Hello Anglers. Fog in the morning and cool temps have greeted fishermen this week. Water temperature is in the upper 50s. The crappie bite has made a nice fall comeback as we had hoped. And catfish are on the bite. Bassin’ has become a little tougher as things have cooled down. Here’s what we’re hearing in the shop …

The crappie action has quickly become the top bite on the lake. Crappie season is one of my favorites because of the excitement and energy that such a good bite carries with it. The slabs are well on the minnow bite at many key locations – Kono Tayee, Konocti, Indian Beach, Jones and Jago Bays, and elsewhere.

A notable exception would be the coveted Four Poles location here in the Redbud Arm. Reports from there have not yet indicated a concentration of crappie. But the others … Fish to your heart’s content. Key colors in artificials are Albino Shad or Crystal Shad in the Panfish Assassin lures.

Bass action has slowed some for most folks trying to fool ‘em on artificials. However, the live bait (minnow) anglers have been having a good time. With changing temps (cooling) try various depths from shallow to deep and look for structure as you look for that bite.

The catfish bite has been steady. We’re not seeing huge fish as much as we are seeing plenty of fish. Shad and mackerel or live jumbo minnows have been the top baits. Most folks that are catching the whiskerfish have been doing so by boat, fishing locations throughout the south end of the lake.

This month’s CatFest in slated for Saturday, Nov. 24, just two days after Thanksgiving. Come and join us around 4 p.m. for a simple barbecue. We’ll be heading to Redbud Park around 6 p.m. to launch as a group. Our first destination is Jago Bay and then we’ll see what happens from there.

We’ll fish as a group – or flotilla, if you will – until we come back into the ramps at 11 p.m. The buy-in for the Biggest Catfish pool is $5. Barbecue is a $3 donation. Come by the shop and sign up in advance so we know how many mouths we’re feeding.

Questions? Call us at 994-FISH or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Bob Rider owns Lakeshore Bait & Tackle in Clearlake. Visit his Web site at www.994fish.com or call him at 994-FISH (3474).

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