Bass and crappie fishing are on tap for Clear Lake fishermen this weekend. The bass fishing has been rated good overall and most of the fishermen are catching anywhere from 10 to 30 fish per day. The fish are ranging in size from 2 pounds to the occasional 8-pounder.
Some of the better areas have been north of Lakeport in the vicinity of Rocky Point and along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline. The south end of the lake is also producing fair numbers of fish. Lipless crankbaits or plastic worms rigged split-shot style have been the most successful techniques.
Jeremy Taylor of Kelseyville won the Clear Lake Bassmasters club tournament held on Clear Lake on Saturday with a five-fish limit that weighed 15.8 pounds. Darrell Cecil of Clearlake Oaks caught the big bass of the tournament, an 8.62-pounder.
Crappie action has been a hit-or-miss affair. One day the fishing is good and the next it slows to a crawl. The most popular areas continue to be Kono Tayee and Shag Rock, but even here the fishing has been sporadic.
Ken Taddie of the Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven says that overall the crappie fishing has been fair to good off his docks. According to Taddie, the fishing is rated as good during different times of the day and his clients are catching 15 to 20 fish, and then it drops off. The bluegill action has been very good.
Other nearby lakes also are producing good action. At Indian Valley Reservoir, the trout action was very good prior to the recent storms. Most of the successful fishermen trolled a Needlefish or Cripplure near the surface.
The best action has been from mid-lake to the north ramp. The fishing pressure has been very light.
There have been very few fishermen at Upper Blue Lake. One local angler caught several trout while drop-shotting a plastic worm for bass. Trollers also have been catching a few trout. The lake is scheduled to be stocked next week.
Trout fishing has been rated from fair to good at Lake Berryessa. The more successful fishermen have been casting live minnows to the surface-feeding fish. Bass fishermen are finding decent action on smallmouths and largemouths by drop-shotting a plastic worm in the deeper water.
Duck hunters are finally seeing an improvement in the hunting at the Sacramento Valley refuges. Most of the refuges had a three to four bird per hunter average over the weekend. The private duck clubs reported similar results.
The refuges are open for hunting on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. One of the better hunting areas this season has been the Colusa Refuge, which is only 60 miles from Lake County.
Christmas is only a little more than a week away and for those last-minute shoppers here are a few suggestions. First, be sure to visit one of the local tackle shops.
There are four tackle shops in the county ? Tackle It in Lakeport, Limit Out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks, Lakeshore Bait and Tackle in Clearlake and Clearlake Bait and Tackle also in Clearlake. The managers of these shops are experienced fishermen and they can offer expert advice on fishing gifts. They also sell gift certificates.
Better yet, ask them to put together a tackle pack of the latest lures and plastic worms. Some of the more popular bass lures on Clear Lake this year are the LV500 and StaySee jerkbait made by Lucky Craft. They sell for about $15. Swimbaits are one of the most popular lures on the lake and sell for about $15.
All fishermen 16 years of age and older must have is a 2007 fishing license. They make great gifts and can be purchased at any licensed agent. All you do is fill in the person”s name. A 2007 fishing license costs $37.50.
For those who want to spend a little extra for a unique gift, then a guided bass fishing trip on Clear Lake is an ideal gift. The average cost is about $320 for a full day or $180 for a half-day. The names of the local guides can be obtained from the local tackle shops.
Finally, the best gift of all would be to take your son, daughter or parent fishing. A day in the outdoors with a loved one is priceless and will be remembered for a long time.
