BY MIKE STEVENS
CASTAIC – One of Castaic Lake’s “regular-est” regulars got back on the water after “staying away from the chaos for the last month,” and he was rewarded with a different brand of chaos, that which only can be delivered by a trophy largemouth bass.
John Petroski of C3 Baits found biting 4- to 6-pound striped bass at first light on the C3 Baits Stink Pickle in Violet Shad which is a great imitation the lake’s baitfish that are “super small” at the moment according to Petroski. He was fishing them on a bobber rig which is simply a half-filled casting bubble with a 4- to 5-foot leader, and small (#2) mosquito hook attached to the 2.75-inch bait.
“I caught half a dozen that way, and also tapped a few on the Ghost Flukenstein, but they were keyrd in on the micro shad,” said Petroski. “After I got tired of casting, I decided to drift the (Carolina rigged) C3 Baits Shimmy in Neptune Shad and caught a bunch of cookie cutter 1 to 3 pounders, smallies and largies, but nothing too exciting. Then, I got blasted about 50 feet from the boat, and I could’ve sworn I had a giant catfish on, but it turned out to be a 9 pound, 3 ounce largemouth. Boy was I surprised when it came from underneath the boat. What a battle! I haven’t had a fight like that in a long time. That fish was epic.”
Petroski told WON the bite is slow on hard baits and Flukes since the bait – consisting on both threadfin shad and the slimmer silversides – they are dialed in on is so small.
