Fish Report

FRESHWATER

CASTAIC LAKE--Fishing is still a little slow, but some bass are being caught. Pat Buckley, Castaic, caught an 8-pounder on an Osprey Trout lure. Leon Smith, Pacoima, probably thought he had a huge bass, but found that it was a 14-pound catfish, not a bass, that inhaled his water dog.

PYRAMID LAKE--Striped bass are corralling shad, and fishermen on boats are corralling the stripers and doing quite well bringing them in with lures that resemble shad or, better yet, live shad caught with dip nets. The fish are small, though, averaging 2-3 pounds.

LAKE PIRU--The bass bite remains fair, with bigger fish striking shad-pattern crankbaits. Night crawlers fished at 25 feet are also doing the trick. Some red-ear perch and crappie.

CASITAS LAKE--The bass bite has finally improved. A 10 1/2-pounder was caught by Leonard Kerly, Simi Valley, on a plastic worm. Trout remain very active at 40-60 feet near the dam, biting mostly on Needlefish lures. Top catfish, an 11 1/2-pounder by John Alexander, Los Angeles, on a night crawler.

LAKE CACHUMA--Trout remain the best bet, with night crawlers and Needlefish getting fish at about 40 feet near the dam. Few limits. Largemouth bass are being caught sporadically on plastic worms and crankbaits near the island.

IRVINE LAKE--The biggest news here is the impending arrival of Florida-strain largemouth bass. About 2,000 fingerlings will be planted Oct. 24 and eventually will make an already good bass fishery (Northern-strain bass inhabit the reservoir now) a very good bass fishery. Meanwhile, nearly everyone is fishing for catfish and doing well. Trout season here is about a month away.

SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--A 43-pound catfish by Jim Hathaway, Yorba Linda, highlights a solid bite. He used mackerel dipped in Bowkers stink bait. Most fish are 2-pounders.

CORONA LAKE--A 46-pound catfish--the largest since a 52-pounder caught in August--was landed by Alex Hutchence, Riverside. He used Berkeley Power Nuggets dipped in Bowkers. Trout season is scheduled to open Oct. 15.

OSO RESERVOIR--The bass bite remains “wide open,” according to lake reports. Largest was a 7-pounder by Glenn Parker, Lake Forest, on a black-and-blue buzz bait at dusk. Catfish are active as well.

LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--Cooler weather has improved the daytime catfish bite. Lots of limits are being filled, day and night, by those using mackerel doused with Bowkers or Hog Wild. The bass bite is fair.

LAKE PERRIS--Lots of small bass and one big one: a 7 1/4-pounder by Chris Slater, San Jacinto, on a shad-pattern lure at the Rock Pile. Bluegill remain active and biting on worms.

LAKE SKINNER--A 17 1/2-pound striped bass highlights a fair striper bite. Dave Merrell, Temecula, caught the fish while trolling a swim-bait near Crappie Rock. Catfish are biting on mackerel, chicken livers and night crawlers at the dam.

BIG BEAR LAKE--Trout action has picked up and many are filling their stringers with limits. No big fish. Top catch, a 13 1/2-pound catfish by Bill Schwan, Sugarloaf, Calif., on mackerel at the east ramp. Small bass are being caught on white spinnerbaits.

GREEN VALLEY LAKE--Alpers rainbows remain the top draw, as fish pushing four pounds are coming in almost daily. Try a gold Kastmaster or green Power Bait.

SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--A 14 1/2-pound bass was caught at Hodges by Gabe Bolivar, Ramona, on a plastic worm at the narrows. Lunker bass also were caught at Lower Otay and Sutherland. Otay is still the site of an excellent bluegill bite.

LAKE CUYAMACA--Trout fishing has gone from poor to very good, with most lures working, but try trolling an orange Rapala or casting a rainbow Roostertail near the Lone Pine Tree area. Some catfish.

EASTERN SIERRA--South and Sabrina lakes have been fair to good, but wind, rain and even some snow this past week have made things iffy. Bishop Creek has been a good refuge from the weather, and fishing in the creek is fair to good, especially in the South Fork where a 9-pound Alpers and several 4- and 5-pounders were caught. Mammoth Lakes and the June Lake loop also have had bouts with wintry weather, but the fishing remains good. Top catch was a 6 1/2-pound trout caught by Robert Neaman, Reseda, on a marshmallow. Bridgeport Reservoir and the East Walker River remain the top fisheries in the Bridgeport area, though Kirman Lake is offering good float-tube fishing for brook trout.

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)--74 anglers (4 boats): 44 albacore, 6 lingcod, 135 red rock cod, 200 rock cod, 250 rockfish.

PORT SAN LUIS (Patriot Sportfishing)--21 anglers (1 boat): 15 albacore.

SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--48 anglers (3 boats): 67 calico bass, 1 halibut, 59 ocean whitefish, 16 lingcod, 150 red snapper, 275 rockfish, 1 sheephead, 1 yellowtail.

VENTURA (Capt. Hook’s)--21 anglers (1 boat): 1 halibut, 25 rockfish, 8 sculpin, 2 sheephead, 5 whitefish, 1 yellowtail, 1 bonito. (Harbor Village)--28 anglers (2 boats): 30 bonito, 17 rockfish, 12 calico bass, 1 whitefish.

OXNARD (CISCO’s)--57 anglers (3 boats): 16 yellowtail, 35 barracuda, 97 bonito, 17 calico bass, 109 rockfish, 4 sculpin, 2 sheephead, 21 whitefish, 1 mako shark. (Gold Coast)--11 anglers (1 boat): 11 yellowtail, 30 bonito, 2 barracuda, 5 calico bass, 1 marlin (released).

MARINA DEL REY--39 anglers (3 boats): 2 halibut, 2 lingcod, 14 sand bass, 12 sculpin, 37 rockfish.

REDONDO--44 anglers (3 boats): 8 calico bass, 4 sand bass, 8 whitefish, 2 salmon grouper, 74 sculpin, 220 rockfish,

SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--45 anglers (3 boats): 3 bluefin tuna, 14 yellowtail, 83 calico bass, 12 sheephead, 49 rockfish, 19 barracuda, 32 whitefish, 3 sculpin. (22nd St. Landing)--57 anglers (4 boats): 35 yellowtail, 6 calico bass, 1 barracuda, 34 sand bass, 34 bonito, 167 sculpin, 28 whitefish, 41 sheephead, 269 rockfish, 10 red rock cod, 9 salmon grouper, 1 lingcod. (Fish 4 Less Sportfishing)--9 anglers (1 boat): 4 sculpin, 2 sheephead, 2 barracuda, 2 calico bass, 2 sand bass.

LONG BEACH (Berth 55)--42 anglers (3 boats): 6 yellowtail, 1 barracuda, 50 calico bass, 2 rockfish, 2 sheephead, 10 bonito, 10 yellowfin tuna. (Pierpoint Landing)--39 anglers (3 boats): 6 yellowfin tuna, 13 yellowtail, 19 bullet tuna, 13 barracuda, 56 calico bass, 3 whitefish, 9 sheephead, 17 bonito, 13 perch, 29 rockfish. (Belmont Pier)--9 anglers (1 boat): 55 rock cod, 35 salmon grouper, 3 sculpin, 3 whitefish, 25 red snapper. (Los Alamitos Bay, Marina Sportfishing)--48 anglers (3 boats): 1 sand bass, 4 sculpin, 510 rockfish, 59 salmon grouper, 59 red snapper.

SEAL BEACH (Big Fish Sportfishing)--20 anglers (2 boats): 1 barracuda, 100 sand bass, 2 sheephead, 8 sculpin, 150 rockfish.

NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--32 anglers (3 boats): 31 yellowtail, 2 skipjack, 23 calico bass, 7 sand bass, 5 rockfish, 52 sculpin. (Davey’s Locker)--60 anglers (5 boats): 26 yellowtail, 1 calico bass, 32 sand bass, 13 sculpin, 1 halibut, 3 rockfish, 39 yellowfin tuna, 31 skipjack.

DANA WHARF--80 anglers (5 boats): 61 yellowtail, 6 yellowfin tuna, 1 skipjack, 4 white sea bass, 54 calico bass, 4 sand bass, 2 sculpin, 2 sheephead.

OCEANSIDE--67 anglers (5 boats): 1 big eye tuna, 37 yellowfin tuna, 45 yellowtail, 32 skipjack, 1 black sea bass (released), 21 calico bass, 42 sand bass.

SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--110 anglers (6 boats): 126 yellowfin tuna, 10 skipjack, 165 yellowtail, 3 dorado. (Seaforth)--77 anglers (5 boats): 6 skipjack, 40 yellowtail, 128 bonito, 93 barracuda, 48 calico bass, 18 rockfish, 17 mackerel, 1 sheephead, 1 sculpin. (Islandia)--30 anglers (3 boats): 100 bonito, 1 yellowtail, 2 barracuda, 1 sand bass, 13 calico bass, 3 sheephead, 3 sculpin, 22 rockfish.

TROUT PLANTS

SAN BERNARDINO--Big Bear Lake, Green Valley Lake. INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South Fork 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--Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Ellery Lake, Green Creek, Lee Vining Creek, Little Walker River, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Owens River (Benton Crossing), Rush Creek, Saddlebag Lake, Tioga Lake, Trumble Lake, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat Campground to town of Walker and Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).