Outdoors : Big Stripers at Silverwood

The emphasis will be on largemouth bass for most fishermen this spring, but there are some who prefer the larger and more powerful striped bass, which have been active at Lake Silverwood.

Alta Loma’s Greg Silks is among this minority. Silks fishes regularly for stripers at the San Bernardino County reservoir and last week came away with three fish totaling 85 1/2 pounds, the largest a 34-pounder.

LAKE MEAD--Striped bass at 50-60 feet, biting in lower basin on anchovies. Vegas Wash and dam productive areas. Catfish to two pounds active on most baits in coves. Largemouth bass starting to move into coves, biting mainly on water dogs and plastic worms.

BULLHEAD CITY--Striped bass slow, with an occassional big fish taken. Joe Franske, Bullhead City, 26 1/2-pound striper caught near dam. Bob Blazer, Gardena, 12-pound striper caught in lake. Largemouth bass active in brushy areas of lake. Catfish biting in coves and Topock Marsh.

SALTON SEA--Boaters using tilapia minnows and ThinFin lures at Red Hill and Bombay Beach catching fair numbers of orangemouth corvina. Croaker and sargo active off State Park jetty. Catfish biting in Alamo River at night and early morning.

LAKE CACHUMA--Trout biting outside harbor, some close to three pounds. Steve Monje, Monrovia, 2 1/8-pound trout. Trollers using three colors and shad or rainbow needlefish lures catching some limits. Largemouth bass hitting dark jigs and plastic worms at 17 feet or less. Glenn Thompson, Lompoc, 4 1/2-pound largemouth, caught at six feet on green and brown plastic worm. Catfish in shallows chasing shad. Mark Hendrickson and Mark Chambers, Santa Ynez, eight catfish, 92 pounds. Crappie biting mainly in back of Santa Cruz Bay. Mini-jigs best bet.

LAKE CASITAS--Largemouth bass active in shallows, prefer live crawfish. Arrow Island (formerly Sunken Island but protruding due to lack of water associated with the drought) and Station Canyon productive areas. Dennis Neitzel, Oxnard, 12- and seven-pound bass, both released. Trout: trollers using seven colors and needlfish lure catching fish to 2 1/2 pounds. Bluegill fair, crappie and catfish slow.

LAKE PIRU--Trout providing most action--3,400 planted Tuesday. Trollers doing best using 5-12 colors and gold lures; still fishermen using Power Bait and nightcrawlers at north end. Largemouth bass picking up, biting at eight to 10 feet, averaging 1 1/2 pounds. Herb Sauceda, Fillmore, 8 1/2-pound bass. Doug West, Piru, 6 3/4-pound bass. Catfish showing in shallows at north end. Mackerel best bet.

LAKE CASTAIC--Largemouth bass biting in both lakes, some weighing more than 10 pounds. Crappie and bluegill active in shallow coves, biting on small jigs and meal worms. Catfish slowly moving into shallow water.

KERN RIVER/LAKE ISABELLA--Several limits of trout coming mainly from main dam, some fish in the 12- to 14-inch range. Berkley Power Bait and small spinners working best. Largemouth bass fair, best at Engineer’s Point, main dam and North Fork river channel. Plastic worms and artificial crawfish working best. Catfish small and not yet active.

PUDDINGSTONE RESERVOIR--Largemouth bass spawning and active in 62-degree water. Ken Dunmead, Rowland Heights, 7 3/4-pounder caught and released in clam beds. Bluegill and red ear perch biting at east shoreline on mealworms, red worms and garden worms. Tilmon Derry, Diamond Bar, five red ear, 4 1/2 pounds. Ruth Womble, Pomona, 20 bluegill-red ear, garden worms. Trout fair; 1,800 pounds stocked last week. Raymond Fitzgerald, Azusa, 3 3/4-pound trout, caught at east shore on nightcrawler.

PERRIS LAKE--Largemouth and spotted bass active in shallow water, primarily at east end. Rami Mendez, Grand Terrace, 7 3/4-pound largemouth. Frank Ramirez, Corona, 5 1/4-pound spotted bass. Trout active near dam, biting on Power Bait and small spinners. Cory Goodwin, Riverside, four trout.

BIG BEAR--Trout fishing good throughout lake, best at Windy Point and Juniper Point. Several limits and occasional fish to seven pounds. Most baits working. Largemouth bass slowly becoming active. Other species slow.

LAKE SILVERWOOD--Striped bass at 25 feet, biting on rubber trout and shad lures near shrubs and trees. Mike Canyon, San Bernardino, 28 1/2-pound striper caught in Cleghorn Canyon. Largemouth bass active off rocky points and cliffs, ready to begin spawn. Jack Cole, Lancaster, 3 1/2-pound largemouth caught near marina. Ralph (Padre) Sierra, 4 1/2- and two-pound largemouth bass, caught in channel on plastic worms. Crappie biting on light line in marina, Cleghorn Canyon and Outhouse Cove. Catfish biting on standard baits.