Bass fishing at Clear Lake has settled into its typical winter pattern and that means the fishing has been tough for those who are casting artificial lures.
The good news is the minnow dunkers have been doing very well. A good example is guide Ross England, who on Sunday took a father and his two young boys out on the lake. They caught a total of 19 bass and the average weight was between 3-5 pounds. All the fish were caught in the north end of the lake using live jumbo minnows.
Dave Brabec, owner of Clear Lake Outdoors tackle shop in Lakeport, fished near Shag Rock on Tuesday and landed six bass using jumbo minnows.
Many bass fishermen scorn the use of live minnows but many of these same fishermen do use them. In fact, several of the tackle shops are now selling from 500-1,000 minnows per week. Minnows aren”t cheap, costing $12 a dozen, or a buck a minnow. On a good day you will go through at least two dozen minnows. The stores that sell the minnows are the Fastop Food Store and Clear Lake Outdoors in Lakeport, Limit out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake Bait and Tackle and Lakeshore Bait and Tackle in Clearlake.
The minnows sold as bait are golden shiners that come from Arkansas. FedEx flies them to a distributor in Redding, who then delivers them to the various bait shops around Northern California. With that many minnows being used in Clear Lake each week one would wonder why they haven”t reproduced and established a viable population here. Actually, a few of the minnows that have been released and survived are capable of reproducing. However, the survival is very low because of predation by larger fish, birds and other factors.
For those who prefer to use artificial lures, the lipless crankbait, such as the LV500 made by Lucky Craft, remains the top lure. It”s also an easy lure to fish. Just cast the lure out and once the lure hits the water give a short, hard jerk and then allow the lure to sink to the bottom. Repeat this action as you slowly reel in the lure.
Many times a bass grabs the lure when it is resting motionless on the bottom. Other times the bass grabs the lure on the fall. While falling, the lure resembles a dying shad as it flutters down. The LV500 has rattles that are so noisy it can be heard buzzing all the way back to the boat.
The beauty of fishing this way is you cover a lot of water and can find active fish. Moving along the shoreline fast is the top technique in locating bass during the winter months. The fish are schooled and it”s not unusual to travel up to one-half mile along the shoreline before you get a strike. However, once you catch a fish, you should stay put and work the area thoroughly because there are sure to be other bass in the area. Lately the best color for the LV500 has been the chartreuse-shad.
Of course, the downside of using this lure is the cost, which is $18. The other problem is that when you allow it to sink to the bottom you will pick up a lot of debris. Every fisherman should also carry what is called a “lure knocker.” That”s a device with a weight on the end and short length of chain attached to a long rope. The device hooks onto your snagged lure and retrieves it. At $18 per lure you can”t afford to lose many.
Catfish action has been a hit-or-miss affair. George Hill of Kelseyville has been targeting catfish and doing very well. Earlier this week he fished near the old Konocti Harbor Resort and within a span of four hours caught 11 catfish. He was fishing in 25 feet of water and using dead shiner minnows and silversides. He said he was rigging two silverside minnows on a hook and drifting them on the bottom.
Catfish are also being caught off the docks at the Indian Beach Resort.
Upper Blue Lake still hasn”t been stocked with trout. My sources tell me the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has scaled back their stocking operations because of a lack of money. Trollers are catching a few trout but it”s hardly worth the effort.
Here is a surprise. Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, located in the Sacramento Valley, is known for its excellent waterfowl and pheasant hunting, but the DFG has opened it up to wild turkey hunting as well. During the two-week fall turkey season hunters bagged 111 turkeys there.
