El Capitan Reservoir Fishing Report

Winter has locked the bass into deeper water, and patience is the name of the game. Most fish are holding around 30-40 feet near rock piles, and they won’t chase much. A slow, methodical approach is the only way to get bit. Dropshots and Texas rigs with natural-colored plastic worms will put a few fish in the boat if worked at a crawl. If you’re looking to change things up, try vertical jigging with spoons or working an ice jig. It’s not fast action, but the fish are there if you put in the time.

The bass bite at El Capitan is cooling off as the water temps drop and the fish head deeper. Soft plastics are the go-to right now—drop-shotting in 20+ feet and dragging the bottom real slow has been getting a few bites. Deep-diving crankbaits are picking up the occasional reaction strike, but you’ve gotta fish them deep too. Every now and then, bait schools are busting on the surface, and tossing a jerkbait at them can get you a fish or two. As it gets colder, slower and deeper is gonna be the way to go.

As with other lakes in the area, bass are following bait schools around the lake. The cooling waters are triggering shad to move shallow, and that’s where a lot of the bass are. Flukes and smaller swimbaits are getting hit, although many fish are small. There’s also a decent topwater bite in the mornings and evenings. Bigger fish are being caught deeper, either dropshotting or dragging creature soft plastics through rocky areas. Cranking off points is also an option for finding higher quality fish.