TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Recent Stories

1. 

   March 29 fish report

   Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley LAKE ISABELLA: Overall pretty tough fishing with windy conditions much of the week. The best action has been for catfish, but that bite is just fair. The only crappie reports have been from boat...

2. Steve Merlo: Pointers on removing fish hooks from trout

   We've all seen the guys and gals catching and tossing back bleeding trout caught on bait so they can continue fishing. With the Kern River Valley's Trout Derby on the horizon April 20-22, concerned folks are e-mailing me with questions...

3. Steve Merlo: Wild turkeys can pose big challenge to hunters

   B enjamin Franklin, one of our nations's founding fathers, believed the bald e agle should not have been chosen to represent the United States as our national symbol. He felt that the more deserving choice should have been the wild turkey,...
4. 

   March 22 fish report

   Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley LAKE ISABELLA: Overall pretty tough fishing with windy conditions much of the week. The best action has been for catfish, but that bite is just fair. The only crappie reports have been from boat...
5. 

   Steve Merlo: How we solved our 'ammo flow' problem

   Growing up in Buttonwillow, my best friend Larry Johnson and I literally ruled the nearby desert. Hunting game, fishing in the nearby canals or seeking Native American artifacts, the two of us were generally inseparable. Back then,...
6. 

   March 15 fish report

   Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley LAKE ISABELLA: Light fishing pressure with the dismal weather this past weekend, but before the front there was a bite of a crappie bite in 30 to 35 feet of water in the French Gulch Marina area on...

7. Steve Merlo: Excellent fishing close to home

   Warming temperatures have finally put a kick into hibernating fish this week as local lakes and ponds have shown a dramatic increase in biting fish. After four plants in as many days last week, the Riverwalk Park, located at Buena Vista...
9. 

   March 8 fish report

   Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley LAKE ISABELLA: The crappie bite was beginning to come on this week in 30 to 35 feet of water in the French Gulch Marina area on live minnows, but the cold front forecast for this weekend cold shut...

10. Steve Merlo: Proper boat maintenance can ensure better outings

    Ah, Spring. Though the season looms only a month away, people are already preparing for the upcoming fishing season when gamefish move shallow on their annual spawning runs. Crappie, bass, catfish and other species, drawn to the shore like...
11. 

    March 1 fish report

    Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley LAKE ISABELLA: The crappie bite has been spotty this past week but the warmer weather could turn this bite back one. Most of the action has been in 35-40 feet of water on live minnows. Still light...

12. Steve Merlo: Decent crappie, catfish bites at Isabella

    Despite ice-cold temperatures following the recent round of winter storms, there's still a decent crappie bite occurring up at the Kern River Valley's Isabella Lake. The fish are deep, hovering at the 32-35-foot mark over 40-45-feet of...
13. 

    Feb. 22 fish report

    Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley LAKE ISABELLA: See Steve Merlo's column on page 49 for report on crappie fishing. The catfish bite is getting much attention and it continues to be good with the best bite on live minnows and...
14. 

    Steve Merlo: Bass action sizzles at Bass Lake

    Known primarily as a summer resort area, Bass Lake, located an hour north of Fresno and just east of Highway 41, has surfaced to be one of the premier spotted bass fisheries in the state. Spots, introduced into many of California's...