Fishing Report : Vail Lake Has a Big Catfish Week
Vail Lake posted one of its best weeks in recent memory for big channel catfish this week. Items: Jimmy Coutee, Compton, 22-pound 15-ounce catfish in a limit weighing 74-2; Sandy Clary, Bellflower, a 15-14, and Otis Kesler, Temecula, a 10-5 caught from shore.
Elsewhere, brisk striped bass action was reported at Pyramid and Silverwood lakes.
WILLOW BEACH--Good fishing for rainbow trout at 41-mile marker, trolling and still fishing over 20-25-foot depths, both sides of river. Upriver areas slow.
LAKE MEAD--Good reports on stripers at 30-to-35-foot depths at most reliable lake areas. Anchovies best bet, but some success with top water lures. Improved for largemouth bass, channel catfish.
BULLHEAD CITY--Improved catfish on lake. Fair for stripers, with catches of 3, 4-pound fish reported above casino row and at Fort Mohave by fishermen still fishing from boats with anchovies. Fair to good trolling for rainbows on Lake Mohave.
SALTON SEA--Good results at Red Hill, Mullet Island areas for 8 to 12-pound orangemouth corvina, with live bait. Good croaker, tilapia bite from North Shore to Bombay Beach. Sargo slow.
LAKE CACHUMA--Limits of trout for fishermen trolling at mid day, seven colors, by dam. Bass, crappie, catfish slow.
LAKE CASITAS--Catfish best bet, in shallows. Some bass success by early morning fishermen using surface and deep running lures around island.
PYRAMID LAKE--Good catches of small stripers from east side of island, fishing deep with anchovies. Crappie, bluegill improved.
LAKE CASTAIC--Good bass fishing: Brad Blahert, Sepulveda, 8-10; Roger Fisher, Granada Hills, 8-0. Some trout limits.
LAKE ISABELLA--Improved for big bass, with reports of 9 and 10-pounders caught at channels, tree stump areas. Good catfish results at Stine Cove. Good fishing for big crappie by tube fishermen using jigs.
SAN DIEGO LAKES--Otay: Good bass fishing with surface or shallow running lures. San Vicente: Fair overall. Good deep water trout fishing. Miramar: Best trout results this year, with best success by fishermen tying up at buoy line. El Capitan: Bluegill best bet. Anousina Bounthavy, San Diego, 31-14 blue catfish with cut mackerel. Hodges: Excellent bluegill results, 3,000 caught last weekend.
IRVINE LAKE--Catfish plants underway. Trout stocking resumes next winter. Bass, crappie fair.
BIG BEAR LAKE--Very good trout fishing, limits reported by trollers working dam to Metcalf Bay, observatory to Juniper Point. Good still fishing at Zebra Room, Rock Wall, Gilner Point. Standard cheese, egg baits best. Good bass results at rocks in Boulder Bay, reef near Stanfield Cutoff.
VAIL LAKE--Best catfish results this year. Cut mackerel baits best bet.
LAKE SILVERWOOD--Mike Sutherland, Fontana, 23-8 striper at spillway, with jig. Good striper, catfish results.
LAKE HENSHAW--Channel catfish best bet. Near limits reported all week. Luciano Rodrigures, 6, San Diego, 7-13 channel catfish.
BISHOP AREA--Good rainbow results at Lake Sabrina. Harold Byers, Fontana, 5-8 rainbow. Hikes still needed to reach North, South lakes. Ice nearly gone from South Lake. Crowley: Good Sacramento perch bite this week. Shore fishing slow to fair, good for trolling. Lower Owens River: fair overall.
CONVICT LAKE--Early morning, late evening limits reported. Standard baits best. Inlet area slowing down, heavy runoff.
JUNE LAKE LOOP--June: Good fishing from shore, boats, with standard baits. Gene Lamanna, Tujunga, 5-15 rainbow. Gull: Steady bite this week of planter-size trout. Boat fishing at reeds most productive area. Silver: Shore fishing with nightcrawlers good bet. Some fly fishing success evenings with trolled streamers or casting mosquito-pattern flies.
BRIDGEPORT AREA--Good week for big browns at Bridgeport Reservoir. Patsy Tolman, Rowland Heights, 7-8; Rick Rockel, Bridgeport, 6-8, Dave Bens, Ridgecrest, 5-0. Still, shore fishing best bets. Good to excellent results at East Walker River, several hatches underway. Upper, Lower Twin Lakes slow. Good results at Kirman, Virginia lakes.
Saltwater
SAN SIMEON--22 anglers (1 boat): 4 ling cod, 330 red rock cod, 3 rockfish.
MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--15 anglers (1 boat): 2 ling cod, 14 rock cod, 32 red rock cod, 171 red snapper, 8 bass.
AVILA BAY (Port San Luis)--12 anglers (1 boat): 2 ling cod, 27 red rock cod, 32 yellow bass, 49 rock cod.
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--17 anglers (1 boat): 56 calico bass, 4 sand bass, 2 barracuda, 7 rockfish.
VENTURA (Ventura Landing)--30 anglers (1 boat): 120 calico bass, 110 whitefish, 107 rockfish.
OXNARD--103 anglers (5 boats): 1 salmon, 58 calico bass, 180 whitefish, 300 rockfish, 2 sole, 2 ling cod, 12 cow cod, 426 rock cod.
MARINA DEL REY--61 anglers (2 boats): 4 halibut, 22 calico bass, 14 sand bass, 10 rockfish, 180 rock cod, 45 mackerel.
REDONDO--88 anglers (5 boats): 416 calico bass, 16 barracuda, 65 mackerel, 15 rockfish.
SAN PEDRO (Ports O’ Call)--76 anglers (3 boats): 95 barracuda, 134 calico bass, 131 sand bass, 1 halibut, 6 rockfish. (22nd St. Landing)--86 anglers (3 boats): 2 halibut, 61 barracuda, 11 bonito, 406 calico bass, 22 sand bass, 50 whitefish, 50 blue perch, 29 rockfish.
LONG BEACH (Belmont Pier)--47 anglers (2 boats): 201 calico bass, 27 barracuda, 53 sand bass. (Queen’s Wharf)--60 anglers (2 boats): 3 white sea bass, 149 barracuda, 236 calico bass, 52 sand bass, 115 rockfish, 3 whitefish.
SEAL BEACH--25 anglers (1 boat): 190 calico bass, 45 sand bass, 33 barracuda, 4 white sea bass.
NEWPORT (Newport Landing)--38 anglers (3 boats): 103 calico bass, 85 sand bass, 2 bonito, 3 halibut, 12 rockfish, 34 mackerel. (Davey’s Locker)--140 anglers (4 boats): 157 barracuda, 34 bonito, 1 yellowtail, 7 rockfish, 4 halibut, 430 calico bass, 227 sand bass, 45 mackerel, 1 whitefish, 1 white sea bass.
DANA WHARF--103 anglers (6 boats): 514 bass, 1 barracuda, 2 halibut, 2 rockfish, 111 mackerel, 1 black sea bass (100 lbs; released).
OCEANSIDE--38 anglers (3 boats): 147 calico bass, 71 sand bass, 156 rockfish.
SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--183 anglers (13 boats): 77 yellowtail, 225 barracuda, 104 bonito, 781 calico bass, 144 rockfish, 3 halibut. (Seaforth)--161 anglers ( 7 boats): 24 yellowtail, 1 barracuda, 21 bonito, 653 calico bass, 59 sand bass, 83 rockfish, 157 mackerel, 1 ling cod. (Islandia)--107 anglers (4 boats): 290 calico bass, 13 yellowtail, 32 sand bass, 90 ocean whitefish, 1 bonito, 84 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), Castaic Lake, San Gabriel River (East, West, North forks).
SAN BERNARDINO--Big Bear Lake, Gregory Lake, Jenks Lake, Lytle Creek (Middle, North forks).
RIVERSIDE--Skinner Lake.
SAN DIEGO--San Luis Rey River, Sweetwater River.
VENTURA--Reyes Creek, Rose Valley Lake, Santa Paula Creek, Upper Sespe 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, 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 and Intake II), Georges Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, Owens River (Below Tinemeha, Laws Bridge downstream to Stewart Lane), Shepherds Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemeha Creek, Tuttle Creek.
MONO--Bridgeport Reservoir, Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, Geeen Creek, Gull Lake, 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, Robinson Creek, Rush Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Twin Lakes Mammoth, Virginia Creek, Walker River (Chris Flat Campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).