Mike Vradenburg

Fishing was good for most anglers on the lake and in the flume last week. This past week fishermen experienced thunder and lightning, rain, wind, and a few sunny calm days. The weather conditions should have slowed the fish from biting, but fishing turned out real good. Crappie, trout, and catfish anglers did the best with lots of nice size fish being caught.

The surface area of the lake is rising with the shoreline in the south end extending into Hanning Flat and Browns Cove, and on the north end it has reached the cemetery area. Anglers are having real good success fishing in the newly filled areas of the lake in the weeds, trees, and brush. The higher water that has extended into the coves is providing excellent areas to catch fish. Hottest spot to catch trout on the lake is the north end. Shore fishermen are having good results along the bank below the cemetery, and boat anglers are working the area where the river enters the lake. Good size trout and limits are being caught. Fishermen report the best action is in the morning and evening hours. The primary baits being used are night crawlers, powerbait, and salmon eggs.

Trout anglers fishing off the points, in the coves, and along both sides of the dams are finding trout are hitting the best in the morning. Floating baits that invert when casted and float off the bottom 18 to 24 inches are working the best.

Crappie fishermen experienced another action packed week of fishing. The baits being used are jigs, grubs, meal worms, minnows, and plastic minnows. Crappie can be found in most coves around the lake in the weeds, brush, and submerged trees. The hottest places to fish is French Gulch, Piney Point, Joughlin Cove, Lime Dyke(southside), and Stine Cove on the southside.

Crappie anglers are also trolling with leadcore line 1 to 2 colors out with a 10 foot leader. Fishermen trolling are experiencing a lot of action using a plastic minnow. They are trolling twenty to thirty feet off shore in six to ten feet of water. While trolling for crappie fishermen report good size trout and catfish 1 ½ to 3 lbs. are also being caught.

Bass fishing is good in the morning hours, and the action picks up again in the late afternoon. In the early morning hours the water is calm and the bass fishermen can be seen moving between their favorite spots. Bass fishermen report some days the fishing is real good, and other days it is hard to get a bite. Bass anglers are hitting the rocky shorelines, points, islands, and drop-offs. Artificials are the preferred bait to use for most bass anglers, and catch and release is their normal way of fishing. Many bass fishermen are out practicing for the upcoming bass tournament.

American Bass Association tournament will be held June 20 at Lake Isabella, and it is open to the public. The tournament is made up of two person teams and the fishing team with the heaviest weigh-in will be the winner. For more information contact Ed and Big Ed’s 379-4170.

Catfish are biting heavily off the dams, in the coves, and off the points. Anglers are fishing with minnows, hotdogs, mackerel, and night crawlers. Boat fishermen report catfish are biting throughout the day when trolling in six to ten feet of water with a plastic minnow.

Larry Templin said the Kern River Valley 22nd Annual Kids Fishing Derby was a Big Success. The derby was held last Saturday, it was free, open to all children, but only children 4-15 years old received awards. 1st Place for the 4-7 age group was 6 year old Chase Carwell, with a .11 lb. Bluegill. 1st Place in the 8-15 age group was 11 year old Alexis Lowe with a 3.23 Catfish, 2nd Jade Whitman - 3.21 Trout, 3rd Shawn Rice - 2.83 Carp, 4th Taho Taylor – 1.73 Trout, 5th John Devicariis – 1.0 Trout, 6th J P Peters - .41 Trout.

The Department of Fish and Game announced new dates for Free Fishing Days in 2009. Free Fishing Days will be the Fourth of July and Labor Day, September 7. More information http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news09/2009021301.asp

The following paragraph is a direct quote from the web-link.

The Department of Fish and Game (May 15), announced revisions to the list of water bodies that will and will not be stocked. After receiving further data on a number of state water bodies, DFG is adding 21 water bodies to the list of stocked waters and 44 water bodies to the list of waters that will not be stocked. The creation of these lists and the cessation (halting) of stocking in some areas is the result of a November 2008 court order (AB7). For more information: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news09/2009051403.asp

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