There are no major bass tournaments scheduled for Clear Lake this weekend but the lake will still be a busy place. Starting Oct. 10, a series of large bass tournaments get underway and a good number of fishermen will on the lake this weekend prefishing for those tournaments.
The anglers should find excellent action as the fishing has improved considerably. The water temperatures around the lake have cooled by about five to 10 degrees and the bait fish are everywhere. In fact, there are literally millions of threadfin shad and other small bait fish along with thousands of juvenile bass. One fisherman who has been scoring on large bass is Troy Bellah, owner of the Clear Lake Outdoors tackle shop in Lakeport. Bellah spent a couple of days earlier this week fishing the north end of the lake near Rocky Point. He used a DDT twin-bladed buzz bait that was black in color and caught at least 20 bass each time out, several between 5-7 pounds. The buzz bait is made by Dave Brabec and can be purchased at Clear Lake Outdoors.
The Sonoma County Belly Boat Bass Club held its Classic at Clear Lake last weekend and it took nearly 40 pounds to win the two-day event. Each fishermen was limited to four fish per day and the tournament drew 45 fishermen. Most of the fishermen reported catching their fish in very shallow water. One of the hot spots was the tule-lined shoreline near Lakeside County Park. The more successful fishermen reported catching most of their fish on jigs.
There is no question that a buzz bait makes for exciting fishing. The lure is cast to the edges of the weed mats and retrieved just fast enough so that it rides on the surface. As the lure rides along the surface it creates a gurgling sound, which makes a bass believe it’s an injured minnow. A bass will often follow the lure for a short distance and then explode on it.
Drop-shotting a plastic worm also has been very effective as has a LV500 lipless crankbait.
The most successful method of fishing for many has been using live jumbo minnows. Gary Hill of Kelseyville has had phenomenal success using live minnows. He has been fishing near the State Park, Henderson Point and in Soda Bay. He said he is averaging from 10-15 fish per outing and that some of his fish are weighing as much as 7 pounds.
Catfish action also has been very good for those using live minnows or nightcrawlers. Shag Rock remains one of the better areas for large catfish. The same area has been holding some large bluegill. Overall the crappie action has been slow.
The Highland Springs Reservoir has been kicking out nice-sized bass for the few anglers out after them. A Senko has been the top lure.
The East Branch of the Russian River and Upper Blue Lake are scheduled to be stocked with trout next week. Overall the trout action has been slow and practically non-existent in the East Branch of the Russian River. At Upper Blue, the fishermen are switching from trout to bass and are having a lot of success drop-shotting plastic worms.
The opening of the quail season in Lake and Mendocino counties provided decent hunting. Some of the better areas were Elk Mountain, Bear Creek and Snow Mountain in the Mendocino National Forest. Hunters reported wherever there was water there were good numbers of quail.
B-zone deer hunters report seeing a fair number of bucks in the higher elevations in the Mendocino National Forest. Hull Mountain has been one of the better areas. Snow Mountain also has been good for those who hike in a couple of miles. The hunters report the hunting pressure is down considerably compared to previous years. One problem has been the warm weather.
