Summer 2019
of catching them on top in the north end and you want to catch them a different way,” Hurtado said. “I can go to the southern part of the lake and throw a jig or a deeper crankbait all day long. In the creeks (Rodman and Cache Creek), The Keys and any of the dead-end sloughs, you’ll find additional canopy, so if you want to keep a big flipping stick in your hand, you can do it.
“If you want to throw a light line in deep water, you can do that; if you want to throw a big stick and braid combination, you can do that, as well. This allows you to hone your skills and get comfortable with different techniques.”
TOP TACTICS
Notwithstanding his belief in Clear Lake’s summertime diversity, Hurtado definitely has his faves. Here’s his top trio:
The biggest attraction, this time of year, will be shade, so look for those vegetation canopies (including rafts of dead tules), docks and even big rocks.
“Throughout the day, the bigger rocks cast shade, even in deeper areas,” Hurtado notes. “As the sun’s rising out of the east and you have some bigger rocks in the southern-end of the lake in 10- to 15-feet of water, you know that the west side of those rocks is going to be shaded and cooler. That sets up the fish, so you know where to cast.”
Calling the entire lake a playground, Hurtado said a productive game plan could literally see the entire deal in a day. He generally starts with the shallow northern areas and
as the day’s temperature increases, he’ll
expand to Rodman Slough’s cooler
water and then on to even cooler
southern areas.
“Believe it or not,
you may get tired
JIG
A 3/8- to 1/2-ounce brown/purple, brown/green or brown/black football jig with a matching Strike King Rage Craw or Rage Bug is his choice for dragging across rocky bottom. For dock flipping/skipping, he’ll go with an Arkie style head with the same trailer options.
“This time of year, I like The Narrows because you’re coming from a shallow environment on the north end and transitioning into the deep end,” Hurtado said. “The docks in that area has always kicked out big, big fish.
“The sleeper is Jago Bay, just south of Konocti Bay. Even though you have docks, you have a lot of isolated rock in that area. When you find rocks near those docks, there’s always big fish on them. That’s the spot on the spot.”
TIP: Keep the sun in your face because that keeps you in front of the shady side the fish prefer.
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TOPWATER
Hurtado likes a 1/2-ounce black-on- black double buzzbait with a horny toad trailer. Throwing this bait around north end vegetation, like that of the State Park and Kelsey Creek areas, he looks for isolated cover — something that stands out from the long, continuous stretches.
“It’s all about the angles,” Hurtado said. “I want to be cognizant of where the sun is, but also the depth. The farther away I can be, the better. If I can keep the sun in my face, great; but it’s more important to make a longer cast because it’s so shallow the fish hear you. That’s the biggest challenge of fishing shallow water — they hear everything.”
TIP: When you’re in 3- to 4-feet of water of Clear Lake, turn off your
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