Bass action slowed slightly this week at Clear Lake although the fishing is still rated as very good. Most of the fishermen report catching from 10-15 bass per day. The good news is that a lot bass between 5-7 pounds are being caught.
The lake level is sitting at the full mark on the Rumsey Gauge, which means that Yolo County will receive its full allotment of water. The Solano Decree of 1978 outlines the operation of Clear Lake for Yolo County irrigation purposes. The decree states that if the lake is at 7.56 feet on the Rumsey Gauge as of May 1, Yolo County can withdraw 150,000 acre feet of water. When Clear Lake is full, it has a surface area of 43.790 acres and contains 1,155,000 acre feet.
The full lake means that this summer the fishing should be nothing short of phenomenal. The tules have plenty of water for the bass to be protected during the spawning season. In fact, fishermen report that bass are already moving into the shallows to begin their spawning rituals.
This year the water is also clearer than normal, which means the bass are spooky and fishermen have to move slowly so as not to scare the fish. One method is to make long casts. Drop-shotting a plastic worm is also very effective. Another technique that is effective is to work back in the pockets in the tules with a shaky head jig. The state and county parks have been giving up a fair number of bass as has Rocky Point and the docks in Nice and Lucerne.
Crappie action continues to nothing short of phenomenal and a lot of shore anglers are cashing in on the action. The state and county parks have been very good. In fact, some of the crappie are weighing up to 2 pounds. The docks at Library Park in Lakeport also have been providing crappie action as well as bass. Fishermen are reminded the daily limit on crappie is 25. The game wardens are closely monitoring fishermen for over-limits.
Catfish action should be kicking into high gear with the warmer weather. The catfish will be spawning in the sunken tires that are scattered along the bottom throughout the lake. There are a couple of catfish derbies coming up. The Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven annual catfish derby is scheduled for May 13-15. That contest annually draws close to a 1,000 fishermen.
Trout action has slowed at Upper Blue Lakes. The lake hasn’t been stocked in more than two weeks. The East Branch of the Russian River opens for trout fishing on April 30.
Bass action at Lake Mendocino continues to be very good for both smallmouth and largemouth bass. The lake is full and all the ramps are open.
Turkey hunters have been out in force. A few hunters have been successful at the Cache Creek Wildlife Area and in the Mendocino National Forest. Hunters report they are already seeing hens sitting on nests. There also appears to be fewer hunters this year. One hunter who hunted at Cache Creek this past weekend said he never saw another person. The season runs through May 1 and the limit is one tom per day and three for the season.
This is the perfect time of the year to make a hike to the summit of Mount Konocti. The hike to Wrights Peak is about 4 miles from the parking lot and is of medium difficulty. The view from the summit makes the hike worth the effort. There is still no word on when or if the busses will run again.
