I'm thinking about making a trip to Oso Lake one of these days, but before I plunk down my $40 to fish this lake, I'd like to get the real scoop on what's going on there. If you visit enough message boards and talk to enough people, you get the full spectrum as to how good or how bad the place is. I've heard the bait fish died off last year and they replaced the bait with $30,000 worth of fish. I've heard the customer service there is horrible and that the fishery is on the downward slide.

What's the truth about this place? Is it worth it? I know there are other lakes out there, but I'm just curious about this one.

I am not totally sure if it is on a downward slide,but I am more apt to say - yes it is. Don't get me wrong, I remember those days back in 94-95 when the water was high and the trees were all flooded but I think those days are gone due to mother nature and the house being built around the lake. I think it will end up like East Lake or Lake Forest. But ya, I have had honest 50 fish days but for the most part I caught an avergae amount of fish like any other lake. What got me was I got in free, ya free - I never paid anyone or snuck in either. I was a friend of a friend type set-up. And I soon came to find out that many people fishing there got in free also. So when someone does fork over the $$$ for the membership - just where does the money go ? Have you seen what a dump that place is ? The launch ramp is horrendous. And Bob ? And what about the pothead kid that grows his own and lives there. Thats where I would hold off fishing that place and paying for it. The lake has potential but the catch & release has over-ran the lake with bass and some fish do need to be harvested. The amount of fish per surface acre is high and that may seem all fine and dandy but in reality, the lake cannot support all those fish. Some people fail to realize that taking a few bass is good for the fishery, but some people are overboard when it comes to C & R.

This may seem lame or "not cool" but the trash situation here is terrible. if you've ever been on south shore you will know what im talking about. this also might not be "cool" but if anyone that cares and fishes this lake to wants to get a group toghether to just pick up trash along the banks that would be really cool and im sure you would get some deals cut to you by the owners. all we'd have to do is go around on a few boats and stop at trashy places and just pick it up.....let me know what you think

I think that is great. But at the same time, I know Bob has people who are supposed to do that for him already. See if he is game, you have nothing to loose and the environment is to gain.

well they sure suck at it if he does have people to clean it up

I used to be a member about 4 years ago, it was good fishing back then, I use to tube the lake and had some pretty wide open days. I have not been back since, that place could be so much better than it is. I remember it being dumpy, I can't imagine it now. He will cut a deal on the membership price, so dont pay full price! But hey you will catch fish there and thats all that matters.

fishtrax_65

SAVE YOUR MONEY!!! In all seriousness, i used to be a member for (3) years and although the place was a total pig pen we used to catch easily 50-100 fish on some days (esp. fall) We used to kill them on Bass Assasins and Topwater all day long!

About (3) years ago they had a huge shad die off and literally all of the shad just up and died, before this happened i have never seen a lake with so many shad in it per square acre. To make a long story short, i saw the effects of the shad die off. The fish were super skinny with big heads, they would literally eat a chunk of bologna sandwich fished drop shot style (we were fishing for big catfish, which by the way survived the dry spell), they were so weak and frail that my friends and i felt sorry for the fish and so subsequently stopped fishing there even though we still had (6) months left on our membership.

To cap it off...the so called lake managers kept denying for months that they had a problem or a shad die off, everytime i told them about it they kept saying "Naw, those fish are strong and healthy as hell" Not until late last year or early this year did they finally take action, the DFG confiscated from what i heard (600) bass from oso and transplanted them into i think it was Skinner and or Matthews and they also planted some trout hoping that it would serve a purpose and feed those poor emaciated fish...but in my opinion it's just a little too late. I'd still like to know what the lake managers did with the $500 membership fee? The lake has had little or no upgrades done to it since i joined, plus they always asked me what i did for a living so as to get some FREE work done on the place.

Thanks for reading, hope this helps in your decision.

I agree--same stuff when I was a member in 90-93. I had some incredible days there. learned how to do a bunch of different techniques. I'm sure the club house still isn't finished, lol. I havent fished there since back then so my input probably hasn't helped but for the fact that stuff doesn't change much around there. yes, they love to know what you do tfor work to get help from you. I wonder how it looks/is now that its surrounded by homes--used to feel very serene. i will stop by soon to check it out.

Well incredibly the club house is finished...it took (9) years to do it and trust me...it's nothing to look at, in fact it never gets cleaned and it smells pretty bad too.

SJ, if you'd like i still have a few guest passes that i bought from the show a few years back i will sell them to you so that you dont feel too bad about being ripped off from paying $40.00 pp. Hell, i even have an old transom mount motorguide and battery.

I appreciate all the feedback and am still weighing whether or not to head out there. I'm not concerned about the $40, so much as the atmosphere in which I'm fishing. I don't want to catch skinny or unhealthy bass and support something that's not worth supporting.

I actually talked to Bob on the phone and he was very nice. He even offered to hook me up with a guide on my first trip out there (at no cost). He kept promoting the fact that membership includes taking at least ten kids fishing during the year. He said "that's what we do... take kids fishing." He said the members were all great guys and again, he could hook me up with one of them on my first trip out. He admitted that the fishing had been a little slow this past week because the lake is deeper and higher than any other in Orange County (95 feet deep). He said the fish had not spawned yet and that fishing should get better soon, but the water was still colder than most places. He was also upfront about the bait fish die off and that they had spent $30,000 to replace the bait fish.

Hawgseeker, thanks for the offer, but again - it's not the $40 - I just want to make sure I'm supporting a good lake.

im pretty sure half the staff hates children and half like children........im 16 and there are 2 guys that work there that are dicks to kids that dont know what they are doing......but bob is cool sometimes and so is this other old guy. i first fished there 2 years ago and had no clue what to do so a man let me use all of his tackle....that was pretty nice of him...
another thing thats weird for me is sometimes they charge me for a float tube launch and sometimes they dont. i dont get it. ive even not had to pay for a boat sometimes.
what i have noticed about this place is the smaller fish(3/4-1.5Lbs)
are much healthier than the older fish....this must mean they are getting food.