A Bassmaster record falls in Texas

While spring’s subtle awakening continues in the West – ice disappearing at Crowley Lake; marlin flooding the Sea of Cortez; yellowtail breezing about the islands, etc.–something remarkably unsubtle has occurred at Falcon Lake in Texas.

The reservoir’s entire largemouth bass population seemed to awaken, voraciously, just as the world’s top anglers were beginning a four-day Bassmaster Elite Series tournament.

When the Lone Star Shootout mercifully ended Sunday afternoon, Mississippi pro Paul Elias, his reel still smoking, had hauled in 132 pounds 8 ounces worth of bass.

Elias, who came from behind to win with a final-day, five-fish limit weighing 37 pounds 11 ounces, shattered the previous tournament record of 122 pounds 14 ounces, set last year by Steve Kennedy on Northern California’s Clear Lake.

“It was just one of those days,” Elias, 56, said of Sunday’s performance, after accepting the $100,000 winner’s check. “I had the best day on the water I have ever experienced in 30 years of tournament fishing.”

He used a deep-diving crankbait for the first three days, then switched to a Manns worm. But most lures were effective.

In fact, all 12 anglers who qualified through Sunday posted four-day hauls of 100 pounds or more.

And in case anyone is wondering, all bass were released after weigh-in.

Meanwhile, in Santa Monica Bay

Fishing was not spectacular for 530 anglers who competed in the weekend’s Marina del Rey Halibut Derby.

Only 17 halibut meeting the derby’s 26-inch minimum were brought to the scale. Hundreds of “shorts” were released.

Dominic Gonzalez prevailed with a 37.3-pound halibut caught Saturday. Gonzalez, from Little Rock, Calif., earned a weeklong trip for two to Hotel Punta Colorada on Baja California’s East Cape.

Second place went to Ruben Valdez of Goleta (35.8 pounds) and third to Mark Pierpoint of Canoga Park (35.6 pounds, from a kayak).

Marlin on the move

Warmer water is luring marlin into the Sea of Cortez, a sure sign that a blustery cold winter is finally being replaced by spring.

“April is usually a bang-up month for marlin and it looks like it’s going to turn out that way again,” says John Ireland, owner of the East Cape’s Rancho Leonero Resort.

Tyler Althar, visiting with his father from Pensacola, Fla., caught a striped marlin and sailfish on the same day last week.

Ireland says small dorado are numerous offshore, and that a 60-pound tuna was donated by a guest to the hotel restaurant.

Farther south off Cabo San Lucas, marlin and football-sized tuna have put an end to the March doldrums.

Anglers aboard Valerie, a Pisces Sportfishing vessel, released six marlin in one day last week.

Local saltwater

Philip Friedman, who as founder of 976-tuna.com has been monitoring saltwater fishing activity off Southern California and Baja for 25 years, will post a “three best bets” element here weekly:

1) Rockfish and lingcod. On a recent overnight trip, the Freedom from 22nd St. Landing in San Pedro caught more than 70 lings and limits of rockfish. The Toronado out of Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach had 60 lings along with rockfish limits. Local rockfishing on three-quarter-day boats also has been good.

2) Bonito. It’s great to see them back in several locations. The Baja coast has yielded bonito to 15 pounds. They’re off Ensenada and just below the Coronado Islands. Catalina Island is providing three-quarter-day anglers good action on 2- to 6-pound bonito. A fly-lined sardine or anchovy is the best way to get bit.

3) White seabass and yellowtail. This is a developing story and while the bite’s hit-and-miss, there are some positive signs. If water temps warm to over 60 degrees and collide with good weather, the next full moon [April 20] may produce some excellent fishing.

Add yellowtail

John Yamate at Seaforth Sportfishing in San Diego reports lots of yellowtail sightings but only some takers at the Coronado Islands. The vessel San Diego, with 11 anglers, on Sunday scored six yellowtail to 18 pounds, 24 red snapper, 70 assorted rockfish and two calico bass.

Crowley’s quick thaw

Lane Garrett, manager at Crowley Lake Fish Camp, reports with a sigh of relief that the Eastern Sierra reservoir is 80% ice-free.

That’s good news for thousands of anglers planning to wet lines there during the April 26 opening of trout season.

The bad news for those hauling boats is that they’ll have to fill out a survey and pass quagga mussel inspection.

Vessels and trailers must be clean and dry – absolutely no debris – to be allowed onto the lake. Also, launching will be allowed only through the main gate at the south landing.

Casitas saga continues

Bass anglers are making do with limited access at Lake Casitas, which remains closed to private boaters because of fears of a quagga mussel invasion.

Josh Sharp simply fished from the B Camp shoreline and nailed the largest bass of the season: a 16 1/2-pounder on Power Worm.

Those who stored their vessels inside lake grounds before the ban are catching lots of five- to eight-pounders, manager Randy King says.

Mark Backes of San Diego caught a 12.4-pounder on a Stocker Trout lure, and Travis Walters of Oak View nailed a 12-pounder with a swimbait.

Meanwhile, the Casitas Municipal Water District this week will consider loosening the ban by allowing boaters to have their vessels inspected and strapped to their trailers with tamper-proof locks.

After 10 days they can return and use the lake if the strap is still locked on. They’ll be re-strapped upon exit. The initial 10-day quarantine is to kill any undetected quagga mussels or larvae.

Lake Cachuma is already using the strap system.

Lasting image

It’s not often that women is mentioned in reports sent our way, so the catch last week of an 11.2-pound trout by Brittnee Christman of San Dimas stands out as our lunker of the week. (See photo.)

This week’s trout plants

LOS ANGELES–Alondra Park Lake, Arroyo Seco Creek, Belvedere Lake, Big Tujunga Creek (Upper & Lower), Cerritos Lake, Downey Lake, Echo Park Lake, Hollenbeck Park Lake, Jackson Lake, Kenneth Hahn Lake, La Mirada Lake, Legg Lakes, Lincoln Park Lake, Magic Johnson Lake, Peck Roard Park Lake, Puddingstone Lake, San Gabriel River (East & West Forks) and Santa Fe Reservoir.

ORANGE–Laguna Lake and Trabuco Creek.

RIVERSIDE–Diamond Valley Reservoir, Hemet Lake and Perris Lake.

SAN BERNARDINO–Cucamonga Guasti Park Lake, Glen Helen Park Lake, Lytle Creek (Middle Fork), Miller Canyon Creek, Prado Park Lake, Silverwood Lake and Yucaipa Lake.

INYO–Cottonwood Creek, Diaz Lake, Georges Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, Owens River (below Tinnemaha), Owens River (Section 2), Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Shepherd Creek, Symmes Creek and Tuttle Creek.