July 24th, 2026

We have the best charter giveaways for our anglers! We give away a raffle rod and Cope's Tackle gift card to every fisherman and bring sponsor prizes/giveaways on all our charters! PLUS!! All anglers on Cope's Tackle sponsored trips are automatically entered into our BIG LING OF THE YEAR CONTEST!

Visit our website at Charters and Events to book your spots today!

August 1st, 2026 - ¾ Day Charter w/Gentleman Sportfishing

August 15th, 2026 - 12 Hour Charter w/Black Pearl Sportfishing

September 12th (Departs Friday 9/11), 2026 - Overnight Charter w/Black Pearl Sportfishing

October 10th, 2026 - 12 Hour Charter w/Black Pearl Sportfishing

November 14th, 2026 - 12 Hour Charter w/Black Pearl Sportfishing

December 12th, 2026 - 12 Hour Charter w/Black Pearl Sportfishing

Aqueduct fishing was decent last week, with anglers reporting plenty of smaller striped bass on cut sardines. Weed-free stretches of the aqueduct provided the best opportunities to hook stripers on cut baits, jumbo live minnows, and artificial lures. The artificial bite was best during the early morning hours, with some striped bass chasing Spooks and other walking baits on the surface. Flukes, swimbaits, Rattle Traps, and jerkbaits also produced fish, with one angler reporting five small striped bass at first light. Catfish action remained good for anglers using dip bait, chicken liver, sardines, and anchovies. Largemouth bass were caught on drop-shot rigs with long leaders and small Roboworms, while topwater lures produced well during low-light conditions.

The lake remained at full pool, with water temperatures in the upper 70s, and fishing was good overall. Bass anglers found plenty of fish in 15 to 30 feet of water, with finesse presentations and light line proving to be the keys to success. Drop-shot rigs, Ned rigs, and Carolina rigs all produced when paired with smaller profile baits in cinnamon, purple, green, or baitfish colors. The topwater bite continued to improve, although the most productive window remained the first hours of daylight. Striped bass were caught on cut sardines, trolled umbrella rigs, and the occasional Lucky Craft Gunfish or Espetit. Catfish action was fair at the West Ramp, where anglers caught fish on cut sardines and dip bait.

Pyramid Lake sat at 90 percent of its storage capacity at the time of reporting, with water temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Bass anglers found good success fishing points and bluff walls in 10 to 20 feet of water with finesse baits. Weed beds also produced fish, with weedless Texas-rigged plastics and topwater lures drawing strikes in holes and pockets. Striped bass anglers found the artificial bite challenging, although some fish were caught on small white plastics, topwater lures, and spoons. Bait anglers enjoyed excellent success using cut sardines in Yellowbar, the Marina, and Serrano. Catfish action was slower due to shoreline weed growth, but boat anglers reported catching whiskerfish on cut baits intended for striped bass.

Lake Isabella has dropped to 43% capacity, but the fishing continues to be strong across the board. Trout anglers are reporting good action this week, especially around the Cemetery area, where both solid numbers and quality fish are being caught. Larger trout are falling for small swimbaits, Keitechs, and Trout Hook Up Baits, while boaters trolling Flicker Shads and Tasmanian Devils are also finding consistent success. The crappie bite continues to improve throughout the lake, with French Gulch and Red’s Marina seeing some of the best action. White and chartreuse crappie jigs, jerkbaits, and live shiners have all been producing. Bass fishing remains excellent, although most of the fish are running on the smaller side. Plenty of bass are holding in shallow water throughout the lake, while the better-quality fish are staging deeper in 15 to 25 feet of water. A solid topwater and crankbait bite has developed around Lyme Dyke and the rocky areas near French Gulch. DT16 and River2Sea crankbaits in craw and shad patterns have been effective, along with Rapala Mavrik jerkbaits in Pro Blue and other shad-style colors. A variety of topwater baits are also producing during the early morning hours. The catfish bite is on fire at Engineer Point, where anglers are catching quality whiskerfish on clams, nightcrawlers, and shad

The Upper Kern River was stocked last week in Sections 4 and 5. With flows running low, the best trout action has been coming from the deeper pools and slower-moving eddies. Salmon eggs, trout worms, and Panther Martins have all been producing, while fly anglers are finding success throughout the popular 20-mile stretch using nymphs and streamers. Down on the Lower Kern, trout fishing remains steady from Democrat all the way up to Isabella Dam. Traditional baits such as nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, and small spinners continue to get the job done. The smallmouth bass bite has also been very good, especially throughout the canyon stretches. A few local anglers reported catching excellent numbers of fish, with most running on the smaller side but biting consistently. Smallmouth are being caught throughout the Lower Kern on Get Bent Baits, small crankbaits, and spinners. As of this report, the Upper Kern is flowing at 469 CFS, while the Lower Kern is running at 1,696 CFS.

Kaweah dropped to 23 percent of its storage capacity, and anglers reported decent fishing as water levels began to stabilize. Largemouth bass reports improved, with some bigger fish being caught on weightless Senkos in green pumpkin and Smokin' Shad patterns. Drop-shot rigs also proved effective in about 15 feet of water when fished with a slower presentation. The topwater bite produced plenty of spotted bass closer to shore. Catfish action remained slow, while crappie were caught near the marina on mini jigs.

Water levels dropped to 34 percent of storage capacity at Lake Success, and bass anglers reported catching chunky fish in submerged trees, along main and secondary points, and off the dam. Poppers and crankbaits also proved to be good choices for some of the bigger bass. Crappie cooperated around submerged trees and beneath docks, while catfish were caught on cut baits and dip bait in the North Fork.

The hot weather has kept daytime fishing pressure light at River Walk, but anglers getting out during the cooler early morning and evening hours are still finding fish. Bass are responding well to topwater lures and reaction baits around sunrise and sunset, with shaded areas and structure offering the best opportunities. The bluegill bite remains strong and consistent, with live worms fished under a bobber or on a light split-shot rig producing quick action.

Anglers are reporting a steady bass bite at Ming Lake this week, with the best action coming during the early morning and late evening hours. Frogs have been producing consistently during low-light periods, especially around grassy edges and shaded cover. Flipping baits, weightless Senkos, and finesse plastics are also working well in the mornings. Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, and Ox Blood have been the most productive colors, particularly when worked near submerged structure and along the weed lines. The bluegill bite remains excellent, with anglers catching good numbers on red worms, mealworms, and wax worms fished under a bobber.

Fishing was fair at Buena Vista, with crappie providing the best action. Anglers reported finding crappie near the islands, where small live minnows and mini jigs worked well, while others found success fishing deeper water near the launch ramp. Bass anglers focused on heavy cover, where most of the fish were holding. Flipping weedless worms and creature baits produced a few bites, but weightless Senkos and topwater frogs consistently outperformed the other offerings. Catfish were caught on fresh shrimp, dip bait, and cut anchovies.

Hart Park anglers found the most success by fishing very early in the morning and late in the evening, with night fishing proving to be the most productive time for both bass and catfish. Bass anglers had good results using topwater weedless frogs, while weightless Senkos and weedless creature baits also produced well. Catfish anglers took advantage of the cooler nighttime temperatures and caught fish on chicken liver, nightcrawlers, and dip bait. Bluegill remained active throughout the day and readily bit on redworms.

The lake fell to 50 percent of its storage capacity, and fishing remained excellent. Bass anglers continued to describe the action as "ridiculously good," with nearly any topwater lure producing strikes. Even shore anglers caught more spotted bass and white bass than they could count. Anglers targeting deeper water found success with drop-shot rigs, Neko rigs, and hula grubs, catching bass from 5 to 30 feet deep, with brown, dark green, and baitfish patterns producing the best results. Jerkbaits, small swimbaits, and crankbaits also accounted for plenty of bass. Anglers looking to catch numbers of bass found Lake Nacimiento hard to beat. White bass also provided excellent topwater action. Catfish were caught on dip bait, cut mackerel, and chicken liver, although relatively few anglers targeted whiskerfish because of the outstanding bass bite. Crappie remained available around docks and submerged brush piles in 10 to 20 feet of water, where mini jigs and small swimbaits produced fish.

On Wednesday, the Amigo returned from an overnight trip with 16 anglers, landing 46 yellowtail and 32 calico bass. The Freedom also ran an overnight trip with 36 anglers and finished with 56 yellowtail, 22 calico bass, and two bonito. The Monte Carlo’s half-day morning trip carried 56 anglers and produced 84 sand bass, 14 calico bass, seven whitefish, and six sculpin. The Native Sun’s three-quarter-day trip returned with 38 anglers, one barracuda, four yellowtail, 38 calico bass, and 51 bonito. The Pursuit rounded out the action with 20 anglers on a full-day trip, catching nine barracuda, 17 yellowtail, 25 blue perch, 31 calico bass, and 41 bonito.

On Wednesday, the Aloha Spirit returned from a full-day trip with 30 anglers, landing four barracuda, 47 calico bass, six blue perch, 178 rockfish, one sculpin, five sheephead, 32 ocean whitefish, one yellowtail, and one bonito. The Graylight carried five anglers on a full-day trip and finished with 25 calico bass, 15 rockfish, three sheephead, six white seabass, and six yellowtail. The Speed Twin’s half-day trip had 45 anglers and produced 59 calico bass, 44 blue perch, five rockfish, three sheephead, 17 ocean whitefish, and one yellowtail. On Monday, the Endeavor returned from a 2.5-day trip with 18 anglers, bringing in an impressive 97 white seabass and 14 halibut.

On Wednesday, the Flying Fish returned from a half-day morning trip with 18 anglers, landing 176 rockcod, two red rockcod, one bocaccio, one copper rockfish, and one lingcod weighing up to nine pounds. On Thursday, the Avenger carried 33 anglers on a half-day morning trip and finished with 322 rockfish, seven cabezon, three lingcod, and one red rockfish.