Catfish grab the spotlight from the bass fishermen this weekend as the annual Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Catfish Derby gets under way at noon on Friday.
This is the 25th year the derby has been in existence and it remains one of the more popular fishing events to be held on the lake. The derby is expected to draw more than 500 fishermen, making it the largest catfish derby west of the Mississippi.
Unlike the bass tournaments where the fishermen roar around the lake in $50,000 bass boats and use rods and reels costing more than $1,000, the catfishermen tend to be more laid back. Most of the fishermen will anchor their boats or even fish from shore and use bait such as live jumbo minnows, crawdads, nightcrawlers or even a special secret mix of materials.
A good example was back in 1996 when Lakeport resident Bill Grossner entered the derby. Grossner was hosting a cocktail party and barbecue from his dock in north Lakeport and decided to throw out a line with a glob of nightcrawlers. As his guests were enjoying a cold drink and fine food, the fishing rod took a sharp dip. Grossner grabbed the rod and reeled in a 19-plus-pound catfish, which was good enough to win the derby and boat package.
This doesn”t mean the most of the catfishermen won”t take the derby seriously. Many of the fishermen will stay out on the lake all night just hoping for that one big catfish to come along and gulp their bait. Winning the derby is a prestige thing for many of the more experienced fishermen. Of course, taking home a new boat, motor and trailer won”t hurt either.
The big question is if anyone will beat the current lake record of 33? pounds set back in 1995 by the late Lyle Dyslin of Kelseyville. There have been some close calls but the record remains intact. Most of the experienced catfishermen say there are 50 pounders swimming out in the lake. Of course, landing a catfish of that size will take a lot of skill. Catfish are extremely strong for their size and most of the big fish are lost.
The grand prize is new boat, trailer and outboard motor. The entire package is valued at more than $4,000. There will be cash prizes for the top 20 finishers. In addition there will be a derby for kids. On Sunday, there will be a barbecue and a raffle. Sign-ups for the derby will be accepted until 11 p.m. on Friday night at the Clearlake Oaks Firehouse.
The weigh-ins will be at the Clearlake Oaks Firehouse starting on Friday afternoon. The presentation of the awards will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Lakeshore Bait and Tackle, located at 14913D Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake, will be open during the derby from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Limit Out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks will also be open to provide the fishermen with bait and fishing tackle.
The rules for the derby are simple. A fishermen can fish around the clock from noon on Friday until noon on Sunday. Only one catfish can be weighed in at a time. If the fisherman catches a heavier catfish, that weight replaces any previous catfish that he/she may have weighed in.
At the conclusion of the derby, the winner, and possibly other top finishers, must successfully pass a polygraph (lie-detector) test to prove they caught the fish within the designated derby hours. This prevents cheating.
What will it take to win the derby? Most years it takes at least a 22-pound catfish to walk off with the grand prize. However, there have been catfish weighing up to 30 pounds caught in past derbies.
Most of the catfish action will take place in the south end of the lake near Cache Creek and Rattlesnake Island.
The catfish action has recently improved in the south end. According to Bob Rider of Lakeshore Bait and Tackle, there have been a number of catfish weighed in at his shop that have been close to 30 pounds. He predicts it will take at least a 30-pounder to win the derby.
As in past derbies the big factor will be the weather. If it”s warm and the lake is calm, then some huge catfish could be caught. However, if it”s windy and the fishermen can”t anchor their boats in their favorite fishing areas, the weights will be down.
Either way it will be a fun event.
