976-FRESH Freshwater Fish Report

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 over, 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: Striper bites all are very spotty right now. There are still fish showing at all the usual places — Diamond Valley, 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. The top bet may be the California aqueduct near Taft, which has been producing a lot of fish to 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: Top picks for crappie in a scanty field are Cachuma Lake, with a fair bite on quality fish over a pound, the Buena Vista Lakes, which has continued to produce some nice fish on small minnows, and Lake Silverwood off the marina docks. The Salton Sea tilapia bite has been getting better and better the last three weeks and was producing catches of up to 40 fish per angler this past week. Itís time. The Perris panfish bite is tougher again this week and there werenít any crappie reports, 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 to 12 pounds reported. 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.

FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS
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 Irvine Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, Laguna Niguel Park Lake and both the High Desert waters of Hesperia Lake and Jess Ranch. In San Diego County, Poway received trophy fish the previous two weeks, and it has been very good, but Jennings Cuyamaca, Morena, Dixon, and Wohlford are also good bets. Other good 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 over, but fly anglers are experiencing excellent action in the year-around stretch of the Upper Owens on fish up to five or six pounds.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region slowed down, but there have been a couple of patterns worth noting. First, the warm weather this past week has seemed to have started a pre-spawn movement of fish up out of the depths, with fish in less than 20-feet in waters at Lower Otay and Diamond Valley north to Casitas, Cachuma, and Santa Margarita. 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 deep 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 15 to 30 feet, mostly feeding on sculpin right on the bottom in good cover.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites all are very spotty right now. There are still fish showing at all the usual places — Diamond Valley, 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 and 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. The top bet may be the California aqueduct near Taft, which has been producing a lot of fish to 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 to good in the main body of the lake and toward the dam and the fish are still focused on shad.

PANFISH: Top picks for crappie in a scanty field are Cachuma Lake for crappie in a fair bite on quality fish over a pound and the Buena Vista Lakes which has continues to produce some nice fish in a night bite. The Salton Sea tilapia bite looks to be turning around with the warmer weather this week and a few catches have been reported. That is one to watch. The Lake Silverwood crappie bite was off a little this past week but still worth fishing. Thereís still fair bluegill and redear action at Perris and it has a crappie bite that probably bears more attention now. 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, too.

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 and Gary Smith, Compton, had a 14-pounder top off his catch this week. Buena Vista Lakes near Taft has been fair for several weeks. Lake Skinner is producing some nice stringers of cats, including fish over 10 pounds. The Silverwood fall bite seems to be slowing with the cooling water temperatures. The Colorado River and local drainage ditches have been fair for channel catfish, but the bite on quality flatheads looks to be over until early spring.

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 Irvine Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, Laguna Niguel Park Lake and both the High Desert waters of Hesperia Lake and Jess Ranch. In San Diego County, Poway received trophy fish this week and last week, and it has been very good, but Jennings Cuyamaca, Morena, Dixon, and Wohlford are also good bets. Other good 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 is the Colorado River from Laughlin to Big Bend where fresh plants and holdover fish to six pounds are showing in good numbers. The Sierra general trout season is over, but fly anglers are experiencing excellent action in the year-around stretch of the Upper Owens on fish to five or six pounds. The upper Kern River above Isabella is also a good bet for fly anglers with a good number of quality fish showing in very technical dry fly fishing bite in the afternoons.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region slowed down. The bite has mostly moved into 20 to 50 feet of water and ice jigs are more common baits than surface lures. But in trout waters, the big bass are up eating the rainbows and a big swimbait could get you the fish of the year, of a lifetime. Top bets are still Diamond Valley, Castaic Lake, Lake Perris, Otay, and Piru. On the Colorado River, Havasu is fair with smallmouth from two to three pounds the average, and the lower river below Havasu has a fair smallmouth bite on the rip-rap in the lined stretches of the river.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites all slowed again this past week with Diamond Valley, Castaic, Pyramid, Skinner, and Silverwood all about in the same boat. You could get a quality fish at any of them in a very spotty bite. The volume bite has pretty much shut down most places, but the bigger stripers are up chasing trout and big swimbaits are the way to go now. Keep an eye on the trout plants and fish within the first two or three days after a plant. The top bet may be the California aqueduct near Taft, which has been producing a lot of fish to 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 to good in the main body of the lake and toward the dam, mostly early and late on jerkbaits and spoons as the fish hammer shad.

PANFISH: Sleeper picks of the week are Cachuma Lake for crappie with fish to 2-8 reported in a bite that was better two weeks ago than this past week, and the Buena Vista Lakes crappie bite which turned on again this week after slowing last week. The Salton Sea tilapia bite looks to be turning around with the warmer weather this week and a few catches have been reported. That is one to watch. The Lake Silverwood crappie bite was off a little this past week but still worth fishing. Thereís still fair bluegill and redear action at Perris, but this action has been steadily slowing for the past month, and it has a crappie bite that probably bears more attention now. 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, too.

CATFISH: Buena Vista Lakes near Taft have been cranking out some toad catfish for the past three weeks since the water was turned on into the lake complex, but few reports about this action in the past week. Lake Skinner is producing some nice stringers of cats, including fish over 10 pounds. The Silverwood fall bite seems to be slowing with the cooling water temperatures. The Colorado River and local drainage ditches have been fair for channel catfish, but the bite on quality flatheads looks to be over until early spring.

TROUT: Trout is now officially in full swing with all of the major players now making regular, if not weekly, trout plants. Top bets are western Riverside Countyís Corona Lake, the Orange County trio of Irvine Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, Laguna Niguel Park Lake and both the High Desert waters of Hesperia Lake and Jess Ranch. Other good bets include all the San Bernardino County Park Lakes and most of the waters in San Diego County, most which have started their trout season. Check the water-by-water reports for details, but the bites are good just about everywhere trout are planted now. The sleeper pick is the Colorado River from Laughlin to Big Bend where fresh plants and holdover fish to six pounds are showing in good numbers. The Sierra general trout season is over, but fly anglers are seeing excellent action in the year-around stretch of the Upper Owens on fish to five or six pounds. The upper Kern River above Isabella is also a good bet for fly anglers with a good number of quality fish showing in very technical dry fly fishing bite in the afternoons.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region slowed down. The bite has mostly moved into 20 to 50 feet of water and ice jigs are more common baits than surface lures. But in trout waters, the big bass are up eating the rainbows and a big swimbait could get you the fish of the year, of a lifetime. Top bets are still Diamond Valley, Castaic Lake, Lake Perris, Otay, and Piru. On the Colorado River, Havasu is fair with smallmouth from two to three pounds the average, and the lower river below Havaus has a fair smallmouth bite on the rip-rap in the lined stretches of the river.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites all slowed this past week with Diamond Valley, Castaic, and Pyramid still the top bets for getting a quality fish in a spotty bite. The volume bite has pretty much shut down most places, but the bigger stripers are up chasing trout and big swimbaits are the way to go now. Silverwood and Skinner are also both in about the same league as the other waters. The top bet is probably the California aqueduct near Taft, which has been improving with lots of fish to 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 to good in the main body of the lake and toward the dam, mostly early and late on jerkbaits and spoons as the fish hammer shad.

PANFISH: Sleeper picks of the week are Cachuma Lake for crappie with fish to 2-8 reported and some limits. The Salton Sea tilapia bite looks to be turning around with the warmer weather this week and a few catches have been reported. That is one to watch. The Lake Silverwood crappie bite was off a little this past week but still worth fishing. The crappie bite at Buena Vista Lake (near Taft) joins Silverwood as waning bite for crappies. Thereís still fair bluegill and redear action at Perris, but 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, too.

CATFISH: Buena Vista Lakes near Taft have been cranking out some toad catfish for the past three weeks since the water was turned on into the lake complex. Hands-down the best pick. Lake Skinner is producing some nice stringers of cats, including fish over 10 pounds, each week for at least one angler targeting the cats. The Silverwood fall bite seems to be slowing with the cooling water temperatures. The Colorado River and local drainage ditches have been fair for channel catfish, but the bite on quality flatheads has died.

TROUT: Trout is now officially in full swing with all of the major players now making regular, if not weekly, trout plants. Top bets are western Riverside Countyís Corona Lake, the Orange County trio of Irvine Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, Laguna Niguel Park Lake and both the High Desert waters of Hesperia Lake and Jess Ranch. Other good bets include all the San Bernardino County Park Lakes and most of the waters in San Diego County, most which have started their trout season. Check the water-by-water reports for details, but the bites are good just about everywhere trout are planted now. The sleeper pick is the Colorado River from Laughlin to Big Bend where fresh plants and holdover fish to six pounds are showing in good numbers. The Sierra general trout season is over, but fly anglers are seeing excellent action in the year-around stretch of the Upper Owens on fish to five or six pounds. The upper Kern River above Isabella is also a good bet for fly anglers with a good number of quality fish showing in very technical dry fly fishing bite in the afternoons.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region slowed down with the cold snap and rain this week. The bite has mostly moved into 20 to 50 feet of water and ice jigs are more common baits than surface lures. But in trout waters, the big bass are up eating the rainbows and a big swimbait could get you the fish of the year, of a lifetime. Top bets are still Diamond Valley, Castaic Lake, El Capitan, Lake Perris, Otay, and Piru. On the Colorado River, Havasu is fair with smallmouth from two to three pounds the average, and the lower river below Havaus has a fair to good smallmouth bite on the rip-rap in the lined stretches of the river.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites all slowed this past week with Diamond Valley, Castaic, and Pyramid still the top bets for getting a quality fish in a bite that could be described as ìfair, at best.î The volume bite has pretty much shut down most places, but the bigger stripers are up chasing trout and big swimbaits are the way to go now. Silverwood and Skinner are also both in about the same league as the other waters. Top bet? The California aqueduct near Taft is improving again with lots of fish to 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 to good in the main body of the lake and toward the dam, mostly early and late on jerkbaits and spoons as the fish hammer shad.

PANFISH: The Lake Silverwood crappie bite is the sleeper pick here again this week but it was a little slower this week. The hot bite at Buena Vista Lake (near Taft) joins Silverwood as a top pick for crappies. Thereís still fair to bluegill and redear action at Perris, but the decent bites that had been perking along at Diamond Valley Lake, Piru, and Skinner have all slowed to nearly nothing. On the Central Coast, Lopez and Santa Margarita also have been producing some quality crappie, but no big numbers, and these bites have slowed, too. Lake Cachuma also saw its crappie action improve the past two weeks with some good fish reported. This might be the sleeper pick.

CATFISH: Buena Vista Lakes near Taft have been cranking out some toad catfish for the past two weeks since the water was turned on into the lake complex. Hands-down the best pick. The Colorado River and local drainage ditches have been faird for catfish with some real quality flatheads the past few weeks, but this bite has slowed. The channel action is still fair most places but slowing rapidly. The best waters in a dwindling bite are Skinner and Silverwood, but it looks like the fall flurry is winding down. Lower Otay did crank out a couple of quality cats this week (40 pounds!).

FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS

TROUT: Trout is now officially in full swing with all of the major players now making regular, if not weekly, trout plants. Top bets are western Riverside Countyís Corona Lake, the Orange County trio of Irvine Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, Laguna Niguel Park Lake and both the High Desert waters of Hesperia Lake and Jess Ranch. Other good bets include all the San Bernardino County Park Lakes and most of the waters in San Diego County, most which have started their trout season. Check the water-by-water reports for details, but the bites are good just about everywhere trout are planted now. The sleeper pick is the Colorado River from Laughlin to Big Bend where fresh plants and holdover fish to six pounds are showing in good numbers. The Sierra general trout season is over, but fly anglers are seeing excellent action in the year-around stretch of the Upper Owens on fish to five or six pounds. The upper Kern River above Isabella is also a good bet for fly anglers with a good number of quality fish showing in very technical dry fly fishing bite in the afternoons.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good reaction bait action late in the day as the fish chase baitfish, but few fish are actually on topwater lures, and the cooling water and trout plants will be making this bite slower and shifting the action to big, trout-like swim baits thanks to all the trout plants. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley, Castaic Lake, El Capitan, Lake Perris, Otay, and Piru. On the Colorado River, Havasu is improving with smallmouth from two to three pounds the average, and the lower river below Havaus has a good smallmouth bite on the rip-rap in the lined stretches of the river.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued fair to good this past week with Diamond Valley, Castaic, and Pyramid still the top bets for getting a quality fish. The volume bite has pretty much shut down most places, but the bigger stripers are up chasing trout and big swimbaits are the way to go now. Silverwood and Skinner are also both fair to good. The California aqueduct near Taft is improving again with cooler water. Lots of fish to 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 breaking open with some good action in the main body of the lake and toward the dam, mostly early and late on jerkbaits and spoons as the fish hammer shad.

PANFISH: The Lake Silverwood crappie bite is the sleeper pick here again this week, and the hot bite at Buena Vista Lake (near Taft) join Silverwood as a top pick for crappies. Thereís still fair to good bluegill and redear action at Perris, but the decent bites that had been perking along at Diamond Valley Lake, Piru, and Skinner have all slowed to nearly nothing. On the Central Coast, Lopez and Santa Margarita also have been producing some quality crappie, but no big numbers, and these bites have slowed, too. Lake Cachuma also saw its crappie action improve the past two weeks with some good fish reported.

CATFISH: The Colorado River and local drainage ditches have been good for catfish with some real quality flatheads the past few weeks. Very light fishing pressure. The channel action is still fair most places but slowing rapidly. The best waters in a dwindling bite are Skinner and Silverwood, but it looks like the fall flurry is winding down. An exception is the bite at the Buena Vista Lakes near Taft that kicked on this week when the water flows were ramped up into the lake.

TROUT: Trout is now officially in full swing with all of the major players now making regular, if not weekly, trout plants. Top bets are western Riverside Countyís Corona Lake, the Orange County trio of Irvine Lake, Santa Ana River Lakes, Laguna Niguel Park Lake and both the High Desert waters of Hesperia Lake and Jess Ranch. Other good bets include all the San Bernardino County Park Lakes and most of the waters in San Diego County, most which have started their trout season. Check the water-by-water reports for details, but the bites are good just about everywhere trout are planted now. The sleeper pick is the Colorado River from Laughlin to Big Bend where fresh plants and holdover fish to six pounds are showing in good numbers. The Sierra general trout season is over, but fly anglers are seeing excellent action in the year-around stretch of the Upper Owens on fish to five or six pounds. The upper Kern River above Isabella is also a good bet for fly anglers with a good number of quality fish showing in very technical dry fly fishing in the afternoons.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good reaction bait action late in the day as the fish chase baitfish, but few fish are actually on topwater lures, and the cooling water and trout plants will be making this bite slower and shifting the action to big, trout-like swim baits thanks to all the trout plants. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley, Castaic Lake, El Capitan, Lake Perris, Otay, and Piru. On the Colorado River, Havasu is improving with smallmouth from two to three pounds the average, and the lower river below Havaus has a good smallmouth bite on the rip-rap in the lined stretches of the river.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued fair to good this past week with Diamond Valley, Castaic, and Pyramid still the top bets for getting a quality fish. The volume bite has pretty much shut down most places, but the bigger stripers are up chasing trout and big swimbaits are the way to go now. Silverwood and Skinner are also both fair to good. The California aqueduct near Taft is improving again with cooler water. Lots of fish to 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 breaking open with some good action in the main body of the lake and toward the dam, mostly early and late on jerkbaits and spoons as the fish hammer shad.

PANFISH: The Lake Silverwood crappie bite is the sleeper pick here again this week. Thereís still fair to good bluegill and redear action at Perris, but the decent bites that had been perking along at Diamond Valley Lake, Piru, and Skinner have all slowed to nearly nothing. On the Central Coast, Lopez and Santa Margarita also have been producing some quality crappie, but no big numbers, and these bites have slowed, too.

CATFISH: The Colorado River and local drainage ditches have been good for catfish with some real quality flatheads the past few weeks. Very light fishing pressure. The channel action is still fair most places but slowing rapidly. The best waters in a dwindling bite are Skinner and Silverwood, but it looks like the fall flurry is winding down.

TROUT: Trout plants kicked off throughout the region this past week. Most noteable was Irvine Lake with 20,000-pounds of planted trout before the Friday opener. But Santa Ana River Lake received a big surprise last Wednesday and more trout this week. Corona Lake has been getting trout for five weeks and the action there is excellent. Hesperia Lake is also on its four week of plants, and Jess Ranch is a top bet, too. San Bernardino County Lakes all get plants this week, and the DFG planted many of the Los Angeles-area urban lakes again this week. In San Diego County, Dixon Lake got its first plant of the season last week, and Jennings received trout the last three weeks (but itís been tough). Poway gets its first plant next week. Diamond Valley Lake got itís first Lassen trout last, and Lake Skinner and Cachuma Lake also got their first trout plants of the season last week. Top picks are Irvine, Corona Lake, Hesperia, Santa Ana River Lakes, and Yucaipa Park Lake (with both DFG and county plants this week). Other good bets include Lake Hemet where limits have been pretty easy for experienced trollers. The sleeper pick is the Colorado River from Laughlin to Big Bend with trout plants this week and holdover fish to five pounds each week now. Trout action in the Sierra Nevada is generally good most places as the cool weather sets in but the season closes Nov. 15 most places. Good bets are the Virginia Lakes, Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, Bridgeport Reservoir, Grant and Silver Lakes in the June Loop, the brook trout bite is good in all the Mammoth Lakes, South Lake is very good in the Bishop Creek drainage, and there is light pressure everywhere. For fly anglers, Crowley Lake is very good and the East Walker River flows are down and the action is wide open. The upper Kern River above Isabella is also an excellent bet with a good number of quality fish from three to five pounds.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good reaction bait action early and late in the day as the fish chase baitfish, but fewer fish are actually on topwater lures, and the cooling water and trout plants will be making this bite slower and shifting the action to big swim baits as we move into the holidays. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley, Castaic Lake, Lake Perris, Otay, El Capitan, and Piru. On the Colorado River, Havasu is improving with smallmouth from two to three pounds the average.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued good this past week with Diamond Valley, Castaic, and Pyramid still the top bets for getting nice stringers of fish. The surface bite faltered a little with the rains, but the bait bite is still hot. Silverwood and Skinner are also both fair to good. The California aqueduct near Taft is improving again with cooler water. Lots of fish to four or five pounds. On the Colorado River, there have been a lot of quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is breaking open with some good action in the main body of the lake again, mostly early and late on topwater and jerkbaits, and there has been a surprising bite in the Bullhead area that bears watching, including stripers to 20 pounds last week.

PANFISH: Thereís still fair to good bluegill and redear action at Perris, and some decent action at Diamond Valley Lake, Piru, and Skinner. Pressure has dropped way off, so other areas tough to gauge. The Henshaw crappie bite had fewer reports this past week, but still has been fair. Piru also continues to have a good crappie bite and the Casitas afterbay has also been a decent bet. On the Central Coast, Lopez and Santa Margarita also have been producing some nice catches of quality crappie.

CATFISH: The Colorado River is fair to good for catfish with flatheads and channels showing in good numbers but with very light fishing pressure. The flatheads are slowing some, but the channel action is still good most places with a lot of two to six-pound fish. Southern California lakes are all fair to good, with Elsinore, Skinner, Diamond Valley, Silverwood, and Pyramid the top bets. Catfish planting season is winding down most places, but the fall flurry is when some of the best cats are caught all year. For planted fish, top picks are still Hesperia Lake and Santa Ana River Lakes, and Irvine has also been producing quite a few cats into double digits. Of non-planted lakes, Elsinore might be the best bet in the region with a lot of cats to 12 pounds again this past week.

TROUT: Best action in Southern California has been at Corona Lake after two weeks of major plants. Most other urban lake programs start the first of November, but Hesperia Lake got its first fish last week and Jennings gets its first fish of the season this week. Other good bets include Lake Hemet where limits have been pretty easy for experienced trollers. Green Valley Lake has been surprisingly good, and Big Bear Lake and Jenks Lake are both pretty fair. Jess Ranch in Hesperia has been getting trout all year and it is good, too. Trout action in the Sierra Nevada is generally good most places as the cool weather sets in. Good bets are the Virginia Lakes, Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, Bridgeport Reservoir, Grant and Silver Lakes in the June Loop, the brook trout bite is good in all the Mammoth Lakes, South Lake is very good in the Bishop Creek drainage, and there is light pressure everywhere. For fly anglers, Crowley Lake is very good and the East Walker River flows are down and the action is wide open.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good reaction bait action early and late in the day as the fish chase baitfish, but fewer fish are actually on topwater lures. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley, Lake Perris, Otay, El Capitan, and Piru. On the Colorado River, Havasu is improving and it took over a three-pound average fish to win a weekend tournament.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued good this past week with Castaic, Pyramid and Diamond Valley still the top bets for getting nice stringers of fish. While all three had fewer surface boils, the bait bite is still hot. Silverwood and Skinner are both fair to good. The California aqueduct near Taft is improving again with cooler water and the weed problem abating. Lots of fish to four or five pounds. On the Colorado River, there have been a lot of quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is breaking open with some good action in the main body of the lake again, mostly early and late on topwater and jerkbaits.

PANFISH: Thereís still very good bluegill and redear action at Perris and Diamond Valley Lake just like for the past several weeks, and the Silverwood bite remains very strong. Piru, Castaic, Skinner and Casitas are fair to good on the bluegill and/or redear, too. The Henshaw crappie bite had fewer reports this past week, but still has been fair. Piru also continues to have a good crappie bite and the Casitas afterbay has also been a decent bet.

CATFISH: The Colorado River is fair to good for catfish with flatheads and channels showing in good numbers but with very light fishing pressure. The action has been good on flatheads to 20 pounds and channels to eight pounds most weeks, but reports are fleeting. Southern California lakes are all fair to good, with Skinner, Elsinore, Diamond Valley, Silverwood, and Pyramid the top bets. Catfish planting season is winding down most places. Top picks are Hesperia Lake and Santa Ana River Lakes, which are all still being planted with cats each week. Irvine is also producing quite a few cats into double digits.

TROUT: Best action in Southern California has been at Corona Lake after its first major plant last week. Most other urban lake programs start the first of November, but Hesperia Lake gets its first fish this Friday. Other good bets include Lake Hemet where limits have been pretty easy for experienced trollers. Green Valley Lake has been surprisingly good, and Big Bear Lake and Jenks Lake are both pretty fair. Jess Ranch in Hesperia has been getting trout all year and it is good, too. Trout action in the Sierra Nevada is generally good most places as the cool weather sets in and the hillsides color up for fall. Good bets are the Virginia Lakes, Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, Bridgeport Reservoir, Grant and Silver Lakes in the June Loop, the brook trout bite is good in all the Mammoth Lakes, South Lake is very good in the Bishop Creek drainage, and there is light pressure everywhere. For fly anglers, Crowley Lake is very good and the East Walker River flows are down and the action is breaking wide open.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good topwater and reaction bait action early and late in the day. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley, Lake Perris, Otay, El Capitan, and Piru. On the Colorado River, Havasu is improving and it took over a three-pound average fish to win a weekend tournament.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued good this past week with Castaic, Pyramid and Diamond Valley still the top bets for topwater action and getting nice stringers of fish. Silverwood and Skinner are both fair to good. The California aqueduct near Taft is improving again with cooler water and the weed problem abating. Lots of fish to four or five pounds. On the Colorado River, there have been a lot of quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is breaking open with some good action in the main body of the lake again, mostly early and late on topwater and jerkbaits.

PANFISH: There’s still very good bluegill and redear action at Perris, Diamond Valley Lake, and Skinner, just like for the past several weeks, and the Silverwood bite remains very strong. Piru, Castaic and Casitas are fair to good on the bluegill and/or redear, too. The Henshaw crappie bite had fewer reports this past week, but still has been fair. Piru also continues to have a good crappie bite and the Casitas afterbay has also been a decent bet.

CATFISH: The Colorado River is fair to good for catfish with flatheads and channels showing in good numbers but with very light fishing pressure. The action has been good on flatheads to 20 pounds and channels to eight pounds most weeks, but reports are fleeting. Southern California lakes are all fair to good. Catfish planting season is winding down most places. Top picks are Hesperia Lake and Santa Ana River Lakes, which are all still being planted with cats each week. Other good catfish bets are Irvine, Skinner, Diamond Valley, Silverwood, and Pyramid.

TROUT: Best action in Southern California has been at Lake Hemet where limits have been pretty easy for experienced trollers, but shore anglers near the dam are also getting fish. Other top bets have been Green Valley Lake, Big Bear Lake, and Jenks Lake. Other places have slowed, but the urban trout stocking programs are set to kick off this week at Corona Lake with the first major plant of the season. Corona was planted with a 1,000-pound test plant two weeks ago, too. Plants are weekly now here. Most other urban waters will be starting their stocking programs in early November, but Jess Ranch in Hesperia has been planting trout all year and the bite is getting really good with the cooler nights. Trout action in the Sierra Nevada is generally good most places as the cool weather sets in and the hillsides color up for fall. Good bets are the Virginia Lakes, Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, Bridgeport Reservoir, Grant and Silver Lakes in the June Loop, the brook trout bite is good in all the Mammoth Lakes, South Lake is very good in the Bishop Creek drainage, and there is light pressure everywhere. For fly anglers, Crowley Lake is very good and the East Walker River flows are down and the action is breaking wide open.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good topwater and reaction bait action early and late in the day. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley and Lake Perris surged on even more this week. Other decent are Sutherland, Otay, El Capitan, Skinner, Silverwood, Casitas, Castaic, Piru, and Cachuma. On the Central Coast, Santa Margarita, Nacimiento, San Antonio, and Lopez are all still pretty fair for bass. On the Colorado River, the Topoc Gorge smallmouth bite has been fair, but except for the narrow window of early morning and late evening Havasu and the lower river have been tougher, but they have been improving, too, this past week.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued good this past week with Castaic, Pyramid and Diamond Valley still the top bets for topwater action and getting nice stringers of fish. Silverwood and Skinner are both fair to good. San Antonio on the Central Coast has been neglected, but it remains a decent bet with good quality (six to 12 pounds). The California aqueduct near Taft is improving again with cooler water and the weed problem abating. Lots of fish to four or five pounds. On the Colorado River, there have been a lot of quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is finally improving with some good action in the main body of the lake again, mostly early and late on topwater but also some fish on drifted baits.

PANFISH: Thereís still very good bluegill and redear action at Perris, Diamond Valley Lake, and Skinner, just like for the past several weeks, but the Silverwood bite also has been very strong. Piru, Castaic and Casitas are fair to good on the bluegill and/or redear, too. The Henshaw crappie bite had fewer reports this past week, but still has been fair. Piru also continues to have a good crappie bite and the Casitas afterbay has also been a decent bet.

CATFISH: The Colorado River is fair to good for catfish with flatheads and channels showing in good numbers but with very light fishing pressure. The action has been good on flatheads to 20 pounds and channels to eight pounds most weeks, but reports are fleeting. Southern California lakes are all fair to good. Catfish planting season is winding down most places. Top picks are Hesperia Lake and Santa Ana River Lakes, which are all still being planted with cats each week. Other good catfish bets are Irvine, Skinner, Diamond Valley, Silverwood, and Pyramid.

TROUT: Best action in Southern California has been at Lake Hemet where limits have been pretty easy for experienced trollers, but shore anglers near the dam are also getting fish. Other top bets have been Green Valley Lake, Big Bear Lake, and Jenks Lake. Other places have slowed, but the urban trout stocking programs are set to kick off as early as next week. Corona Lake was planted with a 1,000-pound test plant last week and it will get weekly plants starting next week. Trout action in the Sierra Nevada is generally good most places as the cool weather sets in and the hillsides color up for fall. Good bets are the Virginia Lakes, Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, Bridgeport Reservoir, Grant and Silver Lakes in the June Loop, the brook trout bite is good in all the Mammoth Lakes, South Lake is very good in the Bishop Creek drainage, and there is light pressure everywhere. For fly anglers, Crowley Lake is very good and Hot Creek and the East Walker River are consistently good.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good topwater and reaction bait action early and late in the day. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley and Lake Perris surged on even more this week. Other decent are Sutherland, Otay, El Capitan, Skinner, Silverwood, Casitas, Castaic, Piru, and Cachuma. On the Central Coast, Santa Margarita, Nacimiento, San Antonio, and Lopez are all still pretty fair for bass. On the Colorado River, the Topoc Gorge smallmouth bite has been fair, but except for the narrow window of early morning and late evening Havasu and the lower river have been tougher, but they have been improving, too, this past week.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued good this past week with Castaic, Pyramid and Diamond Valley still the top bets for topwater action and getting nice stringers of fish. Silverwood and Skinner are both fair to good. San Antonio on the Central Coast has been neglected, but it remains a decent bet with good quality (six to 12 pounds). On the Colorado River, there have been a lot of quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is finally improving with some good action in the main body of the lake again, mostly early and late on topwater but also some fish on drifted baits.

PANFISH: There’s still very good bluegill and redear action at Perris, Diamond Valley Lake, and Skinner, just like for the past several weeks, but the Silverwood bite also has been very strong. Piru, Castaic and Casitas are fair to good on the bluegill and/or redear, too. The Henshaw crappie bite had fewer reports this past week, but still has been fair. Other crappie bites of note include those at Cachuma and Piru.

CATFISH: The Colorado River is fair to good for catfish with flatheads and channels showing in good numbers. The action has been good on flatheads to 20 pounds and channels to eight pounds most weeks, but there is still light fishing in this region and reports are fleeting. Southern California lakes are all fair to good. Catfish planting season is winding most places. Top picks are Hesperia Lake, Corona Lake, and Santa Ana River Lakes, which are all still being planted with cats each week. A big load of trophy cats last week at SARL and Corona led to some good fish, but Hesperia has consistently been producing quality fish. Other good catfish bets are Irvine, Skinner, Diamond Valley, Silverwood, and Pyramid.

TROUT: Best action in Southern California has been at Jenks Lake, Green Valley Lake, and Big Bear Lake. Limits are pretty easy at Lake Hemet for experienced trollers, but shore anglers near the dam are also getting fish. Green Valley and Big Bear can be tougher, but both are still producing a lot of fish. There are also occasional holdover fish being landed by deep trollers or bait anglers at Cachuma and Silverwood, and Casitas is even tougher. The bite remains fair to good at Cuyamaca. Trout action in the Sierra Nevada remains fair to good overall, with the June Lake loop (especially Silver), Virgina Lakes, and Bridgeport Reservoir all top bets. Other good bets include Twin Lakes (Bridgeport), South Lake is good, and the South Fork of Bishop Creek is good. For fly anglers, Hot Creek and the East Walker River are probably the best bets. Also some very good action in Crowley as the fish key on perch minnows both places.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good topwater and reaction bait action early and late in the day. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley and Lake Perris surged on even more this week. Other decent are Sutherland, Otay, El Capitan, Skinner, Silverwood, Casitas, Castaic, Piru, and Cachuma. On the Central Coast, Santa Margarita, Nacimiento, San Antonio, and Lopez are all still pretty fair for bass. On the Colorado River, the Topoc Gorge smallmouth bite has been fair, but except for the narrow window of early morning and late evening Havasu and the lower river have been tougher, but they have been improving, too, this past week.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued good this past week with Castaic, Pyramid and Diamond Valley still the top bets for topwater action and getting nice stringers of fish. Silverwood and Skinner are both fair to good. San Antonio on the Central Coast remains a top bet with good quality (six to 12 pounds). On the Colorado River, there have been a lot of quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is finally improving with some good action in the main body of the lake again, mostly early and late on topwater but also some fish on drifted baits.

PANFISH: There’s very good bluegill and redear action at Diamond Valley Lake, Perris, and Skinner. The redear bite is also still fair in Havasu and Topoc Gorge area on the Colorado River. Piru, Castaic and Casitas are fair to good on the bluegill and/or redear, too. The Henshaw crappie bite has been very good this past week with fish to three pounds. Other crappie bites of note include those at Cachuma and Piru.

CATFISH: The Colorado River is fair to good for catfish with flatheads and channels showing in good numbers. The action has been good on flatheads to 35 pounds and channels to eight pounds most weeks, but there is still light fishing in this region and reports are fleeting. Southern California lakes are all fair to good. Catfish planting season is winding most places. Top picks are Hesperia Lake, Corona Lake, and Santa Ana River Lakes, which are all still being planted with cats each week. A big load of trophy cats this week at SARL and Corona. Other good catfish bets are Irvine, Skinner, Silverwood, and Pyramid.

TROUT: Best action in Southern California has been at Jenks Lake, Green Valley Lake, and Big Bear Lake. Limits are pretty easy at Lake Hemet for experienced trollers, but shore anglers near the dam are also getting fish. Green Valley and Big Bear can be tougher, but both are still producing a lot of fish. There are also occasional holdover fish being landed by deep trollers or bait anglers at Cachuma and Silverwood, and Casitas is even tougher. The bite remains fair to good at Cuyamaca. Trout action in the Sierra Nevada remains fair to good overall, with the June Lake loop (especially Silver), Virgina Lakes, and Bridgeport Reservoir all top bets. Other good bets include Twin Lakes (Bridgeport), South Lake is good, and the South Fork of Bishop Creek is good. For fly anglers, Hot Creek and the East Walker River are probably the best bets. Also some very good action in Crowley as the fish key on perch minnows both places.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good topwater and reaction bait action early and late in the day. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley and Lake Perris surged on even more this week. Other decent are Sutherland, Otay, El Capitan, Skinner, Silverwood, Casitas, Castaic, Piru, and Cachuma. On the Central Coast, Santa Margarita, Nacimiento, San Antonio, and Lopez are all still pretty fair for bass. On the Colorado River, the Topoc Gorge smallmouth bite has been fair, but except for the narrow window of early morning and late evening Havasu and the lower river have been tougher, but they have been improving, too, this past week.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued good this past week with Castaic, Pyramid and Diamond Valley still the top bets for topwater action and getting nice stringers of fish. Silverwood and Skinner are both fair to good. San Antonio on the Central Coast remains a top bet with good quality (six to 12 pounds). On the Colorado River, there have been a lot of quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is finally improving with some good action in the main body of the lake again, mostly early and late on topwater but also some fish on drifted baits.

PANFISH: There’s very good bluegill and redear action at Diamond Valley Lake, Perris, and Skinner. The redear bite is also still fair in Havasu and Topoc Gorge area on the Colorado River. Piru, Castaic and Casitas are fair to good on the bluegill and/or redear, too. The Henshaw crappie bite has been very good this past week with fish to three pounds. Other crappie bites of note include those at Cachuma and Piru.

CATFISH: The Colorado River is fair to good for catfish with flatheads and channels showing in good numbers. The action has been good on flatheads to 35 pounds and channels to eight pounds most weeks, but there is still light fishing in this region and reports are fleeting. Southern California lakes are all fair to good. Catfish planting season is winding most places. Top picks are Hesperia Lake, Corona Lake, and Santa Ana River Lakes, which are all still being planted with cats each week. A big load of trophy cats this week at SARL and Corona. Other good catfish bets are Irvine, Skinner, Silverwood, and Pyramid.

TROUT: Best action in Southern California has been at Jenks Lake, Green Valley Lake, and Big Bear Lake. Limits are pretty easy at Lake Hemet for experienced trollers, but shore anglers near the dam are also getting fish. Green Valley and Big Bear can be tougher, but both are still producing a lot of fish. There are also occasional holdover fish being landed by deep trollers or bait anglers at Cachuma and Silverwood, and Casitas is even tougher. The bite remains fair to good at Cuyamaca. Trout action in the Sierra Nevada remains fair to good overall, with the June Lake loop (especially Silver), Virgina Lakes, and Bridgeport Reservoir all top bets. Other good bets include Twin Lakes (Bridgeport), South Lake is wide open, and the South Fork of Bishop Creek is good. For fly anglers, Hot Creek and the East Walker River are probably the best bets. Also some very good action in Crowley as the fish key on perch minnows both places.

BLACK BASS: Most of the lakes in the region are still seeing good topwater and reaction bait action early and late in the day. During the day, the fish generally sound to deeper structure where they can be caught on dark plastics, but that bite is much tougher. Top bets are still Diamond Valley and Lake Perris surged on this week. Other decent are Sutherland, Otay, El Capitan, Skinner, Silverwood, Casitas, Castaic, Piru, and Cachuma. On the Central Coast, Santa Margarita, Nacimiento, San Antonio, and Lopez are all still pretty fair for bass. On the Colorado River, the Topoc Gorge smallmouth bite has been fair, but except for the narrow window of early morning and late evening Havasu and the lower river have been tougher, but they have been improving, too, this past week.

STRIPED BASS: Striper bites continued good this past week with Castaic, Pyramid and Diamond Valley still the top bets for topwater action and getting nice stringers of fish. Silverwood and Skinner are both fair to good. San Antonio on the Central Coast remains a top bet with good quality (six to 12 pounds) for trollers working through metered fish or running to boils. On the Colorado River, there have been a lot of quality fish to 20 pounds or better at Willow Beach. Havasu is finally improving with some good action in the main body of the lake again, mostly early and late on topwater but also some fish on drifted baits.

PANFISH: There’s very good bluegill and redear action at Diamond Valley Lake, Perris, and Skinner. The redear bite is also still fair in Havasu and Topoc Gorge area on the Colorado River. Piru, Castaic and Casitas are fair to good on the bluegill and/or redear, too. The only crappie bite notable this week is the fair action at Cachuma and Piru. The Salton Sea tilapia bite has slowed way down with only a few smaller fish showing now.

CATFISH: The Colorado River is fair to good for catfish with flatheads and channels showing in good numbers. The action has been good on flatheads to 35 pounds and channels to eight pounds most weeks, but there is still light fishing in this region. Southern California lakes are all fair to good during the full moon bite. Catfish planting season is winding most places. Top picks are Hesperia Lake and Lake Elsinore, but Corona Lake and Santa Ana River Lakes are being planted with cats each week and weekly trophy catfish plants go in each Friday. Other good catfish bets are Irvine, Skinner, Silverwood, and Pyramid.