Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass:

Castaic lake continues to be the hub of summer activity. Fishing on the weekends can be an exercise in patience so it’s best to allow yourself a little bit of extra time when heading up to the lake. The water clarity is twenty feet plus in most areas and water temps are holding steady in the mid – 70’s. The bass continue to bite and we’ve noticed a little bit of an uptick in quality fish roaming shallower water. No doubt one of the best ways to catch these fish is with a wacky-rigged Senko type bait. The 5″ baits in Watermelon/Red Flake and Green Pumpkin/Green & Purple Flake color combos have been putting most of the bass in the boat for our clients. Smallmouth bass remain elusive on this technique. C3 Baits Shimmies in Neptune Shad and Red Smoke fished on a light 6lb finesse Carolina Rig and spinning gear remains the best way to catch a quality Smallmouth or Largemouth right now. 

Striped Bass:

Striper fishing has bounced back a little recently as we’ve been able to get a few fish in the mornings on our Producer Fly/fly-coring rigs. There has been a few topwater fish in the mix but not enough to target as of yet. We are seeing signs of shad in shallower water so the great Striper action that everyone is waiting for should happen sooner than later. This fishery is changing almost daily for the better.

Rainbow Trout:

The great Rainbow Trout fishing continued this week despite any stocking. Limits are common on the usual techniques, but we prefer to fish the deeper schools of trout with mini-jigs presented vertically in deep water.

Castaic Afterbay:

The lagoon is fishing well with the bass spread out around most of the lake. Quality bass are still being caught by those with local knowledge and the ability to be there at the right time on the right days. The finesse Carolina Rig with a C3 Baits Shimmy in Neptune Shad has proven hard to beat and remains our go-to technique. Look for a topwater bite if an overcast morning comes your way. This small water is receiving lots of attention lately as some anglers have chosen to forego the chaos up the hill.

Jim – 661 Fishing