It’s a Big Week in Southland for Big Catches of Catfish
Several exceptionally big catfish were caught by Southland reservoir fishermen this week, the largest a 42-pound 4-ounce blue catfish at Lake San Vicente in San Diego County by Jim Davis of Chula Vista.
At Irvine Lake, Larry Zeulner caught a 30-pound 8-ounce channel catfish. At Lake Sutherland in San Diego County, Dwayne Gant and Vince Johnson, both of El Cajon, put together a stringer of 17 catfish that weighed 158 pounds 3 ounces.
WILLOW BEACH--Good fishing for rainbow trout at 39-mile marker, still-fishing with standard baits. Some limits reported. Other areas slow.
LAKE MEAD--Improved largemouth, striped bass fishing in lake’s upper regions. Good striper action in lower basin from Vegas Wash to Saddle Island, fishing 40-foot depths with anchovies. Catfish slow.
BULLHEAD CITY--Good striper fishing in river for two- to four-pound fish, drifting or shore fishing with anchovies. Fort Mohave area best bet, also shores nearest dam. Trolling for rainbows on Lake Mohave good, fishermen averaging five to six fish per rod.
SALTON SEA--Best orangemouth corvina action of the year underway throughout sea. Live mudsuckers or tilapia minnows best bet from boats, 50 to 75 yards off shore. Corvina running 12 to 16 pounds. Numerous limits. Good croaker, sargo bite at Bombay area.
LAKE CACHUMA--Good results for trollers using seven colors, north shore areas. Bait fishing at dam good bet, at 30 feet with cheese baits, nightcrawlers. Good for catfish with cut mackerel in narrows area. Slow for bass.
LAKE CASITAS--Good fishing for several species; trout in deep water by dam, bass, catfish.
LAKE PIRU--Good fishing with lowered water level. Trout best bet. Limits reported this week. Trolling eight to nine colors near dam good bet. Fair for bass in coves. Good catfish results at north end.
CASTAIC LAKE--Fair for bass, trout. Catfish best bet.
LAKE ISABELLA--Good for crappie at Tilly Creek inflow, on lake’s west side near Wofford Heights. Fishermen wading shallows near submerged trees. Slow for bass. Occasional silver salmon. Catfish best at Kissack, Stein, Brown’s coves.
SAN DIEGO LAKES--Otay: Slow for largemouth bass. Improved for channel catfish. Hodges: 12 bass nine pounds or more this week, largest 12-0 by Mike Doornbos, Fountain Valley, with plastic worm near dock. Few limits, but excellent for big bass. Clara Ballinger, San Diego, 18-0 channel catfish on cut bonito at Del Dios area. Very good run of big crappie underway, with average sizes on some stringers close to two pounds. Paul Carter, John Lamberth, Los Angeles, 7 crappie weighing 13-12. Five more for 10-3 following day. Miramar: Good deep-water fishing for rainbow trout for bait fishermen. El Capitan: Good for bass. Steve Silvius, La Mesa, 10-0 bass with brown plastic worm. Sutherland: Outstanding channel catfish results, slow for bass. Bob Ullery, El Cajon, 20-10 channel cat on cut mackerel, Santa Isabel Arm. San Vicente: Closes sunset Sunday. Fair to good bass bite, good for catfish. Davis used a “mackerel fillet” for his 42-4 blue. Lake Murray: Open weekends only, producing scattered bass, catfish catches.
IRVINE LAKE--Very good catfish results. Good for crappie, bass. Daily limits of small bass reported.
VAIL LAKE--Harlan Rogers, Brea, 3-8 and 8-8 largemouth bass Thursday with purple plastic worm. Fred McNelson, Los Angeles, three catfish weighing 20-12 at Goose Bay.
LAKE SILVERWOOD--Good striper results this week, with numerous fish in eight-pound class. Drifting with anchovies near spillway, main channel best bets. Good for largemouth bass. Catfish fair.
LAKE HENSHAW--Gary Garahand, Vista, 10 channel catfish weighing 50-3, with shad. Following day, Garahand and brother, Dean, 20 catfish weighing 68-6, largest 8-2. Numerous catfish limits and 50, 60-pound stringers. Fair for crappie. Limits of small bass.
BISHOP REGION--Fair overall. South, Sabrina lakes fair to good for planter-size rainbows. Pleasant Valley Reservoir slow. Lower Owens River yielding good catches in evenings for fly fishermen, bait fishermen using crickets. Most back country lakes opening up quickly.
CONVICT LAKE--Fair to good fishing, most limits caught from shore.
JUNE LAKE LOOP--June: Bait fishing best bet for limits. Gull: Trolling Hornberg flies in mid-day good bet. Fair fishing.
BRIDGEPORT AREA--Excellent dry fly fishing underway on East Walker River, with light Cahill, olive elk hair caddis, tan timberline emerger and No. 2 Hornberg streamer flies. Spin fishermen experiencing good action on floating, sinking lures in late evenings. Bridgeport Reservoir running hot, cold on rainbows from one to six pounds. Good for Sacramento perch. Upper, Lower Twin Lakes: Good for pan-size fish only.
Saltwater
SALTWATER SAN SIMEON--39 anglers (1 boat): 17 ling cod, 24 rock cod, 434 red rock cod, 71 red snapper, 56 bass, 2 rock sole.
MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--34 anglers (2 boats): 18 ling cod, 205 rock cod, 5 red rock cod, 30 red snapper, 89 bass, 13 halibut, 27 cabazon, 9 sea trout.
AVILA BAY (Port San Luis)--22 anglers (1 boat): 16 ling cod, 104 red rock cod, 73 yellow bass, 153 rock cod.
VENTURA (Ventura Landing)--44 anglers (2 boats): 3 barracuda, 185 sand bass, 6 halibut, 1 ling cod, 48 rock cod, 2 cow cod, 80 calico bass.
OXNARD--60 anglers (4 boats): 240 rock cod, 2 cow cod, 51 rockfish, 1 barracuda, 40 sheephead, 65 whitefish, 280 calico bass, 6 sand bass.
PORT HUENEME--45 anglers (3 boats): 180 rock cod, 108 calico bass, 110 sand bass, 1 halibut, 65 rockfish.
MALIBU--44 anglers (2 boats): 1 halibut, 38 calico bass, 18 sand bass, 26 bonito, 19 mackerel, 25 rockfish.
MARINA DEL REY--86 anglers (4 boats): 1 halibut, 7 barracuda, 79 calico bass, 87 sand bass, 269 rock cod, 1 cow cod, 1 cabazon, 3 sole, 63 bonito.
REDONDO--144 anglers (7 boats): 161 bonito, 354 calico bass, 139 sand bass, 33 barracuda, 2 halibut, 1 cabazon, 14 sheephead, 58 blue perch, 64 rockfish. Barge--60 anglers: 60 bonito, 18 bass, 2 barracuda, 1 cabazon, 250 mackerel, 28 rockfish.
SAN PEDRO (22nd St. Landing)--70 anglers (3 boats): 9 yellowtail, 1 white sea bass, 192 barracuda, 230 calico bass, 156 bonito, 36 rockfish. (Ports ‘O Call)--89 anglers (5 boats): 4 yellowtail, 244 calico bass, 49 sand bass, 42 barracuda, 12 rockfish, 282 bonito.
LONG BEACH (Belmont Pier)--45 anglers (2 boats): 180 sand bass, 66 calico bass, 43 barracuda, 41 bonito, 310 mackerel. (Queen’s Wharf)--70 anglers (2 boats): 2 white sea bass, 5 yellowtail, 149 barracuda, 201 bonito, 156 calico bass, 210 sand bass, 28 rockfish, 156 mackerel.
NEWPORT (Davey’s Locker)--200 anglers (5 boats): 249 barracuda, 360 bonito, 18 yellowtail, 83 calico bass, 408 sand bass, 87 mackerel, 1 sand dab, 6 mako shark, 3 blue shark.
DANA WHARF--209 anglers (8 boats): 645 bass, 31 barracuda, 28 bonito, 2 yellowtail, 18 rockfish, 86 mackerel, 1 blue fin tuna.
OCEANSIDE--63 anglers (4 boats): 51 bonito, 59 calico bass, 33 sand bass, 57 mackerel.
SAN DIEGO (H&M; landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--361 anglers (14 boats): 108 yellowtail, 395 barracuda, 211 bonito, 384 bass, 123 rockfish, 5 halibut, 2 white sea bass. (Seaforth)--171 anglers (8 boats): 7 yellowtail, 166 barracuda, 308 bonito, 833 calico bass, 6 sand bass, 23 rockfish, 145 mackerel, 2 sheephead, 3 halibut. (Islandia)--100 anglers (5 boats): 179 barracuda, 377 bonito, 387 calico bass, 9 rockfish, 80 mackerel.
Trout Plants
A list of waters scheduled to be planted next week by the Department of Fish and Game, weather and road conditions permitting, by counties:
LOS ANGELES--Big Rock Creek, Bouquet Canyon Creek, Castaic Lagoon, Puddingstone Lake, Pyramid Lake.
SAN BERNARDINO--Big Bear Lake, Jenks Lake, Santa Ana River, Santa Ana River (South Fork).
RIVERSIDE--Fulmor Lake, Hemet Lake, Perris Lake, Skinner Lake.
SANTA BARBARA--Lake Cachuma.
VENTURA--Lake Casitas, Lake Piru.
SAN LUIS OBISPO--Laguna Lake, Lopez Lake.
INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle South forks and Intake II), George Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Lower Owens River (below Tinemeha and Laws Bridge downstream to Steward Lane), Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Rock Creek Lake, Rock Creek (Rock Creek Lake to end of road), Shepherd Creek, South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinemeha Creek, Tuttle Creek.
MONO--Bridgeport Reservoir, Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, George 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, Robinson Creek, Rush Creek, Rock Creek, (Paradise Came to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Swauger Creek, Trumbull Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Twin Lakes Mammoth, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows campground to Sonora Bridge).
KERN--Alder Creek, Cedar Creek, 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, Poso Creek, South Creek, Tule River (Middle Fork, North, South forks of Main Fork, Cedar Slope area), White River.
