Clear Lake will be crowded with bass tournament fishermen this weekend as the Angler”s Choice Pro/Am two-day event gets under way on Saturday morning. The tournament is expected to draw in excess of 100 boats (200 fishermen) and will operate out of Konocti Vista Casino, Resort and Marina in Lakeport. Weigh-ins both days begin at 3 p.m.
Fishermen can sign up for the tournament between noon and 5 p.m. today at the Clear Lake Outdoors tackle shop located on Soda Bay Road in Lakeport. The entry fee is $400 for pros and $200 for amateurs. That fee includes a couple of options.
Overall the bass fishing has tightened up a little. Most of the bass have completed their spawning cycle and have moved into the deeper water. Spawning takes a tremendous toll on the fish and it will take a week or two for them to recover and begin feeding again.
Topwater lures have been effective the first hour after daylight and just before dark. The best action during the day has been for fishermen using the drop-shotting technique. Plastic worms rigged on a shaky head jig also have been effective.
Most of the action has been in the north end of the lake from Lakeport to Rodman Slough. The Lakeside County Park area is also producing good numbers of fish. The Nice-Lucerne area also has been fairly productive. In the south end of the lake, the heavy algae blooms are clouding up the water but bass are being caught at Jago Bay, Konocti Bay and near Rattlesnake Island.
American Bass held a team tournament on Sunday and the winning team was Thomas Cardoza of Lakeport and Jeff Billings of Clearlake with 26.73 pounds. They also caught the big fish of the tournament, an 8.83-pounder. Their winnings came to $2,900. All but three of the 41 teams entered in the tournament weighed in five-fish limits. The overall average size per fish was a healthy 3.28 pounds
Most of the successful tournament fishermen caught their fish by sight fishing bass on the spawning beds. Senkos were the top lure.
Catfish action has been fair in Cache Creek and near Redbud Park. Horseshoe Bend continues to kick out a few catfish. Crappie action remains very slow although a few fishermen have been locating schools and catching from five to 10 fish per day. Ken Taddie of the Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven reports that crappie fishing has picked up near the resort”s docks.
I have received a number of calls from fishermen saying they are catching giant bluegill weighing in excess of 2 pounds. What they are actually catching are redear sunfish, which can weigh up to 3 pounds. A redear sunfish closely resembles a bluegill, but with one difference. Both species have a black spot on their gills, however, a redear sunfish has a red or orange band around the black spot.
For some reason a lot of redear sunfish are being caught this year at Clear Lake.
To date the lake level has dropped only a couple in inches because of water being released for irrigation in Yolo County. It has had no impact on the fishing.
No local waters were scheduled to be stocked with trout this week. The East Branch of the Russian River is scheduled to be stocked with trout next week. Lake Pillsbury has been providing some excellent trout fishing and the bass fishing has been outstanding.
At Upper Blue Lake, the trout action has been fair to good with most of the action going to trollers working the middle of the lake. It”s still unknown when the Department of Fish and Game will resume stocking the lake. A few fishermen are catching bass by drop-shotting a plastic worm in the deeper water along Highway 20.
About the only action at Indian Valley Reservoir has been for bass, which has been very good for both smallmouths and largemouths. The lake level is being drawn down as Yolo County takes water. Small boats or kayaks can still be launched at the dam, but caution should be used.
