Fishermen are welcoming the break in the weather at Clear Lake. With the temperature forecast to hit 60-plus degrees by the weekend, the bass fishing should improve considerably. The magic number for water temperature is 48 degrees and it should hit that or even more than 50 degrees by Saturday, which should make the bass become active and start to feed.
Guide Bob Myskey said he had two clients out earlier this week and they caught and released 13 bass using jumbo minnows. He said the fish were very lethargic and barely mouthed the bait. He also said you have to keep changing the minnows to keep them active. He went through 45 minnows for the 13 fish.
100 Percent Bass held a team tournament on Saturday and the event drew 24 boats. While winning weight was 28.3 pounds, most of the fishermen settled for considerably less. In fact, seven teams failed to catch a single fish and the overall average for number of fish caught per boat was only 1.7. Despite the slow fishing, the average size per fish was impressive. The average weight was 3.8 pounds.
Most of the successful fishermen said they caught their bass using either brown or blue jigs fished slowly over the rockpiles in the south end of the lake.
The good news is the lake is filling up, which means the fishing will improve. This is especially true in the north end.
WON BASS is holding a pair of team tournaments this weekend. There will be a Future Pro tournament on Saturday followed by a regular team tournament on Sunday. The tournaments operate out of Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa and the weigh-ins start 3 p.m.
The annual Holder Ford-Mercury team bass tournament is scheduled for March 15-16 and more than 50 teams have signed up to date. The entry fee is $100 per team and there are two options costing $50 each. The tournament features a 100-percent payback of the entry fees and includes a barbecue on March 15. Entry forms are available at all the local tackle shops or by calling 263-5603 or 1-800-635-8331.
The lack of crappie still has fishermen confused. The crappie have disappeared for some reasons and they have apparently spread out from their normal locations. There have been no reports of crappie at Kono Tayee, Konocti Harbor Resort, Indian Beach or Shag Rock.
A few small catfish are being caught in the south end of the lake near Cache Creek. Horseshoe Bend and Shag Rock are also kicking out a few catfish.
Fishermen won”t be able to use Indian Valley Reservoir for a few weeks. According to Jen Reed of the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, the launch ramp and campgrounds at the dam are closed for repairs. She said the ramp and campgrounds should be reopened by March 1 and remain open throughout the year.
The lake level is still down by approximately 60 feet and there isn”t enough water to launch at the north end. It will take another good storm to fill the lake.
Upper Blue Lake will be stocked with trout this week. The fishing is typically good for at least a week after the lake is stocked. The water is slightly discolored at the upper end but clear from the narrows to Pine Acres Resort. This an excellent lake to take a youngster fishing as you can fish from the docks at the Pine Acres Resort or the Narrows Resort for a small fee. Boats also can be launched at these resorts.
The Russian River could be fishable by the weekend. Prior to the recent storms the steelhead fishing was very good at the mouth of Dry Creek and near Healdsburg.
