We've had a rather windy week with cold temps settling back in across the area. Daytime highs are in the upper 60's and the nighttime temps are in the upper 40's. This cool down comes on the heels of 100+ degree temps last weekend. There's good news on the bite report and the water temp remains in the 60's to low 70's.

Bassers are finding plenty of action working live and artificial baits alike. Jumbo minnows are still the easiest way to fool a large bass. Spinner baits, Senkos, swim baits, & drop shotted worms are top of the heap baits for this week. We're also hearing about lipless crank baits, top water frogs, and chatter baits. The key has been to fish shallow water ??? tule beds, docks, and rocky areas. North end or south end, no big difference. Simply getting on the water, putting in your time, and fishing well should do the trick.

Crappie are biting as well as they have this year. The last hour of darkness before sunrise is the hot time of day for a good full stringer of slabs. White and Chartreuse are the two colors for artificial baits. Minnows, of course, for live bait. Glenhaven, Clearlake Oaks, Lakeport, and even the Clearlake (city) shoreline have all produced some nice fish this week. Couple this with a good report on bluegill from the CLO area and an abundance of silverside minnows and we have us an encouraging panfish report this week!

Cats?Ķ Where to begin? Well, with over 500 registered anglers in the Catfish Derby last week, the catfishing was fun but a tad on the slower side this year. Plenty of fish were caught, but not too many were weighed in. Top weight for the derby was Omar Mandujano's 25.27 pound behemoth. The kid's derby was won by Richie Pavoni with a 21.29 pound cat. One of the stand-out fish from the derby is Maggie Bryant's 23.14 cat. Maggie is one of our bait shop regulars and it was great to see her enthusiasm turn into a paycheck at derby time. So how's the bite? Overall, not bad. Cache Creek is where we hear about most of the good action coming from. Lots of folks are catching lots of smaller fish around the lake, but the Creek is where the big boys are being found.

This weekend is the long weekend that typically signals the start of summer. So here are a few reminders to help you enjoy your time on the lake ??? and when you return home. Remember to drink plenty of water, use sunscreen, keep bug spray on hand, and wear your life jackets when you're boating. Have a safe and fun holiday weekend.