FISH REPORT
FRESHWATER
17. CASTAIC LAKE--Largemouth bass picking up at upper and lower reservoirs, but the bite is fair at best. Steve Glogow, Valencia, 10 bass to 5 1/2 pounds, on mudsuckers at lower lake. Occasional striped bass being caught at upper lake. Bluegill bite fair on lower lake.
18. LAKE PIRU--Largemouth bass bite fair in mornings and afternoons, slow during days. Night crawlers and crankbaits getting most. Trollers using shad and rainbow-colored Needlefish lures catching some trout at dam. Lead-core line is a must, as fish are down at about 50 feet. Catfish fair at north end, bluegill fair at marina.
19. PYRAMID LAKE--Striped bass still striking surface lures, with Hawg Raisers the top catchers. Stripers averaging 5-7 pounds. Largemouth and smallmouth bass (plastics) fairly active, as are bluegill (mealworms).
20. LAKE CACHUMA--Trout biting at 30 feet, with trollers using Needlefish lures at west end getting most. Few limits. Largemouth bass biting on surface in early mornings, primarily at island and Santa Cruz Bay. Marc Beyers, Fontana, 5-11 bass, on Robo zipper worm at Santa Cruz. Bluegill and red ear perch biting steadily on mealworms at east end. Catfish active at east end and from shore at campground area.
21. LAKE CASITAS--Catfish very active, averaging 8 pounds. Largest by Wayne Chappell, Ojai, 15-8 catfish, on mackerel in shallows. Largemouth bass picking up some. Largest 9-4 by Brent Sharp, Thousand Oaks, on crawdad. Crawdads getting all the big fish. Lots of small fish taken on buzzbaits and crankbaits fished to 10 feet.
22. CORONA LAKE--A lake-record 67-pound 7-ounce catfish was caught by Kerry Taylor, Montclair, on mackerel in tree area. Taylor released his fish. Lots of much smaller catfish, and little of anything else.
23. SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Lake is closed until Sept. 27.
24. IRVINE LAKE--A 34-pound blue catfish was caught and released by lake regular Jimmy Adams, Phelan, on mackerel from a rental boat. Lots of catfish from 3-10 pounds. Largemouth bass to 9 pounds being caught by those using crankbaits and plastic worms.
25. LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--Top catfish, a 21-pounder by Charles Johnson, Los Angeles, on mackerel with Hog Wild scent. Mornings and evenings best for catfish averaging 2-4 pounds. Largemouth bass feeding on surface in early mornings and deeper during day. Top catch, a 3-pound bluegill by Art Ellison, Costa Mesa, while fishing for bass with a white spinnerbait.
26. LAKE SKINNER--Stripers down deep, but some being caught on anchovies and chicken livers. Surface plugs have been getting some, however. Largemouth bass fairly active at Ramp 2, biting almost exclusively in early mornings. Catfish bite steady on anchovies, night crawlers and chicken livers.
27. LAKE PERRIS--Largemouth bass and bluegill very active, with bass averaging 12-14 inches biting at east end on night crawlers and bluegill biting at dam on mealworms.
28. SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--Largemouth bass bite picking up, primarily at El Capitan and Sutherland, with fish averaging 2-3 pounds. Duane Mierap, El Cajon, 7-2 bass, on dark plastic at El Capitan. A 9-6 was caught by Brent Ryhlick, Trabuco Canyon, on a purple plastic worm at Hodges, where a fair bite is in progress. Bluegill bite good at San Vicente and fair at Otay. Catfish bite fair at Sutherland and slow to fair at El Capitan and Hodges.
29. LAKE CUYAMACA--Trout and crappie remain the primary targets, with the fish on the small side. Trollers using small spinners doing best for trout. Some bluegill.
30. BIG BEAR LAKE--A 6-5 trout and a 6-4 trout were caught on a Kastmaster and Rapala, respectively. Catfish best bet, however, with mackerel getting fish to 16 pounds, primarily at night. Lots of near-limits.
31. BISHOP--Trout activity on Bishop Creek picking up some, but the lakes above the creek remain the hot spots. North and South lakes have a slight edge over Sabrina. Limits and near-limits the rule at all three. Intake II not bad, either.
32. MAMMOTH LAKES--Crowley Lake yielding trout averaging 14-16 inches overall, but McGee Bay is producing fish to 24 inches. Olive matuka and black woolly bugger flies fished with sink-tip lines are getting most. Convict Lake fair, with occasional 5-pounder being weighed in. Rainbow Power Bait best bet. Rock Creek trout biting best on inflated night crawlers and mosquito flies. Lakes Mamie, George and Mary fair for fly- and bait-fishermen. Owens River good for fly-fishermen using elk hair caddis and pheasant-tail nymphs. The Mammoth Lakes Trout Derby is Sept. 27. Details: (760) 934-2511.
33. JUNE LAKE--June Lake fair for trollers using lead-core line at eight colors, and Needlefish or Super Duper lures. Fish are rising some in mornings and afternoons. Gull Lake offering the best fishing on scenic loop, with hornberg and olive matuka flies, and gold lures getting trout to 4 pounds. Silver and Grant lakes best bets for big fish, with a lot of 3- to 5-pounders caught on Power Bait and Kastmaster lures. Rush Creek slow to fair, with Mepps and Kastmasters accounting for a few limits.
34. BRIDGEPORT--Bridgeport Lake best bet, with boaters anchoring and using a variety of baits to catch rainbows averaging 1-4 pounds. East Walker River still running too fast for waders, so access is a problem.
SALTWATER
2. MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--38 anglers (2 boats): 2 lingcod, 30 red snapper, 160 rockcod, 72 albacore. (Bob’s Sportfishing)--8 anglers (1 boat): 45 red rockcod, 10 red snapper, 65 rockfish.
3. AVILA BAY (Avila Beach)--32 anglers (1 boat): 64 red rockcod, 416 rockcod, 4 lingcod.
4. SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--35 anglers (2 boats): 5 calico bass, 1 halibut, 4 bonito, 120 barracuda, 44 whitefish, 3 lingcod, 99 red snapper, 231 rockfish, 3 yellowtail.
5. VENTURA (Captain Hook Sportlanding)--11 anglers (1 boat): 2 calico bass, 3 sculpin, 6 bonito, 10 yellowtail, 15 sand bass, 84 barracuda, 1 rockfish.
6. OXNARD (Cisco’s)--48 anglers (4 boats): 45 barracuda, 30 blue perch, 2 bonito, 166 calico bass, 10 rockfish, 5 sculpin, 7 white sea bass, 5 yellowtail, 8 opal eye, 1 marlin (released).
7. PORT HUENEME--39 anglers (2 boats): 126 calico bass, 2 yellowtail, 5 bonito, 1 barracuda, 4 rockfish, 4 sand bass, 4 sculpin, 5 whitefish, 1 white sea bass.
8. MARINA DEL REY--68 anglers (4 boats): 47 yellowtail, 26 barracuda, 37 calico bass, 50 rockfish, 15 whitefish, 3 sculpin, 3 bonito. (In-Seine Sportfishing)--24 anglers (2 boats): 17 yellowtail, 2 halibut, 2 sand bass, 1 perch (released).
9. REDONDO BEACH--105 anglers (5 boats): 79 yellowtail, 7 bonito, 124 calico bass, 41 sand bass, 4 barracuda, 3 sculpin, 1 sheephead, 1 dorado.
10. SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--98 anglers (4 boats): 220 yellowtail, 21 bonito, 34 barracuda, 5 calico bass, 1 sand bass. (22nd St. Landing)--155 anglers (7 boats): 4 dorado, 494 yellowtail, 44 calico bass, 113 barracuda, 1 sand bass, 63 bonito, 15 sheephead.
11. LONG BEACH--131 anglers (4 boats): 168 yellowtail, 16 barracuda, 12 calico bass, 1 sheephead, 16 bonito, 4 sculpin, 30 rockfish, 1 dorado. (Belmont Pier)--33 anglers (2 boats): 21 barracuda, 9 bonito, 1 sand bass, 60 sculpin, 51 yellowtail.
12. SEAL BEACH--47 anglers (3 boats): 171 yellowtail, 52 barracuda, 1 sand bass, 18 bonito, 1 cabezon, 2 dorado.
13. NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--97 anglers (5 boats): 575 yellowtail, 1 sand bass, 59 calico bass, 6 barracuda, 27 bonito, 8 yellowfin croaker, 65 mackerel. (Davey’s Locker)--197 anglers (7 boats): 1,367 yellowtail, 7 yellowfin tuna, 28 skipjack, 40 bonito, 54 calico bass, 25 barracuda, 14 sand bass, 43 sculpin, 2 sheephead, 34 mackerel, 1 cabezon.
14. DANA WHARF--288 anglers (8 boats): 1,578 yellowtail, 2 dorado, 12 barracuda, 33 bonito, 12 sand bass, 14 mackerel.
15. OCEANSIDE--116 anglers (5 boats): 185 yellowtail, 4 barracuda, 17 bonito, 11 calico bass, 8 sand bass, 18 sculpin, 3 white croaker.
16. SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--78 anglers (4 boats): 129 yellowfin tuna, 47 dorado, 13 yellowtail, 9 skipjack. (Seaforth)--187 anglers (6 boats): 2 yellowfin tuna, 1 dorado, 5 skipjack, 538 yellowtail, 30 bonito, 13 barracuda, 5 calico bass, 13 sand bass. (Islandia)--82 anglers (3 boats): 14 bonito, 439 yellowtail, 7 calico bass, 2 sheephead, 3 rockfish. (Morning Star Charters at Imperial Beach)--25 anglers (1 boat): 123 yellowtail, 3 barracuda, 3 sand bass.
TROUT PLANTS
RIVERSIDE--Fulmor Lake. SAN BERNARDINO--Lake Gregory. SAN DIEGO--Lake Cuyamaca, Doane Pond, San Luis Rey Creek. 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 (below Tinnemaha), South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek. MONO--Convict Creek, Ellery Lake, Lee Vining Creek, Lee Vining Creek (South Fork), Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Owens River (Benton Crossing), Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, Saddlebag Lake, Sherwin Creek, Tioga Lake, Trumble Lake, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat Campground to town of Walker and Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).
CATFISH PLANTS
LOS ANGELES--Peck Road Park Lake, Santa Fe Dam Reservoir. RIVERSIDE--Lake Evans, Rancho Jurupa Park Lake. SAN BERNARDINO--Seccombe Park Lake.
