The hottest lure at Clear Lake continues to be the Horny Toad and it really doesn”t matter the color you use. The key to success is not the color but the time of day you fish. How you fish is equally important. The Horny Toad is most effective from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the middle of the day being the most successful. Another thing to consider is the hotter the day the better the bite.
One reason the Horny Toad is so successful is because during the hottest part of the day the silverside minnows school under the available weed mats and the small bass (3-5 inches) follow them. As a result, the larger bass chase after the smaller bass. The explosions you see in the weed mats are the larger bass chasing the smaller ones.
The trick is to use a stiff rod and braided 30-pound test line. Cast the Horny Toad just beyond the weed mat and retrieve it so that it passes right above the mat. The bass have been blowing up on the lure right in the thickest part of the mats. That”s one reason why you need the braided line so that you can force the fish out of the heavy weeds. A package of five Horny Toads costs $4 and the special hooks are two for $2.50. All the local tackle shops carry the Horny Toad and the staff will show you how to rig and fish them.
Another trick is to watch for the minnows and the grebes that have been chasing after them. Where you find minnows you also find the bass. The only problem is that most of the weeds are disappearing and where you find a good number of mats one day they might be gone the next. It”s important to keep on the move.
In areas with few or no weeds, crankbaits like the Speed Trap have been effective. Drop-shotting a plastic worm or casting a jig also has been very effective. Senkos rigged wacky style have been catching good number of bass. This is especially true in the deeper water in the south end of the lake where there are rockpiles.
The good news is that most of the bass are finally starting to put on some weight as they are finding more food. Most of the fishermen report catching several fish between 4-7 pounds. There have even been a few in the 9-pound class caught.
American Bass will hold a team tournament on Sunday and it operates out of the Skylark Shores Motel in Lakeport. The weigh-in starts at noon. Fishermen can sign up for the tournament at the Tackle It tackle shop located next to the Skylark Motel today and Saturday or before blast-off on Sunday morning.
Catfish action remains good in the deeper water in the south end of the lake. Cut bait and nightcrawlers are catching most of the catfish that are weighing up to 15 pounds. The water is too shallow in the north end for any catfish action.
Crappie continue to be a no-show and the same goes for adult bluegill.
No local waters are scheduled to be stocked with trout this week, however, Upper Blue Lake is scheduled to be stocked with trout on Tuesday. It will be the first stocking by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) since last year. The lake will be stocked again later in the month.
Deer hunters are waiting for some cool weather to improve their hunting. Usually Labor Day weekend the weather starts to cool and the hunting improves. To date, the Zone A season has been pretty much of a bust. Most of the hunters report seeing very few deer and practically no bucks. It”s the old story of a loss of habitat and the drought.
