Big Bear Lake, CA Fishing Report

Trolling for rainbow trout has remained challenging to say the least but with determination, variety and creativity you will catch your limit within a day!  Big Bear Lake has been spectacular as far as conditions and weather goes with only slight wind issues time to time this past week.  You should check your gear, have fresh lines, hooks etc. and have it all in proper order and prepare to catch a trophy size bow.  We caught a beautiful, 5lb 14oz bow on Lucky Bear Fishing Charters this past Saturday morning at the start of the Jim Hall Memorial May Trout Classic.  It was caught trolling near Windy Point on a night crawler at the surface behind a 4" Orange Tiger Salmon Glow Spoon!  Don't be afraid to try different and new things especially if the fishing is tough.  We had shortened up the leader off salmon spoon from 3' down to 1' right before the lunker hit and these different combos have worked often when nothing else was.  The past week we trolled 12 hours and covered the entire west end of the lake and fish were caught in all different locations.  Hottest lures were Pink and SIlver UV Hum Dingers, Hot Banana Hot Glow Little Warrior,  Barney Little Warrior, Hot Pink XRap, various Rainbow Rapalas and Night Crawlers.  The leaded lines hit at 3-5 1/2 colors and the down riggers at 3-6, 26 and 28 feet.  MANY other lures had fish on but these were our noted best during the past week.  Don't be shy with your arsenal of lures or about changing up rigging.  Be willing to try new things, techniques and types of lures.  Even a different swivel or snap could be the trick.  Also a second pole fishing  license is not a bad idea when things slow down.  Different speeds, willing to change locations and depths and realizing when a lure turns off you must move on no matter how much one lure may have been giving is important if you want to catch.  When a HOT pattern, color or finish stops try changing the depth or speed then give in and change up to something new.  One day it will be silver finish on most lures then it will switch to copper or gold.  Also hammered or smooth or UV or GLOW all options are worth a try now.  Stay prepared and watching for the fish to hit because each one matters more since most locals are reporting slower fishing than usual.  When the trout does take your bait or lure be patient let them run if they want and enjoy reeling in instead of rushing or forcing and you should land your fish. We are at about 2-3 trout on the lines per hour for an average and an occassional 5-6 fish per hour.  It's not about the fish always it's about beautiful surroundings, fun and time enjoying good company and also some relaxation so bring a friend or family member up and take turns watching the fishing poles while you wait for a LUNKER to take your line.  When you work a little harder and don't give up it sometimes feels even more rewarding when you catch a fish.  Check out Big Bear Sporting Goods for helpful tips and all the gear/lures/tackle necessary to have a great day on the lake 909-866-3222, Pleasure Point Marina for Pontoon/Kayaks/Slip Rentals 909-866-2455, Capt John's Fawn Harbor for Fishing Boat Rentals 909-866-6478 and Lucky Bear Fishing Charters 909-866-7303.

The 31^st Annual Jim Hall Memeorial - May Trout Classic is underway!!! Heavy trout plants (including some really large fish ) have taken place over the past months in preparation for this event ! Water temps are on the rise...58 on the surface and D.O. In the 8's and 9's the trout are all over the lake and at various depths! Trollers will have the advantage because they can cover large areas of water to get into the numerous small schools of fish dispersed throughout the lake. A local charter boat captain reported good catches during the week when he was using a slip-bobber and a nite-crawler at a depth of about 20-25 feet. Otherwise, the standards, i.e. Needlefish, Thomas Bouyants and Rapalas are bringing in the 'Bows when trolled near the Solar Observatory to Lagonita Pt. area at 3 to 5 colors...West Launch Ramp to the Dam and South shoreline from Metcalf to Garstin Island also at a depth of 3-5 colors. Shoreline anglers are reporting good catches in the early morning hours on the northshore from the Dam to the West Public Launch Ramp. The bait of choice has been a vaiety of GULP! and POWER Baits enhanced with a garlic additive but Salmon Egg Peach Color is still on top of the leader board. Night Crawlers remain the “Fare of Choice” for catfish that are feeding on or near the bottom. Bass are have already begun to “Bed Up” . They are going after a variety of "Plastics" (Yama-Senkos, Zoom Tubes in Green Pumpkin and Watermelon)....RAPALA'S NEW SCATTER RAP either in DT or CD has also produced. Work the weed lines and submerged structure (Especially near GARSTIN ISLAND). Fish for Crappie and Bluegill using Trout Magnet, Berkley, or Trout Trap Jigs in green and/or brown colors. The panfish are also going after some artificial flies, WOOLY BUGGERS in olive, brown and black, MAY FLY and NYMPH patterns are also bringin' in the “Buttermouths”. Please note, the conscientious angler will practice "Catch and Release" of Small and Large Mouths in order to preserve the species in our "Alpine Lake" waters for future generations.

The latest LIMNO REPORT is in and Water temps range from 54 degrees to 55.6 degrees on the surface from the Boom Line to East launch Ramp. Dissolved oxygen is 8.3 to 8.0 ppm from surface to 40 feet in depth lakewide. What does this mean??? Well the Trout are all over the place since the water temps and D.O. Levels are at optimum levels. Trollers are reporting they are marking numerous small schools of fish dispersed throughout the lake but are seeing more catches trolling in the following areas: Solar Observatory to Lagonita Pt. area at 3 to 5 colors...West Launch Ramp to the Dam and South shoreline from Metcalf to Garstin Island also at a depth of 3-5 colors. A HOT NEW LURE IS THE “LIL' WARRIOR” GLOW-IN-THE-DARK 2 1/4” Lure. Shoreline anglers are reporting good catches in the early morning hours on the northshore from the Dam to the West Public Launch Ramp. The bait of choice has been a vaiety of GULP! and POWER Baits enhanced with a garlic additive but Salmon Egg Peach Color is now on top of the leader board. Night Crawlers remain the “Fare of Choice” for catfish that are feeding on or near the bottom. Bass are really coming to life and getting ready to “Bed Up” for their spawn!!! They are going after White, Black and Chartreuse spinner baits and a variety of "Plastics" (Yama-Senkos, Zoom Tubes in Green Pumpkin and Watermelon)....But this week's Hot Bait has been RAPALA'S NEW SCATTER RAP either in DT or CD. Work the weed lines and submerged structure (Especially near GARSTIN ISLAND). Fish for Crappie and Bluegill using Trout Magnet, Berkley, or Trout Trap Jigs in green and/or brown colors. Please note, the conscientious angler will practice "Catch and Release" of Small and Large Mouths in order to preserve the species in our "Alpine Lake" waters for future generations.

The troll is still tough for rainbow trout on Big Bear Lake, however, the good news is with time and a variety of lures and bait you can find them and get them to bite.  We spent 16 hours of the past week on the lake and found that quite a variety of pink or purple or combination of pink/purple are working.  Lures of the week are Purple Perch/Silver and Barney/Silver Little Warriors, Dark Purple Frog/Copper Scorpian Stinger, Purple Hot Head Wee Dick Nite and Hot Pink Xrap all brought multiple trout to the lines.  Spoons at 4.5 to 5 colors on the leaded lines and 6 and 23-27 feet on the down riggers.  The Xrap was flat lined and 1/2 dozen nice size hold overs were caught on the surface.  We moved from one trout in an hour to THREE per hour on the lines which is a big improvement from our first week out.  Guys and gals get out your pink and purple lures and give them all a try!  Many other pink and purple lures were hit we are only mentioning the hottest patterns.  All our fish caught were on the east end near Lagunita Lodge on the weekend and then Grays Landing and Trout Alley during the weekdays.  Last weeks hot spot near Papoose Bay never produced a hit at all this week!  The quality of the trout is incredible.  Good size and hard fighters at about 2-2.5 lbs so far.  Got to luv the rainbow trout for making us use our brains and work to find them.  The scenery has been spectacular and weather a little chilly.  Go to Big Bear Sporting Goods for gear/tackle/bait.  Make sure to check out and try the Ballistic Bait and Little Warriors they stocked this past week.  Pleasure Point Marina for pontoon/slip rentals 909-866-2455, Capt John's Fawn Harbor for fishing boat rentals 909-866-6478 and Lucky Bear Fishing Charters 909-866-7303.

It's great to be back out on beautiful Big Bear Lake trolling for rainbow trout - now if we can only get them to bite!  The season is starting off with a FIZZ unfortuately with about one trout per hour on the lines.  Pretty hard to grasp considering we have been spoiled the past seasons and the conditions seem so perfect and weather has been so nice.  Some winds this past week did put a damper on the bite but overall it's been pleasant and pristine out on the lake most of the past week.  Many lures and much territory have been covered and most lures that worked seem to be bright, flashy silver finish spoons/needlefish.  Night crawlers, Gold Thomas Bouyant and purple perch/silver Little Warrior were hit the most.  Leaded lines and surface have had no action and the down riggers have been hit at 6 feet and 20-25 feet.  The best spot on the lake for us has been just outside Papoose Bay and over the drop off between Papoose and Boulder Bay.  Most fish landed were from China Island and through Trout Alley.  We've only had 1/2 dozen fish on the lines east of Metcalf Bay and a couple hits over in front of Gray's Landing on the north shore.  One three hour trip this week landed two bass, one cat and two trout - all on the troll.  Eagle sitings are almost as often as a bite from a trout!  The beauty of the mountain, awesome weather and fun times with great people make every minute waiting for a fish to hit worth it!  The good news is the fish that have been caught are 2+ lb and hard fighting healthy rainbow trout.  Some using power bait have landed trophy size trout.  Determination, layers of warm clothing and a arsenal of great selection of lures/bait is a must now.  Stop by Big Bear Sporting Goods and beef up your tackle box to ensure a successful day on the lake.  The Fishin' Guys will hook you up with tips and spots on the lake for the different species.  Big Bear Sporting Goods for tackle/bait/licenses 909-866-3222, Pleasure Point Marina for pontoon/slip rentals 909-866-2455 and Lucky Bear Fishing Charters 909-866-7303.

The trout are on the spawn and on the move! Night-Crawlers, Power Bait and Gulp in a variety of "bright colors" (Pink Lemonade and Chroma-Glow) and flavors (Garlic, Salmon Egg and Chunky Cheese), are the baits of choice. The North Shore has been producing some good fish near the east end of the lake from the East Launch Ramp and Stanfield Cutoff . Also, the 'bows near the dam seem to like salmon eggs  suspended a few feet below the surface with a slip-bobber. The Boulder Bay trout bite seems to have slowed down a bit but "Jigs" and night-crawlers are still getting hit. Remember, the spawn is on so fishing the tributaries is prohibited from March 1st thru the first friday before Memorial day. The "Fishin' Guys" recommend adding Hatchery Dust, Bite-On Fury or BANG additives to your baits to entice these high altitude pink meats to bite!

Warmer temps this past week have all but eliminated the sheet ice problem on the lake....Boulder Bay (on the south shore) is clear and proving to be a prime fishing ground. The recent full moon did slow the bite a bit but now things are looking up! Not only are the POWER and GULP! baits working but Nightcrawlers suspended from a slip bobber at a depth of 4'-6' in the shallower bays and 8'-12' feet near the dam and deeper waters are enticing the high altitude pink meats onto stringers! Weather is beautiful, the winds are mild and the water is clear and cold!