FISH REPORT
FRESHWATER
CASTAIC LAKE--Greg Glowgow, Valencia, spent Christmas Eve catching a lake-record 40.01-pound striped bass on a nine-inch Stocker Trout from a boat on the upper lake. Since then, a few other large stripers have been caught. Eric Cole, Lancaster, landed an 8 1/2-pound largemouth bass while fishing for stripers with an AC Minnow.
LAKE PIRU--Bass fishing is getting better, which is good because until last week it couldn’t have gotten any worse. Crawdad-pattern crankbaits are getting fish averaging about two pounds. Trout fishing is slow.
PYRAMID LAKE--Largemouth and smallmouth bass have begun feeding and are being caught with crankbaits and plastic worms. A few trout and catfish are being caught.
LAKE CASITAS--Trout action remains good, especially for the local osprey, which has been swooping on them daily and eating them atop telephone poles. Anglers have been doing OK too, using rainbow Power Bait. Top bass was a 9-pounder by Harry Waycasy, Ojai, on a swim-bait. Top catfish was a 15-pounder by Tim Bigg, Oak View, on mackerel in Deadhorse Canyon.
LAKE CACHUMA--Trout remain the best bet as the fish are schooled in the east end, biting mainly on rainbow Power Bait. Lots of limits. Top catch was a 5 1/4-pounder. Bass action is slow. Red-ear perch fishing is good on night crawlers at Jackrabbit Flats.
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Lots of big fish were weighed in during the week. You could catch one, but you could also get skunked. Fishing is not as “incredible” as the lake report suggests, according to readers who called in their own reports.
CORONA LAKE--A 15-pound trout tops the list, but fishing is fair at best as the trout are taking refuge in the cooler depths in the heat of the day. Power Bait, night crawlers and mini-jigs are best.
LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--One thing in this lake’s favor has been that it is protected from Santa Ana winds. Another, of course, is that it is heavily stocked with Utah-raised rainbow trout, which have been pretty feisty this week. A 9-pounder was caught by a bass fisherman using a crankbait.
OSO RESERVOIR--Finding schools of shad is the key for bass and catfish anglers. Deep-diving crankbaits and plastic worms are best for bass.
IRVINE LAKE--A big trout is caught almost daily and those getting there early are putting at least a fish or two on their stringers. The bad news: Low water level has resulted in the closing of the public ramp. That probably won’t change until we get some significant rainfall.
LAKE SKINNER--Striped bass are making a pretty big splash, averaging 2-10 pounds and biting on live shad and swim-baits. A trio from Norco caught 11 totaling 56 pounds using swim-baits. Bass, catfish and bluegill are being caught too.
LAKE PERRIS--Bass action remains fair for small fish at the east end, but bigger fish are a possibility. Top catch was a 10-2 by Rich Iannolo, Menifee, on a Castaic Trout. Other species are inactive.
SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--Miramar and San Vicente are serving up some limits of trout, but not many--and not much else is happening at any of the lakes.
LAKE CUYAMACA--The trout are waking up at about 11, but only a few are being caught. Salmon eggs might give you an edge.
EASTERN SIERRA--The Lower Owens is the place to be, especially if you’re a fly-fisherman with Sierra Drifters. Guide Tom Loe reports 20- to 60-fish days, with trout to nine pounds, using mostly streamers. He credits unseasonably warm weather. The wild-trout section is fair for those using caddis and midge larva nymphs. Using nymphs on the river below the Pleasant Valley Reservoir powerhouse is working for small wild browns and an occasional Alpers rainbow.
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)--50 anglers (2 boats): 256 red rock cod, 110 rock cod.
PORT SAN LUIS (Patriot Sportfishing)--72 anglers (2 boats): 49 rock cod, 86 rockfish, 520 red rock cod.
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--37 anglers (2 boats): 1 sand bass, 5 cabezon, 8 sculpin, 5 mackerel, 21 ocean white fish, 36 red snapper, 185 rockfish, 2 sheephead, 7 blacksmith perch, 5 perch.
VENTURA (Harbor Village)--32 anglers (2 boats): 121 whitefish, 21 sheephead, 13 sculpin, 1 halibut, 127 rockfish, 15 sole.
OXNARD (Cisco’s)--200 anglers (8 boats): 1 blue perch, 33 lingcod, 310 red snapper, 300 rock cod, 817 rockfish, 24 sculpin, 29 sheephead, 161 whitefish, 1 soup-fin shark. (Captain Hook’s/Gold Coast)--66 anglers (3 boats): 166 rockfish, 7 sculpin, 21 sheephead, 170 whitefish, 270 red snapper, 9 blue perch, 11 lingcod, 2 cabezon.
PORT HUENEME--49 anglers (4 boats): 3 calico bass, 215 red snapper, 12 lingcod, 11 cow cod, 42 ocean white fish, 2 sand bass, 172 rockfish, 11 sheephead.
MARINA DEL REY--74 anglers (3 boats): 10 halibut, 29 sand bass, 286 sculpin, 76 rockfish, 5 sheephead, 3 cabezon, 3 sole.
REDONDO BEACH--106 anglers (5 boats): 341 sculpin, 131 sand bass, 8 halibut, 21 whitefish, 26 red snapper, 3 cabezon, 115 rockfish, 2 calico bass, 1 black sea bass (released).
SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--44 anglers (2 boats): 127 whitefish, 113 rockfish, 31 sheephead, 25 sculpin, 9 red snapper, 8 sand bass, 1 salmon grouper. (22nd St. Landing)--114 anglers (4 boats): 2,090 sand dabs, 5 lingcod, 1 halibut, 57 sand bass, 16 sculpin, 10 whitefish, 14 sheephead, 319 rockfish, 15 salmon grouper, 8 red snapper.
LONG BEACH (Sportfishing/Berth 55)--30 anglers (2 boats): 3 sand bass, 408 rockfish, 11 sculpin, 39 whitefish, 3 salmon grouper, 3 red snapper, 2 sole. (Marina Sportfishing)--53 anglers (2 boats): 64 calico bass, 3 sand bass, 510 rockfish, 88 whitefish, 27 sculpin, 6 sheephead, 77 blue perch. (Belmont Pier)--13 anglers (1 boat): 78 rock cod, 36 salmon grouper. (Pierpoint Landing)--96 anglers (4 boats): 491 rockfish, 34 sand bass, 3 whitefish, 92 sculpin, 18 sheephead, 1 halibut, 231 rock cod, 9 cow cod, 8 lingcod, 2 black sea bass (released).
SEAL BEACH (Big Fish)--44 anglers (1 boat): 31 whitefish, 12 sculpin, 511 rockfish, 8 halibut (released).
NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--24 anglers (1 boat): 17 sand bass, 8 rockfish, 7 sculpin, 5 whitefish. (Davey’s Locker)--145 anglers (3 boats): 16 sand bass, 68 sculpin, 22 sheephead, 2 halibut, 1 lingcod, 135 rockfish, 46 whitefish, 2 blue perch.
DANA WHARF--64 anglers (2 boats): 16 calico bass, 111 sand bass, 5 mackerel, 1 sculpin, 2 sheephead.
OCEANSIDE--82 anglers (3 boats): 8 calico bass, 46 sand bass, 6 halibut, 16 sculpin, 13 whitefish, 105 rockfish, 2 black sea bass (released).
SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--184 anglers (6 boats): 47 barracuda, 206 sand bass, 2 calico bass, 106 rockfish, 120 sculpin, 200 whitefish, 14 sheephead. (Seaforth)--166 anglers (5 boats): 6 albacore, 5 yellowtail, 1 bonito, 23 barracuda, 49 sand bass, 66 rockfish, 137 whitefish, 10 sheephead, 16 sculpin, 1 lingcod, 1 halibut, 10 mackerel. (Islandia)--84 anglers (4 boats): 63 barracuda, 42 sand bass, 8 calico bass, 1 halibut, 13 whitefish, 96 rock cod, 2 sheephead, 7 sculpin, 36 rockfish.
TROUT PLANTS
The DFG trucks made no deliveries this week.
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--Compiled by PETE THOMAS
