This Game at Times Is Child’s Play

One reason to take a kid fishing is that you might learn something.

Chris Stiver, 10, of Moreno Valley caught a 28 1/4-pound striped bass at Silverwood Lake that was half as big as he is. J.D. Carter, 11, of Ventura hooked an 11-pound largemouth bass at Lake Casitas.

At Lake Castaic, meanwhile, Jesse Stills, 3, of Reseda proved it doesn’t take sophisticated gear to land a big one. He caught a five-pound largemouth using a nightcrawler and his Mickey Mouse rod and reel.

LAKE CASITAS--Jim Mason, Oakview, 8-0, 9-0 and 10-0, Worm King and homemade lures; Mike McGarry, Ventura, 12-0 and 10 1/2, homemade lure; John Wood, Ventura, 10-0 and 11-0. Perch and crappie excellent. Catfish poor. Leonard Gibson, 15 sunfish, mealworms, in Santa Ana Arm.

LAKE PIRU--Largemouth bass strong. Steve Angelico, Redondo Beach, 6-0, plastic worm; Jamie Pena, Los Angeles, two limits, largest 5-0, Power Worm, in Cow Cove, released; Ray Rezck and Steve Rezck, Simi Valley, two limits totaling 21-5, chartreuse spinnerbait, San Felicia Cove. James Wells and Randy Moeller, Granada Hills, 6-0 bass and 50 crappies, Crappie John shad jig. LAKE CASTAIC--Largemouth bass good. Steve Tosh, Modesto, 13-4, brown power worm, ski arm; Larry Priemer, Castaic, 10-4, black Power Worm, Elizabeth Canyon; Gene and Barb Dummer, Lewisville, Ky., and Kara Dummer, Los Angeles, with guide Bob Morris, 15 fish totaling 22-0, upper lake, doodling crawfish in four feet; Dennis Klaja, LaVerne, five bass totaling 20-0, largest 10-4, released; Johnny Herrera, Santa Monica, 12-14, purple plastic at 10 feet, in Topless Cove; Dave Garner, North Hollywood, 9-0 and 8-2, nightcrawlers, SS Cove; Ray Diaz, Whittier, 25-8 catfish, mudsucker, fishing arm.

SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Best weekend of year topped by two five-fish trout limits totaling 56 pounds, 11 ounces by Kim Fisher and Andrew Robertson of Newbury Park, using lures and Power Bait, from shore west of boat dock.

IRVINE LAKE--Top trout 9-14 by Jack Tisdale, Buena Park, nightcrawler, from west shore; 8-13 by Lawrence Richetti, Irvine.

LAKE PERRIS--Chris Sexton, LaVerne, 7-10 largemouth bass, nightcrawler. Some bluegill.

SILVERWOOD LAKE--First catfish of year taken by Carlos Garcia, Baldwin Park, 9-0, anchovy, at dam.

LAKE CACHUMA--Bass good, trout fair. Keith Williamson and Lance Winegardener, Goleta, four trout and two bass, 10 pounds total, Rapalas. Scott Guittie and Aaron Marteens, six fish totaling 22 pounds.

PYRAMID LAKE--Improving for striped bass and catfish. Ray Merrill, Granada Hills, 24-0 and 17-0 stripers. John Brown, Pasadena, six catfish 3 to 10 pounds, mackerel, at island. Eric Bell, Pasadena, 12-0 catfish, mackerel.

LAKE WOHLFORD--Largemouth bass good. Dick Jones, Rancho Bernardo, 11-2 and 7-4, in Willow Cove.

LAKE SKINNER--Largemouth bass and trout best, with catfish, striped bass and crappies starting to show. Mike Stroup, Vista, 8-8 bass, Deep Dive Rapala, at south shore. Ronnie and Eric Stayton, San Marcos, trout limits with nightcrawlers and Power Bait, largest 2-8. William Dube, Riverside, 13-8 catfish, mackerel, near dam.

KERN RIVER/LAKE ISABELLA--Fishing Derby Saturday and Sunday, with 1,000 tagged trout worth from $20 to $10,000. Details: (619) 379-2691. Good weekend on river; salmon eggs and Power Bait.

SAN DIEGO LAKES--El Capitan: Largemouth bass good; 694 anglers kept 81, released 1,822; largest 6-8 by Joel Johnson, La Mesa, spinnerbait, at north end. Hodges: Bass fair; a few channel catfish and carp. Miramar: Trout fair, bass slow. Efren Madio, San Diego, 4-14 trout, green Power Bait, in Escondido Arm. Otay: Bass fair; largest 10-0 John Allen, Chula Vista, plastic worm, in Harvey Arm. San Vicente: Bass good. Top catch 10-6 by Frankie Talley, Chino, black plastic worm, in Barona Arm. Del Motsinger, Anaheim, 26-0 blue catfish, brown plastic worm, in Barona Arm.

COLORADO RIVER--Lake Powell: Good for striped bass 3-6 pounds, from dam to Wahweap buoy line. Lee’s Ferry: Trout good with lures, Z-Rays and glow bugs. Lake Mead: Largemouth bass moving into shallows to spawn. Stripers fair to good at Temple Bar; anchovies. Willow Beach: Activity light but trout good upriver with fluorescent red Power Bait. Stripers good from marina to Aztec Wash; anchovies or trolling trout-like lures. Lake Mohave: Good for small stripers. Below Davis Dam: Trout good from dam to County Park; small gold or silver spinners, nightcrawlers or pink Power Bait. Stripers fair to good; anchovies. Catfish good evenings. Topock: Very good for largemouth bass and catfish at Five-Mile Landing, but water low.

Saltwater

The Times accepts and publishes the catch count as a public service. Any responsibility for accuracy is that of the landing operator.

SAN SIMEON--43 anglers (2 boats): 10 lingcod, 50 red rock cod, 20 snapper, 380 bass, 115 rockfish, 5 goldeneye.

MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--16 anglers (2 boats): 6 rock cod, 5 red rock cod, 79 bass, 6 salmon, 3 barracuda.

SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--18 anglers (1 boat): 79 calico bass, 3 sand bass, 1 white sea bass, 40 mackerel.

VENTURA--33 anglers (2 boats): 1 barracuda, 261 rockfish, 7 sculpin, 2 sheephead, 30 red snapper, 7 whitefish.

OXNARD--60 anglers (2 boats): 80 rock cod, 3 cow cod, 3 lingcod, 60 red snapper, 320 rockfish.

PORT HUENEME--11 anglers (1 boat): 100 rock cod.

MARINA DEL REY--88 anglers (4 boats): 21 halibut, 23 sand bass, 2 sculpin.

REDONDO--64 anglers (3 boats): 30 sand bass, 2 halibut, 2 lingcod, 30 sculpin, 7 whitefish, 210 rock cod, 60 mackerel.

SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--37 anglers (2 boats): 2 white sea bass, 1 yellowtail, 3 halibut, 98 calico bass, 38 barracuda, 18 sheephead, 6 rockfish, 100 bonito, 95 blue perch, 1 sculpin. (22nd St. Landing)--11 anglers (1 boat): 2 white sea bass, 41 calico bass, 48 barracuda, 8 sheephead, 25 blue perch, 33 sargo.

LONG BEACH--53 anglers (2 boats): 89 calico bass, 21 sand bass, 2 halibut, 18 sheephead, 51 bonito, 67 perch, 1 sculpin, 5 rockfish, 2 black sea bass (released). (Belmont Pier)--12 anglers (1 boat): 5 bonito, 10 calico bass, 7 sand bass, 5 whitefish, 10 sculpin, 15 king fish, 10 queen fish, 15 mackerel.

SEAL BEACH--19 anglers (1 boat): 5 sand bass, 5 sculpin, 1 sheephead, 8 whitefish, 60 mackerel.

NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--29 anglers (1 boat): 9 sand bass, 7 calico bass, 73 sculpin, 31 bonito, 1 sheephead, 2 sole, 45 blacksmith perch, 27 mackerel. (Davey’s Locker)--108 anglers (4 boats): 7 bonito, 57 calico bass, 41 sand bass, 7 sculpin, 9 sheephead, 345 rock cod, 10 cow cod, 1 lingcod, 83 mackerel, 2 China croaker, 10 yellowfin croaker, 1 cabezon.

DANA WHARF--19 anglers (1 boat): 19 anglers, 2 blue perch, 36 calico bass, 20 mackerel, 1 halibut, 4 rockfish.

OCEANSIDE--35 anglers (2 boats): 4 calico bass, 61 sand bass, 3 halibut, 3 sculpin, 2 sheephead.

SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--47 anglers (2 boats): 4 yellowtail, 17 barracuda, 19 bonito, 27 rockfish. (Seaforth)--51 anglers (3 boats): 27 barracuda, 27 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 6 rockfish, 30 mackerel, 1 sheephead, 12 sculpin, 1 lingcod, 2 halibut. (Islandia)--25 anglers (2 half-day boats): 4 barracuda, 7 sand bass, 27 calico bass, 2 sheephead, 4 sculpin, 23 rockfish, 2 mackerel.

Trout Plants

LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Alondra Park Lake, Balboa Park Lake, Echo Park Lake, Little Rock Reservoir. ORANGE--Centennial Park Lake, Trabuco Creek, Tri-City Park Lake. RIVERSIDE--Dark Canyon Creek, Evans Lake, Fuller-Mill Creek, Fulmor Lake, Strawberry Creek. SAN BERNARDINO--Glen Helen Park Lake, Mill Creek, Yucaipa Park Lake. SAN DIEGO--Doane Pond, San Luis Rey River, Sweetwater River. VENTURA--Matilija Creek, Rose Valley Lake, Santa Paula Creek, Upper Sespe Creek, Ventura River (North Fork). SANTA BARBARA--Lake Cachuma, Davey Brown Creek, Manzana Creek, Santa Ynez River. SAN LUIS OBISPO--Atascadero Lake, Lopez Lake, Santa Margarita Lake. INYO--Cottonwood Creek, Diaz Lake, Georges Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, Tuttle Creek.