Clear Lake will be loaded with fishermen this weekend as the 37th annual Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Catfish Derby takes place beginning Friday and running through Sunday. Nearly 800 fishermen have entered the tournament and there also will be hundreds of bass fishermen out.
Best Bass Tournament (BBT) is holding a team tournament out of Library Park in Lakeport on Saturday. That tournament should draw in excess of 100 boats. There also dozens of recreational fishermen on the lake.
Catfish derby
The catfish derby will draw most of the attention as the competing fishermen fish around the clock. One of the hot spots will be the area around Rattlesnake Island where dozens of boats will be anchored at all hours. Fishermen will be using a wide array of catfish baits. If past derbies are any indication, then it will take at least a 25-pounder to walk off with the $4,000 first-place prize.
The official weigh-in spot is the Clearlake Oaks boat ramp, which will be open to weigh in fish from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. For those who want to buy fishing tackle and bait, Limit Out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks and the other tackle shops around the lake will be open from daylight until dark during the derby. Official derby hours are from noon Friday until noon Sunday.
Low lake
The dropping lake level hasn’t impacted the fishing although the low water has exposed rockpiles in some areas, which has resulted in damage to outboard motors. Fishermen are advised to slow down and be super careful, especially in the north end of the lake and around Rattlesnake Island. The lake level has been holding steady at .76 feet on the Rumsey Gauge.
The big question among visiting fishermen is when the boat ramps will become unusable. From all indications, the ramps at Library Park in Lakeport and at Lakeside County Park should stay open for at least a couple of months. The Lucerne ramp could close within a couple of weeks. It’s very shallow there now.
The water around the docks is less than 2 feet deep in many areas. In fact, fishermen are already looking for bass well out into the lake.
Bass bite
Bass action remains good throughout the lake. Most fishermen are having little trouble boating from 10-25 bass per day. Drop-shotting a plastic worm is still one of the most productive methods of bass fishing. The trick to success is to be patient and work you lure super slow. The bass are also moving, so you need to keep changing your location until you locate active fish.
Crappie/bluegill
Crappie action remains very good. Most fishermen are having little trouble catching up to 50 fish a day. Crappie jigs have been the hot lure.
Fishermen are reminded that the daily limit on crappie is 25 fish. That limit includes bluegill. In other words, you can only have a combination of 25 crappie and bluegill in your possession.
