Nov. 12 fish report
| Thursday, Nov 12 2009 05:18 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Nov 12 2009 09:54 PM
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Emily Alvarez, 2, of Bakersfield, caught this sea bass by herself at Cambria beach recently using anchovies, while with her dad, Rusty Belmore.
Kern County and southern San Joaquin Valley
LAKE ISABELLA: There continues to have good catfish action, mostly on frozen shad and cut baits. There is still a pretty decent crappie bite on live minnows in the French Gulch marina area. The bass action slow with the best bet on cranks, plastics, jigs and live bait. Few trout up around cemetery, and just slow to fair trout action at the auxiliary dam in deep water. Carp action has slowed way down.
KERN RIVER: Flows in the upper Kern are back down to around 370 cfs and the river is fishing fair to good in the 20-mile roadside stretch above Kernville with a dry fly bite most morning, predominately on smaller fish. Some nice fish showing in the Johnsondale Bridge stretch. Dennis Conradi, Bakersfield, had a limit of pan-sized rainbows on salmon eggs. The lower river is clearing and has been pretty good for smallmouth bass in the Richbar, Hobo areas off on spinners, crawlers and plastics. Most fish are small. Also some crappie, catfish and trout showing in the lower river. Duane Perry, Bakersfield, landed a 1-12 crappie and a limit of trout throwing a Roostertail for bass.
TULE RIVER: Very slow. All of the usual stocking areas, including the lakes at Balch Park, have not been planted for over a month.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: Striper bite improving and the best striper of the fall-winter season was reported this week when Gary Dias, Bakersfield, landed a 21-pound, 40-inch fish on an anchovy. The bite is pretty good on bloodworms, sand worms and a few fish on shad-like cranks. The catfish remains pretty good on cut baits.
HART PARK LAKE: Just fair trout action after the DFG plant two weeks ago, with the best bite on Power Bait, Gulp trout baits and green, garlic nightcrawlers. There is also a pretty good night bite on catfish. The bluegill bite remains good on wax worms, meal worms, or red worms. The carp action is also still fair on Powder Bait. Slow bass action.
TRUXTUN LAKE: Slow trout action after plants this week and each of the last two weeks. No one can figure out why. The few fish coming in are showing on the usual array of floating baits and the green, garlic nightcrawlers. Bluegill are fair on wax worms or crickets. The carp action remains fair to good on dough baits and Powder Bait. Slow bass action on nightcrawlers and plastics.
RIVER WALK PARK: Wide open trout action, and the DFG plant this week makes three weeks in a row. Best action on garlic Power Bait, with corn Power Bait and chunky cheese Gulp also decent bets. Green, garlic nightcrawlers have also been good. The bluegill bite is fair on crickets, wax worms and meal worms. Bass are very slow with a few on plastics, nightcrawlers and small swim baits.
MING LAKE: Very good trout action after DFG plants two and four weeks ago on nightcrawlers, especially the garlic versions. Bluegill are fair on wax worms, crickets, meal worms and red worms. Slow to fair carp action on fish on Powder Bait, but other dough baits are also working. The bass and crappie bites are very slow.
BRITE LAKE: DFG trout plant two and three weeks ago.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: The Taft Trout Derby is schedule for this Saturday, Nov. 14. Entry is $20 for adults, $10 for kids. The lake will be planted with over a ton of trout prior to this event, including the usual assortment of huge rainbows topping 10 pounds (and at least one over 20 pounds). Evans will be open to trout fishing Sunday through Tuesday and anglers only have to play the $6 vehicle entrance fee, not the fishing fee. The lake will then be closed until Saturday, Nov. 21, when both the parking and fishing fees will be charged. The lake levels are down, but the bluegill bite remains good on wax worms, meal worms and nightcrawler pieces. Fair catfish action on frozen shad and Sonny's Dip Bait. Good carp action on Powder Bait. Bass, stripers and crappie all slow, but the odd crappie still being caught on live minnows, and a few more largemouth are showing on plastics and cranks.
WOOLLOMES LAKE: Very good trout action with another DFG plant this week. This is three weeks in a row of plants. Best action has been on garlic nightcrawlers and Power Bait. The bluegill bite is fair on wax worms, crickets, red worms or meal worms.
SUCCESS LAKE: DFG trout plant this week. Fair to good bluegill bite, fair bass action on cranks and plastics, but other species were mostly slow.
KAWEAH LAKE: Fair to good bass bite on live bait and plastics, and quite a few bluegill are showing.
Other regional lakes
CACHUMA: Overall light fishing pressure, but the trout action has been pretty good after a plant of 4,000 fish last week from Calavaras Trout Farm. The best action has been in Cachuma Bay for both bait fishermen with Power Bait and trollers working Needlefish. Most fish around a pound. There is still a pretty fair bite on smallmouth bass on the rocky points, mostly on plastics and jigs. A few reports of catfish and some crappie were reported in Cachuma Bay on small Rapalas this past week, but that bite has been spotty. The odd redear and bluegill showing in the east end and Stork Flats on nightcrawler pieces. The marina is closed and boat rentals have ceased, effective in mid-October. The marina isn't expected to be reopening in the near future, but the boat launch is still open.
CASITAS: Slow to fair bass action this past with the best bite early and later in the day on nightcrawlers and plastics, with some fish on topwater and reaction baits. The catfish are very slow, but the bluegill and redear remain fair to good in most coves on nightcrawlers or red worms in 10 to 15 feet of water. Trout still very slow, but the first plant is slated for Thanksgiving week. Private boats are being allowed at Casitas, but boats will be inspected and face a 10-day dry dock requirement because of fears of quagga mussel infestation. The lake is open every day, including all holidays from dusk to dawn.
CASTAIC: Striped bass and largemouth bass action has been excellent on live shad or anything shad-like. Lots of 2-pound largemouth reported over the weekend with some bigger. The striper action was also good with many fish in the 2- to 9-pound range. Fish Arm has been the top spot for both stripers and largemouth. Catfish action is good in both lakes with most of the fish being caught by anglers using nightcrawlers or mackerel. The trout action is fair to good in the lower lake after the plant two weeks ago and the lagoon was planted last week. The bluegill and crappie action is also still fair to good on wax worms and meal worms at the lower lake. There is also a good carp bite.
LOPEZ: Fair to good action on bluegill and redear with wax worms, meal worms and crickets the top bet. A few crappie showing on jigs. The bass bite is fair, and only a few catfish have been reported.
NACIMIENTO: Fair spotted bass action with cranks, plastics and swim baits all producing fish. Catfish fair on cut baits, mostly early and late in the day. Carp slowed in the marina area on dough baits.
PIRU: Few reports with a fair to good bass bite on plastics and nightcrawlers and a few trout showing for trollers. The crappie bite is still fair on small jigs in 12 to 18 feet of water. The bluegill and redear are also part of this mix with a pretty good bite on these panfish, along with some fish at 1/2-pound or better. Catfish slow.
PYRAMID: Good trout and striped bass action. There was a DFG plant last week and there has been a good bite since on floating baits and small lures. Best action has been around the marina, but the fish are spreading out. The best striper action has been on jerk baits in the marina and around the island and Yellowbar. Most of the fish are in the 1- to 3-pound range. Good flow of water from the aqueduct continues. The largemouth and smallmouth bass are a better bet with pretty fair to good action on suspended cranks and swim baits. Also a fair to good bite on bluegill and redear on live bait fished in 12 to 20 feet. Some of the redear are in the pound range. Channel catfish are slowing with the fish mostly in the channel and off the marina rocks on anchovies.
SAN ANTONIO: Still few reports except for catfish, which have been pretty good. Best bet on cut baits.
SANTA MARGARITA: Bass slow with good anglers lucky to get a fish a day. The crappie have been improving with some nice fish coming in on small red and white jigs. The cats have been good. Light pressure. The marina store is open Wednesday through Sunday.
Eastern Sierra
COLEVILLE-TOPAZ REGION: The West Walker River is slow to fair on holdover planted trout and wild trout with a lot of fish nymphs under and indicator through deeper runs and pools. Water very low. Little Walker River is good for brookies and rainbows. Kirman Lake is excellent on brookies to 18 inches but few cutts this past week. Best action on nymphs, scud and streamer patterns for float-tubing fly anglers. Roosevelt, Lane and Poore all good.
BRIDGEPORT REGION: Flows on the East Walker remain very low (around 19 cfs), dropping from 40 cfs last week and 200 cfs the week before. The bite is tough, but the fish are stacked up in the runs and pools and a few fish are being caught on streamers and caddis nymph patterns. Bridgeport Reservoir has been slow to fair, but a few good fish are showing off the face of the dam in the evenings. Twin Lakes have been really improved over the past couple of weeks with browns and rainbows showing up in the catch. The Virginia Lakes -- Big Virginia, Little Virginia and Trumbel -- all still fair to good for this last weekend of the trout season.
LEE VINING REGION: Lower Rush Creek in the special regulation section has been good on small caddis or midge dries or a two-fly rig with fish to 16 inches reported, but water level is very low. Saddlebag and Ellery slowed way down but Lundy remains good for bait, lure and fly anglers.
JUNE LAKE LOOP: Light fishing pressure. Just slow to fair action throughout the loop, with the best bite on holdover planted trout or brown trout. Best bite is early and late in the day. Walker and Parker lakes are both good, especially for browns and brookies in the stream mouths.
MAMMOTH AREA: Crowley Lake is good to excellent on midges under indicators in 12 to 15 feet of water, and the perch streamer bite remains hot for quality rainbows and browns with a lot of fish over 18-inches. Also quite a few browns in Whiskey Bay, McGee Bay and the mouth of Hilton Creek. The upper Owens River and Hot Creek are both very good for fly anglers. In the Mammoth Lakes, all the lakes are slowing down, but there is a good brook trout bite in the stream mouths. The Twin Lakes have a pretty good morning bite with a lot of midging fish early and late in the day. Fair action on holdover planted trout in Rock Creek and Rock Creek Lake.
BISHOP AREA: Light fishing pressure throughout the Bishop Creek drainage, but the action is slow at all the lakes, but a few fish are showing at the inlets of the creeks, mostly browns and brookies. Sabrina Lake very spotty now, but South Lake is good at the dam and inlets in the upper lake. Bishop Creek is fair and probably the best bet on holdover planted trout, with some wild fish. North Lake is slow to fair on holdover rainbows. The lower Owens River remains good for fly anglers. Pleasant Valley Reservoir has been fair for lure, jig, bait and fly anglers, especially for float tubers fishing near the inlet. DFG plant at Pleasant Valley this week. Owens Gorge good for small browns on small dries.
BIG PINE TO LONE PINE AREA: Generally slow action with no recent plants.
Trout plants
INYO: Pleasant Valley Reservoir.
KERN: Lake Truxton, Lake Woollomes, The Park at River Walk Lake.
Ocean report
ISLAND UPDATES: Bass action slowing at Catalina Island but there continues to be a good bonito bite and excellent rockfish action with limits the rule. San Clemente has a good number of quality yellowtail on the backside of the island with fish to 30 pounds. Also still a decent pick on the calicos, but no one is making this run right now except six-pack charters and private boaters.
ROCKFISH: The bulk of the half- and three-quarter fleet has shifted over to rockfish and sculpin fishing with generally good action from the Channel Islands south into Mexican waters at all the landings. The Erna B out of Channel Islands Sportfishing had 14 anglers Wednesday who landed 140 rockfish, 43 whitefish, 29 sheephead and five sculpin. Boats further south have been getting more sculpin and a few sand bass in the mix. Two-day trips out of San Diego into Mexican waters have been excellent. The Black Pearl out of Point Loma was on a weekend trip with 22 anglers and returned with limits of rockfish off Colonet, but the catch also included 24 lings and a jig stop on yellowfin tuna en route south with 15 tuna to 25 pounds landed.
LONG RANGE UPDATE: The long range sport boats are already seeing excellent fishing on the 14 to 16-day trips on the banks off Cabo San Lucas. The Independence reported in Wednesday with yellowfin tuna to 110 pounds and eight wahoo in mid-trip. The Royal Polaris returned on Wednesday and 31 anglers who caught yellowfin tuna from 80 to 205 pounds. The big fish, the first over 200 this season, was landed.
