HIDDEN GEMS BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR HOTBED WHERE TROUT ARE ABOUT.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

While the traditional crowds gather around Crowley and its surrounding lakes for the Eastern Sierra trout opener this weekend, employees of Johnny's Sporting Goods in Pasadena will be driving right by the popular lakes.

They will drive an additional 90 minutes to Bridgeport to fish the reservoir and its streams.

``It used to be that if you got 12 boats on the reservoir, that was a lot,'' said Johnny's owner, Bobby Ota, who likes to float tube the lake. ``Now, you see 24 boats and it seems crowded. Last year, I saw two buses pull up with people. I think people are discovering it.''

And there's good reason. The largest trout in the northern Owens Valley came from the impound, a 13-pound, 11-ounce brown trout, caught by Mike Saucedo of Pico Rivera last October. The largest opening-day trout has come from Bridgeport the last two seasons.

``The (lake's) resources make them consistently bigger,'' said Rick Gieser of Ken's Sporting Goods in Bridgeport. The reservoir, he adds, is his favorite place to fish.

``After they drained the lake (a decade ago), it only took five years to see 12-pound brown trout. That's as good as you're going to get. People are finding out about it.''

But fishing could be a bit of a problem this year, unless anglers do not mind shore fishing, float tubing or bringing their own boats. Falling Rocks Marina closed after last season. Lower Twin Lakes Resort owners Steve Marti and Lori Eitel-Marti signed a one-year lease with the Nevada-based Walker River Irrigation District on Monday to take over the lake marina. The Martis have ordered new boats for the resort, but they won't arrive for at least three weeks, Eitel-Marti said Tuesday.

The new managers also are installing a fish-cleaning station and awaiting arrival of a dock. Boaters will be able to launch at the resort's ramp and will be able to tie off boats at moorings for loading and unloading only.

``It will be challenging, but it will be fun,'' Eitel-Marti said of operating the two resorts. ``My opinion is that when the lakes are iced over, we have a better opener and better fishing. The lakes have been open for a month.''

Gieser said two other flaws in the lake are a lack of scenery and the winds.

``When the wind gets up, your fishing is over, unless you can find a cove or are willing to get a little wet,'' he said. ``But if the conditions are right, the boys are going to have one heck of a good time.''

When it gets like that, Ota said he likes to fish Buckeye Creek, below the campground.

``I like to fish my way down into the pasture,'' he said. ``I like that area and not very many people know about it. You get a lot of good fish there and, I think, the fish tend to spawn there.''

Ota said it involves crossing a fence onto private property, but he makes sure to pick up his trash en route.

``They seem to tolerate anglers,'' he said. ``But you have to realize where you are and not create any problems.''

Fred Rowe of the Sierra Dot Guide Service said staying away from the crowds is a matter of planning the day.

``We'll fish the Upper Owens at Big Springs until the afternoon,'' he said. ``When the crowd began arriving, we went to Crowley at noon and there was no more than 10 people on the lake. It's all a matter of timing and knowing where to be when.''

Rowe said he'll be fishing Lower Owens, which is open all year, this weekend.

``Once the season opens, people drive right by and do not fish there,'' he said.

POLE POSITION

What: Eastern Sierra general trout season

When: Saturday through Oct. 28

Required: 2001 California fishing license, $29.40

Limit: Five trout daily, 10 in possession after opening day

TROUT OPENER

--The Department of Fish and Game resumed stocking the region about a month ago, dumping about 146,000 fish into Inyo and Mono county waters. Crowley Lake, which will receive the most pressure this weekend, received 300,00 pounds of sub-catchable trout last November, shortly after the close of the 2000 season. The fish should have grown to between 1 and 2 pounds by now.

The season will open Saturday with a fireworks show over Crowley at 4:45 a.m. More than 10,000 anglers are expected and Crowley Fish Camp employees said this week the camp is ready.

During the season, the DFG will stock 531,00 pounds of trout in Mono County waters and 248,200 pounds of trout in Inyo County waters, about the same amount as last year. The fish will come from the Hot Creek, Fish Springs and Black Rock hatcheries.

The season is 184 days, ending Oct. 28.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Above, a solitary fisherman works the upper Owens River near Lake Crowley. Below, a view of Bridgeport.John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) POLE POSITION (see text)

(2) TROUT OPENER (see text)