By Terry Knight
Hot weather and a poor success rate continue to plague fishermen at Clear Lake. Most of the fishermen have been getting off the lake by mid afternoon due to the 100 degree weather. The fishing itself has been nothing to brag about with the exception of catfishing.
The bass fishermen are averaging from 3-7 fish per day. That”s for eight hours on the water.
For the bass anglers the best action has been in the south end of the lake where drop-shotting a plastic worm around the docks has been the most productive technique. Some of the better areas have been Monitor Point, Konocti Bay and the rock piles near Rattlesnake Island.
At the north end of the lake the good news is that the weeds are starting to die off and the green algae is blooming. The green algae is considered the good algae because it offers a food source in the form of phytoplankton for the small fish which in turn provides food the adult bass.
Most experienced bass fishermen will tell you that if they could only have one lure it would be the jig. Day in and day out it is by far the most productive lure in the tackle box. It is also one of the easiest lures to fish. At Clear Lake the most popular color is either a dark blue or black, or a combination of the two colors. The most popular size is 3/8 ounce. You have to attach a trailer to the jig and one of the best is the Paca Chunk Sr. made by NetBait.
The best part of using a jig is that it is weedless, which means that you can use one in just about any location. Most of the fishermen will cast the jig to the edges of the weed beds and retrieve it by lifting the tip of their rod up slightly. They then lower it and make a turn or two on the reel. This makes the jig hop along the bottom which resembles a live crawdad swimming. The crawdad is one of the favorite foods for bass.
When a bass grabs a jig, it often inhales the lure. In fact, there is no mistake about a strike as you will definitely feel it. All of the local tackle shops sell jigs and they only cost about $3 each.
Catfish action remains very good all around the lake. One of the better areas has been the docks at the Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven where fishermen have been loading up on catfish. The catfish are averaging from 5-10 pounds and the top bait has been either nightcrawlers or cut mackerel. A few crappie are being caught around the docks in the south end of the lake, but overall the fishing has been very slow.
Many of the fishermen in the south end of the lake are tolerating the thick algae. The problem has been that the algae has been clogging up their reels and other fishing equipment. To prevent permanent damage it is recommended that reels be rinsed off with fresh clean water as soon as possible after coming off the lake.
There is still no word when Upper Blue Lake will be stocked with trout. The lake is now back on the Department of Fish and Game”s (DFG) trout stocking list and will probably receive a stocking within a month. It all depends on whether the DFG has the funds. The East Branch of the Russian River is scheduled to be stocked next week.
The Zone A deer season opens on Aug. 8 and many hunters wait until the last minute to buy their deer tags and then purchase them over the counter at the nearest DFG regional office. Which, in the case of Lake County, is the DFG office in Yountville. The DFG has announced that due to budgets cuts all their offices will be closed
