This week, 4,000 pounds of trout were released into Cachuma Lake to restock the population.
It is something that happens every year, so people can fish for them. The fish range from half-pound “catchables” to eight-pound trophies
"It brings in families from all over the county to do rentals and things like guide trips with me and take people out and have a great time on the lake," said Jeff Andrews, a fishing guide on Cachuma Lake.
He works as a fishing guide on Cachuma Lake and says the trout must be restocked yearly because they don't reproduce naturally.
"The fish are sterile," said Andrews. "They're all planted with the tag. The reason for that is we do have native populations of fish downstream, and they do not want them to fight each other for food."
According to Santa Barbara County, the fish are released four times a year, with each "drop" being about 4,000 pounds of fish, all from a fish hatchery.
"A lot of our trout stock are brood stock, which means they are larger fish, which is also fun to catch," said Andrews.
A volunteer at Cachuma Lake said this drop will be followed by another one in a few weeks, just in time for the fish derby at the end of April.
He says even though the trout are restocked, it's not easy to catch one.
"It's not that easy, guys," said Mario D'amico a volunteer camp host at Cachuma Lake. "Since I've been here the last two weeks, maybe 20 boats have gone out and maybe eight fish are caught."
Both fishermen say the trout restocking brings more people out to the lake. They say even if you don't catch something, it's worth the trip.
"It's enjoyable, and when you fish," said D'amico. "You don't have a care in the world."
