The carp die-off is winding down from all indications on Clear Lake. Although a few fish are still dying, the disease or whatever killed the carp has run its course for the most part. I was out on the lake on Wednesday and saw only about 100 dead carp floating in the open water and I didn”t see a single sick fish. The dead fish appeared to be at least two days old as they had already started to decay.
What caused the die-off — which didn”t affect other fish in the Lake — is unknown. It was most likely caused by a virus fairly common among carp. The total number of fish killed probably ran into the thousands. Some people even put that number at 10,000.
The big problem now is the stench the decaying carcasses are causing. In areas where the wind has pushed the dead carp to the shores, the smell is unbelievable. Residents can dispose of the dead carp either at Hammond Park in Nice or at Lakeside County Park in Kelseyville. The county has dug a pit at each location and yellow ribbons mark the pits.
There have been reports of people putting the carp in cardboard boxes and placing them on Highway 20 for Caltrans to pick up. Caltrans won”t pick up the dead carp and it”s also against the law for anyone to place a dead animal on the highway.
Bass fishing continues to be very slow. Why the fishing is so bad is a mystery. Most fishermen see plenty of bass cruising but not biting. What is even more confusing is that it”s not uncommon to see the bass chasing bait fish.
The good news is there are thousands of young bass. I fished one area near Land”s End at Lakeport on Wednesday and on just about every cast I would hook a 6-inch bass using a topwater lure. If only a small portion of these bass survive the winter the bass population will soar in the coming years. The reason small bass die during the cold winter months is because they have little body fat and if they don”t eat daily they will die. Adult bass survive the winters because they normally have a good fat reserve.
The successful fishermen are constantly on the move until they locate a school of bass and then they stay in the area. The most successful lure this past week has been a lipless crankbait such as a Lucky Craft LV500 or a Rat-L Trap. The lure is retrieved yo-yo style, which makes it resemble a dying bait fish. The next best technique has been drop-shotting a plastic worm. Topwater action early in the mornings also has been fair.
Angler”s Choice will hold its Tournament of Champions tournament on Saturday and Sunday. The tournament goes out of Konocti Vista Casino, Resort and Marina and the weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. both days.
No local waters were stocked with trout this week. Upper Blue Lake is scheduled to be stocked next week.
The Department of Fish and Game has announced the dates for the annual Lake County Junior Pheasant Hunt. The hunt is scheduled for Nov. 15 at Highland Springs, located just outside of Lakeport. There will be morning and afternoon hunts. Applicants should send a standard Postal Service card to Highland Springs Jr. Pheasant Hunt, 1812 Ninth St., Sacramento, CA 95811. Do not send more than one application.
Applications must include the junior hunter”s name, address, telephone number, junior hunting license number, hunt period (AM or PM) and name of a chaperone. Successful applicants will be notified by mail with information on the hunt. If all the spaces do not fill, junior hunters may be added on a first-come, first served basis up to and including the day of the hunt.
The deadline for the applications to be received is Oct. 27. Junior hunters with priority stamps will be given priority in the drawings. Call (530) 878-3858 for more information. You can also apply online by going to www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/uplandgame/gamebird/
