FRESHWATER

Los Angeles County

CASTAIC LAKE--Largemouth bass are biting best for drop-shotters using plastic worms in Aaron’s Magic and cinnamon-blue colors. An eight-pounder was caught on a white spinnerbait. Striped bass are being caught deep on night crawlers, but the big fish remain line shy. Trout action was fair early in the week but has since slowed.

PYRAMID LAKE--Largemouth bass action is best, with night crawlers and plastic worms working best. Smallmouth bass are in the mix too. Trout anglers casting spoons or soaking Power Bait are doing fairly well, though limits are hard to come by.

Ventura County

LAKE CASITAS--The bass bite remains fair to good for mostly smaller fish, although a few came in at 10-plus pounds. Swimbaits are getting the bigger fish, whereas crawdads and plastics are getting the smaller ones. Trout action remains steady for mostly trollers near the dam. Catfish action has picked up a little.

LAKE PIRU--Bass are biting on small plastic worms and crankbaits, with most action at the east side off points and close to shore. Trout action is fair for trollers going 30 to 40 feet with Needlefish and Rapalas. Crappie action is picking up, with white mini-jigs best.

Santa Barbara County

LAKE CACHUMA--Trout action picked up Wednesday, mostly for trollers using lead-core line at four-five colors. The fish are scattered and strikes are occurring all over. Largemouth bass to about five pounds are in the shallows. John and Evelyn Henson, La Mirada, 20 red-ear perch totaling 30 pounds, on night crawlers.

Orange County

IRVINE LAKE--Trout fishing remains steady and an 11-pound 12-ounce fish caught on a mini-jig tops the list. Power Bait is best overall. Bass and crappies are in the mix too.

LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--Trout are holding in the deeper center of the lake, and red salmon eggs are getting most. Starting with today’s catfish opener, hours are 6 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Catfish stockings are scheduled every Friday. Meanwhile, the bass bite remains fair on plastic worms and crankbaits.

SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Trout are being stocked through May and big fish are still coming in weekly. The biggest of the week was one 20-8. Night crawlers are getting most.

Riverside County

CORONA LAKE--Trout are still being caught and will be stocked through May. A 19-9 specimen tops the list. Catfish are being planted weekly and biting mainly in the trees.

LAKE PERRIS--No big bass reported but the bite is good for fish averaging two-three pounds, biting mostly on night crawlers. Bluegill and trout action is fair very good.

LAKE SKINNER--Largemouth bass and trout are the best bets. The bass are at the south shore and east end, biting mainly on night crawlers and dark plastics. The trout are at the east and in most coves, biting on night crawlers and Power Bait. Striped bass are biting only sporadically, mainly at the inlet.

San Diego County

LAKE CUYAMACA--Catfish have moved into the shallows at the south end and are biting on mackerel. Also staging in the shallows are bass. Trout action remains fair for those using bait and slow otherwise. An angler using Trout Teasers caught 25 crappies in 30 minutes at the boat house.

DIXON LAKE--Big bass were the main attraction even before Mike Long set a lake record with a 20-pound 12-ounce largemouth caught on a swim-bait. Fishing for much smaller fish is good. Trout action has been fair and catfish action is picking up.

SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--San Vicente remains the top bass fishery in terms of action, but Murray is best for the big ones and a 13 1/2-pounder caught on a jig tops the list. Murray also produced a lake-record 1.85-pound bluegill. Bluegill action is picking up there and at San Vicente. A 42-pound blue catfish was caught at San Vicente. Trout set the pace at Miramar, but fishing was fair at best.

LAKE POWAY--Trout remain the best bet and fishing is fair to good. A 4-pound 4-ounce trout was caught on a night crawler at Boulder Bay. Largemouth bass to 12 pounds have been biting on bait and lures. The water level is up and shore access is limited.

LAKE WHOLFORD--Trout fishing has slowed and bass fishing remains slow. Try night crawlers or Power Bait for trout, and dark plastics and crankbaits for bass. Catfish are taking chicken livers and mackerel, and crappie anglers using green, white and pink jigs are getting fish up to two pounds.

Eastern Sierra

BISHOP AREA--The condition of the ice will worsen in the lakes above town. Ice fishermen have been doing fair for mostly pan-size trout. South is yielding lots of browns in the two-pound range. Bishop Creek is a great bet, producing lots of limits and the occasional Alpers lunker. Most baits and lures are working. The Lower Owens has higher flows this week and fishing is suffering accordingly, but drift-boat anglers are doing well in the calmer pools. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is good for float-tubers near the inlet.

MAMMOTH LAKES AREA--Crowley Lake remains very productive and the fish are good-sized, averaging 12-17 inches, biting on most baits, lures and flies. McGee Bay has been a hot spot. Rock Creek is a good bet for creek anglers, with fish to about 1 1/2 pounds. Rock Creek Lake is still iced over and Twin Lakes feature only sparse open water. Convict Lake is still producing good numbers of plump rainbows and the occasional lunker, though the 8-8 rainbow caught on opening day has yet to be topped.

JUNE LAKE LOOP--Nothing has come close to the 12-pound 15-ounce brown caught on opening day at June Lake, but fishing remains good overall. Salmon eggs and Mylar matuka flies are the top baits.

BRIDGEPORT AREA--Lower Twin remains the top producer of big fish, and on Monday yielded a 10-pound brown that was weighed and released. The fierce winds of opening day have given way to mostly cool and breezy conditions. Bridgeport Reservoir yielded a three-pound cutthroat caught on a Krocodile, a 4-12 brown caught on a Thomas Buoyant and a 4-15 rainbow caught on a Red Hot fly. The East Walker River produced a 6-11 rainbow caught on a Roostertail.

SALT WATER

MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--16 anglers (1 boat): 84 rockfish, 2 cabezon.

PORT SAN LUIS (Patriot Sportfishing)--7 anglers (1 boat): 9 rock cod, 10 bolina.

SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--13 anglers (1 boat): 6 red snaper, 28 rockfish, 1 sheephead.

OXNARD (Cisco’s)--47 anglers (3 boats): 2 whitefish, 1 sheephead, 154 rockfish, 5 red snapper, 1 calico bass.

PORT HUENEME--24 anglers (1 boat): 101 rockfish, 11 sculpin, 43 red snapper.

MARINA DEL REY--33 anglers (2 boats): 121 sculpin, 57 rockfish, 1 ling cod, 35 whitefish, 1 sand bass.

REDONDO BEACH--36 anglers (2 boats): 193 sculpin, 3 whitefish, 68 rockfish.

SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--67 anglers (4 boats): 103 yellowtail, 37 white sea bass, 52 rockfish, 23 calico bass, 18 bonito, 27 red snapper, 6 whitefish, 3 sculpin, 27 salmon grouper, 2 barracuda, 2 sole, 1 sand bass, 1 sheephead. (22nd St. Landing)--69 anglers (4 boats): 26 yellowtail, 12 white sea bass, 202 calico bass, 16 sand bass, 14 barracuda, 9 halibut, 10 sculpin, 4 sheephead, 10 blue perch, 63 rockfish, 1 ling cod.

LONG BEACH (Sportfishing/Berth 55)--43 anglers (3 boats): 3 barracuda, 8 white sea bass, 88 calico bass, 33 sand bass, 36 rockfish, 2 halibut, 20 whitefish, 28 sheephead, 18 sculpin, 1 rubber-lipped perch, 139 blue perch. (Marina Sportfishing)--17 anglers (1 boat): 7 whitefish, 3 sculpin, 108 rock cod, 62 red rock cod. (Pierpoint Landing)--93 anglers (4 boats): 20 yellowtail, 75 white sea bass, 4 barracuda, 7 calico bass, 2 halibut.

NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--22 anglers (2 boats): 6 white sea bass, 5 halibut, 4 barracuda, 19 calico bass, 2 blue perch. (Davey’s Locker)--59 anglers (4 boats): 17 white sea bass, 28 barracuda, 86 calico bass, 9 sand bass, 11 halibut, 12 rockfish, 17 sargo, 1 sheephead, 1 sole, 34 blue perch.

DANA WHARF--110 anglers (4 boats): 55 calico bass, 44 sand bass, 10 mackerel, 1 halibut, 7 rockfish, 7 sculpin, 3 sheephead.

SAN DIEGO (Seaforth)-- 44 anglers (4 boats): 81 barracuda, 42 calico bass, 9 sand bass, 60 rockfish, 10 whitefish, 8 sculpin, 25 mackerel. (Islandia)--15 anglers (2 boats): 16 rockfish, 1 sheephead, 1 sculpin, 16 whitefish, 4 sand bass, 11 calico bass, 1 barracuda.

TROUT PLANTS

LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Arroyo Seco Creek, Belvedere Park Lake, Big Tujunga Creek (Upper and Lower), Crystal Lake, Echo Park Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Hollenbeck Lake, Kenny Hahn Park Lake, Legg Lake, Lincoln Park Lake, Little Rock Reservoir, Magic Johnson Park Lake, Peck Road Park Lake, Puddingstone, San Dimas Reservoir, Santa Fe Reservoir, San Gabriel River (East and West forks). SAN BERNARDINO--Mojave Narrows Park Lake. INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, North, South forks and Intake II), Cottonwood Creek, Georges Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, Owens River (Laws Bridge downstream to Steward Lane and below Tinnemaha), Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Rock Creek Lake, Shepards Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek. MONO--Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Grant Lake, Gull Lake, June Lake, Little Walker River, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Robinson Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Toms Place and Toms Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Silver Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Walker River (Chris Flat campground to town of Walker and Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora bridge).

CATFISH PLANTS

LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Belvedere Park Lake, Downey Wilderness Park Lake, Echo Park Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Legg Lake, Lincoln Park Lake, Spane Lake.

--Compiled by PETE THOMAS