While my wife and children splashed at the Casitas Mini-waterpark, I fished off my kayak from 4:30 p.m. 'til closing. Aquatic weeds are thick, growing bottom to top in depths of 10-15 feet. Officials are wisely quitting use of herbicides. Cover for juvenile fish is essential to ensure future fishery. Paddled onto a thick mat and observed. Crawfish and small finfish came to the mat surface, had a hard time getting back into water. I could see them flipping and struggling. Snatched a crawfish off the mat w/ plans to use it for bait. If this is the "natural condition", it gives clues on how we should be working weed mats. H2O temps high (guessing 72-74). Fished a 8-in brown with blue vein worm over the mat and on the edges. Caught one 5-lb, 18-in bass from outside edge. Farmed one other. Saw many 2-3 inch fish. 'Dads, small minnow replicas, and worms should be working. Met R. Thigpen, maker of the Castaic Trout. He was throwing his big trout to the outside edge of weeds, working 15 - 30 foot water. He knows bass fishing, so this should be a lesson to anyone working the lake under current conditions. Thanks, Mr. Thigpen!