|
CLEAR LAKE BLACK BASS...
The early morning bass bite is really quite good at Clear Lake. "If you hit the water just before or right at sun up. you’re going to catch a lot of fish," said Bob Rider, owner of Lakeshore Bait and Tackle. Senkos, spinner baits, and frogs are being mentioned by anglers coming off the water.
The down side? "The bite drops off hard around 8 or 9 in the morning," advised Rider. "Switch to minnows for a continued bite throughout the rest of the day. Fish from 12 – 25 feet of water."
"Look for that feature that’s holding fish and you’re going to do okay. Most anglers are looking for drop-offs, ledges and shelves. And when the bite slows down – so should you," he disclosed.
The catfish action still continues to be good and hot. Shrimp, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, livers, minnows, and night crawlers will do the trick. Fish from the shore, anchor up, or drift your boat and you’ll find good luck throughout the evening and nighttime hours.
"The daytime hours have seen a slower bite for catfish overall," Rider tipped. "Shoreline locations around Clearlake/Clearlake Park have produced well for bank-bound anglers. Jago Bay and Indian Island have done well for boaters. "
Crappie and bluegill are still being caught, although sporadically at best. "This report hasn’t changed in weeks – the schools are widely scattered and holding fairly deep," he added. "Fish areas around spots that commonly held crappie last year and you’ll likely find enough for the table. Minnows are your best bet."
Great Places to Fish
The Coastal Mountain Region offers "world class bass fishing at Clear Lake", California's largest natural lake. Clear Lake is also home to large catfish, carp, crappie and bluegill. You can find smallmouth bass in Cache Creek near Rumsey, the Russian River between Cloverdale and Healdsburg, and Lake Sonoma. The Russian also features shad and steelhead runs. Lake Berryessa is populated with large and smallmouth bass, as well as rainbow trout. Lake Sonoma is a good warm water fishery generally the best fishing is in the north end and during the work week when the skiers aren't so thick. Lake Mendocino, another warm water lake, is known for striped bass. About fifteen years ago, one was caught in excess of 40 lbs.! If you like to camp, don't overlook Lake Pillsbury. It is a beautiful high mountain lake about 1 1/2 hours northeast of Ukiah. The Eel River has salmon and steelhead runs, but be sure to check your reg. book because many locations are off limits.
|