As we roll into mid-summer the fishing hasn't really dropped off. The number of anglers fishing the lake has increased, so the result is an increased number of people getting skunked. This doesn't mean the fishing is bad, it just means you have to change your tactics. Folks are still landing big fish at the lake. We had 8 fish over six pounds check-in at the store this week. I'm not sure of the depth these fish were caught at but in general you will have to go deep. The feedback I'm getting from boaters with fish finders is that most fish are holding at 50-60 feet. One angler that was trolling with lead core was consistently getting his limit using a Tasmanian Devil at 8-9 colors. Mice Tails and Mini Jigs are also killing it. Make sure you are getting deep and jigging off the bottom. We have a good selection of Sierra Slammers and Lip Ripperz jigs in all the top colors for Convict Lake at the general store.

Catch of the Week: Cassie Peterson from San Diego, CA with a fat 8 pound 3 ounce Rainbow. She caught this elephantine trout with a Nightcrawler and was fishing an unknown location on the lake. Great catch Cassie!

Other notable catches this week:
Justin and Jack Waldron from North Carolina caught themselves a toad. They were using Rainbow Power Nuggets when they landed this 7 pound 8 ounce Rainbow. They were fishing at the Inlet.

Jack Azua of Covina, CA with a hefty 7 pound 7 ounce Rainbow. Jack was using Green Powerbait while fishing near the Hangman's Tree.

Kelly Shimabukuro from Westchester, CA with a great catch. She landed a 7 pound 5 ounce Rainbow while fishing along the South Shore. Kelly used a Nightcrawler to catch this lunker.

Trent Hasuike from Orange, CA hooked a butterball while fishing near the Inlet. He landed this 6 pound 8 ounce Rainbow with Salmon Eggs.

Fishing milestones are always fun to post. Especially a first fish. Sam Robillard caught his first fish from a boat along the South Shore. He was using Rainbow Powerbait.

Tactics/Bait: Old standbys like Salmon Eggs and inflated Nightcrawlers did very well at the lake. The top Powerbait color was Rainbow. Garlic Powerbait was hooking up fish all week. Don't forget to add some Lip Ripperz Hatchery Dust or Bite-On Fury Shad to your Powerbait for extra fish catching strength. For the trollers, the Bleeding Frog Tasmanian Devil was the hot lure. This trolling lure filled a few stringers. In the creek, mini jigs, Pautzkes Salmon Eggs and small spinners (Roostertails and Panther Martins) are worth a try. The top shore locations on the lake were the South Shore and Inlet area. Other locations to try: Jetty area, North Shore, the Outlet and Hangman's Tree. Anglers on boats were having success. The fish in the lake are deep. They are in the 60 foot depth range.

Here is a list of other baits/lures that can be productive:
Sierra Slammers, Tasmanian Devil, Green or brown Marvel Flies , Trout Teasers, Panther Martin, NeedleFish, Rooster Tails, and Bite-On Fury Shad on Powerbait.

I would suggest using some type of added attractant. Pro-Cure, Bite-On, Lip Ripperz and Berkley all make excellent attractants, which are sold at the general store.