How things have changed

[Danny Klein]

This morning I had an opportunity to hang out with my dad and three of his fishing buddies at Noahs Bagels. It would seem that the southern california freshwater fishery I remember so fondly from the 1960's and 1970's had radically changed.

Back in the day I fished Castaic,Pyramid,Piru,Casitas,Sherwood,the San Diego lakes, and others mostly for largemouth bass. Most of our trout fishing was done in the Eastern High Sierras,Northern California, or out of state.

Bass fishing was mostly finesse fishing and most of the local trout were dfg raised and stocked.

This morning it was explained to me how Castaic,Pyramid and many other So Cal impoundments have been invaded by striped bass.The striped bass have literally taken over these lakes and drastically and most likely forever ruined the trophy bass fishing that California was becoming known for. Casitas and a few other lakes seems to have escaped this fate. DVL,I'm told, has phenomenal laregemouth bass fishing,good smallmouth bass fishing,and holdover trout.Unfortunately,the stripers are starting to take over DVL too and it's just a matter of time before the lmb and holdover trout are diminished.

Trout fishing has also changed.The trout stocked by the dfg are now the food of choice of the aforementioned striped bass.Most dfg stocked trout are gobbled up by stripers long before anglers can take a shot at them.

ON the other hand so cal trout fishing has improved/changed thanks to an industry referred to as "Pay to fish/Put and take" errr, something like that. Previously unheard of places like SARL have been created. Community lakes like Irvine,Corona,and Laguna Niguel have been awarded to concessionaires who heavily stock large and sometimes sterile private hatchery raised trout. For a fee unlicensed anglers may catch a limit of these trout.

So what does everyone think of the so cal freshwater scene these days? I'm not making any judgements as to the state of things. I recently enjoyed a day at Laguna Niguel. I'll probably sample the striper fishing in the near future and enjoy it.I will admit though to feeling a bit saddened by the changes.

Danny

[madwire3]

nothing to say about those lakes i dont fish em but i hear all too much how much damage the stripers have done and how things used to be before them, like the aquaduct through bako ive read used to be a huge hit for gills, crappie, lmb, sturgeon werent as few and far between, among other species, now all these species struggle to escape the mouths of the striper, or to just get enough food to survive... one thing that would help other species but piss off all the striper guys is lifting the 18 inch 2 fish limit... get more of them out of the waters so other species can pick up, overall i think itd help create some monster stripers, less competition for food and all... just my thoughts

[Danny Klein]

Madwire3, thanks for your response. You mentioned lifting the 18 inch 2 fish limit. That can't be the striper limit;I keep seeing pictures of mass slaughter on stripers. Think it's time for me to study the ca dfg regulations rulebook.

Danny

[fishsniffin]

Danny, for stripers, southern california (grapevine south) is 10 fish no size limit. Central california and northern california (Bakersfield area and everthing north thereof) is 18" and 2 fish limit.

[madwire3]

thanks fishniffin for filling in there, didnt get a chance to respond til now, definately need to lift it IMO, its not like i get close to a bako limit often at all but still others do and then some, get more out so other species can pick up

[Danny Klein]

thanks guys. fewer stripers could mean much larger stripers and perhaps larger lmbs.

[tracker16]

I moved from the Bay Area about 38 years ago striper fishing was great in the bay you could catch a yard full all about 40 or 50lbs. now days your lucky to catch one of those.
In 93 or 94 fishing was good for stripers in Pyramid now you catch only schoolies.
I used to go to the ocean and catch salmon off Ventura and off the rigs at Santa Berbra But no more, I would go to get the salt water out of the trailer and boat and catch two limits of trout as a by catch no more.
The tree hugers are are taking over everything.
The fish truck chasers are would fish out of the truck that bring the trout if you let them.
Yes things have changed, its our falt we have fished out the good spots just how many fish do we need to take home to eat, we need to conserve what we have some what YES THINGS HAVE CHANGED

tracker16

[Danny Klein]

Hi tracker16. You reminded me of something. Remember when Lake Havasu was producing 50 lb stripers in the 1970's? A guy named Fred Kunkle was in WON constantly with pics and reports of giant stripers he had caught.

Pyramid,in Gorman, produced some huge stripers as well.The current reports reflect massive amounts of stripers under 5lbs with a sprinkling of 10 plus lbers coming out of pyramid and castaic.

If you ever have a chance to fish the North East coast saltwater scene you'll find 50 lb stripers are not uncommon.

[fishinone]

Hi Danny,

I fish almost exclusively for striper and I think the limits are too low. They need to do something to reduce the numbers. Maybe no limit on small striper and a slot limit on the big ones.

The average size of the striper in Castaic is dropping too, but there are lots of them.

[DarkShadow]

Stripers....

On one hand, it provides hours of entertainment for anglers, as they are voracious, eat anything in site, and fight well.

On the other hand, they'll eat even themselves out of a trophy fishery, and you're left with undersized fish, and a decimated fishery for other species.

[dockboy]

Stripers certainly do change a fishery. I don't think they are the only factors. One thing all our SoCal lakes suffer from is abuse by the water departments. Our reservoirs are flood control and drinking water first to our public officials, so anglers have been consistently shunned. What really killed the fishery at Castaic was the fact the water level dropped to almost nothing during the mid 90s, and then was rapidly filled with very cold water over a very short. There was a huge fish kill because the thermocline disappeared, and lots of the big girls Castaic had became floaters. That lake has never recovered as a trophy fishery with the growth of the stripers, and the only reason the genetic makeup of those big Castaic girls is alive is because some were released into the Lagoon after being caught.

DVL is still great, but has had low water for the last 3-4 years. Fluctuating water levels often interfere with the spawn, and in a lot of our SoCal lakes come spawn time beds that were in 2 feet of water are sometimes dry a week later. Stripers arent nearly as affected by continuous low water levels, and thus thrive. Stripers need current to spawn effectively everywhere you go except SoCal it seems, where they breed like rabbits.
Casitas is dying, because the water board shot itself in the foot. It difficult to even fish Casitas outside shore fishing now, and the privatization agenda pushed by the water board in the name of quagga mussel prevention killed the lake revenues. Used to be Casitas thrived when everywhere else died. Now the DFG doesn't stock there due to the steelhead supposedly in danger from stocked trout, and the private stocking program there is weak and not enough to support the trophy fishery it had before. Used to be Casitas before the closures could turn on and produce limits of 10-12s. Now guys are catching maybe a handful of 10s a year, if that. Lots of fat, healthy 4-8s though because that lake is chock full of craws and shad,
Piru is still good. Tough, but good, no stripers is a plus there. But the water levels are like no other, and that can kill it right quick. Though its not a small fish only lake like everyone thinks. I've seen 20lb limits out that lake, there are Floridas there and they do get big.

[tracker16]

Entertainment yes, I now use 2lb. fluro and ultralight rig for stripers its a blast.
The small stripers are better eating anyway about 12 to 14 is great in the pan. I dont even want the big ones and with 2lb. line they all seem big, lots of fun.

[tracker16]

Entertainment o yes compinsate is what I do, i now use ultralight pole and 2lb. line for the stripers its lots of fun
the schoolies are like monsters on these rigs.
I dont even try for large ones any more the 12 to 14 inch ones are just right for the pan and tast better then the big ones.
Doen sizing equipment is the way I go and have lots of fun. At the ball at Pyrimid I lost a pole that a srtiper jerked out of my boat I quess you need to stay awake even for the small ones.
tracker16

[TroutOnly]

Lake san antonio is one the only exempt more northern lakes,new hogan lake east and north of sacremento has no limits because the stripers that were introduced killed every off.the aqauduct water brings them south,the lakes that dont get that water are safe like casitas piru cachuma and all the others that dont get that water. The bass at dvl will be shrinking every year from here out ,same thing happened at castaic,and the others......kill the stripers,,,

[tracker16]

Well Bob there would not be many guide trips for you if all the stripers where gone looks like I need to book a trip before you get them all.
This would be fun fish or no fish!

[Darius]

I miss the old days when I sat in my pops toyota P/U with my bro and headed out to crystal lake, or that place in San Dimas the reservoir? All gone or not accessible now. Maybe it's I'm older and see society as a ****** place, all the trash and litter and the criminal looking individuals that lurk the nice places to fish.

[smokehound]

Dang, I wish all the poachers and illegals would go striper fishing at castaic. :LOL:


that way everyone wins.