What a difference a little water and the warm temperature makes for the bass fishing at Clear Lake. The water temperature warmed up to a balmy 55 degrees last weekend and the bass went on a feeding spree. The results of Sunday”s American Bass team tournament were nothing short of phenomenal.
The winning team weighed in 26.07 pounds, including a big fish that tipped the scales at 9.64 pounds. The tournament drew 32 boats and it took 21.92 pounds to get a check. The overall average weight per fish caught in the tournament was an incredible 3.75 pounds. I know of no other lake in the West, or, for that matter, in the nation that puts out an average weight per fish such like this. In fact, one team reported catching three bass with their first three casts of the day and several teams said they were culling fishing within an hour after blast-off.
Just about all the bass caught in the tournament were taken on jigs or plastic worms worked at the edges of the tules. The north end of the lake was the top producer.
The fishing continued to improve early this week. On Wednesday, the clients of local guide Bob Myskey caught a dozen bass within the space of an hour and a total of 31 fish for the day. They were fishing with jumbo minnows around the docks in the Lakeport area. I was also on the lake Wednesday and I caught a dozen bass using jigs and plastic worms. I found almost all of my fish between Konocti Vista Casino and Lakeport. The best action came in the afternoon when the water temperature rose to 56 degrees.
The bass are still schooled and to be successful you have to keep on the move until you locate fish. I found nearly all my fish within a 100-yard stretch of the tule shoreline. When I was on the school I would get a bite just about every three or four casts. When I went down the shoreline about 100 yards I couldn”t get a strike.
The excellent fishing should be an indication of what the tournament fishermen will be enjoying later this month and next month. Whereas I don”t believe the Bassmasters Elite Series, scheduled for March 18-21, will produce the number of records that it did back in 2007, it will still provide some exciting action for the contestants. The Holder Ford-Mercury team tournament scheduled for March 13-14 could set some records. Last year it took 51 pounds to win the event and this year that number should top 60 pounds.
The warm weather also helped the few fishermen out after catfish. Ken Taddie of Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven reports catfish are now being caught off the resort”s docks along with a few bass. Catfish are also being caught in Horseshoe Bend and off the docks in Lakeport.
There are still no reports of any crappie being taken. Fishermen have been hoping that the warming water would result in the crappie schooling near the docks, but it hasn”t happened.
At Upper Blue Lake, the trout action has slowed some although there are still a few fishermen catching limits by trolling in the middle of the lake. The lake is scheduled to be stocked next week and that should improve the fishing. A few bass are also being caught along the Highway 20 shoreline on plastic worms rigged on drop-shots.
There is a report coming out of Indian Valley Reservoir that a fisherman in a small cartop boat caught some nice catfish and a few bass. He said he was the only fisherman on the lake.
The spring wild turkey season opens March 27 and this year Wilderness Unlimited will once again host a free turkey hunting seminar that”s open to the public. The seminar takes place on March 6 starting at 9 p.m. at the Wilderness Unlimited RV Park located on Highway 20 just outside of Williams. Ryan Mathis, a senior wildlife biologist with the National Wild Turkey Federation, will be one of the featured speakers and will cover hunting on public land. The seminar lasts about four hours and lunch will be served.
