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July 3 fish report

The Bakersfield Californian | Thursday, Jul 3 2008 8:47 PM

Last Updated: Thursday, Jul 3 2008 9:01 PM

Kern County and southern San Joaquin Valley

Derby Alert: Catfish derby going on through the end of July at all the lakes in the Western Sierra. Biggest catfish of the month earns $100 cash. Entry is free, but anglers must sign up at Bob's Bait in Bakersfield. For more information, call 661-833-8657.

LAKE ISABELLA: Large numbers of catfish have been landed on shad and clams in the north fork. Brandon Carr, Bakersfield, landed a nine-pound catfish on shad. The crappie bite is hit and miss with only a few pockets of fish in deeper water producing. Trout bite is very good on Power bait and nightcrawlers. Trollers also scoring with Needlefish and Excel lures by the dam.

KERN RIVER: The Kernville area has a fair to good trout bite on salmon eggs and spinners. The flows have dropped drastically in the upper river, so the bite is very good for trout on crickets and Salmon eggs. Lower river flows are still a bit high, and fishing is tough. Some bass action reported in the lower river.

RIVER WALK PARK: The action from the last trout plant is slow to fair. No more trout plants will go until next season.

AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: Very good catfish action on mackerel, shad, and Sonny's dip bait with improving action as the waters warm. This bite can turn on and off depending on flows, moon phases, and weather conditions. Pete Delao, Bakersfield, caught a 12-pound cat on anchovies. Danny Edwards, Bakersfield, landed an 8-pound catfish on liver. Striper bite good on blood worms.

HART PARK LAKE: Bluegill action good on wax worms and crickets. Good carp bite on dough balls.

TRUXTUN LAKE: Bluegill action good on meal worms and crickets. Fair to good bass bite on topwater plugs in the evenings. Good carp bite on dough bait. Catfish bite picking up. Fair trout bite.

MING LAKE: Very good bluegill action on crickets and meal worms. Fair to good bass bite on Senkos, plastic worms and minnows. Good carp bite on dough bait. Fair trout action on Power Bait.

BRITE LAKE: Catfish bite fair on anchovies.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: Good catfish bite on shad. Joe Hernandez, Bakersfield, landed a 22-pound catfish on anchovies. Also a few stripers on shad. The bass bite has slowed down. Bluegill bite good on wax worms.

WOLLOMES LAKE: Fair to good bluegill action on wax worms and crickets. Bass bite fair on minnows and plastics. Good carp bite on dough bait.

SUCCESS LAKE: Slowish. Levels are lowering and the bass bite is picking up.

KAWEAH LAKE: Fair bass bite on Senkos. Levels are high.

Other regional lakes

CACHUMA: Good trout bite in the morning and afternoons in 50 to 60 feet on downriggers, Rapalas and Needlefish. The trout are from 1 1/2-2 pounds, with some over 6. Bait anglers are using rainbow Power Bait, Power worms and nightcrawlers. Best trout spots include Cachuma Bay, just outside the marina and in the flats. Crappie bite just fair on jigs and nightcrawlers in Bobcat Canyon. Bass bite on the slow side. Not too much action. Catfish picking up in the evenings from 4 p.m. to the early mornings on mackerel or anything dipped in stink.

CASITAS: Bass action good to excellent on live shad, plastic worms and crankbaits. The bite is best in the morning and evenings. Trout bite still making some noise with fair action by the dam for trollers using Needlefish in 40 feet. Fair to good bluegill and redear bite on red worms and pieces of nightcrawlers in the shallows. Catfish bite fair to good on chunks of mackerel and anchovies. Private boats are again being allowed at Casitas, but boaters will face an inspection and 10-day dry dock requirement because of fears of quagga mussel infestation.

CASTAIC: The heat slowed some things down, but the striper and catfish action improved. Some large stripers were landed on topwater in the early mornings. The bite slows down, and the fish go deep in the evenings. Catfish bite good in the fish arms ad in the lagoon with plenty of eight to 12 pounders. Largemouth bass bite decent, especially for those using swimbaits and plastics.

LOPEZ: Crappie bite slowed down a bit, but the bite remains fair on crappie jigs for those fishing in the evenings to dusk. Bass action good on jigs, nightcrawlers or plastic worms, especially in Wittenberg Canyon. Good bluegill and redear action on meal and wax worms. Catfish bite spotty, but picking up to a fair bite at times. Try anchovies or shrimp. Slow to fair trout action on nightcrawlers and rainbow Power Bait in Cottonwood Cove and off the Cottonwood shoreline. Trollers have had the most success just outside Cottonwood Cove on Needlefish and silver Kastmasters. Most fish are under the two-pound mark.

NACIMIENTO: Slow to fair overall action. The spotted bass are the only species with a decent bite. Anglers are using plastics and spoons in the narrows and off the rocky shorelines to score the spotties. Some anglers have reported catching 12-15 fish by putting in 2-3 hours of effort. Largemouth and small action slow. Slow white bass bite.

PIRU: Trout bite fair to good on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Trollers have been using Kastmasters, Rapalas or Needlefish in 65 to 85 feet. Most fish are in the 1-2-pound range, with an occasional 4-pounder or better. Slow to fair crappie action in 10-20 feet on white mini-jigs. Most fish are under a pound, with a few over. Bass action fair on nightcrawlers and plastic worms in 10 to 15 feet.

PYRAMID: Fair to good bass action on jigs, and plastics. Anglers have reported the most action up shallow. Slow to fair trout action on Power Bait, anchovies and nightcrawlers. Fair striper bite. The bigger stripers should come out and go after the trout from the plant. Best action reported on cut baits or shad-like swimbaits and cranks. Down below the gatehouse is the best area for trout and stripers. Catfish action improving with a fair to good bite on nightcrawlers, mackerel or shrimp. No bluegill or crappie reports.

SAN ANTONIO: Decent crappie action on jigs and minnows. Fair to good striper action in Bee Rock Cove and Harris Creek on anchovies and swimbaits. The smallmouth are scarce, however the largemouth bite is fair to good around the rocky points on swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits and plastic worms. Fair to good catfish action on anchovies, mackerel or shrimp.

SANTA MARGARITA: Largemouth bass action fair to good on Brush Hogs, plastics or crankbaits. Anglers have landed limits with largemouth to 5 pounds on some stringers. The early morning bite from sunrise to 8 a.m. is best. Fair to good trout bite on Power Bait or worms. Decent crappie action on jigs near the river inlet.

Eastern Sierra

BRIDGEPORT REGION: Recent algae blooms have slowed the action in the Bridgeport Reservoir and the fish have switched from feeding on midges to tiny freshwater shrimp. The lake is full of DFG stocker-sized trout. Some fish showing on trolled lures or small streamers. The fly-fishing bite in the East Walker River is good with a lot of 18 to 22-inch fish. Flows have been lowered to 175 cfs. Midge patterns are best in the mornings. In mid- to late-morning the caddis start egg-laying flights and the baetis start emerging. The mayflies continue through the afternoon. The best and most consistent hatch is the evening caddis grab. Virginia Lakes are very good. Big Virginia's fly and bait bite is hot. Twin Lakes have also been good with a lot of pan-sized trout, although rainbows 5 pounds and better have been reported.

JUNE LAKE LOOP: The bite is fair at all the lakes in the loop -- June, Gull, Grand, and Silver. Lake Silver leads the lakes with the best reported action for Alpers?226-130? and recent DFG planted trout. Streamer fishing is the preferred method. Gull Lake has had some very good brown trout action after the lake's 500-pound brown plant last week. Fish in the three to six-pound range have been reported. Water levels at Grant are very low, so the bite is a bit tough, but doable. Runoff flows are down and the water has cleared at Rush Creek. Nymphing is best.

MAMMOTH AREA: Crowley Lake action has been very good for bait anglers fishing deep in Big Hilton and McGee Bay. Inflated nightcrawlers and bright-colored Power Bait are best. Shore fishermen have had luck off Little Hilton Point and outside of Beaver Cove. Perch are making some noise all around the lake, especially in Green Banks, Big Hilton Bay and Leyton Springs. Lead head jigs are best. Fly fishermen have also had luck in Big Hilton and McGee Bay catching rainbows. The midge hatch is very good. Sandy Point and Leyton Springs have also produced some good action. The damsel flies are starting around 10 a.m. Upper Owens above Benton Crossing bridge is fishing good. The dry fly fishing in the long ears area has been good with solid caddis hatches in the afternoon. The bite at Hot Creek is fair to good, but inconsistent. Last week, the yellow sally stonefly hatch started and it is providing decent action on No. 14 or 16 yellow stones. Good stocker trout action in Mammoth Creek and all the Mammoth Lakes -- Mary, Mamie, Gull, and George all producing fish. George and Mary have the best fish with decent of action reported fro the inlets. Sotcher and Starkweather lakes both are very good with fish to 3 1/2 pounds reported. A few midges and mayflies. Convict Lake bite good for rainbow trout at the inlet and outlet on nightcrawlers, Power Bait, Thomas Buoyants and Kastmasters.

BISHOP AREA: The bite at Sabrina Lake continues to be unpredictable. The lucky ones have landed Alpers?226-130? to 5 pounds and better on Gulp, plastic worms, and nightcrawlers. Some have also found luck in the Dingleberry Inlet. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is fair to good with good trout and perch action. The trout are biting Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Bishop Creek and Intake II planted last week, and the bite is fair to good. The lower Owens River (in both the Gorge below Crowley Lake and below Pleasant Valley Reservoir) is fishing poor with high levels, around 461 cfs.

BIG PINE TO LONE PINE AREA: Pretty decent bite in both the lower Owens River and Diaz Lake. Plants this week at Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Diaz Lake, Georges Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River (below Tinnemaha), Sheperds Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek and Tuttle Creek.

This week's trout plants

KERN: Kern River from Democrat Beach to Lower Richbar, Kern River from Powerhouse No. 3 to Riverside Park, Kern River from Sandy

TULARE: Balch Park eastern Lake, Balch Park western Lake, Big Meadows Creek, Dry Meadow Creek, Freeman Creek, Hedrick Pond Campground pond, Kern River from Bush Creek to Fairview Dam, Kern River from Fairview Dam to Falling Waters Lodge, North Fork of Middle Fork Tule River at Wishon Campground, Peppermint Creek (upper and lower), South Fork Kern River, South Fork of Middle Fork Tule River at Camp Nelson, South Fork of Middle Fork Tule River at Camp Nelson, South Fork of Middle Fork Tule River at Ceder Slopes, Stoney Creek.

Ocean report

ALBACORE AND EXOTICS UPDATE: There has been scattered success on the albacore and tuna front this week, mostly due to the variable, windy weather. There are lots of albacore, bluefin, bonito, and even some yellowfin out there in this first wave of fish, some reported as close as 9 miles. There are even albacore in U.S. waters with fish in waters just off San Clemente Island. Skippers making these overnight runs for the longfins are also reporting a few yellowtail on kelp paddies, but not many have been on the bite.

CATALINA AND CLEMENTE NEWS: San Clemente Island continues to kick out a few white seabass and yellowtail for anglers making the long run to this island. When the seabass and yellows aren't cooperating, the calico bass action has been very good. Winds have really hampered this bite, however, and made the ride over and back nasty. Catalina Island has been a mixed bag on the white seabass. Some boat skippers are finding fish and getting three-fish limits for everyone on board, and other boats are coming home empty. This has been a live squid bite. There are also a lot of calicos are Catalina, but most are shorts.

NEARSHORE BARRACUDA: Half-day and three-quarter-day boats fishing near shore waters from Newport and Huntington Beach south into San Diego waters are starting to see more and more barracuda on the surface taking bait and iron. The barracuda are often sitting over sand bass, and skippers taking the time and effort to put anglers on the fish are reporting a pretty good bite, especially at mid-week.

CHANNEL ISLANDS UPDATE: There continues to be scattered success on white seabass in the Channel Islands. If you're on the right boat, the catch is two or three fish per person, but if you miss, you still get a few calicos, the odd barracuda, and a limit of rockfish.