Our fall transition is under way. Conditions are fluctuating between cool and warm and cloudy to clear. We welcome the cooler weather, the spots of light rain and cooling lake temperature. We still have had a few warm days (80s) mixed in as summer struggles to stay around a wee bit longer.

The fishing has followed suit – some good days, some tough ones. Bass anglers are hoping things will settle down and stabilize. Catfishermen are enjoying a steady bite. Here are the details.

This week saw the weather warm up a bit from last, and with it the bass bite stiffened up a bit. We’re right back to an almost exclusive morning bite. Jerk baits are working for some. Jigs are working for others. A few spinner bait fish have been in the mix too.

The best bite, by far, has been on live minnows. Most folks fishing minnows have experienced better fishing that lasts longer into the mid-day hours. Night fishing with minnows has also been a hit.

The minnows we’re getting now are a pretty decent-sized extra large. They’re not jumbos yet, but they’re good strong fish. (I’d rather have good healthy extra larges over weak jumbos any day.) The advantage goes to the angler on this one … extra larges cost less and work well so you can get more of ‘em for your hard earned dollar. We’ve been told jumbos are just a few weeks away …

The crappie are still in limbo – we’re waiting for some good foul weather to hit for anything to break loose with that. (November-ish) Some local folks are reporting bluegill biting around docks and walls at our local parks. Wax and meal worms, night crawlers, mini crawlers and red worms are tops there.

Catfish action was good this last week. Live minnows ranked at the top of the list of best baits this week. Use a half-ounce sliding sinker rig with 4 to 5 feet of leader to let your minnow swim just off the bottom. Boaters have done far better than our shore anglers – perhaps due to the low water levels near shore.

Bob Rider is owner of Lakeshore Bait and Tackle, located at 14913-D Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake. For more information call the shop at 994-FISH (3474) or visit them online at www.994Fish.com.

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