976-FRESH Freshwater Fish Report

Mark Gillette DVL today n yesterday

TROUT: Trout action is about as good as it gets throughout Southern California with action at all of the stocked waters hitting the mid-season stride that translates into lots of limits of nice fish, along with the chance at a trophy fish. Top bets are western Riverside Countyís Corona Lake, the Orange County trio of Laguna Niguel Park Lake, Irvine Lake, and Santa Ana River Lakes and both the High Desert waters of Hesperia Lake and Jess Ranch. In San Diego County, Poway, Jennings Cuyamaca, Morena, Dixon, and Wohlford are all pretty good bets. Other top bets include all the San Bernardino County Park Lakes. Check the water-by-water reports for details, but the bites are good just about everywhere trout are planted now. The sleeper pick remains the Colorado River from Laughlin to Big Bend where this seasonís plants and holdover fish to six pounds are showing in good numbers. The Sierra general trout season is closed, but fly anglers are experiencing excellent action in the year-around stretch of the Upper Owens on fish up to five or six pounds and the East Walker River has been very good, too.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are moving into a pre-spawn bite very early this year. Three patterns are worth noting. First, the warm weather has some fish up in less than 10 feet of water cruising around. This is especially true in lower-elevation waters like Lower Otay, Perris, Diamond Valley, and Casitas. Cachuma and Santa Margarita have also been improving. The early fish are usually bigger fish, too. Second, in lakes getting trout plants there are some bigger bass on trout-like swimbaits. This is best after DFG plants (because these trout are usually smaller than the fish from the private hatcheries). Last, the deeper water bass bite is pretty good for finesse anglers who know how to fish ice jigs, jigging spoons, and small plastics. So, that means you need to be prepared to fish from top to bottom. Top bet is probably Diamond Valley with the fish in eight to 30 feet, mostly feeding on sculpin right on the bottom in good cover.

STRIPED BASS: The striper bite broke open on bigger fish at Diamond Valley this past week with fish to nearly 30 pounds reported in pretty fair numbers, mostly on big swimbaits. Elsewhere, the striper bites all are very spotty right now. There are still fish showing at all the usual places — Castaic, Pyramid, Skinner, and Silverwood — but there are two types of action. There are some bigger fish up chasing trout in the top 20 feet of the water column or in water from 40 to 80 feet hanging on structure or under balls of bait. Itís usually bigger fish on the trout and smaller, school-size fish in deep water where they are showing on cut baits. Keep an eye on the trout plants and fish within the first two or three days after a plant. A sleeper pick would be the California aqueduct near Taft, which has been producing a decent number from four to eight pounds. On the Colorado River, there have been a few quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is fair in the main body of the lake and toward the dam and the fish are still focused on shad.

PANFISH: The Salton Sea tilapia bite was improving until last weekís cold snap, but the action is still pretty fair on sunny, warm days. Top picks for crappie in a scanty field are Cachuma Lake, with a fair bite on quality fish over a pound, and Lake Silverwood off the marina docks. The Perris panfish bite is tougher again this week, but the redear anglers are still getting fish. Few other panfish bites are of note in this region. On the Central Coast, Lopez and Santa Margarita have been producing some quality crappie, but no big numbers, and these bites have slowed.

CATFISH: There continues to be reports of some nice catfish at Lake Skinner, but it seems like all the reports are coming from one angler with fish over 10 pounds each week. The Colorado River and local drainage ditches slowed with the annual drawdown of these canals, but the canals are back up, and thereís been fair action in the main river on channels. Flatheads are very slow but a few good fish were reported this past week.

1. Trout action is universally good throughout Southern Californiaís planted lakes, but Hesperia Lake gets the spotlight this week because it produced the biggest rainbows this past week at 17-8, and it was stocked with 2,000 pounds of sturgeon over 15 pounds each this week. It will be worth the drive to the High Desert to get in on these big fish — trout or sturgeon or both. For an update on the bite, call the tackle shop at 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.

2. Diamond Valley Lakeís striped bass and largemouth bass bites get equal billing in the pick this week. The largemouth continued to move up as though the spawn is about to begin. The bigger fish are showing in the backs of the coves on swimbaits, and then out if 18 to 25 feet on four-inch drop-shot plastics that sort-of imitate the sculpin in the lake. The stripers have really put on a show this past week with fish to 30 pounds on bigger trout-like swimbaits. Hurling the big swimbaits could net a big striper or a big largemouth. Check with the staff at Last Chance Bait and Tackle in Hemet for an update on this bite at 951-658-7410.

3. While this bite slowed some with the cooler, windy weather, the tilapia action at the Salton Sea is staying in our top picks because of the warmer weather in the forecast. This bite could break wide open this week. This same weather pattern happened three years ago, and the action never slowed down from January through June. Before the recent chill, anglers were reporting 15 to 40 fish days and the fish have been running up to 1 1/2 pounds at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area headquarters jetty or the jetty at the refurbished Salton Sea Yacht Club (just north of the state park headquarters). For an update on the action, call the newly open Visitor Center (open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at 760-393-3810.

BRIDGEPORT REGION: The East Walker River remains low and the banks are now lined with snow, but the action has been good to excellent on streamers, nymphs, and midges with a lot of 18 to 22-inch fish and some big browns have stacked up in the stretch below the dam in the deep pools. Information: Kenís Sporting Goods 760-932-7707 or www.kenssport.com.

MAMMOTH AREA: Snow finally blanketed the region and it was still on the banks of Hot Creek and much of the upper Owens. Warm weather this week could improve the road situation (or make it worse by turning it to mud). The Upper Owens has been fair with the best action on nymphs, streamers, and egg patterns fished under banks and in run tailouts. There are quite a few big fall-run rainbows to 26 inches (most 18 to 20 inches) and a few browns showing in the river. Hot Creek remains very good for fly anglers with daily mayfly and caddis activity, midges in the evenings, and nymph fishing all day. Information: The Troutfitter at 760-934-2517.

BISHOP AREA: Trout plants in Pleasant Valley Reservoir last week tna three weeks ago have made for pretty fair action. The lake level is down some, which has improved access to upper end of the lake. The lower Owens has been very good with some good mid-day dry fly action but mostly good action on nymphs and streamers. Also DFG plants two weeks ago below Tinemaha and from Stewart Lane to the Laws Bridge. The 45th Blake Jones Trout Derby will be held St. Patrickís Day, March 17 on Pleasant Valley Reservoir. The Blind Bogey event draws over 1,000 anglers and over $10,000 in prizes are awarded via drawing and for biggest fish. Entry fee is $10 for adults, $5 for kids under 12. Derby information: Bishop Chamber of Commerce 760-873-8405. Fishing information: Sierra Drifters Guide Service 760-935-4250, Sierra Trout Magnet Fly Shop 760-873-0010, Culverís 760-872-8361, Brockís 760-872-3581.TROUT PLANTS

Barring adverse weather, water or road conditions, the following lakes and streams, listed by county, will be restocked with catchable-size rainbow trout from the Department of Fish and Game hatcheries this week. For updates in Southern California and the Eastern Sierra Nevada, you can call the DFG recording at 562-594-7268, or for updates in the Western Sierra, you can call 559-243-4005, x183. For trout plants statewide, you can visit the DFG’s web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Hatcheries/FishPlanting/index.asp.

LOS ANGELES: Castaic Lake, El Dorado Park Lakes, Elizabeth Lake, Legg Lakes, Peck Road Park Lake, Puddingstone Reservoir, Pyramid Lake, Santa Fe Flood Control Basin.

ORANGE: Centennial Regional Park Lake, Mile Square Regional Park Lake, Tri-City Park Lake.

SAN DIEGO: Morena Reservoir, Murray Reservoir.

SAN BERNARDINO: Glen Helen Regional Park Lake.

RIVERSIDE: Little Lake, Rancho Jurupa Park Lake.

FRESNO: Avocado Lake, Kings River below the Pine Flat Reservoir, San Joaquin River below the Friant Dam, Woodward Park Lake.

MADERA: Bass Lake, H. V. Eastman Lake, Hensley Lake.

SAN LUIS OBISPO: Barney Schwartz Park lake.

TUOLUMNE: Tulloch Reservoir.

HART PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and two weeks ago, and the bite has been pretty good. Best action on the Power Mouse, Power eggs, garlic-scented floating baits, and inflated nightcrawlers. The bluegill, carp, catfish, and bluegill bites are all very slow.

TRUXTUN LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and two weeks ago. Overall pretty good action on  garlic nightcrawlers, garlic Power Bait, and the Power Mouse doused with garlic oil. The bluegill, crap, and bass are all slow.

RIVER WALK PARK: DFG trout plants last week and two weeks ago. Good trout action on the Power Mouse, garlic Power Bait and Power Eggs with garlic oil fished on light leaders and sliding sinkers. All other species very slow.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: Still a few trout showing and there will be another plant later in February. Overall fair action with the best bite on garlic and hatchery formula Power Baits, Power Mice, or Power Worms with garlic oil. The winter crappie bite is dead. Catfish and bass also slow. Information: Bobís Bait 661-833-8657.

WOOLLOMES LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and two weeks ago, and there has been pretty good action since on Power Mice, Power Bait in garlic and hatchery formulas, and garlic-flavored nightcrawlers. All other species have been slow.

MING LAKE: DFG trout plants last week and two weeks ago with good action on floating dough baits, inflated garlic nightcrawlers, or the new Power Mouse. The bluegill, carp, and bass have all been slow.

LAKE ISABELLA: The winter catfish bite is finally start to perk a little with a pretty fair bite at Engineerís Point on frozen shad. Not a lot of big fish, but pretty numbers on fish around two or three pounds. The trout bite has been slow to fair at the auxiliary dam for bait anglers fishing floating baits, Power Mice, or inflated nightcrawlers. A DFG plant went in last week. Fly anglers are also reporting a fair to good dry fly bite on midges in most coves in the mornings. Few reports on crappie, and the bass and bluegill action is also slow. For fishing information: Bobís Bait 661-833-8657.

KERN RIVER: Trout action is slow to fair on the upper river with only a few fish showing in the cold water on salmon eggs, crickets, and nightcrawlers. Fly anglers are also seeing slow to fair action in the stretch just above Kernville with mid-day midge and baetis hatches and some dry fly and nymph action. In the lower river flows are down under 400 cfs and the region is very fishable, but the trout bite is slow on salmon eggs and nightcrawlers. Also slow action on the smallmouth bass. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 (or www.kernriverflyfishing.com) or James Store 760-376-2424.