TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley

LAKE ISABELLA: Catfish are fair on frozen shad at Engineer's Point. Not a lot of big fish, but pretty numbers on fish around two or three pounds. The trout bite has been slow to fair at the auxiliary dam for bait anglers fishing floating baits, Power Mice, or inflated nightcrawlers. A DFG plant went in two weeks ago. Fly anglers are also reporting a fair to good dry fly bite on midges in most coves in the mornings. Few reports on crappie, and the bass and bluegill action is also slow.

KERN RIVER: Trout action is slow to fair on the upper river with only a few fish showing in the cold water on salmon eggs, crickets and nightcrawlers. Fly anglers are also seeing slow to fair action in the stretch just above Kernville with mid-day midge and baetis hatches and some dry fly and nymph action. In the lower river flows are down under 400 cfs and the region is very fishable, but the trout bite is slow on salmon eggs and nightcrawlers. Also slow action on the smallmouth bass.

AQUEDUCT NEAR TAFT: The striped bass bite continues to be fair to good on blood worms and sand worms. Lots of four- to six-pound fish, but still light fishing pressure. Few catfish reports.

MILL CREEK PARK: There has been an improvement in the catfish bite here over the past week. The action has been on nightcrawlers. No bass and bluegill reports.

HART PARK LAKE: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago, and the bite has been pretty good. Best action on the Power Mouse, Power eggs, garlic-scented floating baits and inflated nightcrawlers. The bluegill, carp, catfish and bluegill bites are all very slow.

TRUXTUN LAKE: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago. Overall pretty good action on garlic nightcrawlers, garlic Power Bait and the Power Mouse doused with garlic oil. The bluegill, crappie and bass are all slow.

RIVER WALK PARK: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago. Good trout action on the Power Mouse, garlic Power Bait and Power Eggs with garlic oil fished on light leaders and sliding sinkers. All other species very slow.

MING LAKE: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago with good action on floating dough baits, inflated garlic nightcrawlers, or the new Power Mouse. The bluegill, carp and bass have all been slow.

BRITE LAKE: Very good action on orange Power Bait. DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago.

BUENA VISTA LAKES: Last trout plant of the season went in this week and the action has been very good with light fishing pressure. The best bite has been on garlic and hatchery formula Power Baits, and Power Mice or Power Worms with garlic oil. The winter crappie bite is dead. Catfish and bass also slow.

WOOLLOMES LAKE: DFG trout plants this week and two weeks ago, and there has been pretty good action since on Power Mice, Power Bait in garlic and hatchery formulas, and garlic-flavored nightcrawlers. All other species have been slow.

SUCCESS LAKE: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago. Trout providing the best action. A few bass on deep, slow presentions with plastics and nightcrawlers the best bet. Other species slow.

KAWEAH LAKE: DFG trout plants two and four weeks ago. Fair action on the rainbows with small lures and floating baits in garlic and hatchery formulas. The bass bite has slowed with just a fair bite, mostly on plastics in deeper water. The bluegill action is slow with only a few fish on red worms or nightcrawler pieces in deeper water. Crappie very slow.

Other regional lakes

CACHUMA: The trout action has remained fair with some diligent anglers getting limits. The best action has been for trollers fishing the front of Cachuma Bay, Santa Cruz Bay, Howdy's Point and the face of the dam. The fish are from the surface down to about 15 feet deep with shad-like spoons and lures getting the most fish. The shore bite has been much tougher with a few fish from Harvey's Bay on inflated nightcrawlers and Power Bait. Most in the 1-8 range. Amanda Rocha, Santa Barbara, had four rainbows to 2 pounds fishing Power Bait in Harvey's Bay. Kenny Weber, Santa Barbara, had a mixed stringer of nine trout and crappie with his top fish a 2-8 rainbow. The crappie have been spotty, but a few to 2 pounds continue to show in the narrows. Bass action improved again this past week with both smallmouth and largemouth showing in water as shallow as three feet with the warm weather bringing them up. The fish are showing on plastics, jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits, mostly on the points. All other species very slow. Bow-fishing for carp came back on with the warm weather with a few to 6 pounds arrowed as they basked on the surface, mostly around the island and in the narrows. Free bowfishing permits are available at the entrance gate.

CASITAS: Very light fishing pressure this past week, but the warm weather has really pushed the bass up with most of the action in 10 to 20 feet of water on plastics, Senkos, jigs and nightcrawlers. Most of the fish this past week have been two to three pounds. The trout bite has really slowed down with the fish no concentrated any place now. The best bite is still on the outside edges of weed lines and off the points. Other species are also still very slow, but a couple of redear in the pound range and there was one 2-8 crappie landed by Kai Fowler, Ojai, on a Kastmaster. Private boats must be inspected for quagga mussels and face a 10-day dry dock requirement before being allowed to launch. The lake is open every day, including all holidays.

CASTAIC: The trout bite has continued fair after DFG plants went in last week and three weeks ago. Quite a few limits reports on Power Bait, nightcrawlers and small gold Kastmasters for both shore and boat anglers in this area. Everything else has been pretty slow, but some quality largemouth have been showing in the past week on big swimbaits, mostly off Kong Island. Top fish reported was an 11.5-pounder landed by Keith Rade, Laguna Niguel, while Wendy Rade, Laguna Niguel had a 10.9-pounder. The fish are showing from the surface down to 40 feet. Quite a few catfish showing on cut baits at the buoy line, but the striper bite has been very tough. The slowed with the water level returning to normal, but still fair for panfish off the fishing pier.

LOPEZ: A few crappie continue to show on small jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles fished around structure, especially around the docks and in Marina Cove. The bass bite is slow to fair with only a few fish showing on nightcrawlers, plastics and jigs in 15 feet or deeper. Other species very slow. Quagga mussel inspections are now required before boat launching is allowed. Anglers need to think cleaned, drained and dry or they are likely to be denied access.

PIRU: Very light fishing pressure, but the bass bite has been fair in deeper water with plastics, jigs and nightcrawlers. The redear, bluegill and crappie bites have all continued to slow down with very few reports. The catfish have also been very slow. No recent trout reports.

PYRAMID: Trout were planted this week and last weeks ago. The bite has been fair to good in the marina on small lures, flies and floating baits. Most of the rainbows are pan-sized. The striped bass are slow to fair in the marina area and the inlet for bait anglers, while some down-rigger trollers are doing much better with some good scores posted this past week. Most are 1-3 pounds, with some 4 and 5 pounders. Slow bluegill and catfish action.

SAN ANTONIO: Continued light fishing pressure and few reports. No recent striper reports. The action on black bass has been pretty fair on drop-shot plastics or jigs in 20 to 45 feet of water and slow presentations. No reports of other species. Quagga mussel inspections are now required before boat launching is allowed. Anglers need to think cleaned, drained and dry or they are likely to be denied access.

NACIMIENTO: The spotted bass bite has remained fair on jigs and drop-shotted baits in 12 to 35 feet of water. No other reports. Quagga mussel inspections are now required before boat launching is allowed. Anglers need to think cleaned, drained and dry or they are likely to be denied access.

SANTA MARGARITA: Very light fishing pressure and mostly slow fishing. A few bass continue to be caught in 20 to 30 feet of water on slow presentations with plastic worms, lizards and jigs the best bet. Few bluegill or redear showing, with only an occasional fish on a bait fished in 15 to 20 feet on the bottom near structure. Very slow other species. Quagga mussel inspections are now required before boat launching is allowed. Anglers need to think cleaned, drained and dry or they are likely to be denied access. The marina store is open Wednesday through Sunday.

Trout plants

LOS ANGELES: Pyramid Lake.

KERN: Brite Valley Reservoir, Hart Park Lake, Lake Truxton, Lake Woollomes, Ming Lake, The Park at River Walk lake.

TULARE: Murry Park pond.

Ocean report

LONG-RANGE YELLOWFIN: While there was a slight downturn early this week, the great action has continued for the long-range fleet out of San Diego fishing the big yellowfin tuna grounds off the tip of Baja on 18 to 22-day trips. In the past week, the anglers on these trips have been landing around 70 tuna and 20 to 40 wahoo per day, and two to 10 of those yellowfin will top the 200 pound mark. There was a 246-pounder aboard the Royal Polaris last Thursday. On Monday, anglers aboard the Intrepid had 89 tuna and 39 wahoo.

SAN DIEGO LOCAL: The rain squall on Tuesday this week didn't seem to have much of an impact on the local ocean, and conditions remains good for February. There have been some yellowtail showing off the La Jolla kelp. The New Seaforth out of Seaforth Sportfising had four yellows one day and two another, and these were mostly 15- to 20-pound fish. There has also been a pick on the bass in the kelp, and a few halibut are showing inside the bay. While no one is fishing the Coronado Islands because of the Visa/permit fiasco, the boats making 1.5 to 2.5-day trips down into Mexican waters are seeing exceptional rockfish action with limits of quality reds and lingcod on most trips.

CATALINA SEABASS: The backside of Catalina Island is just jugged with squid and the schools of white seabass are working over the candy bait. While most of the fish pressure is coming from local private boaters, there have been two distinct classes of seabass caught this past week -- 40- to 60-pounders, and the just legal 15-pounders. The bite is not wide open, yet, but the seabass are there in decent numbers.

NEARSHORE HALIBUT AND BASS: There is a pretty fair halibut bite all along the coast, from Dana Point up into the Los Angeles-San Pedro region. Out of Dana Point Sportfishing, the Dana Point has been returned with one to seven halibut per day on these local trips. The Native Son out of Long Beach Sportfishing has been running halibut trips for the past week and has posted several fish over 20 pounds and a 39-pounder is the top so far. Most of these trips have also seen a pretty good pick on the sand bass. The Southern Cal out of Pierpoint Sportfishing was out Sunday with 10 anglers and they landed 51 sand bass, 26 sculpin, and a halibut. The bass bite out of Marina del Rey Sportfishing has been excellent. The New Del Mar was out Monday with 22 anglers and they landed 52 sand bass, 26 calicos, 83 sculpin, and three triggerfish. In the Newport area, in addition to a fair pick on sand bass, calicos, sculpin and perch, there have been a few white seabass, including one at 60 pounds, this past week.