Went with my son yesterday to scout Cachuma for redear for the wife. Was pessimistic because I am told that later in November through December is best for redear there (is this right?).

We used the usual method using 1/2 nightcrawler on the bottom with #6 hook and a splitshot about 2 1/2 feet up. We were advised to fish 10 - 15' deep.

The guy at the marina recommended Cachuma Bay, which we tried for not even a bite from 8:00 to 10:00. We then moved to the front of Arrowhead Island, but we should have gone there at the start instead of wasting time in Cachuma Bay because by then the wind had picked up and it was hard to keep the boat steady at anchor (a second anchor would have been a good idea). We caught only 3 redear there in about 2 hours. To try to get out of the wind we then moved to the back of Arrowhead, but the wind was getting worse at that time. We caught 2 more redear there in about 2 hours, so my son wanted to drift for trout, which I was not interested in because we do not have a cat right now. I appeased him by drifting for trout, but that required us to be in open water for the apparently 40-60' deep trout, and the wind was so bad in open water that the trout drifting was soon over (and unproductive), so we called it a day.

I am new to redear fishing and I have a question. We have been told that when Cachuma is full the dropoffs at about 30 - 35 feet depths are good for redear. But, with the lake about 30 feet down because of the drought is it best to fish for redear a)30 to 35' down or b) at the much shallower spots that would have been 30 feet down had the lake been full? In other words, in drought conditions are the redear more oriented to their usual structure, which is now very shallow, or to their usual depth, which is now well beyond ther usual structure?