Bass fishing at Clear Lake has definitely shown some improvement. It”s still not wide open and not everyone is catching fish, but for the most part a day on the water has been producing 10-20 fish per angler.
The good news is there are a lot of fish between 12-14 inches being caught. These will weigh about a pound and they”re hitting just about any type of reaction lure. One of the better lures has been the Lucky Craft Pointer 78 Minnow jerkbait in the clown pattern.
A few fishermen are also doing very well casting small swimbaits such as the Trash Fish in the hitch pattern. Trash Fish swimbats can be purchased at Clear Lake Outdoors in Lakeport. The reason the jerkbaits and swimbaits have been catching fish is because in many areas the water has cleared up considerably. The bass are holding tight to the tules and the successful fishermen have been running the lure about two feet off the tules.
The other good news is there are baitfish everywhere. Silverside minnows and baby bass are providing a feast for the larger bass. There are even some threadfin shad starting to show up. I took my underwater camera to the Lakeside County Park early this week and saw shad holding tight to the docks. The shad could be easily identified in the camera by their forked tail and the black dot on the gills. This is the first confirmed sighting of shad this year and means the No. 1 food for the bass has returned.
The bass are also starting to finally move under the weed mats. The mats are holding silverside minnows, which are attracting the juvenile bass, and the larger bass have been following and feeding on their smaller relatives. A trick is to watch for the minnows and the grebes that have been chasing them. Where you find the minnows you will 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 will be gone the next. So you have to keep on moving.
In areas with few or no weeds, crankbaits such as 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 numbers of bass and this is especially true in the deeper water in the south end of the lake where there are rockpiles.
The good news is 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 4-6 pounds and there have even been a few in the 8-pound class caught.
American Bass is holding its final team tournament of the year Sunday. The tournament will operate out the Konocti Vista Casino and the weigh-in starts at noon. Fishermen can sign up at the Tackle It tackle shop in Lakeport on Saturday or before blast-off Sunday morning.
Bob”s Marine Champion-Stratos team tournament is scheduled for Sept. 10-11. Several fishermen claim they still haven”t received their entry forms. A call to Bob”s Marine revealed that because of a manpower shortage some of the forms didn”t get mailed out. Fishermen can sign up for the tournament Sept. 9 from 4-6 p.m. at Konocti Vista Casino and entry forms will be available.
Catfish action remains excellent throughout the lake. One of the better areas has been at Lakeside County Park where catfish are being caught off the docks and the rocky point. Cut bait and nightcrawlers are catching most of the catfish, which are weighing up to 15 pounds. 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. Upper Blue Lake hasn”t been stocked since June and it doesn”t look like it will be stocked for several more weeks. That”s a shame because the trout are the lifeblood of the resorts on the lake. The good news is the bass fishing has been very good, so it”s worth a trip to the lake for the bass alone.
Deer hunters are waiting for some cool weather to improve their hunting. Normally by 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 very few deer.
A baby grebe has finally been seen on the lake. Several people who live in the Lakeport Lagoons area said they have seen a baby grebe and its mother show up every day. This is the first confirmed sighting of a baby grebe so far this summer.
