Bass fishing at Clear Lake has settled into a typical winter pattern. The water temperatures have dipped down to the low 50-degree range in the mornings and are only rising to the mid-50s by late afternoon. Without question the best action has been for the fishermen using live jumbo minnows.
For example, guide Bob Myskey reports his clients have been doing very well using minnows. He said last week during three fishing trips his clients caught a total of 81 bass. On one occasion, one of his clients hooked a fish and moments later the other client hooked the same fish. When Myskey landed the bass it had two hooks in its mouth.
Whereas the minnow fishermen are doing very well, those using artificial lures are struggling. Most are happy to catch three to five fish for an entire day on the lake. The bass continue to be tightly schooled and the trick to success is to keep moving until you locate active fish.
One problem has been the dropping lake level. In the north end of the lake the water at the ends of the docks is often less than a foot deep. In fact, WON BASS had to move its weigh-in on Sunday from the Skylark Motel to Library Park in Lakeport because the water was too shallow at the docks near the Skylark Motel.
Even with the low lake level, some bass are being caught in the north end. Rocky Point has been producing decent numbers of bass as have the docks in the Nice-Lucerne area. The state park is also holding a fair number of fish.
The deeper water in the south end is where a lot of the fishermen are concentrating their efforts. Here, along with live minnows, deep-running crankbaits and jigs have been the top lures. With the exception of the tournaments, the fishing pressure has been very light, especially during the week.
For those who don”t mind braving the cold weather the night fishing for bass at Clear Lake has been very good. Marty Paradzinski of MP Night Fishing Guide Service reports his clients have been averaging from 12-17 bass per night, with the best action starting at dark and continuing until about 8 p.m. Jigs and Brushhogs have been the top lures. For more information on a guided night trip call 921-9011.
Local fisherman Franz Bingel of Clearlake reported seeing an unusual sight this week. He was in a shallow water cove where the water was extremely clear and saw dozens of large bass rooting under rocks for crawdads. He said the larger bass were actually moving the rocks. The bad news is that they wouldn”t bite on a jig or any other lure.
WON BASS held a team tournament on Sunday and the event drew 23 boats. The winning weight was 22.42 pounds and the big fish of the tournament weighed 8.56 pounds. The overall average weight per fish was 3.4 pounds. WON BASS has named a new national tournament director. Harvey Naslund will be returning as the head of all the tournaments for WON BASS. Naslund was the tournament director back in 1974 and was very popular among the bass pros. His appointment should put to rest all the rumors about the future of WON BASS.
Catfish action remains very good for the few anglers after them. Jumbo minnows as well as cut mackerel have been the top baits. The most successful fishermen have been fishing at night. The best action has been in the Clearlake Oaks Arm.
The crappie action remains very slow and doesn”t look like it will improve anytime soon. A year ago the fishing was very good but the numbers just aren”t here this year. It”s the old story of the crappie population going through cycles. The good news is there are a good number of juvenile crappie being seen.
Upper Blue Lake was scheduled to be stocked with trout this week. To date the trout action has been very good with both trollers and bank fishermen catching limits. The trout are ranging in size from 10-14 inches.
Duck hunters are still waiting for some storms to move the ducks into the Sacramento Valley. The hunters at the refuges report seeing very few ducks on the shoot days. Even the plush duck clubs are struggling. This is typical for this time of the season.
