Fishing this past week could be described as mediocre at best. Some folks are catching a few fish, but many are having a difficult time. We’ve seen cooler weather all week. The bass bite has followed suit and cooled off too. It’s hard to believe it, but I found 39 degrees passing through Lower Lake on my way to work Thursday and Friday (5:45 am). The day temps have topped out around 68 to 70 degrees and the water temp is hovering around 62. Things are due to be warming all the way around as we go into the weekend.

The bass are in a funk. Some are deep – as deep as 25 feet. Some are shallow – as shallow as 2 feet. The reports are varied from “caught a bunch” to “caught one or two.” The water is as clear as we’ve seen it, and it is clear down to 10 or 12 feet. I’m getting spotty reports of a top water bite on frogs and poppers. We’re experimenting with the Seismic Frogs – these things look GREAT. Spinner baits, Senkos, and drop shot rigs are top movers for us.

The crappie are dark, dark, dark and down deep in about 20 feet of water. Some nice slabs have been taken near the Boat Works and Four Poles areas. White or Chartreuse jigs or live minnows get the nod this week.

We’re getting a lot of calls about bluegill these days … But we’re not really hearing about a good bite. We’ve heard tell of some activity where the silverside minnows have been spotted – in areas around the south part of the lake.

The cats are still prowling Cache Creek. Mackerel and shrimp are tops for the wily whiskerfish. Folks fishing the main body of the lake are doing all that well from the public shore spots. A few of the smaller resorts down Lakeshore Drive (down towards Clearlake Park) have seen some good activity.

Overall, your best bet is to call and see what’s happening right before you come up. Things have been changing almost on a daily basis this week …

Bob Rider owns Lakeshore Bait & Tackle in Clearlake. Visit his Web site at www.994fish.com or call him at 994-FISH (3474).

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