Santa Margarita Reservoir is located in the central coast region of California and is a popular fishing spot for largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie. Other activities in the area include hiking, boating, and camping. Fishing tips include using live bait or lures that mimic the natural prey of the fish. The best time to visit is in the spring or fall when the weather is mild, with average temperatures ranging from 60-80°F.

Featured Fish - Alligator Gar

Because of its huge size and great strength, the alligator gar is popular with anglers. Obviously, it is not a fish that is easily caught, as its sharp teeth will cut most lines in an instant. They are edible, but are not highly rated by most people. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish: It is certainly one of the most distinctive freshwater species of fish. It can be distinguished from all other gars by the two rows of teeth in the upper jaw, its broader snout, and its size when fully grown. All other gars have one row of teeth in the upper jaw. In most other respects all gars are very similar in appearance, with a long body, a long, toothy snout, and a single dorsal fin that is far back on the body above the anal fin and just before the tail. The tail is rounded and pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are fairly evenly spaced on the lower half of the body. The gars most closely resemble the fishes of the pike family (muskellunge, northern pike, and the pickerels, Esox spp.) in body shape and fin placement. In the pike family, the tail is forked not rounded.