CatfishED.com

November 1, 2001

     The catfish are still cooperating, especially in the south end of the lake.

     Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports good catches both on boats and off shore. Boat anglers drifting in 10 to 15 feet of water are catching 5 or 6 cats per outing running from 10 to 23 pounds using jumbo minnows and mackerel. The top drifting spots are the Pipeline and in Jago Bay. Shore fishermen working the public parks and private docks are catching about the same except the fish are in the 4 to 7 pound class and are grabbing chicken livers as well as minnows and mackerel.

     The Clearlake Oaks Area is still producing some good catches, especially at M & M Campground. Three of us fishing from shore off the end of Stubbs Island (west end of the campground) last weekend caught and released 6 cats weighing from 10 to 19½ pounds using simple bread dough for bait.

     The few catfishermen that are fishing the north end of the lake are catching a few fish with mackerel and nightcrawlers off public docks and beaches in the Nice/Lucerne Area and in Lakeport.

November 8, 2001

     The south end of the lake (Clearlake and Oaks arms) is still producing some good catches while the north end has had very little activity.

     Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports good results drifting in 10 to 12 feet of water on the edge of drop-offs with mackerel and jumbo minnows especially in the early evening hours from around dusk to 11:00pm. Most boats are returning with 8 to 10 catfish weighing from 8 to 15 pounds. Shore fishing in the Clearlake area has slowed down considerably.

     Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait & Tackle in Clearlake Oaks 707-998-1006 says he hasn't talked to many catfishermen but bass anglers are catching quite a few big cats up to 18 pounds while using live jumbo minnows for bass. M & M Campground is still producing some good fish, my girlfriend Mary and I caught 4 cats going from 9 to 16 pounds last Sunday morning using bread dough at the east end of the campground.

     There just aren't any serious catfishermen trying the north end of the lake, an occasional big catfish is being taken casting into deeper water off docks in the Nice/Lucerne area with mackerel and nightcrawlers.

November 15, 2001

     The rainy weather has perked up the catfish bite a little, especially in the north end of the lake.

     Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports many big catfish being caught in the Clearlake Area. One lucky angler caught 5 cats, 4 of which weighed just over 20 pounds apiece in Cache Creek with live jumbo minnows and cut mackerel. Most boaters are fishing in or near Jago Bay in 12 to 15 feet of water with minnows and mackerel and catching 4 or 5 fish per person running from 8 to 15 pounds.

     In the north end of the lake the few fishermen that are giving it a try are catching some nice fish including a 25 pound 1 ounce monster that was caught with chicken liver off a dock in Lakeport. My girlfriend Mary and I caught and released 4 channel catfish off our back deck in Holiday Harbor in Nice weighing from 11 to 14 pounds with mini crawlers over the weekend. 

November 21, 2001

     There haven't been many catfishermen out lately due to the cool, rainy weather but the few that are going are doing quite well.

     Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 says the catfishing is great. Bob Angwin of Clearlake and his son-in-law Andy fished near Wheeler Point in 15 to 20 feet of water with live jumbo minnows and caught 20 catfish weighing from 12 to 21 pounds. They were fishing on or near the bottom with a split-shot or two about 8 inches above the hook. Another productive area has been the drop off at Bass Alley where drift fishermen are getting quite a few 15 to 19 pounders with chicken liver and minnows.

     M & M Campground in Clearlake Oaks is still producing a few nice catfish from the shore with chicken livers and mackerel. I caught and released a 12 and 13 pounder there on Sunday morning with bread dough.

     The few anglers fishing the north end of the lake are catching some nice fish. We are still catching an occasional big cat from our back deck here in Holiday Harbor, last evening I caught and released a 13 pounder using mackerel and lost another one.

November 29, 2001

     Due to all the cold and rainy weather there were only two boats out catfishing that I am aware of and both did quite well.

     Brad Farrin of Don's Bait & Tackle in Clearlake 707-995-9668 reports a pair of anglers went to Wheeler Point near Konocti with 4 dozen live jumbo minnows on Tuesday morning and caught and released channel catfish from 10 to 21 pounds until they ran out of minnows. They were having way too much fun to quit so they fished with bass lures such as plastic worms and rattletraps and continued to catch catfish. Another pair of catfishermen went out earlier in the week to the same area and caught a lot of cats and several bass all with minnows. The fish seem to be concentrating in 15 to 20 feet of water just like last week.

     The only action that I'm aware of in the north end of the lake is off my back deck and off the public beach in front of my house in Nice. We caught a couple of nice cats off the deck and one off the beach over the past weekend but the really cold weather we have had the last couple of days seems to have turned them off completely, hopefully we will get some warm rain soon which will perk up the action a bit.