Lake Casitas Anglers Enjoy Run on Crappie

They aren’t a glamour fish, but crappie are fun to catch and good to eat--and they’ve become active at Ventura County’s Lake Casitas.

Leonard Gibson of Oak View had an impressive catch, taking seven crappie totaling 16 1/2 pounds.

PUDDINGSTONE RESERVOIR--Largemouth bass active along shoreline in mornings and evenings. Purple and brown plastics best. Red ear perch and bluegill good at east shore, mealworms. Catfish biting on mackerel in deep water. Team bass tournament Oct. 20. Information: (714) 599-8411.

IRVINE LAKE--Catfish active throughout lake, best at flats--1,500 pounds scheduled for stocking today. Rick Stapp and Tim O’Reilley, Buena Park, seven catfish, 58 pounds. Frank Ford, Inglewood, five catfish, 18 pounds. Terry Wilson, Paramount, 11 3/4-pound catfish. Largemouth bass picking up, best in morning along west shore and red clay cliffs. Crank baits and plastic worms working best. Bill Schuller, Los Angeles, 3 3/4-pound bass.

BIG BEAR LAKE--Trout to 15 inches biting on Power Bait and small spinners from dam to Grey’s Landing. Boaters doing well from Rock Wall to Zebra Room.

LAKE SILVERWOOD--New park hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crappie active throughout marina. Boats mandatory. Largemouth bass picking up, biting in channel on plastics and Rapalas. Randall Miller, Cerritos, 4 1/2-pound bass, released. Catfish biting in coves and near dam, nightcrawlers, anchovies and chicken livers. Joe Green and son Jason, Carson, catfish and crappie limits (10 of each species per person), in channel and marina. Striped bass active but small, biting in coves and channel. Anchovies and surface lures.

LAKE CACHUMA--Catfish biting on most baits in shallows. Ray Clough, Buellton, 11 1/2-pound catfish, caught in Little Cachuma Bay. Other species slow.

LAKE CASITAS--Trout and catfish providing most action. Trout at 80-90 feet, biting on needlefish lures, nightcrawlers or Power Bait. Catfish biting at 5-10 feet, mainly at north end. Mackerel best bet. Crappie picking up; try Wadleigh shoreline. White minijigs best bet. Largemouth bass slow, but recent tournament produced 9-8 and 8-0 bass.

PYRAMID LAKE--Largemouth bass picking up, mainly at dam. Spinner baits best bet. Bill Hopkins, Hawthorne, 5 1/2- and 3 1/2-pound largemouth, caught on Rapala at dam. Catfish active in Bear Trap and near dam. Mackerel best bet. Bluegill biting throughout lake on meal worms. Striped bass best in marina. Eric Cole, Lancaster, 16-pound striper.

SAN DIEGO LAKES--El Capitan: Open Fri.-Sun. 212 anglers caught 23 bass, 18 sunfish, 1 crappie, 40 channel catfish, 10 blue catfish. Hodges: Wed.-Sun. 221 anglers, 12 bass (largest, 9-1 by Jose Garlejo of Escondido), 31 crappie, 68 channel catfish (largest, 22-4 by Clare Bacon, Encinitas), Otay: Wed-Sun. 251 anglers, 115 bass (largest, 11-6 by Bob Bowan, La Mesa), 76 sunfish, 43 channel catfish (largest, 16-4 by Bob Martinez, San Diego), Miramar: Mon.-Tue. and Sat-Sun. 167 anglers, 50 bass, 14 sunfish, 8 channel catfish. San Vicente: Thu.-Fri. 184 anglers, 48 bass (largest, 7-4 by Sam Pulley, Santee), 243 sunfish, 26 channel catfish, three blue catfish (largest, 15-10 by Earnest Buckhanon, San Diego).

SALTON SEA--Orangemouth corvina best from boats at Corvina Beach, Salt Creek, Red Hill and Bombay Beach, biting on live tilapia, averaging 12-15 pounds. Croaker and sargo good at State Park and North Shore. Worms, anchovies and corn working best. KERN RIVER/LAKE ISABELLA--Lake level low, fishing slow. Catfish best bet, biting near shore on most baits. River good for trout from 10-12 inches. Limestone area and lower end near Kernville good bets. Other species slow.

BISHOP AREA--Pleasant Valley Reservoir: fishing slow, expected to improve with colder weather. Bubble-and-fly with mosquito or green Matuka pattern best bet. Wild trout area below dam producing nice fish, with Power Bait, crickets and red salmon eggs working best. Fly fishermen on lower Owens River doing best with green Matuka and Wooly Bugger flies. Lake Sabrina renting boats until Oct. 31, fish biting on most baits and small spinners. South Lake: Boat landing closed, shore fishing requires boulder-hopping. Bishop Creek producing limits of pan-sized rainbows.

JUNE LAKE LOOP--Gull Lake best in loop. Red salmon eggs and small spinners producing good results.

BRIDGEPORT AREA--Virginia Lake yielding trout to five pounds. Green Creek excellent for pan-size rainbow, brook and brown trout on Royal Coachman and Grey Hackle flies in yellow, orange and red. Twin lakes producing rainbows from three to six pounds. Gold Super Duper best bet.

CONVICT LAKE--Trout between three and six pounds the rule. Limits taken from shore often within an hour. Small spinners and Power Bait and worms working best.

MAMMOTH--Cool weather making for good fishing. Lakes Mary and George good for trout averaging 3 1/2 pounds. Crowley: Fishing best in Greenbanks and Cripple Creek areas, with green Matuka, green Mosquitos and Grey Hornburg flies working best.

LAKE MEAD--Striped bass to 3 1/2 pounds biting on surface, mainly in lower basin. Bigger fish biting at 35-45 feet on anchovies and live shad. Catfish available in shallows. Largemouth bass slow.

LAKE HAVASU--Striped bass active at 35-45 feet, hitting spoons and anchovies, but getting past smaller stripers on surface is difficult. Largemouth bass slow, some taken in coves mornings and evenings. Catfish fair on frozen anchovies.

Trout Plants

RIVERSIDE COUNTY--Hemet Lake.

SAN BERNARDINO--Santa Ana River.

VENTURA--Lake Casitas, Lake Piru.

SAN LUIS OBISPO--Atascadero Lake, Laguna Lake, Lake Lopez.

INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South forks and Intake II), Diaz Lake, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River (Laws Bridge downstream to Steward Lane), Pine Creek, Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Rock Creek Lake, South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek.

MONO--Convict Lake, George Lake, Lake Mary, Mamie Lake, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Twin Lakes Mammoth.

KERN--Hart Park Lake, Kern River (Borell Powerhouse to Democrat Dam, KR3 Powerhouse to Lake Isabella).

TULARE--Kern River (Fairview Dam to KR3 Powerhouse, Johnsondale Bridge to Fairview Dam).