May 9, 2008

Fair and stable weather has brought on a pleasant upswing in the bass bite, the cats are on the prowl, crappie continue to be caught by some, and bluegill have started to make an appearance. Our wind of a week ago has tapered down to a predictable afternoon breeze. The water temp is approaching 65 degrees by mid-day. And, lastly, the algae is in full bloom here in the south end of the lake.

Bass anglers are picking up bass on Senkos, crank baits, swim baits, spinner baits, and finesse rigs. This is the perfect time to try that new lure or work on technique and see what works. The bite isn’t red hot, but is steadily improving. Most folks are reporting fish from 12 to 18 feet. Others are reporting catches in as little as three feet of water among tule beds. Slow fishing is still catching more fish than the run & gun method. Minnow anglers are claiming higher numbers & frequency fishing the same locations with live jumbos.

Crappie anglers are reporting quality catches – not large numbers of fish, but nice big 2 and 3 pound fish. White jigs, minnows, and even crank baits have been responsible for slabs with sore lips this week. The depth has ranged from 8 feet to 15 feet. The fish are not concentrated in any one area, but rather they are scattered throughout the shoreline areas around the lake. There’s been a hint of a bluegill bite along the Kelseyville shoreline by the State Park area. There’s not much to go on, other than shallow water and live worms.

The catfish have made the biggest splash this week. We’ve weighed hundreds of pounds of fish in the last few days. Mackerel, shrimp and live jumbo minnows have all done the trick. Good catch reports are coming in from all areas that commonly hold cats. (Cache Creek, Austin Park, Bass Alley, Indian Island, Rattlesnake Island, and others.) The nighttime bite is best, but nice cats are being caught by day also.

And while we’re talking about cats, the Annual Catfish Derby is upon us next weekend (that’s May 16, 17 & 18). Stock up early on your favorite bait and tackle items. Information about the “Biggest catfish derby west of the Mississippi” can be found at www.clearlakeoaks.org. Come and join in on all the fun!

Boat Inspection Information:

As of Tuesday, April 8^th, all boats launching in Lake County waters must undergo a permit process before launching. This permit is good for the remainder of the year. When you come into the county, stop by one of the tackle shops, fill out the form, attach your sticker to the boat, and go fishing. The process is a simple risk factor assessment, NOT a rigorous inspection of every boat. If your boat doesn’t flag the risk factors, you get a sticker and you’re good to go. If your boat IS at risk, then we’ll be looking at it to ensure you’re not inadvertently carrying these pests into our waterways. This falls under the “ounce of prevention” category with minimal inconvenience to the boating public.

The key is this: Clean, Drain & Dry your boat when you come out of ANY body of water. Our sticker program is temporary until the inbound check stations are open on the four major routes into the county. Once they are open, then all boats coming into the county will swing through for a quick check (like the agriculture stations are doing at the state line). Until then, one sticker is all you need. If you take the boat home and use it elsewhere, then the hope is that you’ve learned about the evils of bringing bad stuff our way and you’ll do the right thing by cleaning, draining, and drying your boat. If you’ve got questions about the program, give us a quick call at 707.994.FISH (3474).

-Bob Rider, Owner
 Lakeshore Bait & Tackle
 14913-D Lakeshore Drive
 Clearlake, CA 95422
 707.994.FISH