jdubs

Thanks for all of this local advice! This is great to know. I've been definitely wondering how it's possible that SD claims to have world-class sized fish, and yet it's so difficult to catch even a small one. Now I get it! I'll give this set of advice (and maybe both the Senko and drop-shot recommendations given by others) a go. As for Barrett, the cost and moreso the fact that she can't cook anything we catch makes it a tough sell, but I'm definitely going to give it a go to get some practice. Do you have any tips on getting barbless hooks on the precious lures I've just sunk $100+ into? Is it an easy process? Thanks again!

Thanks for the words of encouragement. That's a lot of perseverance... I'll check out the rest of this site. This was actually my first time to this site. A few quick questions for you... 1. If they're shallower/deeper, does that mean I need different lures (e.g. use my "deep" diver rather than my "medium" diver) or in the case of some of these, like the spoons and spinners, is it just my retrieve technique that I would adjust (e.g. let it sink further, retrieve slower, etc.) 2. As a beginner, is my time better spent staying in one place and trying the different depths/lures, or testing many locations? Dealing with an outboard motor, two clumsy anchors, and the wind made it a lot of trouble to keep relocating in search of the fish (while the pros strolled by with their trolling motors).

Hi all, I'm a newbie to freshwater gamefishing (have caught some panfish in the ocean) and would love to have some advice on what I'm doing wrong. I would LOVE to catch my first bass. I've spent $200 on gear and still haven't gotten so much as a nibble in 3 trips out. My gear: 2 Shimano spinning reels, 6 or 8-lb test 1 Ugly Stik rod, 1 Shakespeare graphite telescoping rod, medium action Plastic worm, assorted crankbaits, spinnerbaits (see below) as recommended in this great book that I bought and read: http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Freshwater-Fishing-Step---Step/dp/0811722260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307228298&sr=8-1 My trip today: El Capitan Reservoir in San Diego, supposedly the best bass fishing here Went out at 11am (not the best, I know) in a rental boat and fished in 4-5 locations near shore 5-6 other boats (mostly people in their own fishing boats) 69 degree water; 447 bass caught last week by 69 anglers I discovered afterward that they had an algae bloom in the last few days. Visibility was probably about 1 foot Not a single bite What I tried: Rapala Original Floating Lure (small) Dardevle brass spoon Mepps Plain Aglia Spinner (Size 2) Mann's Hank parker "The Classic" Spinnerbait (1/4 oz) Cabela's RealImage HDS Grave digger (medium depth) Arbogast Hula Popper surface lure SPRO Dean Rojas Bronzeye Frog I cast relatively close to shore, with my boat in about 8-10 feet of water. I tried steady slow retrieve, quick jerks, side to side, etc. Not a thing. Any tips from a pro would be much appreciated by this frustrated beginner!