places where you have caught fish before?

There is virtually no visible cover, but I know where there are good weed lines, drop offs, rip rap and stuff like that. Rip rap is now submerged, but I know where it is and there are some tules that are visible, but not much other visible cover or structure other than a few good points. I also go to flats that I know they hang out at because Butch metered them for me before. I still need to explore the other half of the lake with my tube though. It takes a while in the tube to get all the way to the end, so I haven't ventured that far yet. I plan on fishing more of the lake next time I go.

the majority of the timw when i fish, i cast to general areas where i know the fish are. i guess i only target specific structure when the structure is bass streaking across your fishfinder with a ****** ******* ***

Since I fish mostly from the shoreline, I am usually going up hill. Diving cranks are easy to lose, many of mine are on the bottom of that lake.

I am looking for spots where I know some big ones hang out and where I can find good footing on the shore for casting. Bushes and trees can be a real problem, especially when it is windy, which it often can be at Castaic.

I spend a lot of time going up and down the stairs in terms of size of lures. I have had bites on all sizes up to ten inches.

Water level changes are also a huge factor since it can change a lot, especially on the upper lake where 30 or 40 ft. changes are common. Center depths of the upper lake are over 300 ft.

Banks are steep in many places with sharp drop offs. Even at the Lagoon there are some spots with ledges and sharp drop off. I have been warned of this many times by the life guards when they see kids wading into the water.

I do fish with a full arsenal of plastics including grubs and jigs.

I have used Hula Grubs, Tail Spinners, Carolina Rigs and Deep Divers at Both the Uppper and Lower (Lagoon) Castaic with lots of success.

The tail spinners are great when you can find bait balls as you know.

Hula Grubs along the rip rap as well as the ledges.


Deep Divers along the points on the main lake in both crawfish and shad patters can be dynamite...If I find alot of fish on points I rotate through the Deep Diver, Jigs, Worms or a different crankbait and the bite can go for a long period of time. Sometimes, you want to just run and gun point to point..

Fireball, if you can get yourself setup with a graph or meter you will see subtle changes on those flats...and you will find fish in those slight differences.

Sorry for not getting back, somethings got in the way. The reason I asked the question of all of you is I wondered if you ever ask yourself why the fish were in those places and if all of your fishing is geared to spots rather than why the fish use that particular place. Fish relate to structure, we know that, but have you researched the bigger picture? I'm going to recommend a book that changed bass fishing completely a long time ago. It was the first book to define "structure", Migration routes, all of the terms we know now, but really don't know how they apply and why they exist. The book is called Spoonplugging" Written by a man called Buck Perry. Its basically a textbook, he was a college professor and that's how he wrote it, that teaches you how to search for the 5% of the water that hold 95% of the fish. He uses a technique called speedtrolling, but the essence of the book is the knowledge and understanding that you apply to use the technique in the correct place. You can pick up a used copy on Amazon for about $15, or new from the Bucks Baits website for $30. Mr. Perry [passed a few years ago, unfortunately, but his legacy lives on in every modern bass fisherman. When you're done reading that Book I'll give you another old title to read and learn from.

Ukey... I'm curious to know what are the average water depth you fish in. Just the way it usually is in the east coats lakes.

Here on LI the average depth I fish in is 0-7 feet, When I'm on the deeper lakes on LI I'll be fishing any where from 20 to the bank. Upstate NY I'll go down to 40. I've never found Bass deeper than that. Have you ever read spoonplugging?

I've been reading this. I'm sure if it is the same thing as the book though!
http://www.americaoutdoors.com/fishing/features/perry/spoonplug_trip.htm

That's the abridged version, but reading it a few times will put you light years ahead of your fellow fisherman. Start looking for some marker bouys now. You will want them soon. Another thing you might want to do is locate a small 2 or 3 acre pond with clear water. So you can watch some fish and how they react to different lures. You can learn a ton from watching a fish react to a plastic worm, top water or a crankbait ripping by. Have fun, thats why we do this!

Ok, I am going to read all of that. I am going to get a marker buoy soon and Butch said it can double as an anchor for my float tube. There aren't any small ponds around here. In SoCal it is truly a desert, lol. Once spring comes around, I am going to do a little bit of sight fishing.

You are going to want at least 5 marker buoys. Set them out at the 15' mark then look down the line. If one buoy is out from shore then you have an underwater point, if its in a towards shore you have a ditch. You need about 5 to do it right.

I have a fish finder now, so I should be able to see the bottom contour without the markers. The way you explained it is kind of hard to understand.

I think this graphic will better explain what Frank (Ukey28) is talking about.

Thanks Nunz,
I had lost my A - cup sketch. Can't wait to see what you use for the ditch diagram!

Easy Frank... easy now... lol

Hey, I'm into the education part! These young guys need to know the secrets!

Yeah, of bass fishing...

Just don't forget to add the "B"....lol