Dec. 4 fish report
| Thursday, Dec 03 2009 09:51 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Dec 03 2009 10:14 PM
Images
John Enns of Shafter caught this 203-pound tuna Nov. 24 off Baja California Sur's Magdalena Bay on Nov. 24, the day he turned 65.
Mike King of Bakersfield is shown with a 176-pound yellowfin tuna he caught Nov. 14 off Baja California Sur's Magdalena Bay.
Brian Routh, 37 of Bakersfield caught this 5-pound, 10-ounce wide mouth bass Nov. 13 at Lake isabella's Rocky Point in 30 feet of water, using a crawdad jig.
Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley
LAKE ISABELLA: There continues to be fair catfish action, mostly on frozen shad and cut baits. The crappie bite is finally slowing and the bass action has been very spotty. Few trout up around cemetery, and just slow to fair trout action at the auxiliary dam in deep water on Power Bait. Carp action slow.
KERN RIVER: Flows in the upper Kern are low and the river is fishing slow to fair in the 20-mile roadside stretch above Kernville with the best action on small nymphs as the water continues to chill. Wild Trout stretch also just fair. The lower river is pretty good for smallmouth bass in the Richbar, Hobo areas off on spinners, crawlers and plastics, but the water is very low and the fish are small.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The striper bite has been very good with a lot of quality, keeper fish over the 18-inch minimum in the 4- to 7-pound range with some bigger fish. The bite has been on blood worms, sand worm and shad-like crankbaits and Gitzit-like swim baits. Catfish bite remains also pretty good on cut baits.
HART PARK LAKE: DFG plant last week. Fair to good action, mostly on Power Bait and green, garlic nightcrawlers. There is also a pretty fair night bite on catfish. The bluegill bite slowing with only a few fish on wax worms, meal worms or red worms. The carp action is also still fair on Powder Bait. Slow bass action.
TRUXTUN LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago. Still slowish trout action. Other species also slow.
RIVER WALK PARK: Good trout action after a DFG plant last week. Best action on garlic Power Bait and chunky cheese Gulp also decent bets. Green, garlic nightcrawlers have also been good. Bass and bluegill slow.
MING LAKE: DFG trout plant last week with a good bite on Power Baits and garlic nightcrawlers. Bluegill are slow to fair with a few on red worms. The bass, crappie and carp bites are very slow.
BRITE LAKE: DFG trout plant last week.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: Fair trout action with some decent catches reported, mostly on corn Power Bait. Lots of trout to 3 pounds with a few bigger fish. Best action is in shallow water within 15 feet of the bank. The winter crappie bite looks to be starting. Charles Dickerson, Bakersfield, landed crappie at 1-12 and 2 pounds on live minnows. Catfish, carp and bass mostly slow.
WOOLLOMES LAKE: Very good trout action after DFG plant last week. Best action has been on corn Power Bait. The bluegill bite is slow on red worms or meal worms.
SUCCESS LAKE: DFG trout plant three weeks ago. Still fair action. Slowing bluegill action, but still pretty fair bass action on cranks and plastics. Other species were mostly slow.
KAWEAH LAKE: Mostly slow action with only a few bass and the odd bluegill showing.
Other regional lakes
CACHUMA: DFG trout plant Wednesday. While there is continued light fishing pressure, but there's a pretty good trout bite for trollers and bait anglers fishing Cachuma Bay and at the dam. Top baits have been Power Baits and nightcrawlers, while trollers are using Needlefish near the surface. Next Calavaras plant will be early this month. 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.
CASITAS: Just fair bass action with the fish focused on shad when they come up, but most are holding in 30 to 60 feet of water and the bite is best on ice jigs, spoons, leadheads or plastics. Some smaller fish on cranks when the bass are up chasing shad late in the day. Bill Griffith, Oxnard, had an eight-pound bass on an ice jig. Mark Lumsden, Oakview, had a 7-8 bass on live shad, and Mark "Chief" Torrez, Camarillo, landed a 6-pounder on a Huddleston swim bait. Trout were planted Wednesday, but the trout got stuck and only a partial load was netted out of the tank and put in the lake at the Santa Ana ramp. A few redear are still showing on nightcrawler pieces with a couple of fish around a pound reported in the marina this week. Catfish are mostly slow, but Ken Tasch, Ventura, landed a 15-pounder on mackerel. Private boats are 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: DFG trout slated for both the upper lake and lower lagoon this week, and the bite has been very good on on Power Bait, small spinners, and small pieces of nightcrawler. Fair striper action with a bit of a slump this past week. Most of the fish are still showing from he shoreline to the right of the marina on anchovies, sardines, nightcrawlers, shad, and blood worms. Most of the fish being reported are around 4 to 9 pounds. Catfish action has slowed and very few bluegill and crappie action reported.
LOPEZ: Light fishing pressure, but a few crappie and redear are showing. Bass spotty, catfish slow. Information: 805-489-1006.
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.
PIRU: DFG trout plant this week with pretty good action on the smaller rainbows. Few reports again this week, but there continues to be a fair to good bass bite, mostly on crankbaits in 30 feet of water. The crappie bite is still fair on small jigs in 40 feet of water. The bluegill and redear are either slow or not being targeted right now. Catfish slow with only a few showing on nightcrawlers and cut baits.
PYRAMID: Good trout action and a DFG plant went in this week. The last DFG plant was two weeks ago, and there has been fair to good action on floating baits and small lures, mostly around the marina and main channel. Still fair striper action has been on jerk baits in the marina, channel, around the island, Yellowbar. Most fish are in the 1- to 5-pound range with some better quality fish showing up into the 10-pound range.
SAN ANTONIO: Very few reports.
SANTA MARGARITA: Bass action still slow, but a few crappie are showing on small jigs. The cats have been spotty. Very light fishing pressure.
Eastern Sierra
GENERAL: General trout season closed in most of Inyo and Mono counties Nov. 15.
BRIDGEPORT REGION: Flows on the East Walker remain very low (around 19 cfs) and the bite is fair on fish stacked up in the runs and pools and a few fish are being caught on streamers and caddis nymph patterns. This is a catch-and-release water open year-around.
MAMMOTH AREA: The upper Owens River and Hot Creek, both open to year-around catch-and-release fishing, are very good for fly anglers. The Owens has quite a few quality rainbows and browns up from Crowley.
BISHOP AREA: Pleasant Valley Reservoir, the lower Owens River and the Owens River gorge remain open to year-around fishing. 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 or at the dam. DFG plant at Pleasant Valley this week, and the lower Owens was also planted. Owens Gorge good for small browns.
This week's trout plants
LA County: Castaic Lagoon, Castaic Lake, Elizabeth Lake, Pyramid Lake.
Ocean report
LONG RANGE SCENE AWESOME: The long range fleet out of San Diego is again having an excellent yellowfin tuna season on 10 top 21-day trips to the tuna grounds off Cabo San Lucas. Most of the boats were back in for the Thanksgiving holiday, but several are en route back south again and the bite should pick up where it left off. The Royal Polaris had 35 yellowfin over 200 pounds on its most recent trip.
LOCAL SQUID FOR BAIT: Several San Pedro boats had live squid for bait for the first time this season, and it translated into pretty good bass action with some quality calicos reported in recent days. The Tradition was out mid-week with 13 anglers who landed 75 bass along with a nice smattering of sheephead, perch, and bonito. The Persuit with live squid went to Catalina Wednesday with 32 anglers and found pretty good mixed bag fishing with rockfish, bass, perch, whitefish and sculpin in the bag. All along the coast, there has been a decent pick on the bass for the half and three-quarter day boats with the other species filling up the sacks. Three to six fish per rod has been the norm.
SAND DABS FOR DINNER: A couple of landings are running sand dab trips and the action is wide open. The Sea Angler out of 22nd Street Landing was out with 15 anglers and they caught nearly 2,000 sand dabs Wednesday.
