Fishing Report : 47-Pound Catfish Is a San Diego Record

Jim McGuire was hoping to entice a fat largemouth bass when he tossed a four-inch plastic worm into a shallow, brushy area of San Diego’s El Capitan Lake last week.

When he felt a nibble and set the hook, however, he figured he had snagged a tree stump. Then it moved. Turns out it was the biggest fresh-water fish in San Diego history--a blue catfish that weighed 47 pounds.

McGuire, from Escondido, is on a hot streak. The previous weekend, he and a partner had won the U.S. Bass team tournament at Lake Hodges. He has submitted his 42-inch blue cat for world-record consideration by the International Game Fish Assn. The listed record is 40 pounds 8 ounces.

A biologist who examined McGuire’s fish identified it from fin clips as one of 500 two-pound blues that were planted in El Capitan in 1973.

WILLOW BEACH--Good rainbow trout fishing from boats, shore. More limits downriver, bigger fish upriver.

LAKE MEAD--Generally good striped bass results at most sites, at 35-50-foot depths. Temple Bar, Iceberg Canyon particularly good. Good largemouth bass results at mouths of Muddy, Virgin rivers.

BULLHEAD CITY--Stripers moving upriver, fishermen catching them drifting downriver, just south of casino row. Don Hatfield, Buena Park, 17-0 striper. Most drifting fishermen bagging half-limits of stripers. Good trolling for trout on Lake Mohave.

SALTON SEA--David Ames, Cathedral City, 29-8 orangemouth corvina, largest of year. Ames caught his fish Monday, drifting with a mudsucker off Corvina Beach. Good corvina results since Monday with Red Hill the hot spot. Good tilapia results throughout sea.

LAKE CACHUMA--Good largemouth results in narrows, Santa Cruz Bay with plugs. Good trout fishing with cheese baits behind island or trolling under chalk cliffs. Trout best bet.

LAKE CASITAS--Some big bass showing up. Dennis Neitzel, Oxnard: 12-4. Several others 7 to 11 this week.

PYRAMID LAKE--Darrel Norton, Los Angeles, 18-0 striper. Good for catfish, largemouth, crappie. Stripers fair.

LAKE PIRU--Good for trout at north end, near dam, trolling four colors with standard lures. Good for bass at Santa Felicia, Diablo coves.

CASTAIC LAKE--Dennis Silva, Saugus, 10-0 largemouth. Bass slowing down. Trout fair.

LAKE ISABELLA--Night fishing for catfish best bet. Good bass results from boats near submerged trees. Some trout action for trollers at dam.

SAN DIEGO LAKES--Otay: Fair bass action for fishermen using surface lures at tule lines. Fair for catfish. San Vicente: Fair for bass; some large catches this week. Good for catfish. Steady results on trout. Miramar: Slow for bass. Fair overall. El Capitan: Fair to good. Sutherland: Fair. Hodges: Good bluegill bite all week; 1,221 caught Wednesday alone. Bass fair to good. More big bass than all other San Diego lakes combined, with 13-14, 12-14, 12-4, 11-1, 10-4 weighed this week.

IRVINE LAKE--Good for trout, with limits reported by trollers working west shore at dam. Catfish, bass good. Crappie scattered.

VAIL LAKE--Good for bass, crappie. Limits of small largemouth bass reported along cove shorelines. Cary Areu Bloomington, 10-4 bass. Bob Bringhurst, La Verne, 10-2 bass.

LAKE HENSHAW--Good fishing for crappie, catfish. Bass slow.

BISHOP AREA--Good ice fishing continues at Lake Sabrina, with mornings rated best. Jeff Barnett, 11, Pasadena, 5-12 rainbow. Good results at middle, south forks of Bishop Creek. Intake II slow. Pleasant Valley Reservoir fair. Good bait fishing at Lower Owens River, slow for fly fishing. Crowley improving daily.

CONVICT LAKE--Daily limits reported since opening weekend. Steve Mates, Mira Loma, 5-8 rainbow.

JUNE LAKE LOOP--Improved June Lake fishing since opening weekend. Inflated nightcrawlers from shore working effectively. Gull, Silver fair to good afternoon fishing. Good results at Upper Rush Creek.

BRIDGEPORT AREA--Several trout in seven-, eight-pound class reported at Bridgeport Reservoir this week by trollers in mid-lake areas. Some 11s, 12s caught at Upper, Lower Twin. Streamer flies attracting five- to seven-pound browns on East Walker River.

Saltwater

The Times accepts and publishes the catch count as a public service. Any responsibility for accuracy is that of the landing operator.

SAN SIMEON--15 anglers (1 boat): 2 ling cod, 6 rock cod, 187 red rock cod, 16 red snapper, 16 bass.

MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--10 anglers (1 boat): 2 ling cod, 5 rock cod, 5 red rock cod, 120 red snapper, 20 bass.

AVILA BAY (Port San Luis)--23 anglers (2 boats): 11 king salmon, 7 ling cod, 39 red rock cod, 22 yellow bass, 59 rock cod.

SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--37 anglers (2 boats): 159 calico bass, 5 halibut, 12 rockfish, 1 barracuda.

VENTURA (Ventura Landing)--19 anglers (1 boat): 220 rock cod, 24 red snapper.

OXNARD--75 anglers (4 boats): 330 rock cod, 22 cow cod, 200 rockfish, 1 barracuda, 195 calico bass, 4 salmon.

PORT HUENEME--15 anglers (2 boats): 120 rock cod, 1 cow cod, 75 red snapper, 8 king salmon. MALIBU--21 anglers (1 boat): 38 calico bass, 9 sand bass, 2 halibut, 1 barracuda, 3 rockfish.

MARINA DEL REY--54 anglers (2 boats): 8 halibut, 13 sand bass, 16 rockfish, 90 rock cod, 12 mackerel.

REDONDO--71 anglers (3 boats): 215 calico bass, 5 sand bass, 140 blue perch, 9 sargo, 260 rockfish.

SAN PEDRO (Ports O’ Call)--107 anglers (4 boats): 25 yellowtail, 173 calico bass, 80 sand bass, 11 barracuda, 2 halibut, 5 bonito, 88 rockfish. (22nd St. Landing)--73 anglers (3 boats): 3 white sea bass, 7 halibut, 333 calico bass, 16 bonito, 67 rockfish, 1 barracuda.

SEAL BEACH--17 anglers (1 boat): 38 sand bass, 35 calico bass, 25 whitefish, 15 rockfish, 10 mackerel, 2 halibut.

NEWPORT (Newport Landing)--18 anglers (2 boats): 84 bass, 7 rockfish, 44 mackerel. (Davey’s Locker)--93 anglers (3 boats): 2 barracuda, 130 bonito, 1 yellowtail, 2 halibut, 354 calico bass, 67 sand bass, 66 mackerel, 16 rockfish, 25 blue perch.

DANA WHARF--32 anglers (2 boats): 168 bass, 1 rockfish, 50 mackerel.

OCEANSIDE--45 anglers (1 boat): 122 calico bass, 18 sand bass, 1 halibut, 21 rockfish, 100 mackerel.

SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--64 anglers (5 boats): 32 barracuda, 2 bonito, 182 bass, 116 rockfish, 140 mackerel. (Seaforth)--61 anglers (3 boats): 8 yellowtail, 24 barracuda, 4 bonito, 119 calico bass, 29 rockfish, 97 mackerel. (Islandia)--37 anglers (2 boats): 93 calico bass, 6 sand bass, 20 mackerel, 16 rockfish.

Trout Plants

A list of waters scheduled to be planted by the Department of Fish and Game, weather and road conditions permitting, by counties:

LOS ANGELES--Arroyo Seco Creek, Big Tujunga Creek (Upper, Lower), Castaic Lake, Crystal Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Malibu Creek, Peck Road Park Lake, Piru Creek (Frenchman’s Flat), San Gabriel River (East, West, North forks), Santa Fe Reservoir.

SAN BERNARDINO--Arrowbear Lake, Cucamonga Creek, Green Valley Lake, Holcomb Creek, Jenks Lake, Lytle Creek (Middle, North forks), Mohave Narrows Park Lake.

RIVERSIDE--Dark Canyon Creek, Evans Lake, Fuller-Mill Creek, Fulmor Lake, Skinner Lake, Strawberry Creek.

SANTA BARBARA--Davy Brown Creek, Manzana Creek, Santa Ynez River.

SAN DIEGO--San Luis Rey River, Sweetwater River.

VENTURA--Matilija Creek, Santa Paula Creek, Ventura River (North Fork).

KERN--Alder Creek, Cedar Creek, Erskine Creek, Hart Park Lake, Kern River (Democrat Dam to KR1 Powerhouse, Borel Powerhouse to Democrat Dam, Isabella Dam to Borel Powerhouse, KR3 Powerhouse to Lake Isabella.)

TULARE--Bone Creek, Deer Creek, Dry Meadow Creek, Kern River (South Fork), Kern River (Fairview Dam to KR3 Powerhouse, Johnsondale Bridge to Fairview Dam), Nobe Young Creek, Peppermint Creek (Upper, Lower), Poso Creek, South Creek, Tule River (Middle, North, South forks of Main Fork, Cedar Slope Area), White River.

INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South, Intake II), Cottonwood Creek, Georges Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, Lower Owens River (below Tinemeha), Shepherds Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemeha Creek, Tuttle Creek.

MONO--Bridgeport Reservoir, Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Grant Lake, Gull Lake, Hilton Creek, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek, Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Upper Owens River (Benton Crossing, Big Springs), Pine Creek, Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Reversed Creek, Robinson Creek, Rush Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place to Rock Creek Road), Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Swauger Creek, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Virginia Creek, Walker River, Chris Flat campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows campground to Sonora Bridge.)