FISH REPORT
Updated on Sunday
Freshwater
Largemouth bass: Holiday boat traffic squashed the bite at most California lakes, but look for a rebound by Wednesday. Before the weekend, fishing at Lake Castaic was very good on night crawlers, crawdads, plastics, pig and jigs, Senkos or topwater plugs. Diamond Valley Lake was good over the weekend for anglers throwing topwater early and plastics late. Try drop-shotted plastics or topwater plugs at Lake Irvine, which yielded fish from 1-8 to 8-0 over the weekend. Shaun Kitrell, Chino, nailed a 6-8 on a black plastic worm at Irvine. Lake Perris is good for fish to 1-8. On the Central Coast, largemouth and smallmouth are not shy about hitting crankbaits at Lake Lopez. In the San Diego region, anglers are averaging 11 fish apiece at Lake Barrett, where reservations are available for September through Ticketmaster.
Trout: Diamond Valley Lake is wide open for deep-water trollers using nine to 13 colors of leadcore and Needlefish. Jason Landis, Riverside, took a 5-8, 4-0, 3-12, 3-8 and 2-4 while trolling. Most fish average 2-0 to 4-8 and limits can be had in a few hours. Green Valley Lake rebounded after a full moon for anglers using Power Bait, small lures or Power Worms, the bait that tricked a 5-4 fish for Julie Wells of Rialto. At Big Bear, trollers using three colors of leadcore report the best action. Try Power Bait under a slip-bobber with a 20-foot leader near the dam.
Striped bass: Lake Castaic striper action is good with fish to 2-8 attacking anchovies or sardines over the weekend. Top spots: the buoy line or Elizabeth Canyon. Pyramid Lake and Lake Skinner are fair at best. On the Colorado River, Lake Mead is smoking for anglers jigging spoons 30 to 70 feet deep. Many limits of fish to 6-0 reported in Vegas Wash.
Panfish: Lake Lopez reports a solid bite for quality bluegill and redear. Top baits include worms, mealworms or waxworms while mini-jigs or live minnows fool crappie. Anglers using mealworms or waxworms do well at Lake Murray in the San Diego region. Bluegill and redear to 1-0 are biting off Lot 12, in the east end and at Rock Climber’s Cove at Lake Perris for anglers soaking mealworms or crickets.
Catfish: Yawn, another week, another haul of fish over 30 pounds at Hesperia Lake, with lots of fish from 10-0 to 25-0 mixed in for kicks. Clyde Johnson, Rialto, took a 34-5 catfish on mackerel and Alex Rodriguez, Riverside, scored a 32-0 on shrimp off of the Finger Point. Each week, crews stock the little lake with 3,000-pounds of catfish, including a half-ton of fish from 20-0 to 30-0. Irvine Lake is good early until noon and anglers who fish weekend nights score fish to 40-0. Anaheim Lake sports a pretty decent night bite, too. Flatheads to 40-0 stalk the Blythe stretch of the Colorado River. Josh Almerao, Blythe, took a 42-0 flathead on a live bluegill.
Saltwater
Albacore: Warm water and too many boats slowed the bite over the weekend, though a good, albeit spotty, bite continues. Two-day and 1 1/2-day boats report best action on 40-pound fish. Bring a rig with 30-40 pound line for the beasts. The Big Game 90, H & M Landing, returned from a two-day trip on Sunday with 320 albacore, 14 yellowfin tuna, nine dorado and four yellowtail. The Apollo, Fisherman’s Landing, returned from a two-day on Sunday with 15 anglers and 150 albacore, one yellowtail and two dorado. The Independence, Point Loma Sportfishing, culminated a three-day trip on Saturday with 31 anglers and 405 albacore, one bluefin, eight yellowfin and three dorado.
Bluefin tuna: Anglers aboard two-day and three-day boats report a smattering of fish. Twenty anglers aboard the Sea Adventure, H & M Landing, scored four fish and limits of albacore on Saturday.
Dorado: Good numbers of fish to 30-0 hug kelp from San Diego to Newport Beach.
Yellowtail: Fish are abundant, especially at Oceanside kelp and Catalina Island. Boats from San Diego to Long Beach report fish to 30-0. Seven anglers aboard the Ultra, Newport Landing, returned from an overnight trip Sunday with 45 fish to 28-0.
Bonito: Fish to 6-0 swarm the coast and attack bait or a splasher and a feather. Anglers using 6-pound line and medium-light trout rods are having a blast catching limits at Newport Pier, Redondo Beach and Kings Harbor. Try Rocky Point Marina (310-374-9858) for a skiff rental and pick up live bait at the receiver for a fun day.
Trout plants
Locations: To be stocked this week, weather permitting: Bouquet Canyon Creek, Pyramid Lake (Los Angeles County); Hemet Lake (Riverside); Jenks Lake, Mojave Narrows Regional Park Lake, Santa Ana River (San Bernardino); Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek-Lower, Middle, South forks, and Intake II, Diaz Lake, Georges Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River below Tinnemaha, South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek (Inyo); Crowley Lake (Mono); Kings River below Pine Flat Dam, San Joaquin River below Friant Dam (Fresno); Kern River-Pumphouse Three to Riverside Park, Kernville (Kern); Kern River-Fairview Dam to Falling Waters Lodge and Brush Creek to Fairview Dam (Tulare).
*
An extensive and updated fish report is available Thursday at latimes.com/fish.
