Castaic Lake Report 05-28-2023
Largemouth Bass:
The bigger Bass are starting to get active and can be found around bluff walls and rocky secondary points. The Smallmouth have worked their way out to the main lake shorelines ahead of the Largemouth. By far the best technique has been wacky-rigged stick worms like the new C3 Baits Slim Pro. Smallmouth and Largemouth have been hammering this slim profile bait. Dropshot rigs are getting their fair share of bites rigged about 18″ above the weight. The best baits have been Keitech 2.8 Fat Swing Impact swimbait in Shad colors and 4-1/2″ straight tailed RoboWorms in purple hues. I stick with the Keitech as it can be used to target any surface feeding Striped bass as well with a cast and retrieve technique.
Striped Bass:
The Stripers are spread out around the lake and have yet to school up in the Summer pattern. Most of them are the smaller one to two pound fish that are along most shorelines. Cut Sardines fished at the Buoy line at the end of the Ski Arm is still the most consistent “bait & wait” pattern. Smaller swimbaits in the three to four inch range are getting hit by quality fish to five pounds in Elizabeth Canyon for the first two hours of the morning. These fish can be really aggressive and will follow your lure right to the boat. Use a medium steady retrieve and give a little rod twitch every five feet or so to make the followers commit. Trolling hasn’t been very effective as of yet, as the bulk of the fish are in shallow water. Some surface action is starting to happen, usually in the first hour or two of the morning on main lake points.
Lake Conditions:
Water clarity – 5 to 10′ in most areas
Surface temp – 70 to 73 degrees
Jim – www.661Fishing.com
