®
CLEAR LAKE’
By David A. Brown
captu S re
Summer 2019
summer bounty
E
very summer, Vince Hurtado takes a trip to
Northern California’s wine country; but not to
sample the wares of local vineyards. Rather, he’s drawn by the intoxicating allure of the ripening mega-
fishery known as Clear Lake.
“Water levels generally drop, and the temperatures go
up,” Hurtado said of the summer stimulus. “The bite gets
better at Clear Lake — the hotter the better. It’s my favorite
time of year to fish Clear Lake because you’re going to have
100-fish days.
“During a past summer visit, in a two-day trip,
a friend and I caught
nearly 300 fish”
“During a past summer visit, in a two-day trip, a friend and I caught nearly 300 fish. Our best five weighed about 44 pounds. It’s just an incredible time of year. The fish are just active, and they want to feed.”
Best part about this summer stud show is the diversity. Unlike the spawning season, when seasonal migrations narrow, the likely list of productive techniques, the summer game opens the tackle box.
“If you want to catch them on a crankbait, you can throw a crankbait; if you want to catch them on a frog, you can throw a frog; if you want to catch them on a jig, you can throw a jig. They’re just eating that time of year — it’s euphoric.”
END-TO-END OPPORTUNITY
Clear Lake’s blessed with a broad array of habitat features from the shallower, more vegetated upper end, to the rockier complexion of The Narrows and the southern- end, there’s something for all styles.
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