Castaic

What do you get when you combine a fast growing strain of largemouth bass, hatchery-stocked rainbow trout, intense fishing pressure and a tackle box full of baits that the bass ignore? The answer is Castaic Swim Baits! It was not unheard of for a dozen boats to be waiting in line to ­fish a given piece of structure. Thanks to a steady diet of rainbow trout, the Florida strain bass that were stocked in several California reservoirs had grown to over 20 lbs! Waiting for a chance to hook into one of these hogs was worth it. But, having seen every bait known to man and with gin clear water, these bass were difficult to fool. The breakthrough came on a reservoir named “Castaic,” when a local artist created a rainbow trout look-alike and swim-alike that got the big bass’ attention. Soon, a small group of local anglers began carving their own wood baits to mimic the rainbow trout. Among these men were Ken Huddleston and Chomp Josephite, a couple of die hard bass anglers with big dreams of record-breaking bass. Their goal was to create baits that were more realistic than the giant A.C. Plug, a lure that during the early 1990s accounted for many huge bass. Today, you can obtain your own collection of Castaic Swimbaits. Just like those originals, each and every lure is still hand painted, and crafted to look and swim like a real fish. Unlike the fi­sh, you won’t believe your eyes!