Fishing Report : Arctic Grayling Begin to Bite in Sierra
From the Eastern Sierra, a region where rainbow and brown trout share the attention, comes word of a little gamester from remote northern regions.
Arctic grayling, a gamefish (12 inches is big) with a sail-like dorsal fin, were stocked in high California lakes on an experimental basis for several years beginning in 1969. The fish evolved in northern Canada and Alaska waters, but nowhere, it is believed, has its introduction into California waters resulted in a viable large-scale fishery.
But for several weeks each summer, at Lobdell Lake in the Eastern Sierra, where there is some grayling reproduction, the little fish go into a vigorous surface feeding pattern. Fishermen using tiny lures or gray hackle fly patterns can catch a dozen grayling a day at Lobdell. The lake is located off the Bercham Flats turnoff, about 14 miles north of Bridgeport, on Highway 395.
WILLOW BEACH--Good still, trolling action on rainbow trout south of resort. Standard baits working best.
LAKE MEAD--Most striped bass success at 30-to-50-foot depths on cut anchovies, but some top water action in many lower basin areas. Good reports from Vegas Wash, Black Island. Striper action slowing at Bonelli Bay. Largemouth bass action fair to good off points, 15 to 30 feet.
BULLHEAD CITY--Good night trout fishing with lights on Lake Mohave. Baits best. Daytime trolling fair to good. Some catfish success in sandy bottom coves. Slow for largemouth bass. Good striper fishing on river, drifting with anchovies from casino row south. Fish running 3 to 8 pounds.
SALTON SEA--Best orangemouth corvina action Bombay Beach to Red Hill, from boats, 75 yards from shore, with live baits. Fish running 12 to 18 pounds. Tilapia, croaker good throughout sea.
LAKE CACHUMA--Trout best bet, trolling 7 to 10 colors, at dam. Catfish improved. Bass slow.
PYRAMID LAKE--Numerous 4 to 12-pound stripers east side of island, off points, working bottom with anchovies. Catfish, crappie improved.
LAKE PIRU--Good trolling, 6 to 8 colors. Improved catfish activity north end, with cut mackerel, nightcrawlers. Some bass being caught. Trout best bet.
LAKE SKINNER--Good catfish bite underway with nightcrawlers, mackerel, shrimp. Some deep water trout. Bass, crappie scattered.
LAKE ISABELLA--Bass good from boats in tree areas. Good night catfish bite. Tube fishermen report good crappie, bluegill results in tree areas.
SAN DIEGO LAKES--Otay: Fair for bass, some surface activity where bass feeding on threadfin shad. Fair for channel catfish on cut mackerel, bonito. Miramar: Surprisingly good trout fishing, good for redear sunfish, small catfish. El Capitan: Fair for bass, channel and blue catfish. Larry Maston, El Cajon, 10-13 largemouth on shiner. Sutherland: Fair for channel catfish, bluegill. Bass poor. Hodges: Bass slightly improved, but still slow. Some big channel catfish.
IRVINE LAKE--Good still fishing for catfish at nights. Crappie very good, other species slow.
BIG BEAR LAKE--Good shore fishing at north shore for trout from dam to Gray’s Landing. Good trolling with small lures and nightcrawlers. Still fishing good at Zebra Room, rock wall with cheese baits, eggs, marshmallows. Good catfish results early morning, late evening at Eagle Points with cut mackerel.
VAIL LAKE--Good for bass, bluegill, catfish. Don Clary, Bellflower, 12-12 catfish. Jerry Pierce, Pomona, 6-3 and 4-5 bass, same day, plastic worms. John Levy, Rancho, Calif., 8-6 catfish, shore.
LAKE SILVERWOOD--Good for stripers, largemouth bass. About 10 stripers over 20 pounds weighed this week.
LAKE HENSHAW--Channel catfish best bet, limits reported. Shore fishing good, better from boats. Some limits of small to medium-sized largemouth bass.
BISHOP AREA--Fair fishing overall. Heavy stocking this week prior to holiday weekend. Sabrina, South lakes both good. Streams running high, clear. Back country lakes report: Hurd, Long, Mary Louise, Bull, Lower Chocolate all open. Crowley: Trout spotty, good Sacramento perch fishing in weedy areas. Roy Feldman, Burbank, 5-8 brown trout at Pleasant Valley Reservoir.
CONVICT LAKE--Good morning fishing for trollers at inlet. Windy afternoons. Genevieve, Mildred lakes open but still heavy snow in some trail portions.
JUNE LAKE LOOP--June: Good fishing for 3 and 4-pound rainbows on marshmallows in coves across from marinas, trolling lures, nightcrawlers. Gull: Still fishing best with red eggs, marshmallows. Trolling evenings with Hornberg fly patterns good bet. Silver: Evening trolling with brown ghost flies, small lures best bet.
BRIDGEPORT AREA--Bridgeport Reservoir very slow. Boat fishing best bet early mornings. East Walker River: Water running high, fast, but good fishing. Virgina Lakes spotty.
Saltwater
SAN SIMEON--40 anglers (2 boats): 4 ling cod, 16 rock cod, 361 red rock cod, 226 red snapper, 12 bass.
MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--66 anglers (3 boats): 103 rock cod, 56 red rock cod, 485 red snapper, 54 bass, 1 halibut, 7 king salmon.
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--80 anglers (4 boats): 146 calico bass, 55 sand bass, 1 haibut, 1 cabazon, 341 red snapper, 18 rockfish.
VENTURA (Ventura Landing)--36 anglers (1 boat): 200 calico bass, 1 barracuda, 40 whitefish, 100 rockfish.
OXNARD--202 anglers (7 boats): 1,077 calico bass, 79 barracuda, 1 ling cod, 222 whitefish, 539 rockfish, 115 rock cod.
MALIBU--125 anglers (3 boats): 88 calico bass, 2 halibut, 5 barracuda, 180 rockfish.
MARINA DEL REY--100 anglers (4 boats): 1 white sea bass, 1 halibut, 3 barracuda, 121 calico bass, 136 sand bass, 200 rock cod, 75 mackerel.
REDONDO--170 anglers (7 boats): 39 bonito, 214 calico bass, 75 sand bass, 35 barracuda, 120 mackerel, 118 rockfish.
SAN PEDRO (Ports O’ Call)--91 anglers (5 boats): 2 bluefin tuna, 51 bonito, 18 barracuda, 26 calico bass, 152 sand bass, 6 rockfish, 48 mackerel. (22nd St. Landing)--157 anglers (4 boats): 8 bluefin tuna, 342 calico bass, 161 sand bass, 42 bonito, 89 barracuda, 6 halibut.
LONG BEACH (Belmont Pier)--97 anglers (2 boats): 390 sand bass, 420 mackerel. Barge--116 anglers: 125 mackerel, 5 blue perch.
SEAL BEACH--83 anglers (3 boats): 700 sand bass, 10 barraucda, 4 halibut, 300 mackerel, 2 bonito. Barge--30 anglers: 200 mackerel, 4 sand bass, 5 blue perch, 1 halibut.
NEWPORT (Newport Landing)--122 anglers (5 boats): 20 barracuda, 60 bonito, 384 sand bass, 116 calico bass, 8 rockfish, 73 mackerel. (Davey’s Locker)--234 anglers (6 boats): 408 barracuda, 256 bonito, 4 yellowtail, 1 bluefin tuna, 1 halibut, 133 calico bass, 282 san d bass, 8 rockfish, 66 mackerel, 3 blue shark, 1 mako shark.
DANA WHARF--237 anglers (8 boats): 825 bass, 14 barracuda, 11 rockfish, 46 mackerel.
OCEANSIDE--166 anglers (6 boats): 39 barracuda, 15 bonito, 287 calico bass, 630 sand bass, 5 halibut, 39 rockfish, 385 mackerel.
SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--255 anglers (13 boats): 11 yellowtail, 1 white sea bass, 1301 barracuda, 50 bonito, 1357 bass, 178 rockfish, 306 misc. 2 bluefin tuna, 100 mackerel. (Islandia)--216 anglers (5 boats): 29 barracuda, 25 bonito, 191 calico bass, 21 sand bass, 126 rockfish, 114 mackerel. (Seaforth)--312 anglers (7 boats): 111 barracuda, 30 bonito, 124 kelp bass, 127 sand bass, 6 0 rockfish, 223 mackerel, 1 halibut.
Trout Plants
LOS ANGELES--Bouquet Canyon Creek, Jackson Lake, Little Rock Reservoir.
SAN BERNARDINO--Green Valley Lake, Santa Ana River, Santa Ana River (South Fork), Silverwood Lake.
RIVERSIDE--Hemet Lake, Fulmor Lake.
SAN DIEGO--Cuyamaca Lake.
KERN--Brite Valley 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, 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), South Creek, Tule River (Middle Fork, North, South forks of Main Fork, Cedar Slope area).
MADERA--San Joaquin River, Starkweather Lake. INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South, Intake II), Georges Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Lower Owens River (below Tinemeha, Laws Bridge downstream to Stewart Lane), Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Rock Creek Lake, Shepherds Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemeha Creek, Tuttle Creek.
MONO--Bridgeport Reservoir, Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Crowley Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, Green Creek, Gull Lake, Hilton Creek, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek, Lee Vining Creek (South Fork), Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, Mary Lake, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Upper Owens River (Benton Crossing, Big Springs), Reversed Creek, Robinson Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake, Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Swauger Creek, Tioga Lake, Trumbull Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport (Upper, Lower), Twin Lakes Mammoth, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes (Upper, Lower), West Walker River (Chris Flat Campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).
ALPINE--Blue Lakes (Upper, Lower).
