|
By JOSEPH HARGREAVES
Stafford Lake
I usually don’t throw lipless baits at Stafford during the early spring like I do at Clearlake and the delta, but one of the kids that hangs out has been catching a lot of smaller fish on a ¼ oz chrome Rat-L-Trap and a drop shotted Maverick 4” shaker worm in June’s Choice. Another guy I’ve never seen in the store before says he caught a 6 pounder on a 7” Senko in Black with Red Flake and a bunch of 1 pounders on a split shotted baby brush hog.
>>view map |
|
Nicasio Lake
My regulars tell me that the chartreuse chatterbaits and brass and glass rigged brush hogs are still working but no big fish on the swimbait yet.
>>view map |
|
Alpine Lake
A little bit slower than it should be by now, Alpine is starting to come on line with largemouth in the 1-2 pound range on 5” senkos rigged wacky style and one giant (He says 10 lb, but it looks more like 7 or 8 to me) on a Baitsmith Trout swimbait.
>>view map |
|
Bon Tempe Lake
Some swimbait fish have been caught on Huddleston’s and BBA-1s but it’s very slow fishing and the biggest I’ve heard of is a little over 5 lbs. That said, I have heard from at least three different regular customers that big smallies (up to a giant 6 lbs) are moving up into five stump cove and crushing jigs, tubes, drop shots, shad raps and rip baits early in the morning, with most fish being between 4/3 of a pound and two pounds.
>>view map |
|
Kent Lake
Although not as full as the rest of the lakes Kent is on fire for numbers and size right now with reports of 25-30 fish days on senkos, craw worms, jigs, beavers, and small swimbaits in sunfish patterns like the Castaic bluegill. But hands down the new MadGill swimbait from Baitsmith is just wrecking the big girls on breaks and lay downs.
>>view map |
|
Phoenix Lake
Big disappointment. My customers who usually do well up there this time of year are striking out left and right, and when they do catch fish they are pinner and are only hitting dropshot rigged baits in the 3-4” length. Even the swimbait pimps are having trouble getting bit and what’s worse is that they are not even getting the followers. I hit it myself last week with huds then baitsmith madgills, senkos, shakey head grubs, and finally the drop shot for one 2 lb male and one follow and swipe on the madgill fro a 4 lbs. Very sad.
>>view map |
|
|
