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SOCAL FRESH REPORTS: Big ’bows continue to pace action on the Upper Kern
BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT/WON Staff WriterPublished: Mar 10, 2010
Southen Cal BRADLEY SCHWEIT Lakes Report
KERNVILLE— Now that the Kern River is once again on the receiving end of DFG trout plants, action is reminiscent of what it was prior to the infamous lawsuit that ultimately led to the cessation of fish stocks altogether for the past year or so.
Thankfully, such is no longer the case; as not only is the Department of Fish and Game currently dumping rainbows into the river, but the fish leaving the stocking truck have also been trophy-class rainbows in the 3- to 6-plus-pound range.
The Upper River, specifically, has been receiving those fish; and some of the better areas as of late have been around the power plant, Riverside Park and Rivernook Campground. PowerBait or nightcrawlers seem to be eliciting the most attention from the ’bows.
Last week’s big fish was a 6.6 pounder, which happened to have a cute story behind it. According to staffers at the Sierra Gateway Market in Kernville, Richard and Debbie Avila of Lancaster have forever engaged in a bit of friendly fishing competition. That said, Debbie though she was sitting pretty when she landed a 3.3-pound rainbow using PowerBait around the power plant… and for a time, she was. It wasn’t long, however, before Richard pulled the trigger on the aforementioned 6.6 pounder using the same bait.
There was also a pair of Richie’s (no last names provided), both of Northridge, fishing together at Rivernook and scoring rainbows of 4 pounds, 10 ounces and 3.2 pounds using Rooster Tails. Mike Carikie bested a 5.12-pound trout while dunking salmon eggs at the same locale.
Little largemouth plentiful at Casitas, but where are the big bass?
BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT/WON Staff Writer
OAK VIEW — Spring is certainly in the air at Lake Casitas, as numbers of smaller male largemouth have been and are continuing to converge upon the shallows in preparation for the spawn. Catching them has posed no problem for anglers tossing plastics or nightcrawlers on or near the beds. The bigger question plaguing bass anglers, however, has been “Where are all the big females?”
Whether it be the inconsistent weather patterns as of late or the lack of trout plants is anyone’s guess; but one aspect remains resolute: the double-digit female largemouth of yestersprings are thus far nowhere to be found.
“It’s just been lots of smaller fish,” said Adam Casey at Lake Casitas Boat Rentals. “The males are up in the shallows, ready to spawn… I would say 5 to 15 feet.
“It’s mostly been a morning and evening bite,” Casey noted; which should come as little surprise since the calmest times of the day are the easiest for targeting bed fish. “The middle of the day has been a little bit tougher.”
Although there weren’t any double-digit fish to report last week, there were at least a handful of quality bass checked in.
Johnny Boyd of Ventura nabbed an 81⁄2-pound largemouth on a ’crawler. Richard Jost of Ojai stuck an 8 pounder on a plastic worm. Gary Tougas of Port Hueneme managed a 61⁄2-pound largemouth on a topwater bait, and Brian DeAlba of Oak View scored a 6 pounder using a plastic worm.
“We had one nice kitty cat this past week,” Casey added; and it was a fine fish indeed.
Bud Rowe of Ojai was soaking a nightcrawler when he hooked into an impressive 251⁄2-pound whiskerfish.
The lake’s crappie have also started to show in better numbers, likely indicating the onset of the annual spring bite; and there have been some true slabs landed over the past few weeks.
One of the lake’s resident crappie masters himself, Mr. Sean Flaherty of Ojai, used a minijig for a 3.4 pounder.
Bassin’ blitz underway at Lake Piru
BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT/WON Staff Writer
PIRU — It’s been a while since a Lake Piru article has graced the pages of Western Outdoor News, but when the action’s hot, there’s no denying it (or keeping it from our readers); and bassin’ has been on fire at the fishery for the past couple of weeks.
Not only have numbers of largemouth been the rule of the day, but there has also been a near-10-pound fish reported every week for the past three weeks. Now, for most fisheries, that wouldn’t be such a noteworthy occurrence; however, one must keep in mind the bass inhabiting Piru are of the northern variety. And, as most bass anglers are well aware, for a Northern-strain largemouth to attain double-digit status is an impressive feat.
“They’ve been catching a lot of bass,” staffers remarked. We’ve had some big fish and there was even a bass tournament over the weekend that did very well.”
Steve (last name not provided) of Kegel Canyon used nightcrawlers for largemouth of 91⁄2 and 7 pounds while fishing various coves. Timmy Alamillo of Fillmore bested a 6.7 pounder while soaking a ’crawler in Reasoner Cove.
There hasn’t been much to report in the trout department, however, staffers noted there have been a few rainbows caught by trollers working the dam area.
Heavyweights continue to dominate action at Hesperia Lake
BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT/WON Staff Writer
HESPERIA — Heavy plants made for yet another solid few days of all-around action at Hesperia Lake this past week, as trout (both Lightning and rainbows), catfish and sturgeon were all on the chew.
Jason Wink of Oro Grande bested a 12-pound rainbow while soaking PowerBait at the drain. Todd Stevenson of Los Angeles managed an 8-pound lightning trout working a Power Trout Worm in Finger Cove. Josh Thompson of Barstow bagged a 7.12-pound ’bow on a Lip Ripperz trout worm. Nathan DeLaCruz of Rancho Cucamonga had a 71⁄2 pounder on a nightcrawler fished at the north shore. Anthony Ramirez of Fontana nabbed a matching fish using a Power Trout Worm in Finger Cove.
On the catfish scene, Brett Butler of Victorville used an m&m combo for an 18-pound blue cat at Sandy Point. Mark Johnson of Redlands stuck a 151⁄2-pound channel cat using shrimp with garlic scent at Catfish Point. Kyle Quiroz of Hesperia nailed a 13-pound blue on shrimp fished at Grassy Bank. Carl Garcia of Adelanto had an 8-pound blue using mackerel at the east bank, and Paul Smith of Rancho Cucamonga creeled a 5-kitty stringer weighing 20 pounds on m&m combos fished at the north shore.
There was also a pair of sizeable sturgeon reported last week; one of which was a 35 pounder that belonged to Robert Aenerud of Rialto. He used PowerBait at the drain to make the catch. Jeff Chavez of Phelan had a 25-pound diamondback using a nightcrawler at the inlet.
“We’ll be stocking trout and cats this week,” staffers noted. “The best baits for the trout have been PowerBait, jigs or nightcrawlers; while mackerel, shrimp or nightcrawlers have been working for the kitties.”
Irvine Lake trouting topped by 9-6 rainbow, bass action explodes
SILVERADO — Largemouth bass stole the spotlight at Irvine Lake this past week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. “We had Will Rakowitz and Panos Malkian of the 
Anglers Marine Pro Staff check in with a 5-bass limit totaling over 30 pounds, with a 9.38-pound kicker,” Getty observed. “The fish were caught on large 8- to 12-inch plastic worms fished at 20 feet near Rocky Point and the Red Clay Cliffs. Very good numbers were also found by other anglers focusing on bass.”
Fellow Irvine Lake Pro Shop staffer Nick Sepulveda added, “Many anglers have been finding easy limits on 2- to 6-pound trout; the trout bite has also been really good.”
Best bait offerings have been rainbow or chartreuse garlic Gulp!, along with red salmon egg-color PowerBait. Leader lengths should be 12 to 16 inches. Productive locations include the west shore, Trout Island, Boat Dock Cove and Santiago Flats.
Philip Albano of San Pedro stuck a 9.6-pound rainbow while tossing a Kastmaster at the south shore. Al Tagami of Corona bested an 8-pound, 13 ouncer on a minijig fished in Woody’s Cove.
On rainy days, channel catfish ranging from 2 to 8 pounds bite aggressively at flowing creek mouths on chicken liver. Crappie numbers are increasing for smaller male fish in the shallow treetops of Santiago Flats for anglers dropping white Atomic Tubes. The larger females should follow within two weeks.
Phil Hildebrandt of Anaheim had a 7.1-pound channel catfish using chicken liver at the creek.
The Kids Lagoon is still suffering from muddy water and slow action. Surface temperature on the main lake is in the low-60s, and the lake level is 4 feet from spilling.
SARL action topped by massive 150-pound sturgeon
ANAHEIM— Although trout continued to be the main attraction at the Santa Ana River Lakes this past week, it was a monster 150-pound sturgeon that stole the proverbial spotlight.
“The week started out great, with 24-hour fishing on Friday and Saturday nights,” said lakes’ Assistant Manager Paul Palamara. “A number of limits were brought in. The biggest fish of the week was a 150-pound sturgeon brought in by Anthony Kennard from Los Angeles. It hit on a juicy nightcrawler.
“The hot spots last week were Chris’ Pond and Levitz Corner. Trout in the 4- to 5-pound range were coming in. The hot baits were chartreuse or corn Eagle Claw Dough. The best set-ups, because of the somewhat cloudy water, were 2-pound test and 6- to 8-inch leaders. Most trout were caught within 20 feet of shore using a No. 16 or 18 treble hook.”
There were a total of 4 rainbows at the 6-pound mark landed, one of which belonged to Bruce Omiya of Villa Park who used chartreuse Eagle Claw Dough in Chris’ Pond to make the catch. Tyler Hafkenscheil of Cerritos nailed his 6 pounder on an orange trout worm fished at the pump house. Kevin Smith of Carson took his fish on chartreuse Eagle Claw Dough fished in Chris’ Pond, and Matt King of Aliso Viejo joined the 6-pound club using an orange trout worm at 3 Pipes.
There were also a couple of carp landed this past week, and Kory Allen of Garden Grove scored a 9 pounder using corn in Cat Lake. Ricky Romero of Santa Ana had an 81⁄2 pounder using a nightcrawler in Chris’ Pond.
A massive load of ruby red steelhead was planted this past Tuesday, and a number of big Mt. Lassen rainbows were dumped in Thursday. SARL will continue to plant tout twice a week through the end of the season.
The next 24-hour fishing will be March 26 and 27, so be sure to come out and enjoy a great weekend of fishing.
And also keep in mind, two record trout over 30 pounds (one planted in SARL, the other in Corona Lake) are still swimming about their respective fisheries.
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Southen Cal BRADLEY SCHWEIT Lakes Report KERNVILLE— Now that the Kern River is once again on the receiving end of DFG trout plants, action is reminiscent of what it was prior to the infamous lawsuit that ultimately led to the cessation of fish stocks altogether for the past year or so. Thankfully, such is no longer the case; as not only is the Department of Fish and Game currently dumping rainbows into the river, but the fish leaving the stocking truck have also been trophy-class rainbows in the 3- to 6-plus-pound range. The Upper River, specifically, has been receiving those fish; and some of the better areas as of late have been around the power plant, Riverside Park and Rivernook Campground. PowerBait or nightcrawlers seem to be eliciting the most attention from the ’bows. Last week’s big fish was a 6.6 pounder, which happened to have a cute story behind it. According to staffers at the Sierra Gateway Market in Kernville, Richard and Debbie Avila of Lancaster have forever engaged in a bit of friendly fishing competition. That said, Debbie though she was sitting pretty when she landed a 3.3-pound rainbow using PowerBait around the power plant… and for a time, she was. It wasn’t long, however, before Richard pulled the trigger on the aforementioned 6.6 pounder using the same bait. There was also a pair of Richie’s (no last names provided), both of Northridge, fishing together at Rivernook and scoring rainbows of 4 pounds, 10 ounces and 3.2 pounds using Rooster Tails. Mike Carikie bested a 5.12-pound trout while dunking salmon eggs at the same locale. Little largemouth plentiful at Casitas, but where are the big bass?
BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT/WON Staff WriterOAK VIEW — Spring is certainly in the air at Lake Casitas, as numbers of smaller male largemouth have been and are continuing to converge upon the shallows in preparation for the spawn. Catching them has posed no problem for anglers tossing plastics or nightcrawlers on or near the beds. The bigger question plaguing bass anglers, however, has been “Where are all the big females?” Whether it be the inconsistent weather patterns as of late or the lack of trout plants is anyone’s guess; but one aspect remains resolute: the double-digit female largemouth of yestersprings are thus far nowhere to be found. “It’s just been lots of smaller fish,” said Adam Casey at Lake Casitas Boat Rentals. “The males are up in the shallows, ready to spawn… I would say 5 to 15 feet. “It’s mostly been a morning and evening bite,” Casey noted; which should come as little surprise since the calmest times of the day are the easiest for targeting bed fish. “The middle of the day has been a little bit tougher.” Although there weren’t any double-digit fish to report last week, there were at least a handful of quality bass checked in. Johnny Boyd of Ventura nabbed an 81⁄2-pound largemouth on a ’crawler. Richard Jost of Ojai stuck an 8 pounder on a plastic worm. Gary Tougas of Port Hueneme managed a 61⁄2-pound largemouth on a topwater bait, and Brian DeAlba of Oak View scored a 6 pounder using a plastic worm. “We had one nice kitty cat this past week,” Casey added; and it was a fine fish indeed. Bud Rowe of Ojai was soaking a nightcrawler when he hooked into an impressive 251⁄2-pound whiskerfish. The lake’s crappie have also started to show in better numbers, likely indicating the onset of the annual spring bite; and there have been some true slabs landed over the past few weeks. One of the lake’s resident crappie masters himself, Mr. Sean Flaherty of Ojai, used a minijig for a 3.4 pounder. Bassin’ blitz underway at Lake Piru BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT/WON Staff Writer PIRU — It’s been a while since a Lake Piru article has graced the pages of Western Outdoor News, but when the action’s hot, there’s no denying it (or keeping it from our readers); and bassin’ has been on fire at the fishery for the past couple of weeks. Not only have numbers of largemouth been the rule of the day, but there has also been a near-10-pound fish reported every week for the past three weeks. Now, for most fisheries, that wouldn’t be such a noteworthy occurrence; however, one must keep in mind the bass inhabiting Piru are of the northern variety. And, as most bass anglers are well aware, for a Northern-strain largemouth to attain double-digit status is an impressive feat.“They’ve been catching a lot of bass,” staffers remarked. We’ve had some big fish and there was even a bass tournament over the weekend that did very well.” Steve (last name not provided) of Kegel Canyon used nightcrawlers for largemouth of 91⁄2 and 7 pounds while fishing various coves. Timmy Alamillo of Fillmore bested a 6.7 pounder while soaking a ’crawler in Reasoner Cove. There hasn’t been much to report in the trout department, however, staffers noted there have been a few rainbows caught by trollers working the dam area. Heavyweights continue to dominate action at Hesperia Lake
BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT/WON Staff WriterHESPERIA — Heavy plants made for yet another solid few days of all-around action at Hesperia Lake this past week, as trout (both Lightning and rainbows), catfish and sturgeon were all on the chew. Jason Wink of Oro Grande bested a 12-pound rainbow while soaking PowerBait at the drain. Todd Stevenson of Los Angeles managed an 8-pound lightning trout working a Power Trout Worm in Finger Cove. Josh Thompson of Barstow bagged a 7.12-pound ’bow on a Lip Ripperz trout worm. Nathan DeLaCruz of Rancho Cucamonga had a 71⁄2 pounder on a nightcrawler fished at the north shore. Anthony Ramirez of Fontana nabbed a matching fish using a Power Trout Worm in Finger Cove. On the catfish scene, Brett Butler of Victorville used an m&m combo for an 18-pound blue cat at Sandy Point. Mark Johnson of Redlands stuck a 151⁄2-pound channel cat using shrimp with garlic scent at Catfish Point. Kyle Quiroz of Hesperia nailed a 13-pound blue on shrimp fished at Grassy Bank. Carl Garcia of Adelanto had an 8-pound blue using mackerel at the east bank, and Paul Smith of Rancho Cucamonga creeled a 5-kitty stringer weighing 20 pounds on m&m combos fished at the north shore. There was also a pair of sizeable sturgeon reported last week; one of which was a 35 pounder that belonged to Robert Aenerud of Rialto. He used PowerBait at the drain to make the catch. Jeff Chavez of Phelan had a 25-pound diamondback using a nightcrawler at the inlet. “We’ll be stocking trout and cats this week,” staffers noted. “The best baits for the trout have been PowerBait, jigs or nightcrawlers; while mackerel, shrimp or nightcrawlers have been working for the kitties.” Irvine Lake trouting topped by 9-6 rainbow, bass action explodes
SILVERADO — Largemouth bass stole the spotlight at Irvine Lake this past week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. “We had Will Rakowitz and Panos Malkian of the Anglers Marine Pro Staff check in with a 5-bass limit totaling over 30 pounds, with a 9.38-pound kicker,” Getty observed. “The fish were caught on large 8- to 12-inch plastic worms fished at 20 feet near Rocky Point and the Red Clay Cliffs. Very good numbers were also found by other anglers focusing on bass.”Fellow Irvine Lake Pro Shop staffer Nick Sepulveda added, “Many anglers have been finding easy limits on 2- to 6-pound trout; the trout bite has also been really good.” Best bait offerings have been rainbow or chartreuse garlic Gulp!, along with red salmon egg-color PowerBait. Leader lengths should be 12 to 16 inches. Productive locations include the west shore, Trout Island, Boat Dock Cove and Santiago Flats. Philip Albano of San Pedro stuck a 9.6-pound rainbow while tossing a Kastmaster at the south shore. Al Tagami of Corona bested an 8-pound, 13 ouncer on a minijig fished in Woody’s Cove. On rainy days, channel catfish ranging from 2 to 8 pounds bite aggressively at flowing creek mouths on chicken liver. Crappie numbers are increasing for smaller male fish in the shallow treetops of Santiago Flats for anglers dropping white Atomic Tubes. The larger females should follow within two weeks. Phil Hildebrandt of Anaheim had a 7.1-pound channel catfish using chicken liver at the creek. The Kids Lagoon is still suffering from muddy water and slow action. Surface temperature on the main lake is in the low-60s, and the lake level is 4 feet from spilling. SARL action topped by massive 150-pound sturgeon ANAHEIM— Although trout continued to be the main attraction at the Santa Ana River Lakes this past week, it was a monster 150-pound sturgeon that stole the proverbial spotlight. “The week started out great, with 24-hour fishing on Friday and Saturday nights,” said lakes’ Assistant Manager Paul Palamara. “A number of limits were brought in. The biggest fish of the week was a 150-pound sturgeon brought in by Anthony Kennard from Los Angeles. It hit on a juicy nightcrawler. “The hot spots last week were Chris’ Pond and Levitz Corner. Trout in the 4- to 5-pound range were coming in. The hot baits were chartreuse or corn Eagle Claw Dough. The best set-ups, because of the somewhat cloudy water, were 2-pound test and 6- to 8-inch leaders. Most trout were caught within 20 feet of shore using a No. 16 or 18 treble hook.” There were a total of 4 rainbows at the 6-pound mark landed, one of which belonged to Bruce Omiya of Villa Park who used chartreuse Eagle Claw Dough in Chris’ Pond to make the catch. Tyler Hafkenscheil of Cerritos nailed his 6 pounder on an orange trout worm fished at the pump house. Kevin Smith of Carson took his fish on chartreuse Eagle Claw Dough fished in Chris’ Pond, and Matt King of Aliso Viejo joined the 6-pound club using an orange trout worm at 3 Pipes. There were also a couple of carp landed this past week, and Kory Allen of Garden Grove scored a 9 pounder using corn in Cat Lake. Ricky Romero of Santa Ana had an 81⁄2 pounder using a nightcrawler in Chris’ Pond. A massive load of ruby red steelhead was planted this past Tuesday, and a number of big Mt. Lassen rainbows were dumped in Thursday. SARL will continue to plant tout twice a week through the end of the season. The next 24-hour fishing will be March 26 and 27, so be sure to come out and enjoy a great weekend of fishing. And also keep in mind, two record trout over 30 pounds (one planted in SARL, the other in Corona Lake) are still swimming about their respective fisheries. |
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