FRESHWATER
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
CASTAIC LAKE--Largemouth bass are biting mostly live baits. Steve Werth and Mike Rosas, Castaic, six bass, largest 10 1/2 pounds, on waterdogs. Bruce Sikora, and Mike Maguire, La Crescenta, seven bass, largest 7-8, on crawdads and waterdogs. A midweek trout plant should result in some large striped bass being caught this weekend.
PYRAMID LAKE--Trout are biting on worms and Power Bait in the marina area, running to two pounds. Striped bass are holding at the dam, curious since they love to gobble up trout. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are striking crankbaits, green spinnerbaits and night crawlers off rocky points.
VENTURA COUNTY
LAKE PIRU--The north end is producing lots of trout for trollers and bait fishermen using the usual stuff. Bass fishing is fair on crawdad-pattern crankbaits.
LAKE CASITAS--A tournament last week resulted in 84 five-fish limits, topped by a 10-pound 9-ounce bass, but spectacles like this do the fishery no good as the bigger spawning females are reeled from their nests, plopped into live-wells and released at the ramp after the weigh-in. A 12-8 bass caught by a non-tournament angler tops the list. Trout action is steady.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
LAKE CACHUMA--Rick Edington, Santa Maria, two trout totaling 10 pounds on Power Bait at Harvey’s Bay. Stanley Williams, Culver City, 5-8 trout on a worm at Harvey Bay. The list goes on. The flats are good for bass.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
JESS RANCH LAKES--A good place to go for a picnic and perhaps catch a few trout, but that’s about it.
ORANGE COUNTY
LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--Trout are responding to most baits thrown their way, especially salmon eggs, night crawlers and tube jigs. A 9-4 was caught on a small crankbait. Largemouth bass are spawning and getting hungry in the process. Anglers are reporting 30-fish days using plastic worms and other artificials.
IRVINE LAKE--Excellent fishing took place last weekend and good fishing continues. Edward John, Irvine, caught one five-fish limit totaling 50 pounds and added another (after paying for a second ticket) weighing 44-7. Overshadowed by all of this was a lake-record 14.5-pound largemouth bass, caught on a night crawler by an angler fishing for trout.
SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Joey Schlone, Riverside, caught three of four fish that weighed in at 13 pounds or more. He used mini-jigs. Catfish are starting to bite.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
LAKE SKINNER--Largemouth bass moving up to spawn are striking plastic worms and night crawlers. Striped bass are biting on plugs and swim-baits, but only sporadically. Some catfish.
LAKE PERRIS--Bass fishing remains fair, but for mostly smaller fish. Bluegills are getting active and a plump one-pounder was caught on a cricket. Some trout.
CORONA LAKE--Get in on the trout bite while it lasts. A 13-pounder was caught on Power Bait. Catfish will soon take center stage.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
LAKE WOHLFORD--A 12-pound bass was caught on a plastic crawdad, and a few others topped 10 pounds. A six-pound trout was caught on a Power Worm by an angler fishing for bass.
LAKE CUYAMACA--Cast a gold Panther Martin and you’ll catch your limit of trout within the hour, according to ranger Hugh Marx. A seven-pounder was caught on a night crawler.
LAKE POWAY--Bass weighed in at 14 pounds (swim-bait), 12 1/2 pounds (crawdad), 12 pounds (jig) and 11 pounds (waterdog). A three-day trout derby begins today. Details: (858) 679-5465.
SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--Murray produced the biggest bass--a 13-10 specimen caught on a swim-bait--but all the bass lakes are producing. A 75-pound blue catfish was caught on a shiner at San Vicente. It was one of five totaling 225 pounds by Jim and Eric Patton of Alpine.
EASTERN SIERRA
The Lower Owens River is producing trout to five pounds and anglers are catching them in T-shirts, swatting mosquitoes all the while. Spring has definitely arrived in Round Valley. Streamer-pattern flies are still the ticket. Get on the river early or late, as the bite is dead during the day. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is very productive, as is the Owens Gorge. The Independence-area creeks are fair for DFG stockers. Diaz Lake yielded a 5-pounder, caught on Power Bait.
SALTWATER
The Times accepts and publishes the catch count as a public service. Any responsibility for accuracy is that of the landing operator.
MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--14 anglers (1 boat): 56 red rock cod, 84 rockfish.
PORT SAN LUIS (Patriot Sportfishing)--12 anglers (1 boat): 11 rock cod, 25 rockfish, 84 red rock cod.
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--9 anglers (1 boat): 32 calico bass, 10 sand bass, 1 sculpin, 5 barracuda, 8 rockfish.
OXNARD (Cisco’s)--33 anglers (2 boats): 57 calico bass, 1 halibut, 1 barracuda, 50 red snapper, 181 rockfish, 32 whitefish.
PORT HUENEME--24 anglers (2 boats): 3 sheephead, 150 rockfish, 6 sculpin, 2 lingcod, 30 red snapper, 1 salmon (released).
MARINA DEL REY--100 anglers (4 boats): 47 halibut, 23 sand bass, 17 sculpin.
REDONDO BEACH--55 anglers (3 boats): 10 halibut, 71 sand bass, 23 calico bass, 10 sculpin, 14 whitefish, 1 sheephead, 30 perch.
SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--68 anglers (4 boats): 25 white sea bass, 44 calico bass, 79 whitefish, 49 sheephead, 15 rockfish, 11 sculpin, 20 blue perch, 5 sand bass, 3 halibut. (22nd St. Landing)--33 anglers (2 boats): 6 white sea bass, 1 yellowtail, 5 calico bass, 143 rockfish, 1 barracuda, 3 sculpin, 13 whitefish, 14 sheephead, 21 red snapper, 5 salmon grouper.
LONG BEACH (Marina Sportfishing)--13 anglers (1 boat): 21 rockfish, 51 rock cod, 14 salmon grouper, 8 red snapper.
NEWPORT BEACH (Davey’s Locker)--34 anglers (2 boats): 1 barracuda, 3 calico bass, 7 sand bass, 1 white sea bass, 2 sculpin, 3 sheephead, 5 halibut, 1 sargo.
DANA WHARF--65 anglers (4 boats): 20 calico bass, 26 sand bass, 8 mackerel, 1 rockfish, 3 sculpin, 5 sheephead, 7 white sea bass.
OCEANSIDE--32 anglers (2 boats): 16 sand bass, 25 sculpin, 5 sheephead, 53 whitefish, 32 rockfish.
SAN DIEGO (Seaforth)--96 anglers (5 boats): 9 yellowtail, 3 sand bass, 100 rockfish, 85 whitefish, 5 sculpin, 25 mackerel. (Islandia)--46 anglers (3 boats): 28 whitefish, 73 rock cod, 12 sculpin, 65 rockfish, 13 mackerel.
TROUT PLANTS
LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Alondra Park Lake, Arroyo Seco Creek, Belvedere Park Lake, Big Tujunga Creek (Upper and Lower), Castaic Lake, Castaic Lagoon, Crystal Lake, Echo Park Lake, Hollenbeck Lake, Jackson Lake, La Mirada Lake, Lincoln Park Lake, Legg Lake, Magic Johnson Park Lake, Puddingstone Reservoir, San Dimas Reservoir, San Gabriel River (East, North and West forks). ORANGE--Carr Park Lake, Centennial Park Lake, Greer Park Lake, Mile Square Park Lake, Ralph Clark Park Lake, Trabuco Creek, Tri-City Park Lake, Yorba Linda Park Lake. RIVERSIDE--Cahuilla Park Lake, Hemet Lake, Lake Perris. SAN BERNARDINO--Glen Helen Park Lake, Mill Creek, Prado Park Lake, Silverwood Lake, Yucaipa Park Lake.
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--Compiled by PETE THOMAS
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