As predicted, fishing was good this past year, but giants were rare. Larger fish fell in the 7- to 10-pound range.

Touring pro Stan Vanderburg said that if you didn't have close to a 5-pound average in your livewell for recent tournaments, you weren't in the hunt for the win.

Castaic has a healthy population of shad. Find the shad, and you will find the fish. You must match the hatch: big shad, big baits, and smaller shad, smaller baits.

Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are best the spring. As the sun comes up, go to split shot or drop shot rigs. Swimbaits are also good for getting those larger fish to bite.

Lake Piru
Lake Piru is a little off the beaten path. But bass fishermen know the potential that this lake has to produce giant bass.

This lake also plants trout, and as we all know, largemouths love to fill up and grow large feeding on trout. The lake record here is 13 pounds, 15 ounces. While that's not as large as a number of other lakes around Southern California, this lake puts out a lot of fish in the 10- to 15-pound range.

The lake also has a healthy population of 2- to 5-pound fish and a resurgence of smallmouth bass as well.

Vanderburg is a big fan of this lake. He recommended spinnerbaits, soft and hard jerkbaits, and all types of crankbaits. Plastic worms set up on all types of rigs will also work well throughout the year. Remember, those trout imitations and swimbaits as well for that trophy.

Lake Casitas
Lake Casitas, near Santa Barbara, also boasts some giant bass in its history and can really turn out a lot of mid-range largemouths as well. With a lake record of 21 pounds, 3.5 ounces, this lake is known for great swimbait fishing. Springtime also can bring a great spinnerbait bite, as the bass love to chase the shad here.

The fishing pressure at this lake is low right now because the lake authority has put severe regulations on boats, kayaks and anything else that floats. This impoundment does not want quagga mussels in the lake, and there are some strict rules to follow. Check the Web site at www.lakecasitas.info for details.

Lake Isabella
Finally, a lake that always seems to have a steady bite going, Lake Isabella. Although a little off the beaten path as well, this lake can be a fun destination. Located in the foothills, this lake is a little cooler than most of the other lakes mentioned. That means the spawn here is often a month or two behind most other Southern California lakes. May and June are the prime months to fish.

Guide Jose Santiago told me that the spinnerbait bite in the springtime is great at this lake.

Isabella has just about every type of structure a bass fisherman could want to fish. The lake has a healthy population of 1- to 3-pound fish with some smallmouths starting to show more.

Split shot and drop shot rigs work well here.

Springtime is your best bet to hook a giant at this lake. The lake record weighs in at 18 pounds, 15 ounces.