02-05-2004, 05:18 PM
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STRIPED BASS: Striper action isn't really happening anywhere right now. Pyramid Lake was the best bite, but Pyramid was closed by the U.S. Forest Service last week for up to four months. Castaic is the only lake producing a few bigger fish on trout swimbaits. In fact the lake is starting to have a fair bite on stripers from 1-0 to 5-0 on anchovies fished 50 feet deep. The Colorado River's Willow Beach to Lake Mohave stretch fizzled this past week with no big fish reported. This is still the number one region to catch a striper over 40-0, but the cold, windy weather has been awful.
TROUT: Lake Poway received a bonus trout plant this week for the kid's free fishing derby this weekend. Fly fisherman targeting Laguna Niguel Park Lake have been catching and releasing up to 30 fish a day to 5-0 while drifting with zebra midges. For bait anglers fishing is tougher, but catches are being made on inflated nightcrawlers, Power Bait, salmon eggs, or mini-jigs. Irvine has had fair to good trout fishing off the west shore and in the flats area. The lake will receive a 10,000-pound plant next week for a cash tournament next weekend. The plant should go in on Wednesday, so fishing should be red hot until the weekend when heavy crowds usually slow the bite. Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake both continue to crank out the biggest trout in Southern California, and both produced rainbows over 20 pounds this week. In Bishop, the Owens River and Pleasant Valley Reservoir continue to have fair to good trout fishing after brood-stock plants of 3-0 to 10-0 class fish.
PANFISH: The Lake Isabella crappie bite is the strongest in the region with fish hanging in the trees about 40-feet deep. The bite has been exclusively on live minnows, and many anglers are reporting limits of fish to up to 2-0. Lake Wollomes also has had a good bite on crappie on live minnows. The grade of fish at this lake are much smaller than Isabella's, with fish to 1-0 landed. Lake Henshaw continues to kick out some crappie for anglers targeting schools of fish with mini-jigs. Most here are 1/2 to 3/4-pounders. Lake Cachuma has had a fair redear bite on nightcrawler pieces for anglers targeting the drop offs on Jack Rabbit Flats.
LARGEMOUTH BASS: Castaic continues to outshine all other lakes in the region with a solid winter bite. Anglers are targeting fish in 30 feet of water on pig and jigs, spilt-shotted plastics, or drop-shotted plastics. Diamond Valley Lake continues at a fair pace for anglers fishing Carolina-rigged plastic lizards or swim baits in 30 feet. This bite should get better the closer we get to the spawn. Lake Perris completely fizzled from a good bite over the past couple of weeks. We're blaming the weather. Any lake that receives trout plants can kick out a double-digit fish on a swimbait over the next two months.
CATFISH: Lake Isabella is the only bright note, with most lakes seeing slow action. Catches of 10 to 20 fish have been reported by anglers fishing frozen shad in deeper water by the dam. San Vicente Lake kicked out two good-sized blue catfish last week -- both over 40 pounds. A big blue catfish is always a possibility at this lake. The Blythe to Yuma region of the Colorado River traditionally kicks out some huge flat head catfish starting in late February. Live bluegill, tilapia, or goldfish are the best baits and should be fished on a minimum of 30-pound test line. Most local anglers use 50- to 60-pound test when fishing for flatheads and 100-pound dacron is not out of the question. Fish in the 50-pound class are reported each year, and most anglers believe 70 to 100 pounders are hooked but never landed.
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STRIPED BASS: Striper action isn't really happening anywhere right now. Pyramid Lake was the best bite, but Pyramid was closed by the U.S. Forest Service last week for up to four months. Castaic is the only lake producing a few bigger fish on trout swimbaits. In fact the lake is starting to have a fair bite on stripers from 1-0 to 5-0 on anchovies fished 50 feet deep. The Colorado River's Willow Beach to Lake Mohave stretch fizzled this past week with no big fish reported. This is still the number one region to catch a striper over 40-0, but the cold, windy weather has been awful.
TROUT: Lake Poway received a bonus trout plant this week for the kid's free fishing derby this weekend. Fly fisherman targeting Laguna Niguel Park Lake have been catching and releasing up to 30 fish a day to 5-0 while drifting with zebra midges. For bait anglers fishing is tougher, but catches are being made on inflated nightcrawlers, Power Bait, salmon eggs, or mini-jigs. Irvine has had fair to good trout fishing off the west shore and in the flats area. The lake will receive a 10,000-pound plant next week for a cash tournament next weekend. The plant should go in on Wednesday, so fishing should be red hot until the weekend when heavy crowds usually slow the bite. Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake both continue to crank out the biggest trout in Southern California, and both produced rainbows over 20 pounds this week. In Bishop, the Owens River and Pleasant Valley Reservoir continue to have fair to good trout fishing after brood-stock plants of 3-0 to 10-0 class fish.
PANFISH: The Lake Isabella crappie bite is the strongest in the region with fish hanging in the trees about 40-feet deep. The bite has been exclusively on live minnows, and many anglers are reporting limits of fish to up to 2-0. Lake Wollomes also has had a good bite on crappie on live minnows. The grade of fish at this lake are much smaller than Isabella's, with fish to 1-0 landed. Lake Henshaw continues to kick out some crappie for anglers targeting schools of fish with mini-jigs. Most here are 1/2 to 3/4-pounders. Lake Cachuma has had a fair redear bite on nightcrawler pieces for anglers targeting the drop offs on Jack Rabbit Flats.
LARGEMOUTH BASS: Castaic continues to outshine all other lakes in the region with a solid winter bite. Anglers are targeting fish in 30 feet of water on pig and jigs, spilt-shotted plastics, or drop-shotted plastics. Diamond Valley Lake continues at a fair pace for anglers fishing Carolina-rigged plastic lizards or swim baits in 30 feet. This bite should get better the closer we get to the spawn. Lake Perris completely fizzled from a good bite over the past couple of weeks. We're blaming the weather. Any lake that receives trout plants can kick out a double-digit fish on a swimbait over the next two months.
CATFISH: Lake Isabella is the only bright note, with most lakes seeing slow action. Catches of 10 to 20 fish have been reported by anglers fishing frozen shad in deeper water by the dam. San Vicente Lake kicked out two good-sized blue catfish last week -- both over 40 pounds. A big blue catfish is always a possibility at this lake. The Blythe to Yuma region of the Colorado River traditionally kicks out some huge flat head catfish starting in late February. Live bluegill, tilapia, or goldfish are the best baits and should be fished on a minimum of 30-pound test line. Most local anglers use 50- to 60-pound test when fishing for flatheads and 100-pound dacron is not out of the question. Fish in the 50-pound class are reported each year, and most anglers believe 70 to 100 pounders are hooked but never landed.
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