Fish Report
FRESHWATER
CASTAIC LAKE--Largemouth bass are biting sporadically on small jigs and plastic worms. Top catch, a 20-pound striped bass by Omar Amaya, Los Angeles, on a night crawler. Most active: small bluegills on the lower lake.
LAKE PIRU--Trollers fishing with lead-core line of nine-12 colors and using Needlefish lures are getting some trout at the dam. Fishing is far from wide open but trout plants resumed this week.
LAKE CASITAS--Trout plants have resumed, but the bite was great anyway. The bass bite is picking up and the bigger fish are striking trout-like plugs and swim-baits.
LAKE CACHUMA--Trout are biting but sporadically at best, in deep water near the dam. Best bet is to troll Needlefish lures or drop a glob of Power Bait. Other species are slow.
JESS RANCH LAKES--Trout have been biting on night crawlers and rainbow Power Bait at Lakes 3 and 2, but catfish are the predominant catch at this Apple Valley fishery. A float-tube derby is scheduled Sept. 26.
IRVINE LAKE--Wayne Wiemer, Paramount, caught 25- and 19-pound catfish a week after catching a 50-pounder. He took his latest on a mackerel at Santiago Flats. A 30-pounder was caught by Oscar Mautoga, Tustin, also on a mackerel. An all-night derby is scheduled Saturday. Details: (714) 649-2168. Bass fishing is pretty good too.
LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--The catfish bite is fair early mornings, slow during the day and good at night. The fish aren’t big but you can keep all you want. One angler took 42 totaling 135 pounds in four hours of night fishing. Mackerel has been the bait of choice. Bass fishermen using crankbaits and small plastics are getting action early and late in the day.
OSO RESERVOIR--Jerry Gray, Coto de Caza, caught 35 bass, one an 8 1/2-pounder, using plastics in the shallows around the dam. The fall bite is early. The summer catfish bite remains good too.
ANAHEIM/CORONA LAKES--Extra-large catfish--to about 30 pounds--are on tap, thanks to this week’s delivery, in this the final month of catfish season.
LAKE PERRIS--Bass bite nothing special but small ones are taking small, dark plastic worms. Joe Nesmith, San Bernardino, 26 crappies totaling 10-4, on mini-jigs from the rocks in the marina.
BIG BEAR LAKE--Top trout, 6 pounds 10 ounces by Mark Byron, Mission Viejo, on a night crawler at the dam. Trout fishing is fair. Panfish and bass slow to fair.
GREEN VALLEY LAKE--A six-pound trout was caught on Power Bait a week ago and since then a few fish have come close. Top five-fish stringer weighed 11-12.
SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--San Vicente, Hodges and El Capitan produced steady bass action, and nine-pounders were caught at Hodges and San Vicente. Otay and San Vicente are fair for bluegills. A 23-pound blue catfish was caught at Sutherland.
LAKE CUYAMACA--Trout fishing is fair to good, with many limits to eight pounds reported. Inflated night crawlers, bright spinners and Power Bait are the top catchers. A free kids’ derby is scheduled Sept. 25. Details: (760) 765-0515.
MAMMOTH LAKES AREA--Crowley and Convict lakes are good choices, but then the entire area is producing for bait, lure and fly fishermen.
JUNE LAKE LOOP--The crowds are down, the nights are cold and fishing is hot at all the lakes.
BRIDGEPORT--This area is the best bet of the week. The East Walker River flows are down and the fish are jumping all over flies such as bead-head gold-ribbed hare’s ears and Wd-40 midge larvae flies. Bridgeport Reservoir is producing four- to seven-pound browns (a month early) and Lundy and Virginia lakes are so alive that you can see schools of 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)--73 anglers (4 boats): 174 albacore, 7 ling cod, 20 red rockcod, 100 rockcod, 160 rockfish.
PORT SAN LUIS (Patriot Sportfishing)--27 anglers (1 boat): 84 albacore.
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--28 anglers (2 boats): 40 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 12 rockfish, 30 albacore.
OXNARD (C.I.S.C.O.’s)--120 anglers (8 boats): 75 albacore, 48 yellowtail, 3 cabezon, 150 whitefish, 11 sheephead, 79 sculpin, 65 sand bass, 348 rockfish, 138 red snapper, 1 ling cod, 31 calico bass, 7 barracuda.
PORT HUENEME--12 anglers (1 boat): 5 barracuda, 21 rockfish, 2 sculpin, 3 whitefish, 1 ling cod.
MARINA DEL REY--35 anglers (4 boats): 55 sand bass, 6 halibut, 9 sculpin, 1 black sea bass (released).
REDONDO--34 anglers (3 boats): 67 sand bass, 8 halibut, 49 sculpin, 60 mackerel.
SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--56 anglers (3 boats): 10 albacore, 1 bluefin tuna, 5 skipjack, 4 yellowtail, 14 barracuda, 13 calico bass, 11 whitefish, 9 salmon grouper, 8 blue perch, 4 sculpin, 3 red snapper. (22nd St. Landing)--51 anglers (3 boats): 52 barracuda, 110 sculpin, 15 whitefish, 192 rockfish, 55 sand dabs, 75 red snapper, 12 salmon grouper.
LONG BEACH (Pierpoint)--66 anglers (4 boats): 26 albacore, 3 bluefin tuna, 3 yellowtail, 19 barracuda, 186 sculpin, 12 rockfish, 1 mako shark. (Los Alamitos Bay, Marina Sportfishing)--20 anglers (2 boats): 40 barracuda, 2 sand bass, 5 perch, 110 sculpin, 42 rockfish, 55 red snapper, 13 sole. (Berth 55)--46 anglers (3 boats): 1 yellowtail, 67 albacore, 2 yellowfin tuna, 10 bluefin tuna, 58 barracuda, 1 calico bass, 154 rockfish, 9 sheephead, 54 sculpin, 118 whitefish.
NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--22 anglers (2 boats): 13 yellowtail, 7 calico bass, 1 halibut, 18 rockfish, 1 Spanish mackerel, 5 red snapper, 2 salmon grouper, 1 cow cod. (Davey’s Locker)--111 anglers (7 boats): 48 albacore, 2 bluefin tuna, 8 skipjack, 19 yellowtail, 15 barracuda, 18 calico bass, 10 sand bass, 29 sculpin, 1 sheephead, 2 halibut, 14 rockfish.
DANA WHARF--82 anglers (5 boats): 656 squid, 224 sand bass, 19 calico bass, 6 yellowtail, 3 halibut, 21 blue perch, 66 rockfish, 4 sheephead, 74 whitefish.
OCEANSIDE (Helgren’s)--46 anglers (3 boats): 4 sand bass, 9 halibut, 1 sculpin.
SAN DIEGO (H&M; Landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--324 anglers (15 boats): 1,390 albacore, 212 bluefin tuna, 6 yellowtail. (Seaforth)--178 anglers (10 boats): 184 albacore, 44 bluefin tuna, 42 yellowtail, 2 barracuda, 7 sand bass, 180 rockfish, 190 whitefish, 1 sheephead, 28 sculpin. (Islandia)--41 anglers (3 boats): 63 albacore, 13 bluefin tuna, 2 yellowtail, 14 whitefish, 21 rockcod, 1 sheephead, 10 sculpin, 26 rockfish, 30 mackerel.
TROUT PLANTS
LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Bouquet Canyon Creek, Lake Casitas, Lake Piru. SAN BERNARDINO--Mojave Narrows Park Lake, Santa Ana River. SAN DIEGO--Doane Pond, San Luis Rey Creek. INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South forks and Intake II), 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, 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, Trumble Lake, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat Campground to town of Walker and Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).
CATFISH PLANTS
ORANGE COUNTY--Carr Park Lake, Centennial Park Lake, Clark Park Lake, Greer Park Lake, Huntington Central Park Lake, Irvine Regional Park Lake, Mile Square Park Lake, Tri-City Park Lake, Westhaven Park Lake.
--Compiled by PETE THOMAS
