Stan Vanderberg shows just one of the lunkers that call Lake Casitas home. It's not the lake-record 21 pounder, but who would complain about an 11-pounder like this? Photo courtesy of Bill Schaefer

It's January 2007, and a new year has just started. How will the bass fishing be this year? Will you catch the "official" world record? We sure came close to having one in 2006!

I don't know about you, but in January I start to get this really strong urge to get all my tackle set up and straightened out again. Everything must be in perfect shape because the new fishing season is starting, and I am excited!

Pre-spawn bass will start moving to the shallows and nearby points. Males will be looking for that perfect place to spawn and hopefully entice a female to join them. With so many bass in the shallows, it is usually the best time of year to catch large numbers of fish and have a chance at a wallhanger largemouth as well.

Below, I will take you on a tour of five bass lakes from southern California that I like and that will satisfy your urge for both numbers and size.

These lakes are some real favorites of mine as well as many other fishermen, and they will become your favorites, too. I didn't choose these lakes based on giant bass alone. I chose them for their surroundings, fun factor, numbers of fish to be caught and lastly, for the big ones that live there. I hope you can make it to all of them some day.

LAKE BARRETT
For numbers of bass, it is hard to beat this pay-to-play impoundment in San Diego's east county. At approximately 850 surface acres, Lake Barrett is not the biggest in southern California, but it sure holds its own in numbers of fish produced. Fishermen in the lake's glory days caught 50 to 100 fish in a visit.

The lake's dam was completed in 1922. It was built to hold drinking water for San Diego County, was closed to fishing and fished only by poachers over the years. Stories of 100-fish days abounded. In 1994, the lake was finally opened after the details were worked out with local landowners -- you must cross private land to access the lake. Fishermen are escorted in and out by lake personnel.

The lake goes through cycles. It does have its good years and bad. When it first opened, we saw 100-fish days for the first three years. Then it went downhill for a couple of years, then bounced back, then slid downhill again.