Jun 10, 2024

Help Keep Lake Los Carneros Clean and Beautiful

Tap on image below to report trash and lost fishing gear that is not accessible from shore.

Tap on image below for a structure map of the lake.

The Basics - Equipment:

Rod: 6 to 7 ft medium action - line rating anywhere from 6 to 15 lb. test - fast action

Reel: Spinning reel that ideally holds at least 100 yards of 8 lb. monofilament fishing line

Main Line: 20 or 30 lb. braid* - my preference is P-Line or PowerPro - Color: Dark Green

*If I only had one rod I'd go with 30 lb. in case I ever wanted to use a 20 lb. leader

Leader: 12-15 lb. Fluorocarbon* (or 20 lb. when using larger baits)

*Monofilament fishing line can be used instead of fluorocarbon.

The Basics - Knots:

Uni-to-Uni: Connecting the main line to the leader

Trilene Knot: Connecting the leader to the lure

Palomar Knot: Connecting the main line to the lure when a leader is not being used and usually when tying a drop-shot rig.

The Basics - Casting:

Or flipping... learn how to walk before you run.

Tap the image below to visit the "Using a Spinning Rod and Avoiding Tangles" section of my "Flippin' Frogs at the Ranch" page.

Lures - Plastic Worms:

Worm: 5 inch Salt Shaker Worm - Black Grape
Hook (weedless): Owner Twistlock Light Hook - size 2/0
Hook (nose/wacky): Gamakatsu Aaron Martens G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook - size 1 or 2

Rigs: Drop-shot (weedless, wacky or nose hooked), Weightless (weedless, wacky or nose hooked), Texas-rig

Lures - Poppers:

Lobina Ricos - Rico if fishing on my light spinning rod for fun. Rio Rico if I'm being a bit more serious.

Rebel Poppin' Frog - fun little popper for a light spinning rod.

Lures - Walking Baits:

My favorite topwater hard bait. Heddon's Super Spook Jr. Color: Okie Shad but the Bone and Clear colors seem to be most popular.

Lures - Frogs:

When there's a good rain, the lake is healthy and there's mats of duckweed all over the lake there is nothing more fun than having a bass blow up through that duckweed and inhale your frog.

My current favorite frog is the Booyah Pad Crasher in the Bullfrog color. Standard size but the Jr. is fun to play with also.

Lures - Buzzbaits:

I make my own buzzbaits. Tap image below to visit website.

Lures - Other Topwater:

Prop baits such as the Whopper Plopper, Heddon Torpedo, and wake baits such as the Lucky Craft 1.5 WK.

Lures - Crankbaits:

Rebel Wee-Crawfish. The regular one, the Teeny Wee, the Deep Wee (caught my 24 inch bass in 1984) and the new Middle Wee.

There are lots of crankbaits to choose from and they will all mostly work. After periods of drought when there are lots of dying tules in the "deeper" shallow areas shallower diving models work best. But out in open water and when the lake has been relatively full for a while deeper diving models can be affective.

Square bills work great at the lake. Lucky Craft LC 1.5 DRS Squarebill Crankbaits in the TO Shad and TO Craw colors are a couple of my favorites along with the Norman Speed N Jr. Crankbait in the Chili Bowl color. The red crawfish colors work great in the Spring.

My favorite lipless crankbait is/was the Aruku Shad but they have changed the design and I haven't fished the new ones.

Lures - Jerkbaits:

Lucky Craft Pointer Minnow Jerkbaits - size 78 or 65 - lots of colors to choose from - a few current favorites are Live Threadfin Shad, Pearl Threadfin, Ghost Minnow.

Lures - Spinnerbaits:

Zorro Baits Short Arm Aggravator and Zorro Baits Long Arm Aggravator Spinnerbait Double Silver Willow

3/8 or 5/8 oz (depending on depth, dying tules, etc.) - colors: white with Big Hammer 3.5 inch swimbait colors: Super Awesome Shad, Pearly Gates or Bay Smelt or black with BH 3.5 inch color: After Midnite

Lures - Swimbaits:

Of course I'm going to recommend Big Hammer. Mostly on the 2, 3, 3.5 inch and the Ring Hammer but we have caught fish on the larger sizes including a ~6 pound largemouth in 2012 on a 5½ inch Big Hammer swimbait. I use them quite often as trailers on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs, etc.

Lures - Jigs:

Fished along the ledge when the fish are moving up to spawn can be great. Also a great way to fish the structure (tree stumps) and of course flipping into the tules.

Accessories:

Braid Scissors: Baker Braided Line Scissors and/or Gamakatsu Folding Braid Scissors

Pliers: Berkley Hemostat Pliers 6"

Tackle Trays: Plano WaterProof StowAway

Hook Bonnets: Owner Treble Hook Safety Caps

Float Tubing:

Float Tube: Classic Accessories Marshland (discontinued) and Cumberland

Waders: Caddis Green Neoprene Stocking Foot Waders

Fins: Classic Accessories Turbo Thruster Fins

Fin Savers/Teathers

Life Vest

Crocks: 1 or 2 sizes larger than your foot size. Crocks help avoid damage and leaks when walking or standing in the waders

Additional Information

Some not so recent photos...

Contact: pete@lakeloscarneros.com

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