Cold and rainy weather has kept all but the most hardy fishermen off Clear Lake. There have been a few fishermen out and they are catching a few fish.
Mike Rothstein of Kelseyville and Steve Kelly of Lakeport fished the lake in the rain Sunday and managed to put four bass in the boat. Rothstein said they caught their fish on a LV500 crankbait. They lost two more bass, so overall it wasn”t that bad of a day.
The deeper water in the south end of the lake has been the best producer. One of the better areas has been Henderson Point where the bass have been holding in 20-30 feet of water. The deeper water near Monitor Point also has been giving up a few fish. Of course, jumbo minnows are still the best baits, however, Brush Hogs and jigs also have been taking a few bass. A good day is when you can put four or five fish in the boat.
Bank fishermen working the docks at Library Park in Lakeport and at the Lakeside County Park are catching a few bass. Jumbo minnows have been taking most of the fish.
The best part of winter fishing is you don”t have to be on the water at daylight. The best fishing has been in the afternoons when the water temperature rises a few degrees. The water temperature in the mornings is ranging from 46-48 degrees and is climbing to 52-54 degrees by late in the afternoon.
The Clear Lake Bassmasters bass club is looking for new members. The popular club holds club tournaments and offers the novice fisherman a chance to learn from experts. According to club spokesman John Graham, you don”t have to be an experienced fisherman to join the club.
“We want both experienced and non-experienced fishermen to join our club,” Graham said. “The club offers fellowship and the chance to connect with other fishermen.”
Down through the years Clear Lake Bassmasters has done a lot habitat work on the lake and has installed new docks at the Lakeside County Park and at the Lucerne boat ramp. They also have a scholarship program for local high school students. They also own and operate the release boat that is used by most of the major tournament organizations to safely release the bass caught in tournaments.
The club holds meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at Kelseyville Pizza, 5288 State St., Kelseyville. The next meeting is Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. Club dues are $40 per year. Call Graham at 263-7277 for more information.
Every year during the Christmas holiday season Ed Clarke, owner of Tackle It tackle shop in Lakeport, gives away packets of plastic worms to students, senior citizens, those on a fixed income and the unemployed. The worms make great stocking stuffers. Clarke will be giving away the plastic worms starting today and continuing through New Year”s Day. Tackle It is located at 1050 N. Main St., Lakeport.
No local waters were stocked with trout this week. The fishing pressure at Upper Blue Lake has been nil. A few fishermen have been catching holdover trout by trolling in the middle of the lake. It has been very cold in the mornings and that could explain the lack of fishermen.
Despite the cold weather the duck hunting in the Sacramento Valley has been nothing to brag about. Most of the refuges are averaging from one to two birds per hunter on the shoot days. It”s not a lack of ducks because the valley is loaded with waterfowl. The problem is there are thousands of acres of flooded rice fields where the ducks can feed and loaf and where they aren”t hunted. The Sacramento Valley is like one huge lake because the rice farmers flood their fields to get rid of the rice chaff.
