Casitas opinions

[jazzwannabe]

Hit Casitas today for first time, fished with offduty in his Triton (thanks Rich). We got a couple in the boat. What are your opinions about this lake?

[offduty]

It be tough out there some times.

[jazzwannabe]

It be tough out there some times.

What are those jerkbaits called again? I'm gonna pick up a couple.

[offduty]

Megabass X-80 Trick Darter, pretty decent selection @ T.W.
Good to know you made it home safe. Mom did lasagna and it was killer, kind of missed the tuna and noodles though.

[jazzwannabe]

Megabass X-80 Trick Darter, pretty decent selection @ T.W.
Good to know you made it home safe. Mom did lasagna and it was killer, kind of missed the tuna and noodles though.

Nothing like home-made lasagna.

Was there a time when Casitas was as good as Clear Lake, numbers-wise?

[offduty]

I was told 20 years ago that you could catch multiple double digit fish on a consistent basis on a good day. That was by one of the old timers working the docks. There are those that would know and have fished that lake for decades, Larry Elshere possibly or Randy at the tackle shop. The last 10 years the tournaments used it pretty consistently until the cable system went through and I think the pressure took a toll and conditioned the fish as to the lures. The cable system is a real bummer for some but could also help the lake out too, it has a lot less boats on it than it used too and that is a very touchy topic for some. It is what it is, just have to roll with it.

[Kevin]

Although Casitas is a good lake, it is nothing compared to Clear Lake number wise. The average fish in Clear Lake is also bigger than Casitas. Casitas has the giants but Clear Lake is a way better lake. Its like comparing the Lakers to the Clippers!

[jazzwannabe]

I was told 20 years ago that you could catch multiple double digit fish on a consistent basis on a good day. That was by one of the old timers working the docks. There are those that would know and have fished that lake for decades, Larry Elshere possibly or Randy at the tackle shop. The last 10 years the tournaments used it pretty consistently until the cable system went through and I think the pressure took a toll and conditioned the fish as to the lures. The cable system is a real bummer for some but could also help the lake out too, it has a lot less boats on it than it used too and that is a very touchy topic for some. It is what it is, just have to roll with it.

I'll keep rolling with it as long as there's an open seat. Everything about Casitas looks awesome. Let's hope California gets some real precipitation this winter and fills it up again. If there's high water in the spring, look out.

[npangler]

That is a private lake and I hope it dries up !!!

[Oldschool]

20 years ago would be 1989, the secret days of swimbaits. Most of Casitas big bass in the 80's were caught on live crawdads, waterdogs, mudsuckers and golden shiners (live swimbaits).
Tournaments back then were being won with 5 bass limits that weighed less than 16 lbs, the era of spit shotting.
Ray Easley caught his 21.03 bass in 1980 and I manages a 18.6 in '81 on a jig (not a crawdad), along with a lot of other bass bigger than any caught to date at Clear Lake. Casitas is a tiny lake compared to Clear Lake and had tremendous fishing pressure from live bait fisherman in the 80's and it took it's toll. The past 20 years swimbaits have replaced the split shot as the preferred presentation and it also has taken it's toll. There are still a few giant bass in Casitas, very few. With the reduced fishing pressure, Casitas will come back although it may not be opened to public fishing.
Tom

[elfish16]

Casitas is a great lake still to this day! the number of BIG bass are hard to get to bite now days but they are there. its a LOT of work and you have to think outside the box to get them into biting now days. try new techniques...i have found that the more you try new things the more these big bass seem to bite a little more frequently.

When others are doing one technique...slow and methodical...don't be afraid to fish quickly and cover water!

Like Oldschool said....its only a matter of time before those Casitas giants will be back in full swing. I've heard this year the trout stocking will be up in numbers and with this...the bass will have more to eat and fatten up on the trout. I am talking about purchased trout from hatcheries that are bigger than 5-8 inches.

Give it a couple years of GOOD stocking with a lot of trout like it had going 5 years and older and you will see 16-18lbers again.

Good lake for sure...just got to think outside the box to get them now days!

E

[adman]

Casitas is a great lake still to this day! the number of BIG bass are hard to get to bite now days but they are there. its a LOT of work and you have to think outside the box to get them into biting now days. try new techniques...i have found that the more you try new things the more these big bass seem to bite a little more frequently.

When others are doing one technique...slow and methodical...don't be afraid to fish quickly and cover water!

Like Oldschool said....its only a matter of time before those Casitas giants will be back in full swing. I've heard this year the trout stocking will be up in numbers and with this...the bass will have more to eat and fatten up on the trout. I am talking about purchased trout from hatcheries that are bigger than 5-8 inches.

Give it a couple years of GOOD stocking with a lot of trout like it had going 5 years and older and you will see 16-18lbers again.

Good lake for sure...just got to think outside the box to get them now days!

+1

[Byron]

20 years ago would be 1989, the secret days of swimbaits. Most of Casitas big bass in the 80's were caught on live crawdads, waterdogs, mudsuckers and golden shiners (live swimbaits).
Tournaments back then were being won with 5 bass limits that weighed less than 16 lbs, the era of spit shotting.
Ray Easley caught his 21.03 bass in 1980 and I manages a 18.6 in '81 on a jig (not a crawdad), along with a lot of other bass bigger than any caught to date at Clear Lake. Casitas is a tiny lake compared to Clear Lake and had tremendous fishing pressure from live bait fisherman in the 80's and it took it's toll. The past 20 years swimbaits have replaced the split shot as the preferred presentation and it also has taken it's toll. There are still a few giant bass in Casitas, very few. With the reduced fishing pressure, Casitas will come back although it may not be opened to public fishing. Tom

Great lake-just tough out there right now. I see there are still a few cry babbies out there.
If the cable cutters keep it up we won't have to worry about it at all.

[Oldschool]

20 years ago would be 1989, the secret days of swimbaits. Most of Casitas big bass in the 80's were caught on live crawdads, waterdogs, mudsuckers and golden shiners (live swimbaits).
Tournaments back then were being won with 5 bass limits that weighed less than 16 lbs, the era of spit shotting.
Ray Easley caught his 21.03 bass in 1980 and I manages a 18.6 in '81 on a jig (not a crawdad), along with a lot of other bass bigger than any caught to date at Clear Lake. Casitas is a tiny lake compared to Clear Lake and had tremendous fishing pressure from live bait fisherman in the 80's and it took it's toll. The past 20 years swimbaits have replaced the split shot as the preferred presentation and it also has taken it's toll. There are still a few giant bass in Casitas, very few. With the reduced fishing pressure, Casitas will come back although it may not be opened to public fishing. Tom

Great lake-just tough out there right now. I see there are still a few cry babbies out there.
If the cable cutters keep it up we won't have to worry about it at all.

Been fishing Casitas since '58, it can can be tough in the winter. It's better to stay home and watch football and let me suffer out there alone.
Tom

[elfish16]

20 years ago would be 1989, the secret days of swimbaits. Most of Casitas big bass in the 80's were caught on live crawdads, waterdogs, mudsuckers and golden shiners (live swimbaits).
Tournaments back then were being won with 5 bass limits that weighed less than 16 lbs, the era of spit shotting.
Ray Easley caught his 21.03 bass in 1980 and I manages a 18.6 in '81 on a jig (not a crawdad), along with a lot of other bass bigger than any caught to date at Clear Lake. Casitas is a tiny lake compared to Clear Lake and had tremendous fishing pressure from live bait fisherman in the 80's and it took it's toll. The past 20 years swimbaits have replaced the split shot as the preferred presentation and it also has taken it's toll. There are still a few giant bass in Casitas, very few. With the reduced fishing pressure, Casitas will come back although it may not be opened to public fishing. Tom

Great lake-just tough out there right now. I see there are still a few cry babbies out there.
If the cable cutters keep it up we won't have to worry about it at all.

Been fishing Casitas since '58, it can can be tough in the winter. It's better to stay home and watch football and let me suffer out there alone.
Tom

well Tom looks like there will be at least 3 of us out there! hahahaha.... My old man Larry and I will always be out there regardless of how tough it is! Winter time means PIGGY TIME!

Eric

[Byron]

20 years ago would be 1989, the secret days of swimbaits. Most of Casitas big bass in the 80's were caught on live crawdads, waterdogs, mudsuckers and golden shiners (live swimbaits).
Tournaments back then were being won with 5 bass limits that weighed less than 16 lbs, the era of spit shotting.
Ray Easley caught his 21.03 bass in 1980 and I manages a 18.6 in '81 on a jig (not a crawdad), along with a lot of other bass bigger than any caught to date at Clear Lake. Casitas is a tiny lake compared to Clear Lake and had tremendous fishing pressure from live bait fisherman in the 80's and it took it's toll. The past 20 years swimbaits have replaced the split shot as the preferred presentation and it also has taken it's toll. There are still a few giant bass in Casitas, very few. With the reduced fishing pressure, Casitas will come back although it may not be opened to public fishing. Tom

Great lake-just tough out there right now. I see there are still a few cry babbies out there.
If the cable cutters keep it up we won't have to worry about it at all.

Been fishing Casitas since '58, it can can be tough in the winter. It's better to stay home and watch football and let me suffer out there alone.
Tom

The cry baby part was not directed at you but npangler.
I've been a weekend angler there since about '65 as my father was a die hard bass guy.

[tunaman]

Casitas was my favorite lake, until they closed it down. The lake can fish TOUGH (can you say DEAD SEA?) at times, but the quantity and quality is there none the less, and on any given day a monster fish or bag is possible. The more you fish it, the more you start to figure out.

Also, the facilities there are some of the best I've ever seen... they have campgrounds that run the gamut from an unimproved group camp, tent sites, camper sites, and full executive pads with full hookups... before they closed it we spent at least 5 long weekends a year, plus the prior two Christmas/New Years holiday weeks.

LOVE CASITAS, and really miss it! I miss the get-togethers and hangover turkey shoots with the great regulars like Oakview, AF Bass, Poolboy, Pee in the boat, 'hotfoot' BD the axe murderer, Robo Randy, etc. GOOD TIMES!!!

Great lake with lots of fond memories.

Roger

[offduty]

I probably would not be fishing if it was not for the fact that I live a few miles from Casitas. When I bought my first boat it was because a buddy sold his first boat. I thought well I'm a few miles from a lake so this could be a good deal. It took me a few weeks till I caught my first fish and at the time I new next to nothing about bass fishing.

When the lake was closed I went to all the board meetings and found it very frustrating. I do feel for those that don't get to fish the lake anymore. With my work schedule I get home on a monday and can be out around noon and then have tue, wed and thu off as well. I would say usually there is less than 10 boats on the lake when I get on the water.

Because it was tough I got in to live bait fishing and learned to net shad. Eventually I got bored with live bait and decided to focus on lures. I have learned a lot and upgraded both tackle and boat but realize that there will always be plenty too learn for me to become a better fisherman.

I have been told that the best thing to do is join a club and fish with others. This is not real practical for me due to the logistics of the events and my schedule. I do like working weekends as I am single and I lake the lake on the week days.

To all of you that have been shut out of Casitas and would like to fish it again I make you this offer. PM me and I will take you out if you can do it on one of my days off. I have a 21' Triton so there is plenty of room and I have about all the tackle you can imagine except right handed reels. I could use some pointers and if you want to fish Casitas the trip is on me. I don't need gas money and you don't have to buy me lunch. I have a years pass so all you have to do is get here. My place is small but I do have a spare room although it is stuffed with tackle it is possible to spend the night and fish multiple days as well. I just want to become a better fisherman and the first trout plant should be here soon and the shad are still shallow in some areas, over the past couple of days I have seen them shallow and they were shallow this time last year.

[fishndp]

Fished Casitas for 10+ years.
When you can get into the pattern it can be killer. (SPRING TIME)
Also had many fishless days there wondering WTF.

By the way offduty I'm waiting to here from you Re : a DP or Casitas run

[buch0420]

Was at casitas yesterday....talk about tough day....not one bite....was still fun though. We went out to the dam area around 9 am, literally saw 10+ and two other 4 s 5s swimming right at the shoreline in a group?...(we walked up on the shoreline and looked over into the closed area)....was throwing spinners, top water, bbz1...had one follow the bbz1 but just stared at it....other then that was a skunk for the three of us. Only time We have had any luck there was in the cove behind the airstrip in October I got one mid day on a football jig (maybe 3 lbs), and my buddy got a 11 1/2 on a spinner bait right off the grass bed at 930 pm, seemed the grass was gone this time. PS I am new to the forums also new to lake casitas lots of nice info here.

[lowerider]

Thats a hell of an offer OFFDUTY. I wish I didnt live 7 hours away I would take you up on it. Hopefully someone can benefit from it. Very cool.