Bitterly cold weather has kept all but the most dedicated fishermen off the lake. The water temperature on Wednesday morning at Library Park in Lakeport was a chilly 47 degrees. When the water temperature drops below 50 degrees, the bass tend to become dormant and refuse to bite.
The fishing at Clear Lake has settled into a typical winter pattern. The water temperature is dipping into the low 50s in the mornings and only rising to the mid-50s by late afternoon. Without question the best action has been for the fishermen who are using live jumbo minnows. For example, guide Richard Pounds reports his clients have been doing very well using minnows. He said that during several fishing trips last week his clients averaged from six to 10 fish per trip.
Several other fishermen also report catching bass on minnows. Angler”s Choice held a team tournament on Saturday and the event drew only 15 boats. The winning team was Kevin Hall of Middletown and Jimmy Ghiorso of Clearlake with 25.05 pounds. They won $1,655. The big fish of the tournament was 9.4 pounds and was caught by the team of John Pearl and Dan Dwelle of Lakeport. The overall average weight per fish caught in the tournament was a hefty 3.75 pounds. Most of the successful fishermen said they caught their fish on jigs, chatterbaits or lipless crankbaits. The Angler”s Choice tournament is the last scheduled tournament on the lake this year. Most of the circuits won”t start up again until January.
Whereas the minnow fishermen are doing very well, those using artificial lures are struggling and most are happy to catch between 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 on the move until you locate active fish.
The deeper water in the south end is where at lot of the fishermen are concentrating their efforts. 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.
Catfish action has come to a standstill. Most of the guides report catching only a few catfish and those have been on jumbo minnows while they were fishing for bass. A few fishermen have been having success using cut mackerel or night crawlers. The best action has been in the Clearlake Oaks Arm and at the State Park.
The crappie action remains very slow and doesn”t look like it will improve anytime soon. It”s the old story of the crappie population going through cycles. The good news is that there are a good number of juvenile crappie being seen.
No local waters are scheduled to be stocked with trout this week. A few fishermen have been catching trout by trolling at Upper Blue Lake. The good news is that some of the trout have been weighing up to 3 pounds. Bass fishing remains fair but there have been very few anglers out after them.
Duck hunters are hoping the cold weather will push a few more ducks into the Sacramento Valley. The refuges have been averaging from one to three ducks per hunter on the shoot days. Duck hunting on Clear Lake has been very poor.
Several people have asked how local songbirds survive when the temperature drops down below freezing. If the birds gets enough food and have the body fat, their bodies will generate enough heat to see them through the coldest of nights. They stay warm by fluffing up their feathers. That in turn creates warm pockets next to their skin. Their down also insulates them and at night and they will seek cover from the winds. Some species even huddle together for warmth.
However, the major factor is food. If a bird doesn”t have a good food source it can die from exposure. That is why if you have a bird feeder in your backyard you need to keep it filled with a nutritious food supply.
