Cool weather and wind slowed the bass action at Clear Lake this week. While catches of 10-15 bass were common last week, things have slowed down considerably. A check of the local fishing guides reveals that most are happy if their clients catch a five-fish limit, and that requires using live jumbo minnows.
Most of the fishermen report the bass are moving constantly and where you find fish one day they are gone the next. Part of the reason for the sporadic action is because the water temperatures are going up and down. On Monday, the water temperatures were 56 degrees in some areas but by Wednesday they had dropped down to 51. Blame it on the cold nights, during which the air temperatures have been dipping down below freezing. The fishermen also report seeing very few bass in the shallows, but that could change rapidly.
The more successful fishermen have been targeting the south end of the lake where they have been catching bass at depths of 15-20 feet. Fishermen are also discovering that the Alabama Rig isn”t the sole answer to catching fish. In fact, many of the successful fishermen have been working a plastic worm or jig super slow along the bottom. Swimbaits have been effective as well.
One problem has been the super clear water. It most of the areas you can see down at least 6 feet and that”s not the conditions the bass fishermen prefer. Most of the fishermen prefer slightly dingy water so the bass aren”t as spooky. The lake level is sitting close to 3 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, less than half of what is normal for this time of the yeart. Whereas 3-4 feet might now seem so important in other lakes, at Clear Lake it means a required change in fishing tactics.
Angler”s Choice will hold a team tournament Saturday. The tournament goes out of Konocti Vista Casino and the weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. Fishermen can sign up for the tournament at Clear Lake Outdoors on Friday evening and Saturday morning before 5:30 a.m.
There will also be fishermen on the lake this weekend tuning up for the Lake County Chamber of Commerce tournament, which is scheduled for March 17-18. The entries are close to 50 and the tournament should draw at least 100 teams. Traditionally most of the fishermen wait until the day before the tournament to sign up. Fishermen can sign up as late as 3:30 p.m. on March 16. If the tournament draws at least 100 boats the winning team could go home with approximately $5,000 in cash. The long-range weather forecast calls for party cloudy skies with temperatures reaching into the 60s.
There is still very little action for catfish or crappie. Shag Rock and Horseshoe Bend remain the best spots for catfish. As for crappie I would love to hear from any fisherman that has caught any.
Trout fishermen will have a lot of opportunities in the coming weeks. Lake Mendocino will receive another stocking of approximately 4,500 trout next week. The trout will be stocked near the south ramp and fishing should be outstanding, with limits for just about everyone. Upper Blue Lake was stocked last week and most of the trout are still there because so few anglers have been out. Trolling a Cripplure or a nightcrawler at a depth of 15-20 feet should be the ticket. Indian Valley Reservoir was scheduled to be stocked this week and this lake is the sleeper. For some reason practically no one has been at the lake.
One local fisherman said he drove to Indian Valley Reservoir on Monday just to have a look and there wasn”t a single fisherman there. The lake has been stocked three times in the past two months but I”ll bet less than 50 trout have been caught. There are reports of threadfin shad being in the lake, which should make the bass fishing excellent. The lake has plenty of water, so launching a boat shouldn”t be a problem.
