High winds, rough water, cold temperatures along with fish that won’t bite are keeping most of the fishermen off the lake. The cold water has delayed the bass from spawning, so sight fishing has been nearly impossible. A good day right now is when you can catch one to three fish.
Normally at this time of the year the shallows are loaded with bass, but not so far this year. Just about everyone is reporting huge schools of fish in the coves and even around the boat ramps. Those fish are hitch and blackfish. They are staging prior to spawning. The hitch will be moving up the creeks that flow into the lake.
Best Bass Tournament (BBT) is holding a tournament Saturday that should draw about 70-80 boats. It will go out of Library Park in Lakeport and the weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. BBT is popular among tournament fishermen.
Casting a keitech lure and making a steady retrieve is a method that has been popular on the lake of late. Dropshotting a plastic worm or Brush Hog also has been successful. As always, a Senko continues to be one of the top lures. A few fishermen are finding success casting a plastic frog to the small weed mats that are lining the shore. Both the north and south ends of the are producing a few fish. The water temperature has been ranging from 49-55 degrees.
Other fish
Crappie action has been good in areas such as Clear Lake State Park and Henderson Point. The good news is large crappie are being caught on red-white crappie jigs.
Fishermen are gearing up for the annual Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Catfish Derby, which is scheduled for May 19-21. The derby should draw at least 800 fishermen. It is the largest catfish derby in the West and features anglers from as far away as Europe and Hawaii. Tournament headquarters is the Clearlake Oaks firehouse.
The stream trout fishing season opened Sunday and the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) has scheduled the East Branch of the Russian River (Potter Valley) to be stocked with trout. This is a favorite stream for many local fishermen. The stream runs through Potter Valley, which is just off Highway 20 near Lake Mendocino.
Fish the deeper holes with cut bait. The trout being stocked are ranging in size from 10-14 inches
Hiking
Now is a good time to take a hike in the backcountry. The Mendocino National Forest offers dozens of trails. Mount Konocti would be another great choice. Just take plenty of water and some food and take your time.
Another great place to hike is Clear Lake State Park. The park has plenty of well-kept trails and is a safe place to hike or picnic. The park also offers excellent fishing opportunities for bass, crappie and catfish.
Lake birds
If you have access to a pontoon boat, then a trip out onto the lake to watch the many birds that have been nesting makes for a great day. The grebes are nesting and the young chicks will soon be riding on the backs of their mothers.
Pontoon boats can be rented at various locations or you can book a trip on “Eyes of the Wild” tours at (707) 262-2401.
