A rolled shad 12 feet deep took this 4-pound rainbow at Tulloch Lake. Photo courtesy of Danny Layne.

Throughout 2008, the entire state of California will provide excellent opportunities to catch trout.

Trollers, float-tubers and bank anglers should expect to find quality action from Mexico to Oregon and the Pacific Ocean to Nevada.

Here's a breakdown of some of the state's best prospects.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In the spring, anglers will find adequate action across the region. If you don't mind the crowds, all of SoCal's pay lakes -- Irvine, Santa Ana River lakes, Laguna Niguel -- will provide good, if somewhat overcrowded, experiences for anglers looking to fish with others in search of farm-raised trophy trout. These fish sometimes have no fins, dull colors and little fight to them. However, Ventura County offers excellent conditions for trollers at Lake Piru, as does Los Angeles County for shoreline anglers at Castaic Lagoon and float-tubers at Elizabeth Lake.

Early spring also marks the beginning of the traditional spring and summer trout season in the San Bernardino Mountains. Due to the devastating fires that swept through the region, anglers at Green Valley Lake will experience some sort of silt runoff that could affect fishing.

Call ahead for updated conditions. The number is (909) 867-2009.

Higher up the mountain, Big Bear Lake will just be starting to open its marinas. According to Alan Sharp of Big Bear Marina, the lake will provide excellent action for trollers working Needlefish, Rebel Minnows and Rapalas doused with Pautzke Liquid Krill. Sharp said that water levels that have been higher than normal in recent years will make for great fishing this spring in the vicinity of Observatory Point.

Spring tends to be the best time to troll at Lake Jennings, said ranger Hugh Marx. He added that trout tend to migrate from the shoreline to deeper portions of the reservoir as water warms in April.

Trollers can work various spoons in 10 to 20 feet of water to cash in on 1- to 2-pound rainbows. In the mountains above San Diego County, Lake Cuyamaca was again spared by wildfires, and the lake's inventory of rainbows is higher than it's been in years.

Private stockings, in addition to plants by California Department of Fish and Game, give anglers the best chance in the county to catch limits of trout easily.

Ranger Willard Lepley said the way to consistently catch trout here is to fish Lone Pine Tree and the T-Dock. Inject Liquid Krill into night crawlers and use an 18- to 24-inch leader with a sliding sinker to float the bait off the bottom.

KERN RIVER DRAINAGE
Historically, the Kern River can be a chore to fish in May, June and July. High runoff from the Kern River Drainage plagues trout fishing here.