The month of December signals the start of minnow fishing for bass on Clear Lake and, according to several local fishing guides, the action has been very good. Some of the bass caught have weighed up to 9 pounds.
Jumbo minnows have become so popular that local tackle shops are having a hard time keeping them in stock.
The primary food for bass during the winter is either minnows, such as the threadfin shad, or crawdads. Most bass feed on the minnows because of the abundance of shad this year. They will feed on these baitfish almost exclusively.
A few years ago several fishermen discovered jumbo minnows would readily catch very large bass during the winter months. Actually, the minnow fishing improves as the water gets colder. Most of the local fishing guides use jumbo minnows to the exclusion of all else during the winter months.
Fishermen have discovered this year that using live shad instead of the standard minnows means more and larger bass being caught.
Several fishermen have called me asking if it is legal to use threadfin shad as bait. According to Department of Fish and Game warden Lynette Shimek, it is legal to use shad, either alive or dead, as bait in Clear Lake. The only restriction is that the shad have to be caught in the lake and they can”t be transported away from the lake. Shimek said the only method that is legal to catch the shad is by using a dip net. Throw nets are illegal.
Some fishermen have been obtaining the long-handled fine mesh nets used to clean out swimming pools and are using them to catch the shad. Others are using the shad that are caught accidentally by casting jerkbaits. The jerkbait passes through a school of shad and will hook one or even two of the baitfish. The fishermen are then running a hook through the nose of the shad and lowering them down into the water. According to several fishermen, the bass are gobbling up the shad before they hit the bottom.
For those who prefer live jumbo minnows, the only downside is the cost. A dozen jumbo minnows go for about $12 and extra-large minnows cost about $8. When the fish are biting, it”s not unusual for a fisherman to use up to two or even three dozen minnows per day.
Bass locate their prey by several methods. The primary method is sight. However, they also have excellent smelling abilities. Bass have a lateral line running down the sides of their bodies that sense movement. In one experiment, researchers released minnows into a tank holding several largemouth bass that had been “blindfolded” with eye patches. The bass were able to locate the minnows through vibration alone and intercept them one by one. This could explain why a bass can feed so successfully at night or in extremely dirty water.
One reason live minnows are so effective is that a live minnow suspended beneath a bobber probably gives off some kind of distress signal or odor which the bass intercepts. Studies have shown that a bass can instantly pick out an injured or sick minnow out of a school of healthy minnows. This could be nature”s way of not only providing an easy meal for the bass, but also keeping the minnow species healthy by culling out the sick and weak ones.
Most of the experienced fishermen rig the minnows two ways. One is to run a size 2 hook through the lips of the minnow and then attach a small split shot about 10 inches from the hook. The minnow is allowed to swim above the submerged rocks or beneath the docks. This is called “fly lining.”
The other technique is to use a slip bobber and drift with the live minnow suspended about 4-6 feet beneath the bobber. A bobber stopper is attached to the line that allows the fisherman to make an easy cast. The stopper controls the depth of the minnow. Commercial bobber stoppers are available at the local tackle shops.
Often a bass will just play with the minnow and won”t even take the bobber. Other times they will just slam the bait.
Because of the low lake level this year most of the minnow fishermen are concentrating in the deeper water in the south end of the lake or off the docks along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline.
Live minnows can be purchased at Clear Lake Outdoors on Soda Bay Road in Lakeport, Clearlake Bait and Tackle on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake, Lakeshore Bait and Tackle on Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake, Limit out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks, and The FastStop Store on South Main in Lakeport.
