WEEKLY FISHING REPORT

FRIDAY, APRIL 2ND

Thank you to all the great anglers out there who help contribute to Bakersfield’s only local fishing report. Please don’t forget to send us your best catches of the week to be featured in next week’s report.

CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

Fishing has been decent for aqueduct anglers with striper and catfish as the best bets. Striper anglers have been using small shad style swimbaits, Flukes, and bait. The bait anglers have been using sardines, anchovies, and live minnows, and the lure crowd fooled fish with Keitech swimbaits, Flukes on a jig head, and jerkbaits. Catfish anglers have been using cut baits, chicken liver, and dip bait. Bass are starting to pick up with anglers using Senkos, drop shot and jerkbaits is slower moving water.

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CASTAIC LAKE

Castaic Lake held near 76 percent of capacity, and fishing has been great. Large and smallmouth bass continue to bite aggressively for anglers throwing drop shot, Ned rigs, and Senkos. The favored colors have been Green Pumpkin, Ox Blood, and Morning Dawn. Shad colors are also working well, and the bass are holding in 5 to 20 feet of water throughout the lake. Striper anglers are getting a few fish trolling flies or using cut baits in 20 to 40 feet of water, and catfish anglers have been getting bite using sardines or dip bait in deeper coves around the lake.

PYRAMID LAKE 

Pyramid Lake held near maximum capacity with anglers reporting good fishing. Striper are still the best bet with anglers fooling fish near the Marina, Yellowbar, Serrano, and Spanish Point. The line sides have been eating mackerel, anchovies, and sardines in 20 to 60 feet of water, and catfish will eat those same baits in the same areas. Bass anglers reported good fishing using Senkos, drop shot, and Carolina rigged finesse plastics. Green Pumpkin, Aaron’s Magic, and Ox Blood colors have been working well for anglers fishing in the 5-to-20-foot zone. Jerkbaits and crankbaits have been fooling a few bass during the morning secession. Crappie were reported by anglers using crappie jigs near the docks.

LAKE ISABELLA

The trout action has been very steady over the past few weeks. The $5000 Tagged Trout was caught earlier this week by a local Bakersfield angler. There have been multiple tagged fish caught daily and multiple anglers have been turning in multiple tags. There were Thousands of pounds of trout stocked here in April and anglers continue to score with Mice Tails, Powerbait, spinners and nightcrawlers. Boat anglers trolling with lead core line have been using Flicker Shad and various needlefish with good results. The crappie bite is excellent for some and slow for others. Anglers scoring limits of slabs are moving around and finding the right structure holding fish willing to take their offering. Most of the crappie are being caught in shallow water with live small/medium minnows and crappie jigs. The bass have moved in shallower, and the action remains steady. Better model fish are going for trout like swimbaits, jigs, large plastic worms, and crankbaits. The catfish bite continues to be steady with anglers scoring Whiskerfish on frozen shad, Triple S Dip Bait, and live jumbo minnows. The Annual Isabella Lake Fishing Derby is running from now until September 6, 2021. There are 500 tagged trout worth $20 - $5000. Anglers will have four months and two weeks to land a tagged trout at full face value.

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KERN RIVER

The flows have been fluctuating here and at times have increased to over 800 CFS. Trout plants are scheduled weekly in May in the Upper Kern’s 20-mile stretch. The river is with trout and anglers have doing well at the easy access areas and bends. Spin-anglers continue to report solid action with Mice tails, salmon eggs, minijigs, and spinners. Fly anglers have had steady action with various nymphs and stripping streamers in the afternoon. The Upper Kern was stocked this week in Section 4, Powerhouse #3 to Riverside Park in Kernville, and Section 5, Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge. In the Lower Kern, there’s multiple trout plants scheduled for next week. DFWL stocked Section 3, Sandy Flat to Isabella Dam last week and the trout action has been very good. Trout can be found with salmon eggs, GULP Pinched Crawlers, Chartreuse garlic Powerbait and spinners. The bass bite is decent on soft plastics, jigs, and crankbaits. Catfish can be found with cutbait, nightcrawlers and Triple S Dip Bait. At the time of reporting, the Upper Kern River was flowing at 728 CFS and the Lower Kern River was flowing at 400 CFS.

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LAKE KAWEAH

Kaweah Lake rose to 26 percent of capacity and fishing remains solid. The bass are still spawning, and they are going for a variety of baits in the shallows. Senkos, drop shot, jerkbaits and small swimbaits have all been working well. Some of the bass have been holding a bit deeper on main and secondary points, and they have been biting deep diving cranks and jigs. Crappie anglers also reported good fishing using small live minnows, swimbaits, and crappie jigs.

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LAKE SUCCESS

The lake held at 23 percent of capacity and bass anglers reported good fishing. Both finesse and reaction techniques have been scoring bites. Finesse plastics and Senkos have been working well, but jerkbaits and crankbaits have also accounted for a good number of fish. Anglers also reported that the topwater bite is starting to heat up. Crappie have been responding to small swimbaits and crappie jigs near the marina, and Catfish anglers reported a decent bite using sardines, anchovies, and dip bait.

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BUENA VISTA LAKES

The bass bite at BV remained decent last week with anglers reporting largemouth biting Senkos, Texas rigged worms, and spinnerbaits. Most of the action has been near the reeds, but a few spawning fish are still up shallow near the banks. One angler reported catching a seven-pound bass using a spinnerbait cast parallel to the reeds. The crappie bite has been good with anglers reporting live worms and small live minnows as the best options. Catfish anglers have been reporting larger models biting sardines, anchovies, and dip bait, and bluegill have been eating redworms and waxworms.

RIVER WALK LAKES

The Bass action has been decent, and they’ve been coming on drop-shotted soft plastics and jigs. The bluegill bite is good with wax worms and meal worms. Carp can be caught with dough baits.

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MING LAKE

The Bass bite is solid here with local anglers reporting good numbers of fish in the shallows. Anglers have been scoring fish with soft plastics on drop-shot and Ned rigs. Trout Imitation swimbaits have fooled a few of the better models. The crappie bite is fair to good with crappie jigs and nibbles. The bluegill bite is good on wax worms and meal worms under a bobber.

HART PARK LAKE

Bass fishing has been good at Hart Park Lake, and anglers have been hooking up using finesse baits and jigs. The best action has been for anglers using six-inch Roboworms in Aaron’s Magic and Oxblood colors, but several anglers reported getting bite on jigs and creature baits as well. The bluegill bite picked up last week, and anglers reported doing well near the floating weed patches using redworms. Catfish have been eating chicken liver, sardines, and dip bait.

TRUXTUN LAKE

Bass anglers continue to pull good number from Truxtun Lake using drop shot, Senkos, and creature baits. The best colors have been Peoples Worm, Baby Bass, and Green Pumpkin. Anglers have also reported some topwater action on poppers early in the day. Catfish have been biting sardines, dip bait, and chicken liver, and bluegill have been eating mealworms and redworms.

NACIMIENTO LAKE

Lake Nacimiento fell to 34 percent of capacity, and fishing remains excellent. Bass anglers reported another solid week with spotted bass biting just about anything anglers threw. Drop shot, spider jigs, and Keitech swimbaits were a few of the favored techniques, but anglers also reported solid topwater and reaction bait fishing. The white bass have also been biting well for anglers throwing Kastmasters, small swimbaits, and white spinners. Crappie anglers reported good fishing up shallow near submerged structure, and they have been using crappie jigs and small live minnows to get bite. Catfish anglers scored bites using cut baits, dip bait, and chicken liver.

TROUT PLANTS

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Week of May 2 – Upper Kern River Sections 4, 5; Tule River Middle Fork; Tule River North Fork, Middle Fork #1; Tule River South Fork, Middle Fork #2; Tule River South Fork, Middle Fork #3.

Week of May 9 - Lower Kern River Sections 1, 2 and 3; Upper Kern River Sections 4, 5 and 6.

Week of May 16 – Upper Kern River Sections 4, 5; Tule River Middle Fork; Tule River North Fork, Middle Fork #1; Tule River South Fork, Middle Fork #2; Tule River South Fork, Middle Fork #3.

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OCEAN FISHING

SAN DIEGO

The American Angler returned from their 1.5 day trip this morning with LIMITS (56) Bluefin Tuna for 28 anglers; Most of the fish were 40 to 60 pounds. The Condor out of Fishermen’s Landing returned Wednesday with LIMITS (55) Yellowtail for 11 anglers on their 1.5-day trip. The Bluefin Tuna bite is on fire right now for 40-to-80-pound class fish.

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DANA POINT/SAN PEDRO

At 22nd Street Sportfishing the Freedom returned Wednesday from an overnight with 2 Yellowtail, 4 Sheephead, 5 Calico Bass, 43 Ocean Whitefish, 21 Bonito and 52 Rockfish for 30 anglers. The Thunderbird out of Davey’s Locker returned Wednesday from an overnight with 14 Yellowtail, 2 Bonito, 15 Sheephead, 7 Blue Perch, 9 Calico Bass, 3 Barracuda and 148 Whitefish for 27 anglers.

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CHANNEL ISLANDS

The Mirage returned Wednesday from an overnight with 140 Rockfish, 4 White Seabass, 74 Ocean Whitefish, 4 Lingcod and 1 California Sheephead. The Endeavor out of Ventura Sportfishing returned Thursday from an overnight with LIMITS (41) White Seabass for 41 anglers. The White Seabass bite at Santa Rosa Island is on fire right now.

PORT SAN LUIS/MORRO BAY

The Patriot returned Wednesday with 3 Reds, 1 Lingcod and 197 assorted Rockfish for 20 anglers on a ½ day trip. The Rita G out of Virg’s Landing returned Wednesday from a ½ day with 48 Vermillion Rockfish, 4 Boccaccio, 13 Copper Rockfish and 90 Assorted Rockfish for 16 anglers.

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