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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Warmer weather is in store for us as the weather guessers have us near 80 all weekend long with 40s and 50s at night. That should help us get the water temp up to the mid 50s and signal a huge swing for the bass bite. Here are your detailed species reports.
Bass anglers are chomping at the bit for stable warm weather to arrive – and it looks like it might be arriving. The “spring bite” that we all look forward to has been on again, off again as our weather has remained on the cool side for some time now.
Looking back at the last string of nice weather (a month or so ago now) the bite blew wide open before clamming up again when the temps bottomed out. I suspect that we’ll see a strong jumbo minnow bite get going right off the bat, followed by a sound bite on plastics, spinner baits, and swim baits. We’re seeing a lot of bass staging in the 10- to 20-foot depth, but know that they should be moving right on in to tule depth as the water warms into the weekend.
Crappie anglers are also feeling the cool down a bit, but should likewise experience a boost in activity with warmer weather creating warmer water. Look for crappie in the back of coves, sloughs, and along shoreline tule beds. The name of the game this year is shallow water. Minnows are first to get bit, but mini jigs should kick into gear too as the weekend wears on.
Catfishermen are gearing up for the annual Catfish Derby to be held May 16, 17 and 18. Frozen shad are popular this year as the lake isn’t inundated with them like last year. Mackerel and jumbo minnows are also strong baits for big cats. With the wind settling down, we should be able to get some good drifts in at our favorite catfish holes. (Bass Alley is a favorite, so is Wheeler Point.)
For drifting, use a half-ounce weight on one leg of a three-way swivel with about a 10-inch drop. Use light line (6#) for tying your drop so you can break off the weight if it hangs – you won’t have to re-tie your rig as often. Add your favorite bait to a 3-foot leader (14 - 17#) on another leg with a large (4/0) octopus hook. Tie the remaining leg of the swivel to your main line. I like this rig because of the sensitivity it has to soft bites and it drifts really well without hanging too often. Give it a try.
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
As of Tuesday, April 8, all boats launching in Lake County waters must undergo a permit process before launching. This permit is good for the remainder of the year.
When you come into the county, stop by one of the tackle shops, fill out the form, attach your sticker to the boat and go fishing.
The process is a simple risk factor assessment, NOT a rigorous inspection of every boat. If your boat doesn’t flag the risk factors, you get a sticker and you’re good to go. If your boat IS at risk, then we’ll be looking at it to ensure you’re not inadvertently carrying these pests into our waterways. This falls under the “ounce of prevention” category with minimal inconvenience to the boating public.
The key is this: Clean, drain and dry your boat when you come out of ANY body of water. Our sticker program is temporary until the inbound check stations are open on the four major routes into the county. Once they are open, then all boats coming into the county will swing through for a quick check (like the agriculture stations are doing at the state line). Until then, one sticker is all you need.
If you take the boat home and use it elsewhere, then the hope is that you’ve learned about the evils of bringing bad stuff our way and you’ll do the right thing by cleaning, draining and drying your boat. If you’ve got questions about the program, give us a quick call at 707-994-FISH (3474).
OK, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the fishing. The weather has been up and down with 60s and 70s during the day, mid and upper 30s at night, and plenty of wind to make things difficult. Add to that hundreds of boats on the water with two very large bass tournaments over the last two weeks, and you’ve got yourself a bass bite that’s just a bit ho-hum.
The water temp is in the upper 50s to low 60s but isn’t really gaining much ground – largely due to our cool nights. The bass are being found from two feet to twenty feet. We’re anxiously awaiting the onset of consistently warm weather (both day and night) to really kick things into high gear for the spring spawn. Here are the reports.
The bass are a bit spooky. They’ll look at your bait – or maybe even follow it for a while – and simply turn away without a bite. Jumbo minnows are getting the most action – as it typical when conditions are as they are.
But even so, you have to pay attention to what your bait is doing and work the minnow to help induce a reaction bite once in a while. One angler just described to me this scene: He’s fishing in clear water and can see down several feet. He watches a 4-pound bass swim up to his minnow and give it the eye. The minnow is nonplussed by the presence of the predator but does nothing. They sit like this for a while – bass glaring at minnow in clear water.
The angler “popped” the minnow with a jerk of his rod tip and the bass pounds it. An interesting lesson in minnow fishing … For the tournament guys, or those just sticking with artificial baits, we’re seeing some key baits at work. Senkos fished weightless, Finesse Worms either on Shaky Head or Drop Shot methods, Brush Hogs on Texas or Carolina Rigs, Spinner Baits, and the beginnings of a swim bait bite.
I’ve been writing about the Maverick hand-poured baits a lot lately – well, that trend continues. They remain my best selling swim baits and are selling out nearly as fast as I can stock ‘em on the shelves. These baits are soft and supple, swim great, are easy to rig and reasonably priced. Better yet, they’re catching fish!
Crappie anglers are delighted with the onset of a pretty solid bite around the lake. We’re getting reports that the coves and creeks are all producing well for anglers working live baits. Clearlake Oaks Keys, Anderson Marsh, Austin Park (by the creek), state park and a few other spots are noteworthy this week.
Also, Tony and Ken are reporting in from Indian Beach Resort with good news of crappie being taken from their docks during the evening and nighttime hours. And again, this isn’t the ridiculous wide-open bite we experienced over the course of the last couple of years, but a more reasonable (and sustainable) fish-for-your-limit kind of bite. Minnows, mini-jigs, wax worms and night crawlers have all been in the mix this week.
Catfish anglers are starting to talk about the up and coming Catfish Derby – which returns to Clear Lake next month. Frozen shad and mackerel seem to be the baits of choice this week for the big cats. The winds have been much too high for most boaters to drift so the best reports are coming from shore anglers along Cache Creek.
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
KELSEYVILLE – A new season begins at the Clear Lake State Park Visitor Center this Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Docents Bobbi and Neil Towne will greet visitors, give tours and show the many new items in the gift shop.
The visitor center’s first opening was May 6, 1989. The exhibits were designed by Clear Lake State Park staff and volunteers and refined by dioramist Fred Funk and Richard E. Cook.
The exhibits are as lovely today as at the original opening. The auditorium has been newly painted and old carpet replaced during the off-season. The sales counter in the gift shop has a new look as a portion has been lowered for American Disabilities Act compliance.
Outside the redbud and California poppies seem to dance in the sunlight and the osprey have returned doing aerial ballet as they claim both the nesting tree at the campfire center and the platform nest erected by PG&E. Visitors will notice that new boat slips are being put in place.
Clear Lake State Park Visitor Center is located at 5300 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
For the bass, live bait anglers are still having the most success. The run on Jumbo Minnows hasn’t eased up – we’re still putting almost 3,000 jumbos through the tank each week here in our shop alone.
The good news there is that we’ve reached a threshold where we are maintaining a constant supply without running out each week. So if you need one dozen or 10 dozen, we’ve got plenty for you. Fish your minnow along steep areas where the water depth drops quickly from the shoreline. Position your boat in 15-ish feet of water and cast in toward the bank for best results.
Those folks working artificial baits for bass are still toughing it out a bit. (Those cool nights aren’t helping…) We’re hearing about four and five inch swim baits – like Maverick’s hand poured “BH Minnow” – working at the north end along the Kelseyville and Lakeport shorelines. Spinner baits and Senkos are the other key lures for the week. The swim bait bite is on the very leading edge of the “swim bait season” and should take off well just about as soon as the night time temps warm up. Actually, the overall bite is teetering on the brink of going just nuts when the warmer weather arrives.
OK crappie fishermen – THEY’RE BACK! Many reports of a strong crappie bite are coming in from several areas around the south and mid sections of the lake. Minnows are the mainstay, but we’re beginning to hear a bit about a bite on darker-colored mini-jigs. Panfish Assassin’s Gold Pepper Shiner immediately comes to mind for a good color selection with this type of bite.
The hottest (and most crowded) section of the lake is over in the Clearlake Oaks Keys. Other locations with honorable mentions this week included Kono Tayee Point, Anderson Marsh, and a few spots down here around the south end. The ideal water depth is 5 to 8 feet around submerged brush, tules, rocks and docks. Konocti Harbor Resort and The Four Poles – both of which have done well in the past – are both still without much action.
The catfish are back on the bite after a week or two of a slower bite. Jumbo minnows, mackerel and anchovies are tops. Drifting bait has been effective when the winds are light enough to contend with. Shoreline anglers are also doing okay. There’s no real secrets here… Just average fishing with the usual stuff.
The biggest buzz around Lake County these days is all the hullabaloo over the quagga and zebra Mussels. The official county Web site can be found at www.co.lake.ca.us and should have information available as it develops.
Beginning April 8 (that’s this coming Tuesday) all boats coming into the county must undergo a brief inspection and certification process. All of the tackle shops and a few of the resorts in the county will be offering the inspections.
The mussels pose a substantial threat to our lake and fishery here and there is a concerted effort under way to prevent an infestation that could potentially devastate our resource. Our staff and volunteers will undergo training on Monday and will be better prepared to answer your questions at that time. Please check the county site or call for program details.
Once we’ve been fully brought up to speed on the ins and outs of the program we’ll develop an information page at www.994Fish.com with a condensed, straight-to-the-point, answer-your-questions and get-you-on-the-water approach.
And lastly, local hunters have done well during this spring turkey season. We’ve seen birds to just over 20 pounds come in this week with many birds being taken on public lands. Cache Creek, Knoxville and Upper Lake areas have all given up nice toms. We’ve got pictures for you on our Braggin’ Pics page. The turkey population this year seem to be good and strong and the hunting should continue to be good throughout the season.
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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