Largemouth Bass:
Not much has changed this week on the Bass fishing front. It’s still mainly a finesse bite on dropshot and splitshot rigged plastics fished on main lake points and bluffs. The fish are spread out thru the water column with catches being made anywhere from 5′ to 30′ deep. The Fish Arm has been a good place to start but most any rocky point will hold some fish. There has been a slight uptick on jig fishing for anglers willing to slow down and fish these areas thoroughly.
Striped Bass:
Trolling in 25′ to 40′ of water utilizing the Fly-coring technique and Producer flies has been our mainstay presentation. Most of the school-sized fish remain in deeper water and are hard to target. The bite has been better on overcast days during small windows of activity. The lake received a 700 pound stocking of trout at the seldom-used West Ramp prior to the weekend which should help pull some of the bigger fish in to the area to feed on the hatchery rainbows.
Castaic Afterbay:
Quality Crappie and a few Bass continue to be caught with ice jigs and spoons worked in deeper water up to 60′. Look for schools of bait fish on your sonar and drop your ice jig over the side. This is spooning 101 and a great place to learn this time-proven Winter technique. We are no longer fishing here as the Bass that are caught below 40′ are coming up with bulging eyes and air bladders and are difficult to release without deflating them first. If you are going to fish here please come equipped with a proper deflation needle and learn how to use it before catching any fish. Take your time bringing the fish up from the bottom to minimize the effect of the water pressure change. The water temp is holding at 50° and is super-clear.
Castaic Lake Conditions:
Water Temp Surface:
55°
Water Temp at 25′:
49°
Water Clarity:
20′ visibility. Clear
Water Level:
25′ down and holding
Jim – 661 Fishing
