There is good news and bad news in regard to the bass fishing at Clear Lake. The good news is that the weed mats are finally starting to break up in the north end of the lake. In addition, there are plenty of silverside minnows and other bait fish being seen. What all this means is the adult bass should start to suspend beneath the available weed mats, and plastic frogs retrieved across these mats should provide some explosive fishing. That hasn”t yet happened but the fishing could turn around any day.
The bad news is the overall fishing is still rated only fair. Most fishermen are happy to catch and release five to six fish per day. The best action has been the first hour after daylight and the last hour before dark. These are times when the bass have been actively feeding. Jigs and shallow running crankbaits have been the top lures.
One problem facing the fishermen is a dropping lake level. As of Thursday, the lake level stood at 3.9 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, which means the lake level has dropped more than 3 1/2 feet since March. Yolo County is taking its allotment of water from the lake and there is the evaporation factor, which equals the amount of water that Yolo County gets.
The lack of a frog bite this summer has many fishermen confused. In past years the weed mats would attract the bass and fishermen would experience explosive fishing by casting a plastic frog to the mats. That”s not the case this year. For some reason the bass just aren”t yet concentrating beneath the mats.
I am also convinced that the adult bass population is down considerably. For whatever reason, there seems to be a lot fewer bass this year. This has been reflected in the fewer number of fishermen on the lake. Normally the parking lots at the launch ramps should have at least 20 boat trailers parked in them. This summer the lots are virtually empty. The lack of fishermen can be partially blamed on the economy, but a lot has to do with the poor fishing and the condition of the lake.
There are a couple of bass tournaments scheduled on the lake this week. The California Bass Championship (CBC) got under way on Thursday and wraps up today. The tournament fields 40 boats and the winner takes home approximately $20,000. On Saturday, there will be a grueling tournament as the Future Pros take to the water. That tournament is expected to draw more than 100 boats and they blast-off at 6 a.m. and have their first weigh-in at noon. They will then go back out on the water at 2 p.m. and fish until 8 p.m. In all, they will be on the water for more than 12 hours. Both tournaments go out of Redbud Park in Clearlake.
All bass fishermen know a spinnerbait is one of the best lures in existence. Clearlake Outdoors, located on Soda Bay Road in Lakeport, now has a new line of spinnerbaits that should prove irresistible to a bass. They are light and provide excellent action. The cost is $4.50 per lure.
Catfish action is still providing excellent action for the few anglers out after them. One of the better areas has been the State Park where several fishermen have been catching and releasing up to 10 fish per night.
No local waters are scheduled to be stocked with trout this week. At Upper Blue Lake, the trout fishing has been poor and most of the fishermen are happy to catch one or two fish.
The Zone A deer season gets under way at daylight Saturday and the Mendocino National Forest from Upper Lake to Lake Pillsbury will draw most of the hunters. The ridges from the Deer Valley Campground to High Glade are expected to be crawling with hunters.
Typically the game wardens and forest rangers will validate from 10-15 deer tags from the national forest on the opening weekend. A successful hunter must fill out the deer tag and have it validated.
There is a high fire danger in the national forest and there are fire restrictions in place. Campfires or the use of portable stoves and gas lamps are only permitted in designated campgrounds. Smoking is only permitted in a campground or in a vehicle.
Hunters should tell someone where they plan to hunt and when they will return. That should include the description and license number of your vehicle. In fact, I recommend writing the information down on a piece of paper and leaving it with your spouse or close friend. This simple little act could save your life.
Hunters who are lucky enough to bag a buck can have it processed by Larry Poff of Kelseyville. Poff is a certified butcher and has a walk-in cooler and all the tools to cut and wrap the deer. He charges $70 for a deer weighing up to 100 pounds hanging weight. He also processes wild pigs and even lambs. As far as I know he is the only one in Lake County who handles wild game. His telephone number is (707) 349-6800.
