Fall water temp for active bass?

[bagofdonuts]

My experience has been that the fishing gets tough with the first cold front then warm up. Right now its real tough down here. Only taking 9lbs to win latest weekly ark river tournaments.

 Takes at least two good strong cold fronts to get the shad moving.

[WRB]

Take a look at my The Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar, it's on this site.

Fall for me is when the water temps drop between 68 to 58 degrees in deep structured lakes like Rail Road Canyon lake where the OP fishes.

Tom

[OCdockskipper]

James, no worries, I have the answers for you.  I dug up my fish tag logs that I used on Canyon Lake in 1978 & 1979 and will give you the answers as to how to catch those Canyon Lake largemouth during September & October:

 

1978 - During September, a majority of the bass my sister and I caught & tagged hit crankbaits off the main lake points of the larger coves.  The best producers were a Bagleys Killer B II and a Rebel Humpback, you may have to do some antiquing to find these models nowadays.  As the month progressed and turned to October, most of our fish came further back in the coves, a few on topwater lures (Jitterbug & Hula Poppers) as well as on crankbaits.  Did I mention that as a teenager, I threw crankbaits 90% of the time?

 

1979 - Earlier in the summer, I got a job working at a McDonalds.  As September rolled around, I met a cute brunette who I dated for 7 years and then married in 1986 (we just celebrated our 31st anniversary a couple of months ago).  Therefore, I didn't do any fishing in September and my sister, who was never good at documenting anything, didn't make any notes about the fish she caught.  Sorry...

 

 

I'm sure you can slay them now with this near 40 year old information...

[everythingthatswims]

Give me 55-48 degrees and something with 5 arms and some blades

[JustJames]

Thx @OCdockskipperthat info is very helpful since I don't throw crankbait at all?. I took my boat to mainlake a few times, tried the light house and main crossway only caught a few fish here and there. Most of the spot are in 15-20' deep which also my weakness. I might have to spend more time cruising around to look for any bottom structure. I found that big bass still scattering around while dinks take over shallow area, especially in north ski lake.

[68camaro]

Very nice fish, what did it hit?  I am in Richmond area and yesterday was last time out on Woodlake Res., caught a 2.2lb'er trolling in kayak but nothing else from 2 - 6 pm.

 

Water temp in lake was 77/78*, blue sky. I stay away from fishing these hours due to lackof productivity but sometimes it's all I get. Even pounding shore line I only got one bite that broke off hook/senko, but nothing else.

[burrows]

On 9/17/2017 at 7:37 PM, JustJames said:

What water temperature when you start seeing active bass for fall season? 

Now. Lol

[WRB]

I fished Canyon lake before it became a private lake in 1990. Back in the late 60's it was called Railroad Canyon lake and was opened to the public with a boat rentals.

Canyon lake was and still is an excellent northern strain largemouth bass fishery. I am not sure what the current water level is? Being a private lake it doesn't get a lot of fishing pressure from the locals, a few club tournaments are held there. The bass aren't pressured and react to a wide variety of lures with soft plastics being popular.

When I get a chance to fish Canyon lake my 1st choice are jigs, the locals don't fish them often preferring finesse presentations.

Tom

PS, Zoner Hunter phantom craw is working now!

[JustJames]

Thanks a lot for those insider info @WRB. I was searching before if my lake stock with Florida strain or Northern strain. You are right about plastic since most of the big bass here have been caught on either Senko and Texas rig creature. I'm, on the other hand, ever since started fishing Fluke, Jerkbait and chatterbait, I lost my confident of all bottom contact plastic and can't slow myself down enough. I do plan to fish more of plastic either taxas rig or wacky rig next time around.

[Johnbt]

"what did it hit?"

 

Chartreuse spinnerbait with colorado blades and a 4" chartreuse grub trailer. It took off running almost like a pickerel and tried to swim around the boat. My buddy weighs 200 pounds and was fishing a good MH rod and he had his hands full.

[OCdockskipper]

5 hours ago, WRB said:

I fished Canyon lake before it became a private lake in 1990. Back in the late 60's it was called Railroad Canyon lake and was opened to the public with a boat rentals...

 

Just for accuracy, Canyon Lake became a private lake back in 1968, that is when the Corona Land Company started selling lots.  You could go there for the day if you took a tour of available lots, but they stopped being open to the general public.  In 1990, Canyon Lake incorporated as a city.  By that time, all of the lots had been sold and the area was over 95% built out.

[WRB]

I used to fish Railroad Canyon lake in the late 60's and early 70's, the public could still luanch boats and fish the lake. I don't recall when the lake became private, you say '68 but they were still selling lots in the early 70's and I thought about buying there, instead bought a lot at lake Sherwood. 

I was was a member of the Pieces bass club and commuting to San Diego to fish the city lakes in '69-'70 and gave it a lot of thought moving halfway inbetween, Railroad Canyon was on my radar.

The development in that area the past few years is amazing.

Tom

 

 

[JustJames]

56 minutes ago, Salamander12 said:

I recognize that jerkbait

That why I told you I only want that jerkbait. So far bass hit the shad more than crappies one tho, too bad I lost that one.

[OCdockskipper]

23 hours ago, WRB said:

... they were still selling lots in the early 70's and I thought about buying there...The development in that area the past few years is amazing.

 

It was private when they started selling lots, but in the early days, enforcement of keeping people out was often given a backseat to giving potential buyers a look into the community.  Potential was defined as the ability to fog a mirror...

 

My parents first took a look during the summer of 1970.  At that time, they would let you stay at the campgrounds for a day or two as long as you spent some time in the grasp of a salesperson.  So while my parents were looking at lots, my sister & I fished from the bank at the campground.  She caught a 4 lb carp & I caught a 5 lb catfish, the biggest fish we had ever caught up to that time.  We begged our parents to buy there .

 

They ended up buying a lot & then building a house that was complete in 1974.  At that time, only about 25% of the waterfront lots had homes (although most had docks).  That number now is about 99%.  Back then, even during the summer, it seemed like we had the lake to ourselves during the week.  You are so right about the amount of development there, both inside the gates as well as the surrounding area.

 

Out of curiosity, did you know any members of the bass club The AmBassadeurs?  A few of their members lived on their lake, I was the typical kid always talking with them, hoping to get a chance to fish with them on their real bassboats (I had a 14 foot Sears Gamefisher).

[WRB]

I know George Kramer, don't recall what bass club he belonged to back then, may have been Saddleback? A work college did buy a lake front lot and his kids grew up fishing the lake, you might know them the Chadbourns. Couple of retired friends live on the lake now, so I can fish the lake but haven't for a few years now.

I was visiting freinds in Temecula last weekend and the traffic and number of homes has grown tremendously.

Way off topic.

Tom