Anglers’ Muse Is Evoked by Catches at Irvine Lake

Catfish provide some of the best prospects of summer, and with 2 1/2 tons stocked in Irvine Lake last week, the fish are there for the taking from the reservoir’s many coves.

Randy Morris of Montclair, fishing with cut mackerel in the Santiago Flats area, netted a 12 1/2-pound fish as part of a large stringer. Three five-fish limits that totaled 27 pounds were weighed in by Garden Grove’s Dave, Sue and Dylan Winning.

LAKE MEAD--Striped bass still active in lower basin, most weighing less than six pounds. Anchovies at 40 feet best bet. Other species slow.

BULLHEAD CITY--Striped bass biting in river, most under six pounds. Catfish active in shallows, mainly in coves. Mackerel best bet. Trout slow.

LAKE CACHUMA--Trout providing almost all the action, biting at 40 feet on needlefish lures. Best at west end. Catfish fairly active in shallows, biting primarily on mackerel.

LAKE CASITAS--Catfish active throughout lake, feeding on mackerel at five feet. Leonard Gibson, Oak View, 10 catfish, average four pounds. Curtis and Brad Brooks, Oak View, 11 catfish. Trout caught at 50 feet with needlefish lures. Tom Stallings, Ojai, 3 1/4-pound trout. Largemouth bass slow.

LAKE CASTAIC--Catfish active on upper lake, biting on most baits in shallow water. Frank Ferraro, nine-pound catfish, upper lake. Bill Bonelli, Newhall, 11-pound catfish. Largemouth bass bite fair in upper lake, but most fish small. Steve Chi, Los Angeles, seven-pound bass, caught on plastic worm. Lower lake yielding mostly crappie and small largemouth bass.

KERN RIVER/LAKE ISABELLA--Several limits of pan-sized rainbows taken from river. Power Bait, salmon eggs and crickets most productive. Crappie still active off points and coves of lake. Largemouth bass between two and five pounds fairly active off Rocky Point, hitting plastic worms and crank baits. Bass fishing slow elsewhere. Trout biting on most baits near main dam on west side. Catfish most active at night, biting on all catfish baits and averaging about two pounds.

IRVINE LAKE--Catfish, crappie and trout providing equal action. Catfish in flats and channel and near boat docks, biting on mackerel, chicken livers, shrimp and Velveeta cheese. Aaron Francis, Orange, 7 1/2-pound catfish. Crappie active at Catfish Tree, Sierra Cove, docks and West Fork. Mini-jigs best bet. Trout most active at West Shore and Sierra Cove in early morning and late evening. Power Bait and nightcrawlers working best. Jack Oshita, Manhattan Beach, 13-pound sturgeon, released.

PUDDINGSTONE RESERVOIR--Largemouth bass bite fair. Surface lures best bet. Bob Simmons, La Brea, six-pound bass. Bluegill and red ear perch best at east and south shore. Small meal worms most effective. Sam Fisk, Azusa, 20-fish stringer, taken at east shore. Catfish biting mainly at north shore. Mackerel and frozen shrimp working best. Trout slow. Early morning a must. Water 74 degrees.

PERRIS LAKE--Spotted bass and catfish providing most action. Bass biting on crawfish, plastic worms, best at east end. Catfish biting on mackerel near dam. Bluegill hitting meal worms and crickets, best in marina.

BIG BEAR--Trout fishermen catching limits of fish to 14 inches. Power Bait at dam and north side best bets. Fisher Point best area on south side. Trollers doing best with needlefish and Rapala lures. Small spinners also productive. Largemouth bass to three pounds taken occasionally outside weeds. Catfish bite good, most between two and five pounds. Fresh chicken livers best bet. Bluegill and crappie in shallows. Crappie most active, biting on mini-jigs and meal worms.

BISHOP AREA--Crowley: Trophy-size rainbow trout--recently planted--are starting to show at the scales. Three fish weighing more than four pounds recorded during the weekend, and several limits of fish in the three-pound range reported taken. Shore fishermen using worms and Power Bait. Trollers fishing at 25 feet with flashers, worms and needlefish. Owens River: wild trout section rated best in evening. Rest of river slowing with warm weather and abundance of natural bait. Sabrina producing several limits of pan-size rainbows, biting on most baits and lures.

MAMMOTH AREA--Lake Mary: several limits of pan-size rainbows. Bubble-and-fly rigs best bet, but Super Duper lures also productive. Mike Meadows, North Hollywood, 3 1/2-pound rainbow, caught on Power Bait. Twin Lakes productive at the falls, with Rapala or Rebel lures working best. Float-tubers doing best with Black Ant or Hornburg flies.

JUNE LAKE LOOP--Gull Lake rated best in area, with trollers catching easy limits and others doing almost as well. Shorefishing best at June Lake, either along the highway or on the backside. Trollers at June doing best near the beach. Silver Lake: Trolling during day or fly fishing in mornings and afternoons productive. Grant Lake best in narrows at an inlet to Parker. Nightcrawlers best bet.

BRIDGEPORT AREA--Twin Lakes most productive after 7 p.m., with trollers doing best. Bubble-and-fly rigs baited with nightcrawlers or Power Bait also working for rainbow trout to three pounds. Virginia Lakes: yielding rainbows to 12 inches. Bubble-and-fly in afternoon best bet. West Walker River good for trout from 10 to 20 inches. East Walker River slow.