FISHING REPORTS
Kern County and Southern San Joaquin Valley
ISABELLA: Crappie have been fair to good with fish to 2-0 showing near marinas. Best action is on mini-jigs or live minnows and many anglers are taking 5-20 fish. Best action continues to be in 15-20 feet of water. Bass to 7-0 continue to show in fair numbers on plastics. There have been scattered catches of rainbow trout up to 3 pounds on Power Bait. A few catfish are showing from deep water on clams or frozen shad.
KERN RIVER: Plenty of broodstock rainbows continue to show in fair numbers after heavy plants two weeks ago. Flows are still high but good action has been reported on salmon eggs, mini-jigs, small spinners, crickets, or nightcrawlers. Largemouth and smallmouth bass action has picked up on the lower river, and fish to 3 pounds have been taken on nightcrawlers or spinners.
AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: Striper fishing continues to be very good for anglers fishing cut anchovies, nightcrawlers, frozen shad, or the lugworm nightcrawler combo on light line and big split shot that let the bait drift naturally. Anglers using big weights and pole holders have had slow to fair action. Lots of fish from 2-8 pounds have been taken on nightcrawlers or spinners.
HART PARK LAKE: Fair bass action continues for anglers throwing live minnows, nightcrawlers, or plastic worms. Fair catches of bluegill are being made on red worms or meal worms. Some carp to 10 pounds have been landed on dough baits.
TRUXTUN LAKE: Largemouth bass action is fair to good on live minnows, spinnerbaits, or nightcrawlers. A few crappie are also showing on live minnows.
MING LAKE: Closed for the season.
BUENA VISTA LAKES: A few catfish continue to be landed on mackerel or frozen shad. Fair action on largemouth and crappie was reported on live minnows. Small stripers have been reported by cat anglers using anchovies, chicken livers, clams, and mackerel.
BRITE LAKE: No report.
WOLLOMES LAKE: Bass action has been fair on jerkbaits fished through schools of suspended bass in 15-25 feet of water. Best action is on flukes, Senkos, or jerkbaits. some bluegill and crappie are showing on minijigs or live minnows.
SUCCESS LAKE: Bass action continues to be fair to good on fish averaging 1-4 pounds on drop shotted plastics. A few crappie are showing on live minnows.
KAWEAH LAKE: Bass fishing continues to be fair to good on fish to 5 pounds with jerkbaits or plastics. Fair action on bluegill with worms or mealworms working the best.
TAIT RANCH TROUT PONDS: These fly fishing only, catch-and-release trout ponds in Frazier Park have fish up to 5 pounds. Fishing billed by hour, half day, or daily.
TEJON LAKE: The bass bite is very good with some topwater action early and late in the day. The private lake is open to catch-and-release anglers on a daily or season basis. Fees include use of boat for the day.
Other Regional Lakes
CACHUMA: Largemouth continue to provide very good action on fish averaging 1-8 to 3-0, with bass to 6-2 landed. Best baits have been jerkbaits, crankbaits, shad swimbaits, plastics, or crawdads fished in 10-25 feet of water. Trout to 2 pounds have been showing in fair numbers from 25-35 feet deep on trolled Needlefish or Kastmasters. Best areas have been around the island or the dam. redear to 2 pounds have been taking nightcrawler pieces drifted in 20 feet of water. Most anglers are landing from 5-8 fish each with some limits landed by lake regulars.
CASTAIC: Largemouth bass fishing is wide open on the upper lake, and fair to good fishing has been reported from the lower lagoon for float tube angles. On the upper lake, largemouth averaging 1-8 to 4-0 are hitting crawdads, jerkbaits, topwater plugs, and plastics. Most anglers are landing 5-10 fish each, with more experienced anglers landing 15-25 fish each. Best action has been in coves along the Elizabeth Arm. Striper fishing has been fair to good on cut anchovies or nightcrawlers from the buoy line and the back of Elizabeth Arm. Most fish are averaging 1-0 to 3-0. Trollers using five to seven colors of leadcore line have been taking good numbers of fish from 2-0 to 5-0 on white bucktails or Bomber A's. A few catfish to 15 pounds have been landed in 25-35 feet of water on mackerel, anchovies, or chicken livers.
PIRU: Trout continue to be landed in fair numbers for trollers using 5-7 colors of leadcore near the dam. Top lures have been Needlefish, Super Dupers, Kastmasters, or small Rapalas. Bass fishing is fair to good on jerkbaits, plastic worms, or nightcrawlers in 10-20 feet of water. there has been scattered reports of crappie to 1-8 taken over flooded timber from around the lake. Best action has been on red and white or green and white minijigs tipped with a mealworm or Berkley Crappie Niblet.
PYRAMID: Striper fishing continues to improve with fair to good action reported on cut anchovies or nightcrawlers fished off of points in 25-35 feet of water. There has been some sporadic topwater action early in the morning during the week. Largemouth bass action has been good on fish averaging 1-8 to 3-0 on plastic worms or grubs fished on darter lead heads. Scattered catches of catfish to 5-0 have shown on chicken livers or cut anchovies.
NACIMIENTO: White bass fishing is good in the narrows and the Las Tablas area on white Roostertails, Kastmasters, small white bucktails, or white minijigs. Most fish are averaging 1 pound, but fish 2-8 were landed. Lots of fish have been boiling on the surface early in the morning or in the evening.