As we move from summer into fall, we will see that Clear Lake once again will undergo some dramatic changes. The coming weeks will see the aquatic weeds and algae disappear. The fishing will also change as the bass and other game fish fatten up for the coming winter.
Despite being rated as the No. 1 bass lake in the west, Clear Lake has a reputation that it can beat the best fishermen in the country. This is lake where the fishing pattern can change daily and more than one tournament fisherman has tried, and failed, to be successful using the same tactics that won him a tournament the year before or even on another lake.
Ten years ago some of the hottest spots on Clear Lake were Rocky Point, Corinthian Bay, Glenhaven Reef, Catfish Slough, Luebow Point, Bass Alley and Rodman Slough. A lot of major bass tournaments were won in these locations, especially in Bass Alley, Rodman Slough and Corinthian Bay. The past three years has seen fewer fish caught in these areas.
Take Rodman Slough, for example. In the past, this area produced hundreds of large bass. On occasion it still can produce good numbers of fish but the action is often sporadic. Glenhaven Reef is another good example. Five years ago, on any given day you would see a dozen bass boats working the deep water on the reef and all would be catching fish. In fact, even the catfishermen would target the reef. This year, very few bass or catfish have come off the reef.
Corinthian Bay was once known as the one spot on the lake where a fisherman could count on catching an 8-pound bass. In fact, when the Record-Bee issued big fish certificates for any bass that weighed more than 8 pounds, more than half went to fish that were caught out of Corinthian Bay. Now you”re lucky to catch a 3-pound bass out of the bay. As the results of the tournaments show, the bass are still in the lake but just not in the numbers of the 1990s.
Why have these fish moved out of the traditional locations? Many anglers say it”s the food source. The one driving factor for fish and wildlife is the food source, and when the bait fish move so will the bass. Years ago when the lake was awash with threadfin shad, the shad would stack up in large balls on places like Glenhaven Reef. The bass would follow the shad. Now there are very few shad in the lake and as a result the baitfish are absent from the reef.
Corinthian Bay and Rodman Slough used to be plugged with crawfish. In fact, many times I would see crawfish crawling up the tules in Rodman Slough. This year the crawfish population has stayed constant but the bass numbers are down. While the lake still has a large population of crawfish, they have moved to new areas and the bass have followed.
Another major factor is the heavy weed growth that has occurred over the past three years. This is especially true in the north end of the lake. The weeds are providing excellent cover for both the adult fish as well as the baitfish. The big bass are there but they are much harder to locate.
Rocky Point used to be a dynamite area to fish and boats would be stacked off the rock piles. At times the fishing can still be good at Rocky Point but it”s not a sure thing. For years the rock piles off Rattlesnake Island produced dozens of trophy bass but in the past three years, the big fish have tended vacate these areas.
What are the better locations for bass this year? One of the hottest areas has been from Long Tule Point to the State Park. The tule shoreline at the entrance to the Clearlake Oaks Keys has been a consistent producer. The Nice-Lucerne shoreline has also been good, especially in the area that”s called the Barn Yard. Konocti Bay has been providing better than average fishing. The same applies to Henderson Point. The shoreline from Library Park, in Lakeport, to Robin Hill has been an excellent area for bass. Although, fishermen are having to contend with a lot of weeds.
Of course, when the shad return, and they will, the big bass will gorge on them and once again the traditional areas will be packed with bass boats and fishermen. It”s all part of Clear Lake.
