Take your pick. The fishing is good everywhere!
DID YOU KNOW? » In shallow water, bass can detect color, especially red. In one study red and white lures caught three times as many largemouths as any other color. But in deeper water most colors appear as shades of gray so color selection is of less importance. Their eyes absorb more light than the human eye, enabling the fish to see its food in dim light or total darkness. They will feed at any time of the day or night, but are less inclined to leave cover and search for food under bright conditions. So like most fish they prefer to hang out in the shade. They find better ambush camouflage in shady areas or under low light conditions.
BLUE LAKES » More great news for Blue Lakes! The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will once again stock the upper Blue Lake with trout the week of April 19. The Upper Blue Lake’s trout fishin’ has slowed some. Only the patient anglers have been hooking into the majority of rainbows. The trout have been holding at depths of 15 — 25 feet. So, if you been having a hard time catching one, try one of these methods. One is to rig a small nightcrawler with just a splitshot attached about 12 inches up from the worm. Cast out in the deeper water and allow the bait to sink to the bottom. Another successful technique is to use a small ball of power bait and fish near the bottom. Also the fishermen who are out on the water trolling have been doing pretty good running an action disc at about 15 — 20 feet deep with a wooly-burger chasing it.
CLEAR LAKE » The #1 rated bass fishing lake in the United States is getting to be quite the busy place. Many large bass fishing tournaments are coming to town during the next couple month or so. I would think that the “local Joe — Fisherman” like me will have a much more enjoyable time on the water fishin’ mid-week rather than on the weekends. Well, the word is that the swimbait bite has slowed up. Most of the bass are staged right off the spawning grounds or are already up in the flats on beds. Drop-shottin’,- flippin’ a Senko,crawdad style bait or jig have been working well for bedding bass.
Catfishermen have been well also. Those that have been using live bait like crawfish or minnow have been doing the best. Right now Clear Lake’s water quality is at its best. You got now until about mid July before the Green Algae Muck Monster takes over the lake for the summer.
LAKE MENDOCINO » Go to the “Run-n-Gun” style of fishin’. (Cover a lot of water) Fish lures like a crankbaits ,white spinnerbaits or drop-shottin’. Boom! Just like that you’ll be catching bass. The largemouth bass are starting to spawn. Mostly males are within the first eight — 12 feet of the shore. I have received many good reports. So, “go take a hike” to the water at Lake Mendocino and hook in to a good one! .
LAKE PILLSBURY » Good News! The lake is about 2/3’s full! The fishin’ has really picked up on our mountain lake. For those anglers who have made the trip up, the payoff has been good. The trout and bass fishin’ is going strong. With the lake nearly 70 percent full and the spawning grounds are in fair shape. Try fishing south of the Oak Flats area, the log jam at Sunset and Turtle Cove. The best road at this time is from Mendocino County out of Potter Valley. Take it slow and easy and enjoy the beauty of Lake Pillsbury.
Thanks for reading and remember to keep it reel.