Bass fishermen will be out in force this weekend as the Holder Ford/Konocti Vista Casino bass tournament gets under way Saturday morning. From all indications the weather should be decent and the fish should become more active.
The two American Bass tournaments held last weekend produced a lot of limits and it took at least 22 pounds to win both events. The major problem is a lack of trophy-sized bass. For example, the Sunday tournament produced only two fish weighing in the 6-pound class.
The Holder Ford/Konocti Vista Casino tournament should have at least 130-plus boats. There were 75 teams entered as of Thursday morning and typically 50 to 70 teams sign up the last day. Last year the tournament fielded 149 boats and it took 51 pounds to win the two-day event. The winners, Wayne Breazeale of Kelseyville and Jerry Tilton of Lakeport, will be back to defend their title. In fact, they will be the No. 1 boat out Saturday morning. Also back again this year is Congressman Mike Thompson, who is teamed with his regular partner Manny Mendoza of Kelseyville.
Fishermen can sign up for the tournament as late as 5 p.m. today at Holder Ford, 2575 S. Main St., in Lakeport. Cash or check will be accepted. The entry fee is $150 per team with a $50 big-fish option. The weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday starts at 3 p.m. at the Konocti Vista Casino, Resort and Marina.
The payback will be 100 percent of the entry and option fees. Cash prizes will go to 20 percent of the field. If there are 100 teams in the tournament, the winning team will receive at least $3,000 and that doesn”t include option prizes. Fishermen and their guests will also enjoy a barbecue on Saturday evening at the Konocti Vista Casino, where there will be a number of door prizes given away to the fishermen. The cost for the barbecue is $10 per person.
Out-of-county fishermen in the tournament must have a current quagga mussel band on their boat or they won”t be allowed in the tournament. Tournament director Ed Clarke said he will be inspecting all boats prior to blast-off and those that don”t have a quagga mussel band will be disqualified. The color of the band for the month of March is yellow. Residents of Lake County can still use the orange stickers that were issued several months ago.
Despite the recent weather fronts that have passed through the area, the bass fishing remains fair to good overall and most of the fishermen entered in the tournament predict it will take at least 50 pounds to walk away with the first-place money.
The top lures have been swimbaits, jerkbaits, jigs and Senkos. The bass are tightly schooled and the successful fishermen have been constantly on the move until they locate a school of fish. As in most of the recent bass tournaments, the winners cast swimbaits and that will be the case during this tournament. Swimbaits are the top lure for catching trophy bass.
The results of a recent trip by guide Richard Pounds are a good example of bass being on the move. Earlier this week his two clients caught more than 40 bass using live jumbo minnows. Pounds said the bass were scattered from Lakeport to the county park. Fishermen also report the bass they have been catching are full of crawdads. That”s one reason jigs have been so effective. The south end of the lake is also producing a lot of fish. In fact, earlier this week a pair of fishermen caught limits of bass while fishing off the docks at the Lakeside County Park. Bass are also being caught near Redbud Park in Clearlake.
The one downside is the super clear water. In most areas you can see the bottom, even in 6 feet of water, and that”s not an ideal condition for fishermen. Most of the tournament anglers say they prefer a slight off-color to the water so the bass don”t spook as easily.
Crappie action remains very slow. In fact, it”s been downright dead. A few crappie are being caught back in the sloughs. Catfish action has improved with the rising lake level. Most of the successful anglers have been casting nightcrawlers back in the flooded tules.
No local waters were stocked with trout this week. At Upper Blue Lake, the trout action is rated fair and trollers are getting most of the fish. Bass fishing continues to improve.
Fishermen are reminded that effective March 1 there is no longer a requirement that you display your fishing license. The Fish and Game Commission rescinded that requirement earlier this year. However, all fishermen still must have a valid fishing license in their possession and must show it upon demand by a game warden.
