Whereas bass fishermen continue to struggle at Clear Lake it has been the opposite situation for catfishermen. The lake is literally alive with catfish and one of the hot spots has been Shag Rock. Gary Hill and Fred Williams of Kelseyville fished the Shag Rock area earlier this week and reported seeing eight boats near the rock and all were catching catfish.
“It was non-stop action,” Hill said.
Other areas producing large catfish are the rockpiles near Rattlesnake Island, the Nice-Lucerne shoreline and the reefs near Redbud Park. The top baits are live jumbo minnows or nightcrawlers.
Why is the catfish action so good and the bass fishing action so slow? Actually, the catfishing has been good for several years but is often overshadowed by the bass fishing. Many of the local fishing guides have switched from bass fishing to catfishing for their clients this winter.
Pound for pound, catfish are better fighters than bass. A 15-pound catfish puts up a tremendous battle and often breaks the line. They fight longer and are stronger.
A few people keep the catfish to eat but most anglers release them. When fishermen do keep catfish for eating, they prefer the smaller 5-pounders.
Just about all the catfish being caught are of the channel cat species with an occasional white catfish. There are three species of catfish in Clear Lake; the channel, white and brown bullhead.
The number of large catfish being caught bodes well for the upcoming Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven annual catfish derby scheduled for May 15-17. The derby is the largest of it type in the West and annually draws approximately 800 contestants.
On the bass fishing scene the fishermen continue to struggle although a few fishermen have been finding success. Dave Brabec of Clear Lake Outdoors in Lakeport fished the south end of the lake earlier this week and caught six nice bass and lost several more. He said he was using live minnows and stayed on the move until he located fish. According to Brabec, all his fish were caught in 8 feet of water. He also reported seeing a lot of baitfish, mostly threadfin shad.
For some reason there has been very little action in the north end of the lake despite ideal conditions. Mike Rothstein of Kelseyville fished near Rocky Point on Sunday and didn’t get a single bite. He said conditions were perfect but there was no action. He also said he didn’t see any baitfish in the area.
The annual Clear Lake Bass Team Tournament is less than a month away. The tournament is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 1. To date, 20 teams have signed up. Last year at this time there were 25 teams signed up. The tournament ended up drawing 131 teams. The entry fee is $200, which includes the daily big-fish option. The payback is 100 percent. The tournament will go out of the Konocti Vista Casino in Lakeport. Entry forms are available at the local tackle shops and at the Lake County Chamber of Commerce office in Lakeport. For more information call 263-5092.
Lake Berryessa continues to kick out good numbers of bass. John Pearl of Lakeport guided on the lake during the weekend and said the fishing was excellent for bass weighing from 1-3 pounds.
A few trout are being caught at Upper Blue Lake. The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DWF) still hasn’t scheduled a trout stocking date for the lake.
There have been rumors that Indian Valley Reservoir has been stocked with trout and that the fishing is excellent. Not true. According to Jennifer Reed of the Yolo County Water Conservation District, the lake is still closed. The road going into the lake has a locked gate so there is no access and it will remain so until the lake receives more water.
The next hunter safety class to be held in Lake County begins Feb. 9 in Middletown at the South Lake County Fire Department. Other class dates are Feb. 12 and Feb. 14. Contact Phil Parker at 355-0839.
