Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 07:26:02 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[Today at 06:57:41 AM]

[March 28, 2024, 11:47:21 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 11:34:08 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 09:44:18 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 09:12:36 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 07:11:09 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:25:42 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:05:39 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 12:35:34 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 11:18:23 AM]

[March 26, 2024, 07:45:07 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 06:19:03 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 05:47:06 PM]

Support NCKA

Support the site by making a donation.

Topic: Bendo with Mendo  (Read 1744 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

bassmike

  • Guest
I was wondering if you have any first hand experience on Lake Mendocino, and how were the results? I'm planning a tubing trip up there on July 2nd- July 9th and I'd like to know what to expect. I plan on tubing in the evening for some bass,and stripers then catfishing throughout the night, then hitting the bass/strippers again in the am. If you have any suggestions or any tips on spots/time/tackle or ANYTHING, please let me know.
                 Thanks in advance


Kevin

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: San Jose
  • Date Registered: Dec 2004
  • Posts: 738
Hi Mike,

I fished Mendo once a few weeks ago w/o luck.  I think it might be too late in the season for stripers.  The person you want to talk to is Sean White, aka SCWAfish, who lives in Ukiah.  Check the article on the homepage of ncka for his article on Mendo stripers.  

There are large bass in the lake and trout, though I don't have the details on where/how to target.  There is a great pic of Sean's son with a nice large mouth (~5lbs) somewhere on this site.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation.

Kevin


polepole

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • View Profile Kayak Fishing Magazine
  • Location: San Jose, CA
  • Date Registered: Dec 2004
  • Posts: 13071
Check out the article on the front page of this website called "Stripers on Kayak at Lake Mendocino" by Sean "scwafish" White.  He's our resident expert on the lake.  I think he's still in Mexico right now though.  If you have any more questions, post back here and I'm sure you'll get some responses as many of us have been un there at one time or another.

One thing about the summer, fish early!!!

-Allen


MolBasser

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • Kayak disguised as a Bass
  • View Profile
  • Location: Chico, CA
  • Date Registered: Feb 2005
  • Posts: 2265


Nuff said.

I caught this fish slow trolling a live shiner carolina rigged with a 1/4 oz egg sinker with about a 3ft. leader.

MolBasser
2006 Kayak Connection Father's Day Champion
"The Science of Fishing"
Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew!
  :happy10:


Sharkbait

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Santa Rosa
  • Date Registered: Jun 2005
  • Posts: 163
Mendo is a tough lake to fish! There isn’t much vegetation at all in the lake, it’s mainly gravel. This is a warm lake and you can expect to see the surface temp in the mid 70’s. I doubt you’ll find any trout in the lake although you may find some if you go up river.

There is a cove across the lake and a little south of the South boat ramp. This is about the only vegetation in the lake. There are a couple of other smaller coves you may want to try also but this is probably your best bet for LM. Smallies and Stripers seem to be pretty scattered through out the lake. I usually mark fish on the flats of the East side of the lake between the main point and the boat-in campground. They seem to be ~ 20’ down here and never interested in anything in my tackle box. I also mark fish just east and south of the South boat ramp. There is a steep ledge that drops to 80-90’, follow this south and it comes up near the submerged (depending on the water level) island. I believe that fish use this channel as an underwater freeway up onto the flat by the dam.

The river is another place you may want to check out. You’ll see a lot of fisherman soaking bait here in the late evening and into the night. I’ve sat there before with them and have never seen any of them pull anything out of the river. The only fish I’ve seen taken out of the river was done on the opposite side of the river where the shore fisherman can’t get to. This may be a good place to hit also as it doesn’t see as much pressure. No gas boats are allowed in the river so even when the lake is crowded, you may have the river to yourself. Speaking of which, you’ll need to hit the coves early as they will fill up later in the day with other boaters out swimming & drinking.

It sounds like Sean does really well using live bait. I’ve never used live bait here before and have never caught a fish here either so … find some live bait! I believe that Sean has written that you can find live bait at the store on the way to the south boat ramp.
--
James


MolBasser

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • Kayak disguised as a Bass
  • View Profile
  • Location: Chico, CA
  • Date Registered: Feb 2005
  • Posts: 2265
You have to be pretty mobile for the stripers.  Kayaks are great as you can cover territory and be silent.

There are smallies in the lake too.

I caught that striper at the left side of the dam.

MolBasser
2006 Kayak Connection Father's Day Champion
"The Science of Fishing"
Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew!
  :happy10:


Sharkbait

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Santa Rosa
  • Date Registered: Jun 2005
  • Posts: 163
I just re-read your post and noticed that you'll be in a tube. That's going to be real tough. I'm not sure how far you can go on that thing or how heavy it is. Your best bet is going to be either fishing the river at the north end of the lake or head to the very south end of the lake at the edge of the dam. You can't be in the water next to the dam but if continue to follow the trail around to the southern edge of the lake, you'll be in the area where MoBasser was fighting that striper in the picture above. If you get into the water where the dam meets the south edge, you can continue east and I think you'll hit some cover that may hold some bass. I usually see people fish from shore at the dam also.
--
James


 

anything