Bass Moving Deep as Lake Rises

If you fished Castaic last week and are wondering why your shallow spots feel off, Jim Taibi of 661Fishing.com has the answer — the lake is rising. That's good news for the long-term fishery and great news for anyone with a striper rod ready to go. But in the short term, it's repositioning fish and changing the game plan. Here's the full May 10th report and exactly what to do about it.

Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass

The techniques haven't changed much week over week, but the water has — and that's the story right now.

The lake is filling up. As the water level rises, fish that were sitting shallow are being pushed out to deeper drop-offs and ledges. That's the single biggest adjustment to make right now. If you're fishing the same spots you were two weeks ago and not getting bit, go deeper.

The 20-foot zone is the sweet spot this week. Dropshot and Carolina rigs fished at depth were Jim's best pattern. These are the go-to setups when fish are transitioning and holding on structure — they stay in the zone, they're natural, and they get bit. If you're not already fishing both, now is the time to have them ready.

Wacky-rigged 5-inch stickbaits are still producing early and late. Flylined around the first drop-offs closest to shore, this setup continues to be a reliable finesse option during low-light windows. Don't sleep on it at first light or in the last hour before off-water time.

Hard jerkbaits are starting to get the post-spawn fish. This is the encouraging development of the week. Lucky Craft Staysee 90s and MegaBass Vision 110s are waking up some of the fish that are coming off the spawn and feeding again. As water temps climb from the current 63–68°F range, expect this bite to build. These fish are hungry and catchable — have a jerkbait tied on.

One thing to watch: shad are getting shallower by the day but Jim doesn't expect them to spawn until the lake level stabilizes. Once that happens, everything is going to accelerate. Stay tuned.

⚠️ Heads up on lake conditions: With the lake rising, wood and debris are floating off the shoreline. Watch your prop and your line — this is the time of year where a stray branch can cost you a lure or worse.

Striped Bass

This is the section to pay attention to. Striper schools are getting shallower and are being spotted in coves in deeper water, most likely tracking the shad schools that are pushing up ahead of their spawn. Everything is lining up — rising water temps, shallowing bait, active striper schools — for what Jim expects to be another great summer of topwater action at Castaic.

If you're a striper angler, now is the time to get your surface iron, pencil poppers, and topwater swimbaits dialed in. The window is coming. Stop in and talk to our staff about what's been working at Castaic when the topwater bite turns on — we'll make sure you're ready.

Rainbow Trout

A few of the Kids Day trout are still showing up for shore anglers, but the bite is fading a little more each day. Trout season at Castaic is effectively done. Time to shift your focus to bass and start getting excited about stripers.

📍 Castaic Lake Conditions & Info — Week of May 10, 2026

🛒 What to Have in Your Box This Week

Based on Jim's report, here's what we'd recommend before your next Castaic trip:

Deep Finesse (Primary Pattern):

• Dropshot Hooks, Weights & Leader Material — The 20-foot zone is where the fish are. Come in rigged and ready.
• Carolina Rig Components — Bullet weights, quality swivels, and fluorocarbon leader. A simple setup that's producing right now.
• 5-inch Stickbaits — Wacky rigged for early and late bites off the first drop-offs. We carry a full selection of colors and brands.

Reaction Bite (Building):

• Lucky Craft Staysee 90 — Ghost Minnow and Aurora Black remain the go-to patterns at Castaic.
• MegaBass Vision 110 — Jim specifically called this one out for the post-spawn jerkbait bite. A premium bait worth having tied on.

Striper Prep (Get Ready Now):

• Surface iron, pencil poppers, and topwater swimbaits will be relevant very soon. Come in and ask our staff what's been working when the topwater striper bite fires at Castaic — we'll get you set up before the crowd figures it out.

👉 Shop Freshwater Fishing Tackle at Tackle Express — In-store in Santa Clarita or ship it to you nationwide.

📍 Why Shop Tackle Express for Castaic Lake Fishing

We're just a few miles from Castaic Lake and a short drive from Pyramid Lake — two of the best fisheries in Los Angeles and Ventura County. Our staff follows Jim's reports every week, stocks what's actually working, and can walk you through the right setup for wherever you're fishing. No guessing, no wasted trips.

When you walk into Tackle Express, you're not getting advice from someone reading off a box. You're getting local knowledge from people who fish these same waters.

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Report courtesy of Jim Taibi — 661Fishing.com. Jim is a licensed California fishing guide specializing in Castaic and surrounding SoCal waters.