Bass fishermen at Clear Lake finally saw some improvement in the fishing this past week. The more successful fishermen were casting either live jumbo minnows or live nightcrawlers. It”s no secret that just about all the local fishing guides use live minnows and that was the case this week.
Richard Pounds said his clients caught 15 bass and lost several more for a very good day on the lake. He said the bass were concentrated in a couple of areas. Guides Bob Myskey and Ross England also had some good days recently. Their clients caught from 15-20 fish per day. Recreational fisherman Fred Williams of Kelseyville caught his bass on nightcrawlers worked slowly along the bottom.
Nightcrawlers are excellent for winter bass fishing. In fact, back in the 1980s you couldn”t buy live minnows and many of the guides used nightcrawlers. They are a lot cheaper than minnows and often more successful. They can be rigged several ways. One method is to put them on a drop-shot rig and work them along the bottom. Another technique is to rig them on a 1/0 wide gap hook and attach a split-shot about 12 inches up the line. The crawler is retrieved very slowly and even allowed to rest on the bottom for up to a minute. This is an excellent technique to use when the water temperature is holding at 50 degrees or colder. As a bonus you will often catch a large catfish.
Most of the successful fishermen have been staying on the move and covering a lot of water. Some of the better areas have been Shag Rock, the docks north of Lakeport, the State Park, Henderson Point and Konocti Bay. The rockpiles around Rattlesnake Island also have been kicking out a few fish. On Thursday morning the water temperature at Library Park in Lakeport was a chilly 48 degrees.
The entry forms for the Holder Ford annual Clear Lake Team Bass Tournament are now available at the local tackle shops. The tournament is scheduled for March 12-13. Blast-off numbers for the first day will be issued in the order they are received. Sign-ups start Jan. 15 at 9 a.m. For more information call Richard Hoover 263-5603 or 800-635-8331.
Catfish action has been fair for the few fishermen out. The chilly weather has kept all but the most hardy off the lake. Nightcrawlers or cut bait have been the best baits on the catfish. There has been no crappie action.
The trout action at Upper Blue Lake has been rated fair. The lake was stocked last week and trollers continue to catch most of the fish. A few bank fishermen have been successful using Power Bait or nightcrawlers
With only a week until Christmas, shoppers are scrambling to buy that last-minute gift. If the person on your list is a fisherman, then a visit to one of the local tackle shops should solve your problem. There are five tackle shops in the county ? Tackle It in Lakeport, Limit Out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks, Lakeshore Sports in Clearlake, Clear Lake Outdoors on Soda Bay Road in Lakeport, and Clear Lake Bait and Tackle in Clearlake. The managers of these shops are experienced fishermen and they can offer expert advice on fishing gifts. They also sell gift certificates. Better yet, ask them to put together a tackle pack of the latest lures and plastic worms.
For those who want to spend a little extra for a unique gift, then a guided bass fishing trip on Clear Lake is an ideal gift. The average cost is about $500 for a full day or $250 for a half day. The names of the local guides can be obtained at the local tackle shops.
By far one of the best gifts is a 2011 fishing license. Licenses can be purchased at any license agent. New regulations require that you have the person”s California driver license number or California identification number, date of birth, address, height, weight, hair color and eye color. You can also go the Department of Fish and Game Web site at www.dfg.gov/ and order it online using the required information as above. A 2011 fishing license costs $43.46.
