Brian Sak.

~JULY~
Rainbow Trout
Crowley Lake
Crowley is considered one of the nation’s best fly-fishing rainbow trout lakes, in terms of both numbers and quality. The trout here are often so easy to catch that this has become a popular destination for novices and experts looking to perfect their skills.

The single drawback to Crowley is that it’s not conducive to fishing from shore. To hook fish successfully here, you’ll need a float tube to reach trout cruising along weedy edges along the bank.

For information, call Culver’s Sporting Goods at (760) 872-8361.

Other Choices
The tough drive to Shelter Cove is worth the effort, considering it’s one of the best places to take king salmon pushing 40 pounds. Try trolling between the Hat and Old Man.

Only minutes from Oakland and San Francisco, San Pablo Reservoir offers some of California’s best channel catfish action. The downside here is that the lake closes from sundown to sunup.

~AUGUST~
Panfish
Lake Tulloch
End the kids’ summer vacation at Tulloch, where sunfish, crappie and juvenile smallies provide non-stop action. Head to the back of any cove with submerged grass, and you’ll get away from the skiers and also find plenty of fish.

Another popular area is up against the steep rocky banks upriver.

Tie a No. 6 hook a few feet below a bobber, thread on a 1/2-inch piece of night crawler and cast to the shallows. Small plastic curlytail grubs will catch panfish, too, if your kids feel squeamish about live bait.

For information, call Fisherman’s Warehouse at (209) 239-2248.

Other Choices
Channel cats tipping the scales at 20 pounds will gobble up mackerel and other smelly baits near the boat ramp, the marina and in Murphy’s Bay at Santa Margarita Lake.

Easily accessed from Channel Islands or Ventura harbors, the Ventura Flats provide quality sand bass fishing to anglers soaking squid. Metal jigs worked just off the bottom are also worth a try.

Largemouth Bass
Lake Don Pedro
Waters were noticeably lower at Don Pedro over the past year. Though that could be a problem in the long term, this fall it should make targeting this huge reservoir’s Florida-strain largemouths easier.

This is the time and place to go for that trophy-class bass that you’ll be boasting of for the rest of the year.

Stick to rocky points with bulky pig-and-jigs, buzzbaits and large top-water lures early and late in the day.

When the sun is high, move deeper on the same points, slowly dragging 6-inch soft-plastic curlytail worms.

For information, call Escalon Bait & Tackle at (209) 838-6722.

Other Choices
Falling air and water temperatures mean it’s time to chase rainbows at Eagle Lake, where trout to 6 pounds move shallow to fatten up for the winter. Live bait and hardware both work well here.

Target the east side of Lake Cachuma with mealworms, redworms or cut night crawlers for non-stop redear sunfish action. Soak whatever bait you’re using at a variety of depths until you locate fish.