Warm spring-like weather has brought out the fishermen at Clear Lake. The good news is the bass fishing has improved slightly.
Lakeport resident Bill Timmer has been out fishing just about every day during the past week and has been catching from eight to 12 bass per day using both jumbo minnows and artificial lures. On Tuesday, he caught 12 bass, the five largest weighing a total of more than 30 pounds. He said he has been catching most of the fish in the Nice-Lucerne area around the docks.
Other fishermen report having success fishing the deeper water in the south end of the lake using either live minnows or deep-running crankbaits. Swimbaits also have been effective. The water temperature has been as high as 52 degrees by the late afternoon, which has made the bass more active. The bass are still schooled up and you have to keep on the move until you locate fish.
Water clarity in much of the lake is very good and in some areas you can see down to a depth of 5 feet or even more.
National Bass West (NBW) held a team tournament out of Redbud Park on Saturday and the event drew 14 boats. The winning team weighed in 26.11 pounds. Of the 14 teams in the tournament only four had a five-fish limit and six didn”t catch a single fish.
Catfish action remains very slow. This past week a few catfish were caught off the docks at the Indian Beach Resort in Glenhaven. An occasional catfish is also being caught near Cache Creek. Very few crappie are being caught, which tells me there aren”t that many adult crappie in the lake. Crappie fishing normally peaks during the winter months, but it hasn”t happened so far this year.
The annual Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Catfish Derby is scheduled for May 13-15. Instead of the winner receiving a new boat this year, he/she will win $4,000 in cash. The total purse is $8,500. Entry forms are now in all the local tackle shops.
Upper Blue Lake was planted with trout on Jan. 9 and will be stocked again early in February. According to Narrows Resort owner Art Cerini, the trout fishing has been good but very few anglers have been out. He said the trout being caught have been nice-sized and trollers are having the best luck.
The lake level at Indian Valley Reservoir has risen more than 30 feet in just a little over a month. There are no reports of anyone fishing the lake but it would be a good choice for smallmouth bass, especially for those who have a small boat. The Walker Ridge Road going into the lake is in pretty good shape although care should be used.
Duck hunters wrap up their season Sunday. Overall the season has been rated as only fair in the Sacramento Valley and terrible at Clear Lake. Many of the duck hunters in the valley who belonged to the private duck clubs say that with few exceptions there just weren”t that many ducks in the Sacramento Valley this year.
Quail season also closes Sunday. Only a few people hunt quail after December and the hunting is normally very slow.
Ducks Unlimited will hold a fundraising banquet Feb. 19 starting at 6 p.m. at the Robinson Rancheria Casino. The dinner will be tri-tip and the cost is $65 per person or $100 per couple. Tickets are available at Lakeshore Sports in Clearlake and Clear Lake Outdoors and Tackle It in Lakeport. There will be an auction for firearms, fine art and furniture as well as a raffle for a lifetime California hunting or fishing license. Raffle tickets are $20 each or six for $100. The great thing about Ducks Unlimited dinners is they offer fantastic raffles. Call 994-3474 for more information on the dinner.
