Mike Vradenburg

Anglers experienced full days of fishing last week as the mild weather and local breezes cooled the valley.

The pleasant weather provided great fishing days for locals, visitors, and a bass pro tournament. Trout are being caught around the lake in the deeper water. Anglers report the best areas to fish are the North Fork Marina area, off the dams, Piney Point, Paradise Cove, and from French Gulch to Boulder Gulch. Baits working the best are salmon eggs, floating bait, and nightcrawlers.

Boat fishermen are working the points, rocky shorelines and submerged trees in the north fork channel with bait. Others are trolling with flashy spinners and spoons next to the dams and in the north fork channel.

Flume fishermen experienced another good week of fishing. Nice size trout were caught where the flume begins, after it widens out, and below the tunnels. The larger trout are biting in the morning hours on salmon eggs, and nightcrawlers.

John Strange from Sierra Gateway Market, said, “Trout are biting in the river from Kernville to where the river enters the lake. Fishermen are catching trout in the upper river, and last week a Brown Trout was brought into the store.”

Catfish are biting good around the lake throughout the day. Fishermen are catching small catfish in shallow water, and the larger catfish are being caught in deeper water near the shad schools. Best baits to use are liver, hotdogs, shad, minnows, crawdads, and artificials (grubs/minnows).

Boat fishermen are catching larger catfish in the submerged trees and off the rocky shorelines.

Crappie and bluegill are being caught in deeper water near the marinas, submerged trees, and rocky shorelines. Baits working best are worms, nightcrawlers, minnows, and artificials (jigs, minnows).

Kern County Bass Masters (KCBM) held a bass fishing tournament on Oct. 9. During the early morning hours bass boats could be seen moving from one hot spot to the next. Bass were biting good off the points, rocky shorelines, drop-offs, and next to the submerged trees. Rubber worms, grubs, and crankbait (plastic minnows) were the primary baits being used.

The tournament was made up of two person teams and the winning team with the heaviest weigh-in of five fish was the winner. First place was Mike Brown and Randy Berglos with a weigh-in of 15.10, second place was Mark Selback and Randy Geer with a weigh-in of 15.04, and third place was Brad Horack and Kevin Horack with a weigh-in of 11.60.

The president of the KCBM, Mike Brown, said, “Lake Isabella is always a great lake to fish. KCBM fishes other lakes, but heavy weigh-ins are always recorded at Isabella.”

The information found on this website is from some of the best professional bass anglers and guides today. World Record Largemouth Bass (Dotty-25lb. 1oz.) caught out of Lake Dixon by Jed Dickerson, photos, and video are found on delawaretrophybass.com