Conditions look perfect for the Memorial Day weekend. The air temperature is forecast to be in the mid-70s and the winds will be from the west at 10-20 mph.
Overall the bass fishing is rated from fair to good. Most of the fishermen are catching from 10 to 25 fish per day and the size has been been ranging from a pound to more than 5 pounds. A few bass in the 8-pound-plus class have been caught.
Anglers Choice held a two-day pro/am over the weekend and it took 43.01 pounds to win it. Mark Crutcher of Lakeport came in third with 30.36 pounds. Crutcher said he caught all his bass on small swimbaits cast back in the tules.
Plastic worms also have been effective. Guide Ross England said his clients have been doing very well by split-shotting a 6-inch Maverick worm in the oxblood-blue colors.
England said the trick to success is to find areas that don”t have threadfin shad and to work the plastic worm very slowly along the bottom. Most of the time the bass are just gingerly grabbing the lure. Drop-shotting a plastic worm also has been effective when cast back in the tules.
Both the north and south ends of the lake are producing fair numbers of bass. One of the better areas has been near the state park.
The good news is there are no bass tournaments scheduled on the lake for the long weekend. However, there are several smaller club tournaments.
Crappie action still remains an iffy situation. There are some areas in the south end of the lake that have been producing decent numbers of fish, but overall the action has been slow.
There are still reports of adult dead crappie being found around the lake. According to Department of Fish and Game senior biologist Rick Macedo, the most probable cause is stress from spawning and rising water temperatures.
Macedo said crappie have a mortality rate, which can be as much as 60 percent. Spawning puts a tremendous stress on the adult fish and many will die. Rising water temperature will also result in a high mortality rate.
Crappie are also considered a cyclic fish, meaning their populations can fluctuate wildly from year to year. At Clear Lake, the crappie population has gone from boom to bust over the years.
Catfish action is improving. The results of the recent Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Catfish Derby showed that a lot of smaller catfish ? 4 to 10 pounds ? were caught. The best action has been near Rattlesnake Island and Redbud Park in Clearlake.
The warm weather has turned on the fishing at the other local lakes. Lake Pillsbury should be a perfect getaway for the long weekend. The lake was stocked with trout on Wednesday and it”s full to the brim. Bass fishing has been excellent with a few weighing as much as 10 pounds.
The best bass fishing has been back in the coves, with spinnerbaits, Senkos and plastic worms being the top lures. Trout are being caught by trollers working the main body of the lake. The trout are holding in the top 20 feet of water. The county road out of Potter Valley has recently been graded and is in good shape for the holiday weekend.
At Indian Valley Reservoir, the kokanee are finally starting to bite, with an occasional trout bite as well. Bass can be caught near the flooded trees in the north end of the lake.
Upper Blue Lake is also a good bet for the weekend. The water is still slightly stained but the trout action is rated from fair to good.
Another good choice for the trout fisherman is the East Branch of the Russian River. The stream was stocked this week and the action should be wide open for the weekend.
Trout, salmon and bass are on tap at Lake Berryessa. The only downside will be the crowds. This lake goes nuts on Memorial Day weekend.
Lake Sonoma has been providing some excellent bass fishing. The bass are up shallow and Senkos or plastic worms have been dynamite on bass to 5 pounds.
