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San Justo Lake and Reports

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Saturday, April 8th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 57

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: After being blanked for a few trips, John and I both finally caught some bass. John got three, from 1 1/2 to 3 lbs, on a modified, scented, black with red flake Brush Hog. He got two of his shallower than he had been fishing previously, but the largest did come from 20 feet deep. I got mine on a red spinner bait with copper Indiana blade, both from a weedbed located in a cove at about 12 feet. Lake has continued to rise from all the rain, but somehow remains relatively clear. We're beginning to see some beds in the shallows. With a bit more increase in water temperature, and some let up in the rain (will it ever?), there may be some spawning activity soon.
    I made lots of casts with the Tiger Tube and Castaic Trout swimbaits, but had no action on them, even though there was a sizeable trout plant last Tuesday. The bigun's must be stuffed with all those stocked trout on the table.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: Others have had success with red crankbaits here, so I tried the red spinnerbait and it worked. The craws must have some red in them this time of year, so the tip is: use any color as long as it's red.

Sunday, February 12th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 56

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Water is continuing to clear but remains just stained...still too much suspended dirt in the water to call it clear.
    Water temperature is creeping up, thanks to a couple of days that eventually warmed up late in the morning.
    On his first cast of the morning, using a T-rigged 4" worm, John had a strike that just about jerked the rod out of his hands. He missed the fish, though, and that was it for the rest of the day for both of us...skunked big time! The regulars (Doug, Joe, and Scott)weren't there today, maybe because they know that a full moon this early means very slow fishing the next day. That's certainly what we experienced. I covered a lot of water this morning, using both shad-colored and red crankbaits, a spinnerbait (large Colorado blade with firetiger colored skirt, chosen because of the colored water), and my trusty Tiger Tube. I did not get a bite in five hours, fishing from shallow out to 40 feet. It's as if the many bass and bluegill that used to be plentiful in most parts of the lake have disappeared. While we're still graphing lots of fish out in the deeper water, we can't get them to bite anything that would normally appeal to small bass.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: We could use some! What we're doing isn't working...and we'll keep trying different presentations until we figure them out!

Saturday, February 11th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 54

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Lake is clearing fairly rapidly, only stained in most areas. Lots of boats on the lake today, mainly trouters trying for the recently stocked trout, and several had success. The stocked trout appear to have mostly dispersed away from the launch ramp and are being caught by trollers. John got a couple nice bass (a 3 and a 2) on crankbaits today, but that was it for the two of us. I spent most of the day casting swimbaits, with no takers, and tried a red crankbait, large and medium-sized spinnerbaits, jig with Sweet Beaver trailer, and drop-shotting a 4" Senko and a Yamamoto lizard...no bites!
    City: Monterey

    Tips: Full moon tonight, but it may be too cold for an early spawn...the fish will probably be busy eating through the night and hunkering down tomorrow. We'll try some different stuff, fished slowly and on the bottom tomorrow.

Friday, February 10th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 54

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: John fished several hours today and found it to be a very tough bite. He drop-shotted most of the day, downsizing to even 3" worms but could not get a bite, and he fished all over the lake. He graphed many fish in most parts of the lake except the upper end. DFG planted 1200 lbs. of trout two days ago and they're still clustered in the vicinity of the ramp where they were planted. The water that has been pumped into the lake appears to be colored as the lake has turned chocolate-milk color since last week-end...very low visibility. That's a nasty combination: cold (54 degrees) and muddy water.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: Cold, muddy water calls for slowing down. Fish will be mainly using their senses of smell and motion-detection (via the lateral line). Slathering lures with any kind of scent will probably help get bites. This might be a time to use spinnerbaits at this lake (which haven't produced for us at all in the past) since the fish can home in on the vibrations. Noisy crankbaits may also work if they can be fished fairly slowly. Bulky jigs with big pork trailers, like an Uncle Josh #1 frog, have worked for me in similar conditions in the past.

Sunday, February 5th, 2006

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    Water Temp: 53

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Slow day today! Froze our butts off in the early morning as it was only 32 degrees at 6:00 a.m. Caught a small bass, about 1 lb+, on a red crankbait near shore very early in the morning and then nothing more the rest of the morning. Fished mostly swimbaits, including slow-trolling a 12" Hudd at 40 and 50 feet through the many fish that show on the graph in that depth range in the main lake basin. Nothing. Tried the 10" Castaic Platinum Ghost trout fast-sinker with no success. John tried smaller presentations all morning with only a single hit on a Sweet Beaver. He caught a nice 3 lb. bass on Friday on his ultralight outfit and enjoyed the fight.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: Water temp remains at 53 degrees, so whatever you use will probably work better if fished VERY slowly as in deadsticking.

Saturday, January 21st, 2006

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    Water Temp: 53

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Arrived to lake at sunrise and there were only two other boats in the water, by 9.00am, the lake was packed. Bass dudes everywhere. I htink that might have slowed the bite all day. I think. We hit a spot that had big breaks off a point with deep water on both sides and proceeded to catch one trout on a brush hog grn/pumkin red flake texas rigged in about 8 ft. Of water. Not the fish we're looking for. Down the bank where rock met gravel, my buddy landed a keeper on the same rig in about 6 ft. of water. I hooked a fish on a different point with similar characteristics as the last one on a carolina rigged junebug brush hog in about 13ft of water. Saw people drop shotting and catching fish. Looked as if they were looking for trees on their graph and pound them with their drop shots. Talked to a kid who pounded the banks with a crankbait and landed 5. He mentioned the crankbait bite turned off around 10.00am. Evening crankbait bite produced 2 keeper bass, one to 3 pounds(i think), near sundown off of main lake points on a Deep Little N in about 7-10ft of water. Bite was slow for our boat all day with action only in the morning and the evening.
    City: San Jose

    Tips: Crank em' early in the morning. Just work points and breaks, hell just troll around th whole lake and cast, and cast, and cast. Throw senkos, carolina rigged baits too because of their slow fall. Buy a swimbait rig and chuck that thing all day. Those are only tips to people coming out here soon. Lake opens FEB 1 on a wed so get there then or any other Wed. after and avoid the weekend warriors.

Saturday, December 17th, 2005

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    Water Temp: 57

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Last trip of the year for my son and me today. While the fishing has been slow, we both managed to catch fish on our last outing of 2005. John got two on a Carolina-rigged lizard, a nice 3 lb'er and a 2 lb'er. I managed a single 2 lb'er on a large tube lure while trying for the big'uns. Not many boats on the lake. It was cold and overcast but not much wind so it was a very pleasant half-day of fishing. Still lots of fish showing on the graph out in the main body of the lake, suspended from 40 to 60 feet. Still not able to get them to hit anything that usually works for deep, suspended fish. Shallow zone still appeared to be virtually baren of fish.
    We're looking forward to getting out after the first of the year. San Justo is still a gem of a lake and although this winter it seems the fish have had lock-jaw much of the time, our sense is that they are still there and waiting to get figured out.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: Keep a lure in the water, move it very slowly, and hang on! Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 11th, 2005

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    Water Temp: 58

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Time for an update...the lake is down over 20 feet since earlier in the year. Fishing has been TOUGH!!! Other than an 8 lb. bass on October 30th and a 3 lb'er today, there have been very few bites and even fewer fish. Those two fish were taken on an 8-inch swimbait that mimics the stocked trout..

    The shallow zone (0 - 30 feet) seems to be devoid of fish. The graph shows lots of fish suspended between 40 and 60 feet, but they don't seem interested in hitting shad/hitch imitations like silver spoons, blade baits, or lipless crankbaits, or drop-shotted worms or Senko's. Even drop-shotted 3" and 4" Senko's don't yield any bites.

    Yes, a few bass are being caught...some were taken by others on a red crankbait today, still others on drop-shotted tiny worms, but the usually successful presentations that my son and I have been trying (jigs, Senko's, crankbaits)aren't working. The morning buzz-bait bite stopped about a month ago.
    The stocked trout have scattered and are vitually everywhere. They are aggressively feeding on the small minnows and can be caught on tiny white marabou jigs or 1/16 ounce Road Runners in white.
    This is now a very different fishery than it was about a year ago IMHO.
    We'll keep fishing San Justo, because we know it has some real lunkers, but it is now a frustrating bite that requires a lot of patience.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: Downsize your dropshot presentations and keep moving until you find a pod of fish. They are bunched up very tightly.

Sunday, May 29th, 2005

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    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Beautiful day on the water,with 9 bass to 5 1/2 lbs. All fish caught on texas rigged creature bait.
    City: Salinas

Sunday, March 27th, 2005

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: has any one ever caught any catfish at justo? any info tips ect would be helpful im gonna try for sum there thanks
    City: hollister

Saturday, February 26th, 2005

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Beautiful day on the water but the bite is still tough. Did manage a 5lber on a shallow diving crankbait given to me by guide Doug Clarke. He custom paints lures to match the bait fish.
    City: Salinas

    Tips: Don't hesitate looking up Doug on your next outing, he knows the lake and what the fish want.

Sunday, January 16th, 2005

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    Water Temp: 57

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Thanks for the report, Marone! Keep'em coming!

    Toadhunter, in case you haven't called Todd at Big Red Concensioons yet, he said today that they'll start staying open five days a week (Wed through Sunday) on Wednesday, Feb. 1st.

    Fished from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. today, mostly throwing trout swimbaits and the Tiger Tube. Couldn't buy a bite all day. Weather was absolutely perfect, overcast most of the day, and virtually no wind. Spent the day fishing the same bank that produced the 12+ for another boat and my 9+ last Sunday. Made a gazillion casts from the shoreline out to 30 feet with no bites. Tried retrieves throughout the water column from zero to 30 feet. Nada. Tried fast, medium and slow retrieves. Nada. Even tried a 1 oz. spinnerbait, waked, mid-column, and slow-rolled. Nada. Tried Mega-Charley, Castaic slow-sinker, and Matt's Bluegill. Nada. Slow day was made even more frustrating with the news that Doug Clarke nailed a 14+ yesterday on a Senko. The big'uns are in there, they're chowin' down as they get ready to spawn, and they can be caught, if you find'em and have the right lure on.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: Keep movin', keep chuckin', and hang in there.

Friday, January 14th, 2005

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    Water Temp: 53.3-53.6

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: My first time on this lake. Tried main lake points. I threw the huddleston 80% of the time but it did not produce. Other members on the boat hooked 2 lbr. in 10 ft. of water on a junebug texas rigged baby brush hog with a glass bead. Another member on the boat landed a 2 lber. on a 3/8 ounce football jighead with a brown/blue flake hula grub. ANd then followed it up with 2 lb rainbow trout on the same gula grub. I marked fish every where off the main lake points in 15-30feet of water. I'm guessing schools of rainbows. Saw someone putting a huge tree in the back end of the lake, I think I'll bring one next time i go out there. I like this lake. I wonder how many 10 pluses looked at my huddleston today.
    City: San Jose

    Tips: We hooked into a christmas tree off the mainlake point to the right of the lanch ramp. That's where all the fish were caught, and two were unbuttoned. I looked for more trees but couldn't find any. The trees and fish were in 10-15feet of water. Tried fishing in the storm but as the storm moved in the bite turned off. Throw texas rigged brush hogs and lizards. Work em deep and slow. Look for deep breaks and try to find structure near points.

Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

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    Water Temp: 57

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Hey, Toadhunter, no, I don't know (but it can't be soon enough!!!) It will be open three days this weekend, for the MLK holiday on Monday.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: You could call Todd at Big Red Concessionaires, who runs the marina, and he can tell you (831) 638-3300.

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Roger,

    Do you know when Justo will open up their normal hours of Wednesday thru Sunday?.....nice 9lber Sunday!

    TH
    City: salinas

Sunday, January 9th, 2005

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Thanks for the reports ROGER B!!! KEEP EM' COMING!
    City: san Jose

Saturday, January 8th, 2005

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    Water Temp: 57

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: San Justo is coming alive!!! After some lean days this winter, John and I are beginning to dial in the fish. Another beautiful day today, partly cloudy skies and very little wind...one of the nicest days we've had at San Justo. John got three more bass, a 3 and two 2's, on a T-rigged craw imitation. Another boat nailed a 12 lb. 10 oz. bass on a swimbait which upped the ante on that presentation. A little while later, I managed a 9 lb 6 oz. bass on a swimbait. too. She was a beautiful bass, good coloring, and a huge belly full of eggs. Hopefully, she'll drop those this spring and make lots of new basses.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: If what you're trying isn't working, change to something different. The lures and scent John used yesterday wouldn't produce today. He changed lures and scent and got lots of strikes in addition to the three bass he boated. The bigger bass seem to prefer the larger lures like swimbaits, and today a slow, steady retrieve worked for me.

Friday, January 7th, 2005

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    Water Temp: 57

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: First trip of 2006 today. My son John caught three nice bass, topped by a 4 lb'er which he nailed on his ultralight spinning outfit. Said it was the best fight he's enjoyed so far. All came on Carolina-rigged lizards at about 30 feet. I spent the day mostly tossing Hudd's, Castaic Trout, and a Tiger Tube trying for the One Big Bite. It didn't happen today. Weather was delightful, a bit cool in the morning, but it warmed up when the wind subsided. Wind didn't kick up again until about 1:30 p.m.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: We're not graphing any fish in the shallows, out to about 25 feet. Most of the fish we see on the graph are suspended between 40 and 60 feet over the main lake basin where the depth now is about 75 feet.

Sunday, December 26th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 50 degrees

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished the morning again with son, John. Tough bite today. Cloudy, overcast conditions with some wind from south (about 10 mph), but not enough to disrupt fishing.
    Caught one 1 1/2 lb bass on a black-with-red craw trailer twin-spin with black blades (chosen to imitate the large black/red crawfish in this lake.) Also, had some hits but no hook-ups on a brown jig with green-pumpkin Yum craw trailer (chosen to imitate the smaller brown/green craws also in this lake.)
    Kudos and thanks to guide Doug Clarke for his unselfish efforts in planting Christmas tree bundles to provide more structure for this otherwise mostly flat-bottomed lake. Doug continued his efforts with two more boatloads of trees today. It's a time-consuming process and Doug gvies up fishing time to make these additions to the lake which have already started producing larger bass.
    Again, thanks, Doug, we appreciate your efforts.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: The lake has risen some very recently, apparently due to water being pumped into it from San Luis Reservoir. We thought that might bring the fish shallow, but we couldn't get them to bite in the shallow zone, even on windy, rocky banks. The fish caught, and hits received, came from 8-10 foot depths along rocky banks. It appears almost all the weeds are dying...all you bring up are brown stalks. I'd continue to avoid the former submerged weed locations just off-shore. I'd look for the fish out deeper, maybe even suspended out in the main lake basin where there should be plentiful oxygen.

Sunday, December 19th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 50 degrees

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Son, John, and I fished Saturday and Sunday, the 18th and 19th, both beautiful days with virtually no wind, cold in the early morning but warming later in the day. Many of the off-shore weeds are turning brown now, and only fish we caught came from rock bottoms with no weeds. On Saturday, John got four bass up to 4 pounds, taken on jigs. Sunday I lost two on jigs, and boated one, on a bluegill finish Rapala DT-10 crankbait. As it gets warmer later in the morning, the fish seem to move into the shallows on the rock banks. Apparently, the dying weeds are no longer attractive to them, and being members of the sunfish family, they like to move shallow to get some "rays" and scarf up some crawfish.
    City: Monterey

    Tips: Try the shallows on the rock banks, with brown jigs tipped with either Uncle Josh brown No. 11 pork frogs or green pumpkin Yum plastic crawfish. Crankbaits retrieved slowly in the shallow zone can also work.