Following weeks of concern about a lack of grebe nests on Clear Lake, the birds finally appear to be nesting on the lake. Normally at this time of the year the lake is covered with grebe nests and baby chicks, but not this year.
There wasn’t a nest to be found and no chicks up until last week. Faith Rigolosi of Eyes of the Wild tour company said she has seen nests and grebes sitting on eggs. She hasn’t seen any chicks yet but that will be coming in the next three weeks. At one time western grebes nested on the lake by the thousands. In fact, it was estimated that more than 20,000 grebes were on the lake back in 1990. The past few years has seen the grebe population decline and last year their numbers were estimated to be less than 1,000.
With the grebes now sitting on nests, boaters have to be extremely careful not to disturb them. A boat’s wake can destroy the nest and the eggs. Fishermen and boaters are being asked to stay at least 100 yards away from the grebe nests. Currently the primary nesting areas are from Lakeport to Konocti Vista Casino, and in and around Rodman Slough. Both areas are popular with fishermen.
For those who want a closer look at the grebes, Eyes of the Wild offers pontoon boat tours of the lake and Rigolosi is an experienced guide. Call 262-2401 or 349-0026 for more information.
Bass fishing
On the fishing scene, the hot weather has kept many of the fishermen off the lake. Those who have been out report the bass fishing remains excellent. The best action has been early in the mornings and the last hour before dark. One of the top lures this past week has been a Senko cast back into the heavy tule cover. The lure is then retrieved very slowly.
Topwater action has been good for those who have been casting plastic frogs on the weed mats. The trick to success is to keep on the move until you locate active fish. Some of the better areas have been from Lakeside County Park to the State Park. Bill Timmer of Lakeport fished this area earlier this week and caught more than a dozen bass, with the largest weighing more than 8 pounds.
The docks along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline also are giving up some nice bass. In the south end of the lake, the docks and shoreline from Glenhaven to Clearlake Oaks have been a good choice. During the heat of the day the bass have been holding beneath the docks.
Best Bass Tournament (BBT) is holding a team tournament Saturday. The tournament goes out of Redbud Park in Clearlake with the weigh-in stating at noon. There are also several club tournaments scheduled for the weekend.
Crappie/bluegill
Crappie action has slowed, especially for bank fishermen. The crappie have finished spawning and have moved out into the deeper water. Bluegill action remains very good for those using a nightcrawler rigged beneath a bobber. Catfish action has been good for the few fishermen out after them.
Other lakes
Indian Valley Reservoir is still providing excellent bass action. Only a few fishermen have been to the lake but those anglers are loading up on bass. The road gong into the lake is dusty but in decent condition.
Trout action at Upper Blue Lake has slowed a little and there have been very few fishermen out on the lake. The action on the East Branch of the Russian River is rated as poor. There are no trout stockings taking place next week.
Deer archery season
The Zone A deer archery season has been open for a week and I have heard of only one buck being taken in Lake County. The general rifle season opens Aug. 10.
