Castaic Lagoon, CA 01.07 2010 First Attack

[George Cawthorn]

Today I feel really good. Didn't do to good fishing but I did have a great day and it was a great feeling to be back in action for 2010.

As some of you already know, last year I was having some problem with my ankles due to a sprain and possible fractured bone in my left foot.

Last time I went out I had a brace on my left ankle only... I was good for a while but when I got back home my right ankle was pretty sore. So I decided to double up with the ACE braces on both ankles.


I am very glad to report that I was able to hang with it today on the rocks for over five hours with no pain in my ankles due to twisting. If you have a similar problem I suggest you try these out. You can get them at just about any major pharmacy.


When I arrived at the lake today I went over to the main office to get my yearly pass. $125, same as two years ago so that is a real bargain. Looks like I was the 29th person to buy one this year!!!


While I was over at the office on the west side of the Lagoon I noticed a fine bigger than life size carved wood statue outside on the lawn that I had never seen before.


This basically says it all about why we love to fish here.

Got down to the shore of the Lagoon around 9:00 am. Conditions were calm with a very slight breeze coming from the SW. It was a little chilly. Air temp was 58, water was 48.


I was figuring it was gonna be tough with the water at 48. I decided it was gonna be a slow approach for me with the old favorites for large bass.

Water was very clear today. I could see at least 30 feet.


I hung with two of my all time favorites for a long time. Ika and Senko T-rigged weightless. I had the Senko going on spinning gear with ten pound P-line mono and the Ika going on ten pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon.


Also got into some Roboworms and Rattlesnake curly tails on the C-rig.

By noon it had warmed up a bit. Actually got to 78 and I stripped off a top T-shirt and a thermal and got down to one short-sleeve T.

But wouldn't ya know, just minutes after I did that the wind changed sharply coming from the NW over the dam. The water began to get choppy and the air temp dropped 18 degrees in about five minutes.

Wind got up to about twenty and I had the thermal and top T on again in short order.

I was trying out a new toy today. I got some samples of the "Salamander Sinker" and I was giving them a spin on the C-rig.


When I first got these out of the package I couldn't understand exactly what was so special about them. But after fishing with it for a while the strong points of this little jewel became quite clear to me.

Basically it is a flexible plastic tube that you can put one or two weights in. The end toward the leader is sealed and the end toward the main line is capped so a weight can be inserted or removed and then re capped.

The line slides through the tube. When you get near an obstruction the pressure on the line bends the tube creating a spring which when the pressure on the line is released pushes the main line end of the tube away from the obstruction and over it.


Very smart idea and well designed. I fished with this rig for over three hours in some pretty rocky spots and didn't get snagged once.

Obviously there are some well schooled engineers who like to go bass fishing.
Necessity is the mother of invention and simplicity is the mark of genius, the Salamander Sinker is both.

If you are a C-rig fan you should check these out. I was using the smaller size.

Didn't get any bites today, didn't see anyone else score either while I was there. Saw no fish or signs of life in the water.

Did have a great day and I was good to be back at it. When I left a about 2:00 it was still breezy from the NW. Water was still 48 air temp was 62.


I will back at it again soon as I get a chance.

Good fishing to you guys, later................

[Fire Ball]

Hey Geobass, I was at the Lagoon today with Robo Bass! adriiiian was also at the Goon today! The fishing was absolutely TERRIBLE. I got nothing and I stayed from 7 am to 7 pm... adriiiian said that the bluegill showed up about 20 minutes after I left and I was targeting them for an easy way to beat the skunk for the last hour, but it didn't work! I might end up writing a report about it tomorrow. Today was the WORST day of fishing I have had in months. I was going to go to the upper lake tomorrow, but the wind is just going to be too bad so I will probably go on Sunday.

I need to get those Salamander Sinkers, but I didn't really lose anything with the Carolina rig. It was all lures and drop shot stuff!!! I lost more today than I have in the last 3 months...

[heylucky]

Hey! it looks like they put some water back in the lagoon >/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" /> Just to make you guys feel a lil better... I had to stop fishing here in Texas yesterday Due to the fact that my eyelets would freeze over every cast and stop my line! its a little warmer today.. I think its 5 degrees.

[swimbait101]

it looks like a nice day except no fish.
it looks like only a couple people where there.

that statue has been there for a long time....

[George Cawthorn]

Weather was great... fishing was a bust. But most importantly I've got some of my confidence back.

Fire Ball, you may not believe this but once I was going on 13 zeros in a row. Then I ended it with the biggest bass of my life. You have to hang with the Lagoon.

It is a very difficult place to fish for everyone. Some just can't stand the inconsistent nature of that lake. Things change so fast there. The fish get freaked out by all the wild swings.

Temperatures, wind, water level, trout stocked or not, chemical treatments, it goes on and on.

[Fire Ball]

Originally Posted By: geobassWeather was great... fishing was a bust. But most importantly I've got some of my confidence back.

Fire Ball, you may not believe this but once I was going on 13 zeros in a row. Then I ended it with the biggest bass of my life. You have to hang with the Lagoon.

It is a very difficult place to fish for everyone. Some just can't stand the inconsistent nature of that lake. Things change so fast there. The fish get freaked out by all the wild swings.

Temperatures, wind, water level, trout stocked or not, chemical treatments, it goes on and on.
I really like the lake and fishing it, but winter is just killing me! I am not going to shore fish for the remainder of the winter at the Lagoon. I am going to take my tube out from now on, that way I can access all the deep water. The bass are all deep, acting sluggish, and changing where they are hanging out every few days. It is difficult, but with some electronic, it would be easier, but still hard right now. The weather was actually too hot for me! I started to sweat while I was on the pier, unprotected from the sun.