Outdoors : Lake Castaic Is the Place for the Best Largemouth

To say largemouth bass have been active at Lake Castaic would be an understatement. So many sizable fish have been caught this past week at the Los Angeles County reservoir that a spokeswoman called the week “one of the best ever.”

Ed Puente of Saugus, fishing with a crawfish on the upper lake, caught a 17 1/4-pound bass.

Terry Nagel of Sepulveda used a plastic worm on the lower lake to land a 16-pound 15-ounce largemouth.

LAKE MEAD--Lower Basin producing some stripers between two and four pounds at 45-60 feet. Anchovies best bet.

BULLHEAD CITY--Trout fair on river. Berkley Power Bait best bet. Crappie most active at Topock Marsh, biting on minnows. Striped bass in lake scattered and deep. Anchovies best bet.

SALTON SEA--Orangemouth corvina becoming increasingly active as water warms, biting on artificials and live shad. North Shore jetty, Niland and Red Hill most productive areas. Croaker bite fair from Salt Creek to Bombay Beach.

LAKE CACHUMA--Two recent plants of trout. Food chain rich, trout full and reluctant to bite. Largemouth bass fair, mainly in deep-water areas along rocky shorelines.

LAKE CASITAS--Largemouth bass picking up, biting at about 10 feet. Arrow Island and front side of main island producing most fish. Crawfish and nightcrawlers good for bigger fish; brown and green plastic worms producing more but smaller fish. Mike Frankland, Blossom Valley, 14 3/4-pound bass. Don Dusing, Canyon Country, 12 1/4-pound bass. Trout active at northeast side. Trollers doing best, using three-four colors and needlefish lure.

PYRAMID LAKE--Catfish providing most action, biting mainly at dam and channel. Sydney and Parchelle Moragne, Skokie, Ill., 10 1/2- and 3 1/2-pound catfish, caught at dam. Robert Barton, Arcata, 10- and 9 1/2-pound catfish, caught on anchovies in channel. Striped bass slow. Largemouth bass most active at Brazo’s Cove and island.

LAKE PIRU--Trout planted recently, biting. Trollers using five-eight colors and bikini needlefish. Power Bait and Velveeta cheese working in Felicia Cove. Largemouth bass moving into shallow water to spawn. Rocky ledges and points of coves best bet. Catfish fair in deep water at dam.

LAKE CASTAIC--Largemouth bass active in both lakes. Ed Puente, Saugus, 17 1/4-pound bass, caught in upper lake on crawfish. Peter Vincioni, Moorpark, 11 1/4-pound bass. Phillip Catalano, Santa Monica, 10 1/4-pound bass. Douglas Del Gado, Van Nuys, 10 3/4-pound bass, caught in lower lake. Scott Scotton, Manhattan Beach, three bass, largest nine pounds. Doug Eklund, Burbank, eight-pound bass, caught in upper lake. Trout fair in upper lake. Rod Stauta, Sepulveda, 3 1/4-pound trout, caught in upper lake. John Phur, 2 3/4-pound trout, caught in upper lake.

IRVINE LAKE--Trout most active at West Shore, Sierra Cove and to the right of boat docks.

PUDDINGSTONE RESERVOIR--Trout planted recently by Department of Fish and Game and private hatchery--some to six pounds. Yellow Power Bait and inflated nightcrawlers at swim beach and east shore producing most fish.

PERRIS LAKE--Spotted bass most active at lots 11 & 12. Dave Neal, Riverside, six-pound spotted bass. Trout stocked Monday, fish biting at lots 11 & 12 and launch ramp. Other species slow.

LAKE SILVERWOOD--Largemouth and striped bass getting most of the attention, biting at various locations on various baits and lures.