No Orange County CA Bass Bite??

[cotojoe]

I went to my favorite reservoir today, where I would typically C&R 2-3 bass per 3hr session this summer by t-rigging a worm with a teaser grub bait about 2 ft up from that... but I've been fishing the surf for the last 3 months and have not done freshwater this fall...

The water was very high (maybe from the recent rain runoff)... it flooded out the thick reeds that circle the res in many places... I did not get a bite in 3 hrs!

Do the bass go into deep water this time of year? Any other reasons for no action? :-?

[Bantam1]

They will be in that freshly flooded stuff now I bet. Throw a jig  

[cotojoe]

Thanks Bantam!

What kind of jig would you recommend? An how would you rig it up? I'm using a 5" worm t-rigged weedless now.

Thanks!

Cotojoe

[Bantam1]

Are you fishing the reservoir or the golf course ponds there? They like senkos and top water too. I catch fish on topwater all year long at the ponds and senko fish all year long at both the ponds and reservoir.

If you are fishing where I think you are then go to where the waterfall comes in. There is a lot of structure way out there like cement and big tires. There are a few bruch piles too. Those fish will eat almost any jig you throw because they hardly see them. I would throw something brown or black. Anything dark colored this time of year.  Don't be afraid to throw cranks either.

[cotojoe]

Yup, you know exactly where I'm fishing at the reservior. I usaully go to the right of the waterfall, and work my way down the shore to that little cove area. I've lost alot of terminal tacle on that structure you're referring to!!

I've fished 5" yamasenko worms with never a bite!! Same for a Matzuo Spit and Sputter topwater. And I've tried an X-Rap crank... no love. Maybe my technique stinks with all the above!! :(Suggestions??

I'll try them again, and rig a weedless dark jig. How about dropshoting from the shore?? I've seen that done for halibut surfishing, but haven't tried it yet. :-/

[Bantam1]

This time of year is always tough there for some reason. D-shot does work, but usually they are smaller fish. If the waterfall is off then it can make for a tough bite in that structure. The structure on the dam where the grass meets the asphault can be good too. It drops pretty quick there and fish use it as a staging area. The senko I always used was the 4" Smoke w/ black and silver flake. Fish it weightless T-rig on 8#. Make LONG casts to get out where the fish are holding. The old launch ramp across the water from the waterfall can be good with the jig too.

I would skip the res. and hit the golf course ponds by the other gate on the opposite end of the main gate. Those ponds always bite and year round topwater with poppers. Fish them s-l-o-w and you will catch them. Flip the tules too with plastics.

Its been a while since I have fished there. I know the ponds have some decent fish and the biggest I have caught was at the res. She went 8 1/2 and I caught her on a 12" black Berkley Power Worm. I used 8# fluorocarbon and a nail weight instead of a cone weight. Shake it in that deep grass and watch for the line to jump  

[cotojoe]

Flip the tules too with plastics.

Good suggestions... I'm going to try them... but I'm not sure what you mean by "flip the tules...?"

BTW- my PB bass was from the res also... a little over 23"... maybe about 6lbs. caught on a 8" t-rigged floating worm... i was jigging it accross the bottom and i guess that waving tail was too much for that bass!!!

[Bantam1]

Flip the reeds with plastic baits.

[Philip Chang]

I'm also from Orange County.  Can you tell me where this reservoir is located?  I can only find a few parks with little bass around here.  

[bassripper2000]

Me too, hook me up with some info... I won't blow up the spot...  

[Bantam1]

Its located in a private community. You need to know someone that lives in there to get in. Its not really big fish water most of the time. Lots of 10-14" bass with a few in the 15-18" class. I just fish Lake Mission Viejo now instead.

[bassripper2000]

Sucky

I like MVL..... but you need to know someone there too.... That's y I'm tryin to buy a house there next year and get me a little bass boat.... now we talkin  

[Bantam1]

I am not a member there but we use the lake for field testing at times. We donate products for the kids tournaments and other lake events in exchange for a few of us to fish there. I happen to be the one that manages that list of people that are approved to fish there. It sure is a great bass fishery. The fish in my avatar is from LMV.

[UrbanBassHunter]

I'm in the same situation, gettin tough to find a good bass bite in OC.  However, I noticed that this mostly is dealing with Southern Orange County, anybody have any good spots in North OC?  I'm in the Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, Anaheim area and my buddy and I are gettin a little sick of the small ponds and golf course dinky bass we're gettin.  Any help would be appreciated, and don't stress out, neither one of us will blow the spot up.