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Ronald A. Malnar (Azfish1)
New member
Username: Azfish1
Post Number: 1
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 5:25 pm: | |
Hello, I am planing a trip to Clear Lake this comming June with my wife and grandson. Would like information about Largemouth Bass and Crappie fishing. I will be staying at Edgewater Resort from the 6th of June untill the 13th of June. I will be bringing my fishing boat. Any and all information would be greatly appreceiated. Thanks Ron |
bob (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 12:59 pm: | |
fishing for men for the blessed Lord Jesus http://www.geocities.com/ministryofdreams/ the report is pretty grim-this is why judgement is coming to america |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 24, 2003 - 4:50 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake report
Notice!
I regretfully announce that this will be the last regular weekly fishing report. I will still put out an occasional brief report when I get a chance and there is something worthy of reporting but there will be no more regularly scheduled weekly reports.
I have been doing these reports faithfully every week since early 1999 and have finally become burned out. I have enjoyed doing them and I know that they have been appreciated by many anglers but I just don't have the time to continue them.
You can get some good reports at times by going to the Forum and checking the various categories such as "Clear Lake Fishing Reports". There are several active members who post their reports there right after they get home from a trip, in fact that's where I got this week's report from "Catman".
Catfish
The cold, rainy and windy weather continues to hamper the few catfish anglers willing to brave the elements.
Everett Walton (Catman) of San Jose fished the south end of the lake Friday April 18th through Sunday April 20th. He caught 3 nice cats weighing 14, 15 and 18 lbs. on Friday with jumbo minnows on the flats at Browns Landing and on the break at Bass Alley. On Saturday Everett's son caught an 11 lb'er off the break at Bass Alley and Everett caught a 16 lb'er. Everett caught a 9 lb'er in Cache Creek just before midnight but that was the end of the action. They fished several areas until late Sunday morning without getting another bite. All fish were caught on jumbo minnows except the 16 lb'er which was caught on mackerel. As usual, they released all the fish back into the lake to be caught again.
I haven't heard of any decent catfish action in the north end of the lake. There have been a few anglers trying Rodman Slough in Nice but I didn't hear of any fish being caught.
Bass
The continued cold weather has finally taken it's toll on the bass fishing. The swimbait and jerkbait bite has slowed down to a crawl.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says drop shotting, split shotting and Senkos are producing a few fish. For consistent action Ross recommends using live jumbo minnows.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 has been producing some good catches for his clients with live jumbo minnows from State Park to Lakeport. On Friday they had 10 bass weighing from 3 to 6.3 lbs. On Saturday they caught 17 fish from 1½ to 5 lbs and Sunday produced 9 fish from 3 to 6 lbs.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is at 7.60 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool. Last year at this time it was at 6.83 feet.
CatfishED.com
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 18, 2003 - 12:57 am: | |
Subject: Clear Lake report
Catfish
I realize that this is getting really boring but the cold and rainy weather is still keeping the catfish from going on the feed.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports a few small catfish in the 2 to 4 lb range are being caught in the Clearlake Oaks Keys with minnows and clams.
Due to the heavy rains we had last weekend and the resulting muddy water runoff, Rodman Slough in Nice is producing quite a few pan sized brown bullheads in the 2 to 3 lb range and an occasional channel cat in the 8 to 10 lb class. The top baits are mini crawlers and garden worms.
Bass
Even with all the cool and rainy weather we've been having the bass fishing is still rated very good.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 had a great day today (April 17th). He took out Tom Gallagher (age 10) and his dad Danny. This was Tom's first time fishing and he caught all the big ones. They caught 10 bass for a total weight of 61.2 lbs including 9.2, 8.3, and 7.8 lb'ers. All fish were caught in 4 to 5 feet of water from the State Park to Lakeport with live jumbo minnows.
Bass guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269 gave a great account of how the pros caught their fish at Clear Lake during the Citgo Bassmasters tournament last week, here's his report:
"April 14, 2003,
I did not guide last week after Monday. Instead, I ran a camera boat for BASS. For 4 days I drove Charlie Back, photographer for Bassmaster magazine and BASS Times. I certainly learned a lot about what patterns were happening on the lake while the BASS tournament was going on.
I saw jerk bait fish caught early in the morning (1st hour and a half) and on the lower end of the lake in the Redbud arm. There were a few spinnerbait fish caught in the tules around the lake with white being the best color.
The swim bait (Fish Fishurn calls it a tennis shoe) bite was not really on but it seemed that almost every contestant had one tied on and all seemed to be in a hitch color.
The bed fishing (when fish could be seen) was done with various grubs and lizards, mostly in white, chartreuse and red. The other bait that was used on beds and docks were Zoom trick worms (or the like) in brown and watermelon and rigged wacky (hooked in the middle).
When the field narrowed on Saturday and Sunday, the 2 predominent baits were Senko-like baits in watermelon with black flake and some with red or purple flake. Alton Jones (winner) used a 1/32nd oz slip sinker with that.
The other dominant bait was similar to a brush hog (6") in water melon and colors were as above.
Some fishermen were way back in the tules and wood looking for bedding fish while the winner was fishing outside in the new, second growth tules where a few larger fish were cruising.
Hope this fills in the gaps in the information you have about what the pros were doing while they fished Clear Lake. They all said that in spite of the weather conditions, they really liked our lake and would enjoy coming back. I am happy to share my experience and observations with you."
Big George
Big George's Guide Service
(707) 279-9269
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is at 7.51 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool. Last year at this time it was at 6.90 feet.
CatfishED.com
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 12:25 am: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Well folks, I wish I had something to report on catfishing but with the big 2003 CITGO Bassmaster Tour having their big tournament here on April 10th, through the 13th and prefishing days on the 7th, 8th and 9th, everyone's been thinking about nothing but bass fishing.
There were a few nice catfish taken in Rodman Slough with shad and nightcrawlers last weekend but that's about all I heard.
Bass
According to Percy Oved of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 the top fish getters have been swimbaits, jerkbaits, Senkos and pig-n-jigs in that order. Fishing tules in 3 to 6 feet of water has been the most productive. On the warmer days the fish are real shallow and starting to nest but they're moving out of the beds to 6 or more feet on the cooler days. Most of the bass are weighing from 2 to 5 lbs.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says split shotting and drop shotting oxblood/blue plastic worms are accounting for good numbers of smaller fish in the 1½ to 2½ lb class while smaller ripbaits such as the Pointer 100's are producing less numbers but better quality fish running from 3 to 4 lbs. Tules and shallow docks in 2 to 5 feet of water are the most productive areas to fish according to Ross.
Bass guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269 had three trips this week and hre's his account of the action:
On the 7th I took a 7 hour trip with Larry and Jeff from the Bay Area. Jeff's big fish of the day was a nice 6 pounder and we had a total of 12 fish.
On the 6th I took Gary and his 14 year old son Gerald (from the Bay Area) out for about 4 hours. We fished Lakeport and Nice with minnows. the fish seemed to be holding in about 5 to 6 feet of water on the docks. Gary had two 5's while Gerald had one that went over 6! We had a total of 20 fish.
The 7th found me going out with John and Steve from Idaho. We fished docks in Lakeport with minnows for about 4+ hours and had a total of 15 fish. John had one that went 9.13 and there was one that went 5 pounds! As you may imagine, they will go home to Idaho very happy and singing the praises of our wonderful lake!
For those of you who might be interested in viewing the Bassmasters at Clear Lake on ESPN2 here's the schedule:
ALL TIMES ARE EAST COAST TIME
04/19/03 SAT 10:30A 2003 CITGO BASSMASTER TOURNAMENT TRAIL PART 1, CLEAR LAKE
04/26/03 SAT 10:30A 2003 CITGO BASSMASTER TOURNAMENT TRAIL PART 2, CLEAR LAKE
04/24/03 THU 04:00P 2003 CITGO BASSMASTER TOURNAMENT TRAIL PART 1 (Repeat), CLEAR LAKE
05/01/03 THU 09:00A 2003 CITGO BASSMASTER TOURNAMENT TRAIL PART 2 (Repeat), CLEAR LAKE
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is at 7.57 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool. Last year at this time it was at 6.90 feet.
CatfishED.com
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 03, 2003 - 3:45 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfishing is still slow. The south end of the lake is kicking out a few fish. There are very few catfish anglers trying their luck in the north end of the lake.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports a few catfish being taken near Rattlesnake Island with live jumbo minnows, mackerel and nightcrawlers. Elden Riley of Clearlake Oaks caught a 21, 14 and 8 lb'er while drifting live jumbo minnows near the west end of the island. Another productive spot has been Anderson Island where some anglers are catching 4 or 5 cats per trip with mackerel and nightcrawlers. Most of the fish have been ranging from 5 to 9 lbs.
The only catfish action in the north end of the lake has been in Rodman Slough. A few catfishermen have been picking up 2 or 3 cats while fishing the slough at night with frozen shad.
Unfortunately with the cold rain and wind that we're experiencing here the catfishing will probably slow down to a crawl for a few days due to dropping water temperatures but hopefully it will break open as soon as we get back to a warm weather pattern.
Bass
The bass fishing was pretty good earlier in the week but the cold rainy weather of the last couple of days has taken it's toll on the action.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports anglers using live jumbo minnows and plastic worms are still catching a few decent fish. There was a 13.6 lb'er taken on a plastic worm in the Nice Area by a tournament angler over the weekend.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says they're still getting some decent action with jumbo minnows and drop shot rigs. Most of the bass are running from 1½ to 2½ lbs with an occasional 4 or 5 lb'er. The fish have moved to a little deeper water, 3 to 6 feet, around tules and docks since the change of weather. Ross adds that an 11 lb'er was caught at the mouth of Rodman Slough with a spinner bait.
Bass guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269 went out with his wife and a friend on Monday and here's his account of the trip: "Pete Pinkerton of North Lakeport had never been minnow fishin' so we decided there was no time like the present! We launched at 5th Street about 9:30am and headed down to the tules near the State Park. We caught a few but no real size. After a couple hours we moved up to Lakeport just north of the Skylark and started in on the docks. We boated one just under 7 pounds, another over 5 pounds and some others. We had a total of 9 fish. Not too bad for fishing the leading edge of a front.
Bass guide Bob Thein (707) 994-4886 had a guided fishing trip on Friday 3/27 with the Parsons' family from San Jose. The boys were Stefan and Chris. The father's name was Ron. Had an eight hour trip, fished the Lakeport area with live minnows and Senkos, caught 35 fish from 1½ lbs to 5½ lbs. It was a great day and the family went home very happy.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 had 5 trips since last week's report and they caught a total of 49 bass. Richard says the fishing has slowed down quite a bit but most of the fish are good size. The totals include 7.1, 6¾, 6 ½, 6, 5½ and several 4 lb'ers.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is at 7.55 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool. Last year at this time it was at 6.90 feet.
CatfishED.com
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 5:54 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action is improving in the south end of the lake but it's still slow in the north end.
Ken Brown from Fair Oaks had a fairly successful trip last weekend. He caught 3 cats weighing 7, 10 and 11 lbs while fishing at Henderson Point on Friday evening. On Saturday afternoon he caught a 18.2 lb'er and a 19.5 lb'er at Anderson Island. He hooked three other big cats that broke off near the boat. All cats were caught on frozen shad and were released back into the lake to be caught again. The fact that Ken managed to catch some good fish illustrates what I've been saying all along, the catfish are cooperating in the south end of the lake if people want to target them.
There has been very little catfishing activity in the north end of the lake. They're still catching an occasional fish at the mouth of Rodman Slough with nightcrawlers and mackerel. My wife caught an 8 pound channel cat off the Library Park Pier with a maple flavored doughball on Monday.
Bass
The bass fishing is very good with jumbo minnows and plastic baits. For bigger fish but less action, jerkbaits and swimbaits are the way to go.
Percy Oved of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says jerkbaits and swimbaits fished near tules and docks are accounting for some good catches. For fast action Percy recommends using live jumbo minnows in the same areas. The fish are varying in size from 3 to 9 lbs with most in the 3 to 4 lb range.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports lots of action on smaller fish up to 3 lbs in the north end of the lake throwing plastic worms and crankbaits around tules, docks and seawalls. Throwing swimbaits and jerkbaits is producing fewer fish but most of them are going 5 lbs and up.
Bass guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269.had several good days this week. Here's his report:
March 22nd-Mike and Vince from Grass Valley have been going out with me a couple times a year since 1999. We always have a great time and catch fish, too! Yesterday was no exception. We launched at Lakeport and worked down to the state park over 8 hours. We worked tules with jumbo minnows and drop shot rigs. We caught and released 29 fish...among them two 6 pounders.
March 23rd-We launched at 5th street again and headed for the tules. Using Jumbo minnows we worked the outside line of the old tules. As the sun got up a bit an the water started to warm, the fish came on. We fished for about 6 hours and caught a total of 24 fish...2 days away from his skateboard are a little tough on 14 year old Vince, but he had a great time. Among the 24 fish, we had two over 5 pounds and the rest were solid, fat fish.
March 25th-Jim hails from Sparks, Nevada. I picked him up at World Mark at about noon and we headed back over to the tules between the State Park and County Park. Using jumbo minnows under bobbers, we fished the outside of the old, broken off tules looking for something of substance. Guess we were in luck because we had 14 fish in 4 hours. Among them was a very nice one over 7 pounds and her younger sister, who weighed in at just over 6 pounds.
Bass guide Bob Thein (707) 994-4886 has been doing well. On Saturday Manny Gonzalez and Ramon Flores from the Bay Area caught 26 fish from 1½ to 5¾ lbs on an 8 hour trip. On Monday Mr. and Mrs. Gallardo of Vallejo caught 23 fish from 1½ to 6 lbs on a 4 hour trip. On a 4 hour trip on Tuesday Tosh Lupoi and Ryan Garrett of Walnut Creek caught 13 fish from 1½ to 5½ lbs. Most all of the fish were caught on live minnows and a few with watermelon red brushhogs. All of the fish were caught from State Park to Lakeport.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 had three trips this week. A six hour trip on Saturday produced 23 bass including a 9.12 lb'er and the best 5 weighed over 39 lbs.
A 7 hour trip on Tuesday produced 19 fish including two 6 ½ lb'ers and a 5 lb'er.
A half day trip on Wednesday accounted for 13 fish from 2½ to 3½ lbs which was very good considering the extremely windy conditions.
All fish were caught on jumbo minnows from the State Park to the County Park and were released alive to be caught again.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has stabilized and is at 7.56 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool. Last year at this time it was at 6.81 feet.
CatfishED.com
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2003 - 4:57 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfishing is still in a deep slump but the recent rains have improved it a little. Muddy water runoff from the rains is causing the cats to go on the bite in some areas.
Vic Fung of Clearlake Oaks has been catching a few brown bullheads in the 2 lb class off his dock in the Keys using shad as bait and has lost a couple of really large cats that broke his 30 lb test line.
There have been a few nice size channel catfish and some nice stringers of brown bullheads being caught in Rodman Slough. The top baits have been mini crawlers and gobs of garden worms. The slough has muddied up from the recent rains which has caused the cats to start feeding.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says they are catching an occasional 8 to 10 lb catfish around Rattlesnake Island with jumbo minnows and mackerel. There are quite a few small cats in the 1 to 2 lb range being caught in the Clearlake Oaks Keys with minnows and mini crawlers. Bob adds that the crappie fishing in the Keys has broken wide open. Some anglers are limiting out on crappie going from ½ to 1½ lbs. Medium size live minnows and red & white crappie jigs are accounting for most of the action.
Bass
The bass action has slowed down as far as numbers are concerned but the quality of the fish has improved.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says they are catching quite a few big fish by slow rolling big spinner baits in the muddier water near creeks and ditches. Throwing rip baits and swimbaits in 2 to 14 feet of water are accounting for some good catches including a 10¼ lb'er.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 confirms the spinnerbait and swimbait bite and adds that knowledgeable anglers using jumbo minnows are still catching and releasing from 20 to 30 bass per outing ranging from around 1½ to 5 or 6 lbs.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 and his clients fished last Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all 4 hour trips, and totalled 30 bass. All the fish were caught on jumbo minnows on tule points in approximately 8 feet of water and weighed from 2 to 7.6 lbs.
Richard went out yesterday to prefish for upcoming guide trips and caught 3 fish weighing 7, 8 and 9 lbs on a swimbait and 3 small bass with drop shot rigs. His best 5 fish weighed a total of 26 lbs.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has risen slightly and is at 7.60 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool. Last year at this time it was at 6.67 feet.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 5:14 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The action is still very slow with the exception of a few pan sized catfish being taken in various spots.
Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports a few 2 to 4 lb catfish being caught off the docks at Edgewater Resort (707)-279-0208 with nightcrawlers and cut baits.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says they're catching a few small cats in the Clearlake Oaks Keys with nightcrawlers but it's still a waiting game.
Rodman Slough is still kicking out a few catfish but it's a very long wait between bites. Some anglers are catching a couple of cats for a day's or night's effort while others are blanking.
For those of you interested in crappie, they're catching quite a few at Rocky Point and Rodman Slough with live minnows and red & white crappie jigs.
Bass
The bass fishing is still very good and we're seeing quite a few larger fish in the catches this week.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports good action for most bass anglers. Rip baits, swimbaits and spinnerbaits are the top producers. There have been several fish in the 8 to 9 lb class taken and one 11 lb'er with the larger rip baits. Ross recommends fishing the tules in 2 to 6 feet of water.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 confirms the rip and swimbait action. He suggests throwing Lucky Craft rip baits and Osprey swimbaits in 4 to 8 feet of water near tules and points.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 had 4 trips this week and he and his clients caught and released 101 bass including many quality fish .Their biggest 5 weighed 29.3 lbs. They had 3 bass over 7 lbs and several 4 to 6 lb'ers.All fish were caught in 4 to 5 feet of water in tules and near points with jumbo minnows.
Bass Guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269 went fishing on Tuesday with his wife, Pam and they caught 19 fish, among them 2 that went over 5 pounds and one 6¼ lbs. They caught all their fish on tule lines near the State Park with live minnows.
Bass guide Bob Thein (707) 994-4886 has been doing well in the north end of the lake using live jumbo minnows. On Saturday they caught and released 28 bass weighing from 1½ to 3½ lbs. On Tuesday they caught 18 fish weighing from 1½ to 4½ lbs.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has stabilized and is at 7.12 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 6.65 feet.
CatfishED.com
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 06, 2003 - 6:08 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Well folks, I have not been able to get any catfish reports again this week. I even phoned several RV parks and motels on the lake but no one has heard of anyone targeting catfish lately. I think the hot bass fishing is causing even the most dedicated catfishermen to target bass instead.
I should try a little catfishing myself but I just don't have the time right now. I'm still seeing a few vehicles parked along Rodman Slough but I have no idea how they're doing or if they are targeting catfish. Like I said in last week's report, if I were going to give it a try I would fish Rodman Slough using nightcrawlers and minnows. The best time would likely be from dusk to around midnight.
Hopefully the nicer weather we've been having will bring out a few serious catfish anglers and they will get into some good action very soon.
Bass
The bass fishing continues to improve, with quite a few quality fish showing up in the catches.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports excellent fishing in the north end of the lake. Rip baits, swim baits and pig-n-jigs are accounting for some outstanding catches including lots of bass between 5 and 6 lbs. Drop shot rigs and texas rigged plastic worms are producing good numbers of fish in the 1½ to 2½ lb class. Live jumbo minnows are producing some big fish including a 13lb 6 oz'er and a 9 lb'er caught near the mouth of Rodman Slough. Most of the action is taking place in 5 to 8 feet of water outside of tule lines and docks.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 confirms the excellent rip bait bite and says some anglers are catching 15 to 20 fish per day with most of the fish weighing over 5 lbs.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 went out on a 3 hour scouting trip on Saturday and caught two 4 lb'ers on a spinner bait, a 3½ lb'er on a rip bait and 6 smaller bass weighing from 1 to 2½ lbs with a drop shot rigged Roboworm. All fish were caught in the north end of the lake near the State Park in 4 to 10 feet of water. The bigger fish were holding in 4 feet of water and the drop shot fish were in around 10 feet.
Bass guide Bob Thein (707) 994-4886 took two clients from Half Moon Bay out on Sunday 3/2/03 for an 8 hour trip. They fished mainly in the north end of the lake and caught 24 fish. The biggest fish weighed 7 lbs 11 oz.and the biggest five went 28 lbs. All of the fish were caught with live jumbo minnows.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has stabilized and is at 7.08 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 6.57 feet.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 20, 2003 - 5:27 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish are still feeding on shad in the Konocti Harbor area, Henderson Point and Horseshoe Bend so the best method is to look for feeding birds and fish near them.
Ken Brown of Fair Oaks had a very successful day of catfishing on Monday February 17th. He caught and released 32 cats, 21 of them were channel cats including 20.8, 19.4 and 18 lb'ers. He had to move around quite a bit and had most of his success at Konocti Harbor, Horseshoe Bend and Henderson Point. Ken says the trick is to watch for feeding birds and fish right in the area they are feeding. Ken started with frozen shad for bait but changed to fresh ones that he caught at Konocti Harbor.
Rodman Slough is still producing some decent stringers of catfish. Nightcrawlers and live minnows are the top baits. Several nice cats have been caught by crappie fishermen using live medium minnows under a bobber near the bridge.
Bass
Although live jumbo minnows are still producing the most consistent catches, rip baits are accounting for some great action as well.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports some anglers are catching 30 to 40 bass per day ripping with Pointer 100's and Pointer 128's in american shad, chartruese shad and ghost minnow colors. Most of the fish are running 2 to 3 lbs with a few to 5 or 6 lbs. The most successful bassers are working down the bank in 2 to 10 feet of water with their rip baits. Bob adds that they are catching a few smaller fish with Senkos and drop shot rigs.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says the rip bite is improving in the north end of the lake. Knowledgeable anglers are catching 5 to 10 fish per outing weighing from 2 to 3 lbs with a few 4 and 5 lb'ers in the mix.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 averaged 15 fish per trip for his clients last weekend. Most of the fish were over 3 lbs with quite a few from 4 to 4½ lbs. All fish were caught using live jumbo minnows in 4 to 8 feet of water from the County Park to Lakeport.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is still rising and is at 6.90 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 6.36 feet.
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 6:37 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action is only fair for the few anglers pursuing them. Most of the bigger catfish are being caught incidentally by bass fishermen.
Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says they are still catching quite a few small catfish running from 2 to 4 lbs at Edgewater Resort in Soda Bay with nightcrawlers and clams.
Rodman Slough is still producing some good catches but it seems to be hit or miss. Some anglers are taking nice strings of cats while others are blanking. Nightcrawlers and shad are the preferred baits.
Jim Dickerson of Nice caught and released a 17.5 lb'er on Monday off Frasier Point with shad. Richard Pounds of Kelseyville caught and released an 18 lb catfish near the mouth of Adobe Creek while bass fishing with a live jumbo minnow on Tuesday.
I had a business meeting at Konocti Harbor Inn yesterday morning and checked out the marina while I was there. There were lots of pelicans and hundreds of other birds feeding on shad right near the docks so there must be a lot of catfish feeding under them. Unfortunately there were no fishermen around to take advantage of the action. If you're planning on targeting cats, I strongly recommend starting out at the marina.
Bass
The bass fishing is rated fair for anglers throwing plastics and rip baits. Live jumbo minnows fished under a bobber are still producing heavy stringers.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports a decent bite with rip baits, Senkos and drop-shot rigs. Most of the fish are running from 2 to 3 lbs and knowledgeable anglers are catching 4 or 5 fish per outing. Rocky areas in 4 to 18 feet of water are producing most of the action.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says the rip bait bite is improving in the north end of the lake. Bassers are catching 3 or 4 fish each ripping Pointer 100 sized baits in tules and submerged brush. The fish are ranging from 2 to 5 lbs.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 and his clients caught and released lots of bass with live jumbo minnows in the last couple of days. Yesterday they boated 23 bass up to 9 lbs during a 6 hour trip fishing in 4 to 6 feet of water from Lakeport to the County Park. Their best 5 weighed 36 lbs and almost all their fish weighed over 4 lbs. They had18 fish on Tuesday for a 4 hour trip including 5.8 and 7.13 lb'ers.
Bass Guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269 and his friends had a banner day on Tuesday. They fished Lakeport and the entire west shore from 9am to 5pm. According to George: "the weather and fishing was fantastic!" They caught and released 36 bass including an 8 lb 13 oz'er and 7 lb 13 oz'er. Their best 5 weighed in at over 32 lbs.
Bass Guide Bob Thein (707) 994-4886 had a 4 hour trip on Sunday and they caught and released 15 fish weighing from 2 to 5½ lbs. All fish were caught on minnows in the north end of the lake in front of tules and on rock piles.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is still rising very slowly and is at 6.57 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 6.17 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 06, 2003 - 9:59 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Fishing Report
Catfish
It's still the same old story, very few anglers are trying for catfish and the few that are targeting them aren't talking.
Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports a few small catfish running from 2 to 4 lbs being caught at Edgewater Resort in Soda Bay with nightcrawlers.
If I were to go catfishing this week I would try from Wheeler Point to Konocti Harbor using shad for bait. I haven't heard of anyone trying that area lately but last year at this time they were still catching a few big cats there. If you're going to give it a try, look for concentrations of birds and fish near them or if there aren't any birds then drift in 10 to 20 feet of water near the shoreline.
Rodman Slough is still kicking out a few big channel cats but it's a lot slower than last week. Nightcrawlers and shad are the preferred baits.
Bass
Bassers using rip baits and drop-shot rigs are experiencing much improved action and those using live jumbo minnows are still catching easy limits.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 had another banner trip on Tuesday morning. His clients were Mike Cokinos from Houston Texas and his 11 and 9 year old sons, Evan and Christian. The kids did all the fishing and they caught 12 bass during the 4 hour trip. The fish ranged from 2 to 8.5 lbs, Evan caught the 8.5 lb'er and Christian caught a 6.4 lb'er. All fish were caught and released on jumbo minnows in the Nice/Lucerne Area around tules and docks in 4 to 7 feet of water.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says bass fishing is steadily improving. The top catches have been made ripping and drop-shotting in 4 to 7 feet of water on tule edges. Bass guide Dave Majestic 707-279-0472 had a great day on Tuesday, he caught 6 fish weighing from 2 to 4½ lbs in 3 hours while ripping chartreuse shad colored Lucky Craft Pointer Minnows in the mid lake area near Shag Rock.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports red hot action with jumbo minnows and says rip baits and drop-shot rigs are accounting for good catches as well. Bob recommends fishing tule edges and docks in 2 to 8 feet of water.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is still rising very slowly and is at 6.44 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 6.04 feet.
Ed
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CatfishED
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 5:24 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
I still can't seem to get much in the way of catfish reports. There just aren't that many fishermen targeting them and the few that do aren't giving up any information.
I did hear from two different sources that Rodman Slough is giving up some good catches. Dunking nightcrawlers and garden worms near the Rodman Slough Bridge is producing some good stringers of cats including a few 10 to 12 lb'ers. There have been a few boats anchoring near the mouth of the slough at night and catching 6 to 10 cats per person. Most of the fish are running 2 to 3 lbs with a few bigger ones to 16 lbs.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says he's selling a fair amount of catfish bait but no one is reporting back with their catches.
I'm still hearing stories of big catfish catches near Kono Tayee, Henderson Point and Shag Rock fishing near feeding birds using shad as bait. Since they are just stories I don't consider them to be accurate but I have seen quite a bit of bird activity in those areas in the last week so it may be worth a try.
Bass
Bass fishing with artificials is improving considerably and fishing with live jumbo minnows is still very good.
My wife and I fished with Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 yesterday morning for about 5 hours and caught and released 19 bass weighing from 1½ to 5 lbs. Most of the fish weighed over 3 lbs with at least 6 weighing over 4 lbs. Naturally, my wife caught the 5 lb'er. We caught all of our fish with live jumbo minnows in 5 to 12 feet of water near tules and brush from the County Park to near the State Park.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says the fishing is very good both for minnow fishermen and knowledgeable lure tossers. One angler throwing june bug colored Baby Brush Hogs near tules and brush in the State Park area caught 12 fish including two 5 lb'ers while another angler caught 10 fish in 3½ hours using minnows, also near the State Park. Cameron Cole of Lakeport caught and released 36 bass using carolina rigs and split shot rigs with 4½ inch Aaron's Magic Robo Worms while fishing from the Boat Works to Goose Neck Point just north of Clearlake.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is rising very slowly and is at 6.36 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 6.01 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 6:06 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Well folks, I tried every possible angle in order to get some catfish info for this report but it's so slow that very few catfish anglers are going out.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says his neighbors tried for cats last Friday and Saturday and never even got a bite. Bob adds that he hasn't heard of anyone catching a catfish in the last week, not even an accidental one by bass fishermen.
In the north end of the lake they're still catching an occasional catfish in Rodman Slough but the wait between bites makes it hardly worth the effort.
I phoned a couple of resorts in Clearlake that are on or near Cache Creek to see if they heard of any catfish action but they hadn't even heard of anyone trying for cats.
The only thing I can add to this very negative catfish report is that they are so filled up on threadfin shad that they just aren't feeding. Hopefully they will get active again very soon.
Bass
The bass fishing is rated excellent in the south end of the lake but very slow for most anglers in the north end.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports very slow bass action even with minnows. Ross says there are very few fishermen going out and the few that are giving it a try are catching only one or two fish at best.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says the Clearlake Oaks Arm is producing lots of bass including some big fish. Joe Nichols of Clearlake caught and released 31 bass weighing from 2 to 7 pounds throwing a 4 inch plastic worm from shore between the Oaks Water Co. and the new launch ramp. Several weighed between 4 and 5 lbs and two of them weighed 7 lbs apiece.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 had a great trip last Monday. He and his client, Roscoe Dudley, caught and released 16 bass weighing from 2 to 10.6 lbs, including five fish weighing between 5 and 6 lbs while fishing with live jumbo minnows near the County Park outside of tule edges in 4 to 8 feet of water. Roscoe caught the 10.6, click here for photo.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is holding steady at 6.22 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 5.90 feet.
Ed
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 4:56 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action appears to be almost non-existent but this is due mostly to the lack of fishing activity.
I only heard of one boat fishing in the Konocti Area in the last week and that was last Saturday, they caught one14.7 lb channel catfish with fresh shad and had no other bites.
The rain we had earlier this week improved the fishing in Rodman Slough, they're catching an occasional channel cat plus quite a few brown bullheads with gobs of mini-crawlers or garden worms.
I caught a 12 lb channel cat from my back deck last Friday evening with a frozen shad but I haven't had any more action since then.
Although I haven't heard of anyone trying it, Cache Creek should be very productive right now. The water is flowing through at a good pace since they have been letting water out of the dam for several weeks now. When the water is moving like that the catfishing is generally very good. Almost every year at this time I would get reports of excellent fishing in the creek from Don's Bait Shop in Clearlake but now that the shop is closed it's difficult to get any information from the Clearlake area.
Bass
Fishing with artificials has improved condiderably and those using live jumbo minnows are still getting the most action.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 said knowledgeable anglers are managing 4 or 5 bass in the 1½ to 3 lb class throwing carolina rigged plastic worms, rip baits and drop shot rigs around tules and rocks in 5 to 10 feet of water. Ross says fishermen using live jumbo minnows are still catching lots of bass ranging from 2 to 4 lbs.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says drop shotting small plastic worms and throwing pig-n-jigs in rocky areas in 8 to 14 feet of water is producing some limits for experienced bass anglers. Most of the fish are fairly small, weighing from just over a pound to just under 3 lbs. Fishermen using live jumbo minnows are catching 10 to 12 fish per outing including a few larger fish up to 8 lbs.
Bass Guide Richard Pounds (707) 279-4739 was out with a client last Friday and they caught 12 keepers ranging in weight from 1½ to 4½ lbs using live jumbo minnows. They caught their fish near the County Park in 4 to 8 feet of water.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is rising slowly and is at 6.30 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 5.81 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 09, 2003 - 2:14 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake report
Catfish
It's beginning to look like the fantastic catfish action that we experienced during the winter of 2001/2002 near the Konocti Marina is not going to repeat itself this winter. Although a few anglers had some great catches, it just hasn't been very consistent.
Fish Chris from TrophyBassOnly.com was out again on Tuesday and Wednesday but even he had a tough time. On Tuesday he fished from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and caught only one 15 lb catfish near Wheeler Point. On Wednesday (yesterday) he caught a 13, 15, 16.5 and a 17.2 lb'er at Wheeler Point and 10, 11 and 15 lb'ers at Konocti Marina. All fish were caught drift fishing with frozen shad and were released alive to be caught again.
There were a few catfishermen tyring their luck at Konocti last weekend but most were skunked or caught one or two fish at best.
I received a second hand report that there was some serious bird activity near Kono Tayee on Sunday and Monday and a lot of big catfish were caught in the area. I took a ride down there yesterday morning in my truck and did see a lot of feeding seagulls in the area so it's definitely worth checking out. I haven't heard of any catfishing activity in the north end of the lake other than the Kono Tayee report.
Bass
Bass fishing with artificials is still very tough for most anglers and those using live jumbo minnows are still having the most success.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 said the only report he received was from one angler that caught and released 9 keepers weighing up to 7½ lbs "shakin" black/chartruse Ring Worms and using jumbo minnows. The 7½ was caught with a minnow.
Percy Oved of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says lure tossers are having a tough time boating one or two fish for a day's effort but minnow dunkers are still catching easy limits of 1½ to 3 lb'ers.
Bass guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269 was out with a client on Sunday in the Lakeport and Nice/Lucerne Area and they caught 8 bass with 6 of them weighing between 3 and 5 pounds. They were using live jumbo minnows under a bobber set at between 6 and 8 feet. According to George the water is still stained but clearing and the fish will be biting better in just a few days.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping slightly and is at 5.95 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 5.87 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 5:09 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The nasty weather kept most catfishermen off the lake over the weekend but the improving weather during the week has brought out a few dedicated catfish anglers.
Fish Chris from TrophyBassOnly.com was out again on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday he fished with his buddy Ryan "Chabot Pro" and they caught and released 14 channel cats averaging over 12 lbs each including an 18.3 lb'er by Ryan and an 18 lb'er by Chris. They caught all their fish just outside of Konocti Harbor Marina using ultra light spinning gear baited with shad.
Chris returned to Konocti on Wednesday and fished by himself in the same area. He caught and released 14 channel cats weighing an average of over 13 lbs each including an 18.2 lb'er. This would be considered fantastic catfish action by most standards but it's actually fairly tame compared to some of Chris's catches last winter.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says the catfishing is still very slow in the Oaks area. There are a few catfish being caught in the Clearlake Oaks Keys in the 8 to 10 lb range with nightcrawlers but it's a long wait between bites.
The north end of the lake is still producing a few decent cats but since the muddy runoff water has all but stopped, the fishing has slowed accordingly. The best area right now is in Rodman Slough which is still emptying muddy water into the lake. Gobs of nightcrawlers and or garden worms are the best baits for the slough.
Bass
Since the heavy rain let up earlier this week the water is starting to clear in the north end of the lake. If we don't get another gullywasher in the next few days the bass fishing should improve considerably.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports very little bass fishing activity in the north end due to the nasty weather and muddy water but says the fishing should improve in the next day or two because the water is starting to clear.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says fishermen tossing pig-n-jigs or slow rolling white spinner baits are managing 2 to 4 fish for a day's effort. Anglers fishing with live jumbo minnows in the south end of the lake are catching easy limits of 2 to 4 pound bass. Most of the action is in rocky areas or docks in 6 to 12 feet of water.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is still rising slightly and is at 6.15 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 5.45 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 26, 2002 - 5:54 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Bass
The catfish action has slowed down considerably, even in the Konocti Bay area of the lake.
Fish Chris from TrophyBassOnly.com was out again this past Tuesday with his buddy Nico from ICHTHY.com and they only managed 5 fish weighing from 8 to 17.6 lbs. They were fishing from Konocti Harbor to Wheeler Point.
There were a few boats fishing the Konocti Area on the weekend and on Monday but none of them caught many fish. I was out on Sunday with Shannon Jay from Team Catfish and we didn't even get a bite.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says the catfishing is very slow in the Oaks area. They were catching quite a few in the Clearlake Oaks Keys but they seem to have shut down in the last few days.
In the north end of the lake there are still a few catfish being caught in Rodman Slough with nightcrawlers and mini crawlers but it's a lot slower than last week. A lot more rain is predicted in the next couple of days which should improve the bite in the slough.
Bass
All the rain we've been having has kept the north end of the lake muddy and therefore very tough to fish, therefore most of the action has been in the south end of the lake.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says the bass are still falling for live jumbo minnows but they are running a lot smaller than last week. Most fish are weighing from 2 to 3 lbs and are being caught in 6 to 16 feet of water in rocky areas in the Oaks Arm of the lake. Bob says the few anglers using artificials are having a tough time, they are lucky to catch one or two fish for a day's effort.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is still rising slightly and is at 4.60 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 3.83 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 5:39 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Due to all the stormy weather we've been having there has been very little catfishing activity but the few that are going out are catching some decent fish.
Fish Chris from TrophyBassOnly.com was out on Tuesday and caught and released 6 channel catfish weighing from 10 to 19.5 pounds and 5 white cats weighing from 4 to 5 pounds each. He was using frozen shad for bait and fishing in the wind sheltered area inside of Frasier Point near Konocti Harbor Marina.
Chris went back out on Wednesday and really had a field day! He caught and released 30 channel cats weighing from around 7 lbs to a whopper of 28 lbs 3 ozs including a 21.9 and 20.3 lb'er! The total weight of the channels was approximately 420 lbs. He also caught 12 white cats ranging in weight from around 3 to 5 lbs. The bite was scattered from just outside of Konocti Marina all the way to inside the Konocti Bay side of Wheeler Point. All his fish fell for frozen shad on an ultra light spinning outfit.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says they are catching a few nice channel catfish in the Clearlake Oaks Keys using anchovies and nightcrawlers. Percy Oved from M & M Campground caught a 20 pound 10 ounce cat off his dock in the Keys on Tuesday morning with a gob of nightcrawlers.
In the north end of the lake there are a few catfish being caught in Rodman Slough with nightcrawlers and mini crawlers. The slough has a pretty good flow of muddy water from all the rain and this is causing the catfish to start feeding.
Bass
Since we were pounded with heavy rain and wind since last Friday there has been very little bass fishing activity. The north end of the lake is just about unfishable due to all the muddy water runoff but the south end is still fishable.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says bass fishermen using live jumbo minnows are still catching a lot of fish. There have been several big bass taken with minnows. One angler fishing in a rocky area of the Redbud Arm of the lake caught and released 8 bass weighing from 6 to 12½ pounds earlier this week and caught two 7lb'ers and a 9 lb'er on Tuesday. Bob recommends fishing in the south end of the lake either in the Redbud or Clearlake Oaks arms since the north end is too muddy for bass fishing.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is still rising slightly and is at 3.40 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was at 3.26 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 10:25 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Most of the catfish action is still occuring in Konocti Bay, Konocti Harbor Marina and off Henderson Pt. It's been anywhere from pretty good to downright fantastic.
On Tuesday there were 4 boats including myself working Konocti Bay. There was a good flurry of action around 9:30 am which produced about a dozen nice cats including a 19lb 6oz'er for Fish Chris from TrophyBassOnly.com and an 18lb'er for me. The action died off abruptly at about 10:15 am so everyone went looking for more birds and fish but the only one that found them was Ken Brown from Fair Oaks. He and his buddy caught 20 channel cats including a 28 lb'er on 6 lb test line while working the Soda Bay side of Henderson Point. They ran out of bait so they started casting out with an empty hook and reeling in fast until they hooked a shad, then rehooked it properly and would immediately catch another catfish. The rest of us ended up fishing near the docks at Konocti Harbor and caught a few more fish but it was slow fishing compared to what Ken and his buddy were doing. I ended up with 6 channels weighing from 10 to 18 lbs and my buddy caught a big white cat that weighed over 5 lbs.
The trick is to find the birds diving and circling which indicates a large school of baitfish with a school of catfish feeding on them. The top bait by far is threadfin shad either store bought or fresh caught. When they are thick enough you can dip net them or even snag a few with small treble hooks but keep in mind that it is technically illegal to snag any fish, even baitfish. Most of us are using light spinning gear with a #2 or #4 hook tied to the end of the line with a small split shot about a foot above.
If you want recent updates on the Konocti catfish action, there are several fishermen posting their reports on the Fishing Forum with details as to when, where, how, etc.
Bass
Bass fishing remains excellent all around the lake. Live jumbo minnows are still the top producer but artificials are producing some good catches as well.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707) 262-1233 says the bass fishing is fantastic. She had a guide trip on Sunday and her clients caught 28 fish weighing from 4 to 6½ pounds in the Horseshoe Bend Area ripping Staysee SP's. Sandy says the minnow bite is great, especially in the Nice/Lucerne Area near deep water docks such as the Aurora RV park. The Library Park Pier in Lakeport is kicking out a lot of big bass with minnows including some up to 8 pounds.
Dorothy Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 confirms the hot bass fishing with live jumbo minnows. Limits of 3 to 5 pound fish are the rule and most anglers are catching and releasing fish until they run out of minnows. For those bass fishermen sticking to artificials, Dorothy recommends throwing rip baits and crank baits near rocks and docks.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is holding steady at 0.95 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 2.57 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 27, 2002 - 5:38 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
This is probably the shortest catfish report that I have ever done. I guess everyone is more concerned with turkey than catfish.
The only catfish action that I've heard of is in the Clearlake Arm of the lake between Luebow and Wheeler Points. I'm sure there are other areas that are producing some decent catfish action but no one's reporting them to me. As of last weekend there was still a large concentration of baitfish near Wheeler Point and drifting near the birds with cut bait or frozen shad was accounting for a few cats. I did get an email from one gentleman that caught 3 cats weighing from 4 to 12 pounds fishing near Wheeler with chicken liver but I have a hunch he would have done better with cut bait.
Bass
The bass continue to slam live jumbo minnows with abandon but bass anglers that are sticking to artificial lures are catching their fair share as well.
Percy Oved of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says minnow fishermen are catching at least 10 or 12 fish per trip ranging from 2 to 6 pounds. Lure fishermen are throwing Dead Ringer worms and Brush Hogs on rockpiles in 6 to 14 feet of water and averaging 5 to 6 bass per outing.
Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707) 262-1233 says the ripbait bite is very good. Knowledgeable bassers are catching 25 to 30 bass a day ripping Pointer 78's and Staysees over submerged weed beds in the Lucerne Area near Pepperwood Cove. Most of the fish are running from 1½ to 3 pounds with quite a few 5 and 6 lb'ers as well.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 fished the State Park earlier this week and caught 11 keepers weighing from 1½ to 3 pounds using drop shot rigs and Lucky Craft ripbaits.
Bass guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269 has been experiencing red hot bass action with live jumbo minnows and drop shot rigs. His clients have been catching as many as 25 fish each for a day's effort.
My wife and I tried our luck on Sunday using live jumbo minnows and caught 8 bass ranging from 1½ to 6.9 pounds fishing near Pepperwood cove in 9 feet of water. Our catch included 4 fish from 5 to 6.9 pounds.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 0.98 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.45 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 5:03 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Most of the catfish action seems to be concentrated in the Clearlake Arm of the lake between Luebow and Wheeler Points.
Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707) 262-1233 reports lots of cats being caught in the south end of the lake. One angler caught 8 fish weighing from 10 to 24 pounds while drifting with shrimp at Wheeler Point. A bass fisherman caught and released 26 catfish between Luebow and Wheeler Points with a 3 inch leach tied on a drop shot rig.
Catfish Guide Anthony Howard (707)-994-3023 went out for a little fun fishing again this past Sunday and caught and released 4 cats ranging from 20 to 23 pounds with nightcrawlers rigged on a drop shot rig while drift fishing near Wheeler Point.
My wife and I tried Frasier Point Sunday morning and caught 3 fish weighing from 4 to 10.5 pounds with shrimp plus we missed several good take downs.
Bass
Fishermen that are willing to use live jumbo minnows instead of artificials are really nailing the bass.
Percy Oved of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says anglers using minnows are catching 7 or 8 bass per trip with several fish in the 5 to 8 pound class. Crankbaits and Speed Traps are producing a few fish for the lure tossers.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 confirms the hot minnow bite. His clients have been catching at least 12 or 13 keepers per half day trip running from 1½ to 5 pounds using minnows. Richard caught a 7¾ lb'er on a crankbait earlier this week.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707) 262-1233 says anglers using jumbo minnows are catching good stringers of bass. There have been a lot of good fish taken off the Library Park Pier in Lakeport including an 8 and 9 lb'er. Corinthian Bay near the County Park has been kicking out lots of limits with jumbo minnows. For the lure fishermen Sandy recommends drop shot rigs and rip baits fished in 3 to 10 feet of water.
Bass guide Big George Hawley (707) 279-9269 says his customers have been really nailing the bass with jumbo minnows. They have been catching upwards of 30 bass per 4 hour trip and a lot of them have been in the 3 to 5 pound class. George has been fishing the minnows under bobbers in the Nice/Lucerne Area and near Lakeport.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 1.03 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.11 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 4:04 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action has been improving steadily in the south end of the lake. There are large schools of baitfish (threadfin shad and silverside minnows) showing near Wheeler and Frasier Points with lots of hungry catfish lurking below.
According to Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006, most anglers are catching at least 5 or 6 fish per trip. The hot spots are: between Wheeler and Frasier Point, Monitor Island and Rattlesnake Island. The top baits have been shad and anchovies except at Rattlesnake Island where jumbo minnows are the best choice. One boat had 9 catfish weighing from 8 to over 20 pounds while drifting with jumbo minnows near Rattlesnake Island earlier this week.
Catfish Guide Anthony Howard (707)-994-3023 went out for a little fun fishing by himself earlier this week and caught and released 8 cats weighing from 8 to 15 pounds while fishing near Frasier Point just outside of the baitfish with cut mackerel. Anthony adds that he saw a huge school of baitfish at Monitor Island as well.
All the signs indicate another fantastic winter bite at or near Konocti Harbor Marina. As this report indicates, there are several schools of baitfish concentrated just a short distance from the marina so if history repeats itself they will be in the marina area in a couple of weeks or so.
Bass
The bass fishing has improved considerably, both with artificials and live jumbo minnows.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says the minnow bite is getting better everyday. Fishing with live jumbo minnows near docks in 4 to 8 feet of water and rocky areas in 10 to 20 feet is producing lots of limits of fish weighing from 3 to 5 pounds apiece.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 has been having a lot of fun while prefishing for future customers. He caught and released 15 keepers weighing up to 6½ pounds on Monday and 10 weighing up to 5 pounds yesterday. On Monday he caught 5 of his fish including the 6½ with a topwater bait called a Lucky Craft Sammy in the aurora black color. The rest of the fish on both days were caught with drop shot rigs and ripping chrome blue/black Rattletraps. All the fish were caught near the County Park.
Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707) 262-1233 reports that bass guide Dave Majestic (707)-279-0472 was out yesterday and caught and released 23 keepers ranging from 2 to 8 pounds while fishing near Soda Bay. He caught most of his fish with Lucky Craft rip baits.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 1.09 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.01 feet. |
Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 6:02 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The big news is there is a huge school of baitfish (threadfin shad and silverside minnows) in the area between Luebow Point and Wheeler Point. This area is very close to Frasier Point and Konocti Harbor Marina where the catfish gathered in huge numbers last winter. Several bass fishermen have been catching and releasing lots of big cats while jigging Tail Spinner Spoons in 25 to 35 feet of water in the same area. I didn't hear of any actual catfishermen working the area but I'm sure anyone fishing with shad or just about any cut bait would experience all the action they could handle.
According to Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 most of the cats being caught in the Luebow/Wheeler Point Area are going from 20 to over 30 pounds including a 34 pound monster which would be a new lake record , the old record is 33¼ pounds. Since it was a bass angler that caught it he didn't go through the trouble of getting it certified, he immediately released it instead.
If last year is any indication, the baitfish will move towards Frasier Point and near Konocti Harbor and stay in that area until late January. This should provide good catfish action from now until the end of January assuming we don't experience any exteme freezes this winter.
Bass
The bass fishing hasn't changed much since last weeks report. The heavy pressure from all the tournament fishermen is making it a bit tougher to find cooperative fish.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says drop shotting and throwing LV500 Lucky Craft lures in the chartruese shad color are the most productive methods. Fishing in 10 to 18 feet of water around rocky areas and 4 to 6 feet near docks seems to be the best pattern. Most of the bass are running from 2 to 4 pounds and fishermen are catching 5 to 6 fish for a day's effort.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 says he and his clients have been boating 7 or 8 keepers per trip plus a few undersize fish. Most of the action has been in mid lake near Soda Bay. The majority of fish are falling for drop shot rigs with a few on ½ ounce Rattletraps. Rich says most of the fish are fairly small weighing from 1½ to 2 pounds.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 0.80 feet on the Rumsey Gauge.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2002 - 8:09 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action has improved considerably in the south end of the lake. There are very few anglers pursuing catfish in the north end.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports excellent fishing in the Clearlake Oaks and Redbud Arms. Some of the top producing spots are Rattlesnake Island, Horseshoe Bend and Henderson Point. The top baits are live jumbo minnows, anchovies and mackerel. Both drifting and anchoring in 10 to 30 feet of water has been putting fish in the boat. The cats are running from around 8 to 12 pounds with an occasional 18 to 25 pounder. Most anglers are catching anywhere from 4 to 6 fish per trip. Bob adds that M & M Campground in Clearlake Oaks has been kicking out a few big catfish from shore including a 30 pounder caught with a jumbo minnow.
The only catfish action in the north end of the lake is an occasional fish in the 6 to 10 pound class being taken from shore in the Nice/Lucerne Area and in Lakeport.
Bass
The bass fishing is improving slightly with most knowledgeable fishermen catching 5 or 6 keepers per trip.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says most of his customers are catching 5 or 6 fish per day with crankbaits and Rattle Traps as well as drop shot rigs in 4 to 14 feet of water in rocky areas. Both the Oaks and Redbud arms are producing good action with most fish running 2 to 4 pounds.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 is still averaging 5 keepers per trip and most of them have been 4 to 5 pounders with a 6.10 being the biggest. Drop shotting with Persuader and Baby Bass 4 inch worms have accounted for a lot of fish with crankbaits accounting for the rest. He's been fishing the midlake area and the north end in anywhere from 4 to 20 feet of water.
Bass guide Bob Thein (707)-994-4886 fished on Tuesday with two clients from San Francisco and ended up with 12 keepers between 1½ lbs and 3 lbs. The fish were caught using drop shot with robo worms and live minnows. Bob has been averaging at least 5 keepers per person on all of his recent trips. Midlake and Rattlesnake Island have been the best areas.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 0.86 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 0.80 feet.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 5:25 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action remains slow even though we are well into what should be the very productive fall pattern.
Catfish guide Anthony Howard (707)-994-3023 took out a client last weekend for a night trip and he (the client) caught and released a 23 pound channel catfish while fishing at Monitor Island with a dead jumbo minnow. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards the wind increased to where the fish quit cooperating. Anthony reports that Red Bud Pier in Clearlake is producing 2 or 3 cats per person ranging from 8 to 12 pounds apiece using nightcrawlers and mackerel as bait. Although a few fish are being caught during the day, nights are much more productive according to Anthony.
Percy Oved of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says that most catfish anglers are having a tough time locating the fish but bass fishermen are catching quite a few catfish by accident with crankbaits and jigs. One bass fisherman caught and released 7 cats weighing from 8 to 15 pounds while throwing a pig-n-jig near rocky shorelines in the Clearlake Oaks Arm. Percy adds that they are still catching a few nice fish at M & M Campground in Clearlake Oaks including a 19 and 25 pounder on mackerel.
Bass
The cooling water temperature ( 60 to 64° ) has made it a little tougher fishing but it should improve as the bass adjust to the change.
Bass guide Ross England of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says the best action is in the south end and mid lake area. Fishing rockpiles in 10 to 15 feet of water with drop shot rigs has been the top producer but white spinner baits have also been accounting for some fish. Most of the bass have been weighing from 1½ to 3 pounds with an occasional big fish up to 8 pounds being taken.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 has been catching from 4 to 8 keepers per trip from 2 to 5 pounds plus quite a few undersize fish while drop shotting in 4 to 18 feet of water in the mid lake area and in 2 to 6 feet in the Nice/Lucerne and Lakeport Areas.
Bass guide Bob Thein (707)-994-4886 and his client had 7 keepers on Tuesday weighing from 1½ to 4½ pounds while fishing the Clearlake Oaks Arm and mid lake area. They also lost several large fish that just didn't want to stay on the hook. The fish were caught with crankbaits, buzzbaits and live jumbo minnows.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 0.92 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 0.84 feet.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 18, 2002 - 1:05 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The only catfish report I could get this week was from Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006:
Bob says they are catching 3 to 4 catfish per person running from 8 or 9 pounds up to 18 pounds at Indian Beach Resort off their pier using live jumbo minnows and cut bait. Bob adds that drift fishing with jumbo minnows and cut bait at Wheeler Point in the Clearlake Arm has been producing 2 or 3 cats per boat in the 8 to 12 pound range.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bass
The bass action is about the same as last week.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 is still producing 5 or 6 keepers per person on all of his recent trips. Most of the fish are in the 2 to 4 pound range and are falling for drop shot rigs fished around docks in 2 to 6 feet of water in the Nice/Lucerne Area and near Lakeport.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports the bass action is best in rocky areas in 4 to 14 feet of water. Most of the fish are in the 2 to 2½ pound range and most anglers are catching 5 or 6 fish per trip. Crankbaits and plastics such as Brush Hogs and Senkos are accounting for most of the action.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 1.01 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 0.95 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 10, 2002 - 1:39 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action is improving in the Oaks Arm but it's still pretty slow in the north end.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says there are a lot of nice sized cats being caught at M & M Campground with live crawdads and jumbo minnows. Four anglers fished from Monday night until Tuesday morning at M & M and caught 10 cats weighing up to 16 pounds. Elden Riley, manager of M & M has been catching 2 to 3 cats per trip in the 10 to 15 pound class while drift fishing with shad in 40 feet of water near the south side of Rattlesnake Island.
My fishing buddy Andy and I went out Monday morning for a little drift fishing in the Nice/Lucerne Area for catfish. I caught a 10 pounder on mackerel the first hour and Andy missed a good strike but we spent the next 5 hours without another bite. I don't know why the catfishing is so slow this fall, there is plenty of bait in the area and the weather has been ideal. Hopefully it will pick up very soon.
Bass
The bass fishing has picked up quite a bit, especially in the north end of the lake.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 and his clients have been catching and releasing anywhere from 10 to 20 keepers plus many undersize fish per trip in the Nice/Lucerne Area and near Lakeport. Drop shotting is producing the most action but spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are accounting for some quality fish. Yesterday morning Richard had 5 fish weighing from 4 to 6½ pounds while throwing buzzbaits in shallow water near Lucerne plus 15 more keepers with blades and drop-shot rigs.
Fish Chris of TrophyBassOnly.com tried his luck on Tuesday and caught and released 12 keepers weighing from 3 to 6.3 pounds plus several undersize fish.. He was fishing Shag Rock and Henderson Point with micro-light gear and using live crawdads. Here's a direct quote from Chris: "They were a blast on the micro-light gear..... ripping drag all over the place"
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 reports lots of action in rocky areas in 8 to 14 feet of water. Drop shot rigs and crankbaits are accounting for most of the fish. Most anglers are catching upwards of 20 fish per trip including 4 or 5 keepers in the 2 to 4 pound range.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 1.10 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.01 feet.
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 4:40 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The windy weather has kept a lot of catfishermen off the lake. The few anglers that have been braving the winds have not been catching many catfish.
The one exception is Catfish Guide Anthony Howard (707)-994-3023 of Clearlake who had an evening trip last night with his client, Bob Morris from Sacramento. Bob caught two big channel cats weighing 15 and 20 pounds using mackerel for bait. Bob said they were the biggest cats he ever caught by far and he headed back to Sacramento a happy man. They were fishing near Monitor Island in 15 to 18 feet of water. Anthony says he's confident that he can continue to produce similar catches even in windy conditions.
Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707) 998-1006 says the catfishing in the Oaks Arm is very slow. The few boats going out are fishing the sheltered end of Rattlesnake Island but they are experiencing very little action.
I haven't had time to try my favorite spots in the Nice/Lucerne Area this week but I'm planning on going out on Monday morning so I'll include the results in next week's report.
Bass
It's still pretty tough for most bass fishermen but some of the guides are finding a few fish. It's difficult to get detailed information since so many anglers are pre-fishing for tournaments and therefore very secretive about where they're fishing and what they're using.
Bass guide Bob Thein (707)-994-4886 had a 1/2 day guided fishing trip on Tuesday with his client, Stanly Lowe from San Francisco. They fished the mid lake area and total fish caught were about 20. Seven fish were keepers. The keepers ranged from 13 inches to 3 lbs. Best five fish weighed 11 1/2 lbs. Fish were caught on Senkos, drop shots and white spinner baits. Customer was happy.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 and his clients had 7 keepers on Monday up to 5 pounds and 11 keepers Tuesday to 4.75 pounds. Most of the fish were caught drop-shotting with the bigger fish falling for spinner baits and buzzbaits. Richard has been fishing rocky areas and docks from Lakeport to Nice and in the mid lake area.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says she hasn't been out the last few days but the bite is still pretty tough for most anglers. They are catching a lot of undersize fish but very few keepers. The few keepers being caught are only 12 to 14 inches.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 1.18 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.11 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 26, 2002 - 4:13 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The fishing has picked up a little for some anglers but it's still pretty tough for me.
Catfish Guide Anthony Howard (707)-994-3023 of Clearlake went out for 4 hours last Sunday morning and caught 6 catfish weighing from 6 to 12 pounds dunking mackerel and nightcrawlers in 8 to 10 feet of water just north of Lakeport.
Elden Riley, manager of M & M Campground in Clearlake Oaks caught 7 catfish weighing from 8 to 16 pounds near the southwest end of Rattlesnake Island last Sunday morning while drifting with frozen shad.
They're catching some nice pan size cats in the 3 to 4 pound class near Monitor Island with anchovies
I tried a little drift fishing off the Nice/Lucerne Area yesterday morning with zero results. We then tried the Barnes Yard Area in 10 feet of water and my partner Andy Rico of Nice caught a 16 pound catfish with shrimp.
Bass
According to the local bass fishermen, the fishing has slowed down to a crawl. There are a lot of tournament anglers pre-fishing for this weekend's W.O.N.bass tournament but of course they aren't talking.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports very slow action. She had a guide trip yesterday and they didn't catch a single keeper but she believes there will be an improvement in the action with the predicted cooler temperatures this weekend.
There have been a lot of good size bass taken near Shag Rock with live crawdads in 5 to 25 feet of water. They have been ranging in size from 12 inches to over 7 pounds and most anglers are catching 7 or 8 keepers per trip.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 1.38 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.21 feet.
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2002 - 6:03 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
With the closing of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake it's going to be difficult to get good catfish information for the south end of the lake. I'm hoping that someone will reopen it soon or I can find another source.
I did get some good information from Catfish Guide Anthony Howard (707)-994-3023 of Clearlake: He has been averaging 3 to 4 fish weighing from 10 to 15 pounds apiece per trip. Nightcrawlers and sardines have been the top baits. He's been fishing Monitor Island and Indian Island in the south end and the mouth of Rodman Slough in the north end with similar results at all three spots.
There are a few cats in the 8 to 10 pound range being caught in the early mornings in the Clearlake Oaks Keys on chunks of hot dogs and nightcrawlers.
Soaking nightcrawlers and mackerel off docks and beaches in the Nice/Lucerne Area is accounting for an occasional catfish in the 8 to 14 pound range plus quite a few pan size brown bullheads (called "yellow cats" locally).
Bass
The bass fishing is holding its own with most anglers catching 5 to seven keepers per trip plus a lot of scrappy undersize fish.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 reports the locals are catching their fish on spinner baits, buzzbaits, Senkos, drop shot rigs and a few larger fish on plastic frogs. Ripping jerkbaits in shallow water in the north end of the lake is also producing some good fish. Most of the keepers are running from 2 to 4½ pounds and most fishermen are catching 5 or 6 keepers plus 20 or 30 undersize fish per trip.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 says the Nice/Lucerne Area has been very productive for him and his clients. He's been averaging 5 to 7 keepers per trip plus lots of undersize fish in the 10 to 11½ inch class. Most of the bass have been running from 2 to 3 pounds with a few larger ones to 6½ pounds. Throwing spinner baits to the edges of weed beds and drop shotting under docks have been the top methods but they have had some success on larger fish with plastic frogs thrown over weed patches.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is 1.50 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.33 feet.
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 2:38 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
I keep hoping to report an improvement in the catfish action but I'm sorry to say it's still quite slow.
Ken Morrison of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake reports very few catfish being caught. Of the few anglers targeting catfish, the more successful ones are managing one or two fish for a night's effort. The few fish that are showing up are falling for live jumbo minnows. The top spots are Bass Alley and the mouth of Cache Creek.
The bad news is Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake is closing it's doors as of Friday September 13th. There are rumors that any one of several people are going to reopen it soon but I have no idea as to when that will be. With Don's being closed the closest bait shop for most of his customers would be Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks 12599 E Highway 20 (707)-998-1006.
There's not much going on in the way of catfish action in the north end of the lake. There is an occasional fish being caught off docks at night in the Nice/Lucerne Area but bring a good book or a sleeping bag because it's going to be a long wait between bites. My fishing buddy, Andy Rico of Nice caught a 12 pound channel catfish off my back deck on Tuesday morning with a doughball but that's the only catfish action we've had all week.
Bass
The bass fishing is still rated good. Although drop-shotting is still the top method, a lot of fish are falling for deep running crank baits, buzz baits and topwater popping plugs.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport (707)-262-1233 says the bass fishing is very good. Drop-shotting is still the top method but deep running crank baits and spinner baits are accounting for some decent catches as well. On one trip this week Sandy's client had four 3 pounders and a 7 pounder plus a lot of dinks while drop-shotting in the south end of the lake.
Ken Morrison of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake says the bass fishing is very good. One fisherman caught a 27 pound limit including one that weighed 11 pounds 2 ounces while fishing with nightcrawlers under a bobber at the southeast end of Rattlesnake Island. Anglers using lures are catching 3 or 4 keepers per trip plus many dinks (undersize fish) throwing drop-shot rigs, buzz baits and popping lures around rocks and docks in 8 to 10 feet of water.
Bass guide Richard Pounds (707)-279-4739 says he's been averaging 5 keepers per person plus many undersize fish in the 10 to 11 inch range. Most of the keepers are running 1½ to 4 pounds. The best action has been in the Lakeport Area around rocks and docks in 4 to 10 feet of water. Drop-shotting has been the top method but they are also catching quite a few fish with spinner baits and buzz baits.
Bass guide Bob Thein (707)-994-4886 had a good trip recently, they had 7 keepers up to 6 pounds plus many dinks. Most of the keepers fell for white buzzbaits.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is 1.68 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.40 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 4:13 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action is still very slow. I think the cooler weather will cause the fish to start feeding soon.
Ken Morrison of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports very few catfishermen going out. The few that are making an effort are catching only one or two fish per outing and most of the action has been at night. Live jumbo minnows have been accounting for most of the fish. The most productive spot has been the mouth of Cache Creek and most fish are running from 9 to 14 pounds.
The only reported action in the north end of the lake has been in the Nice/Lucerne Area. Night fishing off docks and the shoreline along Highway 20 just before you enter Lucerne has been giving up a few nice cats using mackerel and shrimp as bait.
Drift fishing in 15 to 25 feet of water from the World Mark Time Shares to Barnes Yard with shrimp and mackerel should start producing some good catches of big catfish as it always does in September and October but no one's giving it a try.
BASS
The bass action hasn't changed much since last week's report. Most fishermen are catching lots of 10 to 11 inchers plus 4 or 5 keepers for a day's effort.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says the locals are catching 4 or 5 keepers per trip weighing from 3 to 6 pounds plus a lot of scrappy 10 to 11 inch fish. The best method has been drop shotting near Tule Point in 8 to 10 feet of water.
Ken Morrison of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says they have been catching some big bass (3 to 6 pounds) night fishing with live jumbo minnows near Rattlesnake Island and Dollar Island. Some fishermen are reporting fair action with plastic frogs at night. Bass guide Bob Thein 707-994-4886 has been averaging 5 to 8 keepers plus 30 to 40 undersize fish per trip while drop shotting in the mid-lake area.
Bass guide Richard Pounds 707-279-4739 and his clients have been catching quite a few bass weighing from 2 to 7.6 pounds plus many undersize fish in the 10 to 11½ inch class. Plastic frogs are accounting for most of the bigger fish and the rest are falling for spinner baits, Senkos and drop-shot rigs. Mid lake and south to Rattlesnake Island as well as the State Park have been the best areas.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is 1.95 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. Last year at this time it was 1.51 feet.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 29, 2002 - 2:53 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
CATFISH
The catfish action is even slower than last week, only an occasional fish is being caught by patient fishermen.
Ken Morrison of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports a few fish being taken at the mouth of Cache Creek with nightcrawlers and cut bait. Drift fishing at Bass alley with cut baits such as mackerel, anchovies and sardines is producing an occasional cat. Ken says most anglers are only catching one fish per trip.
I heard of a few nice cats being taken out of Rodman Slough this week with nightcrawlers and mackerel but as usual, it's a waiting game, some fishermen are getting skunked while others are catching one or two fish for their efforts.
I went out of Clearlake Oaks with a friend of mine on Monday morning and fished all around the Rattlesnake Island area and a few other spots that I know and the only action we experienced was a tiny little white cat that inhaled my shrimp. I hope the fall catfish bite starts soon, this is getting boring.
BASS
The bass fishing is very good for some and just fair for others. Topwaters, jigs and drop shotting are all accounting for some decent catches.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports excellent bass fishing in Soda Bay. One pair of fishermen caught 14 keepers weighing from 4 to 8 pounds while throwing ½ ounce brown/orange pig-n-jigs in 10 to 15 feet of water at Soda Bay. Some anglers are catching a few good fish on buzzbaits and frogs and drop shotting is still accounting for some good catches.
Ken Morrison of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the bass action is great but a lot of the fish are undersize, measuring around 10 to 11½ inches. Most fishermen are catching 30 to 40 fish per day but only 4 or 5 of them are keepers ranging in weight from 2½ to 4 pounds. Drop shotting 4 inch worms and throwing Brush Hogs and Dead Ringers around rocky areas near deep water docks ( 10 to 15 feet) is producing most of the action. Ken adds that one lucky angler caught a 12 pound bass with a nightcrawler off the Red Bud Pier in Clearlake.
Bass guide Richard Pounds 707-279-4739 and his client had a pretty good day last Saturday. They caught 21 bass including 9 keepers up to 5¼ pounds. The bigger fish came on white buzzbaits and green and white spinnerbaits. The fish were scattered around docks, rocks and weed mats from mid lake north to the Nice/Lucerne Area.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 2.22 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 22, 2002 - 3:02 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
CATFISH
The catfish action is still on the slow side. Knowledgeable anglers are managing 2 or 3 fish for their efforts.
Ken Morrison of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports slow going for most catfishermen. They are catching a few big cats drifting Bass Alley and Monitor Island with cut mackerel and jumbo minnows. Shore fishermen are picking up some nice cats weighing up to 14 pounds at Austin Park in Clearlake with mackerel.
Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says the catfish are still cooperating at Willow Point RV Resort in Lakeport. Persistent anglers are catching 3 to 5 fish per evening with nightcrawlers as the preferred bait and most of the fish are running from 6 to 10 pounds apiece.
They're catching a few nice cats in the Rattlesnake Island Area up to around 14 pounds. Drifting with jumbo minnows and live crawdads has accounted for most of the action.
There have been a few big cats taken in the Nice/Lucerne Area at night by shore fishermen. The stretch of shoreline just west of The Barnes Yard as you're entering Lucerne has been fairly productive.
BASS
The bass fishing is improving a bit, especially in the north end of the lake.
Bass guide Big George Hawley 707-279-9269 experienced good action in the Lakeport Area. George and his clients caught 25 bass of which 14 were keepers during a 5 hour evening trip. They caught most of their fish with 4 inch baby bass Robo Worms on dart heads.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports good action at the Pipeline in Clearlake. Drop shotting with 6 inch worms in 10 to 12 feet of water has been the best pattern.
Ken Morrison of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says he's been fishing the southeast end of Rattlesnake Island and averaging 7 keepers per trip. He caught a 10½ and 8 pounder with a topwater bait similar to a Pop-R fishing isolated weed beds. June bug colored Brush Hogs and 8 inch Dead Ringers have been producing a lot of fish.
Bass guide Bob Thein 707-994-4886 fished with a client on Monday the 19th in the Rattlesnake Arm. They caught 22 bass but only 4 were keepers. They caught 3 of the keepers on black and red snagproof frogs and one on a black and red buzzbait. All the small fish were caught on robo drop-shot worms. Largest fish was 4 1/4 lbs, the other keepers were 2 to 3 lbs.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 2.48 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 5:28 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action has slowed down some but persistent anglers are still managing to catch a few decent fish.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports most catfishermen are catching 2 to 3 fish per outing weighing from 8 to 10 pounds with an occasional 14 or 15 pounder. The best action has been had by anchoring outside the mouth of Cache Creek in 10 to 15 feet of water and drift fishing the south side of Luebow Point in 18 to 20 feet of water. The top baits have been mackerel, anchovies and sardines. Cary says shorebound anglers have been getting a few pan size catfish in Cache Creek using clams.
Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says they are still getting a few nice cats at Willow Point RV Resort in Lakeport with nightcrawlers and one lucky angler caught an 18 pound channel cat with a jumbo minnow.
They're catching an occasional big catfish from Rodman Slough near the bridge with clams or nightcrawlers but it's strictly a waiting game with a lot more waiting than catching.
Bass
Although the majority of bass anglers are fishing in the south end of the lake, the few that are fishing the north end are catching their share of bass.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports good bass action in the Rattlesnake Island area. Drop shotting with 4 inch Robo Worms in 10 to 20 feet of water has been accounting for most of the action. On wednesday morning Sandy's client caught a 10 pound bass on a crankbait and caught a 2.8 pound smallmouth bass (very rare in Clear Lake) while drop shotting. Sandy says most bassers are catching 5 or 6 keepers for a morning's effort.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says most anglers are catching 3 or 4 keepers per trip most of which are running 2 to 3 pounds apiece by throwing a variety of baits. In the early morning they are catching a few with topwater baits and then switching to crankbaits and drop shot rigs.
Bass guide Bob Thein 707-994-4886 went fishing with Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle on Sunday August 11th for a half day and they caught 11 keepers ranging in size from 1½ to 5.9 pounds plus several undersize fish.. They fished near Konocti Resort, Dollar Island, Monitor Island and Wheeler Point. All the fish at Konocti were caught with topwaters in the early morning and the rest were caught with crankbaits and drop shot rigs with Aaron Magic and People's Choice Robo Worms.
Bass guide Big George Hawley 707-279-9269 suggests drop shotting with Aaron's Magic and Baby Bass Robo Worms in rocky and or weedy areas. His clients have been catching anywhere from 5 to 14 keepers per trip plus lots of scrappy undersize fish.
Bass guide Richard Pounds 707-279-4739 had a successful trip yesterday, August 14th, in the north end of the lake. He and his client caught 23 fish including 8 keepers weighing up to 3½ pounds while drop shotting near Lakeport with 4 inch Persuader worms in the baby bass color. Most of the action was in 4 to 8 feet of water on the weed edges.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 2.75 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 5:24 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
CATFISH
The catfish action has slowed down some but persistent anglers are still managing to catch a few decent fish.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports most catfishermen are catching 2 to 3 fish per outing weighing from 8 to 10 pounds with an occasional 14 or 15 pounder. The best action has been had by anchoring outside the mouth of Cache Creek in 10 to 15 feet of water and drift fishing the south side of Luebow Point in 18 to 20 feet of water. The top baits have been mackerel, anchovies and sardines. Cary says shorebound anglers have been getting a few pan size catfish in Cache Creek using clams.
Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says they are still getting a few nice cats at Willow Point RV Resort in Lakeport with nightcrawlers and one lucky angler caught an 18 pound channel cat with a jumbo minnow.
They're catching an occasional big catfish from Rodman Slough near the bridge with clams or nightcrawlers but it's strictly a waiting game with a lot more waiting than catching.
BASS
Although the majority of bass anglers are fishing in the south end of the lake, the few that are fishing the north end are catching their share of bass.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports good bass action in the Rattlesnake Island area. Drop shotting with 4 inch Robo Worms in 10 to 20 feet of water has been accounting for most of the action. On wednesday morning Sandy's client caught a 10 pound bass on a crankbait and caught a 2.8 pound smallmouth bass (very rare in Clear Lake) while drop shotting. Sandy says most bassers are catching 5 or 6 keepers for a morning's effort.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says most anglers are catching 3 or 4 keepers per trip most of which are running 2 to 3 pounds apiece by throwing a variety of baits. In the early morning they are catching a few with topwater baits and then switching to crankbaits and drop shot rigs.
Bass guide Bob Thein 707-994-4886 went fishing with Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle on Sunday August 11th for a half day and they caught 11 keepers ranging in size from 1½ to 5.9 pounds plus several undersize fish.. They fished near Konocti Resort, Dollar Island, Monitor Island and Wheeler Point. All the fish at Konocti were caught with topwaters in the early morning and the rest were caught with crankbaits and drop shot rigs with Aaron Magic and People's Choice Robo Worms.
Bass guide Big George Hawley 707-279-9269 suggests drop shotting with Aaron's Magic and Baby Bass Robo Worms in rocky and or weedy areas. His clients have been catching anywhere from 5 to 14 keepers per trip plus lots of scrappy undersize fish.
Bass guide Richard Pounds 707-279-4739 had a successful trip yesterday, August 14th, in the north end of the lake. He and his client caught 23 fish including 8 keepers weighing up to 3½ pounds while drop shotting near Lakeport with 4 inch Persuader worms in the baby bass color. Most of the action was in 4 to 8 feet of water on the weed edges.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 2.75 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 08, 2002 - 2:48 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
CATFISH
The north end of the lake is finally producing some decent catfish action and the south end is still producing as well.
Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports excellent catfish action at Willow Point RV Resort in Lakeport. One angler caught 16 catfish there and brought 6 of them in to the shop that weighed from 12 to 22 pounds. Nightcrawlers are accounting for most of the fish and they are doing well both at night and during the day.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 suggests drift fishing in 15 to 20 feet of water near Wheeler Point and Shag Rock with jumbo minnows and or mackerel. Most catfishermen are catching 3 to 4 big cats in the 10 to 15 pound range for their efforts. Brad says the fishing in Cache Creek and other shallow water areas has been very slow lately.
BASS
The majority of the bass action is still occurring in the south end of the lake. I believe there is decent bass action in the north end but almost everyone is fishing in the south.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports most bassers are catching 4 or 5 keepers weighing from 2 to 3 pounds plus lots of 10 to 11 inchers. Drop shotting in rocky areas 12 to 15 feet deep is producing most of the action.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says she and her clients have had good results drop shotting in Soda Bay off steep banks in 8 to 10 feet of water. Sandy adds that Edgewater Resort has been producing lots of 3 to 7 pound bass right off their shore with medium size live minnows.
On August 3 Bass guides Big George Hawley 707-279-9269 and Richard Pounds 707-279-4739 spent a half day pre fishing for up coming clients, fishing mostly in the Clearlake Oaks arm in 5 to 15 feet of water drop shotting with 4 inch Roboworms and Persauders in the baby bass color. They ended up with 8 keepers for about 16lbs for their best 5.
Richard has been averaging 4 or 5 keepers weighing from around 2½ to 4 pounds for his clients plus 40 or so "dinks" from 9 to 11 inches which are a lot of fun to catch.
The drop shot is simply a way of tying your hook up the line and putting the lead on the bottom. Raising the bait off the bottom gives fish a different look, and it is often easier for them to see it. The drop shot is best fished on light line and spinning outfits.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 3.00 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 01, 2002 - 2:55 pm: | |
Subject: clear Lake Report
Catfish
It's the same old story, excellent catfish action in the south end of the lake but very little fishing activity in the north end.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports big stringers of 2 to 4 pound brown bullheads (locally referred to as "yellow cats") at the White Bridge near the mouth of Cache Creek. A group of 3 catfishermen caught 35 bullheads weighing from 2 to 4 pounds and 2 channel cats weighing 14 and 16 pounds while fishing at the mouth of the creek with sardines and anchovies.
Cary says Monitor Island is producing some big catfish for drift fishermen using large chunks of mackerel. One angler caught and released 4 channel cats weighing from 14½ to 24 pounds while drifting the island in 40 to 50 feet of water. Another deep water spot that should produce at this time of year is Shag Rock, try drifting in 45 to 50 feet of water near the rock.
The only catfish action that I'm aware of in the north end of the lake is an occasional 6 to 10 pounder being caught at night off of various docks in the Nice/Lucerne Area with nightcrawlers and clams.
Bass
Although there are some decent fish being caught in the north end of the lake, the majority of serious bass anglers are fishing mid lake and the Redbud and Clearlake Oaks arms in the south end.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says drop-shotting with 4½ inch Robo Worms is still the best producer for her and her clients. She had a 4 hour trip yesterday that produced 8 fish from 3 to 6 pounds plus a lot of 10 to 13 inch fish for her and her client. They were drop-shotting in 8 to 24 feet of water near Shag Rock.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the bass fishing has been pretty slow with most bassers catching only 2 or 3 fish per morning in the Redbud Arm. Topwater baits such as buzzbaits, Pop-R's and Chug Bugs thrown in shallow water near docks and tule edges have been accounting for most of the action. The frog bite has been very sporadic. Most of the fish are weighing in at 2½ to 3 pounds but the fish that are falling for plastic frogs are running a little larger at 3 to 5 pounds.
On July 31st. bass guide Big George Hawley 707-279-9269 spent a half day fun fishing with bass guide Richard Pounds 707-279-4739. They had 10 keepers with the best 5 weighing about 17 pounds. They also had quite a few dinks. Big George caught a 10 pound channel cat.
The best bite was in the morning with 7 fish - 1 on a buzz bait, 1 on a dart head with 4" baby bass RoboWorm and 5 on drop shot using baby bass and Aaron's Magic. After breakfast they moved out of the Shag Rock area and into the Redbud arm where they caught 3 more keepers and the catfish on a dart-head with 4" RoboWorms in baby bass.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 3.30 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 4:08 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
CATFISH
Although there are a few nice catfish being caught in the north end of the lake, most of the action is in the south end.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the fishing slowed since last week but most anglers are catching 2 or 3 fish for an evening's effort. Rattlesnake Island and the mouth of Cache Creek at Indian Island in 7 to 10 feet of water are producing most of the evening action while drift fishing in 20 feet of water off the Pipeline is producing good catches in the daylight hours. The top baits have been mackerel, nightcrawlers and dead jumbo minnows. Most of the fish are running from 8 to 14 pounds with a few 16's and 17's in the mix.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says the only catfish that she's heard of are being taken accidentally by bass fishermen while drop-shotting with 4½ inch plastic worms over rockpiles in 13 to 20 feet of water in the Rattlesnake Island area. She suggests that if you're targeting catfish try rocky areas in 10 to 25 feet of water and use small baits such as shad or small chunks of cut bait.
There are a few big channel cats being caught in Rodman Slough and off docks in the Nice/Lucerne Area with nightcrawlers and shrimp but the action is still rated slow.
BASS
Bass Guide Big George Hawley 707-279-9269 says his clients have been experiencing lots of action including some nice catches in the Nice/Lucerne Area. Drop-shotting 4 inch worms over rocks and skipping 4 inch dart head rigged worms under docks is accounting for most of the action. His clients have been averaging 4 or 5 keepers running from 3 to 4 pounds each for a 3 to 4 hour trip plus a lot of fat and scrappy 10 inchers to add to the fun.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says her clients have been catching some nice fish including an 8½ and 6½ lb'er yesterday morning. Most anglers are catching 3 or 4 keepers in the 2 to 3 pound class plus a lot of 10 to 11 incher's for a morning's effort. Drop-shotting 4½ inch worms over rocky areas in 10 to 20 feet of water is the way to go.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 confirms the drop-shotting action. He suggests using 4 to 6 inch worms and fishing over rocky areas in 8 to 10 feet of water. He says most fishermen are catching 3 to 5 fish per trip weighing from 2 to 4 pounds apiece. The topwater bite has become very sporadic, one day is good and the next you can't get a single blow up.
The lake level is dropping and is at 3.58 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 3:42 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Most of the catfish action is still occuring in the south end of the lake. A lot of locals are blaming the slow fishing in the north end on all the spraying for aquatic weeds by the county plus the Hydrilla spraying by the state. Although they say it doesn't harm the fish, it certainly drives them away from their normal haunts.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports good catfish action for drifters in deeper water over breaks in 10 to 15 feet of water. Some of the more productive spots have been Wheeler Point, Bass Alley and Monitor Island. Brad rates nightcrawlers, mackerel and anchovies as the top baits. Most of the fish are weighing from 8 to 12 pounds with an occasional 15 or 16 pounder in the mix. The fishing in Cache Creek has slowed down to a crawl with only an occasional catfish being taken by persistent anglers.
Bass Guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says they are catching quite a few big catfish, including a couple of 20 pounders, while drop-shotting for bass with 6 inch plastic worms in of the south end of the lake.
I haven't heard of any serious catfish action in the north end of the lake. Hopefully they will cut down on the weed spraying activity soon and the fishing will improve.
Bass
The aquatic weed spraying is also affecting the bass fishing in the north end of the lake.
Bass Guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports most serious bassers are heading for the south end of the lake. The top method is drop-shotting with 4 to 6 inch worms over rocky areas and around docks, crankbaits are accounting for a few fish as well. Most anglers are fishing from daybreak until around 11:00AM to beat the heat and catching 4 or 5 fish running around 2½ to 3 pounds.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says most of the bass fishermen he's talked to have been having a tough time, catching only 3 to 5 fish for a day's effort. A few fish are falling for topwater baits such as buzzbaits, Pop-Rs and Chug Bugs worked over submerged weed beds in the early morning and late evening hours. Senkos thrown over weeds and under docks are producing a few fish as well. Most of the bass are running from 2 to 4 pounds.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 4.02 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 1:55 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Well I wish I could come up with a good report for the north end of the lake but unfortunately it's still very slow. The south end is still producing good stringers of big catfish.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports most of the action has been at night or very early in the morning due to the 100° + temperatures we've been experiencing. The hot spots have been Monitor Island, Wheeler Point and the ever popular Bass Alley. Drift fishing with jumbo minnows and mackerel is producing 4 to 6 fish per person with most of the fish weighing from 8 to 15 pounds. Cache Creek has slowed down quite a bit but persistent anglers are catching one or two nice cats for a night's effort. Quite a few fish are being taken off the docks of local resorts at night with mackerel and nightcrawlers.
The Clearlake Oaks Keys are producing some nice catfish including an 18 pounder caught by local angler Vic Fung with a chunk of hot dog off his dock. Rattlesnake Island is kicking out a few nice cats with jumbo minnows and mackerel but it's a long wait between bites.
The only action in the north end of the lake is a few 5 to 9 pounders being caught at night off docks in the Nice/Lucerne Area with nightcrawlers and clams.
Bass
The summer pattern is starting to take hold with the topwater bite improving in the shallows and plastic worms and grubs fished in deeper rocky areas producing some good catches.
Bass 'N Guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports a pretty good topwater bite throwing Ricos and frogs in the late evening and early morning hours. A lot of bass are being taken by drop-shotting 4½ inch worms in rocky areas such as Little Rocky Point. Most anglers are catching 4 or 5 fish per day running from 2 to 4 pounds.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the topwater bite is improving in the south end. White buzzbaits and plastic frogs are accounting for most of the fish. Some good catches are being made drop-shotting 4 inch worms in rocky areas in 8 to 12 feet of water and fishing live jumbo minnows under a bobber is accounting for a few fish.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 4.30 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 03, 2002 - 9:36 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The south end of the lake continues to kick out big catches of catfish and the Clearlake Oaks Arm is producing some good stringers around Rattlesnake Island but the north end is still very slow.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports excellent fishing at Bass Alley and in Cache Creek. Jumbo minnows and mackerel are the top baits at Bass Alley and nightcrawlers, clams and chicken livers are doing the trick in the creek. Most catfishermen are catching at least 5 or 6 fish for a day's or night's effort and they are running from 8 to 15 pounds apiece.
Well known catfish expert Catmanw from San Jose fished last Friday evening from about 11:00pm through Sunday morning around 10:00am at Bass Alley and in Cache Creek. He caught and released 17 cats weighing from 5 to 13 pounds. Five of his fish were caught on mackerel and the other 12 on jumbo minnows. He only caught two fish in the creek, he caught the rest drifting Bass Alley. For a detailed account of his trip go to my FORUM and click on the post entitled "The Real Report from the South End" dated 7/02/02.
Rattlesnake Island in the Clearlake Oaks Arm is producing 3 to 5 catfish per trip with mackerel and anchovies. Most of the fish are weighing from 7 to 13 pounds. A few good cats are being caught from shore at M & M Campground in Clearlake Oaks. The top baits are nightcrawlers and mackerel.
Bass
The south end of the lake has been supplying most of the bass action lately.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says she's been fishing the south end of the lake because of all the floating weeds in the north end. There are a few fish being taken in the north end by drop-shotting around docks and in rocky areas such as Little Rocky Point. Anglers throwing plastic frogs over floating weed mats are catching a few fish, especially in the early morning.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the bass fishing is good in the south end. He and bass guide Bob Thein went out on Monday and caught 9 bass, 7 of them with buzzbaits and 2 with chug bugs. Brad recommends fishing weed mats and docks. A few fish are being caught with Senkos on rocks and under docks and some anglers are catching a few on plastic frogs early in the morning. Most of the fish are running from 2 to 3½ pounds with an occasional 5 or 6 pounder.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 4.52 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 27, 2002 - 5:48 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
It's the same story as last week, the south end of the lake is kicking out plenty of catfish but the north end remains tough.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports excellent catfish action in Cache Creek and Bass Alley. One angler caught 9 cats weighing from 7 to 13 pounds drifting cut mackerel at Bass Alley. Three catfishermen fishing Cache Creek on the weekend caught over 300 pounds of catfish ranging from 16 to 22 pounds and one that was close to 30 pounds with mackerel. Another productive pattern has been drift fishing with (you guessed it, mackerel) just off the Redbud Pier in 10 feet of water.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says catfish anglers in the north end of the lake are having a tough time locating fish. The cats should be moving into shallow water to spawn in the rocks and submerged tires but so far they haven't done so in any numbers.
Ed Ott of Ed's Market in Nice 707-274-8029 says the only catfish action that he's heard of is a few nice channel cats being caught in Rodman Slough with nightcrawlers.
Bass
According to the local tackle shops, bass fishing is very good in the north end of the lake and only fair in the south end.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports good action for most bassers in the north end of the lake throwing Senkos and drop-shotting 4 inch Robo Worms. Sandy's clients have been catching from 5 to 7 fish per 4 hour trip running from 3 to 5 pounds with Robo Worms. One of Sandy's clients caught a 7 pounder and guide Dave Majestic caught a 10 pounder while tossing a 5 inch Senko under a dock. Using live jumbo minnows and live crawdads is producing easy limits for most anglers.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says bass fishermen are putting in a whole day just to catch four or five fish. The top baits are Senkos and Brush Hogs but a few fish are coming up for plastic frogs in the early morning hours. The best action has been on the tule edges around Monitor and Dollar Islands.
Good Fishin..........Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 4.73 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com
|
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 20, 2002 - 6:27 pm: | |
Subject: Corrected link
Here is the link to my forum:
http://pub40.bravenet.com/forum/show.php?usernum=3393567877&cpv=1
Sorry about the error............Ed |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 20, 2002 - 6:24 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action just keeps getting better in the south end of the lake but the north end is still very slow.
Everett (Catmanw) Walton from San Jose had a great weekend of catfishing in the south end. He fished Bass Alley and Cache Creek from late Friday night till around noon on Sunday and caught and released 20 channel cats weighing from 7 to 16 pounds. He caught a 16 lb'er in the creek Friday night and all the rest were caught drifting at Bass Alley. Most of the fish fell for jumbo minnows but a few were taken with mackerel. For Everett's detailed and entertaining account of his fishing trip click HERE to go to my forum and then click on "The Real Report from the South End".
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says most anglers are catching at least 4 or 5 catfish for a day's effort and they are weighing from 5 to 12 pounds. Jumbo minnows, mackerel and shrimp (prawns) are the top baits. Most successful fishermen are drifting Bass Alley and Monitor Island in 10 to 12 feet of water. Anchoring in Cache Creek is producing some nice fish but the action is a bit slower.
I put in a few hours in the Nice/Lucerne Area on the weekend but only managed a couple of fish. I tried several shallow, rocky areas where there should have been spawning catfish but I didn't see any sign of them. The two fish I did catch were in 12 feet of water at the outer edge of the weeds.
Bass
The bass fishing is very good all over the lake. It appears as if just about all the fish have spawned and most of the action is in a little deeper water under deep water docks and in rocky areas.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports very good action in the north end of the lake. Most of the fish are being caught drop-shotting 4 to 6 inch worms and cranking with Speed Traps over rocky areas in 7 to 8 feet of water. Sandy had a 4 hour guide trip on Tuesday that produced 13 bass weighing from 3 to 9½ pounds.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the bass action is very good around rockpiles, docks and tule edges in the south end of the lake. Reaction baits such as spinner baits and buzzbaits are accounting for a lot of fish and Senkos are also producing some good catches. Most of the fish are going from 2 to 5 pounds and knowlegeable anglers are catching at least 5 or 6 fish per trip.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 4.93 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
CatfishED.com |
Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 13, 2002 - 7:04 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Well folks, last week I was bragging that my prediction that the catfish would start spawning had come true but although there are a few cats being caught in shallow water in the north end of the lake, they haven't really started their spawning cycle yet. The water temperatures have been over 70° for several days so it should happen any day now.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports very good drifting action in the White Rock/Bass Alley area using jumbo minnows, mackerel and shrimp. Most anglers are catching 5 or 6 fish per evening running from 7 to 15 pounds. Cache Creek is kicking out some decent catches with mackerel, anchovies and nightcrawlers. Shorebound fishermen are picking up some nice catfish off the Red Bud Pier in Clearlake.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports the catfishing has slowed down considerably in the north end of the lake. A few channel cats up to 16 pounds have been taken off docks in the Lakeport area with live crawdads but they are catching more bass than cats with the crawdads.
I tried the Nice/Lucerne area yesterday morning and got skunked but my friend did catch and release a 12 pounder using shrimp. I checked out some of my favorite spots for spawning catfish but didn't spot a one so I guess we'll have to wait a few more days.
Bass
Some anglers are reporting seeing a lot of spawning bass again in the north end of the lake so I guess there are quite a few late spawners.
Bass guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports good action fishing both inside the tules and on the outside edges with Senkos and grubs. A lot of nice fish are falling for plastic frogs in the early morning. One angler caught 2 five pounders and one 7 pounder on frogs. A lot of bass are being taken with live crawdads, they seem to be producing better than the live jumbo minnows, at least in the north end of the lake.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the bass action is very good for some but others are struggling. Throwing Senkos and plastic grubs to the outer edges of tules is the most productive pattern. The more successful anglers are boating 5 or 6 fish for a day's effort. Most of the bass are running from 2 to 4 pounds. Although live jumbo minnows are accounting for some fish, Senkos and grubs are the top fish getters.
The lake level is dropping and is at 5.23 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 06, 2002 - 5:49 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
As I predicted in last weeks report, the warming water temperatures have coaxed the catfish into starting their spawning cycle. They are moving into shallow rocky areas in 4 to 8 feet of water.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports good action in Cache Creek and around docks with rocks and or submerged tires. Most fishermen are catching 3 to 5 fish per evening weighing from 7 to 12 pounds apiece with an occasional larger fish up to 25 pounds being taken. Cut mackerel, nightcrawlers and jumbo minnows (live or dead) are the top baits.
Everett (Catmanw) from San Jose was fishing the south end of the lake last weekend and reported watching one very knowledgeable catfish angler boat 12 good sized catfish while working the break at Bass Alley all day with live jumbo minnows. Everett only managed 3 cats from 10 to 14 pounds while fishing at the same time in the same area.
Bassin guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports good catfish action at Rocky Point and under any of the docks in the Lakeport and Nice/Lucerne Area that have a rocky bottom and or submerged tires. Fishing at night from docks with Mr. Catfish blood or cheese flavored baits is producing some big cats including an 18 and 22 pounder. Fishing rocky areas in the early morning (5:30AM to 9:00AM) with live jumbo minnows and nightcrawlers is producing 3 or 4 fish per person in the 10 to 12 pound range.
Bass
Even though most of the bass have finished spawning, there are still a lot of fish guarding their nests in shallow water inside the tules.
Bassin guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says working Senkos and drop-shotting 4 inch plastic worms in and just outside of tules is producing 4 or 5 fish per outing for knowledgeable anglers. Live bait fishermen are catching most of their bass with live crawdads rather than minnows because the catfish seem to grab the minnows before the bass can find them.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 recommends throwing small (4 inch) soft plastic worms and grubs inside or on the outer edges of tules in the south end of the lake. Brad and bass fishing guide Bob Thein went out on Monday and boated 10 bass weighing from 2 to 4 pounds. They caught 8 fish with plastics and only 2 with jumbo minnows. Brad added that some anglers fishing the north end of the lake are experiencing a pretty good topwater bite using frogs and buzzbaits.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 5.59 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 6:17 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfishing is improving due to the warmer weather.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports most catfish anglers are catching 3 to 4 fish for an evening's effort weighing from 7 to 12 pounds apiece. Cache Creek and Bass Alley are the top spots for boaters and the ends of docks are producing some good fish for shore bound fishermen. Live jumbo minnows, nightcrawlers and chicken livers are the top bait offerings.
Bassin guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports good late evening catfish action off local docks in the Lakeport Area. One angler caught and released 3 cats weighing 15, 20 and 30 pounds off his dock with live jumbo minnows while trying to catch bass. Berkely Power Bait blood flavored Catfish Nuggets and Mr. Catfish dip bait in blood flavor are accounting for a lot of catfish as well.
I gave the Nice/Lucerne Area a try this morning for a couple of hours and caught only one catfish but it weighed a whopping 18 pounds. I was using light steelhead gear baited with a shrimp soaked in Baitmate Live Craw fish attractant and it was a real battler. It took over 10 minutes to bring it to the net. Click here for photo.
The water temperature in the north end of the lake is reaching over 70° in the afternoon which should get the catfish to start their spawning cycle. With a few more days of warm weather they should be gathered up and spawning in shallow water around submerged rock ledges and submerged tires.
Bass
Most of the bass are now in the late spring/early summer pattern, there are still some bedding fish in the south end of the lake but most of the fish have spawned and moved to deeper water.
Bassin guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says most of the action is with watermelon colored Senkos fished outside of tules and docks but a few fish are being taken by drop-shoting the same areas. The average size has dropped to 2 to 4 pounds with an occasional 5 or 6 pounder. Most bassers are catching 2 or 3 fish per trip in the north end of the lake.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 suggests throwing dark colored plastic worms and grubs outside of tules in 4 to 7 feet of water. If you're targeting bedding fish, try inside the tules with bright colored grubs and tube baits. Most of the fish are running around 2 to 4 pounds but there are quite a few 12 and 13 incher's in the mix as well. Knowledgeable bassers that are willing to put in a whole day of fishing are catching 5 or 6 fish for their efforts.
The lake level is dropping and is at 5.94 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 23, 2002 - 8:11 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfishing was very good for some of the catfish derby participants while others struggled due to the windy weather. Most of the winning fish were caught in the shelter of Cache Creek and a few in Rodman Slough. The top 21 fish went from 19.71 lbs. to a whopping 30.10 lbs. My partner and I caught 4 cats from 14 to 17 pounds during the derby while fishing the Nice/Lucerne Area and near Rocky Point.
The nasty winter storm that hit us Sunday night and lasted through Monday really cooled off the water temperature and the fishing. We fished the Nice/Lucerne Area yesterday morning for about four hours and only managed to catch one 5 pound catfish. The water temperature had dropped from around 67° to barely 60°.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports that he fished Cache Creek on Tuesday for a little over 2 hours and caught 5 catfish weighing from 8 to 15 pounds apiece using chicken livers as bait.
There are a lot of brown bullheads (yellow cats) in the 2 to 4 pound range as well as a few big channel cats being caught in Rodman Slough with mini crawlers and clams.
With the warmer weather and decreasing winds, the catfishing should improve quite a bit on the main lake.
Bass
The bass fishing slowed down considerably after the storm passed through earlier this week but the warmer weather we're having now has improved it quite a bit.
Bassin guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 recommends throwing 6" Maverick straight tail worms in 7 to 10 feet of water outside tules and under docks. A lot of the fish have been holding as far as 20 to 30 yards from the tules. Most of the action has been in the early morning hours from daybreak to about 8:00am. Most anglers are catching from 3 to 5 fish for a morning's effort and most of the fish are weighing from 3 to 5 pounds. For faster action try live crawdads and live jumbo minnows in the same areas. Sandy adds that the topwater bite is just starting so if the weather holds, it should break open very soon.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 has a very similar report except that since the weather is warming back up there are still quite a few bedding fish showing inside the tules and brush in the south end of the lake. Plastic worms in bright colors such as bubble gum or hot pink are accounting for a lot of fish in the south end and Cary confirms the start of the topwater bite in the early morning hours.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 6.16 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2002 - 4:00 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
May 16, 2002
Catfish
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports the best action is in Cache Creek where most fishermen are catching 4 to 6 fish for an evening's effort running from 10 to 20 pounds apiece. Jumbo minnows are catching most of the fish with mackerel and chicken livers accounting for the rest. Drift fishing at Bass Alley has been very good when the wind lets up enough to get a decent drift, one angler using jumbo minnows caught 18, 21 and 27 pound catfish during a 4 hour session there. I imagine there will be a lot of boat traffic in that area this weekend with the Clearlake Oaks Catfish Derby going on.
Bassin guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports a few catfish in the 10 to 12 pound range are being taken on live crawdads between Rocky Point and the mouth of Rodman Slough.
I gave it a try this morning for about 3 hours in the Nice/Lucerne Area but they were not cooperating. I lost a good one that wrapped around a submerged cable but had no other action.
The annual Clearlake Oaks Catfish Derby starts tomorrow at 12 noon and ends at 12 noon on Sunday. My friend Andy (Tadpole) Rico and I will be working the north end of the lake and hope to find some big cats. I hope everyone in the derby has a great weekend.
Bass
Most of the bass in the north end of the lake have finished spawning but the south end still has a lot of bedding fish.
Bassin guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports fairly good action for post spawn bass outside of tules and around docks in 7 to 10 feet of water. Most of the fish are falling for Senkos and are in the 3 to 5 pound bracket. Knowledgeable anglers are boating 4 to 5 fish per day.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says they are still catching a lot of bedding fish in the south end of the lake. Tossing Senkos, Brush Hogs and live jumbo minnows inside the tules and brush is producing 4 or 5 fish per person. The majority of fish are running from 3 to 4½ pounds.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping and is at 6.32 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 4:11 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish action is heating up due to the warmer weather and higher water temperatures (60 - 65°).
Everett (Catmanw), the very knowlegeable catfisherman from San Jose and his brother Doug had a great time last weekend. They caught and released 13 catfish ranging in weight from 3 to 23 pounds with most of them going from 8 to 16 pounds. They fished the Bass Alley area and Cache Creek both drifting and anchoring. They caught 7 cats with jumbo minnows, 5 with mackerel and the 3 pounder’ with shad.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says they are catching around 3 or 4 fish per person anchoring in Cache Creek with chicken livers. One angler caught 3 cats weighing from 17 to 20 pounds in the creek with chicken livers. Drifting with jumbo minnows (live or dead) and mackerel on the break at Bass Alley is producing some big catfish including a 27 and 24 pounder.
The north end of the lake is producing some decent catfish with shrimp or nightcrawlers fished under a bobber in 5 to 8 feet of water in or near the tules.
The annual Clearlake Oaks Catfish Derby is only one week away, May 17th, 18th and 19th. The best of luck to all the participants.
Bass
The warmer weather and higher water temperatures have improved the bass fishing. There are still some fish on their spawning beds, especially in the south end of the lake but there are a lot of post spawn fish holding in a little deeper water.
Bassin guide Sandy Hager of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports live jumbo minnows and Senkos are accounting for most of the action in the north end of the lake. Sandy and a client caught 11 bass weighing from 4 to 6 pounds with minnows and Senkos earlier this week while fishing the outside of tule lines in 6 to 8 feet of water.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake has a similar report. Bass guide Bob Thein 707-994-4886 and a client caught 12 bass weighing from 5 to 8 pounds with minnows and Senkos fished in 8 to 10 feet of water outside of tule lines earlier this week. Brad suggests throwing tube baits inside tules and brush for spawning fish and Senkos or jumbo minnows in deeper water outside of tules for post spawn fish. If the warm weather holds for a few more days most of the bass will have completed their spawning cycle and will move to deeper water.
The lake level is dropping and is at 6.54 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
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Catfish Ed
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 8:21 pm: | |
Catfish
Most of the catfishing activity is still in the Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks arms. The unseasonably cold weather and resulting colder water temperatures have prevented the cats from becoming really active.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says most of his customers are catching 3 or 4 catfish per trip weighing from 12 to 18 pounds apiece. The hotspots in the Clearlake Arm are Bass Alley and the mouth of Cache Creek. Rattlesnake Island in the Clearlake Oaks Arm is also producing some nice fish. The top baits are mackerel, chicken livers and either live or dead jumbo minnows. For shorebound anglers Cary informs us they are catching quite a few catfish at the white bridge in Cache Creek.
There are very few catfish anglers prowling the north end of the lake. There are a few catfish being caught anchoring in Paradise Cove near Lucerne.
The annual Clearlake Oaks Catfish Derby is only two weeks away, May 17th, 18th and 19th.
Dick Jones of The Pit Stop in Lakeport 707-262-0931 says they are still catching some big crappie (1 to 2 pounds) in Rodman Slough with live minnows but you have to cover quite a bit of water till you locate some fish.
Bass
The cooler temperatures have put a lot of spawning bass off their beds but there are still some active spawners in the more sheltered areas.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports smoke/red glitter and green pumpkin colored tube baits as well as Osprey swim baits in baby bass and carp colors are accounting for 3 to 4 fish per person fished outside of tules and near docks in 4 to 6 feet of water. Live jumbo minnows are accounting for some good catches. Sandy Hager of Bass 'N Guide Services 707-263-8300 took out a client on Tuesday and they caught and released a total of 11 bass, one 3 pounder, 9 weighing from 4 to 6 pounds and a 9½ pound whopper, all on jumbo minnows.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake says jerkbaits worked in 5 to 7 feet of water outside of tules are accounting for two or three fish per person. Tubes and grubs worked over spawning fish are still accounting for a few bass in the more sheltered areas. Live jumbo minnows are producing 6 to 8 fish per person ranging from 3½ to 7 pounds.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is dropping slightly and is 6.76 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 25, 2002 - 9:08 pm: | |
Catfish
The majority of catfish action is still occurring in the south end of the lake.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports knowledgeable fishermen are catching 3 to 4 fish per day in Cache Creek with chicken liver and clams. The Bass Alley area is producing a few nice fish using live jumbo minnows. Most of the fish are running from 10 to 14 pounds but there are a few larger ones including a 27 pounder caught on a jumbo minnow on the break at Bass Alley.
Everett (Catmanw), a very knowlegeable catfisherman from San Jose, fished the south end last Friday, Saturday and Sunday and caught 8 cats ranging in size from 7 to 14 pounds with all but the one 7 pounder weighing over 10 pounds apiece. He caught his fish at Bass Alley and in Cache Creek with jumbo minnows, clams, mackerel and shrimp.
There are still very few catfish anglers trying the north end of the lake. There are a few shore fishermen catching an occasional big channel cat in Rodman Slough with nightcrawlers and clams.
Bass
Clear Lake will be alive with bass boats for the next three days as the Citgo BassMasters Western Open Tournament starts today and ends Saturday afternoon. The weigh in is at 3:00pm every day at Redbud Park in Clearlake.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake reports easy limits of bass throwing chartreuse or white grubs and watermelon tube baits at spawning fish inside the tules and under shallow water docks. The fish are running from 3 to 8 pounds with a lot of 7 to 8 pounders in the mix. Anglers using live jumbo minnows outside of the tules and docks are catching 8 to 10 fish per day but they're a little smaller fish going from 2½ to 5 pounds.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports tough fishing for most bass anglers in the north end of the lake. They are managing one or two fish per day throwing Senkos under docks and inside tules. Fishing with live jumbo minnows is producing 5 to 7 fish per day. Most of the fish are in the 3 to 5 pound class.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level is holding steady at 6.83 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 18, 2002 - 6:55 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
Due to the very cold and windy weather that we've been having since Sunday night, the catfishing has not improved very much.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports fair catfish action in and at the mouth of Cache Creek. Most anglers are catching 3 or 4 fish per day and the majority of fish are running from 10 to 20 pounds apiece. Mackerel and nightcrawlers have been accounting for most of the fish. There have been a few nice cats taken off docks in the Clearlake Area including off the Red Bud Pier. The strong winds have made fishing the Bass Alley Area next to impossible.
We're still waiting for a decent warm spell to wake up the catfish in the north end of the lake. There are still a few big channel catfish being caught in Rodman Slough with shad and nightcrawlers. A bass fisherman accidentally caught one about 8 pounds with a spinner bait while fishing in the slough.
Bass
The cold and windy weather has caused the water temperature to drop from the mid 60's down to the mid 50's therefore the bass are staying off their spawning beds and cruising just outside the tules.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake reports very tough fishing with artificials. Most bassers are happy to boat one or two fish for a day's effort. Anglers using live jumbo minnows are catching most of the fish. Catching and releasing a dozen or more bass per day has been common. Bass guide, Bob Thein says his client caught and released 18 bass on Tuesday weighing from 4 to 8 pounds with minnows. They were fishing from Rocky Point to Lakeport near the tules in 4 to 6 feet of water.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 confirms the extremely tough fishing with artificials, he adds that the few fish that are being caught with lures are falling for Senkos. Live jumbo minnows are accounting for a lot of big bass in the 5 to 8 pound range and one monster that pulled the scale down to the 12 pound mark.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has dropped slightly and is at 6.83 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 9:44 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfishing is improving steadily, especially in the south end of the lake.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports Cache Creek is giving up some big channel catfish. One angler caught 3 cats weighing from 10 to 17 pounds using nightcrawlers and jumbo minnows in the creek. Drifting with minnows and mackerel in the Bass Alley area and on the drop-off near Red Bud Pier is producing 2 to 4 fish per trip weighing anywhere from 10 to 22 pounds. One lucky angler weighed in 20 and 22 pounders on the same day.
There are a few channel catfish in the 5 to 10 pound class being caught in the Clearlake Oaks Keys with anchovies and minnows. It's not a hot bite yet but persistent anglers are managing a couple of fish for a day's effort.
Ed Ott of Ed's Market in Nice 707-274-8029 says they are catching quite a few channel cats weighing from 8 to 10 pounds in Rodman Slough with frozen shad and nightcrawlers. Ed adds that they are still catching some big crappie in the slough with live minnows and red and white crappie jigs.
Bass
The cooler weather has dropped the water temperature back to the high 50's to lower 60's. There are some bass on their spawning beds but a lot of them are still cruising.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says knowledgeable bassers are catching 4 or 5 fish per day throwing 8 inch Optimum and BassTrix swimbaits in the Clear Lake Hitch colors to both cruising and bedding fish. The trick is to stay way back and make long casts so as not to spook the fish in the exceptionally clear water. Anglers using live jumbo minnows are catching anywhere from 5 to 10 fish per outing. Most of the fish are weighing from 3 to 5 pounds with quite a few 6 to 7 pounders being caught as well.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake suggests throwing white 5 inch grubs and purple lizards or brush hogs around tules and docks in 3 to 4 feet of water for bedding fish. Flipping Senkos and other plastic worms, especially in the bubble gum color in the tules has been very productive as well. Brad says most of the fish are weighing 3 to 5 pounds with a few going over 7 pounds.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has stabilized at 6.90 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 4:57 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The continued warm weather has improved the catfish action slightly but it's still far from what it should be for this time of year.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports a few big channel cats weighing from 15 to 17 pounds being caught at Bass Alley with chicken livers and shrimp (prawns). Most catfish anglers working the Bass Alley area are catching one or two of these monsters for a day's effort. One lucky angler fished Bass Alley for only two hours and caught 4 cats for a total weight of over 60 pounds using mackerel as bait. There are also a few big cats coming from the mouth of Cache Creek with chicken livers and mackerel.
There is still no reported catfish action in the north end of the lake with the exception of an occasional big channel cat coming out of Rodman Slough with nightcrawlers or clams. I really believe the catfish action in the north end of the lake will break open any day now. The water temperature has risen to the mid 60's and the lake level is perfect.
Bass
The warm weather has brought the water temperature up to the mid 60's so the bass are already into their spawning cycle. Some are staging while others are already on the beds. Clear Lake is really living up to its name with visibility at more than 9 feet in most areas.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says the extremely clear water is making for tough fishing. The bass can see the fishermen as well as the fishermen can see the bass. Throwing purple worms, crankbaits and Speed Traps at spawning fish is accounting for 3 to 4 fish per person. The fish are weighing anywhere from 2 to 6 pounds apiece. Anglers using live jumbo minnows are catching 5 to 6 fish for a day's effort.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake also reports tough fishing due to the very clear water. Throwing plastic worms and grubs as well as Brush Hogs inside tules and shallow brushy areas is producing only 2 or 3 fish per boat. Those using jumbo minnows are doing a little better with catches of 5 or 6 fish being common.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed CatfishED.com
The lake level has risen slightly and is at 6.90 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 4:49 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
We're finally getting some spring-like weather but it'll take a few more days of it before the water warms up enough to really get the catfish feeding. The water temperatures are just reaching the high 50's.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports a 24 pound channel cat being caught by a bass fisherman with a plastic worm in Rodman Slough. Brad says they're catching an occasional big channel cat in the Lakeport Lagoons with nightcrawlers.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says that although he's selling quite a bit of catfish bait, his customers aren't reporting any catches.
Rodman Slough is starting to give up a few nice cats using clams and nightcrawlers but plan on spending a lot of time for one or two fish.
Crappie
I don't normally do a crappie report but Ed Ott of Ed's Market in Nice 707-274-8029 reports two anglers caught 40 crappie in Rodman Slough with medium sized live minnows and red & white crappie jigs. There have been several other reports of good crappie catches in the slough this week.
Bass
The Northlake Ford/Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce Team Bass Tournament held this weekend produced some impressive catches including the winning weight of 66.34 pounds for 10 fish. This total included the big fish of the tournament weighing a whopping12.04 pounds. Although this was very impressive, the average catch for the 220 participants was only one fish per angler per day.
Cary of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake reports live jumbo minnows are producing anywhere from 6 to 10 fish per day. Watermelon/red flake colored Brush Hogs and Senkos are producing 3 to 5 fish for a day's effort. The fish are weighing from 4 to 7 pounds each.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports anglers are catching anywhere from 5 to 10 fish per outing using jumbo minnows. Throwing Lucky Craft Pointer 128's and Staysee 90's in Aurora Black as well as watermelon/red flake Brush Hogs is accounting for 2 to 4 fish per outing. Fishing outside of tule lines in 5 to 8 feet of water at the mouth of Rodman Slough, in the slough and near the State Park is the best fish producing pattern in the north end of the lake.
The lake level has risen slightly and is at 6.81 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 21, 2002 - 9:17 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The catfish are still a bit hard to locate but there have been a few showing up here and there. I believe that part of the problem is the water temperature is still in the low 50's. As soon as it rises to a consistent 55° or more, the fishing should improve quite a bit.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports one catfish angler caught and released 10 channel cats weighing from 10 to 24 pounds in an undisclosed area near the State Park. The total weight of his catch was 140 pounds for an impressive 14 pound average. He was fishing at night in about 10 to 15 feet of water with frozen shad.
The only other report comes from Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 who reports a few decent sized catfish coming from Cache Creek using nightcrawlers as bait.
I haven't heard of any action in the Nice/Lucerne Area lately but hopefully it will start up soon.
Bass
There are a lot more bass fishermen on the lake this week due to the warmer weather and the Northlake Ford/Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce Team Bass Tournament being held this weekend. As always, the anglers prefishing for the tournament aren't telling us much.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake reports catches of anywhere from 5 to 10 bass per person using live jumbo minnows around Bass Alley and White Rock in 8 to 12 feet of water. Brush Hogs and jigs are producing anywhere from 3 to 5 fish per person. Most fish are running 3 to 6 pounds with several hogs going 7 or 8 pounds.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport says the minnow fishermen are catching 5 to 7 bass for a day's effort and anglers throwing Lucky Craft Pointer 128's, 100's and StaySee 90's are catching 3 or 4 fish per day. Fishing outside the tule lines in 6 to 8 feet of water at the mouth of Rodman Slough and in the slough as well has been a productive pattern.
The lake level has stabilized and is at 6.67 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
Good Fishin..........Catfish Ed
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Catfish Ed
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 14, 2002 - 4:34 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The cold and windy weather that we have been experiencing for most of this past week has kept would be catfish anglers off the water. Clear Lake is such a big lake that I'm sure there were a few catfish caught off some of the private docks in the more sheltered areas around the lake but I didn't hear about any of them.
Since I don't have an actual catfish report this week I'll fill this space with some general information about catfishing at this time of year:
As soon as the weather warms up and stays warm for at least 3 or 4 days in succession, the channel catfish should start to move into shallower water around tules and docks to feed on crawdads and whatever other forage they can find. The best way to target them is using a slip bobber with the bobber-stop set to suspend the bait about one foot above the bottom. Use just enough weight to make the bobber float vertically and about half submerged and bait with shrimp, live crawdads or big lively nightcrawlers and fish around tules and or docks in 5 to 10 feet of water. When the bobber disappears, set the hook and hold on. Good luck.......Catfish Ed
Bass
The nasty weather has slowed down the bass fishing as well but those that are willing to endure the cold and wind are getting a few fish for their efforts.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the bass fishing is up and down as evidenced by bass guide Bob Thein when he and his client caught over 20 bass one day and only 7 the next using live jumbo minnows both days in the same area. Brad says bassers throwing Weapon or VPR jigs with Yamamoto grub trailers in the root beer color are catching from 3 to 5 fish per day. The colder water temps (48-52°) are keeping the fish a little ways outside of the tules in 10 to 15 feet of water.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports slower fishing even with minnows due to the colder water temps. Anglers using jumbo minnows are catching 4 to 6 fish per outing while those tossing plastic worms, jigs and jerkbaits are getting anywhere from only one or two up to 4 or 5 fish per day. Most of the fish are being taken outside of tule lines in 8 to 10 feet of water and are running in the 3 to 5 pound class.
The lake level has stabilized and is at 6.65 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
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Catfish Ed
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2002 - 10:14 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
I know this is getting boring but the catfishing remains slow. We need to get enough rain to start some muddy water runoff into the lake or enough warm weather to raise the water temperatures to the low 60's. The present water temps are running from the low to mid 50's.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says he's heard of an occasional channel catfish being taken from Cache Creek with nightcrawlers and a few off private docks with mackerel but they are few and far between.
There's not much going on in the north end of the lake as no one's catfishing. Clear Lake visitor Jesse Cornish from Minnesota nailed a 15 lb channel cat in a cove near Rocky Point while fishing for bass with jumbo minnows.
Bass
It's the same old story, jumbo minnows are producing good catches of bass while most anglers throwing artificials are working hard for their fish.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 reports ripping Lucky Craft Minnow lures and flipping jigs and Senko worms are producing 3 to 5 fish for a day's effort. Live jumbo minnows are accounting for 5 to 10 fish per person. Most of the bass are running from 2½ to 5 pounds. The favorite area is still the mouth of Rodman Slough.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake says minnow fishermen are catching anywhere from 6 to 12 fish per outing but most lure fishermen are having a tough time boating 3 or 4 fish per day. Lure tossers are having their best luck flipping jigs and Senko worms in 5 to 6 feet of water around tules and docks. The majority of fish are weighing anywhere from 2 to 5 pounds apiece.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has risen slightly and is at 6.57 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 27, 2002 - 5:40 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
There still aren't many people targeting catfish on the lake even though the conditions are improving.
Percy Oved of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks 707-998-1006 says they're catching a few small channel catfish on the lakeside of M & M Campground with jumbo minnows and or cut mackerel. Most of the fish are running from 4 to 8 pounds.
I called all my other contacts in the south end of the lake but they had no catfish action to report.
No one is fishing cats in the north end of the lake that I am aware of and I haven't caught one for almost three weeks. If the warm weather continues for awhile, the fish will start to move into the tules and brush to feed on crawdads.
Bass
The results of last weekend's Western Bass Clear Lake Pro/Am give a good indication of the bass fishing with artificials on the lake. The winning weight in the pro division was 49.72 pounds for 10 fish and the winning amateur weight was 54.51 pounds for 10 fish. It's a two day event and the pro's and amateur's weights are added together for each day which is how it's possible for the amateur to have more weight than the pro. There were two bass just over 11 pounds each taken during the tournament. Although the winning weights are impressive, at least a dozen pros blanked on both days. The overall catch average for the event was about 2½ fish per boat. Flipping Senkos in the south end of the lake accounted for the winning catch and other hot patterns were flipping jigs in the Lakeport canals and throwing ripbaits and jerkbaits around tules and docks.
Percy Oved of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks says local anglers are catching 2 to 4 bass per outing with Brush Hogs and 8 to 10 with jumbo minnows. The fish are weighing from 3 to 5 pounds with a few 6's thrown in.
Wishin You Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has risen slightly and is at 6.49 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2002 - 9:27 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
There's really no other way to say it, the catfishing has been downright lousy this week. The few anglers that have given it a try have either been skunked or managed to catch one catfish for a day's effort.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says he heard they are catching an occasional catfish at the mouth of Cache Creek with nightcrawlers but he emphasizes occasional.
I received an email from a gentleman that fished the Konocti Harbor area for cats all day Saturday and to quote him:"we had no bites at all, cold and windy" I guess this confirms it, the Konocti bite is finished for awhile.
I heard from one fisherman that tried it near the mouth of the Clearlake Oaks Keys in 20 feet of water. He caught one 7 pound channel catfish with chicken liver for a 4 hour effort. He did say that he saw another boat with a basketful of brown bullheads but they wouldn't reveal where they caught them or what bait was used. My guess is they were caught in one of the canals in the Keys with either garden worms or mini crawlers.
There has been absolutely no catfish action in the north end of the lake lately.
Bass
The cold front that came through on the weekend seemed to shut down the bass fishing, even with live jumbo minnows but it has started to pick up again in the last couple of days.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake says the minnow fishermen are catching anywhere from 8 to 12 bass for a day's effort while those tossing artificials are lucky to boat two fish in a day. Most of the fish are running from 3 to 5 pounds with a few in the 6 to 8 pound range. Fishing rocky areas and docks in 8 to 12 feet of water is the way to go but you have to cover a lot of water until you locate a concentration of fish. They are still catching quite a few bass with minnows off the Redbud Pier in Clearlake.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says some of the more knowlegeable fishermen are catching 3 to 5 fish per day with jerkbaits and jigs. Jumbo minnow fishermen are catching anywhere from 7 to 15 bass per day. Most of the fish are running in the 3 to 5 pound class with a few lunkers to 9 pounds being caught as well. Some of the best action in the north end of the lake has been in Rodman Slough and just outside of the mouth of the slough.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has risen slightly and is at 6.35 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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Catfish Ed
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2002 - 9:01 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The weather has been fantastic for this time of year but the catfish just aren't cooperating. Even the hot bite at Konocti Harbor Marina has slowed down to a crawl.
Expert catfisherman Everett Walton from San Jose gave Konocti an honest 24 hour effort from Saturday morning to Sunday morning and only managed 2 channel cats weighing 9 and 12 pounds plus 5 brown bullheads from 3½ to 5 pounds using fresh shad and silverside minnows.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says he talked to a catfisherman that fished Konocti on Monday and caught only 2 cats using frozen shad but they weighed a little over 20 pounds each.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says he's only talked to a couple of catfish anglers all week and they were only managing to catch one or two fish for a day's effort.
I haven't heard of any catfishing activity in the north end of the lake and I haven't had a bite off our back deck for over a week. Hopefully we'll get some heavy rain soon which would muddy up the water and wake up the catfish.
Bass
It's basically the same old story, anglers using live jumbo minnows are doing pretty good while most bassers throwing artificials are working hard for their fish.
Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake reports most fishermen using minnows are catching and releasing anywhere from 8 to 20 fish per day ranging from 3 to 6 pounds with a few 7's and 8's and one whopper weighing 10.2 pounds. Lure tossers are having trouble locating concentrations of fish but those that do are catching 4 or 5 per outing. Most of the action in the south end is at the end of docks and rocky areas in 10 to 18 feet of water.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport says most minnow fishermen in the north end of the lake are catching 8 to 10 bass per outing running around 3 to 6 pounds. Tossing ripbaits such as Lucky Craft's Staysee 90's is producing up to 3 or 4 bass per trip. Brad says a couple of good areas to try are Rodman Slough and Rocky Point.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has risen slightly and is at 6.17 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
ed@catfished.com
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Catfish Ed
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2002 - 9:05 pm: | |
Subject: Clear Lake Report
Catfish
The weather hasn't been quite as cold as last week but the catfish action is still pretty slow in most areas around the lake.
Konocti Harbor Marina is still the only really productive spot that I am aware of. I fished there last Thursday afternoon with Fish Chris and we caught and released 16 cats weighing from 8 to 21.1 pounds with fresh shad. The latest report I have is one angler from San Leandro fished there late Friday evening through early Saturday morning. He caught and released 21 channel catfish weighing from 8 to 18 pounds from around 3:00AM to 7:00AM using frozen shad and anchovies for bait. He was anchored about 20 yards off the fuel dock in about 25 feet of water. The bad news is he reported seeing a lot of dead and dying shad in the area which could mean that the massive school of baitfish that has been in the bay for a couple of months is finally dispersing.
Travas Bristol of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the only catfish action that he's heard about was at the mouth of Cache Creek where they are catching an occasional channel catfish or two with nightcrawlers and clams. He added that there just aren't any serious catfish anglers going out lately.
There are still no catfishermen giving it a try in the north end of the lake that I am aware of. I caught another one (7 pounds) last Saturday evening off our back deck but had no other catfish action.
Bass
The bass fishing is improving a little in the north end of the lake but it's still pretty tough for those using artificials in the south end.
Brad Stevens of Tackle It Sport Shop in Lakeport 707-262-1233 says some of the more knowlegeable bass fishermen are catching 4 to 5 fish for a day's effort by utilizing a combination of drop-shotting and throwing ripbaits and jigs. There doesn't seem to be a particular pattern. Tules, docks and rocky areas are all producing a few fish. Most of the bass are running from 3 to 5 pounds with most of them running closer to 5 pounds. Anglers using live jumbo minnows are catching anywhere from 6 to 10 fish per outing. One fisherman purchased a dozen minnows and caught and released 10 bass with them at Rocky Point.
Travas Bristol of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake reports fair to good action around Luebow Point and at the Red Bud Pier with jumbo minnows for fish weighing from 3 to 5 pounds. Most anglers are catching 5 to 6 fish for a day's effort. Travas adds that those sticking to artificials are having a tough time of it, most are lucky to catch one or two fish for a day's effort.
Good Fishin.....Catfish Ed
The lake level has stabilized at 6.04 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, 7.56 is considered full pool.
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