New Water Equals Bad Results

Fishing Time:  12-9-2017 and 12-10-2018

Weather: Sunny, calm, T-60s

Moon Phase: 60% Moon

Location:  Lake Murray

Best Bait: Live shiner on a size 2 mosquito hook with a split shot sinker 2 ft above the hook

Who Went: Dunc

I tried a new bait shop this week.  Barnacle Bills Bait shop, ran by none other than Barnacle Bill himself.  I told him I have had success at El Capitan, but was hoping he could point me to some new waters that may produce a trophy bass.  Bill was very nice and even offered to take me out on his boat, but unfortunately our work schedules don’t line up.  He did tell me that I should try Lake Murray and even told me his favorite spot.  With much excitement and anticipation, I bought some live shiners and drove to Lake Murray. 

Lake Murray is a small little reservoir right in the middle of the city with a walking path that surrounds the shoreline.  It’s busy just like everywhere in San Diego, but I found a parking spot and dragged my tube to the closest point near Bills secret hole.  I kicked my way over on my float tube and set up to fish.  After a couple casts I had my first bite and landed a small bass.  I continued to cast to the same area for another hour, but no more bass wanted to play.  I was out of shiners, so I called it a day.

I returned the next day with more advice from Bill and more live shiners.  There were a few boats out and I listened to their complaints about how slow it has been and how the water temps have dropped considerably over the last few weeks.  Apparently, December and January are the toughest bass fishing months in San Diego.  Lucky me. 

I kicked my way back over to Bills spot and fished it for a good 1-2 hours without a bite.  Frustrated, I eves dropped on a couple more boats talking about how many bass they were seeing suspended deep on their fish finders, but were unable to get them to bite.  Knowing I had live shiners in my arsenal versus the plastics the boats were throwing, I got excited again.  Surely if I drop a live shiner on top of these suspended bass they will eat it.  No bass can resist a live shiner stuck right in front of their face.  Well I was wrong.  I spent the entire rest of the day kicking around the deep holes slowly dragging shiners and didn’t get one bite.  It had been a long day and I decided to give up, but kept a minnow close to bottom as I kicked my way back into shore. 

I was literally 50 ft away from shore and about to reel in for the day when it happened.  My first bite of the day, and it was a good one.  I let the fish take some line and then wham! Set the hook.  Line started flying out of my reel and I realized as I set the hook my thumb hit the line release.  I have never done that before and to do it on a potential trophy bass and my only bite of the day was devastating.  The fish was gone and I was stunned.  I made a circle and dropped another minnow to see if I could get another bite, but it wasn’t meant to be.  A frustrating two days on Lake Murray, but I feel that all the other boaters had the same luck.  In two days I didn’t see one boat on Lake Murray land a fish. 

These winter months may be tough, but I will keep trying and maybe get lucky and land the bass of a lifetime.  This was my last outing of the year before I head home for the holidays.  Hopefully the new year will bring better luck in my quest my wall hanger bass!