Hot weather keeping most fishermen off lake

By Terry Knight - Record-Bee outdoors columnist
www.recordbee.com
Updated: 07/12/2012 10:19:39 PM PDT

Searing daytime temperatures greeted fishermen at Clear Lake this week and overall the successful fishing was limited to early mornings and the last hour before dark. In other words, it's typical for summer bass fishing.

The fishing is still nothing to brag about, but those who are sticking with it are managing to put some fish in the boat. Most of the guides report their clients are catching between five and 15 bass per outing. One guide said Clear Lake is now fishing very small. What he meant is that despite the vast size of Clear Lake, the actual areas holding bass are relatively small and are widely spread. Clear Lake is strange in that you can fish a dozen docks in a row and not catch a fish and then suddenly you will catch four or five from beneath one dock. The same applies to the weed mats.

Clear Lake has approximately 44,000 acres of surface area with 110 miles of shoreline. However, the lake is shaped like a giant frying pan with two handles. Bass typically stay in areas along the shoreline and above the submerged rockpiles. In other words, they are a fish that seeks cover to ambush its prey. With the massive amount of weed beds stretching out into the lake for more than a mile in many areas, the bass are spread throughout the weeds and an angler must be constantly on the move to locate the fish. Some of the better areas are the Nice-Lucerne shoreline, the Clear Lake State Park, Adobe Creek, Konocti Bay, and Jago Bay. The area around Lakeport has experienced heavy algae blooms, especially late in the afternoon.

Most of the successful fishermen are reporting they are constantly on the move until they locate fish. They then work the area thoroughly with either a topwater lure, Senko, or by drop-shotting a plastic worm. The bass are often holding in the open lanes between the weed mats, so cast as close to the mats as possible.

The few fishermen who have been venturing out on the lake after dark are also finding good action near Henderson Point and Anderson Island. Jigs have been the top lure for the night fishermen.

The catfish action has been very good for the few fishermen out after them. The deeper water in the south end of the lake is producing most of the catfish. Live minnows, cut bait, or shrimp are the best bait. The catfish are ranging in size from 5-10 pounds, with an occasional 15-pounder.

One of my passions is observing wildlife. Often when I am out on the lake fishing I put down my rod and reel and watch the wildlife. I was fishing near the Konocti Vista Casino on Monday and observed several bass swimming near the surface. The water was clear but weedy. I heard a rush of wings over my head and saw an osprey hovering. He made a dive and hit the water less than 30 yards from my boat and grabbed a 3-pound bass. The fish weighed nearly as much as the osprey. He struggled to get airborne but finally rose into the air, turned the fish so that its head faced forward and flew low over the water to a small tree, where he proceeded to eat the fish. It was a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

No local waters were stocked with trout this week. At Upper Blue Lake the trout action has been rated from fair to good for trollers working at a depth of 25-30 feet. The East Branch of the Russian River is giving up a few trout with the best action being in the deeper pools.

Ocean salmon fishing off Fort Bragg has been good one day and poor the next. One angler told me his party limited out on Saturday but couldn't catch a fish on Sunday. One constant is the excellent bottom fishing.