FRESHWATER

CASTAIC LAKE--Some striped bass are being caught but the bite is slow except right after a trout plant. No plant this week, though, so no stripers to speak of. Largemouth bass are beginning to stir in the upper lake, biting mostly on crawdads and mudsuckers from 10-30 feet. Trout and crappies are being targeted with fair success on the lower lake. Terry Blackburn, Reseda, 13 crappies totaling 10 pounds, and five trout totaling 5 1/2 pounds, on min-jigs and spinners, respectively.

LAKE PIRU--Trout action is fairly steady except when the Santa Ana winds roar, which has been happening all week. Needlefish and Rapalas are getting most. Largemouth bass are biting sporadically on plastic worms.

PYRAMID LAKE--Striped bass are the primary target and biting mostly down deep on anchovies and sardines. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are being caught along the shoreline on small plastics.

LAKE CACHUMA--Trout are active in the Cachuma Bay area. Jacob Pierce, Camarillo, five-pound trout, on a green Krocodile. Red-ear perch are biting on night crawlers at 35 feet. Largemouth bass fishing is tough.

LAKE CASITAS--Trout and catfish are active. Trout are biting on rainbow Power Bait and spinners. Catfish are biting on mackerel. Limits of both are common. Largemouth bass are sluggish.

SANTA ANA RIVER LAKES--Trout with tags worth cash prizes ranging from $5 to $1,000 are causing a stir. The promotion goes through Dec. 24. Limits of non-tagged trout--a few of them 10 pounds or bigger--are fairly common. A few large sturgeon were caught this last week as well.

CORONA LAKE--A tagged-trout promotion is in progress here too and limits of trout averaging one-two pounds are fairly common. Power Bait and small spinners are getting lots of fish.

IRVINE LAKE--Some of the trout stocked this week reportedly weigh more than 20 pounds, so this weekend ought to be interesting. Trout Island and Sierra Cove are the best places to fish for them, and Power Bait and trolled Rapalas are the best methods.

LAGUNA NIGUEL LAKE--Trout averaging two-three pounds are keeping anglers busy, biting on salmon eggs, night crawlers, Power Bait and yellow or white darter jigs. Much larger rainbows are being caught as well.

OSO RESERVOIR--Bass fishing is steady, with fish averaging three-five pounds and biting mostly on dark-colored plastic worms and deep-water jigs. Catfish are fairly active and of the gourmet variety. Best bait: Berkley Power Chow scented with garlic.

LAKE SKINNER--A 16 1/2-pound striped bass was caught by Scott Farcus, Murrieta, on a Castaic lure at the east end. Ramp 2 is also producing because that’s where the trout are stocked. Night crawlers, Kastmasters and Power Bait are enticing some trout.

LAKE PERRIS--Winds have kept fishing pressure down, but a decent bass bite has been in progress at the southeast end. Bass Trix lures were working best. The trout bite is fair.

SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES--A 34-pound blue catfish was caught at San Vicente by Sy Sit, San Diego, on mackerel. A lake-record 26-pound 12-ounce channel catfish was caught at Miramar by Joe Jordan, Mission Village, on mackerel. Both reservoirs are producing mostly trout catches, though. Murray also has a pretty good trout bite in progress.

LAKE JENNINGS--Trout remain the best bet. A three-pounder was caught on Power Bait but white or yellow mini-jigs are getting most, although fly fishermen are doing well with woolly buggers.

LAKE CUYAMACA--Trout fishing went downhill fast. Ranger Hugh Marx says, “Only about 10 of the 9,000 that we have in inventory went home to a frying pan.” Marx will conduct a seminar Saturday at 10 a.m.

SALTWATER

The Times accepts and publishes the catch count as a public service. Any responsibility for accuracy is that of the landing operator.

SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--19 anglers (1 boat): 10 whitefish, 4 lingcod, 12 red snapper, 110 rockfish.

OXNARD (Cisco’s)--36 anglers (2 boats):24 yellowtail, 21 whitefish, 9 sheepshead, 27 sculpin, 80 rockfish, 6 lingcod, 1 calico bass, 23 bonito, 1 barracuda.

PORT HUENEME--10 anglers (1 boat): 3 lingcod, 4 sheephead, 33 rockfish, 1 sculpin, 12 whitefish.

MARINA DEL REY--37 anglers (3 boats): 1 halibut, 2 sand bass, 48 sculpin, 200 rockfish.

REDONDO--11 anglers (1 boat): 3 whitefish, 15 sculpin, 1 lingcod, 65 rockfish.

SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--26 anglers (2 boats): 25 sand bass, 29 whitefish, 34 rockfish, 26 sculpin, 6 red snapper, 4 sheephead, 4 barracuda. Barge--31 anglers (1 boat): 2 bonito, 61 calico bass, 4 sheephead, 27 perch, 47 bullet tuna. (22nd St. Landing)--14 anglers (1 boat): 2 sand bass, 1 whitefish, 36 rockfish, 9 salmon cooper, 1 cod, 4 red snapper.

LONG BEACH--12 anglers (2 boats): 14 yellowtail, 71 sand bass, 3 halibut, 2 sculpin. (Los Alamitos Bay, Marina Sportfishing)--12 anglers, (1 boat): 1 calico bass, 43 sand bass, 5 sculpin, 1 cabezon. (Berth 55)--18 anglers (1 boat): 5 barracuda, 1 calico bass, 34 rockfish 14 sand bass, 1 sheephead, 3 sculpin, 9 whitefish, 1 cabezon. (Patriot Sportfishing)--8 anglers (1 boat): 32 rock cod, 79 rockfish, 8 red rock cod, 4 lingcod, 2 cabezon.

NEWPORT BEACH (Newport Landing)--4 anglers (1 boat): 14 sand bass, 5 sculpin.

DANA WHARF--28 anglers (2 boats): 43 calico bass, 36 sand bass, 19 sheephead.

OCEANSIDE (Helgren’s)--9 anglers (1 boat): 65 sculpin, 135 rockfish:

SAN DIEGO (Seaforth)--36 anglers (4 boats): 11 calico bass, 45 sand bass, 78 rockfish, 55 mackerel, 6 sculpin: (Islandia)--22 anglers (2 boats): 114 rock cod, 2 whitefish, 1 cow cod, 1 sheephead, 25 sculpin, 31 rockfish, 15 mackerel:

TROUT PLANTS

LOS ANGELES COUNTY--Big Rock Creek, El Dorado Park Lake, Kenneth Hahn Park Lake, La Mirada Park Lake, Legg Lake, Lincoln Park Lake, Magic Johnson Park Lake, Piru Creek (Frenchman’s Flat), San Gabriel River (East, West and North forks). RIVERSIDE--Cahuilla Lake, Lake Perris. SAN DIEGO--Chollas Lake, Doane Pond, Lake Murray, Lindo Lake. IMPERIAL--Sunbeam Lake, Weist Lake.