For bass fishermen at Clear Lake, location is the key word to success.
If you”re at the right spot you can expect to catch a good number of fish, but others are struggling to put two to three fish into the boat. The problem is weeds and algae.
In the Lakeport area, the weeds are so thick you can”t get near the shoreline in many areas. In fact, the thick weed mats extend all the way out to the middle of the lake. According to Carolyn Ruttan of the Lake County Water Resources Department, the weed harvesting machines have stopped cutting the weeds in the Lakeport area because hydrilla was found in several locations. She said that instead of cutting the weeds the company that has been harvesting them, Aquatic Environments Inc., will spray the area with a herbicide to kill the weeds. Ruttan also said there had been a report of another fish die-off on the lake. This one is in the south end near the City of Clearlake. She didn”t know what species of fish were involved but the cause of the die-off is suspected to be a lack of oxygen.
Despite these less-than-desirable conditions, a few bass are being caught on Clear Lake by persistent anglers. Algae blooms throughout much of the lake have stymied fishermen. Areas especially hard hit are Soda Bay, the Nice-Lucerne shoreline, parts of the Lakeport area and the area near Redbud Park in Clearlake. The best fishing has been early in the morning when the water is relatively clear in most of the areas. By late afternoon, the same areas have been plugged with algae. The bass being caught are skinny. Greg Giusti of the Clear Lake Bassmasters said many of the fish caught during the BBT tournament Saturday were very skinny.
The conditions on the lake are being blamed for the lack of fishermen visiting Clear Lake. The local tackle shops report this has been one of the slowest summers in years. A check of the parking lots at the boat ramps confirms there are few fishermen. According to Ruttan, the weeds should start to disappear later this month. She said weeds are an annual plant and once they produce seeds their job is done and they die, much as the plants do in our gardens.
According to the notes I have taken down through the years, the weeds are pretty much gone by the first week in September.
Without question the top food source for the bass are crawdads. They are everywhere. One fisherman said he has been putting out two crawdad traps just about every evening and in the mornings he will have between 10-25 in the traps. Crawdad traps can be purchased from the local tackle shops. Small fish are also beginning to appear. Earlier this week the ramp at Fifth Street in Lakeport was covered with baby bass. I also saw a lot of bass with my underwater camera near Rocky Point. Along with the bass there were a good number of small bluegill.
Whereas the bass fishing may leave a lot to be desired, the catfish action remains very good. Catfish are being caught all around the lake and some of the fishermen have been catching as many as a dozen catfish in the evenings. Here again, live crawdads are the top bait followed by cut mackerel. There is still no crappie or bluegill action to report.
Boaters who use Lakeside County Park are being warned to be on the lookout for vandals. Recently one fisherman reported the winch was stolen from his boat trailer while he was out fishing. Several other fishermen report having gas stolen from their vehicles while they were out fishing. One answer is to have a locking gas cap. If your vehicle is vandalized or your gas is stolen, be sure and report it to the Sheriff”s office.
Trout action remains very good at the East Branch of the Russian River. Power Bait or Mepps spinners have been the top bait or lures. At Upper Blue Lake, the action has slowed. The lake hasn”t been stocked for at least three weeks.
