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Cachuma Lake and Reports

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Friday, July 7th, 2006

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: if your into dinks, the shore fishing has been pretty good of late. The wind is still going Cachuma style but patients is paying off. I have been throwing a lot of the new X Rap lately with pretty good success around shallow flats. I only get bites on a slower than normal two pump pause retrieve. This is the only bait I seem to catch keepers on. Crappie are biting around the pier. Yesterday I watched about 10 being caught in about an hour. Drop shotting will get numbers of small fish. I have been throwing a lot of 4" MMIII Sculpins about 18" from the bottom. Senkos and baby brush hogs are slow (for me) Anybody needs someone to share the expense of gas, my wife makes a mean sandwich and I would love to get a real taste for the lake. I am a Delta fisherman without a boat down here. Havent figured out how to do well for size yet. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. The carp are in every bay. If your not to proud and just want a tug, they are there for the fight.
    City: Goleta

    Tips: xrap fished slower than normal.

Saturday, June 24th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 73

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Gold Coast Bass Tourney - Launch at 6AM with expected warm temps as the early AM hours were warm and little if any small pockets of fog -
    Busy day this morning as there were three tourneys going and a few changes on times had to be made.

    Hit the reeds south of Arrowhead Island 1st thing with about 5 other boats proving a good 1st stop and it proved a good choice but nothing over 12 inch's was taken on top water and drop shot with robo's and FX's. Worked the edges and the inside but still no keepers.

    Moved off to the narrows and worked the walls with plenty of 10 to 11 inch fish on the same setup - still no keepers. Worked the toolies just across from the reed line by the island with finally a keeper using a Sweet Beaver.

    Headed off towards the dam area and takled with some Santa Barabara Club Basser's with three or four boats with good weights on spots. Headed inside Lil Cachuma and hit a few on jigs.

    Weigh in at 2PM - Winners - 12+ on 5 // Big Fish - 6+
    City: Santa Maria

    Tips: Brown Head Spider Jigs were a hot bait on matted areas.

Wednesday, June 21st, 2006

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Well my dad and I decided to skip work and head to Cachuma for a day of fishing. He is a trout fisheman and so we decided to trout fish, but I still brought the bass tackle. We were on the lake at 7am. Headed to the dam and did some trolling, trout seemed to be on the top in the middle of the dam until 10am. We trolled a basic set-up, 1/4 oz. bananna weight, leader and night crawler. My dad had 4 fish, biggest pushing 2 1/2lbs and I had 2 1lbers. We lost several fish,including a nice one around 3lbs. By 10am fish seemed to go deep and we utilized lead line and leader tied to a frog pattern crocodile, 6 colors deep was the ticket. For those who are crappy fishermen, we caught 2 large crappy trolling with the crocodile frog. Although, I did not manage to bass fish we had a great time catching trout and crappy.
    City: Nipomo

    Tips: Trout are up shallow in the middle of the dam early in the morning. Nightcrawlers and Crocodile or needlefish in frog pattern worked. Use lead line in the afternoon 6 colors deep.
    I don't know how or why we caught those crappy, but in the areas we caught them we were in 80' of water and I guess they must have been suspended off the bottom.

Saturday, June 17th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 72 deg.

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Water vis still very poor. Seems that most of the fish have moved off the flats now. A few dinks but thats it. The walls produced fair on both cranks and jig heads. About half/half smallie/largemouth. Total about 10 fish. Fog cleared by 10an and temp went up quick. No wind thru 1pm so pretty nice.
    City: Santa Barbara

Monday, June 5th, 2006

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Sorry I missed ya again Kelly -- Maybe next time
    Sounds like your day was like mine -- Wow! It did get hot!
    -- Bob --
    City: Santa Maria

Sunday, June 4th, 2006

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: launched the last two days around 4:30 pm, several small large mouth on blades, and senko's. Drug a crappie jig off the back of the boat, no crappie, but 3 small mouth 2 pound plus. The fish seemed to be on the edge of the murky water, lot of decent sized followers that would not eat. Mainly fished Cachuma bay, and around Jack Rabbit flats
    City: santa ynez

Saturday, June 3rd, 2006

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    Water Temp: 76+

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: What a difference in water color! The lake is much clearer and the largemouth have hit the beds pretty much everywhere. I had the typical summer weather with A.M. fog for 3 hours and then blazing temps. for the rest of the day. I like to start early with patterns and found That the small largemouth were up and hitting topwater. Buzzbaits,frogs and rico's. I never did get any large fish but was incouraged by the numbers. I picked up my dropshot and started fishing the narrows and found the males were up waiting for their girlfriends and you had to wade through 15 small ones for every decent one. I stopped tossing senkos as it was costing to much money for the size of the fish. I fished my Huddleston for about an hour after I saw a 8-10 pounder but unfortunately for me she saw me and dropped out of sight and never returned. My best fish was a 4 pounder on the drop shot on a Robo worm 6 inch fat light oxblood red flake. Interesting that this fish swam right under my boat and I cast 35 feet out infront of the fish and when I picked up my slack to shake it it was already eaten and she was making a beeline for deeper water. I found a spot at the end of the day that had red-ear swarmed on their beds and caught 3 of them while dropshoting the area. They were monster's the size of my steering wheel 1 1/2 to 2 pounds!. I'm glad the panfish are back as it makes the whole lake feel much more alive. I had a two pound crappie on a crank ( Released ) and in general had a good day on the water. Nothing huge but fun none the less. I checked out the flats and there were bed fish on them but I stayed away from the tulie lines as I just wanted to see as much of the lake on this day as I could. The number of carp is unreal and they were stacked up like cord wood along the boom line on the river. I really should invest in a bow : )
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: I drop shot the narrows and areas like it and found that I could blind cast and do just fine as I moved down the bank. I would pitch and let it fall pick up the slack and shake it twice and if I wasn't bit immediately I would reel in and do it again. The senko I fished wacky and looked for spots in the backs of the coves and pitched to the darker shaded spots. The fish would dart out and eat it and run back under the wood really fast. The frog I used was a spro red colored and I figured if it was good enough for the fish at Clear Lake it would work here also.

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    Water Temp: 71

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Lots of fog at 6:30 launch and was slow going towards Arrowhead Island - Dropped into a cove near Chalk cliffs and tossed a top water around the reeds without any takers. Changed up on color but still nothing. Moved off to a small cove 500 yards to the south and pulled out my Storm Tiger crank. Hit a small Lrg on the 1st cast then another dink on the 4th cast. Worked the area for another 20 minutes with nothing else so moved off into a small cove ans tossed a Terminator blade. 7 casts, 7 fish! Wow! This lure is a keeper! Pulled in two nice 3+ larges and two respectable smallies. Marked this as a great A.M. spot an moved off.

    Wind coming up but the temps were as well. Coves were the spots as inside the reeds south of the island were not prodicers today. Saw goo sight fish but nothing I tossed was taken. Moved off towards Johnson Bay and tossed out some football heads with Yamamoto Watermelon red/blk flake twin tails and some Fat Ikas. Hit three small larges on the twin tail and lost a nice large weight so elected to go with a larger hook. Did get him back and called it a day at 1PM as the temp was really climbing.
    City: Santa Maria

    Tips: Terminator Chart/White with green blade and silver blade was the hot number. Work the coves across from the island and around Chalk cliffs.
    Be EXTRA careful in the early A.M. hours as the fog has been pretty thick.

Saturday, May 27th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 69

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: WINDY - WINDY - WINDY -

    Thats what I hear from three guys that did the Gold Coast Bass Tourney so I am sorta happy that I had to work today, missing out on the havoc of dead trolling motor batteries trying to keep the unit in place for more than a minute. Lots of wind and no place to hide.

    Lots of fish caught but most were dinks. Keepers were in the 2-3 pound range and my co-worker ended up 3rd on a spot I told him about. The boys from Tackle Warehouse in SLO town grabbed the big kitty for the day.
    City: Santa Maria

    Tips: Blades were working as were watermelon blk/red flake softies.

Thursday, May 25th, 2006

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Looking for am interested Bass partner for Gold Coast Bass out of Santa Maria. Tourneys once a month on last Sat of month on local lakes - Cachuma, Lopez, Nac, Casitas, Margarita. Will split costs for gas, boat gas and entry.
    Email me! TY
    City: Santa Maria

Wednesday, May 24th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 68-69 Degrees

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: OK, the sun is finally appearing in Cent Calif!.
    Cachuma has turned over, last week 72 and murky.
    Today much better vis and temp dropped 3 deg or so. Patchy morning fog burning off early. Not a lot of fish in Cachuma Bay on wall. A few fish on crankbaits but mostly small. A lot of fish on flats though. One real nice dropshot Largemouth in 20 ft near dropoff. Wind came up pretty good after 1pm.
    City: Santa Barbara

Saturday, May 20th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 73

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Haircut day so it was a late launch today - Got off at 9:45.
    Day looks good despite possible rain for Sunday. Water was flat for the most part and both parking lots were full so getting into favorite spots may be hard. --- Hit Arrowhead Island and only charted a few scattered fish, moved off to Bobcat Cyn and tossed blades. Nada - and I was surprised that I didn't get a tag on the favorite color. MOved off to Santa Cruz point and same results. Changed up to fifferent colors but no takers so moved off to the reeds acrossfrom the island where I hit great last week. Started with a Robo Ox blood red/flake and only light taps. Moved around to the Westside and hit two smaller Largeies but at least they were fish. Moved into the reeds thru the hole and started dropping the same bait. Good taps but nothing. Changed to a Senko Watermelon red/flake and finally landed my first 5 pounder! Man o man. That was a great feeling for this sorta newcomer into Basssin. Dropped out another 'plunk; and yanked in yet another good 3 pounder but it broke off in a reed blade. Flurocarbon can be your enemy at times! Shook off the dissappointment and grabbed a reel spooled up Triline 10 and tossed out again with a Robo. Bang.. Another quality 3 poun keeper.
    As Kelly R said -- If your on fish STAY! Thanks Kelly. That urge to leave versus paitence WORKED> I appreciate your insight and I utilized your suggestions.
    City: Santa Maria

    Tips: Robo Oxblood and Senkos were the choice. I think weightless or at least a small split shot just at the hook eye [with a Senko or 3X] helped get it passed the smaller fish faster and helped bring in better weights. Like I mentioned.

Sunday, May 14th, 2006

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    Water Temp: Quite Warm!

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Kelly! Wish I knew you were there! We could of hooked up! I was on fish immediatly.

    A very quite Mothers day today. Fog coming in and on the water fog at about 6:20AM launch. Headed to the island and set up for what I thought was going to be a great day. NOT! Dropped my trolling motor and found out that the control cable had broken! PIT CITY! Had to fake it all day long using my hand to control the boat. Only a dink at the island so moved off to the reeds at the south end down from the island. Tossed a Oxblood light w/red flake on a football head. Bang! Good keeper, small but still weight. Foul tagged a second keeper but dang, he bleed out and was a floater later. Manuvered down the reed line and bang - Hit another, smaller but still the fish were there. Figured I had a decent area for the next tourney so I moved off towards the east side. Got into a nice almost pond looking area and went into the 'chit' looking for fish. Lots of stickups in about 12' and used the same setup. Three more in 10 minutes with 2 smaller keeps but, hey they all add up to weight. Tried Robo green weenies - no hits, tossed a red.silver rattle crank with only one small chaser following it. Headed to Clark Canyon to check on possible areas. Hit three more dinks on same setup so I know it was a good selection at least for today. Temp soared to a very warm one by 1PM and without the trolling motor operational, I called it a day.
    City: Santa Maria

    Tips: Robo Oxblood light w/flake red was the hot pick for the day. Robo MMII did get some taps but probably crappie. Next trip -- Saturday if I don't work, if so, Sunday for sure.

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    Water Temp: 71.9-75.9

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: I was shocked at the water color. I have been keeping tabs on the lakes level and since it had stabilized I figured it would be really clear. WRONG! It's 3 foot up at the dam and less everywhere else. I went into the narrows and quickly determined that the fish were not were I had left them. I pulled out a black buzz bait and caught some dinks and went back to my senko except I switched colors from the previous trip. I caught a real nice 2 pound smallmouth and went looking for better water. I think the surface water temp might be in the 70's but it must be cooler down a bit or the smallmouth spawn would be over. I never fished the flats and went as far into Big Cachuma as was possible. I ran a ground in the incoming creek. That is how crappy the visability is. Speaking of crappie I talked with two fishermen who had 150 crappie between them along with assorted dink largemouth and smallmouth. They released all except for a handful for dinner. Thanks for not being greedy guys as I know there is no limit. I thought it was me stinkin up the place but fishing is downright tough for size....Numbers are easy. I Threw the kitchen sink and was not rewarded for my efforts. Being right on the full moon couldn't have helped. Plastics were the easiest way to get bit with oxblood anything getting whacked immediately. As I havent been to consistent in getting out I can't speculate as to the apparent lack of size. I do know that once I forgot about the water color and just "blind" cast I did just fine. I didn't see any fry but I'm sure the spawn has been trickling along. Between the vast areas that are bouyed off and the huge river area that is untapped we will have some stellar fishing in the years to come. They can't put another drop of water in the lake and it makes presentation difficult. It's just a theory but the little bit of blue algae we had a few weeks past might be the explination for the water color. It appears to be orgainic in nature or the flow of water coming into the lake would be clear but no dice. Yucky stuff.
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: Forget about sight fishing and just go getter dun old school. A quick limit on the flats and then find the better fish by feel. I caught some frog fish but they were VERY small. Not a tap on the swimbait but I will continue to work that angle!

Saturday, May 13th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 67-68 deg

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Overcast with variable breeze. Cool and clouds/fog did not vanish until 11am. Launch at 7am and went to Outhouse pt. Lot of action on small poppers but all small. Tosses crank for a couple of 11.5 in fish. Rested with a dropshot and hit 3 large small mouth quickly. Tried a couple of other large lures but nada. Bite slowed and fish on Storke Flat and Santa Cruz flats but not signif. size.
    City: Santa Barbara

Friday, May 12th, 2006

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished thurday evening and friday morning. Caught lots of fish just no size to them. Caught fish everywhere on the flats, points and walls. Used a crankbait, senko, and dropshot just could not get any fish with size. Most fish in the 8-15ft depth.
    City: Ventura

Thursday, May 11th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 72

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Cooler weather at 6:30 launch but no fog today.
    Headed towards some coves by island and tossed some blades with only 1 half decent taker. All the rest were dinks. Moved off towards the island and hit the points with dop shot andf jigs. One taker on a jig but again, a dink. Moved off to the reeds to the south of the island as I saw a few boats hitting the north edges. Tossed a top water and pulled in two but nothing of any good size. Tossed out a drop shot w/Oxblood Robo. Good hits and I pulled in 6 with two good keepers of which one was a 4 pounder.
    City: Santa Maria

    Tips: Top water was working as a few Coastal Club guys were hitting some good larges in the 4+ pound range before they moved off. Robo or FX people worms were hot bait

Saturday, May 6th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 54

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Foggy - Wet and cool. Out for a day trying to locate areas for this months end tourney. Several boats out today as they is a [I think] and ABA tourney going on. Started across the marina in Cachuma Bay tossing small swims with only smallies hitting a storm jig. Changed to a top water with no hits. Moved off into lil Cachuma and drop shotted with a Yamamoto Senko hoked whacky. Three in the boat but all under 13. Moved off to Johnson Bay and saw no less than 15 boats hitting the walls and points. Must be the place! Smallies again -- Tossed a craw crank and all I got was dink smallies. Wind up again and boat control was constant if your not in a cove out of the breeze. Sun never did come out and I called it a day about 1.
    City: Santa Maria

    Tips: Watermelon Senkos were working as was Robo Worm MMII on drop shot.

Thursday, May 4th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 62 in main lake

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Still cloudy and cool. Fish PopR's for an hour or so. Got some rises and 6 in fish interest! Guys with me had trouble with a breeze off the dam. Went to sheltered cove and drop shot. Lot of fish 10-12 inches and a few over. Probably 30 fish. One guy fishing Optimum said he was doing well; saw him catch one very nice largemouth. Fish showing on screen on all flats. Were 6-8 ft early and moved out to 12-15 by noon. Great fishing but didnt go for big fish.
    City: Santa Barbara

Sunday, April 23rd, 2006

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    Water Temp: 63

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: We are getting the begginings of an algae bloom and the water is now above full pool and still rising. Water cleared up quite well from Johnsons to the dam and the rest of the lake is a week behind. Lots of trout and crappie being caught during the trout derby. I was pretty much all alone on the lake on Sunday and I swung for the fences but came up short. I am still getting my best fish of the day flipping but I threw the Huddleston for hours without any love. I got 3 flipping fish but only one was a keeper at 4 pounds. The rest of the day I spent visiting areas I rarely fish and was able to catch senko fish and ripbait fish by the truck load but very few worth the effort except for a rare 2 pound smallmouth. Best smallmouth turned away at the boat rather than eat my ripbait so I went back to the spot 15 minutes later and got her on the forth cast using a senko. Big red eyed tiger striped gorilla. That was fun. I sure missed the largemouth and am puzzled by the lack of enthusiasm of the largemouth in general.
    City: Santa Barbara

    Tips: Brown with red flake....Or anything with red flake was consistantly better results wise.