October 16, 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!

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

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

Anglers reported decent fishing in the aqueduct, with catfish providing the most consistent action. Catfish readily took chicken liver, SSS dip bait, and cut bait fished on the bottom in areas with slower-moving water. Many anglers reported solid stringers of one- to five-pound fish. Striped bass were also reliable on cut sardines, chicken liver, and lugworms. Lure anglers caught stripers on 90- and 110-size jerkbaits in white, bone, and baitfish patterns. Topwater Spooks, similar walking baits, and poppers produced striped bass during the morning and evening hours. Largemouth bass seemed particularly partial to poppers, but they also responded to drop-shot flukes, six-inch straight-tail worms, and grubs fished in the eddies.

Castaic Lake dropped a few feet to 93% of its storage capacity, and anglers reported reduced water clarity, with temperatures in the low to mid-70s. The bite slowed slightly following the last cold front, but local bass anglers continued to connect along bluff walls using drop-shot Senkos and smaller-profile plastics in cinnamon, shad, and green pumpkin. The topwater bite was hit or miss, with some bass still feeding occasionally near the backs of coves. Striped bass also chased bait in those same areas, and anglers did well with C3 baits, Flukenstines, and just about any white walking bait.

Pyramid Lake sat at about 90% of its storage capacity, and anglers reported good bass and striped bass fishing, with plenty of catfish mixed in. Largemouth and smallmouth bass took Texas-rigged six-inch plastic worms in brown and dark green in 10 to 25 feet of water along bluff walls and near the island. The topwater bite produced bass and a few striped bass shortly after the lake opened, with walking baits leading the way. Striped bass also responded well to cut sardines near main-lake points, and many local anglers reported catching daily limits. Catfish took chicken liver, cut sardines, and dip bait fished on Carolina rigs. As the grass began to die off, some anglers found better bass fishing around rocky structure away from the deteriorating vegetation.

Lake Isabella held steady at 25 percent of capacity, but fishing remains solid throughout the lake. The 6th Annual Customer Appreciation Bass Tournament was held on October 3, with anglers battling tough conditions but still managing to bring in some quality fish. Wesley Neal and Justin Neal took home first place with a five-fish limit weighing 27.38 pounds, anchored by an impressive 8.28-pound kicker. Chance Gerecke claimed big fish honors with a 9.84-pound largemouth. Outside of the tournament, bass fishing remains productive, with anglers finding fish in 5 to 20 feet of water around brush, rocky points, and main lake structure. Topwater Spooks, poppers, and jerkbaits are producing early, while Texas-rigged 8- to 10-inch Rusty’s Big Worms in purple and black/blue, crankbaits, and football jigs are getting bites as the day progresses. Engineers Point, Rocky Point, Pine Point, and other areas of the main lake basin have been producing good numbers of fish. Water temperatures are holding around 75 degrees. The crappie bite has also improved, with anglers reporting quality stringers on live minnows and small minijigs around structure in 18 to 25 feet of water. Catfish remain active throughout the lake, biting SSS dip bait, shad, and mackerel. Trout fishing is fair to good for anglers trolling near the dam with Needlefish and Flicker Shad.

The Upper Kern flows remain very low just above 200 CFS. Trout fishing remains productive throughout the upper stretches, with anglers finding success using small grubs, trout worms, and salmon eggs. Fly anglers are reporting slightly better results with dry-dropper setups, particularly with a Yellow Sallie nymph as the dropper. The Upper Kern River was stocked two weeks ago in Sections 4, 5, and 6. Section 4 stretches from Riverside Park in Kernville to Powerhouse #3, Section 5 runs from Powerhouse #3 to Fairview Dam, and Section 6 extends from Fairview Dam to Johnsondale Bridge. In the Lower Kern, both largemouth and smallmouth bass are biting a variety of soft plastics and spinners, with the slower-moving pockets of water producing the most consistent action. As the river winds toward Bakersfield, anglers are finding a mix of bass, catfish, and bluegill along the accessible stretches. Catfish are hitting Get Bent Baits, clams, and worms, while bluegill are readily taking live worms. At the time of reporting, flows were 204 CFS on the Upper Kern River at Kernville and 528 CFS on the Lower Kern.

The lake dropped to 10% of its storage capacity, and the bass bite improved significantly. Spotted bass fell for small finesse baits fished around rocky points and also took small crankbaits along the dam. Anglers reported a few instances of topwater action as well. Crappie responded to small live minnows near Horse Creek, while catfish took dip bait, garlic-scented nightcrawlers, and cut bait.

The lake level fell to 10% of its storage capacity, and fishing remained good. Largemouth bass went for brown, purple, and dark green creature baits, spider jigs, and drop shots in 5 to 25 feet of water. Some of the better-grade bass took large 8- and 10-inch worms and crankbaits fished near submerged trees. The topwater bite produced bass early and late in the day, with walking baits and Whopper Ploppers generating strikes. A-rigs also proved to be a viable option. Crappie reports were few and far between, but catfish responded well to cut sardines and chicken liver fished in deeper coves.

Bass fishing at River Walk continues to improve, with anglers finding the most consistent action during the early morning and late evening hours. Small flukes, Ned rigs, shad-patterned plastics on drop shot rigs, and green pumpkin Senkos have all been producing fish. Bluegill are also biting well at both lakes, with wax worms and red worms getting plenty of attention. Looking ahead, the Bakersfield Firefighters 14th Annual Trout Derby and Pancake Breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, November 28, 2026. More than 1,000 pounds of lightning and rainbow trout, including some weighing up to 5 pounds, will be stocked for the event. Anglers will have a chance to compete for the $1,000 grand prize, awarded to the person who catches the trout with the lowest tag number.

At Ming Lake, bass action has steadily improved over the past couple of weeks. Reaction baits have been the top producers, with crankbaits accounting for most of the catches. Soft plastics and jigs are also working well during the early morning and late evening hours. Bluegill remain active and are being caught easily on wax worms, meal worms, and red worms. Carp are biting on dough baits, while catfish are being taken on dip baits and cut bait.

Fishing was fair at Buena Vista Lakes, with bass taking Senkos, Texas rigs, and swim jigs near the inlet and around the islands. Green pumpkin, Aaron’s Magic, and black and blue were productive colors. A few bass were also caught on crankbaits and topwater lures. Catfish anglers did well using dip bait, cut sardines, and chicken liver, while crappie responded to small live minnows.

Fishing was good at Hart Park, with more anglers taking advantage of the cooler temperatures. Largemouth bass went after baby bass Senkos and Texas-rigged plastics in brown and purple. Topwater frogs produced surface strikes, and anglers also reported a good nighttime bite. Catfish responded well to SSS dip bait, while bluegill remained consistently active and readily took live redworms.

Nacimiento Lake dropped to 34% of its storage capacity, and fishing remained good. Fall patterns began to take effect, but there was little change in the overall bite. Drop shots, Neko rigs, and darter-head grubs were all effective in the 20- to 30-foot zone, with Aaron’s Magic, Orange Crusher, and Smoke Shad among the top-producing colors. The topwater bite remained productive, with walking baits producing the most action. White bass responded well to spoons and tail spins in 30 feet of water, where they had been gorging on schools of shad. Crappie continued to hold near stumps and laydowns in approximately 15 feet of water, where small live minnows and small swimbaits proved effective.

The offshore bite continues to produce impressive numbers of yellowfin tuna, dorado, and yellowtail throughout Orange County and the Los Angeles area. Newport Beach boats have been posting particularly strong counts, with the Western Pride out of Davey's Locker returning with 323 yellowfin tuna, 150 bullet tuna, 5 skipjack, and 2 dorado for 40 anglers. The Freelance reported another outstanding trip with 186 yellowfin tuna, 86 yellowtail, 215 bullet tuna, 5 skipjack, and 2 dorado for 50 anglers. Out of Dana Wharf, the Fury finished a two-day trip with 92 yellowfin tuna, 30 dorado, 13 skipjack, 2 yellowtail, and a mix of other species for 22 anglers. Closer to the coast, the Victory out of Long Beach reported 29 yellowtail, 71 barracuda, 38 bonito, 31 sand bass, and 23 calico bass for 29 anglers. The Pursuit out of San Pedro added 8 yellowtail, 46 bonito, 25 skipjack, and 18 calico bass for 30 anglers.

Fishing around the Channel Islands remains productive, with yellowtail, white seabass, calico bass, and rockfish providing plenty of action. Offshore, yellowfin tuna have also made a strong showing, giving anglers additional opportunities beyond the traditional island species. The Endeavor out of Ventura Harbor returned from an overnight trip with 57 yellowfin tuna, 9 skipjack, 13 bonito, 230 rockfish, and 19 whitefish for 16 anglers. At Channel Islands Sportfishing, the Island Fox reported 13 yellowtail, 6 white seabass, 54 calico bass, and 32 sand bass for 20 anglers. The Speed Twin put together another productive trip with 145 calico bass, 58 rockfish, 10 yellowtail, and 1 halibut for 29 anglers. Farther north, the Coral Sea out of Santa Barbara Landing returned with 42 rockfish, 140 whitefish, and 7 lingcod for 14 anglers. Overall, the islands continue to offer a good mix of surface fishing and bottom fishing, with white seabass and yellowtail remaining attractive targets.

Bottom fishing along the Central Coast continues to produce solid catches of rockfish, lingcod, bocaccio, and quality reds. Boats working the deeper rocky structure are finding good numbers of fish, with several trips returning with excellent catches. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Endeavor reported 170 rockfish, 80 bocaccio, 35 red rockfish, 23 lingcod, and 15 copper rockfish for 30 anglers on a full-day trip. The Starfire returned with 200 rockfish, 15 copper rockfish, 9 lingcod, and 5 reds for 22 anglers. At Port San Luis, the Patriot reported 171 rockfish, 13 copper rockfish, 3 bocaccio, 2 lingcod, and 1 canary rockfish for 19 anglers on October 9. The following day, the Flying Fish finished with 112 rockfish, 4 reds, 4 bonito, 2 bocaccio, and 1 lingcod for 21 anglers. Rockfish remain the most consistent target throughout the region, with lingcod providing an occasional bonus for anglers working jigs and bait near rocky bottom structure.