It’s time to get back out on the lake. Lake Isabella is only stocking channel catfish a few more times during the 2014 season: Fridays, September 19 and 26. Next weekend (September 19–20), the boathouse is open until midnight, giving you a chance to reel in a monster shovelhead or blue cat after dark.

Hot Bait
The current hot bait at the lake is the Team Catfish products. Secret-7 dip bait is super sticky and is best used with a bait tube or a bait holder style hook. Sudden Impact is a fiber-enriched dough bait by Team Catfish, which can be used on a bare treble hook. If you prefer other types of baits or even lures, Team Catfish makes an all-purpose catfish attractant that you can’t go wrong with. The Dead Red Blood Spray will re-energize your frozen baits or can be sprayed directly onto your favorite lure. All three Team Catfish products are available and in stock at the boathouse.

Crappie & Perch
If the idea of fishing for catfish doesn’t excite you, then you will be happy to know that the crappie have started to bite really good within the past week. Besides the crappie, we are only a short few weeks away from stocking yellow perch. Perch stocking begins October 3, with 900 pounds of perch added to the lake by the end of the month.

The boathouse is already stocked to help you catch these exciting fish. We have a large variety of terminal tackle to best fit your needs, including hooks, bobbers, sinkers, swivels and leaders. We are also stocked up on perch and crappie rigs, pop-eyes, Rooster Tails (Sonic and Vibric Tails also available), canned corn and more than 180 different colors and styles of Southern Pro tubes.

Hooking a Bass
While Lake Isabella is not typically known for its bass fishing, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something here for the bass fisherman. Lew’s reels (spinning & bait caster) and combos are in stock and a tremendous variety of lures are available. Rebel lures were $7.99; they are currently on sale for $4.99. Rapala, Rat-L-Traps, Jitterbugs, and Hula Poppers are also kept in stock. If you prefer soft plastics, we have a variety of Beetle Spins, Damiki Baits, Zoom and frogs (SnagProof and Booyah).

Just last month we added the Lunkerhunt Pocket Frog to our line of frogs. Not only do these Lunkerhunt frogs look life like and move like a real frog when you are reeling this bait in but it was “ICAST’s Best Soft Lure” in 2013.

Even with summer almost over, there is still plenty to do at Lake Isabella. The boathouse opens at 7 a.m. every day. Fishing tickets are $10.25 for ages 13–59, $1 for children ages 12 and under and $2.50 for seniors ages 60 and up. Boat rentals are also still available every day.

Fishing Photos!
Get inspired by these great catches at Lake Isabella:

See you on the water!

Anthony Unkrich, Harbor Manager, Lake Isabella