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HESPERIA LAKE -- bennett-ONS 15sep04
By MIKE BENNETT, Outdoor News Service
HESPERIA -- There is a new catfish fishing powerhouse lake in Southern California. It is kicking out more catfish over 30-0 this summer than all other lakes in California combined. No, it's not one of the heavily-stocked lakes in Orange County. It's not the new and highly-touted Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet. Instead, it's a small lake, off the beaten path, that has stayed under the radar of most anglers.
Until now.
This Mecca of giant catfish is tiny Hesperia Lake. Located in the high desert in San Bernardino County east of Interstate 15, this relatively small water has anglers looking away from the pay lakes of Orange County, the big, water supply reservoirs, and even the Colorado River for catfish. How? Hesperia Lake's huge, trophy-stocking program puts in quality fish at half the admission price as the Orange County lakes, doesn't require a boat like the big reservoirs, and is far closer than the long drive to the Colorado River.
Bob Love, Apple Valley, holds up a 17-pound, 8-ounce catfish caught from Hesperia Lake recently. A whopper anywhere else, a Polaroid of this fish won't even make the bulletin board at the snack shop at this lake where there have been over 70 catfish topping 30 pounds caught this summer.
It all comes down to money. At only $10 to fish, anglers at this lake have been catching more and bigger fish for far less money than the other options would cost them.
The Hesperia Lake concessionaire, Ed Rister, has a different philosophy of advertising for his lake.
"We put our money into big fish. I'm a fisherman myself, and I know that people want a shot at landing a huge fish," said Rister. "These big fish catches have been doing the talking, and people are listening. Since we started stocking the big fish, the response has been tremendous."
In the beginning of summer, most of the anglers landing big fish had been locals who knew about the trophy catfish being stocked in Hesperia Lake. But the word in angling circles has spread, and over the past three months, people from as far away as San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, and even further have come to test the waters for a huge catfish of their own. Many do not go home disappointed.
In just the past four weeks, there have been 19 catfish over 30 pounds checked in at the tackle shop. On top of that another 52 catfish from 20-0 to 29-0 have also been weighed. They have been landed by anglers from all over Southern California, from Palm Desert to Los Angeles, from San Diego to Newport Beach, and Pasadena. Obviously, a seven-acre lake can't produce that many big fish on its own. Those fish come from a serious stocking program.
How serious is the stocking program at the lake? Well, the lake is receiving 1,000 pounds of trophy fish from 20 to 40 pounds every week. Since June 4th, 15,000 pounds of these trophy fish have been planted. This is on top of the 35,000 pounds of fish from 2-0 to 10-0 that have also been planted during this same time frame.
And the 78 catfish over 30 pounds reported isn't a true tally. Many local anglers refuse to weigh big fish at the tackle shop because they want to keep a lid on this trophy catfish fishery in their own backyard. And who can blame them?
Rister and regular anglers believe the number of catfish landed this summer topping 30 pounds is over 100. One "lake local," who didn't want his name in the newspaper, told me had landed some big fish that didn't get reported.
"I've scored some big fish during this twilight session when the snack bar is closed," he said, motioning to his stringer in the water. Then he added, "One night I had four fish over 30-0 easy."
I reached down to lift his stringer for a look, and it didn't budge at first. Then this massive, writhing mass surfaced right in front of me. There were three fish on the stringer, all huge catfish in the 25- to 35-pound range.
In the snack bar, you see Polaroid pictures on every wall, counter, shelve, refrigerator, and just about anywhere else they can be taped up. There are huge catfish everywhere. Look at the dates on the photos, and it is hard to find a picture that is not from this summer.
Catching catfish at Hesperia Lake requires an adjustment for angler accustomed to fishing for wild fish.
"The hatchery uses a food that suspends in the water column when they feed these fish, so they are used to looking up to feed," said Rister. There are many types of commercial stinkbaits and other concoctions with bright labels that are meant to hook fisherman more than fish. When asked, what bait draws the big catfish, Rister said it's some standard baits that turn the trick, but they are fished differently.
"Shrimp, mackerel or mealworms," said Rister, and then he added the important part of the equation. "And float any of those baits with marshmallows."
The trick is to get those baits up off the bottom ahead of the cruising catfish. The floating marshmallow is placed on the hook with one of the other baits to buoy the combo bait up off the bottom where it is more visible and acting like the hatchery food those catfish are accustomed to eating.
Although you can hook a huge fish no matter where you fish on the lake, a few prime fishing spots have emerged. The north shoreline and Finger Point have been were 80 percent of the big fish have been landed. The trick is to cast as far as possible toward the island in the middle of the lake. The big fish have been holding close to the island enjoying the cover and protection it gives them.
Line testing 15 to 20 pounds is a must to have a fighting chance at these huge catfish. Most anglers rig up with a one- to two-ounce sliding weight to give them the casting distance they need. Ten- to 13-foot surf rods are set in a sturdy rod holder with a bobber hung on the line just in front of the reel as a strike indicator. The bobber is fed some slack so it drops and hangs away from the rod. If a fish hits the bait the bobber will rise toward the rod. This is done because if a catfish feels the pressure of a taunt fishing line it will drop the bait. Many anglers fish an open bail on their rod so if a fish takes a quick run with the bait before eating it, the catfish will not drop the bait.
The lake offers day and night fishing seven days a week. Day fishing is from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the night fishing hours are from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.. On Friday and Saturday night the lake also has twilight hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.. At only $10 a session and a five-fish limit for each pass bought, many anglers are buying two passes and staying all afternoon and all night. Many of those anglers leave with 10 catfish for only $20.
Southern California's stocked "catfish season" traditionally ends in fall as water temperatures chill and catfish become lethargic. Most operations switch over to planted trout. Rister however will continue to plant its huge catfish all winter long. They started year-round catfish plants last summer and got a good response from anglers. Trout will also be added this October, and Rister said they will keep "big fish" fires burning for trout anglers, with 10 percent of its weekly rainbow trout plants consisting of fish from 12 to 20 pounds.
Many lakes have trout of that size, so Rister will also have a surprise.
"To kick off October, we will be stocking 5,000 pounds of sturgeon from 50 to 200 pounds. I don't know a lake in Southern California where you have a true shot at a 200-pound fish," said Rister. Then he laughs. "Maybe anglers should only fish with 100-pound test line from now on."
For more information on this year's incredible catfish season, you can call (800) 521-6332 or (760) 244-5951. Both numbers lead to the snack bar.
Just remember, when you do finally catch that catfish of your dreams at Hesperia Lake, don't get upset with the staff at the snack bar. They're not likely to even take a picture to put on the wall unless the fish is over 20 pounds. Way over.
By MIKE BENNETT, Outdoor News Service
HESPERIA -- There is a new catfish fishing powerhouse lake in Southern California. It is kicking out more catfish over 30-0 this summer than all other lakes in California combined. No, it's not one of the heavily-stocked lakes in Orange County. It's not the new and highly-touted Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet. Instead, it's a small lake, off the beaten path, that has stayed under the radar of most anglers.
Until now.
This Mecca of giant catfish is tiny Hesperia Lake. Located in the high desert in San Bernardino County east of Interstate 15, this relatively small water has anglers looking away from the pay lakes of Orange County, the big, water supply reservoirs, and even the Colorado River for catfish. How? Hesperia Lake's huge, trophy-stocking program puts in quality fish at half the admission price as the Orange County lakes, doesn't require a boat like the big reservoirs, and is far closer than the long drive to the Colorado River.
Bob Love, Apple Valley, holds up a 17-pound, 8-ounce catfish caught from Hesperia Lake recently. A whopper anywhere else, a Polaroid of this fish won't even make the bulletin board at the snack shop at this lake where there have been over 70 catfish topping 30 pounds caught this summer.
It all comes down to money. At only $10 to fish, anglers at this lake have been catching more and bigger fish for far less money than the other options would cost them.
The Hesperia Lake concessionaire, Ed Rister, has a different philosophy of advertising for his lake.
"We put our money into big fish. I'm a fisherman myself, and I know that people want a shot at landing a huge fish," said Rister. "These big fish catches have been doing the talking, and people are listening. Since we started stocking the big fish, the response has been tremendous."
In the beginning of summer, most of the anglers landing big fish had been locals who knew about the trophy catfish being stocked in Hesperia Lake. But the word in angling circles has spread, and over the past three months, people from as far away as San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, and even further have come to test the waters for a huge catfish of their own. Many do not go home disappointed.
In just the past four weeks, there have been 19 catfish over 30 pounds checked in at the tackle shop. On top of that another 52 catfish from 20-0 to 29-0 have also been weighed. They have been landed by anglers from all over Southern California, from Palm Desert to Los Angeles, from San Diego to Newport Beach, and Pasadena. Obviously, a seven-acre lake can't produce that many big fish on its own. Those fish come from a serious stocking program.
How serious is the stocking program at the lake? Well, the lake is receiving 1,000 pounds of trophy fish from 20 to 40 pounds every week. Since June 4th, 15,000 pounds of these trophy fish have been planted. This is on top of the 35,000 pounds of fish from 2-0 to 10-0 that have also been planted during this same time frame.
And the 78 catfish over 30 pounds reported isn't a true tally. Many local anglers refuse to weigh big fish at the tackle shop because they want to keep a lid on this trophy catfish fishery in their own backyard. And who can blame them?
Rister and regular anglers believe the number of catfish landed this summer topping 30 pounds is over 100. One "lake local," who didn't want his name in the newspaper, told me had landed some big fish that didn't get reported.
"I've scored some big fish during this twilight session when the snack bar is closed," he said, motioning to his stringer in the water. Then he added, "One night I had four fish over 30-0 easy."
I reached down to lift his stringer for a look, and it didn't budge at first. Then this massive, writhing mass surfaced right in front of me. There were three fish on the stringer, all huge catfish in the 25- to 35-pound range.
In the snack bar, you see Polaroid pictures on every wall, counter, shelve, refrigerator, and just about anywhere else they can be taped up. There are huge catfish everywhere. Look at the dates on the photos, and it is hard to find a picture that is not from this summer.
Catching catfish at Hesperia Lake requires an adjustment for angler accustomed to fishing for wild fish.
"The hatchery uses a food that suspends in the water column when they feed these fish, so they are used to looking up to feed," said Rister. There are many types of commercial stinkbaits and other concoctions with bright labels that are meant to hook fisherman more than fish. When asked, what bait draws the big catfish, Rister said it's some standard baits that turn the trick, but they are fished differently.
"Shrimp, mackerel or mealworms," said Rister, and then he added the important part of the equation. "And float any of those baits with marshmallows."
The trick is to get those baits up off the bottom ahead of the cruising catfish. The floating marshmallow is placed on the hook with one of the other baits to buoy the combo bait up off the bottom where it is more visible and acting like the hatchery food those catfish are accustomed to eating.
Although you can hook a huge fish no matter where you fish on the lake, a few prime fishing spots have emerged. The north shoreline and Finger Point have been were 80 percent of the big fish have been landed. The trick is to cast as far as possible toward the island in the middle of the lake. The big fish have been holding close to the island enjoying the cover and protection it gives them.
Line testing 15 to 20 pounds is a must to have a fighting chance at these huge catfish. Most anglers rig up with a one- to two-ounce sliding weight to give them the casting distance they need. Ten- to 13-foot surf rods are set in a sturdy rod holder with a bobber hung on the line just in front of the reel as a strike indicator. The bobber is fed some slack so it drops and hangs away from the rod. If a fish hits the bait the bobber will rise toward the rod. This is done because if a catfish feels the pressure of a taunt fishing line it will drop the bait. Many anglers fish an open bail on their rod so if a fish takes a quick run with the bait before eating it, the catfish will not drop the bait.
The lake offers day and night fishing seven days a week. Day fishing is from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the night fishing hours are from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.. On Friday and Saturday night the lake also has twilight hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.. At only $10 a session and a five-fish limit for each pass bought, many anglers are buying two passes and staying all afternoon and all night. Many of those anglers leave with 10 catfish for only $20.
Southern California's stocked "catfish season" traditionally ends in fall as water temperatures chill and catfish become lethargic. Most operations switch over to planted trout. Rister however will continue to plant its huge catfish all winter long. They started year-round catfish plants last summer and got a good response from anglers. Trout will also be added this October, and Rister said they will keep "big fish" fires burning for trout anglers, with 10 percent of its weekly rainbow trout plants consisting of fish from 12 to 20 pounds.
Many lakes have trout of that size, so Rister will also have a surprise.
"To kick off October, we will be stocking 5,000 pounds of sturgeon from 50 to 200 pounds. I don't know a lake in Southern California where you have a true shot at a 200-pound fish," said Rister. Then he laughs. "Maybe anglers should only fish with 100-pound test line from now on."
For more information on this year's incredible catfish season, you can call (800) 521-6332 or (760) 244-5951. Both numbers lead to the snack bar.
Just remember, when you do finally catch that catfish of your dreams at Hesperia Lake, don't get upset with the staff at the snack bar. They're not likely to even take a picture to put on the wall unless the fish is over 20 pounds. Way over.