BASS FISHINGBass Fishing Sports Blog

Also, the special “kids-only” area along the Jordan Creek in the Trexler Nature Preserve has signs listed for 12-and-under, but it is in essence for children 15-and-under, according to Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Lee Creyer, the Lehigh County Waterways Conservation Officer. He didn’t want to alter the current signs with a marker, so please be considerate of the kids over 12 who are fishing there legally.

Stripers are still running at the shore, and even blues are biting for some of the earliest, best action our reporting shops have seen at the nearby New Jersey shores.

FRESHWATER REPORT

Wallenpaupack Sports Shop, Hawley (570-226-4797): mark says the fishing has been really excellent (catch-and-release still) trolling for trout in the 5- to 12-pound range with big Rapalas and Cotton Cordell Ripplin red fins. Sunny weather has been excellent for smallmouth bass hitting stick bait in the back end of coves where the streams come in. Calico are in the back end of coves hitting on fatheads with a float or with small Mister Twisters. Perch are hitting live fathead minnows. Shohola and the small pounds have been excellent for crappies on fatheads. Walleye action is hot on the Delaware from Dingmans Ferry all they way to Narrowsburg, N.Y. Shad bucks are starting to bite, hitting small darts. The big shad run isn’t there yet, but they are starting to bite.

Pecks Pond Boat Rentals, Tackle & Bait, Dingmans Ferry, (570-775-7237) ; peckspond.com: Charlie, who is recovering from surgery, says the shop is open.

Willie’s Bait & Tackle, Cementon (610-261-2767): Willie says fishing has been great, although the creeks are low. He and his 7-year-ancient grandson Grant reached his limit in 20 minutes on the Hokendauqua. Minnows were working extremely well. Joe Herman of Hokendauqua caught a 20-inch, 2-pound, 10-ounce rainbow on the Hokendauqua. Walter Ives of Allentown caught a 23-inch, 5-pound, 7-ounce rainbow on the Jordan on yellow glitter PowerBait. Justin Koch of Bethlehem caught a 23-inch, 5.5-pound Palomino on a trout magnet in the Jordan. Nelson Snyder from Cementon caught a 23.5-inch, 5.5-pound rainbow on the Coplay on a minnow.

Bob’s Wildlife Taxidermy, 4642 Kernsville Road, Orefield (610-398-7609): Bob says the Jordan and the surrounding area from the game lands to Wehrs Dam still have a lot of fish. Fishing pressure has been medium to light except for the usual hot spots such as the dam. Trout are starting to get really touchy and laying low because the water is so clear. Approach the water with some stealth and dress for conditions. Anglers are buying up a lot of butterworms and rosy red minnows because of the clear water and bright skies. Reports are of success when approaching from a distance and casting from farther away into the pools. several nice fish from youngsters have been brought in for mounting, including a 21-inch Palomino caught in Wehrs Dam by 7-year-ancient Robby Moyer III of Orefield using garlic Gulp bait.

This year’s Fred Hall show, which runs through Sunday, is dedicated to “Save California Fishing.”

The goal of the show is to get 5,000 anglers to sign up. Anglers are donating $5 per month to help ensure that recreational fishing remains open in California. The much needed funds will go directly to appealing the Fish and Game decisions on the Marine Life Protection Act and to ensure that the anglers will have the money to fight further additions to the MLPA.

For those who don’t know, the MILPA is very small known by others away from the ocean saltwater areas. we need to spread the word. a $5 donation is not too much to keep our kids and their kids fishing.

What is MILPA? they probably think it’s a disease. Yes! we need to spread the word. How in the world can I row my rowboat, kayak, canoe, float tube out and know the boundaries of a MILPA especially if I don’t own a GPS? by the way how do you spell latitude?

Saltwater: Darn! Stepping on my foot again. it had to happen. my predictions of bluebird weather for the rockfish opener fell flat.

On the day of our Southern California Rockfish opener last Thursday, the wind blew so hard it turned over the ocean in a day’s worth of solid white water. it blew so hard only a few of the larger sportboats were able to fish for the tasty rockfish. The smaller private crafts were stuck at their moorings.

Of course those anglers that got out on the opener to the traditional rockfish spots 10 to 15 miles from port to the Southeast Bank loved fantastic fishing. almost all fishermen caught limits of rockfish and most were pleasantly surprised at the number of red rock cod that were caught.

The Southern Cal out of Pierpoint Landing brought back limits of fish for its anglers, as did the Enterprise from the Long Beach Marina. after the wild weather of the opener, the ocean cooperated the next day and it flattened out to cool conditions and the vast armada of boats were able to close in on the Southeast Bank.

Don Ashley of Pierpoint Landing explained why the fish are biting so well in the wintertime. If you follow the fish counts this winter, you will see that many fish were caught that usually do not bite and further they often disappear during the winter. this year, calico bass and sandbass, plus lots of halibut, have been coming over the rails and it also looks like the rockfish are moving up to shallower water this season. The water temperatures dictate the eagerness of the fish to bite and the 59-degree water at this time is what the fish want and the weekly blows we have been encumbering stir things up just enough to keep the water temps in condition and to excite the fish into biting. The La Nina influence is probably effectively getting the fish to bite.

According to some, these once-a-week storms and lack of rain are proof positive that we are indeed in the middle of a La Nina.

As far as the rockfish bite goes, it looks like the rock fish are moving up to shallower areas and hanging out in depths under the 360-feet maximum required by the State Regulations. at this depth of less than 360 feet it is simple to fish and the reds that we all want will come into range and hopefully stay there. but historically they won’t and the water temperatures will warm, driving the fish deeper and deeper, and exit the La Ni a.

In the old days before the “No fish Regulation” we fished rock cod to 500 feet and used 6/0 reels for the increased depth. one of my favorite spots was a pinnacle off Catalina where my son Cal Van Zant and Jim Krause once caught five 20-pound cowcod in one drop.

Salmon: Can you believe it? this year the salmon runs up north are predicted to be out of sight as delivered. Massive runs of coho salmon are expected in northern rivers.

The once legendary salmon runs of the Pacific Northwest have been battling steep declines these last few years because Salmon have been struggling to survive dams, drought and water wars, at one point the fishing seasons for salmon were cancelled because of low runs of fish.

But the 2013 prediction by biologists and statewide officials is a 6-fold count over last years forecast. nobody can explain the nearly 1.6 million chinook salmon planning their attack on the Northwest Rivers.

THREE RIVERS AREA — Spring is a time of renewal.

Why not renew and strengthen family bonds as well? as springtime approaches, flowers and trees are blooming, and classrooms will soon be empty, for at least a week.

There are many wonderful places for family bonding in the Three Rivers area that won’t break the family budget.

Of course, families who like the outdoors can find a lot to do around Heber Springs. There’s hiking, camping and, of course, fishing.

Fishing guides at Lindsey’s Resort are just waiting to take groups out for a day of trout fishing on the Small Red River. the guides will even clean and cook the fish that are caught that day.

Hiking is another family activity. Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melisa Gardner said she and her children like to climb Sugarloaf Mountain and Mossy Bluff Trail. she said she also loves to visit Bridal Veil falls after a spring rain.

“It should be gorgeous down on the river below the dam by spring,” she said. “The redbuds and dogwoods should be in bloom by then.”

The Ruland Junction is preparing to open soon, but the model train museum will give tours by appointment. for more information, call (501) 362-6342.

Mountain View also has the new zipline at the Ozark Folk Center. Loco Ropes is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, except on Easter and Thanksgiving, from March 1 through Nov.30. To try out zipline courses, such as the Flying Pig, Hot-Shot or a climb on the Planks Peak, visit locoropes.com.

While in Mountain View, a tour through Blanchard Springs Caverns or a bike ride along the banks of Sylamore Creek can round out the day. At night, many musicians sit around the court square providing impromptu concerts for passersby.

Batesville and Newport are other destinations for outdoor enthusiasts.

The White River is filled with catfish, bass and crap pie.

There is a free Kid’s Fishing Workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Jacksonport State Park.

At the workshop, a park interpreter will teach kids about the different habitats of the fish, which bait to use and how to tie knots and bait a hook.

The kids can fish off the river bank and take home goodie bag provided by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

For more information and registration, contact the park office at (870) 523-2143 or , or stop by 205 Avenue St. in Newport.

The Ozark Gateway Tourist Council’s newest Ozark Gateway Guide is filled with destination ideas within eight counties in the Ozarks. A copy may be ordered from the website at ozarkgateway.com.

Towns such as Hardy, Mammoth Spring, Calico Rock, Mountain View, Batesville, Jacksonport, Powhatan, Pocahontas and Walnut Ridge can keep the family busy for the week.

“I would suggest picking a location to stay, and during the day venturing out among the eight counties to a different activity each day of the week,” said Cathy Drew of the Ozark Gateway Tourist Council.

To learn more about the history of Arkansas, there are museums, such as the old Independence Museum in Batesville and Powhatan Historic State Park.

For more information on Arkansas State parks, visit arkansasstateparks.com.

Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or .

Three Rivers, Pages 121 on 03/11/2012

Print Headline: Spring break: A time for family bonding

Southern California anglers are excited about next Thursday’s lingcod/rockfish opener. they will be able to keep up to 10 of these fantastic-eating bottom grabbers, ensuring more success at bringing home some fine eating fish.

this is no small matter. I was at a local fish market recently and rockfish was selling for $14 per pound. I watched a lady buy three average-sized filets for a touch over $20. If you are able to catch a limit of rockfish, you will be taking home 20 of the freshest filets you could ever imagine. do the math; that’s a fantastic value.

Most Southern California landings will be scheduling trips for rockfish on Thursday and if the bite is anywhere near as good as when it closed on Jan. 1, anglers will be in for a treat. There are more than 50 different species of rockfish along the Southern California coast, adding to the suspense of what one has hooked up with each drop to the bottom.

San Nicolas Island is a fantastic destination for lingcod, big sheephead and copious amounts of stout whitefish. Local fishing in the Santa Monica Bay, out of San Pedro and Long Beach, was excellent at the close of the 2011 season.

“I can’t wait for it all to start,” said Ed White from Torrance. “It’s a fantastic time of the year.”

Wonders of the sea: What makes fishing such a fantastic sport is that not only do you get a chance at taking home some fresh fish, you also get to experience all the wonders of the deep blue Pacific.

The Liberty from Long Beach Sportfishing went to Catalina Island on Presidents’ Day and had just such an experience. the fishing was fantastic for perch with around 200 of the fine-eating fish taken. Calico bass fishing was slow and there was no sign of exotics such as white seabass or yellowtail. But everyone on board seemed to delight in the experience.

The weather was picture perfect. Captain Johnny Jordan let kids drive the boat, there was a pod of hundreds of jumping dolphin as well as two fin whales surface feeding. then there were the spectacular views of the backside of Catalina Island, the deep blue sea, soaring cliffs and incredible kelp forests.

“I will never, ever forget today,” said 9-year-ancient Hector Medina from Carson.

Native Sun: The twilight sand bass and sculpin bite remained one of the best angling opportunities available to anglers especially given the summerlike conditions.

The Native Sun out of Long Beach Sportfishing has been catching good numbers of both species on most every trip. a 2-ounce leadhead with fresh dead squid has been the best way to get a bite using 20-pound test. Trips depart Friday and Saturday at 6:30p.m. and return around 11:30p.m. for reservations, call 562-432-8993.

Take a trip: Fishing with Phil has several fantastic trips on the horizon including the rockfish opener to San Nicolas Island. Yours truly will be on board with my staff to make sure you have a fantastic experience. for an updated schedule of trips, visit PhilFriedmanOutdoors.com.

Twilight fishing out of Long Beach was all the rage last weekend as 52 anglers on the Friday and Saturday night evening trips on the Native Sun out of Long Beach Sportfishing tallied nearly 200 sand bass and more than 150 sculpin.

“This is better than summertime twilight fishing,” said Steve Dunkerley, a passenger from Redondo Beach.

Al James from Long Beach took a limit of 10 sand bass on Friday evening along with several stout sculpin as did Raul Martinez, also from Long Beach.

Martinez said a 2-ounce green leadhead combined with live or fresh dead squid was the key. Martinez was hooked up constantly.

Wintertime sandbass are lethargic and don’t go around a lot. That’s why you will see some anglers catching lots of the bass on one part of the boat and very small on another part of the vessel. make sure you are observing this phenomenon and politely squeeze into where the fish are biting. If everyone works together, everyone will catch more fish.

The Native Sun will be at it this Friday with the Liberty out Saturday, 6:30p.m. to 11:30p.m. the cost is $42.

The Liberty has scheduled a special Presidents’ Day trip to Catalina Island for $65. the trip will depart Long Beach Sportfishing on Monday at 6a.m. and return at 6p.m. the focus will be on calico bass, halibut, white seabass and filling the sacks with lots of perch. There have been a few flurries of seabass at the island and wintertime bass fishing can be good. Halibut fishing has been excellent everywhere so hopes are high for a good trip.

The Tradition out of Redondo Sportfishing as well as the Marina del Rey fleet have been having excellent sculpin fishing, along with a few bass too. on the Tradition’s last trip, 15 anglers had 75 sculpin for limits, 34 sand bass and five calico bass.

Sea lion incidents: Sea lions have been in the news this week. first, Colombian pop singing star Shakira had a scary encounter with a sea lion off Cape Town, South Africa, earlier this week. Shakira described the encounter on her Facebook page:

“This afternoon I happened to see some sea lions and seals. I thought to myself how cute they were so I decided to get a bit closer than all of the other tourists and went down to a rock trying to pet them doing a baby talk while taking pictures …

“Suddenly, one of them jumped out of the water so quick and impetuously that it got about one foot away from me, looked me in the eye, roared in fury and tried to bite me. everyone there screamed, including me.

“I was paralyzed by fear and couldn’t go; I just kept eye contact with it while my brother `Super Tony’ jumped over me and literally saved my life, taking me away from the beast.”

In San Diego, animal care experts from Sea World removed a bullet Wednesday from a sea lion that had come ashore a few days earlier in Oceanside. the pinniped was reported to be in stable condition. National Marine Fisheries Service is investigating the incident as well as a string of nine sea lion killings in Washington state.

Those weird-looking fish that resemble a frisbee or from a distance look like jumping tuna are still with us around the channel.

Most of the time, the Mola Mola – also called Ocean Sunfish – can be found floating around debris and around oil platforms. Sunfish have been known to grow up to 10 feet and weigh more than 3,000 pounds. Females are oviparous and once a 5-foot female was found to have 300 million eggs. Sunfish feed on jellyfish as well as bottom dwellers, crustaceans, brittle stars and small fish.

Sunfish have a habit of floating in a state of complete suspension, so silent and subdued you can sometimes pick them out of the water with your hands. The ones that are currently invading our waters seem to be about 8 pounds, still a small large for a sportfishermans’ net or hands.

Whale watch: On Sunday, Don Ashley of Pierpoint Landing took a whale watch out with my warning to keep an eye out for the Mola Molas and maybe snap a picture for me. The trip did not turn up any sunfish but they observed solid porpoise schools from the Long Beach Light House to the oil rigs mixed by a solid group of fin whales. He said the gray whales on their way back north were not on site.

Local saltwater: The boats out of Long Beach Marina Landing has been catching plenty of sculpin and sand bass on its half-day runs. One half-day run turned out 18 anglers catching 125 calico and sand bass. with that, the landing announces the start of the Enterprise back on the 3/4-day schedule.

Pot of gold halibut: The third week of the halibut tourney at Long Beach Sportfishing turned up one to three flattie halibut per trip. The catch of the week was a 39.2-pound halibut caught by David Akamine. Many undersized fish were thrown back as the action also kicked out some fish in the high teens.

In Marina del Rey, the sportboat new Del Mar has been doing well – catching 265 sculpin, 44 sand bass and 11 calicos on a half-day trip. I am thinking it’s time to go sculpin and halibut fishing especially in Santa Monica Bay. Marina del Rey has always been for those who know the fishing spots as the best for sculpin and especially large halibut.

Marina del Rey Halibut Tournament: The tournament (June 9-10) is the oldest of its kind on the west coast and they claim it produces the largest fish. Last year’s winning fish topped the scale at 43 pounds.

The way the large butts are being caught really rings my bell, “Let’s go get’em, the big ones are there”.

The very latest technique for catching butts is called “Bounce Balling”. you deploy a 2-pound lead ball on the end of your line with a small leader and a lure or bait dropped off above the ball. The idea is to troll slowly causing the ball to pound the bottom creating noise and a massive bottom disturbance. Halibut love to attack the lure and will attack with aggression.

Fred Hall Tackle and Boat Show: this is the `huge one’ so make your plans soon. The event runs March 7-11 at the Long Beach Convention Center. I usually do three visits because it takes that many times to get around the whole show. I usually spend two nights on the seminars and walk around booths then one night spending money on the new tackle.

Irvine Lake Presidents’ Day Tournament: There will be a special stocking of steelhead trout for the tournament on Saturday and Sunday with 10 places awarded. First place is $875, second place $425, third place $300.

Santa Ana River Lakes planted their lakes with thousands of their well-known Nebraska “Tail Walker” rainbows on Wednesday. now is a good time to fish this popular lake especially while the big ones are biting. Last week a 20-pound rainbow was caught near the boat dock and many stringers of 1 1/2 to 3 pounds are also being caught.

Eastern Sierra: The year-round open zones in the area are usually smothered with snow and ice but the warm weather finds the zones open with anglers enjoying wide-open trout fishing. Places that normally find the area snowed in with banks full of snow are accessible and simple to fish.

The rainbow trout are definitely on the go out of Crowley Lake on their spawning runs and those that know how to fly fish are also doing very well on 17- to 22-inch cutthroats and browns. Reports are the trout can be seen in all the creeks and are very hard to hook with very shallow water on the run off on those waterways legal to fish.

The tournament will be held on March 17 at the Pleasant Valley Reservoir which is 8 miles north of Bishop. Early bird registration ends Feb. 28. you can also register the day of the tournament. Adults are $10, kids 12 and under $7. for more information: 760-873-8405 or bishopvisiter.com

After a honest season for hunting ducks, the last two days were complete disasters. according to Cal Van Zant, their club members not only didn’t shoot a duck they didn’t see many ducks over their blinds.

The previous Wednesday, Cal brought back a limit of big ducks, mallard, sprig, canvasback and a couple of teal. As you probably know, duck clubs only shoot on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and as always the best shooting is on Saturday and Wednesday. so now the duck season is history and Tom Schlauch, Pat Schlauch, John Schlauch, John Florence, Ali Husainy, Steve Woodard, Van Zant and Simon the wonder Dog can go look for white sea bass and catch up on those missed lobster nights.

According to Western Outdoor News, there is a ray of hope left for goose hunters. Licensed hunters can hunt geese in certain areas from Feb. 18 through Feb.22. By providing hunting opportunities in the late season it will help reduce potential crop depredation by lowering the goose population. some of the areas are in the Imperial Valley and the farmers are complaining the geese are beginning to tear up their crops.

Local saltwater: The near offshore is holding plenty of squid as testified by the presence of Rizzo’s Dolphin over the area. but it can’t be too exciting with water temperatures at 56 degrees.

Further, the latest is a 60-pound white sea bass that was landed this week even though they tried desperately to keep it a secret. Pictures of the 60-pound fish can be found on JD’s Report. those silver things jumping around the channel have been identified and reports were that they might be barracuda or salmon, but they are Mola Mola’s or Sun Fish.

I can remember in the 1940′s chasing them around offshore Catalina and being fooled by their jumping antics. From a distance, they looked just like a school of bluefin tuna chasing anchovies. The problem was many times they did turn out to be tuna and could be hooked only with a number 8 or No. 10 hook and 3-inch lively anchovy.

The chase technique was to run into a spot of anchovies the bluefins were eating and throw a giant net full of anchovy chum over and watch the tuna eat the chum in seconds, passing up every anglers anchovy bait. once in awhile somebody hooked one and less than that somebody landed one … but not many.

The hook had to be stuck in the corner of the tuna’s mouth or in the tail to get it to gaff. The only two I landed were hooked in the hard part of the tail. Over that period of time I missed at least 20 hookups.

Two for twenty isn’t too terrible unless you look at the average for 50 years or more. What I can’t relate to you is the hundreds of times we hunted the bluefin, gave up and anchored over a Catalina kelp bed and finished the day catching calico bass. I sure wish the bluefin would come back like they used to. with new braid lines, fluorocarbon leaders and foolproof hooks, we could possibly land those baby tuna.

Mullet Days: while we anglers were trying to identify those “silver things” that were jumping around the Catalina channel last week, it reminded me of the Mullet Days when schooled mullet swam along the Long Beach surf line and also swam by the hundreds up the San Gabriel River, jumping wildly at the confluence of Coyote Creek and the San Gabriel river.

They gathered in the head waters swimming closely to the spill ways and jumped some more. I used flys and typical glide-fishing techniques to catch them. I used a No.10 olive or black wet fly, Palmer tied. Mullet are really quick and strong and jump like crazy.

They are not edible, so I released them immediately. Being very touchy and hard to hook, when I finally hooked one, it seemed that the entire school rolled on top of the water at the same time to scare my pants off.

I haven’t seen them in more than a year and I don’t know why they are gone.

There was a group of guys using 30- to 40-pound test line, heavy rods casting a weighted treble hooks and snagging them off the Belmont Pier. From the pier, you could see the schools coming in big groups to pass under the pier and traverse the beach line.

If you ride the river bike trail, keep your eyes open on the water from the San Gabriel River up to the junction of the two waterways. If they are in the river you can’t miss them as they clear the water in magnificent jumps all over the place.

Fred Hall show: The well-known outdoors show will be held March 7-11 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

This is really the only fishing show that I can highly recommend. The show always has some new tackle on display and the kids can catch a trout out of the kids’ fishing pond. The 65-year-ancient show features the largest boat and travel destinations of the West.

Irvine Lake Presidents Day tournament: This annual event will be held Feb. 18-19. a special stocking of steelhead trout is plotted just for the tournament. there will be 10 places of winners with the first-place trout worth $875.

For info, call 714-649-9111.

Upcoming events: April 14 – Southern California Troutfest; May 19-20 – Lake Havasu Striper Derby; Oct.6-7 – big Bear Lake Troutfest.

MATTHEWS’ PICKS

1. While the trout bites are excellent throughout Southern California in planted lakes, the action at Orange County’s Laguna Niguel Lake has been particularly excellent thanks to 2,000-pound plants every Tuesday, and a nice mix of trophy trout in these plants. top fish this past week was the season’s best a 14 pounder. Bait, lure and glide anglers are all getting fish. for an update on this action call the lake at 949-362-3885.

2. Diamond Valley Lake’s largemouth bass bite is staying in the No. 2 spot this week. The warm days have just continued to push the largemouth bass up into shallower water, and trout plants have some of the big girls up chasing the rainbows. The larger bass are keying on DFG trout or sculpin so you can throw swimbaits on the points or small three- to four-inch plastics along rocky structure and get fish.

3. A sleeper pick for the No. 3 spot is the brilliant trout action that has been quietly perking along in the Laughlin-to-Bullhead stretch of the Colorado River. This water is planted each month with 4,000 pounds of rainbows from Willow Beach, but it is also cold enough so holdover fish hang around for a few seasons. Both fresh plants and holdovers to six pounds or more are showing in excellent numbers each week. The monthly plant went in this week.

FRESHWATER HOT SPOTS

Trout: Trout action is about as excellent 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 County’s 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, Jennings Cuyamaca, Morena, Dixon, and Wohlford are all pretty excellent bets. Other top bets include all the San Bernardino County Park Lakes. Check the water-by-water reports for details, but the bites are excellent just about everywhere trout are planted now. The sleeper pick remains the Colorado River from Laughlin to big Bend where this season’s plants and holdover fish to six pounds are showing in excellent numbers. The Sierra general trout season is over, but glide anglers are experiencing brilliant 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 couple of weeks has seemed to have started a pre-spawn movement of fish up out of the depths, with fish in less than 20-feet at water like lower Otay and Diamond Valley north to Casitas, Cachuma, and Santa Margarita. The early fish are usually larger fish, too. second, in lakes getting trout plants there are some larger 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 excellent 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 excellent 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 larger 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. It’s usually larger 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 to excellent 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, and the Buena Vista Lakes, which has continued to produce some nice fish in a night bite and small minnows. The Salton Sea tilapia bite looks to be turning around with the warmer weather again this week and a few catches have been reported. that is one to watch. The Lake Silverwood crappie bite was off even more this week and may be winding down. The Perris panfish bite is tougher again this week and there weren’t any crappie reports. 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 he didn’t report any fish this 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 slowed with the annual drawdown of these canals, but there’s been fair action in the main river on channels. Flatheads are very slow.

INLAND VALLEY LAKES

Cucamonga-Guasti: Excellent action on the planted rainbows with many of the fish in the two to three-pound class. County fish are planted each week and the DFG also planted trout this week and two weeks ago. most trout are being reported on floating dough baits in rainbow and chartreuse with garlic. Inflated nightcrawlers with garlic are also a excellent bet and some fish are showing on the small trout jigs and plastics. Dominic Madrid, Fontana, landed a 5-8 rainbow on white Power Bait, while Nick Escohedo landed a 4-8 trout on green Power Bait.

Prado: County trout plants are each week and the DFG planted this week and two wqeeks ago. The best bite has been on rainbow, chartreuse, and garlic floating baits, and adding garlic oil or scent to all baits and lures is improving the action. most of the rainbows are from one to two pounds. The third event in the San Bernardino County Park trout derby series will be held here Feb. 11.

Yucaipa: The second event in the San Bernardino County Parks Trout Derby series was held last Saturday and there were 413 entrants in the event. The top fish was a 15-10 rainbow caught by Brian Carter, Ontario, on an orange Shaun’s Smoking Jigz from the bottom lake. Carter also had a 10-10 rainbow. Richard Valencia, Yucaipa, came in second with a 15-5 trout caught on a tube jig, while Alex Crux was third with an 11-8 trout landed on a Shaun’s. Fourth went to Greg Schowen, Fontana, with a 10-12 rainbow landed on Drew’s Custom Bait, while David Broadway, San Bernardino, was fifth with an 8-6 rainbow on a Power Worm. (The next event in this series will be held Feb. 11 at Prado Regional Park.) overall, the trout action has been excellent with county trout plants each week and DFG trout were planted last week and three weeks ago. The best action has been on the small trout jigs and trout plastics, but the usual array of floating dough baits is also taking a lot of fish.

Glen Helen: Brilliant trout action after both county and DFG plants last week. The county plants are weekly, and this week’s plant is from Calaveras. Power Baits, inflated nightcrawlers, and small trout jigs and plastics have all be scoring fish. top rainbow reported was this past week was a 14.17-pound rainbow landed by Megan Ard, Highland, fishing Drew’s Custom Bait in orange in the small lake. Tavita Tuia, 11, Fontana, landed a limit of five rainbows topped off by an 8.09-pounder caught on garlic Power Bait in the large lake.

Mount Baldy Trout Pools: The heavily stocked pools are open every Saturday and Sunday. No fishing license is needed.

Puddingstone: DFG trout plants this week and last week. The bite has been fair to excellent off the north shore and swim beach areas on small trout jigs, plastics, and floating baits. The water level is still low (pending some launch ramp work). there has been a pretty fair bite on redear up to 1-8 on drop-shot nightcrawlers. Bass are slow to fair with a few fish on plastics. A few catfish also continue to show off the north shore and RV Park areas on shrimp. Crappie slow. No carp reports.

Seccombe Lake: DFG trout plants last week and three weeks ago. few reports.

SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS

Silverwood: DFG trout were slated to go in this week and they were also planted two weeks ago. The trout action has continued to be excellent around the launch ramp, marina, Sawpit, and into Cleghorn and Miller canyons. Floating baits, small trout plastics and jigs, and inflated nightcrawlers with scent have all been excellent bet. The crappie bite finally slowed down off the marina docks with only a few fish showing this past week on small jigs tipped with meal worms or Crappie Nibbles. The bluegill bite also slowed way down. Stripers are fair with a few showing on cut baits or trout-like swim baits in Chemise and at the dam. Tim Taylor, Hesperia, caught three stripers topped by a 10-pounder fishing nightcrawlers in Chemise. A few catfish have also continued to show on the same cut baits working for the stripers. Michael Anthony, San Bernardino, had two cats to 4-8 fishing shrimp off the docks. The warm weather also seems to have perked the largemouth action, with some fish showing on jigs, plastics, and nightcrawlers in 20 to 40 feet of water. Jan Brady, Ontario, landed two bass to three pounds fishing jigs with Crappie Nibbles off the marina docks.

Huge Bear Lake: Not a lot of change with the nice weather this past week. The best trout action has been mid-day between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the dam, the aerator, Windy Point, Juniper Point and Serrano. Also not as much sheet ice this week with the warmer weather. The best bite is in 12 to 18 feet of water with floating baits, mostly Power Bait and Gulp!, on a three-foot leader. top flavors/colors have been garlic chartreuse, rainbow salmon egg, and chunky cheese garlic. Light fishing pressure.

Gregory Lake: No recent DFG plants. No reports.

Jenks Lake Region: Parking area closed, but anglers walking in have found pretty fair action on holdover trout, especially on small tube jigs. No DFG plants in over a month. No recent plants in the Santa Ana River or the South Fork.

HIGH DESERT LAKES

Hesperia Lake: Trout plants are weekly and the action has been very excellent with a lot of quality fish from eight to 12 pounds and some larger, but most anglers are getting nice stringers of fish averaging about 1 1/2 pounds. Best action on Power Bait and inflated nightcrawlers with the north shore and east bank the top spots. The catfish bite has slowed down with the cold weather, but the occasional sturgeon continues to show up.

Jess Ranch: Excellent trout action this past week with a lot of limits of two to three pound rainbows on Power Bait in salmon peach, garlic, spring green or orange, nightcrawlers, trout jigs, small trout plastics, and small spinners or spoons. top spots have been the Lake 3′s logged eastern shoreline and the west shore. Lake 2 has been best along the west and southwestern shorelines. The catfish, panfish, and bass bites have all be slow.

Mojave Narrows: No report. County trout plants are weekly, and there were DFG plants last week and three weeks ago.

SELECTED LAKES

Diamond Valley: Mt. Lassen rainbows were planted last Thursday, and the bite has been fair to excellent in the marina are on Power Bait, small trout jigs, and Kastmaster-type lures. The top trout reported was an 11-pound rainbow landed by Sea Christie, Hemet, on a Berkley Power Worm. Mike Piceno, Temecula, landed rainbows at four and five pounds on Power Bait. DFG trout are slated for this week. there will be a Tagged Trout Derby from Jan. 20-29 with each $10 entry getting a raffle ticket and become eligible to claim prizes for tagged fish landed during the 10 days of the event. The largemouth bass bite has continued fair to excellent in 15 to 40 feet of water. Also larger fish showing on swimbaits after they come up to chase trout after plants. The two to four-pound school-size fish are still showing in 50 to 60 feet of water on cut baits, trolled umbrella rigs or flies. The catfish and panfish are getting little pressure right now.

Perris: Trout have been providing the best action here over the past week, with fair to excellent action for anglers fishing the east end from Lots 11 and 12 to the marina. Also some fish showing in Sail Cove and at the dam. The fish are staying in less than 10 feet of water, and the bite has been best on garlic or hatchery formula Power Baits in orange or rainbow with a few showing on small lures. there were DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago. A limit of five rainbows to nearly two pounds was posted by Tim Allen on Power Bait. The bass have been slow with only a few fish reported on plastics and swimbaits in 18 to 30 feet of water. Crappie also continue to show in very spotty numbers off the marina docks, and other scattered locations.

Skinner: The trout bite has been fair to excellent on rainbow and corn floating baits or garlic marshmallows in the coves between Launch Ramps No. 1 and No. 2. there were county plants set for this week and two weeks ago. Not a lot of limits, but the fish are running up to two pounds. Joe Copeland landed four trout on rainbow Power Bait from the east end and his best was a two-pounder. The striper bite has been fair with the best action at the inlet and Ramp No. 2. The warm weather has seemed to spark the largemouth bass bite, especially in the afternoons.

Elsinore: Tough fishing with very little action for those testing the bite. The catfish are very slow and the crappie bite has not started yet. The largemouth bass, bluegill and wipers are also very slow.

Corona Lake: The trout action has continued fair to excellent this past week with most of the rainbows in the two-pound class. Last week the trout plant consisted of Sierra Bows, and this week Nebraska Tailwalkers will be planted for the three-day weekend. The top rainbow reported was a seven-pounder landed by Adrian Pintor fishing a jig. Boat and float tube anglers have also been having better success than shore anglers. there is also three night fishing days this weekend because of the full moon and Martin Luther King holiday on Monday.

Evans Lake: Slow fishing with just a few bass on small reaction baits. Panfish, catfish, and carp all very slow.

Rancho Jurupa: Excellent trout action with DFG plants this week and two weeks ago. there was also a county plant last week and another slated for Jan 13. Alex Padenieau, Colton, had a four-pound rainbow topping his four-fish catch. Four-trout stringers were also posted by Issac Silvera and Ray Moreno, Ontario, and both stringers had two-pound trout.

Small Lake: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago. Slow to fair trout action. A few catfish and bluegill also being landed.

Lake Hemet: The trout bite remains fair to excellent. most anglers fishing from shore are casting spinners or small tube baits, and bait anglers are fishing Power Bait. Best trolling action has been from the point east to the marina. No DFG plants in over a month.

Santa Ana River Lakes: The trout action has remained excellent over the past week with a lot of limits of one to two-pound fish and a few larger fish to sweeten the deal. The top rainbow reported was a 10 3/4-pounder landed by Obed Sandoval fishing a nightcrawler off La Palma Point to go with the 3 1/2-pound rainbow he also landed.

Irvine Lake: The trout action has been excellent for both bait anglers (from shore or boat) and for trollers working along the west shoreline and Santiago Flats. top tactic has been to drift one of the new Gulp! Pinched Crawlers under a bobber with a small split shot to pull is down. The best color has been natural in the clear water with chartreuse a excellent bet in areas where the water might be less clear.

Laguna Niguel Lake: The trout bite has continued brilliant here with 2,000-pound plants every Tuesday. The best action has been on inflated nightcrawlers dipped in garlic scent and floating baits in chartreuse and white fished on small leaders in shallow water. A wide variety of trout plastics, small jigs, and small cranks are working for the lure anglers. Glide fishermen throwing bead head midges in black and red are also scoring. Tom Moua, Diamond Bar, landed a five-fish stringer topped off with an 11-5 on an orange Power Worm.

Cachuma: The trout action has remained fair with some diligent anglers getting limits. The best action has been for trollers fishing Cachuma Bay from the surface down to about 15 feet deep with shad-like spoons and lures.

Casitas: The big plant of Nebraska Tailwalker rainbows three weeks ago continues to fuel a pretty fair trout bite with quality fish showing each week. top trout reported this week was a nine-pound landed on Wednesday this week by Brandon Green on Power Bait. Richard Jost landed a 7-10 last week and then posted a 21-pound, five-fish limit on Tuesday with a seven-pounder his top fish. He’s been fishing nightcrawlers and Power Bait. The warm weather has perked the bass bite and in the afternoons the fish have actually went up some into 12 to 20 feet of water

Castaic: The trout bite has continued fair to excellent after a 2,700-pound DFG plant at the west launch on Jan. 5. there was also a plant the previous week. Quite a few limits reports on Power Bait, nightcrawlers, and small gold Kastmasters for both shore and boat anglers in this area.

Piru: Very light fishing pressure, but the bass bite has continued pretty week for anglers fishing deeper water with plastics, jigs, and nightcrawlers. The reaction bait bite is not as excellent as it has been. The redear, bluegill and crappie bites have all continued to slow down with very few reports.

TROUT PLANTS

San Bernardino: Cucamonga-Guasti Park Lake, Prado Park Lake, Silverwood Lake.

Riverside: Diamond Valley Lake.

Los Angeles: Alondra Park Lake, Belvedere Park, Cerritos Park Lake Downey Wilderness Park Lake, Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, La Mirada Lake, lake in Hollenbeck Park, Lincoln Park Lake, MacArthur Park Lake, Puddingstone Reservoir, Pyramid Lake.

Orange: Centennial Regional Park Lake, Laguna Lake, Mile Square Regional Park Lake, Ralph Clark Regional Park Lake,Tri-City Park Lake, Yorba Regional Park Lake.

San Diego: El Capitan Lake, Morena Reservoir, Murray Reservoir.

OCEAN REPORT

Long Range Tuna: The long range yellowfin tuna bite for the 18- to 22-day trips running south out of San Diego is simply as excellent as it gets. On Tuesday this week, the Excel reported in with a one-day tally of 120 yellowfin from 80 to 200 pounds. The Royal Polaris had at least two fish over 200 pounds one day this week. all of the long range boats fishing the region off the tip of Baja have been on the big tuna grounds and reporting scores like this every week, and there have already been a number of yellowfin over 250 pounds this season.

Mexican Rockfish: While there are new Mexican license and visa requirements and fees for Mexican waters, it hasn’t changed the brilliant fishing for the 1 1/2 and two-day boats fishing Mexican waters for rockfish. A weekend 976-TUNA charter aboard the Legend out of H&M Landing saw all anglers on board return with full limits of rockfish, consisting mostly of red rockfish to 12 pounds with a solid five or six-pound average, and a nice mix of lings to 25 pounds.

Panga Yellowtail: Yellowtail from 15 to 25 pounds have been showing in honestly excellent numbers over the past week for the Mexican pangero fleet out of Ensenda. these have mostly been yo-yo iron fish in this part of the Mexican coast that is off-limits to San Diego-based boats.

Visa Confusion: there has been some confusion about the new visa regulations for anglers fishing Mexican waters, and two San Diego-based sportboats were booted out of the waters around the Coronado even though all the anglers on board had the right visa paperwork. there is a press conference and briefing today to clarify the rules and the action.

San Diego Local: with rockfish season closed and new fees keeping most of the half- and three-quarter day boats out of Mexican waters, the nearshore fishing has been tough, with just a pick on the calico and sand bass.

Dana Point Bass: with coastal squid numbers surging again since the full moon on Monday, there has been a pretty excellent bass bite for the Dana Point region sportboats.

L.A.-Orange County: The squid that are massing off Dana Point are also in very excellent numbers off Long Beach and the Santa Monica Bay, which has led to some decent action on bass, sculpin, and even a decent pick on halibut, with private boaters and six-pack charters getting more halibut than the party fleet.

Channel Island Area: most of the sportboats in this region are running whale watching trips (and it’s a fantastic season), but the few fishing trips being run right now are focusing on a very excellent sand dab bite.

Local islands: San Clemente Island has been quietly producing a decent number of white seabass from 15 to 25 pounds for private boaters and the few sportboats heading to this distant island. with a fantastic volume of squid at both Clemente and Catalina and the seabass already starting to show, it’s a excellent sign for an early season at the islands.

Lobster : Private boaters and sportboats running lobster-crab trips are still reporting an brilliant season, especially out of San Diego and at Catalina. On Sunday, the Jig Strike out of H&M Landing went out with six anglers and the captured 19 lobsters, 25 rock crab, and five spider crabs. On its Tuesday trip this week, there were seven anglers on board who came home with 15 lobsters and 10 rock crab.

And all year long, you had the best of intentions.

You promised yourself in January you were going to do your shopping in July, when the stores were empty.

Then summer turned to fall turned to Thanksgiving, and you had that meeting. and those errands. and then the kids … were …

Who are you kidding. you messed up.

But the malls are insane right now. Where can you go? what can you do?

SouthCoast Procrastinators, we are here to help. here are some local last-minute gifts.

For those out-of-state relatives who are endlessly fascinated that you’re from Melville’s New Bedford, give a gift from The Whaling Museum Store, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, from Scrimshaw bracelets and seaglass teardrop earrings to Moby-Dick ties and White Whale sweatshirts. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Of course, nothing says Whaling City like a black whale t-shirt from Elaine’s T-Shirts, 767 purchase St., New Bedford. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

TL6 the Gallery at 100 William St., New Bedford, specializes in handmade, unique and custom gifts made by SouthCoast artists, who make everything from jewelry and pottery, to handmade t-shirts and knits, to fine art paintings and photography. TL6 also carries fine retail lines such as Maruca handbags, designs by Glass-Eye Studios, and Elias hand-blown glass. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For gold, silver and upscale jewelry, try bejeweled on 26 Centre St. in New Bedford.

For the vintage lover on your list, head to the Artificial Marketplace at 104 William St., where they hold a variable treasure trove of antiques, vintage and collectables, from record players and vintage albums to 1950s housewares. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Calico, at 173 Union St., features indie designer lines and hand-picked vintage clothing and accessories from the 1950s to 1990s. as a special last-minute holiday deal today and tomorrow, Calico offers a free $25 gift card when you buy a $100 in gift cards. Hours are noon to 5 p.m.

For the skateboarder you like, head to Solstice Skateboarding at 102 William St. for everything from skateboard decks to T-shirts and more. Hours are 11 to 5 p.m.

Why buy an expensive trinket from a crowded department store when you can buy hand-crafted jewelry from SouthCoast artisans?

Partner’s Village Store on Main Road in Westport also offers hand-made jewelry, along with other hand-crafted Westport-centric gifts, such as bags, books, clothing, toys and cards.

Sticks and Stones on Main Road in Westport offers a gorgeous collection of hand-crafted items made by local artists and artisans, from ceramics to hand-blown glass to silver and glass jewelry.

Euro at Pheonix Store on Center Street in Fairhaven is a favorite shop of locals and visitors alike. a one-time fishing supply store, it’s now an eclectic mix of fishing supplies, hand-made ceramics and jewelry, and upscale clothing and shoes from Ugg, HellyHansen, Dankso and more. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

SouthCoast spirits make great gifts for everyone over 21 on your list.

Just Beer, brewed on Horseneck Road in Westport, is an incredible little brewery. with beers names like “Moby D” and “Horseneck IPA,” the 22-ouncers make great gifts. They’re sold at CV Variety in South Dartmouth, Barry’s Fine Wine in New Bedford and Lees Supermarket in Westport.

Travessia Urban Winery at 760 purchase St. in New Bedford sells a variety of great wines made from locally-grown fruit. also, Westport Vineyards, on Hixbridge Road in Westport, makes incredible wines that are sold at many SouthCoast wine and spirit stores. Hours are noon to 7 p.m.

For the foodies on your list, we’ve got some incredible restaurants in historic downtown New Bedford.

Candleworks, 72 North Water St. (508) 997-1294. From Coconut calamari and Lobster BLTs to New Bedford Fish Stew and Esperesso-encrusted tenderloin, it’s the consummate SouthCoast seafood experience — especially for out-out-town relatives.

Cork, 90 Front St. (508) 994-9463. The oceanfront wine and tapas bar offers wines, beers, spirits and tapas from artisan cheese board and pan-seared scallops to chocolate cake and fried calamari. what more can the foodie on your list you question for?

Freestone’s City Grill, 41 William St. (508) 993-7477. a New Bedford Institution in a restored 130-year-ancient bank building. Chowderheads will like their award-winning fish chowder.

Other restaurant thoughts: The Kinsale Inn in Mattapoisett, The Black Bass in South Dartmouth, Not Your Average Joe’s in North Dartmouth, Bittersweet Farm in Westport, and Waterfront Grille, no Problemo, Spicy Lime, and Ginger Grill in New Bedford.

If all else fails, there are always Netflix subscriptions, magazine subscriptions, and lottery tickets.

Lauren Daley is a freelance writer. Contact her at

Ads by Google

A couple of weeks ago, a couple veterans looked Catalina over, primarily in search for white sea bass.

They fished from Mike Hall’s 28-foot Carver. Mike and Cal Van Zant searched the East end around and up the backside spots where they spent the night netting market squid. as in the past, the Risso’s dolphins stole the show while the guys gathered their bait.

These giant dolphins charged the squid schools under the lights with their massive hulks moving volumes of water. They said the Risso’s went so much water at times the boat nearly rolled over.

The next day they fished around the West end spots for hard-to-catch calico bass and large sheephead. Many of the sheephead were in the 20-pound class. They soon concentrated on bass but that petered out too so next came an attack on rockfish. They went off the island and metered by fish finder the 200-foot area.

They came across a small showing off the fish finder and quickly dropped live squid bait down as quick as possible. at about 150 feet, Mike got a pick-up that ran off more than 100 yards of line before it turned. both Cal and Mike suspected a black sea bass had eaten Mike’s bait but 30 minutes later a yellow hit the deck at 40 pounds. then to make matters worse as far as Cal was concerned, Mike caught a 30-pound yellow with the next cast.

Cal figured that his straight 40-pound monofilament frightened off the fish because Mike’s tackle was 60-pound braid with a dropper off of a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader. this rig is called a kelp cutter and it has more invisibility than Cal’s traditional set-up. The kelp cutter tackle requires excellent knots especially at the braid to fluorocarbon juncture.

Japanese-American anglers: Japanese-Americans were inspired to carve out from their fishing culture a spot in the tuna fishing industry around San Diego in the late 1800s. it is very obvious that the Japanese-Americans were brilliant fishermen but spent all of their commercial fishing time gathering abalone and not much time fishing with a hook-and-line. at that time, fishing with a hook-and-line in the United States was unheard of except for a small recreational approach.

Two things happened that inspired the Japanese-Americans to start commercial fishing in the tuna industry. Aided by World War I, Americans’ dietary habits were modified when they had to survive the meatless days of the war and a number of protein alternatives, one of which was canned tuna. The real kicker came when the sale of albacore reached $14 a ton and then many Issei (Japanese immigrants) switched from other businesses to go into their ancestral background of fishing and forever change the techniques of commercial fishing.

By 1918, Japanese-Americans had taken over the San Diego tuna industry and introduced new fishing techniques that the ancient guard of Italian and Portuguese and incorporated into their way of fishing.

One astute Issei made the following statement – one that will forever dictate the quality of successful fishing by anybody in the ocean, “Amateurs see the ocean and they think the sea is clear, but we fishermen see it differently. when the sea is clear to the deeper part and you can see the fish swimming then the fish will bite. Blue and a little brownish color is all right but the green tide is terrible. The tides and the color of the sea are connected to each other. They are most important to those who can read them.”

A truer statement has never been said. this statement was coined at a time when all fishing was done with nets and most advanced techniques were yet to come. to this day the water conditions are all important to the fisherman who can read them and the Issei are the ones who can and still do. They were born with the aptitude.

Irvine Lake: The Trout Opener has passed and unfortunately the weather kept most anglers at home. Because of that, the Veterans Day Tournament was postponed to this Saturday and Sunday. as a result, most of the 20,000 pounds of trout remain in the lake but the weekly stocking continues, increasing the trout numbers. The outstanding catch to date was a 12-pound rainbow caught by Jordan Leader of Riverside.

He caught the fish on a Gulp Pinched Crawler at Woody’s Point. for you trollers the favorite lake-trolling lure is a Firetiger colored Rapala.