FISH REPORT — ONS-matthews — 02oct19 Compiled by Jim Matthews www.OutdoorNewsService.com

The fish report is weekly. Its accuracy depends on marina operators, tackle shops, and local fishermen we contact. Anglers catching large fish should send the information to Outdoor News Service, P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427, or telephone 909-887-3444, so it can be included in this report. E-Mail messages or fishing reports can also be posted to Jim Matthews at odwriter@verizon.net.

The fish report is copyrighted and any use or reposting of the report, or portions of the report, is prohibited without written permission.

JIM MATTHEWS’S PICKS OF THE WEEK

1. The California Aqueduct had elbowed its way back into the top spot with excellent striper fishing in both the southern San Joaquin Valley and Antelope Valley stretches. Catfish are nearly as good. The action is best at night or early morning and late evening in both areas, but there is more and more daytime action. The best bite throughout for Stripers has been during the flurries of surface action most early mornings with topwater baits or small reaction baits getting fish. The bait bite has been good on lug or blood or sand worms. The catfish are best on lug or blood worms fished alone or mixed with chicken liver or other cut bait and drifted along the bottom, especially in areas where the flow is constricted, interrupted, or bends. Adding a scent also increases the number of bites. While most of the stripers are small, some to 10-plus pounds have been reported in the Antelope Valley stretch. Most of the cats are two to six pounds. For updates on this bite, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824 for the Palmdale to Hesperia stretch and Bob’s Bait Bucket at 661-833-8657 for the Taft region.
2. The striped bass bite in Quail Lake remains in the top picks with continued very good early morning topwater action much of the past week. Anglers are hurling topwater plugs as the fish chase shad before first light and until the sun is up. While most of the shad the fish are chasing are smaller (up to three inches), bigger Pencil Poppers or Whopper Ploppers are getting stripers to 10 pounds in this bite. The fish have been boiling along both the north and south shoreline, with the north shore better this past week. For an update on this action, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.
3. The Kern River’s trout action above Lake Isabella stays in the top picks this week, with more DFW trout plants in the upper and canyon stretch of the river below Isabella. The water flows are perfect for fishing, especially in the upper river, and the entire summer’s trout plants have been stockpiled in the bigger pools and riffles. Limits have been common on salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, and SuperDupers. For an update on this bite, call Bob’s Bait Bucket at 661-833-8657.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

VICTORVILLE REGION

HESPERIA LAKE: The catfish bite remains fair to good with weekly plants. A few limits and quite a few fish to four pounds with most 1 ½ to two pounds. Top baits have been mackerel, nightcrawlers, or shrimp doused or sprayed with scent, and the best spots have been the north shore, The Finger, and Catfish Point. Big fish of the week was a four pounder reported by Andrew Schuler, Compton. Lake information: 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.

JESS RANCH LAKES: Little change here with very slow trout action on both lakes, but a few are being caught off the northern shore of lake 2 and the grassy point and eastern logged shore of lake 3. A few bass are being caught on the north and western shores of lake 2 and the western shore of lake 3 near the pump house, mostly early and late in the day on reaction baits, but some on plastics. Bluegill are pretty fair off the northern and western shores of lake 2 on meal worms and nightcrawlers. Catfish have been caught on the northern shore of lake 2 on shrimp and night crawlers in a slow to fair bite. For more information call (760)240-1107 or go to www.jessranchlakesnews.com.

MOJAVE NARROWS: No reports. The park is only open Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Information, call 760-245-2226.

HIGH DESERT WATERS

ANTELOPE VALLEY REGION

APOLLO PARK LAKE: The bluegill and carp bites remain pretty much wide open here. The carp are best on dough baits, and the fish are running from eight inches up to 15 pounds with a lot of two to four pounders. The bluegill and warmouth, while small, are showing on any small bait fished under a bobber, but especially red worms and meal worms. Few catfish reported this past week. For more information or updates on plants, contact Apollo Park at 661-940-7701 or Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

JACKSON LAKE (NEAR WRIGHTWOOD): There was a DFW trout plant three weeks ago and a fair number of rainbows continue to be caught along with some three and four fish catches reported this week. PowerBait, small jigs, and flies have all been getting the cruising fish. There continues to be a good bite on small bluegill on any small bait suspended under a bobber fished near the weeds. Keep the hook size 14 or smaller for the ‘gills. Also a number of small bullhead continue to be caught. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

LAKE PALMDALE: The lake closed to fishing Sunday, Oct. 6 and will reopen to fishing on Feb. 2 for the trout season kickoff. There continues to be a good bite for catfish for anglers fishing fly-lined cut baits best with a lot of one to three-pounders, but also some holdover and wild fish to 10 pounds. The best action has been on big chunks of mackerel fished in combination with a nightcrawler sweetener, and fish attractant. Top spots this past week have been the first white dock and docks 25 and 26. The largemouth bass have been fair to good on nightcrawlers pitched into holes in the weed beds around all of the docks. But anglers fishing just about any weedless lures – swimbaits to plastics – are also getting a few fish around much of the lake, especially early and late in the day. The carp are good, especially at the back end of the lake. The best bite has been on dough baits with fish over 20 pounds still pretty common. Call the Palmdale Fin & Feather Club for membership and fishing information at 661-947-2884 or go to website at www.palmdalefinandfeatherclub.com.

QUAIL LAKE: The lake level has been low, but there are still lots of early morning boils on the stripers. The best action has been early morning until about 7 a.m. and the bite is best near the first island along the north shore. The bigger stripers are showing on bigger baits, especially Zara Spooks and Whopper Ploppers six to eight inches long, with a number of fish from six to 10 pounds reported this week. The largemouth slowed some, but some from one to three pounds showing in the striper boils or on nightcrawlers. The catfish bite also remains pretty good for anglers fishing at the outlet with big chunks of mackerel fly-lined at the outlet. Night and early and late in the day have been the best times to fish for the cats. The bluegill bite has been slowing with less pressure, but some are still showing in rocky cover on red worms, wax worms, meal worms, fished in six to 12 feet of water. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT (Hesperia to Quail Lake stretch): The striper bite has been very good with a lot of fish from three to seven pounds showing most mornings and evening for anglers tossing topwater baits. Palmdale Road and 25th have been the hot spots, but the fish are showing through the west end of the valley. The catfish also remain good, especially in the Muns Ranch stretch. The reality is that anglers are getting fish at most bends and road crossings, weirs and siphons, throughout the Antelope Valley. Best catfish baits have been chicken liver or mussels, both with nightcrawlers used in combination. The striper bite has been good on topwater plugs, especially big Zara Spooks (bone colored) and Whopper Ploppers in black (or Loon). Anglers will to walk some distance from the popular road crossings to isolated spots are getting more fish. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

CENTRAL PARK LAKE (CALIFORNIA CITY): There continues to be a good bluegill bite with most small, but some up to hand-sized. The carp are also very good. The bluegill are being caught on the usual array of small baits with red worms or nightcrawler pieces perhaps the best. The carp are best on dough baits. A few catfish reported again this week.

LITTLE ROCK RESERVOIR: No reports again this week. The lake is normally open to walk-in fishing, but the Palmdale Water District has an ongoing sediment removal project and access is restricted at times. For updated information, call Amaysing Fishing Bait & Tackle at 661-429-5824.

SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN WATERS

SILVERWOOD: Fair to good fishing action for stripers and catfish, but the largemouth, bluegill, and crappie are slow. The cats are been best at the dam, around the marina, off the docks, and in Miller Canyon, with chicken liver, shrimp, and anchovies. The stripers are fair for anglers fishing nightcrawlers, blood worms, anchovies, or sardines at the dam, main channel, and the marina. Most are one to 1 ½ pounds, but a few bigger. Jason Hermans, Adelanto, had three small stripers and two catfsh to five pounds fishing anchovies and nightcrawlers off the docks. Matt Richards, Ontario, landed four catfish to three pounds on anchovies at the dock. Silverwood remains high at 92 percent full. Anglers should be aware of health advisories for the consumption of fish from this lake because of high PCB and mercury levels in the fish flesh and skin. Here’s the direct link to a PDF brochure explaining consumption recommendations: http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/pdf_zip/081013KioskadvySilverwood.pdf. Dock fishing is allowed for $3 for adults, $2 for kids and seniors. Private boats must be inspected for zebra and quagga mussels. Boats with wet lower units will be turned away. Boats inspected and tagged at Diamond Valley and Perris will be allowed at Silverwood. The park is open seven days a week. Information: marina 760-389-2299, state park 760-389-2281, Silverwood Country store 760-389-2423.

BIG BEAR LAKE: The lake will be crowded with anglers this weekend for the 15th Annual Western Outdoor News “Big Bear Lake Troutfest.” There were a number of plants for this event. The fall trout fishing has been improving for both trollers and bank anglers as the weather and water continues to cool There are smaller schools of trout scattered from the West Public Launch west to the Buoy Line. Shore anglers fishing the north shore with Carolina rigs and three to four-foot leaders or a sinking slip bobber rig, either baited with PowerBait or nightcrawlers from the red and east to Gray’s Landing are doing the best. The pre-dawn bank crowd is doing good from the old dam to the buoy line on Mice Tails in bubblegum and red head-chartreuse tail colors or nightcrawlers. Both the north and south shores are good, but the bite is dead by 9 a.m. Boat anglers trolling or drifting are having good luck dead center of the lake from the buoy line to Papoo0se Bay fishing 10 to 20 feet of water, either drifting a nightcrawler with a wedding ring harness or slow-trolling a Neelefish in pearl bikini or the shiny watermelon colors. The Trout Alley area has been slower. Largemouth bass are starting to move inshore and feeding more heavily on reaction baits and plastics. All the lakes’ public and private launch ramps are open. For information on fishing, call Big Bear Sporting Goods at 909-866-3222 or visit the store’s Facebook page.

GREGORY LAKE: DFW trout plants two and four weeks ago. No fishing report available. Lake and fishing information at 909-338-2233 or on the website at lakegregoryrecreation.com/fish. Fishing updates are posted infrequently on the park’s Facebook page or website.

GREEN VALLEY LAKE: Trout season winding down with no plants in three weeks and the action has been slow to fair with light pressure. A few fish showing on small trout jigs, Mice Tails, trout spoons, inflated nightcrawlers with garlic, and PowerBait in yellow or chartreuse are the best baits. Cooler evenings and dropping water temperatures have the fish spread around the lake again. The website is www.gvlfishing.com and the Facebook page is Green Valley Lake Fishing.

INTERSTATE 5 LAKES

CASTAIC: The stripers have still been boiling. Most boils have been out in the open water and main channels, but as of late there has been a lot of wind and the shad have been pushing up into some of the coves. Most boils have been an afternoon deal. Wherever you can find the shad you can almost bet there are some fish close. Other than topwater, flukes and jerk baits have also been working. Down-sizing baits seems to be doing the trick lately. The bait bite has slowed down a little with sardines, anchovies, and lug/blood worms working best. The largemouth and smallmouth have also been boiling, mainly in the morning and later in the afternoon. The trusty drop-shot is still producing fish after the surface action with shad color worms working best. The catfish have slowed down a little, with most catches coming off of mackerel, chicken liver, or anchovies. The trout bite has slowed down as well with PowerBait being your best bet at nabbing a few fish. The crappie and bluegill are still biting pretty fair, typically around any lay-downs or cover. Wax worms and meal worms have been producing the best. The lake’s elevation is pretty stable, with Castaic 90 percent full, up about one percent from last week. For information call the marina at 661-775-6232 (www.CastaicLake.com) or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.

PYRAMID: The stripers continue to boil most mornings, especially around Chumash Island, Bear Trap, Serrano, and Yellowbar. Topwater baits, spoons, or Fluke-type baits, and Rat-L-Trap style lures are all getting fish when fished through the boils. During the day, trolled umbrella rigs with shad-like baits are working. Jigging spoons or sardines, anchovies, blood or lug worms, and even nightcrawlers are get the deep (100 feet!) bait or jigged fish. Most stripers two to three pounds with some bigger, and limits have been pretty common. Carlos Velasco, Sun Valley, had five stripers to three pounds fishing the boils. The largemouth and smallmouth bass bites have been good in most coves on soft plastic worms or drop-shot nightcrawlers during the day, with boiling fish on bait balls in the mornings. Flukes and Senkos (rigged weedless) are best on the boiling fish. Most are 1-8 to 3-0. A fair number of catfish are also showing on cut baits, especially blood, lug, and sand worms, but frozen sardines, anchovies, and shad are nearly as good, especially when scent is added. The fish are deep in most coves, and the channel along the entrance booth is still a hot spot along with the ramp. The bluegill bite is still fair to good along the shoreline structure on meal worm, wax worms, red worms, and crickets. Amazingly, a few trout continue to show from deeper water in the channel near the front of the lake. Nightcrawlers and PowerBait fished in deep water with long leaders has been the ticket, with some showing in the marina area on spinners. The lake’s level is not changing much. It remains was at 91 percent full this week, down one percent from last week. There is a health warning about eating fish from Pyramid Lake (except the rainbow trout). More information at this link: http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/pyramidlake2013.html. Information: Emigrant Landing entrance booth at 661-295-7155 or Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.

COLORADO RIVER

ARIZONA FISHING REPORTS: The Arizona Game and Fish Department compiles a weekly report for most waters in the state, including the Colorado Rivers. Anglers can read the report at this direct link: http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/FishingReport/.

FLOW INFORMATION: Reservoir elevation levels and flow releases for the entire lower Colorado River are available at this web site with information updated hourly: www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/rivops.html.

WESTERN SIERRA

LAKE ISABELLA: The very good catfish bite continues here, but there is light fishing pressure. The action has been very good early in the morning and again after dark in the evening. Top baits have been the Triple S dip bait, with some fish also on clams, shad, sardines, chicken liver, all used with scent added. Lots of fish from three to six pounds and some bigger. Quite a few crappie continue to show for the dedicated crappie anglers, and there were a number of limits reported in Paradise Cove for anglers fishing small jigs or live minnows. The south shore in the Mesa Verde area has also been pretty good for the crappie. Still fair largemouth bass action, especially early and late in the way when the fish are up chasing bait. The lake level continues to drop with it down to 34 percent full this week, down from 36 percent full last week. Few trout or carp reports, but the bluegill bite has been slow to fair most coves with mostly small fish now. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657 or www.bobsbaitbucket.com, North Fork Marina at 760-376-1812, or Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.

KERN RIVER: The trout bite is very good, and the DFW added planted in section 4 in the upper river this week and 4 and 5 last week. In the lower river sections 2 and 3 were on the list for this week, and section 3 was also planted last week. Still pretty good trout action throughout with some limits of fresh planters and holdovers being caught on salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, Blue Fox spinners, SuperDupers. The park area in Kernville has been good. Flows in the upper river have dropped back a little down to 490 this week, down from 540 cfs last week. These flows are ideal for fishermen, concentrating the fish in the big pools and riffles. Also improved fly action on the upper river and above the Johnsondale Bridge. Some bigger trout moving up out of Lake Isabella into the cooler water of the river, and the old Cemetery area has been best for these rainbows. Lower river flows were pretty stable but down just a little over the past week at about 980 cfs. This is a more fishable level. Bests the trout, a few more reports of bass and catfish in the bigger pools. Information: Kern River Fly Shop 760-376-2040 or (www.kernriverflyfishing.com) or Gateway Market 760-376-2424.

AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The cooler weather has broken the striper bite pretty much wide open, but most of the fish are under the keeper size. Many anglers are reporting 15 to 20 fish for a couple of hours of fishing on sardines, blood or lug worms, and Fluke-type baits. Few bigger stripers. The catfish bite is also pretty good when using cut baits and dip baits, especially in the Highway 166 area. More and more are showing in other areas as the weather and water cools. Lots of fish on Triple S dip bait, mackerel, blood or lug worms, or chicken liver fished along the bottom. Moss is subsiding. Anglers are reminded the limit on stripers is two fish greater than 18 inches, while the largemouth limit is five fish. Information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657 or www.bobsbaitbucket.com or Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.

MILL CREEK PARK AND CANAL: The carp and bluegill bites are both remain pretty fair, and the catfish action is spotty. Carp have been best on best on Wussy Bait and Powder Bait, while the catfish are showing on nightcrawlers or past baits. The bluegill are showing on crickets and wax worms. Bass are improving with the cooler weather, mostly on nightcrawlers and plastics.

RIVER WALK PARK LAKE: Light fishing pressure, but the carp and bluegill bites are fair to good most mornings and evenings, and a few bass are being caught early mornings on Senko-type baits, jigs, and crankbaits. The carp bite is best on dough baits, especially Wussy Bait and Powder Bait. The bluegill are best on wax worms or red worms. A few more bass reported this week. Information Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657.

HART PARK LAKE: The bass bite is improving here, but most of the action is still on carp and bluegill, which are fair to good. The bass are best on plastics, jigs, and reaction baits early and late in the day. The bluegill are best on wax and meal worms or red worms. The carp are best on Powder Bait, Wussy Bait, or other dough baits. A few smaller catfish are being reported on cut baits or paste baits.

TRUXTUN LAKE: The carp and bluegill bites are both fair to good, especially morning and evening, but darn few anglers are out. The bass remain fair with a few on plastics or swimbaits early in the morning. The carp are best on Wussy Bait, Powder Bait, or a variety of homemade dough baits. The bluegill are showing in fair numbers on wax worms, red worms, crickets, and meal worms. The odd catfish is showing on Triple S Dip Bait. A few more bass are starting to show.

MING LAKE: Few anglers, but there is continued good carp action on Powder Bait and other dough baits, especially Wussy Bait. The bluegill are fair to good early and late in the day on meal, wax, or red worms. The bass are fair on topwater early and then on live minnows and reaction baits, small cranks, and Senkos.

BRITE LAKE: There has continued to be a pretty fair bite on small bluegill, and lots of small largemouth around the weeds. Still a few holdover trout showing from deep water.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: Light fishing pressure, but there is a fair to good bluegill bite on wax worms, meal worms, or red worms. The catfish are slowish on cut baits with scents added, but the Triple S dip bait has been best. Early in the morning and late in the evening is best for the cats. The carp action is fair with fish to eight pounds, but few anglers. The best bite has been on Powder Bait or other dough baits. Some morning largemouth action and that has been improving with the cooler weather. Most of the action early and late on reacton baits or plastics. The trout season will kick off in late November with the first plants for the Nov. 23 Taft Chamber of Commerce Derby. General trout season will start after that event. Fishing information: Bob’s Bait 661-833-8657 or www.bobsbaitbucket.com or Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.

WOOLLOMES LAKE: No reports.

SUCCESS LAKE: Dropping water levels have scattered the fish or moved the bass out to suspend. The bass action remains fair on reaction baits and Senkos, with some good surface action on frogs and topwater plugs early. Few crappie reports, but the bluegill action is fair on crickets, wax worms, or meal worms, but finding fish has been the challenge. Catfish are fair on cut baits. The lake level is about as low as it can getting, falling to just 15 percent of capacity, down from 22 percent full three weeks ago, and 41 percent full a little over a month ago. Information: Sequoia Fishing Company at 559-539-5626, www.sequoiafishingcompany.com or Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or www.tackleandrod.com.

KAWEAH LAKE: The lake level continues to come down with the level at just eight percent full this week. This is about as low as it gets. The bite is improving as the water level stabilizes, with pretty fair bass action on surface baits, reaction baits, and small swimbaits early mornings on or near the surface. A few bluegill and catfish also staring to show in better numbers. Information: Sierra Sporting Goods at 559-592-5212.

EASTERN SIERRA

Top Eastern Sierra fishing report web sites are: www.KensSport.com (Bridgeport region), www.TheTroutFly.com (Mammoth Lakes region), and www.SierraDrifters.com (Bishop and Mammoth Lakes region).

TROUT PLANTS

For trout plants statewide, you can visit the DFW’s stocking page at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/.

This week’s trout plants: In Kern County, sections 2 and 3 of the lower Kern and section 4 in the upper river are on the stocking list this week. In Inyo County, Pleasant Valley Reservoir and the Owens River near Big Pine are both slated to get trout.

OCEAN FISHING REPORT

For the most comprehensive and up-to-date ocean fishing available, go to www.976-TUNA.com.

YOUR FISHING REPORTS

Please feel free to send your freshwater or saltwater fishing reports and fishing photos to Jim Matthews, Outdoor News Service, at odwriter@verizon.net and the information will be included in the weekly report. If you have questions or comments, please call Matthews at 909-887-3444.