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Bass action at Clear Lake is still a hit-or-miss affair. A few fishermen have been doing well and others are struggling. A good day is when you can put six fish in the boat.

The more experienced fishermen are giving several reasons for the slower-than-normal action, the main one being the huge numbers of baitfish in the lake. It”s not just the tiny silverside minnows, but also young hitch, crappie and Sacramento suckers. In fact, the baitfish are so thick at the ramps in Library Park in Lakeport that a number of people have stopped to just view them and the birds feeding on them.

Speaking of birds, all those small gray birds you see swimming in groups of a dozen or more are eared grebes. They migrated to the lake in the past three weeks and are gorging themselves on the small minnows.

The lake is seeing very little fishing pressure. On most days the parking lots at the boat ramps have been just about empty. The local fishing guides account for most of the fishing activity. Guide Richard Pounds reports his clients have been catching from 10-15 bass per day using jumbo minnows. He said he has been concentrating his efforts in the south end of the lake.

Guide Bob Myskey reports baby hitch are schooled by the thousands in Holiday Harbor in Nice. He says white pelicans have been feeding on the hitch. There also have been reports of large threadfin shad being seen in the south end of the lake.

Most of the experienced fishermen believe the overall adult bass population is down at least 30 percent. The bass they are catching have been tightly schooled and, in addition to live minnows, the top lure continues to be a Lucky Craft LV500 lipless crankbait retrieved in the “lift-and-drop” style. The trick is to keep on the move until you locate fish.

Bass and catfish action remain very good near the docks at the Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven. Ken Taddie says his clients have been loading up on bass using jumbo minnows as well as catfish. The best action has been at night.

Angler”s Choice will hold a team bass tournament Saturday. The tournament operates out of the Konocti Vista Casino, Resort and Marina and the weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. Fishermen can sign up for the tournament at the Clear Lake Outdoors Tackle Shop beginning at 5 a.m.

A few crappie are being caught at Kono Tayee and Shag Rock. Most of the fishermen are happy to catch three or four fish. The good news is the crappie have been huge, some weighing as much as 3 pounds.

No local lakes were stocked with trout this week. The few fishermen out after trout at Upper Blue Lake are doing well by trolling in the middle of the lake. One bass fisherman said he caught three bass by drop-shotting a plastic worm on the shoreline running along the highway.

No fishing reports are coming out of Indian Valley Reservoir. Apparently the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) won”t be stocking the lake with either trout or kokanee salmon this winter. The DFG just doesn”t have the money to stock this lake. The good news is the bass fishing should be very good by spring. The bass population has been growing and the bass are growing in size because of the light fishing pressure.

The few turkey hunters out are doing very well during the short fall season. One hunter said he hunted on a private ranch in Scotts Valley and it took him only 30 minutes to bag his turkey, which was a nice tom. The season closes Nov. 28.

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