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How we miss this?

Your home lake Vinny!

https://wonews.com/double-digit-largemo ... ke-murray/

BY MIKE STEVENS

LA MESA— Winter fishing at Lake Murray was uncharacteristically sluggish, but things picked up on the bass scene a couple weeks ago when respectable numbers of 2- to 4-pound largemouth started biting in shallower, 62-degree water. Most of those biters powering the resurgence were in 10 to 15 feet of water, and the upgraded fishing was highlighted by news of a 7-pound, 12-ounce largemouth caught on a 4-inch slug on a leadhead. The fishing only got better since then, and as it turns out, that fish won’t even stand as the big bass of March out of Murray.

The activity at Murray was enough to draw San Diego-area guide Andre Casey (AndreCaseyFishing.com) away from his usual haunts with Murad “Hottrodd” Walker, and the change of venue paid off in the form of a double-digit largemouth.
“We started the day around 10 a.m. to look for suspended fish on bait out deep,” Casey told Western Outdoor News. “After about an hour of not seeing many active fish, I decided to to move up to points to locate potential staging fish. I could see a lot of fish moving around in shallower water which gave me the idea to fish a finesse approach with a drop-shot and Neko. We began to notice a lot of fish staging in 8 to 20 feet, so this was the zone we focused on.”


Casey said he kept an eye on his Lowrance Active Target to kept spotting a hump with a big fish marking near the top of the hump, but it was very tight to the bottom making it hard to keep a read on.


“I mentioned to my partner that this was a potential bed because of how stationary these fish seemed to be holding onto this specific area,” said Casey. “I threw in a drop-shot and landed right on the spot. This quickly resulted in a small fish that I put in the well as I did not want to release just yet to not disturb the big one which i was still marking. It was such a big mark on the screen.”
Casey made another pitch on the spot and was bit as soon as the bait hit bottom, and the tiny size 4 Neko hook quickly bent, and the fish came unbuttoned. He was fishing 7-pound fluoro, so he had Walker work the spot with a 7-inch worm drop-shotted on 10-pound mono with a 2/0 hook while Casey re-rigged.

“The moment I stood up after retying, he says ‘I got her!’ and the battle was intense,” said Casey. “It was fast, and what was maybe 45 seconds felt like 2 minutes. When she initially broke the surface, we both thought ‘easy 15 pounds.’ The mouth and head were enormous! She dove down so aggressively after that jump and ripped a perfectly set drag down about 10 feet. The next time she came up to jump I was able to put the net under her. Both of our jaws on the floor, hardest hugs we ever gave anyone. She was 12.3 pounds on the scale.”
That is a Big Ass Bass! Congrats are in order!

Wow!! Well done. Murray might be a parking lot for a while though (pulling up the Navionics as we speak)

Sweet!
My last 7 or 8 bass I have caught there may have totaled 12 pounds....ha ha
I heard about it a few weeks back...but it is always nice to see a big one caught.
Probably got fattened up with all the trout they have been stocking.

Does anyone happen to know how busy it is at Murray both during the week and on weekends now that this beast was caught?

A rare catch in SD these day. Super stoked to see this!! The male is a stud for sure to attract her=)

RickM wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:02 pm Does anyone happen to know how busy it is at Murray both during the week and on weekends now that this beast was caught?

I stop by the lake all the time just to look around and talk to guys I know and other fishermen and no big crowds at all.
The busiest it gets is only the weekend which is kind of normal for most lakes. One day last week 3 to 4 boats only and this morning I saw only a couple boats on the water. No frenzy at all.

That’s great to hear, thanks for the update!

JIMBO must have a dozen plus double digits this year already

Andre is a good buddy of mine. Was stoked to see that fish caught off his boat. In the same spot my grandpa’s 1972 state record 17-14 was caught in too.

Cool pics!!

Too bad we don't have City Officials that don't have any pride any more=(

In 1959, the California Department of Fish and Game joined forces with the Florida Fish and Wildlife to transport and release 20,000 Florida bass fingerlings into San Diego’s Upper Otay reservoir. Upper Otay would act as the brood pond for the Floridas which would then be transplanted into area lakes. The Floridas were chosen because they exhibited a growth rate almost twice as fast as their northern brethren and City Parks officials wanted a fish that would offer a sustainable population for its patrons.

Hence..... Larry Bottroff

As Vinny can attest I fish Murray from my float tube an average of 4 days per week. I regularly pull in good numbers of bass, with the occasional scattered 6 pounder plus. The numbers of fishermen on the lake varies from negligible to quite a few on weekends. Lots of shore guys showing up recently.

As of yesterday there are definitely a few on beds. All I have on my tube is an old Garmin Striker 4, but that said I have noted a lot of fish staging, and as Vinny said, I've seen a bunch of larger fish chasing the recently stocked trout.

Dannicus wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 3:21 am As Vinny can attest I fish Murray from my float tube an average of 4 days per week. I regularly pull in good numbers of bass, with the occasional scattered 6 pounder plus. The numbers of fishermen on the lake varies from negligible to quite a few on weekends. Lots of shore guys showing up recently.

As well of yesterday there are definitely a few on beds. All I have on my tube is an old Garmin Striker 4, but that said I have noted a lot of fish staging, and as Vinny said, I've seen a bunch of larger fish chasing the recently stocked trout.

My brother and I just got all our tube gear and will be out there soon! We’re thinking of doing Murray first just because it’s smaller and typically not as windy.

Dannicus wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 3:21 am As Vinny can attest I fish Murray from my float tube an average of 4 days per week. I regularly pull in good numbers of bass, with the occasional scattered 6 pounder plus. The numbers of fishermen on the lake varies from negligible to quite a few on weekends. Lots of shore guys showing up recently.

As well of yesterday there are definitely a few on beds. All I have on my tube is an old Garmin Striker 4, but that said I have noted a lot of fish staging, and as Vinny said, I've seen a bunch of larger fish chasing the recently stocked trout.

A shout out to @Dannicus as he not only has been catching numbers of bass at Murray, but is one of the most humble guys I have had the pleasure to talk to several times at the lake. He has done his homework and has found patterns to catch bass even through the tough times(and there has been plenty of them.). It is funny because there is no secret spot as I have seen him catch bass at lots of different spots at the lake. I cannot buy a bass over 2 1/2lbs so far this year there and it would be fun to follow him around in my boat but guys who crowd other fishermen trying to fish is not cool.
Anyway....hopefully the warmer weather will get some of those big gals to start gobbling up the baits soon.
Tight lines to you buddy.

VinnyBass wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 2:39 pm

Dannicus wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 3:21 am As Vinny can attest I fish Murray from my float tube an average of 4 days per week. I regularly pull in good numbers of bass, with the occasional scattered 6 pounder plus. The numbers of fishermen on the lake varies from negligible to quite a few on weekends. Lots of shore guys showing up recently.

As well of yesterday there are definitely a few on beds. All I have on my tube is an old Garmin Striker 4, but that said I have noted a lot of fish staging, and as Vinny said, I've seen a bunch of larger fish chasing the recently stocked trout.

A shout out to @Dannicus as he not only has been catching numbers of bass at Murray, but is one of the most humble guys I have had the pleasure to talk to several times at the lake. He has done his homework and has found patterns the catch bass even through the tough times(and there has been plenty of them.). It is funny because there is no secret spot as I have seen him catch bass at lots of different spots at the lake. I cannot buy a bass over 2 1/2lbs so far this year there and it would be fun to follow him around in my boat but guys who crowd other fishermen trying to fish is not cool.
Anyway....hopefully the warmer weather will get some of those big gals to start gobbling up the baits soon.
Tight lines to you buddy.

Haha Vinny you can fish next to me anytime brother you know that. Doesn't bother me in the least and I enjoy the conversations.