In most years, famed trophy bass hunter Butch Brown can stick close to home and have a shot at a monster bass every time he fishes. He's still caught some great fish locally this year, but he's had to change his mindset and approach while also venturing to other parts of California in search of his next big one. He's a swimbait and glide bait fanatic, helping popularize the Deps Slide Swimmer 250 in America, and it has been one of his top producers this year, along with a handful of other big baits.
A funky year for fishing
The rains and rising lake levels were welcomed by everyone in California this year, as there was finally some relief from a prolonged drought. According to Brown, now that the lakes have filled up, it's caused a tricky bite.
"It's been pretty stale fishing on most of the SoCal lakes and the lakes seem a little messed up still," he shared. "I still fish local lakes like Casitas just to get some fishing in, but it's been tough. The tournaments have been brutal and even the drop-shotters aren't catching fish. I always pack a lunch with me, and most years, it's 4:00 p.m., and I haven't eaten any of it yet because the fishing is good, whereas this year, it's all gone by 10 in the morning."
While he hasn't done as well as he has in some years around home, he's still landed an 8-5 and 10-3 from the Casitas, with one on the Deps 250 in a custom Mirror Trout color and the other on the Optimum Butch Brown Gen II Thumper Tail in Butch Brown Flash Trout.
The tough bite isn't just limited to Casitas; Brown has seen it everywhere throughout Southern California, both from his fishing and what he hears through his fishing network.
"The San Diego lakes are off, even on the way up to Isabella and Nacimiento," he said. "The lakes that fluctuate every year, like Lake Success, seemed to be better this year because the fish are used to the lakes cycling up and down, but the sudden rise on the other lakes has changed the lakes for the worse. The good news is that the brush in the lakes now should make for a great few spawns, and the fishing should be great in a few years. I'm looking forward to better fishing next year."
Chasing the bass bite
Instead of just sticking close to home, Brown has spent the year fishing across the state, following good reports and paying attention to the conditions and weather on different lakes.
"This year, I have been watching the tournament results to see how different lakes are fishing," he said. "I'm also trying to keep up on work, to-do lists for the wife, and making sure the yard work is all done in case it's time to make a quick trip for a hot bite."
As someone who throws the big bait exclusively, he's paying close attention to the conditions, specifically the moon.
"My observation after tracking it for over 30 years is that the big bass do not bite when the moon is out during the day," he said. "I don't care if it's a full moon all night; it just has always been that if any moon is visible during the day, it will hurt the bite for the big fish I'm after. I don't bring the little stuff with me; some days, all I have in the boat is the 250 and I'm just waiting for that bite window to open up."
Venturing North with a Swimbait
As part of his dedication to fish better bites this year, he's ventured to popular fisheries like the Delta, Clear Lake, Berryessa, and New Melones. He's made the big bait work at all of them and has had success with largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass.
"I fished Clear Lake twice, and it's full of chunky 4- to 6-pound fish, but I never caught a big one on either trip," he said. "The best bite there was with the 9-inch Optimum Butch Brown Gen II Thumper Tail. We were throwing the Deps Buster K on the Delta, which is usually not my thing but fun to do."
Brown also had fun chasing spotted bass on Berryessa and New Melones, which he usually doesn't get to do very often. "Those spots are like mackerel in the ocean and love eating big baits," he said. "We caught some on the 250 but a lot more on the 175."
It's been an unusual year for fishing in Southern California, including for those like Butch Brown. By watching for the right bite windows and being willing to travel, he's made another great year of 2023 by throwing the big bait.
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