I have seen a few posts of a few of you guys fishing swimbaits at this lake.What brand (big hammer/fishtrap)what size and color and size of lead .Any help would be great.
Thanks Brian
P.S Not a tournament fisherman!

Hey Blu!

I have thrown 8 inch Big Hammers (Rainbow Trout) on 3/4oz Fishco with little success. (Just one follower)

I saw a post not too long ago from a guy who was tossing Chartruese Hammer's and getting some good smallies.

I do know that the Eagle/Ospery swimbaits have produced some good quality fish for a buddy of mine... both in pre-fish and the tourney we fished at the first of March. (He had 2 in pre-fish and 2 in the Tourney, the largest going almost 6lbs.)

I'm going back there in June, and I think I'll downsize the Big Hammer to a 5 inch and experiment with different colors.

Hope this helps!

"ROD"

Yes I seen that post about the 5" swimbaits.I am going in a couple of weeks I too am going to give them a try.

#2 here
Um about the swimbaits at cachuma, at times they rule. I fish big hammers, and mainly in the 5 inch. During summer off of the drops i really like the Green back 'Chovie, Black Smith Pearch, and Pepper trout. I havent tried the Pearl color off of the drops yet but i have seen people catch on them. Also if you can get your hands on the new color, Steve's Shad, it could be a real good one. When i do throw these off the drops i usually use a 3/4 ounce head. Dont count out the 4 inch though, when the fish arnt hitting the 5 inch well if you move down to the smaller bait it can really turn them on, you can use those on a 3/4 or a 1/2 ounce.

Also when the grass starts to grow grab a 5 inch in any of those colors and throw it around the grass on a 1/4 ounce head. It rips through really well and you can get on a pretty good reaction bite that way.

Also one last thing to try during the summer when some of the bigger fish have moved off shore is to throw the 6 or 7 inch on a 3/4 or 1 oz head on a break in about 25 feet, and rip it off the bottom. If you get in to these fish there is a good chance you could have a shot at a whole bunch of 4+ fish. Its a good way to get some bigger ones when you are only finding 2 to 3 lbers. For me the times that i have found that to work the best has been when there is a good crank bite on fish in the 2 to 3 lb range in 15 to 20 feet, if you find that dont be afraid to move out a little deeper with the swimbaits and you could up grade your catch.

As for the Chartruse Hammers, i have mainly been using them since the fish have started to bed. The smallies seem to love the sand bass speical! Also try the Pearl color on the beds. I really dont think it is the color thats doing it though,i just try and use baits that i can see. Hope this info helps, and if you have any other questions about cachuma or swimbaits up there let me know, i have fish Cachuma a lot, and caught my share of swimbait fish.

#2

Awesome info Brian!

I'll make a note of it!

Thanks for the help, as I have a club tourney there the first week of June. That could give me an "edge"


Peace!

"ROD"

In june look for those bigger swimbait fish out deep, and also keep an eye out for the buzzbait bite in the afternoon when the wind comes up around the grass, that can be killer.

#2

And if you need any info on the lake before you go just give me a hollar.

Thanks for the great information Brian 2. What weight leadhead do you recommend for the 4" BHs for bedding smallies at Cachuma? I was thinking that 1/4 oz. would be about right in this situation. Also, was that really a chartreuse leadhead that you used with the Sandbass Special (#40) BH or the yellow leadhead. It looked yellow in my printout. Thanks again.
Bob

On the bedding smallies i was using the 1/2 oz chartruse Hammer Head. Actually i was using the 5 inch Sand Bass Speical for the smallies, it seemed to work pretty well. Recently i have been using the 3/4 oz with a 5/0 hook at Casitas for the bed fish, it really seems to help when the fish are deeper. I havent tried the 4 inch yet but I am sure that they would work. What i have done though is use the 3 inch in Sand Bass Speical on a 1/4 oz dart head for fish that arn't very commited to the bed and it has worked out really well for me. Actually i took a trip to Casitas about a week ago and stuck a 5#er off a bed on the 3 inch, so they do work. Actually, all of the bed fish i have caught so far this year have been on Hammers. Well good luck with the bed fishing, and if you have any more question let me know.

#2

Swimbaits are cool, fish get angry at the world when they see them!

When fishing the 3" for the bedded bass are you pitching it in the bed,or swimming it near the bed?

I pitch it on the bed. well actually i pitch it past and bring it on to the bed, that seems to work a lot better than just casting it right on top of the fish. Good luck

#2

Exactly how are you putting it on the bed. I've never site fished before and may try it at Cachuma this Saturday. What should I do?
Dave

First go around the shallows in about 8-1 foot of water looking for cleared out areas. These areas are about 1 to 2 feet in diameter, and are noticible by looking for a light patch or a dark patch. Once you find one look for a fish on it. I actually like to pitch to it from as far away as i can so that i dont spook the fish if it isnt committed. After i have made that initial cast if i havent been bit i will move in and look for a fish on the bed. If i see one he will either do one of two things, move off or stay right there. Your really looking for the ones that dont move because they are the easiest to catch. If the fish does move off make sure to wait and see if it comes back because many times the fish will swim into deeper water and circle around and then come back on the bed. If the fish has move off and come back it may take a little bit more of a finess presentation to get them to bite. In that sitituation i start off by making a cast with the 5 inch Sand Bass Speical Big Hammer and if the fish is afraid of that i'll then switch up to the 3 inch hammer or a white jig. These baits will normally catch the fish. If not you can always try a dropshotted worm. Assalt makes some cool baits that i like called the salt shakers. The four inch is a great dropshot bed bait in the peral flash color.

If the fish are locked on to the bed and not moving off the 5 inch hammer in pearl or Sand bass Speical are really good bets. The first thing i do when the fish are locked on is postion myself about 5 to 8 feet off of the bed and ill start by pitching on shore if the bed is close to shore and draging my bait in to the water and on to the bed. Try and get the bait as close to the fish's head as possible and shake it in place. Also if there is a stick hanging over the bed cast your line over the stick and dangle the bait in one place and that will really piss the fish off. You can also try swimming the bait on to the bed and then swimming it off after a short pause sometimes that will really get them angry. I think that is pretty much all that you need to know. Oh yeah, and try and keep quiet. Dont bang your trolling motor into sticks and try not to make a loud cast so you dont spook the fish. Good luck at cachuma, im going up on tuesday so ill let everyone know how i do.

#2

Good info thanks!

Hey Brian will this same technique work at Casitas? I have a club tourney this Sunday up there and haven't been up there in almost a month, so I have no clue what is going on except that fish should be bedding. I have never tried chart swim baits for bedding fish so this is new to me. Will the sand bass special also work at Casitas? What about just for casting? Appreciate your help.