Fishing identity crisis + report for 6/2

[Shawnster]

Hey Barrett crew,

I've been to Barrett a few times since this season opened, but haven't posted any reports frankly because I haven't been doing that well compared to late last season and I'm having a bit of a fishing identity crisis. So this is more of a plea for guidance...

For context: I've only been bass fishing for a year. My fishing experience is fly fishing in the Pacific Northwest and some ocean fishing, but became a largemouth convert only after 'discovering' Barrett in July last year. Me and my two boys became addicted and went every single chance we could get--each visit logging 14 hour days chasing boilers and top water until the season ended. Post-season, we tried to keep bass fishing alive but struggled to hook up anywhere. We had been literally counting the days to this season's Barrett opener, but in the last few weeks, we discovered that Barrett seems to be a whole new ball game compared with late last season and that we really don't know what we're doing, even after all the research on this forum and elsewhere on how to fish for bass.

Our latest trip, Sunday June 2: we lucked out and scored a last minute boat ticket re-sale. Me and my 8 year old were on the water by 5am and our plan was to get to the back of Hauser and see if we could get some TW action going. The main lake was really windy and rough on our way out, but seemed to mellow once we got back there. I had a couple blow ups on my Hula Popper and frog, but they seemed like maybe they were small fish. No takers on swimbaits or crank baits. After not landing anything by 9am and starting to feel desperate, I switched to a drop shot Roboworm (which used to almost feel like cheating). I had a large fish on that shook free at the boat, which also seems to be happening to me more frequently and not sure why.

We moved out of the area and were trying to watch what other folks were doing -- there seemed to be an emphasis on close to shore, green trees and rocks. But we weren't getting anything except for dinks. Like, the smallest bass you can imagine. We fished all over the place -- I had to balance my son's preference of sight fishing for small fish with my interest in chunkers -- but from the very back of Hauser to the very back of Pine, throwing everything from creatures and senkos rigged in numerous ways, swimbaits, A-rigs, Ikas, crank baits, and jerk baits, we ended our 13 hour day with only 12 tiny fish -- the biggest being a Bluegill -- and my 8 year old caught 7 of those.

So... I'm feeling like I don't actually know how to fish for bass and all our success last season was because it was easy with the boilers and the fish were more aggressive. Now that things are different, I'm realizing there is so much I don't know which is causing a mild identity crisis because this is something I absolutely love to do and I want to do better.

I've considered a couple of things that I might be doing wrong and I'd love anyone's opinion:

• I've been using swivels so I can quickly change out lures. I know this is lazy and something I'd never do fly fishing, but I didn't think it mattered to bass. Could this a factor in our sub-par results?

• Our gear is admittedly standard -- I have a nice BFS combo, but all my other rod/reel combinations are maybe $50 to $100. How critical is hardware to success?

• What am I missing about reading the lake and knowing what tactics to employ? I realize that might be too general of a question

• Are there any books or sources that you can recommend that will help me become a better bass fisherman?

Thankfully the old adage of a blind squirrel finding a nut once in a while is true. I caught this chunker a few weeks ago using an A-Rig with really large Keitechs. I don't have a scale but it was by far bigger than anything I've caught in the past.

[falafeluver]

I would not use any swivels at all. Are you using mono or fluro lines? I truly believe in the fluorocarbon lines and with that, I don’t fish anything heavier than 10 lbs. I use Seagard’s or P-Line.

It’s easier to bring extra rods that’s got different lures or setups (d/s, T-rig, C-rig etc) tied to them. Use rod socks to keep the lines from tangling each other, you can only fish one rod at a time anyways. I use those plastic lure wraps to keep the hooks and lines from tangling as well.

With any sport, one just needs to put in the time and you’ll start to see what works best with each trip.

[Pond_prowler_619]

Barrett lake is a little tricky at times, you really have to try to follow the reports and see what they are biting or know the lake but mostly season, i enjoy watching TACTICAL BASSIN on youtube i have learn a ton from them,i watch a video where it shows how bass move during mid spring and use the same technique and landed some good size fish i remember one thing he said is "bass right now are scared of everything they havent been up on shore and aint use to boat traffic so they will hang out 10 15 feet off the bank" and another one" bass will hang out along the shadows ready to ambush prey if you see a tree follow the tree shadow and throw something in between the light and dark spots"( works for me) this time around i dont really hit the shallows i hang out a bit back and fish the trees,my advise would be fish 15 20 feet off any cliff,bank,shore,etc. Or the shadows of tree tops if theres a ton of branch i would do a wacky rig if not i do trig with ¼ tungsten flippin weight ... yes equipment does matter...a good all around set up will cost about 120-200 . I personally like lews my mach2 baitcaster is one of my favorite all around set up i throw from weightless 7in roboworm to ½ounce Trig on 10pound flouro to a sammie topwater bait,cranks, small swimbaits.Dicks sporting goods has some nice set ups for about 150 if you download the online coupon it saves you 20$ off 100$ or more. Tungsten weights in my opinion are a must yes they cost a lot more but are really worth it,trust me after about 50$ of weights you learn really fast how to FEEL them i hate spending 3$ on a weight but its worth it cause any rock,branch,any type of hit you can feel it. What to throw? Right now in the season since it looks like you have 1 good set up i would focus more first with a trig/ 10pound flouro ¼ flippin weight a 7in roboworm MIDNIGHT always works or the FAT 6in or even 4in hologram (black and clear) Dont forget some 6in zoom lizards in watermelon, blanc/blue or this month red lizards. Black and blue gary yamamoto 6in worms is a must, if throws wacky rig make sure to get the rings they help out a ton in holding the soft worm together.Flappin hogs from same company and color too mystery tackle box website has some good stuff for cheap ,Now topwater is picking up so all this might have to go out the window, a sammie walking bait is also a must have for topwater and my favorite 6 sence pearl spanish crank next trip this is what im gonna be throwing most day, it sounds like you dont have the right set up for a frog so dont bother with a frog if you want to throw a frog get a weedless plastic frog zoom makes them and goggin squad look for birds driving in the lake boils heck i even look for ant hills along the shore easy small prey for small fish but there bigger fish behind those small ones. Hope this helps brotha have fun...

[Pond_prowler_619]

For your son i would get him a ugly stik spinning set up ultra light 5ft he will have some fun with small fish i have that set up and have caught dinks to 4 pound bass and its sooo much fun also the dock runner is a awesome set up its 3ft but packs a punch again i have caught dinks to 4 pound bass on it however the reels are garbage so diff upgrade the reel

[JWall]

Hey Shawn…ditto on no swivels. Always tie direct to line. And I fish 8 to 12lb at all SD lakes for bass if you aren’t already. As for lures, I bet you are throwing what most of us are but the bass have been finicky this year at times. The minnows I set you up with are great on boilers. Several other “match the hatch” shad replicas will do. If no boilers, then throw plastics but you really have to slow down the retrieve to feel bites. The old saying is never more true…if you think you are going slow enough, slow down! Knowing a plastics bite takes tons of time but it will come. And give them time to sink through the water column and get to the bottom. Many bites happen on the sink. If you throw cranks or other reaction baits, vary your retrieve speed and depth. Sometimes they bite low and slow. Others burning near the top.

Honestly I wouldn’t worry about the cost of your equipment. If you have good line spooled on, I have caught hundreds of fish on what many others would consider substandard entry-level equipment.

Colors do matter but again I think you aren’t far off there. Barrett is generally very forgiving.

The best thing you have going is the stoke you and the boys have for fishing. Just keep applying what you and others know to be working. And if you hit a slow spot, keep moving. Don’t throw long at dead water once you have offered a good sample of baits.

PS did you get your trolling motor fixed?

[bendopolo 44+]

A lot of great advice here. As I grew as a Bass Fisherman, I think the most important thing was fishing with others that had more skill than me. The second thing was to force myself out of my comfort zone and really learning new techniques. The third was constant refinement of those techniques. I fished with a gentleman named Dee Thomas up in the California Delta. He had a saying, “ Size, Color, and Cadence” the three most important factors to address. Get those right and your success will soar. I think another thing I picked up is to fish for the fish you can’t see. By the time you are close enough to see them, they have already detected you and are on guard. You should really invite a Barrett regular out with you for a trip. We are an exceedingly helpful group. Just a couple hours to refine your methods will push you forward years in experience. I highly recommend a guided trip to one of the local lakes. In just one trip you will learn so much to advance your skills. It will save you money in the long run, by teaching you what works right away. Otherwise you can spend years flailing along, catching the odd suicide fish. That A Rig fish is beautiful! Imagine if that was that was average size of the 30+ you and your boys can catch at Barrett every trip. It can happen quickly if you are ready to take the steps.

[camobass]

Dude that’s a NICE northern bass in the bottom pic!

[bass at sunrise]

I highly recommend that you watch Bill Dance outdoors fishing videos on YouTube! He has 70 years of experience in bass fishing.No man or women knows more about the sport of fresh water fishing than this man, especially fishing for the bass!!

[DarkShadow]

For me, the most difficult part of fishing Barrett (at times) is eliminating water, as every inch of this place looks fishy. Eliminating water and finding a pattern is the first things we focus on when our lines hit the water. Unless the fish are busting, we try to use two different baits (usually one bottom contact and one usually a reaction) so that we can isolate the bite. There's no sense in both of us throwing the same bait unless we've dialed down the bite. One of the most obvious baits that is a great search bait is a Senko. It's probably the most versatile bait that an angler can have in their arsenal, and it flat out catches fish. We have isolated patterns by using Senkos, and then going to a bait that can be used multiple times to catch fish, like a jig. Or, we've run and gun throwing spinnerblades across the tree lines to see if the fish were on the chew. And remember that even if you fail, you're still turning odds in your favor by eliminating water and presentations.

We break down Barrett even further by isolating types of cover, whether it be soft cover or hard cover. Within those two categories, you have even more sub categories and within those sub categories, you get locations. In April before the opener, the fish seemed to be hanging near big rocks and boulders, while the dinks were invading the shore. The 3 to 5 pounders I got were all in 15 to 20ish feet of water. It took me about an hour to find this pattern, and it maintained throughout the entire day. The bite was so consistent that I could do milk runs, and could come back to the same areas to find that fish had reloaded. But, there has also been times when the bite is in the soft stuff, either vegetation (mats, grass, etc) or the stickups. Sometimes the fish are in open water, but those fish usually make their presence known which makes it easier to locate them. We try to hit up as much different type of structure as we can, and keep telling ourselves that 1 fish is a fluke, but 2 fish could be a pattern. I know a few times we've tried to force feed the fish a certain bait simply because we got a solitary fish, and have wasted precious time. If you are having trouble finding bites, MOVE! There is no better lake to employ a 'run and gun' type approach early. Also, precise casting can be key sometimes. I know there were times where a bait being placed 2 inches deeper into cover meant the difference between a fish and a skunk.

If we're catching small fish, we fish deeper, or simply move, as it seems fish of the same size hang out together here. While it may be tempting to continue to target the small half a pound to one pound fish simply because it's usually a visible type of situation, we have no problems moving to find better quality of fish.

While I don't think having a snap swivel is the cause of your difficulties, I prefer to not use them. In the same time it takes me to open the snap, I could already have tied a knot. And since I've seen those snaps open up, I prefer not to add another point of potential failure on my setup.

As far as gear? Well, there's a saying that goes, "It's not the wand, it's the magician." And while I do believe that, having a sensitive rod will definitely help when it comes to bottom contact baits. I don't think reels are as important as rods, IMO. I don't use mono or copolymer for bottom contact baits. I will only use mono or copolymer when throwing moving baits, like topwaters, cranks or blades as I prefer the slightly stretchier nature of nylon based lines. But for bottom contact baits, I prefer fluorocarbon, with a preference towards Sunline Shooter. The new Shimano Mastiff line is really good too, and a bit more in my price range as well. I also tend to use just tungsten instead of lead. The amount of sensitivity you get using tungsten is pretty noticeable.

Someone recommended watching the Tactical Bassin guys on YouTube and they do a great job and while the amount of content may be over whelming, focus on what you want to learn and don't get hung up on the more technical stuff that they make break down. The great thing about those guys is that they were originally from California, so they do a good job of not abandoning the finesse game.

Good luck next time you go out!

[otaymichael]

AND THEN.. wait till you add changing barometric pressure, moon phases, wind (or lack thereof), sun, rain and overcastness (is that a word) into the equations!

Basically, bass fishing is not for the faint of heart. Some of us like a challenge- well, most of us. It''s the thrill of victory (landing AT LEAST one per trip seems to be a necessity, a do or die scenario we've put on ourselves, even at Barrett on occasions) Thus I've always got a small gunfish, a Senko or a drop shot ready in case of said 'emergency'. That's usually for our other lakes, more pressured, but at times, mid summer, even Barrett can draw the dreaded SKUNK! (as in, you stink!)

[Gotfish?]

Real simple advice: get a boat for Barrett, put a notice here that you want an experienced fisherman to come with you as a guest, no copay required, just good fishing advice on the water.

Other things: a trolling motor and a depth finder can help a lot.

[Snappy]

Well said on all of the above advice. I took my son in law last Saturday, his 1st trip to Barrett. Not a lot of bass fishing experience. To keep it simple he fished a Spinning outfit and a wacky rigged Senko. I explained it's very important to watch the line because many times they will pick it up and you can't detect the bite. He ended up with good numbers. A very effective and easy way to have a successful day.

[Surferjohn]

If you see bluegill beds you are in the right area.

[MistrRocko]

1. Don't use swivels direct to your baits. Clips are for hard baits that already had a split ring on them, swivels are for carolina rigs and that's about it when it comes to bass fishing.

2. Your gear matters a ton but that doesn't mean you need to spend a ton and it doesn't mean you can't catch plenty with you have already. My combos are all $1,000+ but you certainly don't need to spend that much. I add less than 1 combo to my arsenal every year and fishing is my only hobby that costs money. I've helped friends get into some budget stuff and they've always been super happy with stuff I've guided them towards. You're going to get way more out of a $100-150 Dobyns or 13 Fishing rod than you will the least expensive G Loomis rod. When it comes to reels, I can recommend the Stradic for spinning and Curado for casting which come in around $200 each retail. In the $100 range, the Shimano SLX is really impressive for casting reels. You can get a JDM Stradic for $150 due to exchange rates (2500 or C3000 size are what you want. NOT C2500, that's a smaller frame reel with a bigger spool) so I wouldn't recommend going cheaper. When it comes to rod types, I think most people including myself would recommend medium heavy/fast as a great generic casting rod and medium/fast for spinning. Again, I'd recommend Dobyns or 13 Fishing for their solid budget offerings. They should both have solid options in the 7' to 7'6" range for casting and 6'10" to 7' range for spinning that fit the bill.

While people think it's all about the rod and reel, the line and terminal tackle you go with is really just as important. I personally recommend using a base of 15 or 20lb (I use 15lb) braid on spinning gear and 30lb on casting gear and learning how to tie a leader properly to fluorocarbon, using 8lb for spinning and 12lb for casting as the best general size. Aside from flipping/pitching where the leader will get in the way, this will likely be a life changing fishing experience for you as far as bite detection and improvements in your hookup ratio. It may sound overwhelming at first, but just sitting at home a bit learning to tie the connection knot and you'll get it down quickly. I recommend the John Collins/RP knot. I use whatever the standard Power Pro type is called in bright yellow so it's easier to see when using bottom contact baits. As far as terminal tackle, buy quality hooks like Owner or Gamakatsu always. While lead jigheads are typically just fine, I recommend tungsten bullet weights. Better quality control so they'll never fray your line and along with your rod and line, improved sensitivity.

When it comes to Barrett, a trolling motor also makes a huge difference. Can't really imagine fishing without it.

3 and 4. Practice makes perfect. Whether you're on Barrett or another lake, you're going to learn more being on the water than sitting online or in a chair reading about fishing. And you're going to enjoy it a lot more as well even if the fish aren't biting. If you live near the bay, don't be afraid to go toss some swimbaits for spotties. Bass fishing in San Diego is tough. The bay is a much kinder place for someone just looking to catch a few fish. And it's free. Save some of the egregious boat rental feels for new gear and more Barrett trips

*edit*
Recently found out that the previous model Curado can be found as low as $100 on AliExpress, though the price apparently fluctuates daily (it's the same price as the current model as of this edit). Right now the current model is just under $140 there with current model Stradics coming in at $130-150. At those prices, I really wouldn't recommend any other reels as they are fantastic workhorses at retail, and an absolute steal at such a steep discount.

[Shawnster]

Thank you most sincerely for taking the time out of your day to post these replies and help a newbie out -- greatly appreciated! There is so much fantastic information here that I've read and re-read. I'm going to focus on employing many of my key take aways from these replies right away, so I put together some cliff notes which will help keep me on track. Me the the boys will be there Sunday after Little League so I'll be getting started soon!

Finding Fish

• Fish for the fish you can't see
• If you see Bluegill beds you're in the right area
• Don’t throw long at dead water once you have offered a good sample of baits
• Most difficult thing about Barrett is eliminating water, as in, every inch of this place looks fishy
• First thing to focus on: Eliminating water and finding a pattern -- unless the fish are busting, use two baits to isolate the bite, usually a 1) bottom contact bait, and 2) a reaction bait
• Obvious search baits are Senkos -- versatile and just catches fish
• Isolating types of cover, whether it be soft cover or hard cover. Within those two categories, you have even more sub categories and within those sub categories, you get locations.
• 1 fish is a fluke, but 2 fish could be a pattern: don't try and force feed the fish a certain bait just because you got a solitary fish
• If you are having trouble finding bites, MOVE!

Equipment

• No swivels!
• "It's not the wand, it's the magician"
• Quality line and lures over expensive rods & reels
○ But rods are more important than reels -- sensitive rod will help when it comes to bottom contact baits
• Lines:
○ Fluoro for bottom contact baits
§ Sunline Shooter, Shimano Mastiff
§ Seagards, P-Line
○ Mono or copolymer for moving baits, cranks, topwater
○ Spinning gear: 15lb - 20lb braid to 8lb fluoro
○ Casting gear: 30lb braid to 12lb fluoro
• Knots:
○ John Collins / RP knot for braid to leader
• Rod socks & lure wraps
• Rods:
○ Medium heavy/fast as a great generic casting rod (7' to 7'6")
○ medium/fast for spinning (6'10" to 7')
• Tungsten weights are worth the extra cost (you can feel bites better)
• Buy quality hooks like Owner or Gamakatsu
• Tungsten bullet weights over lead jig heads
• 6in zoom lizards in watermelon, black/blue or this month red lizards
• Black and blue Gary Yamamoto 6in worms is a must
• Sammy walking bait for topwater
• Need a specific set up for frogs

Strategy & Tactics

• Learn from the pros
○ Fish with more experienced fisherpeople
○ Invite a Barrett regular out with you on a trip
○ Guides vs. catching the random suicide fish
○ Tactical Bassin, Bill Dance on YouTube
• It's all about "Size, Color, and Cadence"
• "bass will hang out along the shadows ready to ambush prey if you see a tree follow the tree shadow and throw something in between the light and dark spots"
• If no boilers, then throw plastics
• "if you think you are going slow enough, slow down!" (slow down the retrieve to feel bites)
• Knowing a plastics bite takes tons of time but it will come
• Many bites happen on the sink.
• Don't throw the same bait as your friends unless you've dialed in the bite
• Cranks: Sometimes they bite low and slow. Others burning near the top. Try both until you find a pattern.
Get out of your comfort zone and *really* learn a new technique -- refine over time

[Pond_prowler_619]

You have a nice list there bud... best thing is how excited your kid gets,the smile on your kids face is worth more then anything and memories that will last more then any reel,bait,rod,etc. Few things i HAVE to add .. ps IMO that bottom fish has to be a 8 9 pounder.... super nice chuck you got there


its the magician not the wand? So from what im reading people will have the same hook up ratio as a walmart 20$ catfish set up compare a lews mach set up?wrong....you need a good set up that fits your hands and your throwing patterns. I had a shimano slx set up 7ft MH with the slx reel and i couldn't get the hang of it i would birdnest ever 2 cast the hook up ratio was off compare to a lews and the reel felt to big for me,for me .... so i sold it and got another lews... i feel comfortable picking up a lews dialing it in and fishing any lake ... i dont have the same confidence on the shimano see how it does matter a bit now? Thats one simple factor to take account i also have a abu garcia revo that i use for saltwater only cause again the reel was too big for me i like low profile reels
Im not with spending a ton on set ups but its important to have good COMFORTABLE set up. Go to a sportmans warehouse they have a bunch of reels on display that you can actually pick up and reel and see what worksfor you also they have a ton of rods that you can play with i wouldnt buy a set up there cUse they charge a premiumrate and you can find them a whole lot cheaper once you know what you want ..
as for plastics dont be afriad to buy a pack of something odd eventually you will see what you like and gets hit.lizards hit but like every plastic not always so dont go buying every lizard out there( i did they dont all bite the same) Gary yamamoto are super soft which means only 2 3 cast or 1 fish before it get busted i take them out when i know these a good spot to fish, gary yamamoto roboworm uptons biospawns is moslty all the worms i throw thats what is constantly putting fish on my net. For the NO BOILERS THROW PLASTICS If you deep or in the middle of lake i would still throw a hard bait crankbaits spinner etc. The plastic will never hit the bottom and you will lose a lot of bite on the fall unless you do a wacky rig. I dont really use the size color match technique i use more of the seasons and whether, lake clarity,winds patterns. Right now bass are moving up and are hungry aggressive before the hot summer so i will throw a 10in worm instead of a 3in minnow im sure the minnow will catch a ton of fish more but the 10in worm will catch bigger fish (choose what you want and like) now last weekend i was at el cap shorefishing with a friend he had a 3in minnow and i had a 10in worm he caught 3 and lost 1 mostly 1pounders and i caught 2 3-4 pounders didnt have a scale but size difference was there 10in worm got bigger fish and we where fishing the same spots
inviting a regular is cool but some dudes that it too serious and may ruin your experience so be a little careful who you go with most people are really cool thou, Also the boat fee is a little bit high, look into a 2 person kayak may be cheaper on the long run or a float tube and stick close to shore, what i did when 1st began bass fishing is hit some shallow creeks and throw a trig and watch how the bass react to it you will be surprise how they just look at it and the way you make it dance is if they will strike i can send you some spots in PM dont want to blast my spots
As for tactical bassin watch what is currently loaded or same season dont watch a winter episode in summer its not gonna work the same
Also for the braid to flouro, i do straight flouro or braid for top
I have seen more fish come lose from knots not being tied right then anything so i hate the braid to leader
(Spinning set up maxim 7'2MH with lews mach2 reel )
Spinning i would do 8-10 depending on your set up if it can take 10 put 10 same with casting i do 10 pound flouro for really everything except swimbaits i have 15 or 17 pound test of my swimbait rod (irod swimbait with shimano gt250)and 12pound on my flipping set ups(lews 7'2heavy lews reel) im sure people will call me a fool but im comfortable with it cause i dont backlash as much and i dont lose as many fish but this is where the dialing of the reel is important and not having the drag on full again know your set up and FEEL it out any one can pull a 1 pound bass out of cover with 30 pound braid but pull a 5 pounder out of heavy weeds with 10 pound flouro trust me the practice will make you better and the fight is better, the awesome thing is theres a lot of advise and ways to fish you will soon see what works for you and you have you kid with you best thing ever, my 3 year old daughter ask me recently "when we going fishing dad i want to go fish dad" i bout cried when she said that next year she is going to barrett with me
im not a pro i just have really good luck ...
may have to be my new signature have fun brotha this is a awesome topic too i think everyone who is a regular at barret should diff speak up

[Pond_prowler_619]

Little bit of info on color depth and these are the last 3 episodes i watched good info



Great summer one ... listen to this one first it will explain a lot