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Recreation

The Rider Report: Biting bass, cooperating catfish

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Written by: Lake County News Reports
Published: 13 June 2008
We’ve been quite warm and a bit windy in the afternoons. The early morning bite has been great, mid-morning bite has been reasonably good. By midday, it has been a bit too windy to fish. Our daytime highs are in the upper 80s and low 90s. The water temp has hit 70 degrees. Here are the details …


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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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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The Rider Report: Wind makes for challenging conditions

Details
Written by: Lake County News Reports
Published: 06 June 2008
The bite report is as frustrating as the wind these days … How does one describe things? Topsy-turvy is one way. Tough is another. Whether the fishing is good or bad, we may not be able to tell as the wind has been howling for several days now and the lake looks like someone turned the wave machine on. I’m hoping that with the changing weather conditions forecast for the weekend, the wind will lay down and the fishing will pick up. Here’s what I’ve heard in the shop…


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).

Joy of Birding III, trail hikes at park this weekend

Details
Written by: Editor
Published: 03 June 2008
Image
The bushtit makes its home in Clear Lake State Park year round. The tiny bird, weighing two-tenths of an ounce, has a lisping twitter. Photo by Barbara Bridges.

 

 

 


CLEAR LAKE STATE PARK – Visitors continue to be thrilled with the abundant bird life in this Important Bird Area, one of four designated areas in Lake County.


To have more fun with watching birds and to make identification easier, attend the third in a series of interactive slide presentations, on Saturday, June 7 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the park visitor center auditorium.


Docent Leona Butts will include common, not-so-common and why an exotic in Lake County in Joy of Birding III.


For a special outdoor experience, join docent Walt Lyon for the Indian Nature Trail Walk on Sunday, June 8 at 8:30 a.m. Meet Lyon, a lifetime Lake County resident, at the entrance kiosk (not at the visitor center ramp), of the park for a walk on the side of an ancient lava flow.


The trail commences a short distance from the entrance to the park. A trail for all seasons, Lyon will explain the many uses of shrubs and plants, such as the mulberry and the wavy leaf soap plant, and why the area was so important to our Native Americans. And, of course, you will be able to observe a few Western fence lizards and the birds should be singing during the early morning hours.


Saturday programs will continue in the auditorium through June. The next trail walk is scheduled from the visitor center ramp on June 22 with retired ranger Val Nixon.


Clear Lake State Park is located at 5300 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville.


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The Rider Report: Bass are in a funk

Details
Written by: Lake County News Reports
Published: 31 May 2008
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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