VERY VERY bad news for Castaic Lake

Ron C · Post by **Ron C** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:07 pm

I just received word that due to the MWD water crisis in Southern California, the MWD is going to utilize a clause in their agreement with the State which allows them to â€œborrowâ€

elfish16 · Post by **elfish16** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:13 pm

wasn't that the case with Casitas as well??? Don't want to mess up the pipes and what not.

thats AWFUL news for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dang...people are going to have to drive distances just to fish anymore!

Sad state of affairs!

William Pointing · Post by **William Pointing** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:38 pm

The fisherman can't slow Hart and Zank down, so maybe MWD can. Make them launch last and give all the other fisherman a two hour head start.

Sinjin Kim · Post by **Sinjin Kim** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:42 pm

William Pointing wrote:The fisherman can't slow Hart and Zank down, so maybe MWD can. Make them launch last and give all the other fisherman a two hour head start.

That is too funny! Two more names to add to the list:

Bill Siemantel and Troy Lindner. These guys need a handicap as well if they want to play fair.

JeffJ · Post by **JeffJ** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:56 pm

that sucks!!! there goes another year of bad spawn!

DL · Post by DL » Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:12 pm

For Sale:

1999 Nitro NX882 in good condition. $10,500

Current owner doesn't need it anymore

GKramer · Post by **GKramer** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:23 pm

Sign of the (dry) times. No end in sight. The stock market may be up before the lake levels. Thanks, Ron for being on the lookout.

gk

www.kramergonefishing.com

fishinman · Post by **fishinman** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:59 pm

Yeah that really sucks but in reality it could be a lot worst.
1. duplicate casitas
2. outlaw dropshoting (Michigan I believe)
3. water sking in all coves
4. plastic worming forbidden (cancer concern)
I could go on.....

Alex M. · Post by **Alex M.** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:52 pm

fishinman wrote:Yeah that really sucks but in reality it could be a lot worst.

2. outlaw dropshoting (Michigan I believe)

WHAT??? Outlaw drop-shotting in Michigan???? WHY WHY WHY????

Ray L. · Post by **Ray L.** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:01 pm

elfish16 wrote:wasn't that the case with Casitas as well??? Don't want to mess up the pipes and what not.

thats AWFUL news for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dang...people are going to have to drive distances just to fish anymore!

Sad state of affairs!

This has nothing to do with Casitas. Casitas was all about closing the lake to satisfy tree huggers on the water board. It had nothing to do with water shortage. This also has to do with getting less water from the Delta.

hippie · Post by **hippie** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:05 pm

That licks are they trying to make bass fishing in so cal instinct?

ken burk · Post by **ken burk** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:08 pm

Were is casitas?

some guy · Post by **some guy** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:15 pm

bass fishing is for losers - MWD

DL · Post by DL » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:42 pm

ken burk wrote:Were is casitas?

Bass Pro Shopper · Post by **Bass Pro Shopper** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:17 pm

Dang...and I recently purchased my annual pass!

Wasn't this "water crisis" created by Northern California... specifically a judge up there? Who needs the delta smelt? (Stopping up water from the Colorado doesn't help either). They're going to watch us die of thirst while raising our water rates.

jack65274 · Post by **jack65274** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:26 pm

Who needs the delta smelt? Correct me if Im wrong but I believe stripers and largemouth in the delta need delta smelt.

biggmatt · Post by **biggmatt** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:27 am

GOOD!!!

micropterus · Post by **micropterus** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:38 am

..... Ron - What impact does this have on Pyramid ? (Runnin' outta lakes around these parts!!) I know that Castaic is the next lake downhill and I also have heard that Pyramid pumps water up from Castaic to generate power. Do you think that they (MWD) may be testing the 'crossover' pipes to Silverwood and DVL ? I would think that there will be a lot of water in the Colorado River system to supply the Inland Empire reservoirs starting about now with snow melting up around the Colorado Plateau. Rockies had a lot of snow storms this year, got another two feet last week.

Dan Curtis

Otay Michael · Post by **Otay Michael** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:14 pm

I've started my own little 'water saving program' to help in the past few months, after going number one, "don't flush, save a fish"...

I'm serious, I don't. I just figured out it will it save ONE thousand five hundred gallons per person, per month (at five pees per day)!!!

Shorter showers and/or every other day too, save another 2 thousand gallons probably.

Can't hurt, wish everyone would help a little.

rexford · Post by **rexford** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:21 pm

Looks like you folks are seeing the same thing we did last
couple years. Northern lakes are scary low. Lets hope your
draw down is not as severe.

TRINITY LAKE 51 % of capacity
SHASTA 66 % of capacity
OROVILLE 59 % of capacity
CAMANCHE 53 % of capacity

PYRAMID 97 % of capacity
CASTAIC 81 % of capacity

Otay Michael · Post by **Otay Michael** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:29 pm

We need a few more golf courses down south here too, with lots more grass to water.

Why can't they be more like the ones in Scotland, where it was invented, whatever the earth looks like, play on it! And it looks like a scorched earth policy took effect, all but the greens of course, one must be reasonable after all, like we want folks to be with our lakes, streams and oceans.

Scott Shambre · Post by **Scott Shambre** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:55 pm

Hey Ron, how will the effect the Police and Fire Games there in June and should a different venue be considered????

Tin Can · Post by **Tin Can** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:24 pm

Bass Pro Shopper wrote:Dang...and I recently purchased my annual pass!

Wasn't this "water crisis" created by Northern California... specifically a judge up there? Who needs the delta smelt? (Stopping up water from the Colorado doesn't help either). They're going to watch us die of thirst while raising our water rates.

Yeah Nor Cal created the crisis by slowing down the pumping of Nor Cal water to you.

If anything Delta water is saving yer asses. You guys have lakes at 80-90% full? I wish we had lakes at even close to that right now.

Ray L. · Post by **Ray L.** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:51 pm

And our lakes are at least a quarter of the size of most all n. cal. lakes. Our lakes are for quick storage not full season storage.

DeltaBound · Post by **DeltaBound** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:53 pm

We got the fish right were we want em now!

CN · Post by CN » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:00 pm

Ray L. wrote:And our lakes are at least a quarter of the size of most all n. cal. lakes. Our lakes are for quick storage not full season storage.

Yes but until Southern California decides to use the Ocean and produce desal water nothing will change. Northern California and the Colorodo River system cant continue to supply Southern California forever and that is not a bash but a fact as you know.

Sad as it is these Lake's were not built to make us fisherman happy. You know I cant walk my dog on a beach at Moss Landing I used to camp on and fish for Striper's at night now either.

You guy's might want to enjoy while you can

Mike

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:36 pm

You do realize that if they ever get to building desalinization plants down South, you guys from Northern California will end up sharing the expense. Either way, you pay.

dockboy · Post by **dockboy** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 12:24 am

My question is why only SoCal would be considered for desal plants. Why not make so that major northern coastal cities use them too. Sure its Nor Cals water. But wht not put Sf and oterh Bay Area, coastal regions on a system fueled by plants. The amount of water you'd save from watering the Bay Area and LA alone is massive.

But yes....bad news indeed for Castaic. Unfortunate, and of course right at spawn time. Gonna be a tough couple years maybe...

jrbasspro · Post by **jrbasspro** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:25 am

I disagree dockboy
mother nature has a way of adapting and overcomining I think the fish will be just fine, the bass will sense the water falling at a steady rate and just bed down deeper and a little latter, (to allow the deeper water to warm up)

my 2 cents

Walt

Ron C · Post by **Ron C** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:07 am

Scott Shambre wrote:Hey Ron, how will the effect the Police and Fire Games there in June and should a different venue be considered????

The only affect that it will have is that the events will go out of the Main Ramp instead of the West Ramp, which is no big deal at all. Because the events are during the week, the crowd issue should not be a factor. Also - The fishing should be good regardless of the draw down, just fewer areas to fish.

The event coordinators have been informed of the situation and are making the (very minor) necessary adjustments.

some guy · Post by **some guy** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:13 am

you would think with the draw down the stripers would take over even more now.

Ron C · Post by **Ron C** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:32 am

micropterus wrote:..... Ron - What impact does this have on Pyramid ? (Runnin' outta lakes around these parts!!) I know that Castaic is the next lake downhill and I also have heard that Pyramid pumps water up from Castaic to generate power. Do you think that they (MWD) may be testing the 'crossover' pipes to Silverwood and DVL ? I would think that there will be a lot of water in the Colorado River system to supply the Inland Empire reservoirs starting about now with snow melting up around the Colorado Plateau. Rockies had a lot of snow storms this year, got another two feet last week.

You are absolutely correct about Pyramid, Dan. I'm not sure why this is the direction that the MWD (and the State) took. I believe that the serious low water levels at Mead and Powell may have something to do with not getting the water from the Colorado River. Perhaps it even has something to do with the quagga mussel situation in the Colorado River Aqueduct, I don't know.

The strange thing about Pyramid is that it may be ay 97% today, but will be at 80% tomorrow. They fluctuate Pyramid's water level daily.

Ron C · Post by **Ron C** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:52 am

some guy wrote:you would think with the draw down the stripers would take over even more now.

A number of years ago, they dropped Castaic about 150 feet to do repair work on the water tower. The water remained down for over four months and the bass became emaciated. You would catch fish that should have weighed six or eight pounds that barely weighed three pounds. And, just as you mentioned in this recent case, the stripers flourished during that time frame.

Unfortunately, when the repair work was done, they brought the lake back up to full capacity VERY quickly (like four weeks). This caused a terrible fish die-off and it took several years before the quality of the fish improved. Mike Giusti and Dr. Dwayne Maxwell of the DFG spent a lot of time and hard work to help restore the fishery during this difficult time, but Castaic was never the same after that. It will (probably) never again be considered a world record class lake.

Here again, it's all about the water, not the fishery.

SpookFreak · Post by **SpookFreak** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:33 am

Well this economy has stopped the growth of this great state California which can only help us as far as the water goes.

I personally like to visit Las Vegas once every few years but help me here is this the biggest waste of energy or what? And what a load that must put on the Colorado river water supply.

How can we conserve when we keep building homes and strip malls we don't even need.

It's been a bad year for GREED!!!!!!!! and it's gonna get worse.

just my 2 cents

some guy · Post by **some guy** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:35 am

That sucks Ron.. Im sorry to hear that. It has def been a trying last few years for so cal bass fishing.

CN · Post by CN » Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:04 am

dockboy wrote:My question is why only SoCal would be considered for desal plants. Why not make so that major northern coastal cities use them too. Sure its Nor Cals water. But wht not put Sf and oterh Bay Area, coastal regions on a system fueled by plants. The amount of water you'd save from watering the Bay Area and LA alone is massive.

But yes....bad news indeed for Castaic. Unfortunate, and of course right at spawn time. Gonna be a tough couple years maybe...

I agree I didnt mean to point out just So Cal.

I just finished up a project here in Sand City where we supplied a booster pump system for a small desal plant.

If a small city like this can do it why not more?? Does anybody even know where Sand City is

some guy · Post by **some guy** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:09 am

just north of Pebble Beach

and a little south of salinas. My drivers load a lot of produce out of that area.

Oldschool · Post by **Oldschool** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:37 pm

The mid 90's draw down resulted in stocking the upper lake with striped release with the water from the upper forebay to equalize pressure between the two lakes. That, IMO, was the end of Castaic's trophy bass fishing, it was for me anyway
Draw downs are not unusual at Castaic during the spawn, it's the most mis managed lake in SoCal and still remains a good bass fishery. Take advantage and GPS or photograph your favorite structure while it's above water.
I'm sure the guys that fish it daily will manage to do well in the tournaments.
Tom

dockboy · Post by **dockboy** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:38 pm

True the fish do have instinct when the levels drop. Im just hoping, with the rapid drop rates that are necessary, that beds later i nthe spawn that are wet one day wont go high and dry two days later.

CN · Post by CN » Wed Apr 22, 2009 6:48 pm

some guy wrote:just north of Pebble Beach and a little south of salinas. My drivers load a lot of produce out of that area.

Must be T&A there at the Salinas River mouth. Nice view of the Bay and Artichoke field's

I drive by it twice a day 5 day's a week.

SpookFreak · Post by **SpookFreak** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:05 pm

Yea drawdowns are bad but there's some dam nice structure down there that we don't get to see very often.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:07 am

Some of the trees in the bottom of Old SS have so much line on them they look like giant spider webs.

some guy · Post by **some guy** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:36 am

CN wrote:
some guy wrote:just north of Pebble Beach and a little south of salinas. My drivers load a lot of produce out of that area.
Must be T&A there at the Salinas River mouth. Nice view of the Bay and Artichoke field's I drive by it twice a day 5 day's a week.

You are correct. Tanimura & Antle. We also load at a lot of other places as well. Bonipak, Boskivich, Duda, Eckel, Red Blossom, Salyer American.... and a whole bunch others.

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