Fishing Report : L.A. Angler Lands 47 1/2-Pound Catfish

Big catfish continue as anglers’ targets at many Southland reservoirs, with Irvine Lake generally yielding the largest fish.

R.J. Stanley of Los Angeles topped the list this week with a 47 1/2-pounder he caught using cut mackerel as bait. P.F. Wilson of Paramount hauled one up weighing 31 pounds.

WILLOW BEACH--Trout good to excellent, biting mostly near mile marker 49. Cheese best bet. James Hedges, Bartlesville, Okla., 3-pound rainbow trout. Catfish fair on anchovies downstream.

LAKE MEAD--Striped bass good in deep water at lower basin. Some top-water action in early morning and late afternoon. Anchovies best bet. Catfish good in evenings and at night. Largemouth bass slow.

SALTON SEA--Several limits of orangemouth corvina between 14-18 pounds. Live mudsuckers best bet. North Shore and Bombay Cove good for tilapia and croaker.

LAKE CACHUMA--Catfish good. Ron Pruden, Orange, 19 1/2-pound catfish. East end most productive. Mackerel best bet. Trout good at dam with trollers getting best results.

LAKE CASITAS--Catfish good in shallow water. Mackerel best bet. Trout good for trollers at 80-foot depths. Needlefish lures getting best results. Dam and east side of lake best location. Largemouth bass fair. Mike Graybill, Oxnard, 13-pound bass.

LAKE PIRU--Bass fair to good in coves, biting mostly on crank baits and plastic worms. Trout good near dam at 35-foot depths. Standard baits productive. Catfish picking up. Peter Cervantes, Fillmore, 10 catfish weighing 31 pounds. Mackerel best bet.

CASTAIC LAKE--Largemouth bass good. John Viazanko, Sepulveda, nine-pound bass. Plastic worms best bet. Trout slow because of hot weather.

IRVINE LAKE--Catfish excellent. Mackerel best bet. Al Marcoot, Mike Burroughs and Mike Thrasher, Huntington Beach, 10 catfish weighing 37 pounds. Largemouth bass fair. Ron Carlin, Garden Grove, 5-pound bass.

VAIL LAKE--Bass good. John Krumsiek, Buena Park, 12 bass caught and released by 9:30 a.m. Nightcrawlers best bet. Catfish good. William Johnson, Los Angeles, five catfish weighing 44-pounds 14-ounces (biggest, 14-15). Bluegills good. Crappie picking up.

BIG BEAR LAKE--Trout good west of Eagle Point, mostly between 12-14 inches. Trolling nightcrawlers behind flashers most common but still-fishing with standard baits also good. Catfish good at east end of lake on chicken livers and mackerel, mostly between 3-5 pounds. Bluegill good near docks and weeds on red worms and meal worms. Bass slow.

LAKE SILVERWOOD--Striped bass good near dam. John Heitman, Duarte, 20-pound striper. Howard Henry, Alta Loma, two stripers weighing 24 1/2 pounds. Mackerel best bet. Rainbow trout good. Joe Bales, Claremont, three-pound rainbow at Spillway Inlet. Catfish picking up in coves. Chad Kane, Norwalk, 14-pound bullhead catfish.

LAKE HENSHAW--Largemouth bass fair. Joe Perry and Mike Tulice, Los Angeles, 10 bass weighing 24-pounds 3-ounces. Plastic worms best bet. Crappie very good. Jim Hall, Vista, 25 crappie weighing 24 pounds. Trolling best bet. Catfish very good Mike Newman, San Diego, 10 catfish weighing 36 1/2 pounds. Fishing near dam with mackerel best bet.

BISHOP AREA--Scattered thundershowers keeping crowds down. Several limits of pan-sized rainbow trout at Sabrina and South lakes. Limits and near limits at Intake II and North Lake. Flies best bet. Lower Owens River slow. Pleasant Valley River producing limits of Kamloops up to 13 inches. Back-country fishing good. Flies getting good results at Long, Topsy Turvy, Blue and Baboon lakes.

JUNE LOOP--June Lake good for rainbows averaging 10-13 inches. Marshmallows best bet. Trolling also good. Grant Lake producing some limits of browns. David Johnson, Bakersfield, 10 brown trout weighing 2 pounds. Trolling with triple-teasers best method. Rush Creek producing near limits of rainbows and some browns. Silver Lake good in late evenings with flies best bet.

GULL LAKE--Rainbow trout good. Bob Olivera, Ventura, 2 1/2-pound rainbow. Standard baits all productive. Trolling on and off.

BRIDGEPORT--Bridgeport Lake good for rainbow trout in the four- to five-pound range. Still-fishing at Sandy Point good with standard baits producing some limits. Trolling also good. Shore fishing also good with nightcrawlers best bet. Twin Lakes producing pan-sized limits of rainbows. Trolling with flies best bet. Trollers also catching Kokanee salmon with some regularity. Robinson Creek and West Walker River are low and clear--ultra light tackle a must. Virginia Lake good in daytime with worms and in evenings with bubble-and-fly rigs.

Peppermint Creek (Upper), Tule River (Middle Fork, North and South forks of Main Fork, Cedar Slope area).