I'm frustrated so excuse me for venting.

I live in the Long Beach/Orange County area and tonight there's a full moon, but like any other night - there isn't anywhere I can go to fish that's legal and free. It's sad that we live in an area that doesn't provide us many opportunities to fish at night. Even if I wanted to pay to fish - most places don't have night fishing during the week. I'm not a member of a private lake and I just want to fish. I'm not interested in covert fishing trips to golf courses, etc., but I sure would like to fish.

Peck Road is free - but you can't fish there after a certain time. I could fish Cerritos Park Lake - but puhleeese... that little cement pond is not my idea of a fishing hole. I fish Eldorado Park - but the rangers there run you out at 8 p.m. sharp.

I envy those of you who live in areas where you can venture out to a lake day or night, launch a tube and not get hassled or have to pay.

If there is a place within reasonable driving distance that I'm not aware of that allows night fishing - even during the week - I'd sure like to hear about it.

Anyone else share my frustration?

I don't know if its legal or not but I fish at peck road after dark all the time, I hope its legal. The best night fishing is going to be at the pier. If you can find free parking the peir is great if you just want to pull in a couple of shovel nosed sharks and get a hell of a fight. Full moon is the best, and mackerel is the bait.

East Shore Castiac Lagoon is open to fishing 24 hours a day. Quail Lake is also open to fishing 24 hours a day. It's a bit far for most of us. It's too far for me to go althought the bass fishing can be good there. Plus they have smallies, stripers, and large mouth. Gotta love a variety pack. Still far I'm in SGV. You can fish Puddingstone till 10 pm.

Those damn gill netters are at it again huh. They had problems with them in the past out there. I know they've been at Legg Lake too recently. Ok that is worthy of an entirely different post. Back to the after hours freshwater. I believe you can fish Irvine at night and it does have some decent bass fishing. Only catch is that you have to pay.

I know at Legg Lake if you park outside the park or even better you have someone drop you off you can fish at night depending on the cops who are patrolling it. There are no signs posting park hours and you will see other fisherman. Depending on the officers some say you have to leave the park while other officers may ask if they are biting? If they ask if the bass have been biting lately if it's dark the answer would be yes.

WARNING! Beware there are few cops patroling this place that fall under the group of cops that give the force a bad reputation. Two cops asked where asking anyone fishing to see their license. Tney asked me to see my license and I wanted to say this is not your juristiction. I turned around as I fishing and heard the officer ask. I was expecting to see a DFG but it was Montebello PD. The LA county Sherrif also patrols this park. I didn't want to question the cops authority because I felt that he would have had a fit about it so when I turned he saw that I was wearing my licencse and said thank you. I decided to just let it go at that. Plus one time I was buying an ice cream from one of those guys pushing an Ice cream cart he charged me a $1.50 my Dad asked him in spanish why he charged so much and he explained that if he wanted to sell Ice crean at that park he had to pay off the police so he had to charge more to cover it. Now that's just not right. Ok I'm getting to far off the subject again.

Hey man you live in long beach. You've got all kinds of fishable night time water right in your own city. Just grab your freshwater bass gear and head to the dock of the bay. You'll have a great time.

Don't know how far you are from Dixon, but it's open Wed - Friday I believe for night fishing right now. I'm planning on hitting it up next week and the week after once or twice :-)

You can fish the East shore line on the lower lagoon up at Castaic.


Palmdale Shane
"Striper Specials"

SJ,I feel the same way as you feel many many times.
Ever since Harbor City Park lake was not allowed to
fish any more due to the poisoning water,I have not gone for
night fishing for a while.I tried Cerritos,but No good at all
this year for some reason.
Someone told me that Irvine lake is opened in the night during
summer for catfish fisherman.I am not sure Is it true or not?
Anyway you have to pay for it though.But you may have some luck!

NM

I would check out Puddingstone Lake in Pomona. Free parking after 6:30 and its open until 10. You could park up the street a couple of miles and fish there all night if you're that hardcore.
Tommy

fished puddingstone by parking down the street and walking up to the lake last summer, saw gillnetters twice along the north shore and called caltip but i don't know if anything happened after that. pudd is better at night but my biggest bass to date was last feb in the late mornin on a senko. just dont get cought by the park police because it's considered tresspassing once the gate closes at 10pm

I know what you mean SJ.. it really sucks in our area. =( I live by the Cerritos Mall and NADA here -- with the exception of El Do -- within 45 minutes worth fishing.. and like you said -- no chance in fishing El Do after 8:00 PM.

Perris is pretty good for night bass fishing and they close at 10:00 - 11:00 PM depending on which ranger is working.. but then again thats about an hour commute. Dixon and Poway is open for night fishing but that's in SD. Otay is gonna be open this Saturday -- I think -- again not very nearby. <SIGH>

well the main reason they dont let you fish at night around here is because the public as a whole is not responsible and mature enough. and there are too many people.Laguna Niguel lake stopped night fishing because the people on the shore figured it was ok to poach bass and Cats at night. they either took bass or took to many cats. also there were fights, music, and drugs going on, not to mention tons of trash. just because its dark doesnt mean you can litter. im sure you would not want to be responsible for this if you were the owner of a lake. on the over crowded note, people were being hit by large sinkers in the middle of the lake by people with surf rods who just had to be in the deepest part of the lake.

im not saying that this is you but there are people out there who ruin it for others. Also if there was 24 hour fishing at alot of lakes would be fished out and trashed quicker. there is just not enough water for everyone....except that huge lake they call the PAcific....thats a different story.

Save a wave, Ride a surfer.

Thanks for all the great feedback. I didn't know Puddingston was open till 10. I believe Irvine is open at night from 4-11 on weekends, but is pretty costly for what you get. Some great tips all the way around though...

I know I can fish the salt... but it's just not my thing.

I'm fully aware of the situation at Laguna too... It's a dang shame that bass fishery has suffered so much because of the poaching, but they're taking major steps to clean that up and have been planting bass back in the lake all summer.

I'm sure glad I don't live in Long Beach anymore! I lived there 5 years before moving to norCal. I'll never go back.
Don't brush off saltwater bass. They really are a lot of fun on soft plastic swimbaits. Very similar to freshwater bassin'. You just have to rinse your gear after every trip.
And I saw on another post, jetskis at El Cap! Shame on you S.D. County water management, SHAME!

My friend Kenny fished there about a month ago and he also saw the gillnetters there. After a while the cops rolled up and the gillnetters ran away. Of course Kenny was trespassing too so he took their gillnet and got out of there. I beleive he still has the net at his shop in Upland. I have also snagged longlines there.
Tommy

I know kenny, you know rich, ted, vince and all the other guys out at pud?

Nope I only know a couple of guys out there; Aaron, Dave, Phil and Kenny, I have seen vince out there but I haven't talked to him.
Tommy

Ok im thinking of a different tom.