Lake Pillsbury (Lake County) -- Pillsbury is doomed to a life of obscurity, thanks to the fame of nearby Clear Lake and several other popular Nor Cal bass fisheries, and to its relatively windy access road. "Doomed" may not be the best way to describe its clear waters, however. The lack of anglers willing to make the trip into the Mendocino National Forest helps keep the fishing here good.

The shallow north end of Pillsbury gets most of the attention from locals, who throw a variety of crankbaits, topwater poppers and soft plastics. Start your search for bass in and around the abundance of aquatic vegetation that grows here. When that doesn't produce, move to the steep points and ledges to the south.

For information, call Lake Pillsbury at (707) 743-9935.

Lake Sonoma (Sonoma County) -- Bass anglers should be grateful that the Army Corps of Engineers left most of the timber intact when building and filling Sonoma. That wood remains fishable today.

You'll find largemouth-holding trees sticking out of the water toward the backs of coves and creeks' arms. Be sure to probe the outer limbs with a spinnerbait before moving in close, and then systematically work your way through the stand, pitching soft plastics to individual trees. Finish up by vertically jigging single-hook spoons. One word of caution: Be prepared to lose lots of tackle.

For information, call the Outdoor Pro Shop at (707) 588-8033.

CENTRAL COAST
Waters at the southern edge of North State bass fishing reports don't get talked about much, but one lake deserves more credit than it gets.

Lake Nacimiento (Monterey County) -- Although "Naci" gets a lot of pressure from Southern Californians, it covers enough acreage to provide northern anglers plenty of quiet areas to wet a line. And with largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass present, there's always something willing to bite. In fact, it's common for anglers to catch all three species from the same area by simply changing depths.

Brown or black jigs pitched to shallow cover, especially in the backs of coves, produce most of the largemouths. For smallies, try drifting soft plastic grubs through deep water along steep rocky banks. You'll catch spots all over the lake with downsized ripbaits, spoons or 4-inch worms on drop-shot rigs.

For information, call Tackle Warehouse at (800) 300-4916.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Bass angling is open year 'round to anyone with a valid California fishing license: Children younger than 16 are exempt. General regulations allow the use of live bait and artificial lures. You're permitted to keep all species of black bass, but there's a minimum size limit of 12 inches unless otherwise noted. Anglers may never possess more than five bass, unless otherwise noted at a specific lake.

For more information, contact the Department of Fish and Game at (916) 653-7664, or check online at http://www.dfg.ca.gov