Lower Otay Reservoir is everything a bass fisherman could ever want. Not too far from downtown San Diego, and yet with its lush green hillsides, and its tulle lined banks, there are times when the lake seems as tranquil as a far off resort. Best of all, the Florida Strain Largemouth that call this (newly deemed urban) lake home, are biting like no tomorrow.

It's funny, the rain that we all wanted to come fill our lakes, is finally here. Of course, it pours the heaviest on the weekends. Go figure. In years past, whenever the late winter / early spring migration of our little green friends was hampered by periods of showers, the fishermen found a sketchy bite at best. This year however, the bass at Otay seem to be as set on route as a U.S. Postal worker.

When I guided Rush and his sister, Shannon, around San Diego Bay last summer, the bite was awesome. Shannon out fished her older brother, but Rush had a plan. This time, Rush booked his dad George to come out to Lower Otay reservoir to watch him catch some largemouth bass. And that is exactly what George did - watch Rush catch fish. After seeing Rush catch his third bass, however, it was game on. Then the two gents took their friendly competition to the fish. And, it really was them against the fish. George and Rush were the winners; seconded only by the weather. By two o'clock, the rain had finally chased us off of the water.

We found that the more the rain poured, the more the fish bit. Most of their fish were on, or near, a spawning flat on the south side of Harvey arm. Although the two men did not catch any real big ones, the numbers were there, as were the signs of a great bass season ahead. The day was so good, that because I don't fish when I guide, I knew I had to come back.

The following Saturday, my old time fishing buddy and mentor, Art Jastrzembski, and I had to find our way back to this fine south county fishery. Art and I found the bite to be very similar to the week before with Rush and George. It was so good on the flats that Art and I decided to experiment. That paid off too. In fact, it was almost text book. Well, I mean other than the rainy weather. After all, this is bass fishing. We should be wearing shorts, sandals, and light weight cotton shirts, not Gortex rain suits. But, we were dressed in our jump suits, and catching them like we meant it.

Art and I found that the fish up on the flats were the typical small male variety. Once we found them, we turned the boat around, threw deeper, worked the baits up hill, and caught a few good mamas. This was textbook bass fishing, with the signs of a great season to come.

The baits, and rigs, on both trips were basically the same. Worms and creatures in various watermelon tones, both on shakey heads and Carolina rigs, seemed to be the best bet for us.

If you are looking for an alternative to our other two larger bass lakes in the county, try visiting an old friend of mine - Lower Otay Reservoir. She's been good to me; she'll take care of you too.