976-FRESH Freshwater Fish Report

CACHUMA: The bass bite has been very good all around the lake this past week on plastics and reaction baits all good. Most of the fish are still in one to 10 feet of water, and most of the fish being caught are under three pounds. Some topwater action. The trout bite has also remained good for trollers working two to four colors of leadcore with Rapalas or the nightcrawler-dodger combo. The crappie bite is pretty good in the narrows and Cachuma Bay on slow-trolled minnow imitations and small jigs. Some catfish are showing on mackerel and dough baits in Dead Horse Canyon and any cove with a defined creek channel. Bluegill are also starting to show in the backs of most coves. Bow-fishing for carp has also been excellent with quite a few double-digit fish arrowed this past week, but the key is getting out early. Free bowfishing permits are available at the entrance gate. For quagga mussel and the boat launching information, log on at http://www.sbparks.org/DOCS/Cachuma.html. The marina is open with rental boats available. The boat launch remains open, but boats must get a quagga mussel inspection. Information: 805-688-4040.

PIRU: The crappie and bass bites have continued good. The bass are averaging about three pounds and showing on topwater, Senko-type baits, plastic worms and nightcrawlers. Aaron Barajas, 8, Simi Valley, had a three-pound bass ñ his first catch. In a local tournament Friday night, it took a five-fish 20-plus pound bag to win, and a 5.79-pounder was top fish. The crappie are showing along most brushy shorelines and most of the fish are better than two pounds. Red and white or chartreuse crappie jigs tipped with meal worms or Crappie Nibbles are the best baits. The bluegill and redear are also starting to show in pretty decent numbers on red worms. Other species still slow. Information: main office at 805-521-1500, x208, the gatehouse at x500, or at www.camplakepiru.com.

PYRAMID: The catfish bite has been good from shore and for boat anglers fishing cut baits in deeper water. The striper bite has been fair to good for trollers, but the bait bite has been nearly as good with the fish still in deeper water. Most of the fish are from two to four pounds. The black bass action has been generally good with the fish still in five to 15 feet of water. Both smallmouth and largemouth have been showing in this bite. Best action on plastics and reaction baits with more topwater action each week. Trout have been slow to fair with the most recent DFG plant four weeks ago. Only a few fish off Vaquero, off Spanish Point, and at the dam on floating baits, trout plastics, and small jigs. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth at 661-295-7155 or the web site at campone.com.

CASTAIC: Continued good to excellent bass action here throughout the Fish Arm with Hawkís Nest. The best bass action has been on plastics, nightcrawlers, with increasing numbers of fish on reaction baits. Warm weather driving many fish into 20 feet of water. The stripers are finally showing at the buoy line, around the marin, the mouth of Elizabeth Canyon and Dry Gulch in 40 to 80 feet of water on sardines and blood worms. Catfish are good at the buoy line and Necktie Canyon. The panfish bite has also been improving in both the big lake and lagoon. A DFG trout plant went in three weeks ago with a few fish showing at Hawkís Nest. Anglers are reminded that Dry Gultch is closed from now through May 26 to allow fish to spawn unmolested in that part of the lake. Information: 661-775-6232 or www.CastaicLake.com.

CASITAS: For the third week in a row, threadfin shad have been showing up around the marina and in the backs of a number of coves. Anglers dip-netting this bait have had exceptional action on largemouth bass to four pounds, along with getting an occasional trout or catfish. Bass are also being landed on plastics and reaction baits in pretty fair numbers. Carl Ashby, Ventura, landed a seven-pound bass on live shad. John and Eric Aschenbrenner, Malibu, had a six-pound bass and 10-pound catfish, respectively, fishing live shad. Trout are spotty, but trollers are starting to find a little more consistent action. A few quality crappie to three pounds continue to be landed, but no big numbers have been reported. The catfish bite is also starting to improve. The redear bite has also been fair to good with some good quality fish showing on nightcrawlers, mostly in Station Canyon. Private boats must be inspected for quagga mussels and face a 10-day dry dock requirement before being allowed to launch. The lake is open every day, including all holidays. Information: 805-649-2043.

PUDDINGSTONE: The lake level is very high right now, but the fishing has been fair to good overall. The best action has been for bluegill and redear along the east shoreline with some off the north shore and ski beach areas. Most are small. A few crappie are starting to show near the burnt pier. The bass bite has been fair on reaction baits. The trout bite is slowing way down with the heat. DFG plant three weeks ago. Catfish remain tough and few carp reported. Park and lake fishing information: 909-599-8411 or www.bonellipark.org.

CACHUMA: The bass bite has been very good all around the lake this past week on plastics and reaction baits all good. Most of the fish are still in one to five feet of water but the spawn is pretty much over, and most of the fish being caught are under three pounds. The trout bite has also remained good for trollers working one to three colors of leadcore with Rapalas or the nightcrawler-dodger combo. The crappie bite is pretty good in the narrows and Cachuma Bay on slow-trolled minnow imitations and small jigs. Some catfish are showing on mackerel and dough baits in Dead Horse Canyon and any cove with a defined creek channel. Richard Flores, Santa Barbara, had five cats and to three pounds on mackerel. Bluegill are also starting to show in the backs of most coves. Bow-fishing for carp has also been excellent with quite a few double-digit fish arrowed this past week, but the key is getting out early. Free bowfishing permits are available at the entrance gate. For quagga mussel and the boat launching information, log on at http://www.sbparks.org/DOCS/Cachuma.html. The marina is open with rental boats available. The boat launch remains open, but boats must get a quagga mussel inspection. Information: 805-688-4040.

PIRU: Very good bass and crappie action. The crappie are running from a pound to three pounds and they are showing on small white jigs tipped with meal worms or red worms fished from Reasoner Cove up through the narrows. Most anglers reporting stringers of at least 15 fish. During a weekend night bass tournament, everyone had limits and the top fish was a 6.45-pounder and the winning weight was 21.47 pounds. Blake Robertson, Palmdale, landed a four-pound bass on a nightcrawler. Best action on topwater baits, plastics, and nightcrawlers. Santa Felecia Cove and Cove Cove are the hot spots. The bluegill and redear are also starting to show in pretty decent numbers on red worms. Other species still slow. Information: main office at 805-521-1500, x208, the gatehouse at x500, or at www.camplakepiru.com.

PYRAMID: The catfish bite has been good from shore and for boat anglers fishing cut baits in deeper water. The striper bite has been fair to good for trollers, but the bait bite has been nearly as good with the fish still in deeper water. Most of the fish are from two to four pounds. The black bass action has been generally good with the fish stacked up in the shallows as the spawn winds down. Both smallmouth and largemouth have been showing in this bite. Best action on plastics and reaction baits. Trout have been slow to fair with the most recent DFG plant three weeks ago. Only a few fish off Vaquero, off Spanish Point, and at the dam on floating baits, trout plastics, and small jigs. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth at 661-295-7155 or the web site at campone.com.

CASTAIC: Continued good to excellent bass action here throughout the Fish Arm with Peteís Point a hot spot. Also good action at Hawkís Nest for the bass and some trout. The best bass action has been on plastics, nightcrawlers, with increasing numbers of fish on reaction baits. Catfish are good at Suicide Point and the cliffs in the Ski Arm with the best bite early in the morning. Overall, the stripers are still tough with few fish reported. The panfish bite has also been improving in both the big lake and lagoon. A DFG trout plant went in two weeks ago. Anglers are reminded that Dry Gultch is closed from now through May 26 to allow fish to spawn unmolested in that part of the lake. Information: 661-775-6232 or www.CastaicLake.com.

CASITAS: For the second week in a row, threadfin shad have been showing up around the marina and in the backs of a number of coves. Anglers dip-netting this bait have had exception action on largemouth bass to four pounds, along with getting an occasional trout or catfish. Bass are also being landed on plastics and reaction baits in pretty fair numbers. Tim Clark, Pasadena, had the best bass reported this week at 7-8 on live shad. Trout are spotty, but trollers are starting to find a little more consistent action. Scott Abbott and Bud Poulton, both Camarillo, landed eight trout for a total of 28 pounds flat-line trolling Rapalas. Richard Jost, Ojai, landed a five pound trout on live shad. A few quality crappie to three pounds continue to be landed, but no big numbers have been reported. The catfish bite is also starting to improve. Bob Twist, San Marino, landed an 11-8 catfish on live shad. The redear bite has also been fair with some good quality fish showing on nightcrawlers, mostly in Station Canyon. Private boats must be inspected for quagga mussels and face a 10-day dry dock requirement before being allowed to launch. The lake is open every day, including all holidays. Information: 805-649-2043.

PUDDINGSTONE: The lake level is very high right now, but the fishing has just been fair overall. The best action has been for redear along the east shoreline with some off the north shore and ski beach areas. While most of the redear are small, some to nearly two pounds have been reported. A few crappie are starting to show near the burnt pier. The bass bite has slowed with the spawn pretty much over, but some fish on reaction baits. The trout bite is slowing way down with the heat. DFG plant two and four weeks ago. Catfish remain tough and few carp reported. Park and lake fishing information: 909-599-8411 or www.bonellipark.org.

CACHUMA: The bass bite has been very good all around the lake this past week on plastics and reaction baits all good. Most of the fish are around 1-8. The trout bite has also remained good with shore anglers still getting fish in Harveyís and the Mohawk areas on PowerBait and nightcrawlers, while those trolling countdown Rapalas or the dodger-nightcrawler combos are getting fish 10 to 15 feet beneath the surface. Angus and Cristal Cooke, Santa Barbara, had seven trout to three pounds at the dam on Rapalas. The crappie bite is on in the narrows and Johnson Bay on slow-trolled minnow imitations and small jigs. Some catfish to six pounds are showing on mackerel and dough baits in Dead Horse Canyon and any cove with a defined creek channel. Bluegill are also starting to show in the backs of most coves. Bow-fishing for carp has also been excellent with quite a few double-digit fish arrowed this past week, but the key is getting out early. Free bowfishing permits are available at the entrance gate. For quagga mussel and the boat launching information, log on at http://www.sbparks.org/DOCS/Cachuma.html. The marina is open with rental boats available. The boat launch remains open, but boats must get a quagga mussel inspection. Information: 805-688-4040.

PYRAMID: The catfish bite has been good from shore and for boat anglers fishing cut baits in deeper water. The striper bite has been fair to good for trollers, but the bait bite has been nearly as good with the fish still in deeper water. Most of the fish are from two to four pounds. The black bass action has been generally good with the fish stacking up in the shallows for the spawn. Both smallmouth and largemouth have been showing in this bite. Best action on plastics and reaction baits. Trout have been slow to fair with the most recent DFG plant two weeks ago. Only a few fish off Vaquero, off Spanish Point, and at the dam on floating baits, trout plastics, and small jigs. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth at 661-295-7155 or the web site at campone.com.

PIRU: Very good bass and crappie action. The crappie are running from a pound to two pounds and they are showing on small jigs tipped with meal worms or red worms frished from Reasoner Cove up through the narrows. Most anglers reporting stringers of at least 15 fish. The bass are also very good with a lot of five-fish limits reported along most shorelines with the fish still tight to the shorelines in a spawn mode. Plastic worms, nightcrawlers, and reaction baits are all working. During a Saturday bass tournament, big fish was an 8.6-pounder. The bluegill and redear are also starting to show in pretty decent numbers on red worms. Other species still slow. Information: main office at 805-521-1500, x208, the gatehouse at x500, or at www.camplakepiru.com.