Despite a rising lake level and warmer water temperatures, the bass fishing at Clear Lake is still a little on the slow side. One problem has been a lack of fishermen. On most days the parking lots at the boat ramps are practically empty.
The lake level should approach 5 feet on the Rumsey Gauge by the end of the weekend. That”s nearly a foot above the highest level last year. There have been reports that fishermen using jumbo minnows or drop-shotting a plastic worm around the docks in the north end of the lake are catching a few fish. George Hill of Kelseyville reported catching a dozen fish in the north end of the lake around some docks earlier in the week using both minnows and plastic worms.
Fred Williams of Kelseyville is one of the better fishermen on the lake. He doesn”t fish in tournaments but spends at least three or four days on the lake. Williams said on Wednesday he caught five bass, including a 7-pounder. All his fish were caught on either live minnows or nightcrawlers. He said the bass are barely grabbing the minnow and you have to fish very slowly. He also said the bass are starting to move into the flooded tules.
The water color has been improving in many areas, but that could change if the rain that is forecast arrives.
Typically February is the slow month for fishing. The weather is normally unsettled and it”s cold. So far this year we haven”t had the bone-chilling cold of past years, but we have had the wind and rain.
The other question many local residents are asking is “where are the fishermen?” I can”t remember a year when there has been less fishing pressure on the lake. I believe there are several reasons for the lack of fishermen, the biggest being the poor economy. Fishermen just don”t have the disposable income to drive here from places such as Stockton and Southern California.
Another reason is the fishing has been nothing to brag about. Most of the local fishermen, and that includes the fishing guides, think the overall bass population is down considerably and the crappie have just about disappeared altogether. The results of the bass tournaments are a good indication. Most of the tournament fishermen are struggling to catch a five-fish limit. In past years it wasn”t unusual to catch 15-20 fish a day and that occurred even during the winter months.
Of course, the good news is that Clear Lake has a history of rebounding quickly. All it will take is a couple of good spawns.
There are no bass tournaments scheduled on the lake for the weekend. The next major tournament is the West Coast Bass Pro/Am that”s scheduled for Feb. 27-28. The tournament operates out of the Skylark Shores Motel in Lakeport. The entry fee is $350 for the pros and $200 for the amateurs. Call (916)410-0749 for more information or go online to www.WestCoastBass.net.
The annual Holder Ford-Mercury tournament is scheduled for March 13-14 and 40 teams have signed up to date. According to Holder Ford spokesman Richard Hoover, the sign-ups are running ahead of last year at this time. Last year”s tournament drew 149 teams.
Whereas the bass fishing has been slow the catfish action has been very good because of the rising lake level. Several fishermen report they have been catching from three to 10 catfish a day in the Horseshoe Bend area and in Cache Creek. Mackerel and nightcrawlers have been the top baits.
Trout action is still rated very good at Upper Blue Lake. The lake is on a regular stocking schedule and the fishing should remain very good throughout the winter and spring. There also have been reports of some nice-sized bass being caught by fishermen drop-shotting a plastic worm along the Highway 20 shoreline.
There are still no reports coming out of Indian Valley Reservoir. The lake level has come up more than 40 feet in less than a month and is nearing the level the lake reached last winter. The ramps should now be usable and the bass fishing should be excellent.
