Let’s go fishin’: Loch Lomond extends season

If you missed your opportunity to visit Loch Lomond Reservoir this year, it’s not too late. The season will be extended at the lake, and its recreational area will remain open to public through Oct. 11.
After Labor Day weekend, the lake will be open on the weekends from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., including the trails, picnic areas, lake and boat rentals.
This was not a banner year at Loch Lomond for fishing — including the loss of a trout-stocking program. The invasive
zebra and quagga mussels kept private boats out. But sunfish catches have been up, and late-season bass have been on the bite for anglers who head to this beautiful lake.
Bruce Worden reported, “We have been seeing steady catches of bass that range from 1 to 2 pounds, and sunfish are abundant.”
There was also a report of a giant catfish that was hooked and lost before it could be landed.
Catfish reports have been very far and few between, though a few large trout have been reported this season. The water is warm, and any chance of a trout is going to be from fishing very deep water.
My brother Joe Baxter took his son Shane and friends to the reservoir for some late-season sunfish and a chance at a bass.
He reported, “We walked the back from the ramp in search of bluegill — we almost reached Deer Flat before we found hungry bluegill that were on a ravenous bite!”
The crew was fishing worms under a bobber with 2 to 3 feet of line below the bobber. “We finally found good numbers of sunfish in the deeper coves in the shade and along the reeds,” he added.
Ethan Moker took big-fish honors for the day with his 2-pound largemouth bass.
If ocean fishing is more your interest, the fishermen continue to pull in halibut and rockfish and have chances at albacore when the weather is nice.
As I write this, the weather is rough offshore, but warm water is moving close to Santa Cruz, fueled by a hurricane off Baja California. I anticipate that albacore fishing is going to be good in the weeks ahead.
I hope you have a chance to get out fishing, as the area we live in has so much to offer.
Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 15 years. Contact him at ca************@ya***.com. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from 7:06 to 8 p.m. Thursdays April through September.