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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
Unregistered guest
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 slightl |
