Fishermen are welcoming the rising lake level at Clear Lake. As of Thursday morning the lake level was 4.32 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, which is higher than it was at any point last year. The lake level could approach 5 feet by early next week and it could even reach the full mark of 7.56 feet by the middle of February if we get a few more good storms.
Overall the fishing has slowed a bit due to the unsettled weather, but that should change by this weekend as sunny days are in the forecast. The other problem is there have been very fishermen out on the lake.
American bass held a team tournament last weekend and the event drew 30 boats. Although the winning weight was 27.57 pounds, most of the fishermen settled for considerably less. In fact, eight teams failed to catch a single fish and the overall average for number of fish caught per boat was only 2.7.
Despite the slow fishing, the average size per fish was impressive at 3.33 pounds. The big fish of the tournament weighed 7.45 pounds and only four bass were caught weighing 5 pounds or better.
Many 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. Shaky head jigs were also productive.
Jumbo minnows continue to catch most of the bass for the recreational fishermen. Most of the action has been in the clearer water in the south end of the lake. The action in the north end should improve as the water clears.
The good news is catfish action continues to improve for the few anglers after them. The best action has been in the Rattlesnake Arm and in Horseshoe Bend. The annual Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Catfish Derby is scheduled for May 14-16.
There is still little crappie action and it looks like a repeat of last winter. From all indications the crappie fishery is still declining. It could be from a lack of threadfin shad and other bait fish.
Upper Blue Lake is scheduled to be stocked with trout this week. The trout fishing this year has been nothing short of outstanding, one reason being that the lake was recently stocked with thousands of trout. There have also been very few fishermen.
This is an excellent lake to take a youngster fishing. You can fish from the docks at the Pine Acres Resort or the Narrows Resort for a small fee. Boats can also be launched at these resorts. There is also excellent bass fishing. Few people fish for bass during the winter months but it”s well worth a try.
The lake level at Indian Valley Reservoir has risen more than 30 feet in just a month. There are no reports of anyone fishing the lake but it would be a good choice for smallmouth bass, especially for those who have a small boat.
Duck hunters wrap up their season Sunday. Overall the season has been rated as only fair in the Sacramento Valley and terrible at Clear Lake. Many of the duck hunters in the valley who belong to private duck clubs say that with few exceptions there just weren”t that many ducks in the Sacramento Valley this year.
Quail season also closes Sunday. Only a few people hunt quail after December and the hunting is normally very slow.
The Clearlake Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold its annual dinner on Feb. 20. The dinner is at Robinson Rancheria in Nice and tickets are $65 per person or $100 a couple. Sponsorship tickets are available for $400 and Gun Table Sponsorship tickets cost $1,000. Tickets can be purchased at Lakeside Bait and Tackle in Clearlake or Lakeport Camper in Lakeport. The great thing about Ducks Unlimited dinners is they have fantastic raffles. For more information call 994-3474.
