Aug 10
28
MOON WANES TROUT SHINE
Trout fishing was pretty slow during the first part of the week as the full moon lit up the lake. By the end of the week as the moon waned the trout fishing improved greatly. A surface bite down to 10 feet is working in the early and late hours of the day. As the sun gets high the fish are holding from 10 to 15 feet down. CD Rapalas up top, and Needlefish or Dick Nite spoons down are putting the fish in the boat. Limits are common with trout from 1 to 3 pounds coming in.
Catfish remain active on the sandy bottom of the lake, for nocturnal anglers using hotdogs, shrimp, mackerel and stinkbaits. Large and small mouth bass are hitting small spinners and jigs fished near docks and rocks. Crappie and bluegill are also chewing on minijigs tipped with mealworms or nuggets.
Aug 10
21
BIG CATS CHEW UP BIG BEAR
Huge channel catfish are the big news this week! 20 pound fish are showing on a regular basis! Father and son team Dave and Dan Marshall of Sugarloaf caught 7 whisker fish, with two topping 20 pounds. They fished from 10pm til 2am off the observatory using shrimp hung from a 2/0 hook. Dad caught 3 while his son nailed 4. Below is the impressive stringer. Not to miss out on the action their buddy Tony Jackson also from Sugarloaf got two kitties weighing in at 21 and 17 pounds.
Bass and crappie continue to be caught on small spinners and jigs off of rock walls and the docks in the bays. Recent lake records for these species are easily in reach (Smallmouth 3.12 pounds, crappie 1.26 pounds). Give it your best shot and bring your fish to our Official Weigh Station.
Not much change on the trout scene. Fish to three pounds are coming in with most trout in the one pound plus range. Oxygen levels are holding at 26 feet from Gilner Pt. to the dam. Trollers with 3 colors of leadcore towing various spoons are getting the most fish. Bait anglers on the drift with a slip bobber and bait are getting a few too.
Aug 10
15
NEW SMALLIE RECORD/FAT CATS PROWL
Gary Kalina aka “Bass Assassin” from Big Bear City established a new Big Bear Lake record for Smallmouth Bass! Gary’s 3.12 lbs. bass hit an orange crank bait off the Solar Observatory on 8/12. Gary’s wife Pam is the current Largemouth Bass Lake Record holder with a 5.90 fish! What a great angling couple!
Trout fishing remains fair on the lake. Oxygen levels have stabilized from the dam to the West ramp at 26 feet and up. With clarity at 7 feet, the trout are holding in the top 12 to 20 feet. Trolling leadcore at 2.5 to 3 colors with Dick Nite Spoons and Needlefish is working the best. Bait anglers with slip bobbers rigged to the same depth are finding fish on the drift, using PowerBait.
Big Catfish are starting to show. Jeremy Northam from Lake Forest brought in a pair of fish hitting the scales at 24 and 17 lbs. Jeremy caught the fish along the North Shore east of Forest Turn. Both the fish inhaled a hot dog offered up at 1:oo am on 8/9.
Nolan Warriner of Big Bear Lake established the lake record for crappie on 8/2/10! The slab weighed 1.26 lbs. and was caught on a mini-jig tipped with a Gulp Nugget. Nolan brought the fish into the Official Weigh Station of Big Bear Lake @ Big Bear Marina, after landing the crappie from a nearby dock. The record catch was released successfully!
Good news for trout anglers…the oxygen levels have bounced back! A combination of sunny days, with cooler temperatures at night has made the oxygen levels higher. At this time plenty of oxygen exist from the dam east to Gilner Pt., from the surface down to 24 feet. Trollers working the surface early and late with Rapalas have found the fish. Mid-day is the time to go down with leadcore to 3 colors with Dick Nite Spoons and Needlefish the ticket. Bait anglers need to hang their offering from a slip bobber set from 10 to 20 feet. Drift fishing from a boat is the best way to go.
The rocks and docks in the bays of Big Bear Lake are giving up small and large mouth bass, as well as, crappie and bluegill. Small spinners and jigs will get the job done.
Tight lines and good fishing!!!
Jul 10
31
BIG BEAR CHANGES!
Wow! What a difference a week makes. Oxygen levels that were good down to 23 feet last week have crashed to 7 feet from the dam to the west ramp. Above normal lake temperatures, along with cloudy days and lack of summer storms has depleted the oxygen. The trout are hanging on near the surface trying to survive. Oxygen levels do improve from the west ramp to the observatory, but still only down to 15 feet.
Trout are still being caught, but how and when have changed. Fish late in the day, and up high. Trollers are doing best with flat-lined Rapalas in gold, or 1.5 colors of leadcore with Dick Nite spoons in pink and purple, or pink and white. Not much else is working at this time. Bait anglers are going to have a tough time from shore. Drift fishing from a boat just below the surface is the only way to go.
Oxygen levels will improve with the right combination of conditions. Until then, try targeting the other species in Big Bear Lake. Bass, Catfish, Crappie and Bluegill are plentiful and will make your drags sing.
Jul 10
18
ALPINE SUMMER IN BIG BEAR
Trout fishing remains good on the lake! Not much has changed since last week with the exception of oxygen levels shrinking down to 23 ft. With the clarity at 8 feet, you should target the trout from the surface to 20 ft. Remember that the trout always look up for their prey so baits or lures presented from the surface (CD Rapalas on flat lined mono or Needlefish at 3 to 4 colors of leadcore and PowerBait hung from a slip bobber) are the magic that works.
Both large and small mouth bass are becoming more active in the bays and along rocky jetties. Small jigs and spinners are taking most of the fish.
Crappie and bluegill are also coming alive as water temps rise. Mini-jigs tipped with Gulp nuggets are a good combo. For the nocturnal anglers catfish are showing along the shallow banks in the east end on mackerel, shrimp and stink baits.
Take a trip to 6750 feet, cool off enjoy the lake and catch some fish, because it just doesn’t get any better than this!
Jul 10
11
TROUT BITE STAYS STRONG
Another great week on Big Bear Lake! With water temperatures in the mid 60’s and oxygen levels good down to 25 feet the trout bite remains strong. The summertime scenario of the trout holding in the western third of the lake is in full swing now. Trollers and bait anglers are finding the fish from Gilner Pt. down to the dam. Trollers are whacking trout on the surface with silver or black CD Rapalas, and down to 2.5 to 3 colors of leadcore with Needlefish in pearl bikini and copper chicken wing getting the most action. Bait anglers going on the drift from a boat with slip bobbers rigged from 10 to 25 feet are also seeing limits of quality trout on PowerBait and nightcrawlers.
The panfish, catfish and bass are out there, just not many anglers targeting them at this time. Remember Big Bear Marina is the only Official Weigh Station on the lake. Bring your record or quality catch here to be certified.
Below is a group of boys who whacked them on a recent trip with Curt Dills of FishBigBear.com. A great trip for them and an angler’s memory of a lifetime. Keep fishin’ boys!
Jul 10
3
BIG BANG ON BIG BEAR
Trout fishing on Big Bear Lake remained good this week. Even with the heavy boat pressure from the 4th of July trollers and bait anglers continue to find the fish. Trollers with 3 colors of leadcore out with Needlefish in pearl bikini and fire pearl landed their limits. Trollers going flat lined mono with Rapalas in silver also did well. Bait anglers drifting down the middle of the lake and shore anglers using a slip bobber, also got a few. The trout are holding between 10 and 23 feet from the dam to the observatory, with most of the action coming from Windy Pt. west to the dam.
The bass (both small and large) are off their beds and active again in the back of the bays. Small spinners and jigs are working best.
Bowfishing for carp will return to excellent, once the boat traffic slows.
Look for the catfish to come on soon as water temperatures are now hitting the high 60’s in the east end that they call home.
Below is Eric Henderson of Anaheim who landed a nice pair of trout (3.72 and 4.28 lbs) while drift fishing with PowerBait.
Adam Pyska of Monrovia got his 5.76 while trolling a Rapala on the surface off Rockwall .
Jun 10
26
BITE KEEPS A ROLLIN’
Not much has changed in the past week. The weather is great, the water temperatures and oxygen levels have remained the same and the trout just keep biting. (See last weeks report for details)
Bowfishing for carp has gone off the charts. The fish are big and in the shallows. Come on up and shoot a bunch, just dispose of them properly (not in the water or shore, sealed trash bag and can are best).
Mike Willman along with his sons Matt and Jason took a trip with Curt Dills, www.FishBigBear.com, last week and took 12 fish home after releasing another 13, during a trip. Mike exclaimed, “My kids had one of the best days of their lives today, without a doubt.”
Jun 10
20
SUMMER BITE SIZZLES
Trout fishing remains good on Big Bear Lake. With water temperatures in the low 60’s on the surface and oxygen levels good down to 25 feet from mid-lake to all points west the fish are starting their annual migration to the west end of the lake looking for deeper cooler water.
Trollers working the western edge of Trout Triangle down to Papoose Bay have had good results at 3 colors of leadcore with just about any type of spoon with a brass or copper back.
Bait anglers need to shift from fishing off the bottom to a slip bobber rigged between 15 to 25 feet wether fishing from shore or boat. If in a boat try drifting from west to east. It will improve your catch rate and you can cover more water. PowerBait and nightcrawlers are the best baits to use.
Large and small mouth bass are spawning now, so the bite has slowed. Please release any bass caught so the species can continue to thrive.
Look for the catfish and panfish to turn on as the water continues to warm.
Pictured below is 8 yr old Desiree Guillen from Moreno Valley CA, who landed this nice 4.11 lb. Big Bear Bow while fishing along the north shore near the dam. Desiree caught her fish on PowerBait.
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