Lake Chabot's Fishing Conditions Week of September 23, 2012

GENERAL CONDITIONS
With summer ending just last week and fall beginning, the weather is slowly starting to drop - though it's still fluctuating between low 80's and high 60's. Catfish are still being caught, though we estimate that it'll slow down here soon once the weather drops even more. Regardless, catfish are still being caught over in Half Moon Bay, Bass Cove and over by the dam. Water clarity is about 0 foot visibility near the shoreline but in deeper parts of the lake it's around 6-7 foot visibility. The wind has been slowing down in the afternoons though it randomly does pick up on some days causing is to not send out rows, kayaks and electric boats. The lake is done losing water due to the construction on the west shore trail here at the marina, and the project is set to be completed by October 15, 2012. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.

Since the beginning of summer, we planted a little over 5,000 lbs of catfish, but within the past 2 weeks we have planted 1,000 lbs of trout. Sometime this week, we'll be getting another plant 500 lbs of trout over in Coot's Landing! When you bring in your big fish, we will take your picture and give you a "Lake Chabot Whopper club" button. If you catch a whopper over 8 lbs (trout), 10 lbs (catfish) or 5 lbs (bass), you will also receive a Lake Chabot Whopper mug! For beginning anglers, if you have any questions on what to use, please come down to the Marina and one of our friendly staff will be more than happy to help you get set up on your fishing adventure. Boating has been quite popular this summer; if you're looking to rent out a boat, the best time to come out is in the morning or early afternoon to avoid crowds, especially on the weekend. As mentioned before, the wind picking up in the late afternoon has been causing us to give out warnings or not send out rows, kayaks, or electric boats due to safety hazards.

We have converted back to our regular fall hours! On Mon - Thurs we will be closing at 5pm and stopping boat rentals at 4pm. Fri - Sun we will be closing at 6pm and stopping boat rentals at 5pm. We will be making no exceptions if you come in at 4pm/5pm to rent a boat, we stop renting at those times for a reason. Make sure to get here early and beat the crowds!

TROUT
Catfish season is almost over! Even though catfish are still biting relatively well, there is no excuse to not start trout fishing! We have already had our second trout plant of the season and we'll be getting our third sometime this week over in Coot's Landing. If fishing for trout, it's best to go to the clearest parts of the lake which are the dam and Half Moon Bay area. If you are planning to troll, the water is still pretty warm, so you may want to experiment with different sized weights and drop them lower than you usually would. Trout fishing will not pick up until the water temperature cools down. Usually some of the best lures to troll with would be, Firetiger Rapalas, Kastmasters, and Mirashads. When they do start to bite more frequently, chartreuse and rainbow Powerbait will be your best friend! When trolling for trout, be careful with the anglers fishing on the shoreline.

BASS
Bass fishing has been slowing down as we enter into trout season. Bass are currently in post-spawn mode, so they are near the shoreline, about 10-15 feet deep. If you are fishing for bass, they are hitting mostly in the early mornings and evenings on plastics, jigs and hula grubs. Near the island or the tulles by Raccoon Point are always a good spot to fish for bass. Most of the anglers are throwing Senkos, drop shots and Brush hogs to get the fish to come out from their deep, off-shoreline structure. Livewells can be provided upon request thanks to Walton's Pond. Please practice catch and release for bass, as they are not stocked in the lake and their population depends on you! Jose De Casas caught a 5.4 lb and 5.6 lb bass over in Alder Point on September 20th using plastics (see photo).

CATFISH
Summer is over and catfish are slowing down. The water temperature was warm and consistent all summer long, but it is starting to cool off a bit. We planted a little over 5,000 lbs of catfish into Lake Chabot this season, and we have now moved on to our regular trout plants. Typically around this time, catfish are going to be located by Raccoon point, but they have also been around the Half Moon Bay area, behind the island, and Coot's Landing. Anglers are using mackerel, anchovies and chicken liver for bait, as well as night crawlers for live bait. We are done planting catfish for the year, so grab your most stinky bait and come on out before all the catfish swim back down to the bottom of the lake!

WHOPPERS
Jose De Casas caught a 5.4 lbs and 4.6 lbs bass over in Alder Point.

HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday -- Thursday: Boat rentals are from 6:00am - 4:00pm. Boats are due in by 5:00pm.
Friday -- Sunday: Boat rentals are from 6:00am - 5:00pm. Boats are due in by 6:00pm.
Hours subject to change based on weather conditions and light levels.