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Trouters finally have something to talk about on the Kern River - Fresh Reports
BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT/WON Staff WriterPublished: Jul 02, 2009
KERNVILLE — It’s been a long while since trout anglers had 
anything to report from the Kern River, as the trout stocking moratorium virtually shut the area down in terms of fishing options. Of course, there are always the fickle native fish to be caught, however, as any seasoned trouter knows, stockers are more plentiful and easier to catch.
Well, the Upper River continues to be devoid of stocked fish, however, the lower section — more specifically from the park in Kernville all the way down to Lake Isabella — has been benefiting from recent DFG plants being pumped into the lake where the river joins.
“We’ve got the best report we’ve had in a long time,” noted John Strange at the Sierra Gateway Market in Kernville. “They’re planting trophy trout right there in the lake part [the cemetery area], and the fish are running up-river.
“The bite’s been good from the park in Kernville all the way down to the mouth of the lake, so the guys have a mile of the river that’s really good.
“Bait fishermen are getting rainbows to 5 pounds using PowerBait or nightcrawlers. Fly fishermen are out there with nymphs — pheasant tails, hare’s ears….
“Not much is happening on the Upper River,” Strange added. “I think that we might have a little bit of a bite now that it’s down to about 950 cfs, but I don’t know how long that’s going to last.”
Bassers tough it out on Lake Casitas for fish to 9.3 pounds
OAK VIEW — Hot weather settled in over the Central Coast this past week and into the weekend, making for uncomfortable fishing conditions and an overall tough bass bite for Casitas largemouth chasers.
“It’s been tough,” remarked Lake Casitas Boat Rentals’ staffer Adam Casey. “These fish are post-spawn and the warm weather has been making it best to relax and hit the shade during the middle part of the day. Save some energy and go hit the evening bite.”
Bassers are picking away at a few fish; however, and Steve Woods pulled the trigger on a 9.3-pound largemouth while soaking a live shad. Pat Hamlin of Bell Air, Maryland, fished with guide Rod Thigpin and scored a 9 pounder on a Stocker Trout. “They did stock [trout] on Monday [June 22],” Casey added. “I saw some fish chasing ‘em.” Travis Walters of Oak View managed a 7-pound fish using a plastic worm. Mike Kane of Camarillo bagged a pair of 6’s on live shad.
“Most of the fish are smaller-grade fish taken on plastic worms,” Casey noted. “The shad have been producing better fish, but more numbers are coming on plastic worms.”
Crappie and catfish were also making sporadic appearances this past week, and Matt Wheatley of Oak View nabbed a 21⁄2-pound slab on a live shad. Tim Brown of Ventura was soaking a nightcrawler when he tied into a 10-pound whiskerfish.
There also remain a few trout to be had for trollers pulling Needlefish at the dam, according to Casey.
Irvine Lake catfish action topped by 16 pounder
SILVERADO — Excellent catfish action was on tap for Irvine Lake anglers this past week, reported general manager Dave Noyes. “Limits have been pretty common around here during the night fishing sessions,” observed Noyes. “Most of the cats have been nice eating-size 2 to 5 pounders, but there are also some better ones into the double digits being checked in.”
Catfish anglers have scored using a variety of baits, including mackerel, shrimp, Gulp! and DuMong’s. The best location has been Woody’s Cove, but good numbers were also seen at Boat Dock Cove and Santiago Flats.
Danyon Lee of Orange bagged a 16-pound catfish on mackerel at the west shore. Ken Bell of Orange managed a 9 pounder using the same bait at the flats, and Jake Wilkerson of Orange used mackerel for an 8.4-pound kitty in Woody’s Cove. Denise Swann of Lakewood also put the mack to good use at Santiago Flats for a 5-catfish limit totaling 23.94 pounds.
Crappie fishing is also mostly a nighttime affair. The trick is setting out a floating lantern near flooded trees at Santiago Flats, and waiting for a food chain to develop under your boat. Limits of crappie up to 1 ? pounds are easy to come by for anglers using 2-inch Gulp! Minnows or Berkley Atomic Tubes in white or glow colors. A few trout are also being caught incidentally by crappie anglers.
Resident trout expert Marlon Meade of Anaheim nabbed a 4.14-pound rainbow while working a Gulp! Minnow at Rocky Point.
Bass chasers are finding hot action on 2- to 4-pound largemouth, with up to 30 fish per boat being released. The bass are hitting on spinnerbaits and crankbaits in the morning, then switching to jigs and Carolina-rigged plastics in the afternoon. Sierra Cove has been a particular hotspot.
The Kids Lagoon is kicking out good numbers of stocker-sized catfish for families with children age 12 and under. All private boats are subject to a 10-minute inspection for zebra mussels prior to being launched.
Catfish action improving at Wohlford, bass also in the mix
ESCONDIDO — With the weather warming, catfish action is improving all around San Diego County fisheries, and last week’s kitty action at Lake Wohlford was no exception to the trend.
“The catfishing has been good and only stands to get better with the arrival of Wednesday’s [July 1] stock,” said Ranger George Scalo. “The July 1st stock is the first of four planned stocks to occur every other week until mid-August.”
In the meanwhile, current reports have the kitties taking cut mackerel or chicken liver fished at either buoy line.
“Drop by the Ranger Station for a dough bait recipe that works great on both catfish and carp,” Scalo added. “Note that this Saturday, July 4, is one of two days per year when state fishing licenses are not required for fishing. Anglers will still be required to have their daily fishing permit, however.”
While the warmer weather has the cats on the prowl, bass action has been decent, at best. “The bass fishing has been slow at times, with mostly smaller males being caught primarily in the early-mornings and late-afternoons,” Scalo commented.
Rod Kiar of Escondido caught and released a 5-pound, 12-ounce largemouth while tossing a crankbait at Bass Point. Curtis Gallegos of San Marcos bagged a 4.15 pounder using a Rapala at the South Shore Rockpile. Mark Clifford had a 4.13-pound fish on a plastic crawdad fished in Boat Dock Cove.
Crappie are hanging around submerged willows and shady outcroppings and hitting finger jigs or live golden shiners. Smaller-sized bluegill are taking redworms or mealworms.
Heat slows striper bite at Castaic, but bassin’ remains strong
CASTAIC — Triple-digit temps descended upon the Southland this past week, and fishing action understandably took a hit at a number of fisheries — Castaic included.
“With the big warm-up we had last week, the stripers showed signs of slowing down,” noted lake staffer John Salkeld. “It’s still a very good bait bite on anchovies back by the Forebay buoy line and off the main dam. The swimbait bite is still not that impressive but there is still some action out there.”
David Scott of Stevenson Ranch was tossing a River2Sea Rover at the main dam when he connected with a 14.9-pound lineside.
“The largemouth bass bite is doing very well even with this recent warm-up,” Salkeld remarked. “Nightcrawlers, plastics and small shad baits are still doing great on the points and in the backs of the coves. It seems to be best mid-morning for the largemouth. Around 10 a.m. ’til 1 p.m. is when most people are catching most of their bass.”
Lake regular Kenneth Hemer of Castaic bagged a 7.2-pound largemouth using a Lucky Craft crankbait in Elizabeth Canyon.
“As far as the Lower Lake goes, the largemouth are also doing very well; unfortunately it’s the guys in the float tubes and the guys with boats who are getting the better fish,” Salkeld said. “It has been a really good live bait bite for the shore fishermen — nightcrawlers and crawdads will still hook you up on nice-sized largemouth.
“The panfish bite at both lakes has slowed down but there are still a few people catching them using mealworms and small pieces of anything just small enough to fit in their mouths.”
The DFG last stocked the Upper Lake with trout on Wednesday, June 18, and the Lagoon on Monday, June 15. According to Salkeld, the department most likely will not be stocking again until next fall.
The next Moonlight Fishing will take place Saturday, July 11, at 8 p.m. on the Upper Lake’s main ramp. The next Moonlight Float Tube Tournament on the Lagoon will be the previous night, July 10, from 6 p.m. until midnight. For more information on the Moonlight Fishing, visit www.castaiclake.com.
‘Steady’ catfishing on tap at the Santa Ana River Lakes
ANAHEIM — There wasn’t anything truly significant to report from the Santa Ana River Lakes this past week in terms of either big fish or heavy stringers; just consistent action overall, according to staffers.
“Fishing remained steady this past week,” noted Lake Manager Holly Jelderda. “The hot baits were mackerel or shrimp, and the hot spots were Levitz Corner and the boat dock.”
Big fish went to Josh Snyder of Fountain Valley, who posted a 5.5 pounder on shrimp fished in the main lake. That kitty capped a 13-fish, 26.5-pound stringer. Samantha Gray of Anaheim scored a 41⁄2-pound cat using mackerel by the boat dock. Eric (last name not provided) of Lakewood topped his 5-fish, 18-pound stringer with a 4.5 pounder taken on shrimp in the main lake. Rick Haney of Garden Grove had a 4-pound whiskerfish on shrimp with garlic Gravy at Levitz Corner.
“Remember, 24-hour Moonlight Madness takes place this Thursday thru Sunday,” Jelderda added. “Come spend your 4th of July weekend with us!”
Catfish and tilapia pace action at Corona Lake
CORONA — Overall action was decent, at best, this past week at Corona Lake, with staffers reporting only a few catfish and tilapia taking angler offerings.
“Some catfish and tilapia showed last week,” said Lake Manager Glen Looney.
Mike Steve and George Owens, both of Corona, teamed up to land a total of 15 catfish totaling 33 pounds, and capped by a 5.5 pounder. All of their fish came on mackerel fished from a boat. Anthony Sergio and Leonardo Lupercio, both of Perris, creeled 4 tilapia to 1.2 pounds using nightcrawlers from shore.
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KERNVILLE — It’s been a long while since trout anglers had
anything to report from the Kern River, as the trout stocking moratorium virtually shut the area down in terms of fishing options. Of course, there are always the fickle native fish to be caught, however, as any seasoned trouter knows, stockers are more plentiful and easier to catch.Well, the Upper River continues to be devoid of stocked fish, however, the lower section — more specifically from the park in Kernville all the way down to Lake Isabella — has been benefiting from recent DFG plants being pumped into the lake where the river joins. “We’ve got the best report we’ve had in a long time,” noted John Strange at the Sierra Gateway Market in Kernville. “They’re planting trophy trout right there in the lake part [the cemetery area], and the fish are running up-river. “The bite’s been good from the park in Kernville all the way down to the mouth of the lake, so the guys have a mile of the river that’s really good. “Bait fishermen are getting rainbows to 5 pounds using PowerBait or nightcrawlers. Fly fishermen are out there with nymphs — pheasant tails, hare’s ears…. “Not much is happening on the Upper River,” Strange added. “I think that we might have a little bit of a bite now that it’s down to about 950 cfs, but I don’t know how long that’s going to last.” Bassers tough it out on Lake Casitas for fish to 9.3 pounds OAK VIEW — Hot weather settled in over the Central Coast this past week and into the weekend, making for uncomfortable fishing conditions and an overall tough bass bite for Casitas largemouth chasers. “It’s been tough,” remarked Lake Casitas Boat Rentals’ staffer Adam Casey. “These fish are post-spawn and the warm weather has been making it best to relax and hit the shade during the middle part of the day. Save some energy and go hit the evening bite.” Bassers are picking away at a few fish; however, and Steve Woods pulled the trigger on a 9.3-pound largemouth while soaking a live shad. Pat Hamlin of Bell Air, Maryland, fished with guide Rod Thigpin and scored a 9 pounder on a Stocker Trout. “They did stock [trout] on Monday [June 22],” Casey added. “I saw some fish chasing ‘em.” Travis Walters of Oak View managed a 7-pound fish using a plastic worm. Mike Kane of Camarillo bagged a pair of 6’s on live shad. “Most of the fish are smaller-grade fish taken on plastic worms,” Casey noted. “The shad have been producing better fish, but more numbers are coming on plastic worms.” Crappie and catfish were also making sporadic appearances this past week, and Matt Wheatley of Oak View nabbed a 21⁄2-pound slab on a live shad. Tim Brown of Ventura was soaking a nightcrawler when he tied into a 10-pound whiskerfish. There also remain a few trout to be had for trollers pulling Needlefish at the dam, according to Casey. Irvine Lake catfish action topped by 16 pounder SILVERADO — Excellent catfish action was on tap for Irvine Lake anglers this past week, reported general manager Dave Noyes. “Limits have been pretty common around here during the night fishing sessions,” observed Noyes. “Most of the cats have been nice eating-size 2 to 5 pounders, but there are also some better ones into the double digits being checked in.” Catfish anglers have scored using a variety of baits, including mackerel, shrimp, Gulp! and DuMong’s. The best location has been Woody’s Cove, but good numbers were also seen at Boat Dock Cove and Santiago Flats. Danyon Lee of Orange bagged a 16-pound catfish on mackerel at the west shore. Ken Bell of Orange managed a 9 pounder using the same bait at the flats, and Jake Wilkerson of Orange used mackerel for an 8.4-pound kitty in Woody’s Cove. Denise Swann of Lakewood also put the mack to good use at Santiago Flats for a 5-catfish limit totaling 23.94 pounds. Crappie fishing is also mostly a nighttime affair. The trick is setting out a floating lantern near flooded trees at Santiago Flats, and waiting for a food chain to develop under your boat. Limits of crappie up to 1 ? pounds are easy to come by for anglers using 2-inch Gulp! Minnows or Berkley Atomic Tubes in white or glow colors. A few trout are also being caught incidentally by crappie anglers. Resident trout expert Marlon Meade of Anaheim nabbed a 4.14-pound rainbow while working a Gulp! Minnow at Rocky Point. Bass chasers are finding hot action on 2- to 4-pound largemouth, with up to 30 fish per boat being released. The bass are hitting on spinnerbaits and crankbaits in the morning, then switching to jigs and Carolina-rigged plastics in the afternoon. Sierra Cove has been a particular hotspot. The Kids Lagoon is kicking out good numbers of stocker-sized catfish for families with children age 12 and under. All private boats are subject to a 10-minute inspection for zebra mussels prior to being launched. Catfish action improving at Wohlford, bass also in the mix ESCONDIDO — With the weather warming, catfish action is improving all around San Diego County fisheries, and last week’s kitty action at Lake Wohlford was no exception to the trend. “The catfishing has been good and only stands to get better with the arrival of Wednesday’s [July 1] stock,” said Ranger George Scalo. “The July 1st stock is the first of four planned stocks to occur every other week until mid-August.” In the meanwhile, current reports have the kitties taking cut mackerel or chicken liver fished at either buoy line. “Drop by the Ranger Station for a dough bait recipe that works great on both catfish and carp,” Scalo added. “Note that this Saturday, July 4, is one of two days per year when state fishing licenses are not required for fishing. Anglers will still be required to have their daily fishing permit, however.” While the warmer weather has the cats on the prowl, bass action has been decent, at best. “The bass fishing has been slow at times, with mostly smaller males being caught primarily in the early-mornings and late-afternoons,” Scalo commented. Rod Kiar of Escondido caught and released a 5-pound, 12-ounce largemouth while tossing a crankbait at Bass Point. Curtis Gallegos of San Marcos bagged a 4.15 pounder using a Rapala at the South Shore Rockpile. Mark Clifford had a 4.13-pound fish on a plastic crawdad fished in Boat Dock Cove. Crappie are hanging around submerged willows and shady outcroppings and hitting finger jigs or live golden shiners. Smaller-sized bluegill are taking redworms or mealworms. Heat slows striper bite at Castaic, but bassin’ remains strong CASTAIC — Triple-digit temps descended upon the Southland this past week, and fishing action understandably took a hit at a number of fisheries — Castaic included. “With the big warm-up we had last week, the stripers showed signs of slowing down,” noted lake staffer John Salkeld. “It’s still a very good bait bite on anchovies back by the Forebay buoy line and off the main dam. The swimbait bite is still not that impressive but there is still some action out there.” David Scott of Stevenson Ranch was tossing a River2Sea Rover at the main dam when he connected with a 14.9-pound lineside. “The largemouth bass bite is doing very well even with this recent warm-up,” Salkeld remarked. “Nightcrawlers, plastics and small shad baits are still doing great on the points and in the backs of the coves. It seems to be best mid-morning for the largemouth. Around 10 a.m. ’til 1 p.m. is when most people are catching most of their bass.” Lake regular Kenneth Hemer of Castaic bagged a 7.2-pound largemouth using a Lucky Craft crankbait in Elizabeth Canyon. “As far as the Lower Lake goes, the largemouth are also doing very well; unfortunately it’s the guys in the float tubes and the guys with boats who are getting the better fish,” Salkeld said. “It has been a really good live bait bite for the shore fishermen — nightcrawlers and crawdads will still hook you up on nice-sized largemouth. “The panfish bite at both lakes has slowed down but there are still a few people catching them using mealworms and small pieces of anything just small enough to fit in their mouths.” The DFG last stocked the Upper Lake with trout on Wednesday, June 18, and the Lagoon on Monday, June 15. According to Salkeld, the department most likely will not be stocking again until next fall. The next Moonlight Fishing will take place Saturday, July 11, at 8 p.m. on the Upper Lake’s main ramp. The next Moonlight Float Tube Tournament on the Lagoon will be the previous night, July 10, from 6 p.m. until midnight. For more information on the Moonlight Fishing, visit www.castaiclake.com. ‘Steady’ catfishing on tap at the Santa Ana River Lakes ANAHEIM — There wasn’t anything truly significant to report from the Santa Ana River Lakes this past week in terms of either big fish or heavy stringers; just consistent action overall, according to staffers. “Fishing remained steady this past week,” noted Lake Manager Holly Jelderda. “The hot baits were mackerel or shrimp, and the hot spots were Levitz Corner and the boat dock.” Big fish went to Josh Snyder of Fountain Valley, who posted a 5.5 pounder on shrimp fished in the main lake. That kitty capped a 13-fish, 26.5-pound stringer. Samantha Gray of Anaheim scored a 41⁄2-pound cat using mackerel by the boat dock. Eric (last name not provided) of Lakewood topped his 5-fish, 18-pound stringer with a 4.5 pounder taken on shrimp in the main lake. Rick Haney of Garden Grove had a 4-pound whiskerfish on shrimp with garlic Gravy at Levitz Corner. “Remember, 24-hour Moonlight Madness takes place this Thursday thru Sunday,” Jelderda added. “Come spend your 4th of July weekend with us!” Catfish and tilapia pace action at Corona Lake CORONA — Overall action was decent, at best, this past week at Corona Lake, with staffers reporting only a few catfish and tilapia taking angler offerings. “Some catfish and tilapia showed last week,” said Lake Manager Glen Looney. Mike Steve and George Owens, both of Corona, teamed up to land a total of 15 catfish totaling 33 pounds, and capped by a 5.5 pounder. All of their fish came on mackerel fished from a boat. Anthony Sergio and Leonardo Lupercio, both of Perris, creeled 4 tilapia to 1.2 pounds using nightcrawlers from shore. |
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