FRESHWATER

CASTAIC LAKE--Fishing is off for most species. The bass are small and deep, and the trout don’t seem too hungry, though the cooler weather should help.

PYRAMID LAKE--Trout are the best bet, but not everyone is catching them. It’s a morning bite and the fish are deep. A few stripers are being caught on surface plugs and anchovies. An occasional largemouth or smallmouth is striking a spinnerbait.

LAKE PIRU--Bass anglers are doing fair early, using top-water lures and night crawlers. Trout fishermen are going deep with Needlefish lures at the dam and doing OK.

LAKE CASITAS--Trout fishing is fair for fish averaging one pound-plus. Jason Hemminger, Oxnard, a 7-pound 10-ounce bass on an Optimum swim-bait. Smaller bass are biting on plastics at 15-30 feet. Catfish are biting readily on mackerel and night crawlers.

LAKE CACHUMA--Trout fishing got a boost late last week with a plant from a private hatchery. Top trout, a 4-pound 4-ounce specimen caught on Power Bait. Red-ear perch fishing is fair on night crawlers at the east end. Bass fishing is slow.

JESS RANCH LAKES--Those getting here early are getting their hooks into lots of trout, with rainbow Power Bait and inflated night crawlers the top catchers. Catfish are biting in Lake 3.

SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Top trout, 14-9, by Rigo Lopez, Pico Rivera, on chartreuse Power Bait. It was one of several topping 10 pounds. Catfish are in the mix as well. Huckleberry Pond opened for kids, and their parents are charged by the pound for the fish they catch.

CORONA LAKE--Top trout, 14-8 by Steve Everhart, Riverside. Father and son Brad and Kyle Benter, 4, caught 13-1 and 13-2 rainbows, respectively. All three were caught on rainbow Power Bait.

IRVINE LAKE--The lake boasts an excellent trout bite, but I was there last Friday and fishing was slow. However, it was 84 degrees, which is not ideal trout-fishing weather. I did see an eight-pounder caught on a Rapala, and the bite presumably has improved with cooler weather.

LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--Trout season opens Nov. 26, which will give anglers here a welcome treat--Utah-raised rainbows to 15 pounds. Meanwhile, catfish and bass are biting to some degree.

OSO RESERVOIR--Bass and catfish remain fairly active, but the bite for both has subsided. Top catch, a 20-pound catfish that struck a crankbait and towed Aaron Gruner of Costa Mesa around in his float tube for 30 minutes.

LAKE PERRIS--Top catch, a 10-2 bass by Kevin Ball, Santa Ana, on a Stocker Trout at the east end. Crappies are biting on mini-jigs and trout on Needlefish and Power Bait.

BIG BEAR LAKE--Trout fishing remains excellent, with limits of pan-sized rainbows being taken on Power Bait and most trolled lures.

SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--Miramar has a decent trout bite and one 3-9 tops the list. El Capitan and San Vicente are fair for bass. San Vicente is also producing trout and catfish.

LAKE CUYAMACA--A 12-4 rainbow trout was caught on a gold Kastmaster and there were a few other lunkers landed, but fishing is fair at best. Crappie fishing is OK.

EASTERN SIERRA--Fishing is good in the wild-trout section of the Owens River, with bead-head caddis larva flies and pheasant tails working. Sierra Drifters reports 15- to 30-fish days on the Lower Owens. The Gorge is also producing. A 12-pound rainbow was caught in Pleasant Valley Reservoir. Try silver Kastmasters here.

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)--32 anglers (3 boats): 5 lingcod, 150 red rock cod, 101 rock cod, 120 rockfish, 3 albacore.

PORT SAN LUIS (Patriot Sportfishing)--8 anglers (1 boat): 118 red rock cod, 2 lingcod, 2 goldeneye.

OXNARD (Cisco’s)--45 anglers (2 boats): 40 whitefish, 1 sheephead, 1 sculpin, 4 sand bass, 15 rockfish, 3 red snapper, 1 lingcod, 8 calico bass. (Captain Hook’s/Gold Coast)--25 anglers (3 boats): 174 rockfish, 4 sculpin, 12 sheephead, 16 whitefish, 15 red snapper, 9 yellowtail, 15 blue perch, 3 lingcod.

PORT HUENEME--26 anglers (2 boats): 1 calico bass, 2 sheephead, 93 rockfish, 1 sculpin, 4 whitefish, 1 blue perch, 45 rock cod, 2 lingcod, 105 red snapper.

MARINA DEL REY--26 anglers (1 boat): 1 halibut, 68 sand bass, 6 calico bass, 2 sheephead, 18 sculpin.

SAN PEDRO (22nd St. Landing)--26 anglers (2 boats): 73 calico bass, 5 barracuda, 10 sculpin, 20 sheephead, 150 blue perch, 155 rockfish, 8 red rock cod, 780 sand dabs, 12 opal eye.

LONG BEACH (Sportfishing/Berth 55)--15 anglers (2 boats): 4 yellowtail, 42 calico bass, 6 sand bass, 25 rockfish, 41 sheephead, 13 sculpin, 3 whitefish. (Marina Sportfishing)--11 anglers (1 boat): 107 rockfish, 2 cow cod, 33 salmon grouper, 23 red snapper. (Belmont Pier)--11 anglers (1 boat): 5 cow cod, 2 lingcod, 77 rock cod.

NEWPORT BEACH (Davey’s Locker)--40 anglers (2 boats): 14 calico bass, 23 sand bass, 1 sculpin, 1 sheephead, 4 rockfish, 52 mackerel, 2 whitefish, 2 blue perch.

DANA WHARF--23 anglers (2 boats): 1 blue perch, 8 calico bass, 9 mackerel, 1 cabezon, 1 halibut, 6 sculpin, 7 sheephead, 1 white croaker.

OCEANSIDE--16 anglers (1 boat): 6 calico bass, 21 sand bass, 82 sculpin, 25 mackerel.

SAN DIEGO (Seaforth)--49 anglers (5 boats): 22 yellowtail, 204 rockfish, 22 whitefish, 4 sheephead, 24 sculpin. (Islandia)--16 anglers (2 boats): 7 mackerel, 27 rockfish, 53 rock cod, 1 lingcod, 1 sand bass, 23 whitefish.

TROUT PLANTS

LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Belvedere Lake, Big Rock Creek, Castaic Lake, Echo Park Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Elizabeth Lake, Legg Lake, Little Rock Reservoir, Piru Creek (Frenchman’s Flat), Pyramid Lake. RIVERSIDE--Lake Hemet. SANTA BARBARA--Lake Cachuma. SAN BERNARDINO--Silverwood Lake. SAN DIEGO--Doane Pond. SAN LUIS OBISPO--Atascadero Lake, Lake Lopez, Santa Margarita Lake. VENTURA--Lake Casitas, Lake Piru. IMPERIAL--Sunbeam Lake, Weist Lake.

--Compiled by PETE THOMAS