Getting off the shore will help. I've been fishing the lake for 20 years. It's a tough lake to figure out. I think part of the problem is that there are so many places for the bass to hide (tules) that sometimes you just can't reach them. Don't know about a Christmas Tree. Right now the lake is probably around 12 - 14 feet at the deepest part (near the dam). It gets around 18 - 20 feet and at serious draught conditions (late 80's) I've seen it down around 5 or 6 feet.

Most bass lures seem to work at one time or another. Chartreuse is a good color. Crankbaits with orange bellies are good. And after last night - the #12 Mackerel or #27 Prizm Pepper Trout colored 5" Big Hammers on a 1/2 oz. green Fishco Lead Head. Oh yeah, I was putting Pro-Cure Crawfish Bait Sauce on everything I was throwing.

Catch and release ONLY! Do NOT kill the bass. It's not official yet but now that the park is "owned" by the city of Goleta I'm going to try and make it happen. Not to mention the lake is filled partially by neighborhood runoff - you'd be crazy to eat anything out of there anyways.