Fishing Report by Jim Matthews
HESPERIA LAKE : Big catfish continue to be landed along with limits of fish averaging 1-0 to 4-0. There have been nine catfish over 30-0 landed in the last two weeks. The best bite continues to be on the mealworm and marshmallow combo, a nightcrawler and marshmallow combo, shrimp, or mackerel.
July 4, 2005- Transportation plan forming
A 20-year plan for meeting transportation needs in El Dorado County is on the drawing board, and local officials are seeking extensive advice from residents.
Fishing line
SACRAMENTO RIVER, Sacramento - Regulars are calling last weekend's salmon opener the best in at least 10 years, and around 50 kings were taken at the mouth of the American on everything from big spinners to Gitzit jigs. A few very large stripers were caught as well at night on broken-back Rebels trolled upstream of the mouth of the American.
THE FISHING REPORT
Pacific Ocean Golden Gate: You bring the fog and flatten the ocean, welcome the bait and will the big fish, keep fueling the boat and wait, sick with hope. You do all that, and July would have brought the salmon eventually anyway. And it has. After a...
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The current record, set last spring, is just under 19 pounds.
One reason for the comeback: a strain of big, hard-to-catch largemouth bass from Florida, planted in 1972 by the California Department of Fish and Game, has crossbred with the lake's smaller bass, resulting in a new, weightier strain.
Weather is another reason. In dry years of the 1970s, Isabella's water level was drawn down early in the season when San Joaquin Valley farmers needed water for irrigation; this hurt spawning and killed bank vegetation. But recent rainy winters kept water at good spawning levels and spurred bank vegetation to a verdant tangle before the lake reached capacity. Well into fall, fish had lots of bankside hiding places to help them survive and grow.
During 1983, water poured over Isabella's spillway for five straight weeks. Fish and Game biologists believe that this long period of high water allowed the bass an unusual second spawning. Threadfin shad, prime food for bass, also thrived. Last winter's runoff reverted to normal, but even so, experts predict bass fishing will remain superb for two to three years. Another factor in favor of the fish: unlike most other bass lakes in the area, wind forces most fishermen off Isabella by early afternoon, reducing the time that fish are under angling pressure.
Good fishing ahead. Summer's sweltering dog days have given way to comfortable fall weather--and the fishing conditions favored by many bassmen. October is a time of relatively uniform water temperatures, caused by top layers of warm water sinking and mixing with cooler waters below. (Spring spawning takes place during the reverse mixing, making that another prime time to fish.)
Stable water temperatures mean you'll find fish distributed all over the lake. The water mixing also stirs up food: plankton that feeds the insects and bait fish that feed the bass. Also, fish appetites are keen: they know winter is coming.
Experienced bass hunters use 6- to 14-pound test line with 3/8-ounce brown jigs, or cut bait such as anchovy or sardine, or live night crawlers on a 2/0 hook. Some of the biggest catches come on the "jig and pig' rig pictured at left. Daily limit is five; fishermen 16 and older must have a California fishing license.
Boat rentals, launch ramps. Three marinas have bait shops and boat rentals. French Gulch Marina is off State 155, on the lake's western shore just north of the main dam. It rents boats with 6- to 15-hp motors for $27 to $36 a day; a "bass boat' with 35-hp motor and auxiliary trolling motor costs $50. Call (619) 379-8774 to reserve.
About 3 miles farther north, near Tillie Creek Campground, Isabella Marina (also known as the North Fork marina) charges $24 for a 6-hp boat, $30 for a 10-hp boat. Call 376-3404.
Kern Valley Marina (also called the South Fork marina) is off State 178, on the south shore 2 miles from the dam. Its 10-hp boats rent for $35, 15-hp boats for $40. Call 379-8154.
The Army Corps of Engineers maintains five free launch ramps around the lake: three off State 155 and two off State 178. They are labeled on a free map you can pick up at Kern County Parks and Recreation headquarters just north of French Gulch Marina. You'll also need to get a boat permit here ($15 per year).
To reach the lake from State 99 at Delano, head east on State 155 to the lake.
Photo: Six 2-pounders make a fine morning's catch of bass, but the odds of netting bigger ones are good. Isabella's morning-calm waters turn wind-whipped by midafternoon
Photo: "Jig and pig' rig, responsible for biggest catches, is a bass lure with pork-rind cutout resembling frog's hindquarters
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