“The population is way up and almost the same as the good old days,” said Bottroff. “But lowering water levels will quickly change the bite at all the lakes, including Hodges.

“The fish here need the tules and relate to and rely on them greatly.”

Lake Hodges has a very diverse shoreline. Rockpiles, tules, trees, brush and gravel shores -- every type of structure a bass fisherman could want. The bass here grow big, and trout have never been planted, so they are just plain healthy and giant on their own.

Fish grown here have been transported to other lakes to start them off with a strong stocking. Diamond Valley Lake is just one lake that has benefited from Hodges-strain bass. Their record largemouth is tied for 10th place on the all-time list.

To make the Top 25 Heaviest Bass List, it takes one heavier than 18 pounds, 13 ounces. An amazing 22 of those 25 fish were caught in Southern California.

The fish here will eat every lure in your tackle box. So go with the flow, and you should score well at this impoundment. If the water comes up and gets way back into the tules, you will really see this lake regenerate itself!

PYRAMID LAKE
And finally, I just have to mention Pyramid. This lake can be hot for smallmouth, and in April and May the fishing can be out of this world! Plastics, both drop-shot and Texas-rigged, will also score some surface action. And don’t leave the hard baits and blades at home, either.

GETTING GEARED
Hopefully, your boat has already gone through its prep stage for the new season. Batteries are checked and running strong? Trolling motor works well? Electronics ready to go?

A lot of fishermen don’t realize that unless the transducer on your boat is shooting through the hull, it needs to be cleaned off every so often. If there is a temperature sensor, it needs cleaning as well.

Another important item that too many of us forget to check is the livewell. You don’t want to turn it on in a tourney and find out that it isn’t pumping water just when you need it most.

LURES
All throughout the past season, lures, tackle, and miscellaneous items have made their way out of their normal storage bins and into a rod locker, glove compartment, or onto the floor. Get organized and you’ll be able to fish more efficiently and not waste time trying to remember where you put a lure or some bait. It also keeps you from purchasing more lures only to find three packs of them you forgot about.

Some lures are really getting up there price-wise, so finding your secret stash can save you a lot of extra money.

I wanted to let you in on a few lures that produced greatly for some of the top pros and big-fish hunters as well. We all know how much swimbaits have caught on, and some of the new ones are simply amazing.

Basstrix has come out with a Paddle-tail swim bait that has been all the rage of many tournament trails catching giant stringers of fish.

Black Dog Baits’ new Lunker Punker, a spook-type bait, is flying off the shelves of tackle stores -- and selling on eBay for amazing prices. No one can keep them in stock!

Black Dog Baits’ new Shell Cracker surface lure is also new, hot bait that both the pros and the big-fish hunters are using to score. Stores can’t get enough of them.

Rago Baits also has added a new line to their baits.

“Rago has now jointed their baits in three places, instead of two,” said big-fish hunter David Conway. “The four body parts give the baits the most realistic action.”

Already one of the top baits around, Rago Baits have really caught on strong.

It really matters what the spring weather does and what the rains do for our lakes. We all know that if the lakes rise, so do the bass, in a sense, gravitating to the shoreline structure and brush. Spinnerbaits, Senkos, soft jerkbaits, and all those shallow-water lures you love should be in the boat along with you.

The largemouths will have a better spawn and produce more fish for you to catch. They will survive longer with more brush for the fry to hide in. This will help the fishing this year and for many more to come.

Southern California will still keep producing giant bass for those who learn to fish for them with all the new baits out there. Those who want to catch bigger and better bass need to read more articles, attend more seminars, and just get out and fish.

I wish you all a great year and hope that your personal best bass weight is broken several times -- and pounds -- over!