SALTWATER REPORT

Still waiting.

For spring, or actually, spring-like weather to take full effect.

Sharp winds and colder temperatures made for a mixed-bag week for ocean anglers.

Rockfish and lingcod continue to be available in good numbers. But it's largely hit-or-miss on other species.

"It was really windy this week," said Chris Volaski of Ventura Sportfishing. "Water temperatures are still cold. Rockfishing is good. Lingcod is OK. We'd like to go after more surface varieties. We're looking forward to better weather."

Success tales still abound.

Channel Islands Sportfishing reports Kwan Kim of Simi Valley, fishing aboard the Island Tak on Saturday, brought home a 15-pound sheephead.

Shawn Hanes of Oxnard was aboard the Gentleman when he caught a 26-pound lingcod. Steve Reed of Port Hueneme reeled in a 15-pound lingcod.

Channel Islands Sportfishing offers full-day, half-day and three-quarter-day voyages daily. Two-day treks are also available.

Beginning this summer, Port Hueneme Sportfishing will over two-day treks from June through August.

Capt. Hook's Sportfishing is touting the accomplishments of captain Shawn Steward aboard the Aloha Spirit, who found limits of rockfish on each day he operated in March.

Capt. Hook's is also operating a new boat, the Island Spirit, with Greg Ewart as the captain.

FRESHWATER REPORT

Lake Casitas: Happy anglers are becoming as common as large schools of fish.

Bass are thriving. Large numbers of crappies are also available.

Kalvin Keller of Ojai snagged a 13-pound bass using crawdads for bait. Kevin Urango of Ventura caught two significant bass at 13 pounds and 10 pounds with swim bait as the lure.

Duane Stiles of Oxnard also caught a pair of good-sized bass: 11 pounds and 7 pounds. Clayton Pulley of Ojai nabbed a pair of 6-pounders on plastics.

Abel Lemos of Oxnard proved that bass are prevalent in most areas of the lake. He caught his 11-pounder off the shoreline with nightcrawlers as bait.

Jim Carswell of Ventura reeled in a 9-pound bass, and a 7-pounder on crawdads.

Steve Hollebrands of Ojai jused live shad to catch an 8-pound bass. Ed Wenke of Torrance found success in the form of a 13-pound bass, caught with swim bait.

Eight-year-old Cody Holder of Ojai caught an 8-pound bass, and a 7-pound bass.

Roger Snowbarger of Ojai caught 15 crappies, with the largest at 3 pounds, and also nabbed an 8-pound bass.

A drop in water temperatures, at 4 degrees in recent days, has impacted other fishing, said Randy King of the boat rental office.

Lake hours: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Lake Castaic: Winds clocked at 40-60 mph had a major impact on anglers.

Fishing from boats became all but impossible. Ramp closures pushed the hard-core fishermen to shorelines.

Trout were available in the lagoons. Bass could be found in the lagoon beds.

Bill Wernli, an 8-year-old from Woodland Hills, managed to catch three striper bass weighing 10 pounds.

The lower lake was stocked with 900 pounds of trout last Friday.

Lake hours: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Lake Piru: Bass fishing is characterized as "great" by lake officials, while crappies are available by the "bucketful."

Plastics, night crawlers and spinners are best for bass.

Leona Palmateer of Fillmore caught five bass totaling 12 pounds. Palmateer was fishing off the bluffs at a depth of around 10 feet while using nightcrawlers for bait.

Anthony Sandoval of Fillmore caught his 5-pound bass in 8 feet of water on the lake's north end. He also used nightcrawlers.

Lake hours: 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Lake Cachuma: Trout and bass remain in strong numbers, particularly near the east end and island. Night crawlers and green power baits are the preferred lures.

The Trout Derby begins at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and noon on Sunday.

Lake hours: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Compiled by Loren Ledin