The bass tournament fishermen return to Clear Lake as the three-day Future Pro Team Classic gets underway today. The three-day tournament operates out of Library Park in Lakeport with weigh-ins each day starting at 3 p.m. Eighty-five teams are entered.
The entire field competes Friday and Saturday. Only the top 15 teams return on Sunday. The winners take home a new, fully-rigged bass boat worth approximately $40,000. It took 90 pounds to win the tournament a year ago. The Future Pro Team Classic is one of several tournaments taking place the next few weeks.
This weekend’s tournament could break a number of records. Huge bass are being caught just about everywhere. As the Clear Lake Team Tournament proved last week, the big bass are on the move. That tournament produced at least 25 bass weighing than 8 pounds each, including three topping 10 pounds. A number of fishermen who were prefishing for the Future Pro Tournament reported catching some huge bass, including two on Wednesday topping 10 pounds.
Just about every type of lure is catching bass and they range from crankbaits to plastic worms, “A” rigs and swimbaits. Shaky head jigs rigged with a Trick Worm also have been very effective. The trick is to keep moving until you locate active fish. For example, guide Bob Myskey reported huge schools of threadfin shad bunched along the Nice shoreline on Wednesday near Holiday Harbor. He said seagulls, pelicans and grebes were gorging themselves were gorging themselves on shad, some 6-7 inches long.
Bass are staging in the shallow water prior to spawning. The water temperature has been as high as 58 degrees in the afternoon. The best action is occurring from 1 p.m. until dark when the bass move into the shallows.
It’s not just boaters who are catching fish. Bank fishermen are also cashing in on the action. Earlier this week a fisherman caught a 9-pounder off the docks at the Skylark Motel in Lakeport. Fishermen walking the banks at the Clear Lake State Park are also catching good numbers of bass. The docks at Library Park in Lakeport are also providing some decent fishing.
For those who prefer catfish, the action has been very good. The catfish are holding in the deeper water from mid-lake to the southern arms. The best action has come on jumbo minnows or nightcrawlers. A few fishermen are having success using crawdads. The local tackle shops are carrying live crawdads later this spring, but a few anglers have been setting out their own traps and getting a decent number of crawdads for bait.
A number of fishermen have been asking when the crappie will start biting. A few crappie are being caught off the docks at Indian Beach Resort where you can fish for a small fee. Kono Tayee and Shag Rock are also producing a few large crappie. The fishing should improve as the water warms up.
The good news is that Upper Blue Lake is scheduled to be stocked with trout next week. The lake hasn’t been stocked in nearly two months. Despite not being stocked the lake has been providing decent action for those trolling a Needle Fish or Kastmaster at depths of 15 to 20 feet. A few fishermen are targeting bass by drop-shotting plastic worms and are doing very well. The bass have been ranging in size from 1-3 pounds.
Lake Mendocino is worth a try for bass. The smallmouth fishing has been rated good and some nice largemouths are also being caught. The Clear Lake Bassmasters will hold a club tournament at the lake on Saturday.
