UPDATE (Friday afternoon): The breakfast was fabulous at the Lake Wohlford Resort cafe, but the bass bite was nil. Rainbows to 6 1/2 pounds had the folks occupied. Would have liked to look at the bait and bottom situation, but no sonar on the rentals.
While a lot of guys in this area are thinking ice jigs and spoons for the benefit deal at Diamond Valley on Saturday, tomorrow my own prefish will be farther south–at another lake where the bite is reported to be slow.
Don’t ask me why, but Kellen Ellis of SDFish.com and I are going to the annual media breakfast and fishing adventure–at Lake Wohlford in the morning, expecting rain.
Off and on I’ve made the trip, sometimes with widely mixed results. The lake has a long, long history, but even in my era I’ve shared the water with the legendary Bill Murphy, though one of my best trips there came with Bassmasters Classic qualifier Randy Best. One year we had about a week of Santa Ana conditions leading up to the opener and the slightly warmer nights let to a real good sack with a couple of 7-pound class fish and several other fat ones as well.
And the jig and pig was king.
Wohlford is very small (see a map), and it’s cover is virtually all rock over hard bottom. In fact, Lunker Bill and the tiny Escondido reservoir are forever linked by a series of huge rocks right in front of the ancient resort: Murphy’s Rocks. Bill had a 15 pounder there in a Pisces Bass Club tournament long ago, which stood for decades as a tourney big fish mark.
But all of its unique bottom features have produced big fish over the years. When I first saw Twin Peaks (pictured above), I could only imagine what lie below the water and what thick-bodied Floridas might be lurking in the shadows. Even out of water I can guess where the bully of the boulders might be waiting some day.
Murphy was pretty straight forward in his approach, Best too. They wanted the simple black on black or brown on black half-ouncer to drag and scratch the bottom. Early in the year, you just have to slow everything down–which can be hard when the ice breath blows up the waste of your jacket.
The whole winter jig process requires committment. I remember Bob Holcomb, a Murphy disciple whom I met and who broke me into bass fishing, used to say: “You need to keep your head down.” I just know that’s going to be hard for a guy who likes to shake a darthead.
Anyway, we’ll be out there tomorrow. And we’ll file a report….
2 Responses to “Wohlford road trip: need to bring a jig rod”
That may be a good play. I heard the water is low, stained and the crankbait bite is decent…
I won’t be there I’m going out to Jennings. I know not too well thought of. I’m stubborn I guess? This lake has got to open up for me sooner or later…