Fishing Report : Lake Casitas Has Excellent Bites of Catfish, Crappie
Although trout have been the main attraction at most Southern California reservoirs, fishermen at Lake Casitas in Ventura County have discovered excellent catfish and crappie bites.
Joe Silvestri of Ojai used a piece of mackerel to catch a 21-pound catfish in the Santa Ana Arm. Jim Hollis of Oak View fished in deep water and caught 12 crappie averaging 1 3/4 pounds.
WILLOW BEACH--Several limits of trout, most being caught at fish hatchery, some to 2-0. Nightcrawlers best bait.
LAKE MEAD--Striped bass biting in Vegas Wash, mostly on shad, running to 9-0. Other species slow because of recent high winds.
BULLHEAD CITY--Trout action fair off shoreline and in sandy coves of lake. Fishing slow on river because of low water level. Crappie and catfish biting on minnows and mackerel at Topack Marsh.
SALTON SEA--Orangemouth corvina action fair in Red Hill area, with some limits reported. Artificials working best. Sargo bite good at North Shore. Tilapia and croaker biting in the afternoon, mostly at Bombay Beach.
LAKE CACHUMA--Trout action very good, mostly off the point at Jackrabbit Flats, averaging 2-0. Trollers using 2 colors and needlefish or still-fishermen using inflated night crawlers doing best. Largemouth bass picking up, biting at 20-25 feet, weighing up to 6-0.
LAKE CASITAS--Several limits of trout, biting mainly at Wadleigh Arm. Cheese best bait. Trollers using one color and needlefish also getting good results. Catfish excellent. Largemouth bass slow. Crappie biting, mostly on mini-jigs at 40 feet.
LAKE PIRU--Several limits of pan-sized trout, biting toward north end. Garlic cheese best bait. Largemouth bass action fair at north end of lake and along rocks at east side. Catfish slow.
CASTAIC LAKE--Fishing slow because of bad weather.
LAKE ISABELLA--Fishing slow overall because of cold weather. Some trout biting at Kissack and Paradise coves. Largemouth bass catchable mainly by boaters fishing deep water. Crawfish and water dogs best baits.
IRVINE LAKE--Trout the primary target. Nicholas Rash, Santa Ana, 11-12 trout caught on cheese. Frank Torres, Los Angeles, 11-0 trout caught on nightcrawler. James Ororio, Alhambra, 10-8 trout. Gene Korde, Mission Viejo, 10-12 trout. Sturgeon picking up--12 caught last week, all but one was released.
VAIL LAKE--Catfish bite good. Mackerel best bet. Leroy Lambert, Los Angeles, 14-12 catfish. Hank Britt, Oceanside, 9-5 catfish. Fred Hubert, Escondido, 12-1 catfish. Largemouth bass slow. Tom Lange, Escondido, 4-0 bass.
LAKE SILVERWOOD--Largemouth bass biting on standard baits and artificials. Striped bass action fair but some big fish reported. Jay Anderson, Riverside, 23-8 striper caught at spillway at 50-feet. Trout picking up. Crappie fair.
Saltwater
The Times accepts and publishes the catch count as a public service. Any responsibility for accuracy is that of the landing operator.
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--14 anglers (1 boat): 118 calico bass, 1 bonito, 75 mackerel.
VENTURA (Ventura Landing)--15 anglers (1 boat): 1 ling cod, 225 red snapper.
OXNARD--37 anglers (2 boats): 555 rock cod, 6 cow cod, 2 sole.
PORT HUENEME--24 anglers (2 boats): 166 rock cod, 4 cow cod, 50 red snapper, 4 sole, 5 halibut.
MALIBU--45 anglers (2 boats): 4 halibut, 10 sand bass, 145 sculpin, 153 rock cod, 190 mackerel.
MARINA DEL REY--82 anglers (3 boats): 5 halibut, 60 sculpin, 40 rockfish, 220 rock cod, 20 bonito.
SAN PEDRO--(L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--31 anglers (2 boats): 47 sand bass, 29 bonito, 1 halibut, 7 sculpin, 2 sheephead.
LONG BEACH--11 anglers (1 boat): 6 sand bass, 64 whitefish, 8 sculpin, 15 rockfish. (Belmont Pier)--12 anglers (1 boat): 33 rockfish, 13 sculpin, 100 mackerel, 2 sand bass, 72 whitefish, 2 sheephead.
NEWPORT--18 anglers (1 boat): 24 sand bass, 2 rockfish. (Davey’s Locker)--38 anglers (3 boats): 7 bonito, 8 rock cod, 7 calico bass, 17 sand bass, 6 sculpin, 11 whitefish, 11 sheephead.
DANA WHARF--22 anglers (2 boats): 9 bass, 93 rockfish, 4 mackerel. OCEANSIDE--20 anglers (1 boat): 2 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 2 sheephead, 20 rockfish, 32 sculpin, 150 rock cod.
SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--34 anglers (3 boats): 255 rock cod, 7 bass, 6 mackerel, 23 rockfish. (Seaforth)--39 anglers (3 boats): 92 rock cod, 6 sand bass, 57 rockfish, 52 mackerel, 4 sculpin, 1 ling cod.
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--Castaic Lake, Castaic Lagoon, Crystal Lake, Elizabeth Lake, Legg Lakes, Puddingstone Lake, San Gabriel River (East Fork).
SAN BERNARDINO--Colorado River (Needles), Cucamonga-Guisti Park Lake, Glen Helen Park Lake, Mojave Narrows Park Lake, Silverwood Lake.
RIVERSIDE--Cahuilla Lake, Skinner Lake.
VENTURA--Lake Casitas, Lake Piru.
SANTA BARBARA--Lake Cachuma.
