San Diego River Bass Fishing

[SD_BaSsAsSiN]

I have been looking into fishing on the San Diego river and several of the lakes it attaches.  I live in east county(Santee) and the San Diego River goes right through town and there are small little ponds that are connected by it.  I looked all over the net for some info on fishing on the river or one of these little ponds but I could not find any information.  I did find a report from someone claiming they catch bass at Hazard Point in Mission Valley but this was back in 05.  My question is, are there fish in the San Diego River and can I just fish there(with a fishing license of course) or is it like every other body of freshwater in this county and I have to pay to fish on it?

[Hammer 4]

Check your PM's re: SD rivers..

[Matt Fly]

I fished the RCP pits there in Santee for about 10 yrs.  Which is the San Diego river.

The ones near  Los Colinas womens prison.  Back then, I could 4 wheel back to them.   We would back up to an opening of the bullrushes and turn the lights out on the water at night.

      I have caught 7 crappie over 3lbs, 6 of them came from those deep pits.   Minnows in 94 were about 6.00 bucks for a dozen crappie minnows.   The alternate plan for some was to go buy feeder goldfish for a nickle a piece back then.

        We took crappie steady for years, very above average size.

Those are some very deep holes, or was.

They later pushed rocks, boulders to block access to vehicles.     Float tubing was the best way to fish for bass, back then, it was 75% surrounded by bullrushes.    Two guys could carry a lite boat and bank launch.

,

 Everything worked at times.   Topwaters parallel the bullrushes, jigs in the tulles, cranks, frogs.       The lights really made night fishing for crappie great, 5ft under a cork, 10-20 ft off the bank.   We'd get a solid mess most of the time.  

           I left San Diego in late 94, Navy.    

I loved San Diego fishing.    Caught tons of trout during the winter at Santee Lakes.    Theres some big bass in those tiny lakes.    

My daughter caught many a trout there.   Lots of memories.

hookem