Putting the chill in bass fishing

This has to be one of the coldest winters in memory for local fishermen. Just about every morning the temperatures have been below freezing. Along with the bitter cold, the winds have been roaring. The bad weather has been responsible for the lack of fishermen on the lake. The only time the boat ramp parking lots are full is when a bass tournament is taking place.

The good news is we are headed into spring and the bass will be moving onto their spawning beds. Bass at Clear Lake are actively spawning from late March until July.

The height of the spawn occurs during June and July. Clear Lake is so shallow that just about the entire lake has fish spawning in the shallows.

It will be interesting to see if some of the larger bass move onto the spawning beds. The recent tournaments have produced few trophy bass.

A 6-pounder is considered big and an 8-pounder gets everyone excited. Typically a limit of fish weighing 20 pounds gets everyone excited. In most other lakes in California a limit of 20-plus pounds would have the fisherman screaming with excitement.

The spring months are when many of the major tournaments are held. The big one coming up is the Lake County Chamber of Commerce tournament scheduled for March 25-26.

It features a 100-percent payback of entry fees and $1,000 will go to the team that brings in the most weight each day. As of Wednesday there were 40 teams signed up. The entry fee is $200 per team. Entry forms are available at all local tackle shops as well as at the Chamber office or by calling 1 (707) 263-5092.

There is another tournament that is popular and it is sponsored by Lakeport Bait and Tackle. It's a two day-tournament scheduled for April 15-16, The entry fee is $150 with a big-fish option of $150. Call 707900-5101 for more information.

Catfish Derby

Whereas bass fishing has been a little slow it has been just the opposite for catfish. Catches of 19-25 catfish per boat have been common and many of the catfish are weighing 10-20 pounds.

The annual Clearlake Oaks-glenhaven Catfish Derby is scheduled for May 19-21. With more than 1,000 entrants it is the largest catfish contest in the world.

Other fish

Crappie action is still slow although a few are being caught near Clear Lake State Park. The fishing should improve as the waters warm up.

Other lakes

Upper Blue Lake is scheduled to be stocked with trout every week the for next three weeks. Mill Creek is also scheduled to be stocked.

Hiking options

The spring months are the ideal time to visit the Mendocino Nation Forest. There are numerous hiking trails and the scenery is nothing shore of spectacular.

Take a drive to Lake Pillsbury and see the Tule Elk herd. They hang around the north end of the lake.

Right in our backyard is Clear Lake State Park. The park is rich in bird life and you can see ducks pelicans, osprey and eagles. Whenever you make a trip to the national forest or the state park be sure to bring along a pair of binoculars.