Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass:

High winds closed the lake again this week for a few days off and on. Bass fishing is pretty solid despite the amount of boat traffic and angling pressure. Daiwa Neko Fat worms and Yamamoto Senko’s in Green Pumpkin and Watermelon patterns have been very consistent fish catchers. When the fish are a little deeper the C3 Baits Shimmys in Neptune Shad and Watermelon Candy fished on a Carolina Rig and light line have been tough to beat. There are lots of Bass on or around spawning beds, although most of them seem to be the smaller males. There are some big fish in these areas that require a stealthy approach to catch. 

Striped Bass:

Striper fishing was slow again this week but we are starting to see the smaller “Schoolie” size fish showing up on our Largemouth baits. The bulk of the Shad have continued their migration shallow bringing the smaller Stripers with them. Trolling with the fly-coring/Producer Fly technique is getting a few fish but this bite is not consistent enough to make a full day out of yet. As the water warms this bite should get better on a daily basis. We will be targeting the new moon period in a couple of weeks and putting more time into what is sure to be an excellent season of Striper fishing.

Castaic Afterbay:

Light line Carolina rigs with a C3 Baits Shimmy in Neptune Shad remains a tough presentation to beat. There are lots of fish being caught as well as some bigger fish this week leading up to the full moon. The better fish continue to be spooked easily in the clear water and along with high angling pressure, require some degree of timing and stealth to catch. This is a good bet if you only have a few hours to fish or are relegated to a small boat, kayak or float tube.

Castaic Lake Conditions:

Water Temp Surface:

63° – 69°

Water Temp at 25′:

58°

Water Clarity:

15′ visibility. Mainly clear

Water Level:

5’ down 

Jim – 661 Fishing