02-19-2004, 03:08 PM
FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS
STRIPED BASS: Striper action is fair with some quality fish still being landed at Castaic. Anglers are trolling or casting trout swimbaits to land fish to 20-0. The Colorado River's Willow Beach is kicking out stripers to 20-0 after weekly trout plants each Friday. Lake Mohave received a trout plant last week, and anglers have been landing stripers to 16-0 since then, also on the big trout-like swimbaits.
TROUT: 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. Bait anglers also saw good fishing on inflated nightcrawlers, Power Bait, or salmon eggs. The lake received 5,000- pounds of trout on Tuesday night that included a good number of big, hook-jawed males over 4-0. Irvine received a 10,000-pound plant on Wednesday for a cash tournament this weekend, and 2,000 pounds of these trout should be trophy fish from 4-0 to 18-0. Santa Ana River Lakes was planted with over a ton of steelhead trout this week, and Corona Lake also received these pink-meated beauties. Look for good fishing all week and a slow down in action over the weekend with heavy crowds. Lake Poway received a bonus stocking for a kids tournament last week, and fishing remains good this week on holdover trout to 8-0. 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 continues at a fair to good pace with the fish hanging in the trees about 40-feet deep. The bite has been exclusively on live minnows, and many anglers are reporting limits or near-limits of fish to up to 2-0. Lake Wollomes continues to have a fair bite on crappie on live minnows. Lake Lopez is kicking out bluegill and crappie in deep water by the dam on mini-jigs. Crappie are showing at Lake San Antonio in the shallows along the north end of the lake. Lake Henshaw continues to kick out some crappie for anglers targeting schools of fish with mini-jigs. Most fish are running from 3/4-pound to 1-12. Lake Cachuma continues to have a pick bite on redear for anglers fishing nightcrawler pieces over the drop offs on Jack Rabbit Flats.
LARGEMOUTH BASS: The Castaic largemouth bite continues to be the most steady bite in the region. Live crawdads are taking limits of fish to 5-0 for most anglers. Anglers fishing artificials are targeting fish in 30 feet of water on pig and jigs, spilt-shotted plastics, or drop-shotted plastics. Lake Casitas finally kicked out some big bass for anglers fishing trout swimbaits. Traditionally February kicks out more bigger fish at Lake Casitas than any other month of the year. Diamond Valley Lake slowed some last week with fish spread throughout the water column. Some bass have been seen shallow clearing and setting up nests. Carolina-rigged plastic lizards, plastic worms or swim baits have been taking fish. Lake Perris rebounded after cold water shut down the bite. Rock Climber's Cove and the main lake points have been kicking out the best action. Lower Otay opened to fair bass fishing on fish to 8-14 on crawdads or plastics. Bass fishing at San Vicente picked up to almost a one fish per rod average. Anglers are scoring fish on Rapalas, plastics, or swimbaits. Lake Lopez has had a fair bass bite and was topped by a 12-4 this past week. Any lake that receives trout plants can kick out a double-digit fish on a swimbait over the next two months.
CATFISH: Lake Isabella continues to kick out catches of 10 to 20 fish by anglers fishing frozen shad in deeper water by the dam. Lower Otay opened last week to a fair catfish bite on mackerel by the buoy line. Limits of catfish weren't uncommon and fish to 10-0 were landed. Lake Murray kicked out a 32-4 channel catfish that set a new lake record. The Blythe to Yuma region of the Colorado River kicked out a few flatheads to 20-0, but the bite really hasn't started yet. This region traditionally kicks out some huge flathead 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 is fair with some quality fish still being landed at Castaic. Anglers are trolling or casting trout swimbaits to land fish to 20-0. The Colorado River's Willow Beach is kicking out stripers to 20-0 after weekly trout plants each Friday. Lake Mohave received a trout plant last week, and anglers have been landing stripers to 16-0 since then, also on the big trout-like swimbaits.
TROUT: 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. Bait anglers also saw good fishing on inflated nightcrawlers, Power Bait, or salmon eggs. The lake received 5,000- pounds of trout on Tuesday night that included a good number of big, hook-jawed males over 4-0. Irvine received a 10,000-pound plant on Wednesday for a cash tournament this weekend, and 2,000 pounds of these trout should be trophy fish from 4-0 to 18-0. Santa Ana River Lakes was planted with over a ton of steelhead trout this week, and Corona Lake also received these pink-meated beauties. Look for good fishing all week and a slow down in action over the weekend with heavy crowds. Lake Poway received a bonus stocking for a kids tournament last week, and fishing remains good this week on holdover trout to 8-0. 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 continues at a fair to good pace with the fish hanging in the trees about 40-feet deep. The bite has been exclusively on live minnows, and many anglers are reporting limits or near-limits of fish to up to 2-0. Lake Wollomes continues to have a fair bite on crappie on live minnows. Lake Lopez is kicking out bluegill and crappie in deep water by the dam on mini-jigs. Crappie are showing at Lake San Antonio in the shallows along the north end of the lake. Lake Henshaw continues to kick out some crappie for anglers targeting schools of fish with mini-jigs. Most fish are running from 3/4-pound to 1-12. Lake Cachuma continues to have a pick bite on redear for anglers fishing nightcrawler pieces over the drop offs on Jack Rabbit Flats.
LARGEMOUTH BASS: The Castaic largemouth bite continues to be the most steady bite in the region. Live crawdads are taking limits of fish to 5-0 for most anglers. Anglers fishing artificials are targeting fish in 30 feet of water on pig and jigs, spilt-shotted plastics, or drop-shotted plastics. Lake Casitas finally kicked out some big bass for anglers fishing trout swimbaits. Traditionally February kicks out more bigger fish at Lake Casitas than any other month of the year. Diamond Valley Lake slowed some last week with fish spread throughout the water column. Some bass have been seen shallow clearing and setting up nests. Carolina-rigged plastic lizards, plastic worms or swim baits have been taking fish. Lake Perris rebounded after cold water shut down the bite. Rock Climber's Cove and the main lake points have been kicking out the best action. Lower Otay opened to fair bass fishing on fish to 8-14 on crawdads or plastics. Bass fishing at San Vicente picked up to almost a one fish per rod average. Anglers are scoring fish on Rapalas, plastics, or swimbaits. Lake Lopez has had a fair bass bite and was topped by a 12-4 this past week. Any lake that receives trout plants can kick out a double-digit fish on a swimbait over the next two months.
CATFISH: Lake Isabella continues to kick out catches of 10 to 20 fish by anglers fishing frozen shad in deeper water by the dam. Lower Otay opened last week to a fair catfish bite on mackerel by the buoy line. Limits of catfish weren't uncommon and fish to 10-0 were landed. Lake Murray kicked out a 32-4 channel catfish that set a new lake record. The Blythe to Yuma region of the Colorado River kicked out a few flatheads to 20-0, but the bite really hasn't started yet. This region traditionally kicks out some huge flathead 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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