Cool fall weather has slowed the bass action at Clear Lake. The water temperature has dropped to as low as 63 degrees in the mornings and the bass are on the move.
The other factor affecting fishing conditions is the dropping lake level, which is forcing the bass out from the tules. Jigs and drop-shotting a plastic worm has been the ticket for most the successful fishermen. Other fishermen are having success casting lipless crankbaits such as the Lucky Craft 100 or 500 models. The Izuri lipless crankbait in the baby bass pattern also has been effective. The lure is cast parallel to the tules and retrieved at a medium speed.
The best fishing continues to be in the south end of the lake over the rockpiles. The shad have been schooling on the rockpiles and fishermen working the shad are catching bass weighing between 2-7 pounds.
In the north end, the docks just north of Lakeport are a good bet. The same applies to the docks in the Nice-Lucerne area. The trick is to keep moving until you find a concentration of bass. A good day has been when you can catch 10-20 fish.
Catfish action continues to be excellent and the fish are widely scattered around the lake. In fact, just about every area is holding catfish and some of them have been huge — several caught this past week have pushed the 20-pound-plus mark. Shrimp, mackerel and even nightcrawlers have been the top baits.
Crappie action has been slow although a few fishermen have been scoring on fish up to 2 pounds. The best area continues to be the docks at Luebow Point and near the Boat Works. A few crappie are being caught off the wall at Redbud Park in Clearlake, but it”s a hit-and-miss affair.
No local waters were scheduled to be stocked with trout this week or next. The next stocking for Upper Blue Lake is scheduled for next month.
At Upper Blue Lake, the trout action has slowed to a crawl and is hardly worth the effort. The good news is that the bass fishing has been good.
For those who plan on visiting Lake Pillsbury, be forewarned that the lake level is very low and the boat ramp at Fuller Grove is out of the water and no boats can be launched. All the campgrounds, with the exception of Live Oak Flat, will be closed for the year starting Oct. 1.
Zone A deer hunters close out their season on Sunday and overall 2006 has to go down as one of the poorest hunting seasons in years. The warm and dry weather has delayed the bucks from going into rut and hunters report seeing very few deer.
The B zones that opened on Saturday saw reduced hunting pressure and few bucks were bagged. For example, game wardens validated only three bucks from Tar Flat in the Mendocino National Forest on opening weekend. Hunting pressure was down by at least 30 percent compared to previous openers.
The fun part of hunting is seeing the unexpected. That happened to me on Wednesday evening when I drove to the Sheldon Creek Campground, located on the old Hopland Toll Road between Lakeport and Hopland. As I drove into the deserted campground, I saw a pair of mountain lions resting right by one of the picnic tables. The lions stared at me for about 30 seconds then rose and loped up the hill. For me it was the thrill of a lifetime to be so close to the big cats. I couldn”t have been more thrilled if I had bagged a four-point buck.
Here is a bit a food for a thought. At the excellent Lyme disease seminar put on by Dr. Robert Lane on Tuesday evening, Dr. Lane said recent research shows that the common gray squirrel is the most common carrier of Lyme disease ticks in Lake and Mendocino counties. According to Dr. Lane, up to 80 percent of the squirrels in the two counties can be carriers. He went on to say that if you find a dead squirrel or plan on hunting them you should always wear latex gloves when handling the dead animals.
