FISH REPORT
Updated on Sunday
Freshwater
Largemouth bass: Fishing exploded after boat traffic subsided last weekend. At Castaic Lake, anglers caught and released as many as 15 bass daily last week. Chris Nielson, Los Angeles, scored a dozen fish to 8-8 on jerkbaits and plastics. Best baits: nightcrawlers, crawdads, plastics, pig and jigs, Senkos or topwater plugs. Diamond Valley Lake boasts good action on topwater early and drop-shotted or Carolina-rigged plastic worms later. Lake Isabella is very good for fish from 3-0 to 12-0. Steven Jackson, Pasadena, fished a 9-inch worm in 25 feet of water to catch fish of 12-1, 11-8, 11-1, 9-12, 8-8 and 5-4, and he says anglers in other boats hooked quality fish too. Lake Perris produces fish to 1-8 on drop-shotted plastics. Fish are hitting crankbaits and plastic worms at Lake Lopez on the Central Coast.
Trout: Rainbows to 6-0 are hitting in deep water at the west dam at Diamond Valley. Trollers using nine to 13 colors of leadcore and Needlefish and bait anglers fishing Power Bait 60 feet deep have the most success. Max Wienhill, Redlands, landed fish of 6-2, 4-8, 3-12, 3-8 and 3-2 on Needlefish. Green Valley Lake fish run to 5-0 for anglers working Power Bait, Power Worms and small lures. Weekly plants are expected to continue through mid-October. Aerators installed near the dam at Big Bear Lake helped anglers catch more fish using Power Bait under a slip-bobber with a 20-foot leader. The Sierra from Bishop to Bridgeport has good action for fish to 8-0.
Striped bass: Castaic Lake is best for quality fish on anchovies or sardines dunked at the buoy line or Elizabeth Canyon. Lake Mead fish are suckers for topwater plugs tossed to shad crashing the surface. Try Vegas Wash for limits of fish to 6-0.
Panfish: Boat anglers using mini-jigs and live minnows find lots of black crappie to 2-0 at Lake Isabella. Fish are stacked in flooded trees 30 feet deep. Lake Lopez boasts steady action on nice bluegill and redear hitting worms, mealworms or waxworms. Lake Perris has a fair bite for bluegill and redear to 1-0 off lot 12, the east end and Rock Climber’s Cove for anglers using mealworms or crickets. Lake Murray seems the best bet in the San Diego region.
Catfish: Hesperia Lake kicked out three fish bigger than 30-0 this week and lots more from 10-0 to 25-0. William Thompson, Riverside, took a 32-5 on a mackerel chunk, and Justin Alexander, Riverside, scored a 32-0 on a shrimp. The north shore and Finger Point are best. Fishing at Irvine Lake is good from the early morning until noon, while anglers score fish to 10-0 while night fishing. Top fish at Anaheim Lake was a 28-8 that Jason Silva, Orange, scored on a shrimp. The Colorado River near Blythe produces flatheads to 40-0.
Saltwater
Albacore: Warm water is pushing schools north up the coast as boats score fish to 50-0 in cooler patches of water. Twenty-five anglers scored 48 big albacore and 45 yellowfin tuna from the Grande, Point Loma Sportfishing, an indication of the two types of water present along the coast. A dozen anglers caught 60 big albacore Sunday aboard the Sea Adventure, H & M Landing.
Yellowfin: Tuna are storming the coast from Baja to the Channel Islands, including a hot bite on the back side of Catalina Island on fish to 12-0. Lots of fish reported at various points off Southern California for anglers aboard multiday boats. The Legend, Seaforth Landing, returned from a three-day trip on Sunday with 22 anglers landing 114 yellowfin, 204 yellowtail and 36 dorado. Twenty-one anglers aboard the Dominator, Point Loma Sportfishing, took 38 yellowfin, 105 yellowtail and six dorado. Twenty-one anglers aboard the Deep Adventure Three, H & M Landing, returned Sunday from a two-day trip with 108 yellowfin tuna and five dorado.
Dorado: Lots of fish to 30-0 hitting sardines under kelp from San Diego to Newport Beach.
Yellowtail: Schools of fish reported from the Oceanside kelp and Catalina Island as anglers on boats from San Diego to Long Beach score fish to 30-0. The Pacific Dawn, H & M Landing, returned from a two-day trip Sunday with 140 yellowtail and three dorado.
Bonito: Fishing is very good along the coast as fish to 6-0 attack bait or a splasher and a feather. Skiff fishermen are grabbing limits and near-limits at Newport Pier, the Redondo Beach area and King Harbor.
Trout plants
Locations: To be stocked this week, weather permitting: Jackson Lake (Los Angeles County); Big Bear Lake, Gregory Lake (San Bernardino); Lopez Lake (San Luis Obispo County); 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 -- Laws bridge downstream to Steward Lane and below Tinnemaha, Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Rock Creek Lake, South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek (Inyo); Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Ellery Lake, Grant Lake, Green Creek, Gull Lake, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek, Lee Vining Creek -- South Fork, Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, Mary Lake, McGee Creek, Owens River -- Benton Crossing (Mono).
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An extensive and updated fish report is available Thursday at latimes.com/fish.
