Trout grab the spotlight for anglers this weekend. The state stream trout season opens Saturday and most local fishermen will be heading to the East Branch of the Russian River. The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) was scheduled to stock the stream this week.
The East Branch of the Russian River is extremely popular among fishermen and there is expected to be a large crowd on hand for the opener. To reach the fishing area take Lake Pillsbury Road to Potter Valley off Highway 20. There are several places you can park and walk down to the stream.
Most of the trout fishermen are working the deeper pools while using either salmon eggs, Power Bait or nightcrawlers. Mepps spinners and small crankbaits are also effective. The daily limit is five fish and there is no size limit.
Other lakes
Upper Blue Lake should draw a good number of trout fishermen. The lake hasn’t been stocked in more than a month but is still producing some large trout.
Lake Mendocino also was scheduled to be stocked with trout. The last time the DFW stocked the lake with trout was three years ago. The bass fishing at the lake has been rated as good for smallmouths.
Great fishing
At Clear Lake, the bass and crappie fishing continue to be nothing short of sensational. Most of the bass fishermen report having little trouble catching from 15-40 fish per day. The bass are moving into the shallows in large numbers to start their spawning cycle. Gary Hill of Kelseyville said he has been catching a lot of bass on topwater lures cast back into the pockets in the weeds.
The big-fish catch of the week goes to Kelseyville’s Galen Snider, who reeled in a 10.4-pound bass while fishing from his kayak in Soda Bay. He said he caught the big bass while drop-shotting a plastic worm. Snider is strictly a recreational fisherman and has never competed in a tournament, yet he managed to catch a trophy bass that all fishermen dream of catching.
Bass are being caught all around the lake but the better areas continues to be in the north end. The docks near Rocky Point have been productive. Bass also can be seen by the hundreds staging in the shallow water between the docks. Clear Lake State Park in another good area as is the shoreline between Clearlake Oaks and Glenhaven. Ken Taddie, manager of the Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven, said the bass and crappie are stacked around the resort’s docks.
Clear Lake is a dream for sight fishermen because it’s so shallow you can normally see the bass on the spawning beds. Most fishermen wear polarized sunglasses, which allows them to see the fish. A fisherman will slowly cruise the shoreline with his electric trolling motor and look for small pockets in the tules. A small opening about the size of a dinner plate can identify bass spawning beds. When a fisherman spots the bed he will look closely to see if a bass is on it. Normally it’s the male guarding the nest.
The favorite lure for bed fishing is either a white or chartreuse tube bait or curly-tailed grub rigged on a dart head hook. The reason for the colors is so you can see the lure even if the water is slightly cloudy. The fisherman then casts the lure right on the bed and allows it to sit there. The male bass usually approaches the lure, stares at it for a few moments and then picks it up to remove it from the nest. When the fisherman sees the lure disappear from view he sets the hook.
Crappie action continues to be nonstop. Bass fishermen report seeing large schools of crappie in the shallow water and many are nesting for spawning. The old standard, a red-white crappie jig, has been the most successful lure.
