Overnight Clearlake Trip

[CubsFan]

While I have lived less than 40 minutes from Clearlake for almost my entire life, I have spent very little time fishing this body of water (i spend way too much time on Mendo). And those times were usually for LMB. However, this weekend, a buddy and myself have decided to have an all night catfishing trip on Clearlake.

I am hoping that some people will be help share a little info in order to make our trip just a little more enjoyable and hopefully more productive from the fishing point of view. I am not looking for family secrets, just hoping to find some direction to get our adventure started.

My main concern is.... location, location, location. We are not sure where a good spot to post up for the night might be. Like I said any info is helpful and much appreciated.

[Catman]

Information information  information.  Can your boat handle a good breeze and do you have a depth finder.  !20 miles of shoreline.  Where do you want to launch.

[iditarodgrizzly]

1000000000000% correct on that lake as I found out on my aluminum boat. You are governed by wind and your boat. If you have a small boat, I did great just southwest of Rattlesnake Island during tournament. But, water was only 8 ft. deep. Smallest fish was around 8 lbs and I weighed in 2, one was 11.55 lbs and the other 15.56lbs. Not bad for my first tournament West of the Mississippi. Good Luck! 
 

[ghettoboy]

Well, i guess first one might want to know whether or not you actually have a boat, or are you going to be bank fishing?  Another thing one might want to know is whether or not you are "tent" camping or plan on stayng ina an RV or possibly a cottage on the lake?  This bit of information is important as far as recommending a location location location for you.

[StubsIslandKING]

Like I said in my above post, this information is essential in recommending a spot for you.

Thanks StubsislandKing  AKA Ghettoboy

[CubsFan]

sorry for not including the info, I know better.

definetely be in a boat, its a good ol 14ft aluminum boat. got most of the basics tricks of the trade, ie fishfinder.

we have no plans on where we will be launching. To be honest, it doesnt matter, an extra 20-30 minute drive wont hurt us (driving from Ukiah).

[DerBingel]

To be quite honest with you, the channel cats can be found all over the lake where there are sunken tires, rock formations, and other underwater man-made structure. Of course, a boat covers far more area, including areas that can only be accessed by boat, but shoreline fishing is at it's best this time of the year. The boat has far more advantages, for obvious reasons, but I've fished off the Redbud Park Public Pier recently, and brought numerous large cats to the net.

My daughter and I went out May 19th and 20th by boat for a few hours each day specifically targeting bass with 3.5" Yamamoto hologram tubes on the north west side of Beakban Island (pipe line roughly 400 yards from the Redbud Park Public Fishing Pier) and The Rock Gardens in Jago Bay.

Both areas are full of rocks and very large boulders that provide perfect nesting areas for channel cats.

Every once in a while my daughter would get a little too relaxed and slow her retrieve down to where the tube would swim near the bottom just above the rocks and boulders just before the boat.

Just as I warned her about the cats spawning, one grabbed her tube (at Beakban Island) and took off to LA, and even with 8 lb. Stren DuraTuf mono (courtesy of fellow member 2clrlak), which is the best line I've used around rock piles.... that 14 lb. dark beat up male channel cat almost spooled her several times as I moved the boat out into deeper water!

At The Rock Gardens, besides carp swimming everywhere, you could see large channel cats from time to time in the rock piles where water clarity allowed you to do so.

But as I stated to begin with, we were targeting bass, but channel cats will nail lures, if the presentation is at their advantage, plus large crappie will bang them in similar fashion.

If I were coming from Ukiah, assuming that is where you live, I would concentrate my efforts along the Lucerne shoreline, by bank, or boat. since that area has a horde of sunken tires.

[Catman]

I dunno Franz.  The evening surf at Nice and lucerne could kill a couple guys in a tin boat and they want to use the boat.  How about launch at Stubbs Island and anchor out of the wind between Rattlesnake and Stubbs Island out in the flats or against the tules.  You could always run into the Keys, but they are not releasing much water from the lake so I don't know how much current the fish would feel.  Then at first light go around to the West side of the Island and get near the tules.  That will give you a couple more hours in the shade.  Out in the flats use minnows or mackeral.  Near the tules use mackeral or the bass will use up valuable fishing time and bait.  Big bait, big fish.  Hold your rod.

You must post a report when you get home or you may not use this information.

[DerBingel]

Yes, the wind pretty much dictates where and how you fish, especially in a small aluminum boat, and one would seek a wind break while fishing at night.

The afternoon wind this week has pretty much tapered down come sunset, and if you were to launch out of the Lucerne Public Facility, that shoreline just out of the harbor is lined with sunken tires.

You have the advantage of increased D.O. levels along the shoreline at night thanks to the wind driven waves of the afternoon and you know the cats will come into the shallows to feed at night. The higher dissolved oxygen will make them cats pretty active.

Of course, if the wind doesn't subside by sunset... not a place to be out in open lake at night with a small boat, but then you have public access to fish from the bank.

All of which is my opinion, but Everett (catman), is the experienced one on Clear Lake for catfishing, and I would take his advice when it comes to fishing for channel cats.

Stubbs Island, like catman indicated, would be an area that would provide safe haven, if the wind is a factor.

I will not fish at night from my boat due to my equilibrium sucks... and I don't like to swim at night! 

[CubsFan]

appreciate all of the advice. I guess i will just have to pick a spot and hope for the best

and i definetely agree with the not wanting to swim at night

hopefully I wind up in a good spot and have some pic's to share

[Greg_Cornish]

With higher temps Fri. Sat. the wind might not be bad but with the cooling Monday the cold front might move in and stir things up Sunday.

[Mouse]

I have only been out to the lake a few times, but good fishing each of those times. My only problem is I  cannot find a map that shows locations you all talk about. The only one I know of (I think) is "Bass Alley" across from the docks at RedBud. I drifted from the point to the island and did quite well.  Is there a map with all the nicknamed locations?

[DerBingel]

I have only been out to the lake a few times, but good fishing each of those times. My only problem is I  cannot find a map that shows locations you all talk about. The only one I know of (I think) is "Bass Alley" across from the docks at RedBud. I drifted from the point to the island and did quite well.  Is there a map with all the nicknamed locations?

Clear Lake/Lake Berryessa plastic waterproof map made by FishnMap Company sold at tackle stores all around Lake County.

[CubsFan]

A place that has been recommended to my fishing buddy is Rodman Slough. We have launched from there before but never fished the area for catfish. I did a little recon last night and it appeared to be fairly calm water through the evening.

Anybody catfished that general area?  We were thinking that if the wind was decent there, we could post up pretty easily and possibly have some productive fishing

[Greg_Cornish]

Rodman is pretty funky right now as weeds, algae etc. I'm not sure about the fishing.