By Terry Knight — Summer has finally arrived at Clear Lake and the bass have responded by moving into the shallows to spawn. Just about every flat has at least three or four bass on the spawning beds. The ultra-clear water makes seeing these bass easy and anglers are taking advantage of the perfect conditions to sight fish. The best time to sight fish is in the early afternoon when the sun is at its peak and the bass can be seen. One of most successful techniques is to drop-shot a plastic worm on the bed.
This is also the time when the topwater action is about to take off. The bass are holding at the edges of the weed beds and a topwater lure such as a Zara Spook or Lucky Craft Sammy cast tight to the weeds beds should produce explosive action.
Without question this is one of the most exciting methods of bass fishing. When a bass explodes on a topwater lure it”s often just a big shower of water and the fisherman more than often sets the hook too soon and misses the fish. But that”s what makes it so exciting.
One of the more successful topwater lures is the Sammy or Spook. They are basically do-nothing lures that resemble a cigar. The lure is retrieved with short jerks, which makes the lure swing back and forth, much like an injured minnow. Fishermen call this type of retrieve “Walking the Dog.”
The trick is to either cast it in the open water next to a weed mat or in the shade of a dock. Make several short jerks and then pause. Often a bass will grab the lure during the pause.
Another topwater lure that”s extremely effective is the buzzbait. This lure has either one or two spinner blades that are bent at an angle to make the water churn when it”s retrieved. The lure is cast and retrieved using a constant retrieve, which causes the lure to ride on the surface of the water. Often a curly-tailed grub is added as trailer.
Actually just about any type of topwater lure will work throughout the day. The trick is to cast it either to or above the weed beds. Some of the better areas are the docks north of Lakeport and the area around the Konocti Vista Casino and Resort. The docks at Nice and Lucerne should also produce decent numbers of bass.
Shore anglers have been catching bass off the docks at Library Park in Lakeport. Most of the successful fishermen have been drop-shotting a plastic worm or casting a Senko.
There are two bass tournaments scheduled on the lake for the weekend. WON BASS will hold a team tournament Saturday and National Bass Association West will hold a team tournament Sunday. Both tournaments go out of Redbud Park in Clearlake and the weigh-ins start at 3 p.m. Starting on June 15 all the bass tournaments will be limited to a six-hour duration to protect the fish during the hot summer months.
Crappie action is still very slow. A few crappie are being caught by persistent anglers but it”s hardly worth the effort. The big question is what has happened to the bluegill? Normally at this time of the year the bluegill bite is red-hot, but not this year.
The East Branch of the Russian River is scheduled to be stocked this week. The trout action at Upper Blue Lake has been fair. The best action has been trolling the middle of the lake with either a Kastmaster or Cripplure.
Tiny Letts Lake in the Mendocino National Forest would be worth a camping trip or a day trip. Letts Lake can be reached by taking U.S. Forest Service Road M-10 out of Stonyford.
Only small boats without motors are allowed on the lake. There is also excellent access for shore fishermen. The lake contains both trout and bass. There is no size limit on the bass. This is a great lake to take the family camping.
