The bass are spawning in the shallows this week at Lake of the Pines, California.  The fishermen are just “tearing it up.”   I have been watching them pull one fish after another up from right off my dock.  Fortunately (for the bass), these are “catch and release” fishermen.  Come to think of it, maybe they are catching the same 5 to 10 pound lunkers over and over again.

My pal, Cheryl Taylor, took this early morning photo  from her deck this morning (April 22, 2012).  You can see from the fisherman’s posture that he has something on the line.  In 12 years or living on the lake, I have never seen the fishing so good.

Lake of the Pines is a man-made lake, approximately 230 acres in size with 5 and 1/2 miles of shoreline and several coves.  It’s back in those shallower coves where you will find the action at this time of year.

There are several species of pan fish (blue gills, etc) and a few cat fish lurking in the depths near the dam, but make no mistake about it, Lake of the Pines is a bass lake.  Technically, it’s not a catch-and-release lake.  You can keep ’em, but what would you do with ’em?  Eat ’em?  Yuk.  Don’t bother.  These are sport fish, not eatin’ fish.

I do love living at Lake of the Pines.  I’m going down to the store and get my fishing license as soon as I get off work, put the boat in the water, and start flinging rubber worms at the bass.  Most of the year, these fish are smart, but during spawning season, they are dumb as rocks.  Even I can catch them.