Solo Fishing Trip to Diamond Valley Lake [SoCal]

[leeroythecat]

Hi Everyone! This is my first post here and wanted to introduce myself and also collect some advice from folks here. 

 

My fishing background:

 

I fish often in the local SoCal reservoir lakes (Carbon Canyon/Yorba Regional Park). Caught 2 dinks on a Dropshot back in April that got me hooked.

 

Since then, I've gone to Silverwood Lake and Diamond Valley Lake once. Got skunked at both places.

 

Since then, I've gotten a bit more experience just reading and learning more on the internet. It seems that a majority of bass fishing resources on the internet and targeted towards easier Bass lakes in the midwest and not really oriented towards the heavily pressured lakes in SoCal.

 

I'm planning a solo trip to DVL within the next 2 weeks and would love to get some advice on the setups I'm going to bring.

 

My plan is to go on a Wednesday morning and rent one of the "premium bass boats" for myself.

 

I plan to bring 2 spinning rods and 1 casting rod.

 

1. 6'10" Medium Light/Fast (Spinning) Daiwa BG 2000

2. 7'5" Medium/Fast (Spinning) Daiwa BG 3000

3. 7'11" Medium Heavy/Fast (Casting) Shimano Tranx 300

 

In terms of lures, I've bought some pumpkin colored 6" roboworms and 5" purple colored roboworms. 

 

My plan is to fish near the coves around 6-8 AM with a Weightless Texas Rigged Senko (5 3/8") in the shallow areas and then switch to drop-shot 15-20 feet of water as the sun comes up.

 

Since this is my first time drop-shotting in a deep lake like this, what are the things I need to look for? I can barely see the bottom of the lake so I'm not sure what depth I should be drop-shotting in or where I should be trying since the lake is so big.

 

Could I get some additional advice on the above to make sure I don't get skunked again?

 

I did bring some lipless crankbaits + topwater but don't expect to be bitten on those.

 

[Hammer 4]

Call Last Chance Tackle in Hemet, they can tell you what you need to know about DVL..

[camman]

yup talk to the tackle shop now and they should be able to point you in the right direction on whats working.  Its been years since I've fished DVL, but I remember doing decent in the Southwest corner of the lake as well as along the dam dropshotting and tossing a topwater in the morning.

 

 

[WRB]

DVL has 3 dams, the longest is near the marina to the left, the other 2 are at the opposite end to the right. All 3 dam areas are good where the bank contacts the rip rap dam faces. 

Without sonar it may be difficult to locate underwater structure, look for lighter tan color water indicating the bottom anywhere from 5’ to 25’ and keep working your drop shot deeper. 50’ isn’t too deep at DVL!

Dark smoke with lots of silver, gold, black flakes like Iovino DVL Spl and Roboworm standby’s like Oxblood lt red flake, MM111, are good everywhere. 5 to 6 lb line, no larger is critical at DVL for drop shot.

I use your casting outfit to troll deep diving Shad color crankbait or 6” swimbaits. Walking speed for the slower with the swimbait. Trolling helps to find bass and learn the lake faster.

Last Chance Tackleis a good shop with knowledgeable folks.

Tom

 

 

[leeroythecat]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

DVL has 3 dams, the longest is near the marina to the left, the other 2 are at the opposite end to the right. All 3 dam areas are good where the back contacts the rip rap dam faces. 

Without sonar it may be difficult to locate underwater structure, look for lighter tan color water indicating the bottom anywhere from 5’ to 25’ and keep working your drop shot deeper. 50’ isn’t too deep at DVL!

Dark smoke with lots of silver, gold, black flakes like Iovino DVL Spl and Roboworm standby’s like Oxblood lt red flake, MM111, are good everywhere. 5 to 6 lb line, no larger is critical at DVL for drop shot.

I use your casting outfit to troll deep diving Shad color crankbait or 6” swimbaits. Walking speed for the slower with the swimbait. Trolling helps to find bass and learn the lake faster.

Last Chance Tackleis a good shop with knowledgeable folks.

Tom

 

 

5-6lb line? Is that flurocarbon or mono or does it not matter? Thinnest I have is 6lb mono or 8lb fluro...

Also, if I don't have a boat, I'm assuming I would need to rent the "premium bass boat" with the sonar option for trolling right?

How do you recommend I troll? I've never trolled in my life but would love to learn how to.

[WRB]

If the rent boats have a sonar unit then you can locate the depth bass are in and structure elements. 

Trolling is easy you idle speed that the deep diving lure runs good. What I do is let the lure run along side the boat and watch the action, when the speed is right just let out about 100’ of line engage the reel and key the bait move the lure.

With sonar try to stay in about 20’-25’ of water where the lure is of the lure runs about 18’-20’. If it hits bottom move out a few feet. Points require turning out before the boat get their just turn out deeper and return as the lure passes, it may bump bottom just put the engine in neutral and reel in the lure, strike often occur when the lure bumps bottom.

Troll in a S pattern not a straight line the slow curves changes lure speed to induce strikes. When a bass strikes put the engine in neutral and fight the fish. You found fish so fish the area with your drop shot.

You can do this without sonar using the S curve to bump bottom and move back out a little deeper and continue S curving, takes some practice. 

Their is a large hemp or under water island straight out from the marina in the middle of the lake that is good at times.

 

Enjoy your outing.

Tom

PS, if you snag go back and jiggle the lure free from the opposite direction, DVL is mostly rocks.

 

[leeroythecat]

Understood thank you. I will go buy some swim baits to try this out. 

since I’m getting there at 6 am in the morning do I throw topwater first or should I go straight into trolling?

I’m also planning to throw some dark colored Senko toward the shoreline or should I not given that the bass should be relatively deep now 

[WRB]

Fish a few hours before trolling to get the wiggles out as trolling is boring until you find the bass.

Talk to the Last Chance folks to determine depth and colors?

 DVL bass are deep fish outside of the spawn and night.

Fish at the depth the bass are in not where you think they are.

Tom