The season opener was held on 2/9/19 on Lower Otay Reservoir located in San Diego County just outside of Chula Vista, CA. The weather was cold (for San Diego) with a low of 48 degrees. Rain was in the forecast but they only realized a few sprinkles throughout the day. The wind picked up in the afternoon but was still manageable. Water temperature was 57 degrees with 4 to 5 feet of visibility.
Buechner reported that the primary techniques were dropshot in the 25 to 35-foot range or Senkos in the tulles. A few anglers were able to find a reaction bait pattern including the event champion Derwin Chang. “I threw the crankbait all day until my arm was ready to fall off. I was throwing a deep diving crankbait in the shallows and hitting bottom to get the fish riled up. I love throwing crankbaits because that’s what I do for Spotties in Mission Bay”, said Chang. This was his first win in freshwater including big fish honors with a 20.75-inch tank. Chang went on to say, “I attribute my success to watching and learning from all the other freshwater kayak anglers and putting my time in prefishing”. Next up for Chang is the KBF Trail Series Event on Lake Berryessa on 2/24/19.
Here’s your top 10:
1. Derwin Chang – 89.00 inches
2. Steve Buechner – 80.25 inches
3. Jay Breault – 77.75 inches
4. Mike Stames – 77.50 inches
5. Tim O’Connor – 76.75 inches
6. Brian Leppke – 76.50 inches
7. Joe Ma – 75.75 inches
8. Aaron Knowles – 72 inches
9. David Durant – 71.75 inches
10. Shawn Haynes – 70.00 inches
Next up for the So Cal Kayak Angler circuit is 3/23/19 on Lake Murray.
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