For Chad Curtis and his staff at Tackle Express, who recently moved his business to a new location on Soledad Canyon Road, the Santa Clarita Valley is the perfect place for a wide array of “world-class fishing.”
“We’re really central to all the fishing Southern California has to offer, here in Santa Clarita,” said Steve Castillo, a manager at the fishing supply store Tackle Express, which is now located in the same lot as Chi-Chi’s, at Bouquet Junction. “You just need a fishing license, a rod, a reel and some bait and that’s about it.”
And if you’re not a world-class angler, that’s OK — Tackle Express has expert knowledge and a wide range of equipment you might need, whether you want to compete in a local tournament or just catch and release for fun in the nearby bodies of water.
Over the the course of the last eight years, Tackle Express has grown in both size and reputation, and is now widely considered a rich resource of knowledge on not only Castaic Lake, but a number of other water bodies scattered throughout Southern California.
The store is planning to celebrate nearly a decade of success locally with a grand opening sale and event on April 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the new storefront. The event will include free raffles, food and drink, seminars and manufacturer representatives.
According to Castillo, and his fellow veteran fisherman who work and/or regularly visit the bait and tackle store, there’s a lot people who might come to the event who might not know much about what it means to fish near Santa Clarita.
“It’s quiet, relaxing and out in nature, and as soon as you hook that first fish and fight it, you fall in love with the sport,” said Castillo. “Or I guess you could say: ‘They’re hooked.’”
Fishing options
“Within an hour’s drive of us, there’s Castaic Lake, Pyramid Lake, the California Aqueduct, The Palmdale Fin and Feather Club and the ocean,” said Castillo. “But Castaic is about to really come into season.”
The local fisherman explained the strike bass and largemouth bass, the two fish Castaic is known, are in season from spring until fall, with winter being a “dead time.”
“This is the beginning of the season, and it’s going to get really good within the next month once it heats up,” Castillo said, “for Pyramid Lake, too.”
With that in mind, the Friends of Castaic Lake have announced plans to host its annual “Fishin’ and Fun For Kids Day” is scheduled to take place May 4.
Castaic is also planning a number of other events through the end of year, such as their bass tournament series, as well a number of night time fishing and tube floats. For more information about upcoming Castaic Lake fishing events, visit their website at https://castaiclake.com.
The new Tackle Express location is 22941 Soledad Canyon Road, near the intersection Soledad Canyon Road and Bouquet Canyon Road. The phone number is (661) 251-8700.
