Castaic Lake Fishing Report

Bass action is wide open. Jim Taibi reports consistent action for both Largemouth and Smallmouth, with catch counts hitting 15–20 a day. Dropshot rigs are doing the most damage, but any finesse plastics or small 3″ swimbaits are working well. Bigger bites are coming on wacky-rigged Senkos fished along rocky slopes and secondary points. The bite’s active but scattered… folks are doing best moving spots frequently.

Stripers are in transition. Bait is moving into coves like Elizabeth Canyon, and while a few fish are feeding, most surface activity is tied to spawning. They’re not chasing—just going through the motions. Unlike bass that guard nests, Stripers release everything into open water and let the wind do the mixing. During this phase, they’re tough to fool. A couple might swipe, but the real action should return post-spawn.

Jim Taibi from 611 Fishing reports that bass fishing at Castaic slowed a bit this week after cold weather and rain temporarily stalled the spawn. Smallmouth are post-spawn and aggressive, willing to hit a variety of presentations. Largemouth actions is mostly one to two pound males guarding beds, but some three to five pound fish are showing up. Carolina rigs and dropshots are producing well, while wacky-rigged 5” Senkos in Green Pumpkin or Natural Shad have been getting the bigger bites. Jim notes using darker colors on cloudy days and natural shad tones when it’s sunny.

For striped bass, bait schools are moving into the backs of coves, which is a good thing, but the Stripers are still in pre-spawn mode, so the bite will have to wait a bit.

Water clarity remains excellent, with visibility up to 20 feet in some areas. Surface temps are running 62 to 66 degrees.

Guide Jim Taibi from 611 Fishing reports that bass action at Lake Castaic is still going strong. Largemouth and smallmouth are scattered across the lake in various stages of the spawn, with fish showing up on rocky points, main lake structure, and tucked into the brush in the backs of coves. Most largemouth are in the 1–2 lb range, with some bigger fish to 5 lbs. Water clarity is excellent overall, minus some stain deep in the coves. C3 Baits Shimmy’s in Neptune Shad on a Carolina rig or dropshot are doing most of the work, while wacky-rigged 5” Senkos in green pumpkin or natural shad are pulling the better bites. Jerkbaits and small cranks are starting to come into play too. As for stripers, not much pressure on them yet, but with baitfish moving shallow, it won’t be long before the big schools follow.