Fish Report
FRESHWATER
CASTAIC LAKE--Mike Carpenter, Canyon Country, 23 largemouth bass in the two- to three-pound range on Wham Fisheze lures. Crankbaits, plastic worms and mud suckers are OK but the bite has slowed in recent days. Lower lake fair for bluegill, slow for everything else.
PYRAMID LAKE--Striped bass are being targeted on the surface early mornings and late afternoons with fair success, and in deeper water on anchovies during the day. An occasional largemouth or smallmouth bass is being caught on a crankbait or plastic worm. Some panfish.
LAKE PIRU--The bite has slowed for all species, with small bass hitting shad-colored plastic worms but little else.
CASITAS LAKE--A 12-pound bass caught by Leonard Gibson, Oak View, tops the list. He used a night crawler. The trout bite remains great, despite no plants and fairly warm water. Catfish activity has slowed.
LAKE CACHUMA--The bite is slow, but a 9-pound 7-ounce bass was caught on a Pop-R lure. Trout are fairly active at the west end but deep and biting mainly on Needlefish lures. Some catfish.
IRVINE LAKE--Catfish to about 10 pounds are biting regularly on cut mackerel. Bass fishermen using crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plastic worms are doing well in early mornings.
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Sheryl Guerrero, Corona, caught a 20-pound catfish on mackerel. Nothing else is biting.
CORONA LAKE--Catfish are biting on mackerel, crappie on mini-jigs and carp on dough balls. Avoid the heat of the day for best results.
OSO RESERVOIR--Bass and catfish are very active and multiple catches are common. Some bluegill.
LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--Catfish are there for the taking at night, and almost as cooperative in early mornings. Use cut mackerel. Lots of bass are being caught as well, primarily in early mornings and late afternoons on plastic worms and crankbaits.
LAKE PERRIS--Shane Prokuda, Colton, seven-pound bass on a a plastic worm. Bluegill are active, with the bigger fish taking mealworms and wax worms at Bernasconi and the east end of the island.
LAKE SKINNER--Catfish and striped bass are the primary catches. Afternoons are best for both species.
SILVERWOOD LAKE--Small bass are being caught off points and the larger fish are a little deeper, taking plastic worms at about 20 feet. Crappie are being caught in Miller and Cleghorn canyons and trout are showing occasionally in the same areas. Mini-jigs and small Roostertails are taking most.
BIG BEAR LAKE--The cooler weather has perked up the trout, but the bite is fair at best. Trollers using standard lures are doing best. A few limits. Largemouth bass activity is also improving.
GREEN VALLEY LAKE--The trout bite continues. There have been lots of limits and many lunkers, among them two 5 1/2-pounders and several three- and four-pounders. Rainbow Power Bait and Kastmaster lures have been working best.
SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--The best bet remains the bluegill bite at Lower Otay. Nearly 3,000 were caught in the last week. Top bass was one 11-6 by Clint Summer, Escondido, on a waterdog.
EASTERN SIERRA--Best bet in the Bishop area is South Lake, where recently planted Eagle Lake rainbow trout to 12 pounds are giving anglers more than they can handle, breaking lighter line. The creek is running high again because of water being released from lakes. Convict Lake yielded an eight-pound rainbow that was caught on a red Roostertail and Convict Creek produced a few at five-plus pounds. Rock Creek Lake is a good bet in the Mammoth Lakes area, but all lakes and creeks are fair to good for mostly pan-sized rainbows. In Bridgeport, the main reservoir remains the top choice for quality as well as quantity, with several trout from two to four pounds being caught on bait and lures. Kirmin Lake fly-fishermen are finding the brook trout to be unusually active for this time of year.
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)--86 anglers (4 boats): 459 albacore, 6 bluefin tuna, 2 lingcod, 160 rockcod, 202 rockfish.
PORT SAN LUIS (Patriot Sportfishing)--22 anglers (1 boat): 125 albacore, 1 bluefin tuna, 1 mako shark.
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--21 anglers (2 boats): 65 calico bass, 4 sand bass, 1 bonito, 18 barracuda, 29 rockfish.
VENTURA (Captain Hook Sportlanding)--37 anglers (2 boats): 2 calico bass, 9 barracuda, 51 rockfish, 16 sculpin, 6 sheephead, 1 lingcod, 3 yellowtail.
OXNARD (Cisco’s)--81 anglers (6 boats): 79 yellowtail, 10 skipjack, 1 mako shark, 1 white seabass, 163 calico bass, 44 barracuda, 30 bonito, 60 rockfish, 79 sand bass, 12 sculpin, 10 sheephead.
PORT HUENEME--76 anglers (4 boats): 14 yellowtail, 35 calico bass, 1 sheephead, 3 bonito, 16 rockfish, 117 barracuda, 5 sculpin.
MARINA DEL REY--55 anglers (4 boats): 6 yellowtail, 18 halibut, 23 barracuda, 20 calico bass, 175 sand bass, 10 sculpin, 70 rockfish, 3 sheephead, 15 red snapper, 1 bonito, 1 mako shark (released).
REDONDO BEACH--73 anglers (4 boats): 60 yellowtail, 9 bonito, 116 calico bass, 6 sand bass, 10 sculpin, 1 whitefish, 1 sheephead, 3 tuna, 10 rockfish.
SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--94 anglers (4 boats): 10 bluefin tuna, 56 yellowtail, 29 barracuda, 67 bonito, 85 whitefish, 190 rockfish, 7 sculpin, 12 sand bass.
LONG BEACH (Sportfishing/Berth 55)--56 anglers (3 boats): 12 calico bass, 21 sand bass, 109 barracuda, 38 yellowtail, 2 sculpin, 8 bonito. (Marina Sportfishing)--72 anglers (3 boats): 23 yellowtail, 6 barracuda, 2 calico bass, 8 sand bass, 1 whitefish, 1 bonito, 38 sculpin, 46 rockfish, 5 red snapper, 1 cabezon. (Pierpoint Landing)--58 anglers (4 boats): 85 yellowtail, 28 barracuda, 5 calico bass, 10 bonito, 9 rockfish.
SEAL BEACH--39 anglers (2 boats): 29 yellowtail, 1 barracuda, 18 sand bass, 1 sheephead, 7 bonito, 3 sculpin, 45 rockfish.
NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--54 anglers (3 boats): 30 yellowtail, 21 bonito, 14 barracuda, 7 calico bass, 1 sand bass, 28 sculpin. (Davey’s Locker)--163 anglers (6 boats): 36 yellowfin tuna, 1 skipjack, 86 yellowtail, 54 bonito, 13 barracuda, 25 calico bass, 93 sand bass, 7 sculpin, 1 rockfish, 24 mackerel.
DANA WHARF--76 anglers (8 boats): 129 yellowtail, 11 yellowfin tuna, 2 barracuda, 6 bonito, 46 calico bass, 36 sand bass, 1 halibut, 7 rockfish, 4 sculpin, 14 sheephead.
OCEANSIDE--83 anglers (4 boats): 86 yellowtail, 4 barracuda, 22 bonito, 11 sand bass, 75 rockfish.
SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--254 anglers (24 boats): 477 yellowfin tuna, 2 bigeye tuna, 246 skipjack, 373 yellowtail, 8 bonito, 40 calico bass, 26 dorado. (Seaforth)--160 anglers (8 boats): 1 bigeye tuna, 105 yellowfin tuna, 4 dorado, 14 skipjack, 190 yellowtail, 169 barracuda, 2 kelp bass, 13 sand bass, 3 rockfish, 4 mackerel, 1 sheephead. (Islandia)--60 anglers (4 boats): 53 yellowfin tuna, 1 dorado, 25 skipjack, 102 yellowtail, 54 bonito, 1 barracuda, 1 calico bass, 2 rockfish, 27 mackerel.
TROUT PLANTS
LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Bouquet Canyon Creek. SAN BERNARDINO--Big Bear Lake, Green Valley Lake. SAN DIEGO--Cuyamaca 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 (South Fork), Little Walker River, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Owens River (Benton Crossing), Rush Creek, Saddlebag Lake, Sherwin Creek, Tioga Lake, Trumble Lake, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat Campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).
