Nighttime Fishing on Lake Casitas Shores

Catfish are expected to be biting today and Saturday as the first shoreline night fishing event of 1998 is scheduled for the Ojai Valley’s Lake Casitas Recreation Area.

The 6,200-acre park has held the activity monthly on the weekend nearest the full moon for four years, said Doug Ralph, park services manager. About 25 people from as far away as Orange County take advantage of the late park hours to fish, barbecue or simply take a moonlight stroll, he said.

With cloudy skies and the possibility of showers in the forecast for both nights, people are unlikely to catch a glimpse of the moon. But the weather is expected to make for good fishing, with catfish the best prospect, Ralph said.

The park is open until 11 p.m., and admission is $5 per carload.

Other dates for shoreline night fishing this year are Feb. 6-7, March 13-14, April 10-11, May 8-9, June 4-6, July 9-11, Aug. 6-8, Sept. 4-5, Oct. 2-3, Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 4-5.

In addition, anglers who prefer fishing for trout should mark Thursday on their calendars. The lake is scheduled to be stocked with 2,000 one-pound rainbow trout that day to coincide with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

For more information on fishing at Lake Casitas, call the marina at 649-2043. For camping reservations call 649-1122.