U-T San Diego Fishing and Hunting Report for Jan. 15 by Ed Zieralski
Barrett: Closed for the season to fishing. Waterfowl hunting goes until end of January.
Chollas: Stocked occasionally with trout from the Department of Fish and Game. Will be stocked this week. The Joe Bain Memorial Fishing Pier is a great place for kids to fish. Open daily to youngsters 15 and under. San Diego Fly Fishers sponsors a Lend-A-Rod program on Sundays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and it includes free bait and tackle and fishing tips. Good perimeter hiking trail, shady spots for picnicking.
Corona Lakes: Exceptional rainbow trout fishing, with limits reported by shore anglers from the cove behind the bait shop to the dam. Fishermen in boats and float tubes also are reporting fast action on rainbows and are scoring from the dam to the upper end of the lake end along the main channel. The best action has been on any of the floating baits rolled in the new Hatchery Dust, which is rolled onto and into bait balls of dough bait. It’s available at the Corona Lakes tackle shop and some area stores. The lake will be planted with trout that average 1 pound or more, but the stockings will include trout from 5- to 8 pounds and some up to 10 pounds and more. Open every day. Fishing is allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these passes is $25. Seniors pay only $23, with a $20 special on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is $12. The 24-hour passes are only sold the weekend nearest the full moon. The 24-hour passes cost $75 and have a 15 fish limit. An angler can bring his wife and up to three kids 17 and under and all can help fill the 15-fish limit on one of these passes, and camping is free at Corona with a 24-hour pass. For Corona Lake fishing information, call (951) 277-4489 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.
Cuyamaca: Stocked heavily all year with trout from Mt. Lassen, Jess Ranch and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Getting trout this week from DFW. Surprisingly fair bass fishing, too, with lunkers in the 10-pound range being caught on occasion. Be sure and stop by the Cuyamaca Bait and Tackle Shop to see the aquarium with some of the lake fish in it. All private boats must be sprayed and decontaminated to prevent the spread of quagga mussels in the lake. Cost is $10. Applies to canoes, kayaks, float tubes and waders. Campers now have the use of showers on the North Shore. Condos and sleeper cabins available at the lake. Excellent hiking opportunities, with trails leading into Rancho Cuyamaca State Park for some of the best wildlife viewing in the county. Good numbers of wild turkeys, deer, bobcats, even an occasional mountain lion. Good peak climbs include Stonewall, Cuyamaca Peak and North Peak. Call (760) 765-0515 or toll free at (877) 581-9904. More information at www.lakecuyamaca.org. Open daily, but closed to fishing and hiking all day Wednesday and until 10 a.m. on Sunday to allow for waterfowl hunting .
Diamond Valley Lake: Stocked regularly with trout — rainbows and browns. Received 2,000 pounds of rainbows last week. Chris Mora, Hemet, 7.49 trout, mini-jig, Shoreline. Shara and Robert Poveromo, San Jacinto, stringer of trout, 12.42 pounds. Right now trout fishing is the way to go here. Occasional big blue catfish or striper being caught, but stocked trout are biting. Hikers will find very good hiking trails and shoreline access for fishing. Lake is open 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open daily.
Dixon: Rare catch here the week before by angler Mac Weakley of that 25.1-pound bass fame. Weekley caught a 24-pound striped bass and started a striper frenzy that didn’t turn up another one. Lake rangers say striped bass show up in the creel checks now and then, and Weakley told them he’s seen bigger ones than this one. Trout fishing continues to be the best bet here, with Nebraska Tailwalkers thrilling daily. Will be stocked this week with 1,500 pounds of the Nebraska trout. Fernando Gailejo, Escondido, stringer of trout topped by a 6-pounder. For more information, call the ranger station at (760) 839-4680. The City of Escondido was granted an aquaculture permit that now allows anglers to fish the lake without a state fishing license. All anglers 8 years old and older still need a daily fishing permit to fish at Dixon. Daley Ranch has a network of excellent trails for biking and equestrian. Open daily.
El Capitan: Fishing had been very good here, but reports indicate it may have slowed a bit. Trout plant by the DFW this week ought to spike the bass bite. The lake is open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday to fishing and general boating, with no water contact. It’s open on Sunday to fishing, general boating and water contact. Water contact activities include water-skiing, wake-boarding, Jet Skis, towing inflatables. All persons entering reservoir property must purchase a day use permit. To call for boat information, call the Boat Capacity Hot Line at (619) 668-2770.
Henshaw: Boats available for rent at $35 for a full-day, $30 after 1 p.m. Boats must be back to the dock at 6 p.m. Lake now open from 6 a.m. to sunset daily. Good shoreline access on the west side toward the dam. Good hikes in surrounding Cleveland National Forest and a great place to spot wild turkeys and mule deer. Open daily.
Hodges: Closed for the season. Reopens for fishing in February. Network of trails includes the San Dieguito River Park and a pedestrian bridge connecting the south and north shores in the eastern part of the lake.
Irvine Lake: Lake was planted with 5,000 pounds of Yosemite reds in the 2- to 8-pound range. Trollers are having good success on the reds. For more information, check irvinelake.net or call (714) 649-9111.
Jennings: Fairly slow fishing, but stocked all season with trout. Bass are deep, in 40- to 60 feet of water. Anglers using crawdad imitations and working them up hill are having some luck on bass. Swimbaits also working for bigger bass. It takes a lot of casts, but if you get bit chances are it will be a lunker bass that hits it. There’s also decent fishing for big catfish at the Buoy Line in very deep water. Shore fishing is available every day here by purchasing a permit at the campground. Very good hiking opportunities on perimeter road and on trails. Camping available at the campground on the west side of the lake. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Check www.lakejennings.com.
Lindo Lake: Lakeside fishery has mostly channel catfish and carp, but also has some bass and bluegill. Stocked in the winter and spring with trout by the Department of Fish and Game.
Loveland: Fair bass fishing for those willing to hike in and fish. The 73 hiker-anglers reported 8 bass kept and 59 released. Open daily to hike-in fishing only on a limited area of shoreline. No permits required. Fishing license is required. There’s a 140-foot fishing pier on the west side of the fishing cove.
Miramar: DFG reported on its site that it would stock trout here. City of San Diego officials say the plant hasn’t happened. Bass fishing has been fair, with 13 anglers reporting 28 bass and 12 bluegill. Vehicles may be driven to the north shore of the lake Saturdays through Tuesdays to access more secluded fishing areas on the other side of the lake. Perimeter road is paved and used by walkers, runners, rollerbladers and bicyclists. If you use this road, stay to the far right to avoid collisions. This place is a parade on weekends and in the early evenings. Picnic area on the southeast side of the lake and a few spots on the northwest shore. Get there very early to secure a spot. Pay fees at iron ranger or electronic pay station near the concession building. Open daily.
Morena: Getting stocked this week with trout by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Pacific Crest Trail, which starts south of Campo at the U.S. Mexican border, cuts through the eastern side of the park. Very good hiking around the lake and a great campground.
Murray: Stocked regularly with trout by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Getting trout this week. Concession is now open Wednesday through Sunday. Boats available for rent. Perimeter road is mostly paved and frequented by walkers, runners, rollerbladers and bicyclists. Stay to the right to avoid collisions. Cowles Mountain, the highest and most-hiked peak in the city, gets a lot of visitors and is a parade off Golfcrest. The fire road that gets graded often for the utility and city of San Diego vehicles on the east side is much more hiker-friendly with much less use. Open daily to fishing and boating. Pay fees at iron rangers near the concession building or in the concession when it’s open.
Otay, Lower: Fair fishing here, with crappie starting to show. The crappie count may be an indication of an early spring bite here. Trout stocking this week should get the large bass going. Concession is open and boats are being rented every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The North shore has some good spots. Fishing pier located on west shore, north of the boat dock. Access road on the west side reaches fishing pier and some shoreline fishing areas. Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Pay fees at iron rangers near the boat launch or at concession stand, where there are boat rentals.
Otay, Upper: Fishing should heat up here soon as the water warms. No boats permitted here, so float-tubing, wading and shoreline fishing are good options. Great hike around the lake’s perimeter. Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday for fishing, sunrise to sunset. Upper Otay is a catch and release only fishery. Bait is not permitted, only artificial lures with barbless hooks.
Poway: For fishing and boat rental information, call the Lake Poway Grill and Tackle Shop at (858) 486-1234. For other information, call the park rangers at (858) 668-4772 or for park reservations call (858) 668-4595. No fishing license required here, but fishing permits necessary. Excellent hiking opportunities, with trails connecting to Poway’s massive network of trails that include Mount Woodson and Iron Mountain. The trails are open daily, as is the lake park. The lake is open to fishing Wednesday through Sunday. The following items are prohibited at Lake Poway in order to prevent the spread of quagga mussels: float tubes, private motors and anchors, live bait containers, fish finders, floating catch baskets, live bait from any source other than the Lake Poway concession, any items the staff considers to be potential contaminants.
Santee Lakes: Big “Trout Re-Opener” drew 422 anglers, and most of them went home happy. Fernando Martinez caught the largest trout, an 8-pound, 4-ounce beauty. He also landed a 6-pounder. Both came from Lake 4 on night crawlers. Martinez not only went home with trout, but he also took a bulk of the bounty for the big trout. He won a portable DVD player, a fishing pole and a tackle box. Kyle Joyce, 14, Rancho Bernardo, landed the second largest trout at 6 pounds, 9 ounces. The youngster took home a bike for his fish that he landed out of Lake 3 on a night crawler. Next stocking is Jan. 25. Check www.santeelakes.com for available campsites. Or call (619) 596-3141. No California state fishing license required to fish Santee’s chain of lakes. Very good hiking opportunities around the seven lakes. Lake 7 is reserved for campers, though. Site for site the best campground in the county. Check www.santeelakes.com. Open daily.
San Vicente: Closed. For construction schedules and information on the Emergency Storage Project, go to the San Diego County Water Authority’s web site at www.sdcwa.org and click on San Vicente Dam Raise.
Santa Ana River Lakes: Very good fishing for giant rainbow trout here as the lake is planted with the lunker rainbows every week. Lunkers up to 20 pounds being landed. Check out the fish being planted on a video every week at www.fishinglakes.com . In addition to the larger fish, there are thousands of pounds of pan-sized rainbows averaging about a pound or better planted every week. Most five-trout stringers weigh 5- to 10 pounds. Best baits continue to be floating jar bait rolled in the new Hatchery Dust, now available at the tackle shop. Santa Ana River Lakes is open every day. Fishing is allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these passes is $25. Seniors pay $23 with a $20 special on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is just $12. There are 24-hour passes offered on Friday and Saturday night on weekends nearest the full moon each month. The 24-hour passes cost $75 and have a 15 fish limit. An angler can bring his wife and up to three kids and all can help fill the 15-fish limit on one of these passes. Camping is free at SARL with a 24-hour pass. For Santa Ana River Lakes fishing information, call (714) 632-7830 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.
Sutherland: Closed for the season.
Sweetwater: Carpfest still going on here. The 41 anglers reported 38 carp. Open Saturday, Sunday and Monday to limited shoreline fishing only.
Wohlford: With another stocking of 1,500 pounds of Nebraska Tailwalkers set for this week, trout fishing should remain solid here. George Hartfiel, San Marcos, 7.90-pound trout, mousetail lure. Jess Tran, 6.5-pound trout, also on a mousetail. Jim Hopson, 6.45-pound trout, mousetail. There’s a $20 special for all-day rentals on motorboats for seniors every Tuesday and for active military every first and third Saturday of the month. Whopper of the Month leaders The Lake Wohlford Café has the DFG’s Automated License Data System. All types of fishing and hunting licenses may be purchased at the Café, noted for its great breakfast, lunch and dinner items. To-go orders may be made for picnic lunches while fishing. Very good hiking trails, with paths through an oak grove on the southeast side. Ban on private boats remains in place due to the threat of quagga mussels. Other banned equipment include canoes, kayaks, float tubes, trolling motors, fish finders, anchors, etc. Rental boats available. For more information, check www.lakewohlford.com.
Seminar: Ed Howerton and Dennis Burlason, winners of last year’s San Diego Anglers Open Bay Bass Tournament with a total weight of 13.91 pounds for five bass, will offer a free bay bass fishing seminar on Jan. 12 at Fish’n Marine Center, 12365 Mapleview St. in Lakeside. Call the shop at (619) 443-2100 for details. This year’s 18th annual San Diego Anglers Open Bay Bass Tournament, sponsored by Vessel Assist San Diego, is set for Jan. 26. Check www.sandiegoanglers.com for an application or information. Or call Dwayne Patenaude at (619) 972-1503 or email him at dwaynesda@juno.com. Cost per two-angler team is $135. Anglers with the top weight for five bass (can be combination of calico, sand and spotted bay bass) wins $1,500 sponsored by Drew Ford. There’s also a $250 prize for the largest bass, sponsored by Seaforth Boat Rentals, and a $150 prize for largest spotted bay bass, sponsored by Bill Schaefer Guide Service.
Ocean fishing: Those giant Humboldt squid have shown up from Mexico to the Dana Point area, and local sport boats are on them. The New Seaforth leaves daily at 4 p.m. for the squid grounds. Call (619) 224-3383 for details. H&M Landing’s Premier leaves at 5 p.m. daily. Call (619) 222-1144. And the Daily Double leaves Point Loma Sportfishing at 4:30 daily. Call (619) 223-1627. And the Electra out of Helgren’s in Oceanside fishes from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Call (760) 722-2133. Be sure and wear good rain gear, not so much for the rain, but to keep from getting doused by squid brought aboard. They emit a spray of water and ink that can ruin clothes. Landings have rental gear, but you need to buy a glow jig and have a 2013 state fishing license. If you take your own gear, you’ll need at least a 4/0 reel with a minimum of 40-pound test line.
Fly Fishing: Peter Piconi’s SoCal Fly Fishing Outfitters will sponsor a series of seminars for fly fishers starting Jan. 19 with a surf fishing class. Other classes include a two-day skills clinic in Bishop on how to fish the Eastern Sierra, a fly-tying class for saltwater presentations and one for freshwater. Call the shop at (619) 224-4000.
La Paz fishing: Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International reports fair fishing for yellowtail on the south end of Bahia de Los Muertos in front of Boca de Alama. Dorado also showing along with pargo. The whale migration is hitting stride, with whales reported in the shallower water in Bahia Magdalena. Prime time is February. For information call (877) 825-8802 or (626) 638-3383.
Compiled by Ed Zieralski
