Recreation
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
There are boats of every kind rolling into our county this week as folks come to enjoy all that our magnificent lake has to offer. The fishing is darn good (as good as it has been this year, in fact) and the water looks great. We’ve got a bit of wind forecast for the weekend and the weather is supposed to be a bit cooler than it has been.
Bass anglers are fishing a wide variety of artificial baits – buzz baits in white, spinner baits in white or chartreuse, jigs with trailers, Beavers, Senkos, Brush Hogs … the list goes on. This is the kind of fishing that allows one to stick with their favorite technique or try that new technique you’ve been itchin’ to try.
Most reports have anglers catching 30 to 60 fish a day depending on how many hours you’re out on the water, and how hard you want to fish. Live bait anglers have been frustrated at the lack of availability of the larger sizes of minnows. Simply put, there are none to be had. Nearly all of our bait fish come from the big farms in Arkansas. They’ve been out of ‘em now for a couple weeks so there aren’t any coming into the hatcheries in California. Many of our anglers who enjoy using live minnows have gone to using the “medium” or crappie sized minnows and are having good success. (These minnows actually “match the hatch” pretty while at this point in time.)
Crappie anglers are enjoying catching a few crappie here and there. Some are reporting up to 15 per outing. Others are catching only two or three. The key to the crappie fishing right now is having a boat and enough motivation to check known locations throughout the day to locate the schools. Deeper water (18 to 25 feet) has accounted for most of the crappie lately. The Boat Works and Four Poles have both held crappie this week. Medium minnows or the ever-popular Panfish Assassin lures are tops.
Catfish are eating … everything. We’re in that time of year when the bass guys are having fits because they're catching catfish on their highly specialized bassin’ gear. Have you ever seen what a 14-pound catfish does to a spinner bait? Yikes! It’s ugly. Shrimp, mackerel and anchovies, night crawlers, clams and livers, mice and rats – all are prime targets for the predatory catfish. (Keep your Chihuahua away from the water …)
Saturday will see the 41st annual International Worm Races immediately following the Redbud Parade. Come join the fun, watch the parade, buy your highly trained race worm and test you luck in the races. (Pay no attention to the Worm Doping Scandal in the papers last week. Our crawlers are steroid free!) The parade will start at Redbud Park and end at Austin Park here in the city of Clearlake on Saturday morning. The worm races will begin at noon and run until about 3 p.m. There are also concessions and a carnival for a full day of family fun at the lake. Hope to see you ther e… (You guessed it, I’ll be at the worm races with the race worms.)
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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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
So what’s new? Night bite! And the smoke from the many fires burning around us.
The big question callers have had this week is “How’s the air quality?” To that I can answer “improving.” On Thursday we had a southwest wind that is moving the smoke eastward. Two days ago I couldn’t see the nearby hills, yesterday an outline appeared and today we can make out the trees on the ridgeline. Here are the detailed reports …
Bass anglers are feeding bass Senkos, Brush Hogs, Speed Worms and top water lures. Frogs and poppers are good when the sun first hits the water in the morning and again during the heat of the day. Minnows are a knockout at first light. Drop shotting a Witch’s T or Bold Bluegill finesse worm will get you bit.
Depth reports have fish being caught in two feet of water, 10 feet of water, 20 feet of water and deep in the weed mats. So, it sounds like fish are pretty much everywhere and on most everything we would normally fish this time of year.
The numbers aren’t off the charts – more like just plain average, but the bass are cooperating and are fairly easy to locate. Night fisherman are reporting phenomenal fishing from 10 p.m. on through the darkest hours of the night. Black & blue, purple & brown, and brown & orange jigs are accounting for many a night bass. And don’t overlook the BIG BLACK WORM – like Maverick’s 10-inch Curly Tail hand pour offering.
Crappie anglers are experiencing success in moderate numbers. Fifteen fish – on average – is what we’re hearing for catches. The shoreline areas from Clearlake Oaks through Glenhaven along with the docks over in Jago Bay are getting the most attention. There are other spots producing too, but nothing in great numbers. I’d say the key is to fish several areas thoroughly and at several depths to locate fish. Use minnows or mini-jigs. Top colors haven’t changed in eons – white or chartreuse. Some are even using the old standby red and white jigs that were so popular in days gone by.
There’s plenty of excitement about the catfish bite. So much so that we’ve scheduled our first CatFest event of the year for July 19. But more on the event news in a moment. Let’s talk about the whiskerfish …
All shoreline areas around Clearlake and Cache Creek have been producing for our regulars. Kids and adults alike are catching some nice fish. We haven’t seen anything of gargantuan proportions lately, but the numbers are quite good. Mackerel still outsells everything else for cats. However, most everything seems to be getting a bite these days whether it be minnows, livers, clams, shrimp or crawlers.
And now on to the upcoming event … CatFest is back! As we've done before, we'll meet here during the afternoon. We'll get our gear and our boats ready, swap some stories, pick our baits, and eat some food (barbecue dogs, chips and beans are the usual fare).
The flotilla will hit the water about 6 p.m. and fish until 11 p.m. We'll have a pool for biggest fish of the evening. Pitch in a couple of bucks for the barbecue and get in on the pool – all at your own discretion. This is not a competitive event, but rather a good time with a group of folks all fishing for catfish together. It’s a blast, so come on down and get in on the fun.
And lastly, we’re taking registrations for the Hunter Safety Class coming up July 21, 23 and 26 (three sessions, one class). The class is held at the Lake County Fire Protection District on Olympic Drive in Clearlake (across from the Burns Valley Plaza). Ten dollars gets you a seat in the class. Phil Parker is our fabulous instructor. The class is open to kids (age 9 and up) and adults. This will be the last class offered in Clearlake before deer season opens. Sign up for the class here at Lakeshore Bait and Tackle.
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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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
The bass are biting well on nearly everything at first light. That bite tapers off into a finesse bite as the day wears on. Minnows are scoring big for numbers of fish caught. Anglers are seeing lots of “clone” bass, pound or pound and a half bass that is. Bigger, post-spawn, fish are coming from nearby dropoffs and ledges. The weed beds are starting to come on strong and a few anglers have told me that they are picking up a few fish where the weeds drop off into clear water.
Crappie and bluegill are being caught now at docks around the lake (FINALLY!). A caller from Lakeport reported a consistent bite – not high numbers of fish, but a steady bite. I talked to Ken over at Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven. They’re doing exceptionally well on crappie from about 8:30 at night and right on into the later hours. Jago Bay is seeing some action, too. Chartreuse, White or S&P Fin-S or Panfish Assassin jigs are tops for artificial lures.
Catfish are cooperating for most anglers looking for them. Typical baits (nightcrawlers, minnows, mackerel, anchovies, clams, livers and a very limited supply of shad) are working. Shore anglers and boaters are finding best success at night but some nice cats are coming during the middle of the day, too.
The good folks over at the Sunset Fishing Resort here in Clearlake are hosting their inaugural Youth Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The derby is open to all kids ages 8 to 12. Entry is FREE. A parent or guardian must accompany children entered in the event.
Each registered child will be offered a voucher for FREE bait at Lakeshore Bait & Tackle. Additional bait will be available for purchase at the resort. There will be drawing tickets for sale. All proceeds from this event are to benefit the Lake County Youth Club for facility rehabilitation. Please call the Sunset Fishing Resort at 707-994-6642 or email
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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- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Bass fishermen are dodging high winds and rough water to find a few fish holding on ledges and drop offs. Zoom’s Speed Worm, and the mighty Senko are tops this week for soft plastics. Some are finding fish in 18 inches of water with frogs. When the sun shines and the wind drops off, the bite swings back pretty well. Jumbo minnows are still the old stand-by for when things are tough. But alas, even the minnows fail us when the wind is howling and the lake gets big.
LAST MINUTE UPDATE: A few guys managed to do combat fishing with waves crashing over the bow and the boat taking on water … They did pretty well fishing the techniques I mentioned above. Bass inside the marina and crappie outside the marina in 20 feet of water at the Boat Works.
And that’s a good teaser for the crappie bite that we get so many calls about each week. Crappie, deep water, rocks on the bottom. That’s the prescription for taking home a few nice slabs this week. The Boat Works (outside the marina), not the Four Poles, has produced some beautiful chrome black crappie now for a couple weeks. They’re deep!
Jago Bay has some crappie lurking under some of the docks. With a report like this, I’d just have to go on the hunt and try Leubow Point, Clearlake Resort (formerly Fun Time), Indian Beach Resort and Clearlake Oaks as other possibles on my crappie hit list.
Catfish are stacked up pretty good down in Cache Creek. Plan on taking a good long boat ride, nice and slow (it is a now wake zone), and work your way down towards Lower Lake. All of the usual suspects have made an appearance on the whiskerfish menu this week – mackerel, anchovies, night crawlers, shrimp, clams, etc. The wind has been off the charts for drifting purposes, so tie up or anchor up and set your lines.
We announced this week our final hunter safety class for the year to be held in July at the Clearlake Fire Station on Olympic Drive.
The class is a three-session class: Monday, July 21 and Wednesday, July 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, July 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This class is a great introduction for someone new to firearms or even a good refresher for the long time hunter or gun owner. The class is appropriate for kids as young as 9 years old, when the child is accompanied by an adult. The fee is $10 per student. (As in the parent doesn’t have to pay if he or she is just sitting in with a child student.)
Parents – don’t let your children grow up scared and ignorant of firearms – give them a proper introduction and help them build respect for guns, wildlife and the outdoors!
Sign up for the class here at Lakeshore Bait & Tackle or call 707.994.FISH (3474) for more information.
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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