Crappie have grabbed the spotlight away from bass for Clear Lake fishermen this week. Whereas the fishing still isn”t red-hot, the bite has been good enough to make a trip worthwhile.
The best action remains near the docks at Kono Tayee. Even here the action is excellent one day and slow the next. The problem is the docks where the fish are located have been loaded with boats. Shag Rock is also giving up decent numbers of crappie. The trick is to keep moving until you locate feeding fish.
There have been a number of complaints about a few fishermen who are catching and keeping more than the legal daily limit. The daily and possession limit for crappie is 25 and the game wardens have been keeping a close eye on the fishermen. There have been citations issued for over-limits.
Bass fishing has been holding steady as most of the fishermen are catching from five to 15 fish per day. Jigs have been the top lure and they should be worked super slow. The deeper water in the south end of the lake has been the most productive area.
Fishermen using live jumbo minnows also have been doing very well. Most of the local tackle shops received new shipments of minnows, so there should be plenty in stock for the weekend.
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.
If none of the above works, then go to the old standard — drop-shotting a plastic worm. This style of fishing is so easy that even a child can master it. All you do is attach a size 2 hook about 12 inches up the line and then attach a small sinker on the bottom. The plastic worm is rigged weedless on the hook and the entire rig is cast to the docks or back into the tules and allowed to sink to the bottom. Shake the tip of your rod and turn the reel handle one or two turns. When a fish grabs the worm all you will feel is a slight pull.
WON BASS will hold a team tournament Saturday. The weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa.
Fred Williams of Kelseyville has been catching some huge bluegill. He caught several fish earlier this week that weighed between 1-1 ? pounds. Williams said he caught the bluegill in shallow water using nightcrawlers for bait.
Upper Blue Lake has been kicking out a few trout for both trollers and bank fishermen. The trollers are using either a Needlefish or a Kastmaster and trolling near the surface. The lake will be stocked next week. Bass action has been slow.
If you have a small boat, then a trip to Indian Valley Reservoir is worth the drive. The lake is producing some excellent bass fishing and even kicking out some trout. The ramp at the dam is out of the water and only small boats can be launched. The best action for smallmouth bass is along the rip rap at the dam. This would be ideal for a float tube as you can launch the tube within a few yards of the dam.
Duck hunters are still waiting for some northern birds to arrive. Most of the refuges in the Sacramento Valley have been averaging less than two birds per hunter. Starting on Saturday the motorized spinning wing decoys can be used and that should improve the hunting.
The spinning wing decoy is standard decoy that has wings that are rotated by a small electric motor. The spinning wing decoy mimics a duck that is hovering over a set of decoys and is very effective at attracting ducks from a distance.
