These are Northern-strain black bass, so you won't see a lot of 12-pounders. But you will find a ton of 2- to 6-pounders hitting shad imitations. Photo by Richard A. Bean.

Southern California has some of the best bass angling in the nation. A number of bass-record compilations point out that California has produced more than 20 of the 25 heaviest bass ever caught. And Southern California accounts for a majority.

The San Diego area is perhaps the epicenter of that great bass fishing. A number of waters operated by the City of San Diego are open to angling at its best. Florida-strain bass introduced by the late Orville Ball have produced big bass, and plenty of 'em.

The state's southern end has few natural lakes, but dozens of reservoirs dot the landscape. And the fishing couldn't be better. Or could it?

One factor that intrudes is the population of anglers. These days, it's hard to find a lake not being fished by a lot of folks. On a weekday, you have a fair chance of finding water that isn't being used by a whole fleet of bass boats. But if you like solitude, weekends can be a real challenge.

Also, Florida-strain bass -- and the hybrids from the mixing of Florida fish and Northern-strain largemouths -- are harder to catch than pure Northern-strain fish. More bass in California waters grow to large size, but the fishing can be tough.

These two problems -- too many anglers, and hard-to-catch bass -- can lead a bass angler to frustration. Imagine waiting two hours to launch, then catching only a couple of fish on an outing that costs you for travel, gas, lunches, launch fees, parking for tow vehicle and trailer.

BARRETT'S BETTER
One answer to this hectic fishing situation is Barrett Lake in the south of San Diego County.

At 861 surface acres, Barrett isn't all that large. But entry is controlled, and on a "busy" day at Barrett, you can often feel quite alone. The reservoir is shaped like a ragged "L," with two creeks forming the long arms. Pine Creek Arm goes north, and the Hauser Arm reaches east into the Hauser Wilderness Area. In all, you get about 12 miles of winding, rocky shoreline.

In the fall of 2006, a wildfire burned a lot of the brush on the hills in the Hauser Arm, but little impact on the fishing is expected. This small water is just about the only place in Southern California where anglers have a reasonable expectation of a solid population of Northern-strain bass. You probably won't catch a lot of fish heavier than 10 pounds, but usually you'll catch a lot of them.

Barrett has a well-deserved reputation for churning out good numbers of 2- to 4-pound Northern-strain largemouths. This population is protected by strict catch-and-release regulations that keep anglers from removing too many fish and causing the population to crash.

Lake Barrett is unique among publicly operated reservoirs. It's located behind locked gates in a remote area of San Diego County and was closed for many years. Access has been offered on a limited basis by reservation since 1994.