Bass fishing at Clear Lake is about as good as it can get. Most of the fishermen are having little trouble catching 10 to 30 fish per day and the good news is that just about every location is producing fish. In fact, the fishing has been so good that an angler complained to me that he was only catching 20 bass per day and wondered when the fishing would improve.
Now, that”s being spoiled.
The rockpiles in the south end of the lake have been seeing some incredible fishing pressure. The fishing has slowed a little on the weekends, but by midweek the action has resumed.
The best news is that fishermen have been doing very well in the north end along the outer edges of the tules. The entire shoreline from the state park to Lakeport is loaded with bass. The docks in the Nice-Lucerne are another good bet.
The only downside is that many of the fish only weigh between 1-3 pounds. But unless you”re a tournament fisherman, it”s a great day to spend on the lake.
The top technique has been drop-shotting a plastic worm and that goes for most of the areas. One of the more popular plastic worms has been the oxblood-blue color.
The topwater action has been fair and should improve with the return of the hot weather. There are a few mats starting to form, which means it”s time to use plastic frogs. The bass seek the shade of the mats in the afternoons and a frog cast to the mat can produce a heart-stopping blowup.
Crappie action has been fair. Both the north and south ends of the lake are producing crappie weighing up to 2 pounds. Crappie expert Franz Bingel of Clearlake reports there are crappie being caught at the Redbud Park pier, where live minnows are the top bait. Crappie are also being caught near the docks at Luebow Point. Crappie action is rated fair at the Library Park docks.
Bluegill continue to be caught in huge numbers at just about every location.
Catfish action is improving. A number of bass fishermen report catching catfish on crankbaits and jigs. Nightcrawlers also have been effective in Horse Bend and Cache Creek. A lot of smaller catfish are being caught, which is a good indication the fishery is making a comeback.
No local waters were stocked with trout this past week. Upper Blue Lake and the East Branch of the Russian River are scheduled to be stocked next week.
Kokanee fishermen at Indian Valley Reservoir are having to go deep to find their fish. The water surface temperature has been holding at 72 degrees and the kokes have dropped down to 40-50 feet. It”s that time when only fishermen who have downriggers are having any luck. The best action has been near the dam.
Bass fishing has been good throughout the lake. The water is so clear that most of the bass are being caught at depths of 15-25 feet and are holding on the submerged logs. One fisherman reports catching more than 30 bass last weekend and at least 10 were smallmouths. Drop-shotting a plastic worm has been the ticket. Jigs also have been very effective.
Ocean salmon fishing off Fort Bragg fishing has been red-hot. Dan Stahlman and Mark Crutcher of Lakeport fished with Brian Crutcher of Ukiah on Saturday and they loaded up on salmon, the largest weighing 35 pounds. The only problem was the ocean was a little sloppy.
California”s Zone A deer archery season opens Saturday. The season runs through July 30 and hunters can expect better than an average chance of scoring on a decent buck. The wetter than normal spring has resulted in an abundance of feed and the deer are in excellent condition.
The Mendocino National Forest traditionally produces most of the bucks. The top areas in the national forest are from Upper Lake to Lake Pillsbury. Other areas in the national forest offering good hunting are Pine Mountain, Horse Mountain, Bartlett Springs, High Glade, French Ridge, Goat Mountain and Pitney Ridge.
