FRESHWATER
Los Angeles County
CASTAIC LAKE--Top striper this week was an 18.1-pounder caught by Joel Mendelsohn, Los Angeles, on a Castaic Soft Trout. Gary Hoffman, Northridge, landed a 17.3-pounder on a Pencil Popper. Top largemouth reported was a 6.3-pounder caught by David McCue, Florida, on a waterdog. Scott Ross, Sunland, caught and released a limit of bass in 30 to 50 feet of water on Little Fisheze. The largemouths are best on live bait, jigging spoons, and plastics fished in deep water.
PYRAMID LAKE--The striper bite has been improving with some showing on the surface. Mark Sorce, Simi Valley, caught stripers at 16-0 and 11-0 on Hawg Raisers. Catfish still fair to good in the marina area and at Yellowbar.
Riverside County
CORONA LAKE--The trout bite is wide open for those fishing from a boat on the far side or at mid-lake and/or from shore just south of the boat ramp. The afternoon bite has been the best, and trophy trout are showing in good numbers every day. The best trout this week was a 17.8-pounder caught by Brett Hallimore, San Gabriel.
LAKE ELSINORE--The catfish bite has remained fair to good. Carp are good again with the sunny weather, and there has been a flurry of crappie action, with fish to 1-8 being caught. Bass are spotty and bluegill are slow.
LAKE PERRIS--The largemouth bite has improved a little, but the action is still tough. The best bite has been on live shad. Jim McComb, Moreno Valley, and Steve Vaughan, Perris, caught four fish that weighed 11-0 total, all on shad.
LAKE SKINNER--The striper bite remains good to excellent, especially for anglers dipping live shad. But the bite is nearly as good on swim baits. Top spots have been the marina point, the east end, Ramp No. 2, and the inlet. Robert Parrot, San Jacinto, caught a 10-0 striper on a Rat-L-Trap. The largemouth bass are also good on all the points on crawdads, shad, and swimbaits. Chuck Hrehor, Temecula, caught a 6-10 largemouth on a live shad.
Orange County
IRVINE LAKE--Excellent trout action this week. The biggest rainbow was a 15.55-pounder caught by Frank Nikas, La Habra, on a roostertail off the west shore. Tyson Lundquist, Westminster, caught a 41.7-pound stringer of five trout, including fish at 15, 14.35 and 12.35 pounds.
LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--The lake has been planted with 5,000 pounds of Utah rainbows for the trout season opener today.
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Two rainbow trout topping 20 pounds were caught by anglers, and there were 32 fish over the 10-pound mark landed this week. The biggest rainbows this week were a 20.6-pounder landed by Syho Sarant, Baldwin Park, while fishing with Power Bait at Levitz’s Corner. The best action for both the regular rainbows and the Lightning Trout has been Berkley Power Bait, fished on a light leader. Inflated nightcrawlers are also a good bet. Many anglers are dipping either bait in Berkley Trout Attractant, Smelly Jelly, anise oil or garlic oil.
Ventura County
LAKE CASITAS--The bass bite is spotty, but a 12-8 was caught by Ken Huddleston, Ventura, on a Castaic Soft Bait. Trout still good on nightcrawlers and Power Bait. Lyn Wilde, Ventura, caught a 12-0 limit topped by a 3-0 trolling Needlefish in the Chishmahoo area in 60 feet.
LAKE PIRU--Trout action has been good for trollers fishing rainbow and shad Needlefish behind five colors of leadcore line along the east side of the lake and off the face of the dam.
San Diego County
DIXON LAKE--Trout fishing remains very good. Top trout was a 7-8 caught by Mike Steale. Catfish slow, but a 6-0 was caught in Trout Cove by Trevor Rogers. Bass slow.
LAKE CUYAMACA--Mostly slow. A few trout are showing in the afternoons on bait doused with scent. Top rainbow was a 3-8 caught by Allen Kennedy, Tustin. Mike Nickerson caught a 5-0 largemouth.
SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--Catfish are providing the most excitement at San Vicente, with a couple of whopper blue cats again this week. The best was a 46.05-pounder caught by Clint Hicks, San Diego. Good trout action after a plant at Murray on Monday. Top trout was a 2.85-pounder.
Eastern Sierra
In the Bishop area, the lower Owens River really improved this week. The wild trout stretch has had a great midday hatch of baetis mayflies, and fly anglers are catching and releasing 10 to 20 browns during the surface bite. The lower stretch has been good for anglers fishing stocked rainbows and wild browns, but few fish over 14 inches. The Owens River Gorge is good with a lot of browns from eight to 14 inches. This is cold fishing, however.
SALTWATER
REDONDO BEACH-- 55 anglers (1 boat): 42 sculpin, 49 rockfish, 7 whitefish, 1 cabezon.
LONG BEACH (Pierpoint Landing)-- 9 anglers (1 boat): 1 barracuda, 23 sand bass, 6 calico bass, 3 whitefish, 16 sculpin, 7 sheephead, 1 sargo.
TROUT PLANTS
LOS ANGELES--Big Rock Creek, Castaic Lake, Castaic Lagoon, Elizabeth Lake, Piru Creek (Frenchman’s Flat). RIVERSIDE--Lake Cahuilla, Rancho Jurupa Park Lake. SAN BERNARDINO--Glen Helen Park Lake, Prado Park Lake, Mojave Narrows Park Lake, Seccombe Park Lake, Yucaipa Park Lake. SAN DIEGO--Chollas Lake, Lake Murray, Lindo Lake. VENTURA--Casitas Lake, Piru Lake, Rancho Simi Park Lake, Rose Valley Lake. SANTA BARBARA--Cachuma Lake.
--Compiled by JIM MATTHEWS
