Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass:

Great Bass fishing on tap for both numbers and size despite high fishing pressure and falling water levels. The fish are holding on rocky points and bluffs closest to the main lake and the bite seems to get stronger when the wind is blowing into these areas. 5″ wacky-rigged Senkos in green pumpkin hues and dropshot rigs are hard to beat. Morning Dawn Roboworms and the Oxblood color C3 Baits Ice Picks are accounting for the bulk of the dropshot bites on my boat. There is a small window of topwater fishing available early with popping baits and buzzbaits attracting some nice fish. Netting Shad for bait is available although 90% of it is too small to fish effectively at this time. 

Striped Bass:

Still a pretty decent bite for anglers emploring the Fly-coring technique with Yak flies and umbrella rigs in the twenty to fifty foot depth zone. The Fish Arm, Center point, and the area around the island in the Ski Arm are all holding fish. The bigger fish are a still a little deeper than the smaller “schoolies”. Lots of surface action to be had on the 10″ Stripers as they key in on the smaller baitfish, but no sign of the bigs as the Shad remain deep with the falling water.

Castaic Afterbay:

Probably the most consistent body of water in SoCal this season as great Bass fishing continues from boat and shore. C3 Baits Shimmy’s on the finesse Carolina rig are tough to beat as usual. This bait’s size and profile really appeals to Bass in clear water, with the Neptune Shad and Oxblood colors getting quality bites. We’ve been fishing the outer weed edge in 20′ to 25′ of water along the Eastern shore, from the fishing pier up towards the inlet area. Some topwater action available with frogs and buzzbaits around the inside weed edges as well, but the deep and heavy weedbeds have the fish spread out in most of the lake.

Castaic Lake Conditions:

Water Temp Surface:

81°

Water Clarity:

5′ to 15′ visibility. Lightly stained.

Water Level:

Down 100′ and falling steadily

Jim – www.661Fishing.com