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Cachuma Lake and Reports

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  • By

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Second boat out on sat. Went out with Kramer - allways a risk, but his boat and equipment was "right on". Went to Santa CRuz irst o, ound The shadand started with the customized chugbug. In 15 minites had three solidish, one over our and a smally 2+. Switched to a 1/2 Viper blade andgot a 3-1/2 on irst cast. Picked up one more on blade. Let area or atournment boat rom Gold Coast. Fished the clear water in Cachuma & Johnson no takers. A un Day, Let at 11 to head home and do the weekendchores
    City: Santa Ynez

    Tips: Stay in the stained water. Fish the chuggers or poppers slow. Hits were on the pause

  • By

    Water Temp: ???

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished Lake Cachuma and it was a tough bite. There was a ton o shad around and the ish were gourging themseleves on everything but my baits. I threw blades and cranks without a bite. Finally towards 6 pm I pulled out some 3 inch Big Hammer swimbaits i had and rigged them on a darter head and stuck a ish with in a ew casts. Ended up illing out my limit in an hour with the best ish going 3.5#s. It was a pretty awesome day and i am glad i iggured out a new iness technique or when the ish dont seem to want to bite, and its a lot more interesting than dropshoting.Brian #2
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: Email me i you want any ino on Cachuma

  • By

    Water Temp: 75-76

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Here is a ishing report; went out with some kids on 4,5 and 7 July and Bass ishing a little slow most Bass caught were 10-15 eet in the 2 to 3lb class and caught them on cranks, spit shot bungie worms and jig & craw. did a little trolling ater the og burned o and had one nice surpise trolling a at ree shad. I hooked up along the clis south o Santa Cruz bay and the ish was ighting very hard and when it jump it looked in the 3-4lb range but was ighting like a larger bass. Got the ish closer to the boat and told one o the kids to get the net. Cody had the net and was ready to net the ish when his eyes grew large and he yelled "You have Two on". Netted the ish(s)and both were over 4lbs or a total o 8lbs 3oz. The unny thing is when they jumped I only saw the one ish. Water level is dropping so the lake is changing all the time, I have not seen the lake this low in a long time.
    City: Lompoc

    Tips: Don't under estimate how trolling can help you ind ish and take kids ishing it is well worth the smiles on their aces

  • By

    Water Temp: 62 to 65

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: went out sat or ew hours on the 26th to pre ish beore I was going to have a husband and wie or clients on Sunday rom the city o Orange. The weather was cold and very windy the entire time there. Fishing was very slow and only got two bites caught one (3.4) and broke o the second one and it was a nice ish, both in Santa Cruz Bay. On the 27th what a dierence in the weather, sunny and no wind (I think my clients bought the good weather rom Orange county)anyways the ishing was still slow I caught a 3lb in Santa Cruz on a jig & craw early in the morning. Husband's irst ish o the day was interesting, he was having some problems with his ishing line turning in to a birds nest and his worm was still in the water when a 1lb largemouth pick up his worm. We had to hand line the ish in. Thank god it was not any larger. Went up the river to warmer water tried worming, cranking etc and nothing. Started trolling on south side by the inland with crankbaits and WHAM!! my crank got hammered, i knew it was a nice ish handed over the rod to the wie and she did a outstanding job ighting the bass to the boat and landed a 4lb even. Did some more trolling on the south side by the road bed. We stopped to crank and jig the area (it looked to good to pass up). A ew minutes later the husband hooked up to Bass on a crankbait and he landed a 3.12. No more ish ater that we end up with 4 ish (3 largemouths and one smallmouth). The weather has been dierent this year the water temp is cooler that the same time last year and the water level is down.
    City: Lompoc

    Tips: Use light line ish seem to be very spooky or most in the post spawn phase. Fish seem to be more active in santa Cruz bay and around the inland area. Good luck

  • By

    Water Temp: 55-56

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: It igures I get there early Sat and what is in ront o me are a bunch o tourney sticks. The main ramp is still closed but the line went ast. On the water and waved bye bye to the club and got to my spot beore anyone else. Spit shot a worm in santa cruz got bit had the irst ish or my client in the boat within 15 min a nice 3lb. Fishing was slow or a while and the weather started to get colder and the wind was bad. The coves were getting hammered by the club sticks so I told my client and son we will do some trolling to cover lots o water and have a chance to do something dierent rom everyone else. Him and his son wanted big ish and they had never tried trolling or Bass so they like the idea. Went over to one o my avorite trolling areas (Mowhawk) and had them troll a simple renzy crankbait which to make a long day short we ended up with our more bass (3.1,3.8,4.8 and 3.6)all on trolling cranks. His son caught his largest Bass to date. Look like the the club guys did all right, lots o ish weighed in.
    City: Lompoc

    Tips: Looks like the bass are staging, next ew weeks should be great or nice ish, get out there. (All Bass caught were release)

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    Water Temp: 54

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Last report should have been dated 2/24. Finally got a Saturday o and thought I'd get a shot at the ish instead o Sundays letovers ....Wrong...Big ABA tourney. Tried my ripbaits early or three smallish smallmouth and went to pick up Scott "ishtrax" rom Calishing.com at the dock at eight. He had never caught a Smallmouth beore and I thought that this would be as good a time as any to get him experianced. My shallow ish got burned out o the shallows by all the trolling motors so we tried jigs and stu or awhile but everything elt USED. I took us in shallow once again as it appeared the tourney guys were busy shak'n worms on one o my best Rippin spots. Scott hooked up on a huge ish but it turned out to be a carp. Right in the lips not snagged, Which gave us a little excitement. About 5 minutes later I ripped a smallmouth and ten casts later got a largemouth. We let and went to lunch. Back out on the water we tried my original spots but there had been a lot o guys on it and we did'nt get touched. I decided around 1;30 that since the wind had been howling all day we might try cranking. Still nothing back down to my irst spot once the tourney guys split or there weigh in,and we went to a dropshot. Finally Scott got his irst smallmouth,so ater pictures and handshakes we stayed at it. Scott got 4 more largemouth on the same rig and we called it a day.
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: Dropshot was working best useing an oxblood/red lake roboworm. Should only be getting better by the next ull moon. Water temps up and I ound 57 degree water by late ater noon. Oh boy it's on the way

  • By

    Water Temp: 51.5

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Took James Pena out on Sunday or what I promised him would be some killer smallmouth ishing. Dropped the trolling motor and picked up a rod and hear James say"got One" jeez that was quick ,so he boats a 5 pound largemouth. This ish was really skinny and i she's gonna spawn it won't be anytime soon as she had no bulge to her what so ever. We then blew the next 4 hours getting zip. I was quite perplexed by this . It was just prior to the ull moon and our irst ish came rom shallow water so we stayed shallow. Turns out the ish were deeper around 20-25. I told him we should go to lunch early and when we got back out, the water should have warmed up considerably and help us with our shallow water. True to the prediction the water had gone up 4 degrees and I started catching the smallmouth on my rip bait. James caught a ew and so did I on the rip baits and he tossed out a drop shot rig and got a little smallmouth. I was wondering i the ish had moved into the lats so we drove over and on my 5-6cast I got stopped cold. It took me a while to bring her up and in on the light tackle but this ish was within an inch o Jame's ish in the morning except; She was ull o roe and well into the spawn,which gave her a pound more weight than Jame's ish. I looked at my bait and one hook was missing rom the ight and the split ring was allmost totally straightened out. I proceded to start repairs when James nails a smallmouth close to 3 pounds and then 1 minute later gets a 3.8 smallmouth. Really pretty ish ull o color and ready to spawn. We got a ew more smalish smallmouth and called it a day.
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: There was a two day club event going on and Saturdays leader got all his ish on cranks Red and black in the back o big Cachuma. We stayed away as it looked quite zoo like back there. No sense adding to the mess and besides we were actually trying to catch some big smallmouth so we went with something a little dierent

  • By

    Water Temp: 51

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: A ellow named Mace wrote me a nice e-mail about Cachuma so I invited him to backseat with me and I'd show him what I was on to. I got to the lake around 7 and went out and tried crankin and the blade or with no results and tossed a ripbait or a nice rainbow...Went to the dock and picked up Mace at 8:00 and headed to the heart o my jig bite. I tossed the same jig as two weeks prior and elt one pickup that was totally missed by me as I was gabbing away with Mace and I armed one and that was it or about 21/2 hours. We moved to a place that would be good or Mace's dropshot "his Forte" and I stayed with the jig. On a quick retrieve winding in to make another cast I looked down and there was a big smallmouth raceing along right behind the jig but it saw the boat and just turned around. I should have taken that as a clue that the smallmouth were active. We went to the submerged Island and while Mace dropshotted I went to the spoon and oul-hooked a 13 inch largemouth...So we went in or lunch. Aterward I told Mace we would try rippin or smallmouth. I got one on my third cast and gave my rod over to Mace. I showed him how to rip and beore I could tie on another bait he caught 3 Smallmouth! The day was looking up. He ended up getting one more and I had 8 or an even dozen smallmouth. Nice ish,ull o color and seemed to all be emales...FAT ! This coming weekend should be even better with the lunar phase and killer weather. I was ripping a 1/3 0z. Rattlin Rouge Chrome/Black back, Blue eyes. This has been my go to spring bait or about 15 years and I seem to out ish all o my $15.00 LuckyCrat and Pins minnows. I was useing 8 lb. test,a light spinning rod and a snap inront o the bait. One reason that I think Mace's take went o was he retied useing a snapswivel and I did'nt notice until later. I don't use snapswivels or anything but an inline spinner " like a Mepps" they kill the action dead and cause the bait to trak wrong. I repace the ront hook with an excaliber #6 because I think I end up with more ish landed. I tried replaceing all o them with the excaliber but the bait was eected by to much weight and didn't swim right. I cannot stress enough that you make sure that your bait is tracking correctly. You are gonna be pulling it out o brush and what not and even 2-3 ish will knock them out o whack.....Just re tune them...Resharpen those hooks and retie oten so you don't have any problems when the big ones lay into it.Thank you Mace! Even though we had intermitent showers ,wind,no wind,Blazing sun and more rain..You ished hard and we had a good time ...I I could just get some time o....there's always room or you compadre. I know your as busy as I am....But we'll get out later in the year and I'll show you a ew more aces up my sleeve!
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: While the water is cold it is changing rapidly! I think the smallie's are going to be on ire next weekend...with the Largemouth right behind them.

  • By

    Water Temp: 49

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Since I can no longer ish on Saturdays I'm going to have to make the best o my Sundays. Very cold in the morning and the water temp had gone down but I was hopeul that my new Generic Trout would get me into the dance. Well no takers on any trout like stu even with the recent plant so I ooled around with the jig around 10:00 or so. I broke o the one I was useing so I pulled out a brown and orange ine rubber jig that I don't know the make o. Anyway whoever gave me that thing I could have kissed em at the end o the day. I was amazed that the switch up would elicite such a responce as the other jig was brown too! Must have been the orange or the ine green Mylar in it because they started eating. I got 6 on the jig and they were all 4 pound clones so Cachuma seems to be healthy this year. I got one other ish slow rolling a white blade around 2:30 and got o the Lake to go watch the Super Superbowl.I got the ish on chunk rock banks with brush on them.The ish did move up into the shallows at noon or some sun but they would'nt eat rip baits or sluggos.Maybe next time!
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: The weather has been exceptional and the jig bite will only get better. There should be rip bait ish on the lats by 2/9 unortunately I won't be able to get back out or weeks to my knowledge. I hope you leave me some strays -Kelly-

  • By

    Water Temp: 51

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Got out at 9:00 am and was glad to have missed the severly ridgid temps in the morning. I had heard about a local who got 4 real good swimbait ish the weekend beore so I was anticipating some good ish. I went out to the main lake break o o Jackrabbit lat and marked some ish so I tossed out the bouys and went at them or a solid hal hour with zip. Changed over to the spoon and got a nice smallmouth and ten minutes later was surprised to get about a 4 largemouth. I kept at it awhile and got a 14 inch largemouth and they shut o on me. Drove around and talked to some Santa Barbara Bass Club guys who were having a FUN tournament and they had scratched out one jig ish and missed a ew.I don't know how they inished up. That cold really dulls your eorts! I played around with the big ish stu all day long or nada. I ished a lot o jigs and swimbaits,etc. but to no avail. I switched back to the spoon around 2:30 and inished out about a 9 lb. limit. I anchored up in the shallows and tossed out some powerbait or trout while I cleaned up the huge mess in the boat and got things a little more organized,I pulled a nice limit o Bows in short order and headed or the barn around 4:00.
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: It's getting time or the rip baits and jigs. Couple o weeks and a little rain should do it!

  • By

    Water Temp: 74+

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Well another morning o good top water action, But or some reason they were ripping the grub tail o and missing the buzzbait trailer hook...Hmmmm??? maybe add a third hook?? Naw,I just blew the better ish by swinginging to early and late it took me awhile to get my sea legs and casting ability back and then I scored on the buzzbait or 5 ish about 17 pounds or so and headed to my A.C. spots and was getting bored to tears when slamed a good one but lost it showing o to the people soaking baits or trout so while they did'nt see that ish d*** i I did'nt get one the very next cast. That one came to papa. She weighed over 5 easy....So I'm thinking hey this could be un... that was the last ish o the day. I pulled o the lake at 10:30 as there was no og that morning and it was getting very warm...I was pleasantly surprised by the total lack o boats on the water but slowly there where more and more but ew rental boats.The ishing is air and it will only be getting better and real soon I think the traps and pop-r's and especially the rip baits and cranks will turn on in a big way. I'm hoping to get out on the 15th but everytime I write that I'm going to be there I've missed out we'll see
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: I'm going to throw buzzbaits until December i the ish are still eating them..Also anybody who knows where I can buy 7" A.C. minnows please let me as I was inormed at the Reseda Turners Sporting Goods that they cannot get them and they think they Might be out o production..I will soreley miss them and suppose I'll have to learn how to make my own

  • By

    Water Temp: 74+

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Had a ellow rom the South Orange County Bassmasters e-mail me earlier last week and I gave hime the entire staight dope ...being Buzzbait early,A.C. when it clears and a ew places I would be at on Saturday...I had to work went on Sunday his club was there and I went down the lake and did the above ...First ish was a smallie that jumped higher than my head when I set the hook It is usually a bad sign when I get a smallie on topwater right o...There was no og!!! anyway this nice ellow Brian Day comes over intreduces himsel as I'm busy loosing my best ish o the day so I send him to a good location and have him working back towards me I got 2 more he had 1? I let and ished dark shaddy banks as quick as I could and managed a limit by 8:45 and switched to my A.C. and started culling I was o the lake ate a hotdog and cleaned the boat up at 10:30 as I igured I could only change my weight by ozs. When his club came in at noon ...They were a great bunch o guys and I enjoyed meeting them,They did well enough with someone with 8 lbs. I think . hated to do it but I've been wondering i my mental scale is as acurate as I think....I ended up with 20.35 pounds big ish was a 5.4oz so I have been right on track. This pattern is still holding and I plan on being there on Saturday Morning.....I have to thank Brian or the Jpeg o my best 3 ish and the act that the boyz did'nt lynch me rom the nearest tree...Brian did lock up Angler o the Year!!!! way to go Brian!!! and I look orward to the next lesson,,,I mean trip
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: I noticed some pretty crumby casting by some o the masters you have got to get your topwaters in close. I mean real close or these early shallow ish...Pop-R ,Spook A.C.,,whatever just ish tight stay awake and believe..Bye or now I'll let you know how she goes

  • By

    Water Temp: 74+

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Good thing WON has this lake posted as being spotty or topwater it keeps even more people o o my Lake..Got to lake early to no avail as there was a tournement going on...Got down the lake a settled in or some spotty topwater action.It seemed like everybody I saw was tossing ricos , pop-r's and such but I didn't see one ish caught...On the other hand I slapped the ish around but good or 3 hours catching 20+ pounds or my best 5...The ish were very shallow and wanted the bait run very slow...I did better in weedy sandier areas then on sharper drop os.
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: Chartruse 3/8 oz Roland Martin double buzz with a Kalin 5" Chartruse/pepper grub(tail down) with gamagatsu 3/0 trailer hook was better than my all white on this trip...The rookies that I saw were all casting perpindicular to the bank? Get in there turn the trolling motor up and ish parrallel and you will catch some ish.Bye Bye

  • By

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: City: los angeles

  • By

    Water Temp: 75+

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished an Anglers Choice Tournement on Sunday..Boy have those olks got there heads somewhere...there were 2 tournements that day.It took orever to get launchedand I was surprised that they don't ollow there own rules when it came to drawing or the launch it was when the money got paid...not as advertised and it leaves the guys who don't have sponsers paying the year out in advance kindawell you get the idea....Caught my normal buzzbait ish in the morning but when the sun came out extra early ater this heat spell we're in it killed o that bite ...unortunately or me my A.C. pattern starts around 2 or so depending on the wind ....wiegh in was at 1:00 because o a 6 hour summer rule imposed on us to help the ish..which I am all or! I broke my number one A.C. on a rock and that just blew my sails out and I started to wavier.My partner crashed and burned or no help rom the back seat. pulled out into 50 yes 50 eet and started dropshotting or the last 30 minutes so you know I was desperate...to no avail inished in the cellar but I did beat Carol Marten "Arrons Mom" so I elt better as shes on the water way more than you or I. We struck up a conversation at the weigh in site because we were both perplexed as to the act that we were weighing in up in the parking lot and having to run like heck or the marina to get our leaking bags o ish back to the lake. Editors Note:I your going to ish as deep as the winners and those who wormed up there ish rom 35+ eet or crying out loud carry a needle to delate the air bladders! It was a grotesque sight in the marina as these clowns had killed a major portion o there catch and the sta was trying to get them to go but it was'nt gonna happen...I was wondering how they igured out weights on these guys because nobodywas held accountable or a dead ish unless "as some where"they were dead when they got to the scales.Go igure !
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: there is a good worm bite but the ish are extremley deep..Use darker colors...And have un!

  • By

    Water Temp: 75+

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: The water is Monterey Aquarium clear but my 18 years on this lake have allowed or some adjustments in my ishing.Started by throwing a 3/8oz white Roland Martin buzzbait with a white split tail eel and a 3/0 trailer hook.It is my number one bait this time o year.... allways!.First boat on the water ,I burned down to the roadbed behind Arrowhead island 10 minutes o zara spook and inesse rico with no results. Turned trolling motor to 24 volt 3 and started my buzzbait thing..Blam a 3.5 right where she should have been...1/4 mile and no takers later I got to the only other bassboat in my neck o the woods so I pulled up and around to the narrows and started towards the log boom. smash 5lb, smash 5lb, smash 5lb, smash snap...right ater a retie too! But big ish and my wimpy 12lb test just havent been the right mix this year..What an idiot I am as rope would get just as many ish...so as I tied on another buzzbait she jumped 4 more times inally to my relie throwing the lure. EDITORS NOTE! all ish were caught on the main hook solidly in the corner o the jaw ...back up and running I got mauled by one more about 4lbs. and then the og lited.EDITORS NOTE:This is a death sentance at this lake in the summer!...tried some rat stu..tried ishing dark walls with my small A.C.'s had some huge ish ollow but no takers...threw my optimum rom 10 to 40 eet no takers...without a hint o wind I expected it to really get bad... luckey me..I was right..Split or the home range at 10:00 as the mercury "temperature not my motor" was starting to heat up...Going or the morning thing on 7/29 and 7/30 and will place a ishing report on that outcome. Tip...make sure the ish has turned around and started to swim away rom you beore you lower the boom, it is tough to do with all the excitment o the bite but this makes a real dierance in your hookup ratio as I was 5 or 5, also ish were not in the weedbeds but on more sheer walled stu,very very tight and i you crawled your buzzbait close to the wall then they would hammer it.Seems like anything between them and the bank is a goner.. One more thing while this buzzbait seems to be a pretty elaborate buzzbait to put together it will run slower as you hold your rod tip high giving them that extra time they seem to need to make that atal bomb run on it.It is a BLAST but the bite is over quick. Hope to see you out and about I'm the guy with the ishing vest on in the white Champion.
    City: Santa Barbara