1. The action on the big Humboldt squid slowed at the more northerly spots this past week for obvious reasons, but this action will stay our top pick, especially with moderating weather. The squid are still showing from San Diego all the way into the Santa Monica Bay. The boats out of Seaforth Landing, which have pioneered this fishery over the last couple of years, are seeing the best scores with eight to 10 squid per angler per evening trip. The best part is that the squid are running up into the 50-pound class. Contact Seaforth Landing at 619-224-3383
2. There are two 30-pound class rainbow trout swimming in Southern California. The state record-sized rainbows were released in Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake this week and anglers can see video clips of the release at The Lakes web site at
www.fishinglakes.com. The fish were planted as part of a big fish promotion at the two waters where the angler who lands the biggest fish could win a $5,000 Alaskan fishing trip. Both lakes are a little murky because of rain, but both also still have a pretty darn good trout bite if you fish shallow water and scent-enhanced floating baits on short leaders. For updates, you can call SARL at 714-632-7851 or Corona at 951-277-3321.
3. Department of Fish and Game biologists say at least some of the largemouth bass at Diamond Valley are already moving shallow to spawn, and with forecast warmer weather and a new moon on Sunday, DVL might be the place to head for a little sunny day plastic worm tossing for largemouths that are averaging from 3 1/2 to 5 pounds. There is no water in the state that has a better average size largemouth than DVL. Oh, and there could also be good striped bass and trout action, too. To get the latest on the bite, call the marina at 951-926-7201 or Last Chance Bait and Tackle 951-658-7410.
TROUT: This is reading like a broken record, but the trout bite is still generally good throughout Southern California at all of the urban waters. The best action is at the lakes planted each week. Those include Irvine, Santa Ana River Lakes, Corona Lake, Hesperia Lake, and all of the San Bernardino County Park lakes. Hesperia Lake is getting 2,500 pounds of trout a week and has been excellent. Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake were stocked with a pair of 30-pound rainbows. Off-color water hasn't slowed the bites at most waters. The next tier are the lakes planted alternating weeks (most everything else), including all of the popular waters in San Diego County, where Wohlford, Poway, Jennings, and Dixon all remain top picks with regular plants, but Cuyamaca remains perhaps the best bet in this region with limits showing in less than an hour for good anglers.
BLACK BASS: The largemouth bass bites are still mostly slow throughout the region, but there are increasing signs that the pre-spawn movement of fish up into shallower water is beginning. Top indicators of this are all of the San Diego City lakes, Diamond Valley Lake, Lake Perris, and Casitas Lake. While Diamond Valley has been the hands-down best bass water, Casitas, Otay, and El Capitan have been improving each week. The smallmouth action on the Colorado River looks like it might be poised to take off again, too, and Cachuma's smallmouths are also picking up. It looks like some of the pre-spawn bite might be poised to start in the next couple of weeks, especially with the warmer weather and good moon phase. It's that time of year. Some big fish are going to start popping.
STRIPED BASS: The Diamond Valley and Castaic are the top bets. DVL has stripers over 12 pounds and Castaic has fish just over 10 pounds. While Skinner has been tough, there was a 20-plus this past week. Silverwood, Pyramind, and the California aqueduct are all producing a few fish. On the Colorado River, there has been very little fishing pressure and most bites are off.
PANFISH: Little to report on this front. Bluegill are quiet just about everywhere, and Lake Perris is only producing a few deep-water redear under a pound. Crappie bites even have seemed to lull. Only a few fish are showing at the Buena Vista Lakes. The Topoc Marsh on the Colorado River is also one to keep an eye on, but its still in a funk. El Capitan in the San Diego region looked like it might be turning on for crappie, but it has fizzled in the past week. The tilapia bite at the Salton Sea is very slow.
CATFISH: Slow most places, but there is again a notable bite at Casitas in the Santa Ana Arm where the runoff enteres the lake. It produced cats up into the 20-plus pound class again this week. But the rain didn't seem to perk much other action except for a fair bite at Corona Lake and Santa Ana River Lakes. Hesperia Lake has had a pretty good catfish bite thanks to plants this week and two weeks ago. It cranked out cats to 15-plus this past week.
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