CLEARLAKE OAKS — Fifty teams will be in the hunt for the $1,000 first prize Saturday during a crappie tournament in Clearlake Oaks.
The tournament blasts off at 8 a.m. at the public boat ramp in Clearlake Oaks and each of the 50 two-man teams will return to the ramp for a 3 p.m. weigh-in. Tournament headquarters is Limit Out Bait & Tackle, 12607 E. Highway 20.
Each team paid $60 to enter the tournament and the 100-percent payback means a total purse of $3,000 will be awarded to the top five teams. The winners pocket $1,000, second place receives $800, third place $500, fourth place $400 and fifth place $300. Fishermen also have the option of buying into the big-fish pool for $5.
There is a 10-fish limit per team with a minimum size of 12 inches. There is a penalty for weighing in dead fish and all fish weighed in will be returned to the lake.
Another crappie tournament is scheduled for late February in the Lakeport area. Depending on the success of Saturday’s tournament, the field for the Lakeport tournament may be increased.
Two- and 3-pound crappie are often caught at Clear Lake, which has the distinction of holding the state record for white crappie, a 4-pound, 8-ounce fish caught in 1971 by Carol Carlton. The world record for white crappie is 5 pounds, 3 ounces while the world record for black crappie is 6 pounds, 5 ounces.
Pornell Williamson Jr. of Oakland caught a 4-pound, 4-ounce black crappie last March at Indian Beach Resort in Clearlake Oaks.
