Isabella has increased to 61 percent of capacity and boaters are reminded to stay clear of the vortex “whirlpool” from the intake to the Main Dam Outlet. The release of over 6000 CFS of water into Lower Kern River has created a massive whirlpool near the Main Dam. The overall all fishing has improved over the last week. The crappie bite is excellent for some and slow for others. Our contacts reported solid action in 10 to 20-feet of water near and around trees with live shiners and minijigs. Anglers with stringers of slabs have been moving around until they find the right structure holding fish. Boaters trolling flicker shad and shad type baits have been fooling Crappie. The bass have moved in shallower, and the bite has improved greatly. Better model fish are going for trout like swimbaits, jigs, large plastic worms, and crankbaits. The catfish bite continues to be steady with anglers scoring Whiskerfish on frozen shad, Triple S Dip Bait, and live jumbo minnows. The DFWL had a scheduled trout plant here last week. Shore anglers have been scoring trout with minijigs, Powerbait, GULP! Pinched Crawlers and spinners. Boaters have been doing well trolling Needlefish, Flicker shad and Tasmanian Devils. The start of the Isabella Trout derby is two weeks away. The coordinators for the Isabella Trout derby will release 10,000 trout they’ve been raising, and stock an additional 4,000lbs of Mt Lassen trophy Rainbows. The Annual Isabella Lake Fishing Derby has been pushed back to May 20th - June 4th, 2023. There are 500 tagged trout valued from $20 to $10,000 with $50,000 in tagged-fish-cash and prizes up for grabs. For more information contact Copes Tackle or visit KernRiverValley.com.

Contact Cope’s Tackle and Rod Shop at 661-679-6351 or check us out online at Tackle and Rod.com

Cope's Tackle and Rod Shop has the largest selection of fishing tackle in the Central Valley. We carry all the equipment from top manufactures to make your fishing trip more successful! Whether your fishing for Bluegill at a local pond or Bluefin Tuna far offshore we are your one stop shop for all your fishing needs.



Our mantra here at Cope’s is “for fishermen, by fishermen.” All our staff truly enjoy the sport and spend a lot of time helping make sure you are enjoying your time on the water. We can guarantee satisfaction when you enter our store - from tips and tricks to providing you with all the gear you will need to keep you on the water and in the game!



It is not only our goal to provide you with the right gear, we also strive to keep you informed of local events, trips, shows, and fishing opportunities.



Our price match guarantee assures each angler the opportunity to get out on the water with the best gear at the lowest price possible. We make it a point to regularly run deals and sales!


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