Socal In January

[tbone1993]

Hey guys I'm taking a trip to so-cal in january and was wondering what I should bring with me. The air temps look like they could be from 60-40 and I have no idea what the water temps look like.  How do you guys go about fishing in the "winter". In the midwest Im either throwing deep football jigs, jerkbaits, spoons, etc etc. Is there anything I should pack ahead of time? I dont want to bring my jerkbait rod if the fish will be biting jigs and soft plastics. I'll be around santa ana. 

 

[fisherrw]

id be throwing squarbill cranks and gitzits and mabey a dropshot or 2.

[tbone1993]

id be throwing squarbill cranks and gitzits and mabey a dropshot or 2.

tubes and shallow cranks? 

[RSM789]

...I'll be around santa ana. 

The only public lake bigger than an urban pond around Santa Ana is Irvine lake & with the drought, it has sunk to pond size. 

 

Expect water temp to be mid 50's or higher in most Orange County waters in January.  With a couple of sunny days in a row, the fish will go shallow and chase reaction baits.  Otherwise, typical winter baits (jigs, dropshots, etc) will most likely be the formula.

 

I couldn't recommend anything specific without knowing what lake (or lakes) you are planning to hit.  As for Santa Ana, don't eat anything offered from a street vendor and avoid using the term "pendejo" in public.

[nickyfins]

You should call over to the fly shop there in town.  I am a lure and gear guy myself but I fish with Matt Austin when he comes over to missouri and he is a beast with the fancy gear.  If there is one place that is always in the know for the conditions I think its that crew out there.  There is also another good geat shop in Point Loma but I cant recall the name.

[WRB]

Anglers Marine is a good source of bass fishing information for Orange County bass lakes.

Irvine lake is a good distination for shore anglers and they have boat rentals.

January is the start of pre spawn in SoCal, some good bass should be available....if you are willing to drive a few hours to lakes like DVL, the San Diego area lakes or north to Castaic or Casitas.

Our lakes are different to anything you know and they are at very low pool due to drought.

Jerk baits in shad colors can be good, finesse soft plastics are always a good choiceand swimbaits are good.

Tom

[tbone1993]

Anglers Marine is a good source of bass fishing information for Orange County bass lakes.

Irvine lake is a good distination for shore anglers and they have boat rentals.

January is the start of pre spawn in SoCal, some good bass should be available....if you are willing to drive a few hours to lakes like DVL, the San Diego area lakes or north to Castaic or Casitas.

Our lakes are different to anything you know and they are at very low pool due to drought.

Jerk baits in shad colors can be good, finesse soft plastics are always a good choiceand swimbaits are good.

Tom

Its not really designed to be a fishing trip so im not going to go very far. At most 15-20min weather permitting.  

[WRB]

Irvine lake is the closest to where you will be, unless you want to catch big trout at SAR Santa Anna River lakes. My suggestion is visit or call Anglers Marine in Anaheim and pick up some SoCal lures and chat with the folks.

Tom

[tbone1993]

Irvine lake is the closest to where you will be, unless you want to catch big trout at SAR Santa Anna River lakes. My suggestion is visit or call Anglers Marine in Anaheim and pick up some SoCal lures and chat with the folks.

Tom

I might hit up irvine if its worth it. if the ponds i am fishing are good ill scrap my idea. Im only brining a 7ftm spinning, 7ft m cranking and 7ft mh rod. 

Bring jigs, shakey head , crankbaits and a few swimbaits ( small huds and small line throughs) .  Not bringing my dobyns rods...  Tom nice to meet you,,, im tom myself 

[tbone1993]

Irvine lake is the closest to where you will be, unless you want to catch big trout at SAR Santa Anna River lakes. My suggestion is visit or call Anglers Marine in Anaheim and pick up some SoCal lures and chat with the folks.

Tom

For $25 a day it better come with an 8lber on the end of my line...

[Slade House]

tubes and shallow cranks? 

NO

[Slade House]

On 12/19/2014 at 1:47 AM, tbone1993 said:

I might hit up irvine if its worth it. if the ponds i am fishing are good ill scrap my idea. Im only brining a 7ftm spinning, 7ft m cranking and 7ft mh rod. 

Bring jigs, shakey head , crankbaits and a few swimbaits ( small huds and small line throughs) .  Not bringing my dobyns rods...  Tom nice to meet you,,, im tom myself 

Lakes are deep out here, and usually clear. bring your spoons if youre going to be on a boat.  if you're near santa ana, check out Laguna Niguel Lake, i'd go there over irvine lake.  boat rentals are cheap there too, and they're planting trout on regular basis.   remember that unlike back east chartreuse doesn't work out in california.  crankbaits colors should be translucent  and if i were you, i'd have a drop shot rod (no more than 10 inches between weight and hook), a Texas rig/ shakey head (tungsten is good to have), and a swimbait rod / jerkbait /spoon rod.   also , you need to use 12lb or less flurocarbon on your casting reels and a 8lb or less flurocarbon leader on your dropshot spinning rod with an alberto knot.  as for colors for soft plastics.  green pumpkins, watermelons, black and blues.  also senkos are huge out here (though i refuse to use them).  

[WRB]

Note; Laguna Niguel may have been devastated by yellow algae, check before going there.

Irvine is also a pay to play lake, need to check the fees and non-res licenses cost.

Trip to Anglers is free and Rick or Kyle Glover will treat you good.

Tom

[tbone1993]

Yeah Im keeping this low key. Crankbait rod , jig rod, and a simple spinning rod. If I cant catch  anything on those then the fishing must suck. Thanks for the tips guys. 

[tbone1993]

Lakes are deep out here, and usually clear. bring your spoons if youre going to be on a boat. i HIGHLY RECOMMEND downloading the app "fishbrain" for your iphone or smartphone. its the best toool to use to find fishing spots around you.  if you're near santa ana, check out Laguna Niguel Lake, i'd go there over irvine lake.  boat rentals are cheap there too, and they're planting trout on regular basis.  whatever lake you decide to use do yourself a favor and go over to the won bass forums and search the name of the lake in the forum search bar.  usually you can find some good tips there.  remember that unlike back east chartreuse doesn't work out in california.  crankbaits colors should be translucent  and if i were you, i'd have a drop shot rod (no more than 10 inches between weight and hook), a Texas rig/ shakey head (tungsten is good to have), and a swimbait rod / jerkbait /spoon rod.   also , you need to use 12lb or less flurocarbon on your casting reels and a 8lb or less flurocarbon leader on your dropshot spinning rod with an alberto knot.  as for colors for soft plastics.  green pumpkins, watermelons, black and blues.  also senkos are huge out here (though i refuse to use them).  

 

Didn't know that 

[SDbassin]

I was at Dixon today (north san diego/ escondido)for 12 hours and didn't even get or bite, and did not see any bass at all off the bank. I think they were just deep and i couldn't get to them off the bank. They stocked Dixon lake today with Nebraska tailwalkers and the next one is in a couple of weeks. I was throwing swimbaits, jigs, Carolina rig, weightless senkos, squarebills, swimjigs and rattletraps (junk fishing but somehow forgot my spinning rods for finessing) and hit all my "usual" spots that have produced in the past from the bank during this time off year, and didn't even get one bite, it could have been different if i would have brought my drop shot and shakey head rod. I was obviously way off today. The hydrilla and milfoil was all dead or mostly dying, so Im not sure if that had anything to do with my mistake luck today, and apparently no one reported catching bass today according to the park ranger i talked too, which is a surprise because Dixon usually produces big bass, and a decent lot of them for such a small lake, especially with the trout stocking that's going on right now . Diamond valley (temecula/ hemet) is my probably one of the best fisheries in socal, but drop shot and finesse is the key in the lakes I fish in socal. At Dixon I could see very clearly down to 25-30 feet, most of the lakes here are really clear, so sometimes finessing is the only way to catch them (at Diamond valley this summer, my cousin had a drop shot on 6 pound line, not bites, but I was getting bites on 4 lb, which I almost never go down that light, and we were both using the same worm). Just think translucent colors, most times only translucent baits will catch the fish, finesse and light line would be your best bet because the water can be extremely clear in socal

[SDbassin]

 As for Santa Ana, don't eat anything offered from a street vendor and avoid using the term "pendejo" in public.

ain't that the truth lol. used to live in Tustin and hated going into santa ana, it's Tijuana in the states

[gulfcaptain]

Shot me a PM if you want the down low on the city park lakes around there.  There's a few good ones that are close, but can be tough.  Right now all of them have water temps in the high 50's or right at 60.  Fish right now are schooled up and pushing bluegill up on the banks or shad in the lakes/ponds that have them.  And ofcourse that will all go to crap the min they stock trout for atleast a week until they are hungry after eating a few of them right after stocking.