Don't forget the net! (park catfishing)

I wrote a similar thread exactly 1 year ago today. It's just as relevant this year as last year. This is not DFG truck chasing kind of catfishing. Where you could get many but they weren't very big. (1-2lbs) These catfish are nice 3-5 pounders, so you won't catch very many every outing but the ones you will catch are very special. (please let them go, so others can enjoy them too) You will need a net because they are too big to bounce! lol

Well if the DFG doesn't stock them any more, where did they come from you might be thinking. They come from primarily 2 sources, they are left over fish from Kids derby's and County stockings. A perfect example of left over fish from Kids derby's is the Tri city derby. They stocked 2,000 lbs of catfish for the derby and they bite pretty decent the day of the derby. I went the next day along with 67 of my closets friends and saw 0 fish were caught the next morning. They didn't catch them all on derby day, so there is still a fair amount of them in there. The County stocks fish every month some where and yes they don't catch them all the first couple of day's. (so their still in there waiting for you to catch them)

To prove my point, I've gone 4 straight evenings this week and caught fish every time I went in 2 different ponds. (Nice ones too!) I would recommend fishing in the evenings right before dark and into the dark if your park permits it! There is also pretty good LMB in most of the ponds. Tonight I saw swirls right in front of me several times and they were either Carp or Bass but I'm pretty sure they were Bass. So tomorrow I'm bringing a Bass pole with me to see if I catch one.

A couple of quick story's. I know where this one 5 pounder lives. I've caught him twice already on different baits. He won't bite the same bait twice, so you have to trick him into biting something new. I went to Ranch 99 to buy some Skipjack and some super stink bait. (Sunny's) That catfish didn't know who he was dealing with!! (While E Coyote super genius) For one of the few times in my life, I was going to hold my pole while catfishing. (I knew he would hit that bait pretty fast) Sure enough he hit it in about 1 minute after being in the water. The bobber went down, I set the hook and a 5 pound catfish came flying out of the water like a LMB. He gave up pretty quick after that! He said, Eric you fooled my again, so I'll come quietly!! lol

The fish I caught tonight are recently planted. They fought so hard, you would have thought I hooked an Alligator with all the trashing they did. They didn't come quietly!!! So do a little research and give it a go! It's a nice way to spend a cool summer evening close and cheap!

Thanks,was up at Mountain Lakes Sunday where they do stock catfish this time of year regularly,saw quite a few fish,all about 2lbs, first time there,pretty cool place but requires membership to fish,ok,thanks for the report.

Cya Tuna Vic

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Originally Posted by TUNAVIC

Thanks,was up at Mountain Lakes Sunday where they do stock catfish this time of year regularly,saw quite a few fish,all about 2lbs, first time there,pretty cool place but requires membership to fish,ok,thanks for the report.

Cya Tuna Vic

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The Orange County parks lakes are stocking. Look up the catfish stockings on their website. (they have them posted for the rest of the year)

I was looking them up and ended up calling the county, apparently they stock way more trout than catfish since they have to pay for the catfish and there are budget restrictions to account for. A local tackle shop was telling me that after stocking you can fish there for just about 2 weeks and the catch rate drastically goes down to null.

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Originally Posted by Alakai

I was looking them up and ended up calling the county, apparently they stock way more trout than catfish since they have to pay for the catfish and there are budget restrictions to account for. A local tackle shop was telling me that after stocking you can fish there for just about 2 weeks and the catch rate drastically goes down to null.

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Just out of curiosity who did you talk too? Last year I fished 1 plant for 6 weeks and caught them almost every time I tried. One lake I'm fishing at now, unless they snuck some fish in under the radar. Hasn't been stocked since last Sept and I only had 1 night I didn't catch one in 10 tries. If you look at the stocking schedule, they stock some where every month. By the time 1 lake runs out another one get's stocked. You just have to figure the lakes out. The best advice is, go right before dark and stay as long as it's legal after dark. That's when these things really want to bite.

p.s. It's funny when the DFG use to stock catfish it was the law of demising returns. That meant the further you go away from the plant the less you got. The hatchery the county buy's their fish from is just the opposite. They don't bite that much when they first stock it. Ask Bowler if you don't believe me. lol I fished that Irvine Regional plant too last month. 20 fish were caught the first day and 2 the next morning and a few that night. After that it was night time mode on the bite. They did stock 500 pounds so it wasn't a little stocking.

So for the detail about what fish they stock and why they don't stock Catfish nearly as much as trout. I called the below number and they called me back. Very nice people.

Fishing In the City - South Coast Region
4665 Lampson Ave, Suite C
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
(562) 342-7148

For the local tackle shops I spoke to the guys at Santa Fe Springs Tackle shop and Young's over in Cerritos. I have tried fishing in Cerritos lake since then (stocked end of May for the derby) and have been skunked every time. Dying to try a new local lake. I heard that El Dorado also is stocked but have no idea how it is there

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Originally Posted by Alakai

So for the detail about what fish they stock and why they don't stock Catfish nearly as much as trout. I called the below number and they called me back. Very nice people.

Fishing In the City - South Coast Region
4665 Lampson Ave, Suite C
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
(562) 342-7148

For the local tackle shops I spoke to the guys at Santa Fe Springs Tackle shop and Young's over in Cerritos. I have tried fishing in Cerritos lake since then (stocked end of May for the derby) and have been skunked every time. Dying to try a new local lake. I heard that El Dorado also is stocked but have no idea how it is there

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Try the website Orange County Regional parks. Look up catfish stockings.

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Originally Posted by etucker1959

Try the website Orange County Regional parks. Look up catfish stockings.

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Hey! Thank you I just saw this.
http://www.ocparks.com/civicax/inc/b...x?BlobID=75072

Off to Mile Square this week

Is there one for LA as well? Legg, Cerritos or El Dorado?

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Originally Posted by Alakai

Hey! Thank you I just saw this.
http://www.ocparks.com/civicax/inc/b...x?BlobID=75072

Off to Mile Square this week

Is there one for LA as well? Legg, Cerritos or El Dorado?

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Unfortunately there isn't one that I know of. However, LA County does stock some Catfish in their Regional Parks. (Legg and El Dorado) You sorta have to make to make a note on when they do and pencil it in on next years calendar. Yes I plan my freshwater fishing a year in advance! If it wasn't so "Hot" the other parks to try are the San Bernadino park lakes. They stock catfish every Thursday till Oct. But they do charge a pretty stiff parking and fishing fee. So it's not Free like the other park lakes.

etucker1959 Thanks for releasing those fish, so someone else can have a time catching them. When I used to fish for catfish, (when we would illegally spend the night at a popular LA area park, just to catch the giant catfish at night) I landed many catfish over 5 pounds, (up to 20!) by hand. You can land catfish with your hands, if you are careful and know which 3 fins are dangerous. You just need to know where to place your fingers, so their pectoral fins are between them. And you can also grab them like a bass, by the lower jaw. Sure they will bite down, but they don't have sharp teeth. Just never put your fingers in their gills unless you want to keep them.

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Originally Posted by fishmounter

etucker1959 Thanks for releasing those fish, so someone else can have a time catching them. When I used to fish for catfish, (when we would illegally spend the night at a popular LA area park, just to catch the giant catfish at night) I landed many catfish over 5 pounds, (up to 20!) by hand. You can land catfish with your hands, if you are careful and know which 3 fins are dangerous. You just need to know where to place your fingers, so their pectoral fins are between them. And you can also grab them like a bass, by the lower jaw. Sure they will bite down, but they don't have sharp teeth. Just never put your fingers in their gills unless you want to keep them.

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I'll make a confession about the net. I'm almost 60 years old and getting down on my hands and knees to grab a fish isn't as much fun anymore! lol A smaller fish 2 pounds or less I could easily bounce (gently) with #6 test. These bigger fish 3+ pounds don't bounce on 6 pound test! lol

Yeah, we always net our big Bluegill because if you try to swing aboard a one pound or better 'Gill on 2 lb test line, you just might break the line and lose your fish and the hand-tied jig!

Yup I know what you mean etucker about the bending down,I’m 65 with two knee replacements,still fish a lot,just don’t get down on my knees as much,so that means a long net.
Actually fished last night at Don Knabe Park,no cat love,just one red ear slider,poor guy actually got a tounge piercing! But was released in good shape.

Cya Tuna Vic