Catfish Breaking Out, Especially at Casitas, Pyramid

Catfish are biting at most Southland reservoirs and fishermen at Ventura County’s Lake Casitas and Los Angeles County’s Pyramid Lake appear to be doing best.

Gary Tieso of Carpinteria caught a 21-pound catfish at Casitas and Rick Sandford and Mark Ruben of West Covina teamed to catch seven catfish totaling 33 pounds at Pyramid.

WILLOW BEACH--River level low and trout bite generally slow, with most fish taken up river.

LAKE MEAD--Striped bass biting throughout lake, with bigger fish coming from Overton Arm and Vegas Wash. Anchovies best bet. Largemouth bass biting to 20 feet in coves and near dropoffs. Waterdogs best bet. Catfish picking up, biting on anchovies and nightcrawlers.

BULLHEAD CITY--Striped bass bite good in river, with most fish between one and three pounds. David Cherry, Bullhead City, 16-pound striper. Catfish between three and five pounds biting in river and lake. Other species slow.

SALTON SEA--Orangemouth corvina bite good, with live bait working best. Fish in the 10-pound class common.

LAKE CACHUMA--Largemouth bass taking dark plastic worms, biting to 20 feet in coves and near dropoffs. Trout biting throughout lake.

LAKE CASITAS--Largemouth bass biting along east shoreline and Sunken Island at 15-25 feet, most baits working. Mike Novac, Camarillo, 12-pound bass. Catfish biting at 20 feet. Mackerel best bet. Trout biting best on Power Bait at Wadleigh Arm. Greg Moter, 3 1/4-pound trout.

PYRAMID LAKE--Catfish bite very good, with dam best bet. Largemouth and smallmouth bass bites strong. Several limits. Striped bass bite slow despite good conditions. Bob Hanley, Westchester, 14-pound striper.

LAKE PIRU--Trout fishing good in San Felicia Cove and dam. Power Bait and gold lures. Largemouth bass biting in rocky areas. Jim Wells, Fillmore, 7 1/2-pound bass. Catfish picking up, working their way toward north end of lake.

LAKE ISABELLA--Strong largemouth bass bite off banks. Some fish to 10 pounds. Catfish and crappie bites fair.

IRVINE LAKE--Catfish bite strong in shallows, some biting at two feet. Trout bite fair, with some upwards of 10 pounds. Bluegills biting on minijigs.

BIG BEAR--Trout bite fair throughout lake, with some limits. Most baits working.

LAKE SILVERWOOD--Striped bass bite consistent, with fish averaging about 15 pounds. Catfish picking up, averaging five pounds.

BRIDGEPORT--Big browns started biting on Lower Twin Lake. The Bringhurst brothers of Apple Valley, using the new “Alive” compound on wet lures, caught 17 fish 2-8 pounds. Carmen Lake has produced brook trout up to 4 3/4 pounds and cutthroat to 6 1/2. Bridgeport Reservoir has yielded rainbows to 5 pounds trolling and stillfishing. Little Virginia Lake is open and fishable for pan-size trout. Some ice.

JUNE LAKE LOOP--Thunderstorms with heavy rain the last two days, but fishing uniform during the intervals. Ken Ross, San Diego, 3 3/4-pound rainbow on Gull Lake on trout-colored rapala. Jerry Meeks, Burbank, 4-9 rainbow shorefishing in June Lake with Power Bait.

MAMMOTH--Cooling trend this weekend, with possible rain. Hot Creek has been tough, with lots of fishing pressure. Nymphs best, with an indicator and enough weight to sink to the bottom. The Owens at Benton Crossing is very slow, but the Owens River at Big Springs has good action for rainbows 12-20 inches, using nymphs for catching or dry flies for excitement. The Twin Lakes at Mammoth have had action in the evening, trolling and casting flies from float tubes. Shorefishing slow. At Crowley Lake, trout not interested in flies. Boats with scopes indicate fish on the bottom feeding on fly hatches. Lures good for limits at Convict Lake, rainbows 2-3 pounds.

BISHOP--Big browns and rainbows coming from Big Pine Creek, using worms and mini-micro marshmallows. Catches in the river 3-4 pounds with baby nightcrawlers and crickets. Many limits. Pleasant Valley Reservoir turned a 17 1/2-pound brown on a Kastmaster. Diaz Lake at Lone Pine has had abundance of 2-3-pound catches on Power Bait and Velveeta cheese.

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--Big Rock Creek, Bouquet Canyon Creek, Lake Castaic, Castaic Lagoon, Elizabeth Lake, Puddingstone Lake, San Gabriel River (East, West and North forks).

RIVERSIDE--Lake Skinner.

SAN BERNARDINO--Green Valley Lake, Lake Gregory, Jenks Lake, Santa Ana River, Santa Ana River (South Fork).

SAN DIEGO--Lake Cuyamaca, Doane Pond, San Luis Rey River.

SANTA BARBARA--Santa Ynez River.

VENTURA--Matilijia Creek, Lake Piru, Santa Paula Creek, Ventura River (North Fork).

INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middlem, South forks and Intake II), Cottonwood Creek, Georges Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River (below Tinemeha and Laws Bridge downstream to Steward Lane), Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Rock Creek (Rock Creek Lake to the end of the road), Rock Creek Lake, Shepherds Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemeha Creek, Tuttle Creek.