OT: Fishing in the SFV?

[Foogoo]

My roommate has been telling me about fishing (never been in my life) and now I want to try it. Is there anywhere in the Valley we can go to spend an afternoon fishing? I know Castaic isn't too far. Are there any good stocked lakes even closer?

[Bebo77]

http://www.laparks.org/dos/aquatic/hansen.htm

[Foogoo]

Thanks for the link. Reseda Park and Lake Balboa are literally down the street from me.

[golfish]

If your looking to catch stocked trout you can check the stocking reports in the newspaper. I think the Daily News has a decent outdoors section on Wed or Thurs, they used to anyway.

I used to go up to Bouquet Canyon during the summer after a stock and Catch N Release fish all day. The best spots used to be in the camp grounds. Its been 10 years since I've been up there so I'm sure things have changed.


Don't forget the most important thing.....a fishing license. I've been fishing 40+ years, I bet I've been asked by DFG 6 times, tops, to see my license. If you get caught with fish and no license, they can take your boat, you equipment, your truck, car, first born, you name it.

[FOSELONE]

i wanna go fishing too...bad thing, none of my friends like it...

[reef_doug]

Since you haven't been before, you probably want two things...

1. A place where you don't need to purchase a license for the year
2. Heavilly stocked so you catch some.

Santa Ana river lakes doesn't require a license, just an entrance fee. The stock some big trout in there also. Another thing, early morning is the best, afternoon would be too late for most fishing.

[yellowslayer13]

go to Irvine lake the best of all take it from me i do fish 2-3 times per week consistently Irvine pulls ahead

[trdofwrkin]

frenchman flats up by lake pyramid is good for stock trout

[Captain skip]

all good but i prefer skinner

[Captain skip]

strippers rule at skinner but irvine for trout is pretty good, Santa Anna river lakes has a very plain feel to it like you fishing in a couple of pools, Laguna Lake is pretty cool too theres always fish by the shop .

[newnanoboy]

Originally posted by FOSELONE
i wanna go fishing too...bad thing, none of my friends like it...

hey i got the same problem...

[Harley-J]

There is also lake Piru..off the 126 as close as Cataic...But I really love to fish Lake Elizabeth...you get lake and river action all in one!! worth to drive...But the ULTIMATE trout fishing is by far Lake Convict...If you go on line you should see the trout they pull out...strictly trout stocked!! Beautiful surroundings..diffently a 2 dayer!!

[coast2coast7390]

never been fishing...you dont know what youre missing...i cant wait till summer...i get to stock my pond...i still dont know what happened to that corbina i caught...it kinda disappeared over night

[golfish]

Originally posted by Harley-J
But the ULTIMATE trout fishing is by far Lake Convict...If you go on line you should see the trout they pull out...strictly trout stocked!! Beautiful surroundings..diffently a 2 dayer!!

By far the nice's view of all the lakes in the Eastern Sierras but not the best place to fish. There's not much of a fishery so most are stockers, albeit some are stocked huge, plus the wind blows so bad that even shore fishers get blown off.

For some reason Convict lake freaks me out. I've float tube lakes where I've had to break the ice 20 feet out on the edge to launch my tube (Crystal lake above Azusa) I've bumped into VW size pieces of ice floating around in the lakes (lake George, Mammoth) but in the morning, sitting in a little tube on Convict freaks me out. The lake is crystal clear all the way to the bottom when its dead calm (I'm guessing 100's of feet) Plus I don't think they ever did find all those bodies.

Now, go to the other side of the 395 and you'll find the best fishing in the Sierras at Crowley. This lake has to be one of the ugliest but offers not only "put, grow and catch" fish but has a great fishery. I've caught more fish over 18" there then all the other lakes and rivers I've fished combined. There's nothing like hooking up with a 20" Crowley Rainbow on a 9 foot fly rod. Its the ultimate heart pumper for me. These fish fight harder then any other fish I've caught.

Whatever you do, go fishing.

[reef_doug]

Originally posted by golfish
I've caught more fish over 18" there then all the other lakes and rivers I've fished combined. There's nothing like hooking up with a 20" Crowley Rainbow on a 9 foot fly rod. Its the ultimate heart pumper for me. These fish fight harder then any other fish I've caught.

Whatever you do, go fishing.

Yeah, love tubbing on Crowley. Sage 5wt, sm Lamson reel, sink tip and zebra midges are a guarrantee. ZZZzzzzzzz got to have that backing! Nothing like brown baggin & Kamlooping.

[golfish]

Originally posted by reef_doug
Yeah, love tubbing on Crowley. Sage 5wt, sm Lamson reel, sink tip and zebra midges are a guarrantee. ZZZzzzzzzz got to have that backing! Nothing like brown baggin & Kamlooping.

yeppers, 5wt Sage, Orvis real, floating line with droppers on a bobber (indicator) I've caught 10X more biggins this way then strippin..its like bobber fishin for bluegil at Legg Lake back in the 60's...

[Harley-J]

Thanks for the insight...Next time im out that way..I will make it over to Crowley...I love Convict for exactly the same reason it makes you feel creepy...clear and serene!! but your right about the wind..sometimes it gets real bad..its cause it channels through there...just talking about it..especially the ZZZZzzzz makes me want to get out there and get a line wet...
Also foogoo if you decide to go..you dont have to buy a annual pass...you can go to Kmart or Walmart..(any of the marts!!) and get just a 2 day pass...just to see if it something you would like...my bet it will be, especially after your first fight in...
Have fun..

[golfish]

Crowley is one of the best to fish but boats are the way to go unless you know the lake and fish. I've seen bows up to 25" herding perch fry up to shore, I'm talking 4-6" of water. I've caught fish sitting in my tube on dry land there (i'm on dry land, the fish are in 5" of water"


One reminder. After Aug 1st its catch and release on fish less then 18", you can keep two fish 18"+ a day and you must use barbless hooks, no bait.

I've hooked into fish there and within two seconds you know there's no chance you'll ever seem em. Your lucky if you get 10 seconds of fun and SNAP their gone...I'm talking fish that are 10+ pounds, maybe 20....

[Harley-J]

Ok this isn't a fish story...true..I was at Lake Isabella..(oh by the way when I mentioned lake Elizabeth earlier, I meant Lake Isabella)
Anyway I was shore fishing and I caught a small trout, when I got him to shore I realized he was to small to keep..but the problem was he had swallowed the hook...so I did my best to get it out with minimal damage...
After I un-hooked it..I walked it down to shore and started to push him back and forth in the water to get some flow through his gills...there was a little blood and I let him go...
He started to flounder a little but was still kicking in circles...I stood up and watched him hoping for a recovery..when all of a sudden a Big Mouth Bass came up, biggest thing I have ever seen...and he took the trout half way into his mouth and this is in maybe 2 feet of water...I swear he looked up at me with the fish hanging out of his mouth, right at my feet, as if to say.."Thanks Buddy" and that sucker darted off....I was so shocked that by the time it occurred to me to get a net...he was long gone!!
Been looking for that guy ever since!!
Ps as a gauge the trout was probably 11"-12"
true story..

[golfish]

HJ,
That's a good one...

I got one 4 ya. I took my son to Jenks lake up by Big Bear a few years ago (summer of 06) Since he's only 4 at time its a power bait fishing day, no tubing for us. About 6 guys floating tubing the lake and bunch of birds (looked like Swallows) diving above the lake catching bugs. Two of the birds must of ran into each other and one went in the lake, one of the tubers picked the bird out of the water and floated over to me and Cole. Passed the bird to me and I sat it on a rock near the waters edge to dry out so it could fly again. My son kept going over and messin with it so I picked it up and stuck it up in a tree. About 15 minutes later it tried to fly, took a header right into the lake............needless to say the bird wound up just like your little trout. Lunch for a big bass.


FWIW, If the hook has been swallowed just cut the line at the mouth of the fish and let it go. Don't try and remove the hook. Think about all the fish you've caught that have had hooks in em. Its much easier on the fish this way. IMO, its an ok thing to do when you have to. Some think its a "catch N release" method so they can fish longer...its not.

[Harley-J]

LOL!! that's funny..Hopefully your son didn't see it!!..Trauma...
and what's wrong with power baitin'? you tubers I watch from the shore and go " man those guys are nuts!!" I'm cold on shore, you guys gotta be numb!! One day though I would like to try it...seems really at one...
You know I have thought about just cutting the line, cause your right, I have caught fish still hooked and have always thought they snapped it...
but I always over think it and say "no its your responsibility to make this as easy as possible for the fish" and I end up probably doing more damage..
Next time cut and go!!

[golfish]

Originally posted by Harley-J

and what's wrong with power baitin'?

what happens here is that lots of people catch their limit, sometimes there camping for a week or more and they wind up with 5x7 fish in the cooler\freezer.

1) the law is 5 trout a day and 10 in possession...get caught get in trouble. I've seen my sister's family (5 people) come home from Crowley with 175 fish.

2) lots of people (why I stopped bait fishing) catch, clean, they go in the freezer at home and then in the trash 6 months later. If the kids bait fish we eat what we catch that night.

[Harley-J]

One time I caught a HUGE catfish at Isabella..I mean the biggest thing I ever caught in my life ...and wanna talk about a fight...not kidding this thing took almost an hour at 4am to land...(Isabella one of the last few spots that allows you overnight fishing)..I took it home..was the nastiest thing I ever cleaned..cooked it that night...awful..it was just to big..
anyways from that point on I decided that no matter what, even if its a HUGE beautiful Rainbow..Its going back in..Unless I'm camping and its hitting fire that night..
Now I bring a camera and take the photo and throw it back in..

[golfish]

HJ, you going to the EasyRider show this weekend?

[supernareg]

whats "powerbait fishing"?

doesnt every fisherman use a bait to get the fish?