CatfishED.com

October 3, 2002

     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.

October 10, 2002

     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.

October 18, 2002

     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.

October 24, 2002

     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.

October 31, 2002

     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.