976-FRESH Freshwater Fish Report

CORONA LAKE: The trout bite has been surprisingly good in deep water at the dam, and the catfish bite exploded this past week in part because of weekly plants now going in and in part because of the warm weather that kicked up the water temperatures to the cats liking. The catfish are showing all around the lake, but boat anglers fishing in the trees are getting a lot of fish on cut baits. The trout anglers are seeing the best bite on plastics trout worms, mice tail baits, and small jigs. John Smith, Norco, and Billy Brink, Moreno Valley, teamed up to landed 10 catfish for a 42-pound total stringer, including a 10-pounder. All were taken on J.Dís Mackerel from a boat. Steve and Sylvia Benson, Rowland Heights, had eight catfish for 32 1/2 pounds, including one at five pounds. The pair also had four trout to 1 1/2 pounds fishing from the shore at the dam. Alex and Eric Cruz, Ontario, landed three trout to 2 1/2 pounds each fishing Lip RipperZ jigs and Love Sauce at the dam. Catfish season Grand Opening has been set for Memorial Day weekend and there will be heavy plant of blue catfish along with the channel cats. Fees will go up from $22 to $25 starting Memorial weekend. No state fishing license is required here. Information: 951-277-3321 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.

LAKE HEMET: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago. The plant two weeks ago included 150 tagged trout, including some wearing $10 reward tags. Quite a few trout limits for both shore anglers and for boat anglers. Jim and Patty Jones, Temecula, had 10 rainbows with a total weight of 12 pounds and the top fish was a 1-8 rainbow. They were all caught on Kastmasters in the coves near the dam. Bluegill and bass are both starting to improve. A bass at 10 pounds was reportedly caught and released this week. Catfish still slow. Carp bowfishing is allowed Monday through Thursday but bowfishermen must check in first. Information: Lake Hemet campground 951-659-2680 or www.lakehemetcampground.com.

SANTA ANA RIVER LAKE: Catfish plants weekly and the bite has been pretty good on the cats, and there is fair action on holdover rainbows. Top catfish was an 18-pounder caught by Thai Dao, Los Angeles, fishing the marshmallow-meal worm combo on Saturday. The top trout was a 14 1/2-pound rainbow landed by Rayael Efren Moreno, Anaheim, on a Lip RipperZ Rat doused with garlic Love Sauce in Chrisí Pond. Carl Adamo, San Pedro, had four rainbows to three pounds on Mice Tails with Love Sauce in Chrisí Pond, while Anthony Agular, Orange, had two trout to two pounds and two cats to three pounds fishing nightcrawlers with marshmallows. Jason Cruz, Santa Ana, landed four cats on mackerel and Crave Gravy with the best a six-pounder. Bonus plants for the catfish season grand opening next week (Memorial Day weekend), including a huge plant of blue catfish and channel cats. Fishing fees increase from $22 to $25 starting next week. Other than float tubes, no water craft are allowed due to fears of invasive quagga mussels being introduced into the water system. No state fishing license is required here. Information: 714-632-7851 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.

IRVINE LAKE: Overall, very good action for trout, catfish, bass, crappie and carp. The trout are best on Santiago Flats in 20 to 25 feet of water on trolled shad-like baits behind two to four colors of leadcore line with some limits of fish to three pounds. Dwight Hwang, Irvine, had a 4-6 rainbow. The bass are best on plastics, jigs, reaction baits, and even topwater with most fish from two to four pounds around structure. James Getty, Silverado, landed a 6-1 bass on a Triple Trout off the west shore. Catfish are stacked up in the trees on the back of Santiago Flats and showing in five to 20 feet of water on cut baits. Mike Onizuka, Irvine, landed a 4-8 cat on shrimp. Thereís a fair bite on crappie on the flats and Boat Dock Cove. The slabs are holding at 15 to 17 feet, and white Atomic Tubes with a mealworm trailer is the top bait. Plenty of bluegill are available in the brushy shallows, but few anglers pursued them this week. No state fishing license is required here. Lake information: 714-649-9111 or www.irvinelake.net.

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.

BARRETT: The bass action has been exceptional. There were 228 anglers and they reported catching 4,625 bass, 184 bluegill, and 140 crappie. Reservations are sold out for May. Reservations are sold through Ticketmaster starting 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month (for the following month) by calling 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/.

EL CAPITAN: There were 43 anglers checked who landed 69 bass, including a 4.7-pound fish landed by Sonny Hale, El Cajon, on a Senko, 33 bluegill, and 26 channel catfish. Bowfishing for carp is now allowed here. The lake is open Thursday through Monday with boat rentals available all five days (closed to fishing on Sundays). General lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat and concession information: 619-443-4110.

UPPER OTAY: There were 28 anglers checked this past week who caught 29 bass to 3.78 pounds. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for catch-and-release fishing (only artificial lures with single, barbless hooks), sunrise to sunset. The road to Upper Otay is closed, but anglers can still walk in. Lake information: 619-465-3474 (recording) or 619-397-5212 (concession) or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/.

LOWER OTAY: There were 132 anglers checked who landed 63 bass to 7.8 pounds, 180 bluegill to a pound, and two crappie to 1-4. Both the bluegill and crappie action is better than the limited numbers checked show. In a weekend bass event, it took 19-plus pounds to win. The lake is open on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday schedule and boat rentals are available all three days. General lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. Rental boat and concession information: 619-397-5212.

MIRAMAR: There were 37 anglers checked who had 70 bass, five bluegill, and one flathead catfish. The lake is open for fishing seven days a week. Rental boats are available on Saturday and Sunday. Lake information: 619-465-3474 or www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/. New boat rental and concession information: 858-527-1722.