Otay has been business as usual for my brother and I. Flyline plastics along the tile line and for me - flippin deeper in the tules has been getting some better quality bites. No frog bites yet but I’m gonna keep chuckin the frog early, those bites are coming. Lost an 8+ deep in the tules back on 6/16, made a good flip to a spot, hit the bottom and on the first pop I felt the hit, reeled up and made the home run hookset. Fish wrapped me up good - could see her thrashing around back in the tules and I was pushing back into the tules trying to get to her. Her mouth looked 9” across. Definitely the biggest bass I have ever knowingly had on the end of my line. I kept pressure on as I made my way back through the tules and then I felt a pop and the headshake stopped. I retrieved a bent out hook. Hook I had tied on was thicker than a standard wire hook but when I compared, it wasn’t a “flippin” extra heavy wire hook. Not sure how I had the tied on when I have the correct ones, but a tough lesson to learn. The rush of getting a giant fish on the line and the heartbreak of losing her.. but I know where she lives now and I’m going back to find her lol. With the right hook this time.
Cap is starting to pick up and the quality of fish up shallow is back to where it was before the spawn. Seen a lot of 2-3.5lb fish in the afternoons, almost all on plastics. Haven’t done a morning out there in awhile cause there’s a damn tournament every freaking Saturday down there it seems like. Evenings early in the week have been fun down there. Back on 6/17 I lost a 6+ pounder at the bank… was using 7# leader, fishing around rocks and my line was getting beat up. Tried to get her up to the bank to grab her and she made one last headshake and broke off..
Hodges was a blast this past Saturday. Only fished till 10 cause the heat got nasty fast once the cloud cover burned off. Very warm water. No reaction bite to speak of in the areas I fished - but the old reliable for Hodges - the jig was on the menu. Also had some success with a Sleeper Craw. Hodges is one of my favorite lakes. I feel confident I can go out there and power fish and get bit - to the extent I don’t even bring spinning gear with me. I don’t even know about bottom contour at that lake yet, I’ve been just targeting shallow cover and it has yet to let me down. I feel like the potential for a big big catch exists at that lake once I get myself more familiar with what’s on the bottom.
The big ones lost in back to back trips… it sucks but the silver lining is, those bites are happening for me. The next bite could be another opportunity to land one.
Anyway - a few pics. Tight Lines y’all.
Thanks as always for the 411. Man that lost fish had to hurt but you do know where she and her brothers and sisters live. I love having just the right amount of water into the tules to get a flip bite. Between Hodges (old water levels) and Otay, not many SD lakes better for flippin!
