976-FRESH Freshwater Fish Report

PERRIS: The bluegill and redear bites are excellent with a lot of anglers posting full 25-fish limits of these fish up into the 1 1/2-pound range. The best bite has been on small jigs tipped with bait or deeply fished meal worms, wax worms, or crickets. The fish are schooled up in three to 15 feet of water along most shoreline, but the Bernasconi Beach area has been best for the ëgills and the island best for the redear. Bass have slowed this past week, but a few fish continue to show on plastics and reaction baits, including some on topwater. Logan Laroche, Lake Elsinore, had a 6-15 bass in Power Boat Cove on a plastic, while Trevon McFadden, Riverside, weighed in a 4-11 on a Fluke at the marina docks. A few trout continue to show with the best action in the mornings. DFG trout plant last week. Crappie still very slow. Few carp or catfish reports. The park and marina is back open seven days a week. Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Marina hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: marina 951-657-2179, state park 951-940-5600.

SKINNER: The largemouth bass bite has been fair to good in the east end on reaction baits, plastic worms, and nightcrawlers with quite a few fish to four pounds reported. The striper bite is also pretty good at the inlet on chicken liver and anchovies with most of the fish from two to three pounds with some to five pounds. Jim and Sarah Chavarela and Russ Rowe, all Tustin, had eight stripers to three pounds on anchovies at the dam. Lang Lueung, Hemet, had a five-pound striper at Ramp 1 fishing a Robo worm. The bluegill bite is good to excellent over much of the lake on nightcrawlers, meal worms, wax worms, and crickets. A few catfish are starting to show on chicken liver and mackerel in Catfish Alley alonmg the south shore. Information: store 951-926-1505 or marina 951-926-8515.

ELSINORE: The wiper and catfish bites have gone ballistic. The wipers are all running from 6 1/2 to 12 1/2 pounds and 22 have been reported just at Williams Bait, Tackle and Boat Rental since Friday. The early morning has been the best bite, from sunrise to 9 or 10 a.m. and the fish are just ripping up the shad. The best bite has been on live shad during this bite, but shad-like swimbaits and rip baits are also working. In the afternoons and evening, some wipers are also showing on shrimp and nightcrawlers fished on the bottom. The catfish bite is also wide open with most anglers still fishing in less than 10 feet of water and tight to flooded trees and brush. The cats are running from five to 12 pounds and shad and cut baits have been the best bets. The crappie are still not being landed in great numbers, but they are mostly over 1 1/2 pounds and up into the three-pound range. Just fair action on small jigs or live shad. The bluegill are very good with a lot of nice-sized fish up to nearly a pound, mostly on meal worms, wax worms, crickets, and small jigs. Quite a few smaller largemouth to 10 inches are being caught all around the lake, but few bigger fish. Anglers targeting the carp are starting to get a lot of fish, too. For more information, call Williamís Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental at 951-642-0640 or go to www.williamsboatandtackle.com.

DIAMOND VALLEY: Continue good largemouth bass action with the fish still showing anywhere from the surface down to 20 feet. The majority of the fish are showing on Senko-style baits or drop-shot plastic worms. Evan Davis, San Diego, landed a 5.79-pound largemouth on a plastic at the east dam. The striper bite has been fair to good on school-sized fish from three to five pounds on sardines with some limits reported, but overall this bite has slowed since last week. Catfish are starting to show in better numbers as the water warms, but still little pressure on the cats. The trout are slowing very quickly as the fish head deep, but some are still showing in the shore fishing areas near the marina on PowerBait, small trout jigs, and nightcrawlers. DFG plant slated for next week of May 21 and the final Lassen plant of the season was three weeks ago. Both the bluegill and redear bites are starting to take off with some good catches reported in the past week on small jigs tipped with meal worms. Even a few 25-fish limits. Private boats must be inspected for zebra and quagga mussels. Boats with wet lower units will be turned away. For general lake and launch information, call 800-590-LAKE. For fishing and boat rental info call the marina at 951-926-7201 or www.dvmarina.com or Last Chance Bait and Tackle at 951-658-7410 or www.lastchancetackle.com.

PERRIS: The bluegill and redear bites are excellent with a lot of anglers posting full 25-fish limits of these fish up into the 1 1/2-pound range. The best bite has been on small jigs tipped with bait or deeply fished meal worms, wax worms, or crickets. The fish are schooled up in three to 15 feet of water along most shoreline, but the Bernasconi Beach area has been best. Lorenzo Martinez, Moreno Valley, had 25 mixed bluegill and redear to 1-8 on red worms and small trout worms. The largemouth bass bite also remains pretty good with the best bite on plastics and reaction baits, including surface lures, in the northeast end of the lake. Raul Gaytion, Ontario, landed a 7.3-pound bass at lots 11 and 12 on a drop-shot plastic worms. A few trout continue to show with the best action in the mornings. DFG trout plant this week. Crappie still very slow. Few carp or catfish reports. The park and marina is back open seven days a week. Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Marina hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: marina 951-657-2179, state park 951-940-5600.

CORONA LAKE: The trout action continues to sizzle with anglers scoring both limits and quality fish in the deeper water at the dam and mid-lake. The warm weather has driven the trout out of the shallows except for a brief period in the morning, but they continue to show up in good numbers in the cooler, deeper water much of the day. The best bite has been on inflated nightcrawlers doused with scent or the Berkley Mice Tails, Lip RipperZ Ratz, small artificial trout worms, or small trout jigs. Anglers fishing the usual array of floating dough baits are also still getting fish. Top rainbow reported over the past week was a 10-pounder caught by Jaime Salazar, Covina, fishing a nightcrawler smeared with Nitro Grease at the dam. Dustin Nehr, Temple City, had a nine-pound trout, also on a nightcrawlers, while fishing from a boat. David Farro, Riverside, was also fishing a nightcrawler-Crave bait combo to get his seven-pound rainbow at the dam. Mike Yamashita, Diamond Bar, had the top stringer of the week, an impressive five-fish catch that weighed 27 1/4-pounds, and his top rainbow was a 7 1/4-pounder. He fish fishing jigs from a float tube. Jeffrey Chadkowski, Pomona, loanded five rainbows to four pounds for a 14-pound stringer fishing Lip RipperZ jigs from shore, while Al Rendon, Los Angeles, had a pretty typical five trout stringer with fish to 2 1/4-pounds. There continues to be quite a few catfish and plants are now weekly so this bite will be taking off in the coming weeks. The catfish grand opener is set for Memorial Day weekend with fish to 20 pounds planted for this event. Bass and crappie are still being caught by anglers, and a 17-pound sturgeon was landed by Sherrie Trigg, Corona, fishing a nightcrawler off the north shore from the bank. There is an ongoing big trout contest running now through Sunday, May 13. No state fishing license is required here. Information: 951-277-3321 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.

SKINNER: The largemouth bass bite has continued to be very good in the east end on reaction baits, plastic worms, and nightcrawlers with quite a few fish to frou pounds reported. The striper bite is also pretty good at the inlet on chicken liver and anchovies with most of the fish from two to three pounds with some to five pounds. The bluegill bite is breaking wide open, especially at the inlet. Nightcrawlers, meal worms, wax worms, and crickets are the top baits. Kevin Cristler, Corona, landed 10 bluegill to two pounds and an eight-pound catfish. A few catfish are starting to show on chicken liver and mackerel in Catfish Alley. An 18-pound carp was caught by Christopher Rafeedie, Temecula, at Ramp No. 1. Information: store 951-926-1505 or marina 951-926-8515.

ELSINORE: The crappie and bluegill bites came back on with the warmer weather and full moon phase this past week. The crappie are not being landed in great numbers, but they are mostly over 1 1/2 pounds and up into the three-pound range. The bluegill are also nice-sized fish up to nearly a pound. The catfish bite has remained pretty good for anglers fishing shad or cut baits in less than 10 feet of water and tight to the flooded trees and brush. The cats have been averaging from five to 13 pounds. A few smaller largemouth are being caught, and anglers targeting the carp are starting to get a lot of fish, too. Few wipers reported. For more information, call Williamís Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental at 951-642-0640 or go to www.williamsboatandtackle.com.

FISHERMANíS RETREAT: Catfish season kicked off with a plant last week. The catch-and-release bass action has been good, and the bluegill bite is also starting to take off. The trout bite has slowed way down, but a few fish are still showing with the final plant of the season four weeks ago. Information: 909-795-0171.

FISHERMANíS RETREAT: Catfish season is set to kick off with the first plant set for May 4. The catch-and-release bass action has been good, and the bluegill bite is also starting to take off. The trout bite has slowed way down, but a few fish are still showing with the final plant of the season three weeks ago. Information: 909-795-0171.

EVANS LAKE: Few reports. But a few bass are showing on small reaction baits and plastics with the fish cruising the shoreline. A few panfish starting to show around the shoreline structure. No reports of catfish or carp.

ELSINORE: First the bad news. The crappie bite has been slower during this gloomy May weather, and many of the fish are finished spawning. The action has been pretty spotty the past few days with the evening bite has been best. The few showing up are all over 1 1/2 pounds and up into the three-pound range. The good news is that the catfish have really started to turn on for anglers fishing shad or cut baits in less than 10 feet of water and tight to the flooded trees and brush. Rob Jenkins, Los Angeles, landed channel cat at 17 and eight pounds on shrimp. The cats have been averaging from five to 13 pounds. Few other reports. A few smaller largemouth are being caught, and the bluegill are showing in the afternoons on warm days. But few wipers or carp. For more information, call Williamís Bait, Tackle, and Boat Rental at 951-642-0640 or go to www.williamsboatandtackle.com.

SKINNER: The largemouth bass bite has continued to be very good for anglers fishing reaction baits, plastic worms, and nightcrawlers, with a lot of fish still stacked up in the east end shallows. Robert Ambrose, Huntington Beach, had a six-pound largemouth on a nightcrawler. The striper bite is also pretty good at the inlet on chicken liver and anchovies with most of the fish from two to three pounds with some to five pounds. The bluegill bite is also really starting to kick into gear in the North Bay on meal worms, wax worms, and crickets. Sam Mesa, Chino Hills, landed 20 bluegill to two pounds on meal worms. A few catfish are starting to show on chicken liver and mackerel in Catfish Alley. No trout, crappie or carp reports. Information: store 951-926-1505 or marina 951-926-8515.

DIAMOND VALLEY: The largemouth bass bite remains very good with the fish reported from the surface down to 25 feet. The best bite has been on plastic worms, Senko-type baits, and nightcrawlers. Most of the bass are from two to three pounds, but quite a few up into the five-pound range. Carmen Sawyer, Long Beach, landed a 5.5-pound bass on a nightcrawler, while Dahu Green, Hemet, had a five-pounder on a Robo worm. The striper bite has been just fair, but a few limits of three to five-pound fish were reported on cut baits. Also a few bigger fish showing on the big, trout-like swimbaits. A DFG plant slated for this week, should bring even more of the big stripers up. The trout are still pretty fair along the shoreline areas on PowerBait, mini jigs, and nightcrawlers, and a few of the bigger Mt. Lassen trout from the final plant of the season two weeks ago. The panfish and catfish bites are both starting to kick into gear, but few anglers are targeting either species. Private boats must be inspected for zebra and quagga mussels. Boats with wet lower units will be turned away. For general lake and launch information, call 800-590-LAKE. For fishing and boat rental info call the marina at 951-926-7201 or www.dvmarina.com or Last Chance Bait and Tackle at 951-658-7410 or www.lastchancetackle.com.

JEANíS CHANNEL CATS: Excellent catfish action with most of the fish from 1-8 to two pounds. Nightcrawlers, chicken liver, and dough baits have been the best bet. The trout are few and far between now. The lake is open only on weekends. No state fishing license is required to fish here. Information: 951-679-6562.