🎣 Bass Fishing Castaic Lagoon | 3.4 LB Topwater Bass + SlimPro Oxblood Drop Shot | 8/28/2026
🎣 **Bass Fishing Castaic Lagoon | 3.4 LB Topwater Bass + SlimPro Oxblood Drop Shot | 8/28/2026**
Had a good morning bass fishing at **Castaic Lagoon (Lower Lake)** on August 28, 2026. The **C3 Baits SlimPro Oxblood on a drop shot** continued to catch numbers, but the bigger fish were interested in **topwater around the weeds**.
I caught at least **5 bass on the C3 Baits SlimPro Oxblood**, with most of those fish around a pound or smaller. The majority of the smaller fish were caught along the **rock wall**.
The highlight of the morning was a **3.4 lb largemouth** that came up out of the weeds and crushed a **Heddon Zara Spook in Baby Bass**.
I also hooked another nice fish on a **Rebel popper** in the weeds, but unfortunately lost it in the vegetation.
🔥 **THE BIG-FISH PATTERN**
The bigger bass weren’t roaming open water. They were **holding in the weeds toward the middle of the Lagoon in the direction of the inlet** and coming up to hit topwater.
That was noticeably different from the smaller-fish pattern:
**Rock Wall → Smaller bass → SlimPro Oxblood Drop Shot**
**Middle/Inlet Weeds → Bigger bass → Topwater**
I also caught one on the popper **behind the west-side dock** and missed a smaller fish on a popper around the **west launch ramp**.
🎣 **WHAT WORKED**
**C3 Baits SlimPro – Oxblood**
* Drop Shot
* 5+ bass
* Most fish around 1 lb or smaller
* Rock wall was productive
**Heddon Zara Spook – Baby Bass**
* Topwater
* **3.4 lb largemouth**
* Fish came up from the weeds to eat it
**Rebel Popper**
* One fish landed behind the west-side dock
* Missed a smaller fish near the west launch ramp
* Hooked another **quality fish in the weeds but lost it**
⚙️ **DROP SHOT SETUP**
Rod: G. Loomis NRX+ Spinning Rod 6’10” 822S DSR
Reel: Shimano Vanford Spinning Reel
Braid: Sunline Asegai Light Green – 12 lb
Leader: Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon – 7 lb
Braid-to-Leader Knot: FG Knot
Hook Knot: Palomar Knot
Hook: Size 1 Gamakatsu Offset Hook
Bait: C3 Baits SlimPro Oxblood
📍 **FISHING REPORT**
Location: Castaic Lagoon / Lower Lake, California
Date: August 28, 2026
Fish Landed: At least 6
Biggest Bass: **3.4 lb**
Numbers Bait: C3 Baits SlimPro Oxblood
Big-Fish Bait: Heddon Zara Spook – Baby Bass
Secondary Topwater: Rebel Popper
Small-Fish Area: Rock wall
Big-Fish Area: Weeds toward the middle/inlet
Big-Fish Pattern: Bass coming up from the weeds to hit topwater
Conditions: Hot
Off the Water: Before 11:00 AM
Moon: Just after the Full Moon
The biggest takeaway from this trip was that **catching numbers and targeting better fish required two different approaches**.
The SlimPro Oxblood drop shot continued to consistently catch bass along the rock wall, but the better fish were relating to **vegetation and willing to come up for a topwater bait**. The 3.4-pounder ate the Zara Spook, and another quality fish hit the Rebel popper in the weeds before getting off.
I’m continuing to document my Castaic Lagoon trips to track how **water temperature, weather, wind, barometric pressure, moon phase, time of day, location, structure and presentation** relate to both the number and size of bass caught.
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👇 **Have you noticed bigger Castaic Lagoon bass holding in the weeds during the summer?**
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