The bass action remains fair to good on the fishing scene. Most of the fish being caught are between 1-3 pounds. The warm weather this week has finally moved the bass unto their spawning beds and many of the fishermen are now sight fishing. There are no major tournaments scheduled for the weekend.
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 while sight fishing, which allow them to clearly 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 a 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 casts the lure right on the bed and allows it to sit there. The male bass will usually approach the lure, stare at it for a few moments and then pick up it to remove it from the nest. When the fisherman sees the lure disappear from view he sets the hook.
Another technique is to tease the fish into striking the lure. The fisherman makes cast after cast and drags the lure past the nose of the bass. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes to an hour before the bass becomes angry enough to strike the lure.
The larger bass are usually females and they often stage near the nest. The technique used to catch these larger bass is to stay back and cast a lure to the suspended fish. Often it will take repeated casts to entice the fish into biting.
Good action
Crappie action remains very good at just about all locations around the lake. The docks at Library Park in Lakeport are providing good crappie action for shore anglers. Lakeside County Park is another productive area as is the State Park. The Harbor in Nice is yet another good area.
Talking catfish
Catfish action remains good all around the lake. Many catfishermen are prefishing for the upcoming Clearlake Oaks /Glenhaven catfish Derby, which should drew approximately 1,000 fishermen. The three-day derby is scheduled for May 19-21. Last yar it took a 24.32-pound catfish to win it. It remains one of the largest catfish derbies in the nation.
Hiking
The warm weather makes for ideal conditions for a hike up to the summit of Mount Konocti. Take plenty of water and make sure your cell phone is charged up.
Birds
It’s a perfect time to go out on Clear Lake and watch the birds. Most of the birds are sitting on eggs and babies are swimming with their mothers.
