FISH REPORT
FRESHWATER
CASTAIC LAKE--Striped bass out-biting largemouth bass. Todd Budke, Iowa, and Eric Cole, Lancaster, five stripers, largest 15 pounds, on AC Plugs. Steve DeRienzo, Palmdale, 14- and 13-pound stripers, on TNT Plug. Kevin Sanders, Lancaster, and Chris Hollis, New Zealand, 35 largemouth bass from 1-2 pounds, on RoboWorms. Steve Phillips, Los Angeles, 15-pound catfish, on blood worm.
LAKE PIRU--Fair fishing for all species, though action is very slow at times. Bass fishermen doing best with night crawlers and plastic worms at about 25 feet. Heat has driven trout a little deeper, primarily toward dam, and Needlefish and Power Bait are getting most. Red ear perch biting on red worms off face of dam.
PYRAMID LAKE--Striped bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and catfish all showing at the scales. No noteworthy catches, but lots of fish. Live shad is the best bait, catching stripers to about 10 pounds. One of the few smallmouth fisheries in the Southland, this lake is serving up fish from 2-4 pounds, with spinnerbaits and night crawlers getting most.
LAKE CACHUMA--Red ear perch most active, biting at 30 feet, primarily off Cachuma Point on night crawlers. Some trout, but few limits, and a few catfish and bass.
LAKE CASITAS--They’re still waiting for the big bass to start biting, but there are plenty of small bass striking night crawlers. Catfish remain the predominant catch, but they’re moving into deeper water and are already at about 80 feet. Trout bite fair.
CORONA LAKE--Catfish will take a back seat to trout beginning Saturday, opening day of the rainbow and brown trout season. Thousands of pounds have been stocked, but the bite will depend on how well the fish respond to the water, which is warmer than it should be for trout.
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Same as Corona.
IRVINE LAKE--Trout season is in full swing, but the fish--and fishermen--would prefer cooler weather. Biggest fish reported: a 9-6 by Al Haynes, Topanga, who used chartreuse Power Bait. Next biggest, a 9-5 rainbow by Dave Strege, Brea, who used a silver Kastmaster. Lots of limits before the heat set in, a few after.
LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--Some are taking advantage of the no-limit rule on catfish. Milton Jackson, Los Angeles, and three friends pulled out 82 catfish averaging 2-3 pounds between noon and 7 p.m. Largemouth bass bite fair, with fishermen who know what they’re doing catching and releasing up to 20 fish per day. Crankbaits and plastic worms are the top catchers.
LAKE SKINNER--Striped bass on the small side, though a 13-pounder was caught on a Zara Spook lure by Charles Johnson, Ontario. Chicken livers and anchovies getting most. Largemouth bass more active, biting on spinnerbaits and night crawlers, averaging 1-2 pounds. Trout opener is Saturday.
LAKE PERRIS--No huge bass, but lots of small ones, most coming on night crawlers or plastics, at west end of island or at Bernasconi area. Trout bite fair on the usual stuff, mostly Power Bait.
SILVERWOOD LAKE--Crappie biting on mini-jigs in mornings and afternoons at marina. Largemouth bass fairly active, with fish on the small side biting on night crawlers and plastic worms in backs of coves. Striped bass surprisingly sluggish.
BIG BEAR LAKE--Two trout topped 5 pounds, and lots of limits of pan-sized rainbows. Red and yellow Power Bait and a variety of small lures are the tickets. A 6-0 was caught on a Super Duper.
SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--El Capitan best bet, with bass fishermen catching fish to 7 pounds on crawdads and crankbaits. Hodges producing some bass--an 8-0 was caught on a plastic worm--but mostly catfish. Miramar is loaded with trout, which will become more active with winter-like weather.
LAKE CUYAMACA--A 10-8 rainbow (night crawler) and a 4-0 largemouth (white spinnerbait) were caught. But fishing is fair at best for both species.
SALTWATER
The Times accepts and publishes the catch count as a public service. Any responsibility for accuracy is that of the landing operator.
MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--37 anglers (1 boat): 10 lingcod, 45 red rock cod, 325 rock cod, 1 mako shark.
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--21 anglers (3 boats): 103 calico bass, 7 barracuda, 2 rockfish, 28 yellowfin tuna. (Hornet Landing)--4 anglers (1 boat): 32 calico bass, 1 sand bass, 1 barracuda, 10 mackerel.
VENTURA--17 anglers (1 boat): 58 calico bass, 1 halibut, 3 sculpin, 46 yellowtail.
OXNARD (Cisco’s)--33 anglers (3 boats): 2 whitefish, 3 sole, 1 sheephead, 2 sculpin, 120 rockfish, 15 red snapper, 100 calico bass, 8 bonito, 4 barracuda. (Gold Coast)--11 anglers (1 boat): 48 calico bass, 26 sand bass, 2 yellowtail, 12 sheephead, 1 sculpin, 1 rockfish, 1 halibut.
PORT HUENEME--27 anglers (2 boats): 84 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 150 rock cod.
MARINA DEL REY--38 anglers (2 boats): 1 yellowtail, 72 bonito, 2 lingcod, 53 rockfish.
REDONDO--22 anglers (3 boats): 8 yellowtail, 23 bonito, 5 sand bass, 3 halibut, 3 blue perch, 46 whitefish, 50 rockfish.
SAN PEDRO (22nd St. Landing)--40 anglers (2 boats): 1 skipjack tuna, 22 yellowtail, 222 yellowfin.
LONG BEACH--51 anglers (3 boats): 93 yellowfin, 24 yellowtail, 17 bonito, 1 sculpin, 12 rockfish, 16 skipjack.
NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--56 anglers (3 boats): 41 yellowfin, 86 skipjack, 2 yellowtail, 3 sand bass, 55 sculpin, 1 sheephead, 1 cabezon. (Davey’s Locker)--124 anglers (6 boats): 46 yellowfin tuna, 73 skipjack, 19 yellowtail, 29 bonito, 41 sand bass, 14 sculpin, 110 mackerel.
DANA WHARF--129 anglers (5 boats): 55 yellowfin, 24 skipjack, 3 yellowtail, 41 calico bass, 45 sand bass, 12 sculpin.
OCEANSIDE (Helgren’s)--51 anglers (4 boats): 21 yellowtail, 39 yellowfin tuna, 6 bonito, 10 calico bass, 25 sand bass, 1 halibut, 25 sculpin, 49 skipjack, 3 dorado.
SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--74 anglers (3 boats): 1 yellowtail, 247 yellowfin, 3 dorado, 1 skipjack. (Seaforth)--87 anglers (4 boats): 68 yellowfin tuna, 8 dorado, 4 skipjack, 48 yellowtail, 17 bonito, 12 barracuda, 5 calico bass, 64 sand bass, 97 rockfish, 12 sculpin. (Islandia)--35 anglers (3 boats): 26 whitefish, 4 barracuda, 6 bonito, 33 yellowtail, 17 sand bass, 5 sheephead, 14 sculpin, 103 rockfish, 66 mackerel. (Imperial Beach Pier)--10 anglers (1 boat): 50 bonito, 5 yellowtail, 7 skipjack, 13 sculpin.
TROUT PLANTS
LOS ANGELES--Crystal Lake, Echo Park Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Legg Lake, Peck Road Park Lake, Puddingstone Reservoir, San Gabriel River (East, North and West forks), Santa Fe Reservoir, Willowbrook Lake. SAN BERNARDINO--Big Bear Lake, Glen Helen Park Lake, Mojave Narrows Park Lake, Prado Park Lake, Yucaipa Park Lake. RIVERSIDE--Lake Hemet, Lake Perris.
