Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass:
Bass fishing is on the upswing with stable air temps in the 80’s igniting the pre-spawn. The Smallmouth have made the early move as they tend to spawn in water ten degrees colder than their Largemouth cousins. There is good fishing to be had throughout the day, especially when the water gets its warmest in the early afternoon. The ten to twenty foot zone is a good place to focus but fish can be caught anywhere from five to thirty five feet right now depending on the area. Main lake points & secondary points and bluffs are all holding fish. We are focusing on stretches that lead from deep water to spawning zones. Finesse plastics on Carolina rigs and Ned rigs are the name of the game, along with 5″ green pumpkin or watermelon Senkos in the shallower areas.
Striped Bass:
The thirty to fifty foot zone continues to be our focus. Slow trolling Yak flies on fly-coring rigs, along with 1oz. KastMasters, are producing Stripers from two to four pounds. There are some bigger fish offshore if you spend the time to find them. Both the Ski Arm and the Fish Arm have their own schools of fish, so doing a little searching instead of fishing is paying dividends. Mornings tend to be a little better right now.
Castaic Afterbay:
Largemouth are on the move! Lots of two to four pound fish are being caught in good numbers, along with a few larger models mixed in. Finesse plastics continue to dominate here as they usually do. Tops this week were the C3 Baits Jobu and Shimmy. Neptune Shad and Oxblood/Red Flake are the go-to colors right now as the fish are moving up to the Swim Beach and North end flats to spawn. Find the ledges and ridges that lead to these areas and you will find willing biters!
Castaic Lake Conditions:
Water Temp Surface:
56°
Water Temp at 20′:
N/A
Water Clarity:
20′ visibility.
Clear.
Water Level:
Down 30′
Jim – www.661Fishing.com