Despite the unsettled weather, the bass fishing has remained very good. Actually, the cloudy weather has improved the fishing. The lake level is holding steady and the fishermen report they are finally starting to catch fish in the shallow water.
One of the better areas has been in the north end of the lake near Rocky Point. The outer edges of the docks along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline are also giving up some decent bass. Local anglers Mike Rothstein and Jim Craig fished Saturday and their best five bass weighed a total of 32 pounds. Included in their catch was an 8-pound-plus fish and a 7-pounder. They said they caught all their bass using a LV500 lipless crankbait.
The deeper water in the south end of the lake also has been good for bass. The successful fishermen are using square-billed crankbaits and even swimbaits. A few fishermen are having success casting jigs over the rocks.
The fishing pressure has been low because there are no bass tournaments this time of year with the exception of club tournaments scheduled for next month. The big tournaments start up again in January. Anglers Choice, one of the tournament organizations that has been holding team tournaments on the lake for many years, won”t be holding any tournaments on Clear Lake in 2015. The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DWF) has issued only 23 event-type bass tournament permits for Clear Lake for 2015, the lowest number of permits issued for the lake in more than 25 years. In past years it wasn”t unusual for the lake to host 50 or even 60 bass tournaments.
Catfish action remains good for the few anglers out after them. Live minnows or nightcrawlers are the top baits. The best areas are still in the deeper water such as Henderson Point and Shag Rock. A few catfish are being caught off the docks at Library Park in Lakeport and at the Lakeside County Park.
The good news is that some large crappie are being caught. Several anglers report catching 2-pound-plus crappie in the south end of the lake on crappie jigs. This is the first report this year of crappie success. There is no bluegill action to speak of.
Upper Blue Lake should be worth a try for trout this weekend. The lake was stocked this week and there has been a good carryover from previous stockings. The bass fishing also has been very good.
Several people have asked how local songbirds survive when the temperatures drop down to near freezing. If the birds get enough food and have the proper amount of body fat, their bodies will generate enough heat to see them through the coldest of nights. They stay warm by fluffing up their feathers, which creates warm pockets next to their skin. They also have down, which insulates them and at night, and they will seek cover from the winds. Some species even huddle together for warmth.
The major factor is food, however. If a bird doesn”t have a good food source it can die from exposure. If you have a bird feeder in your backyard you need to keep it filled with a nutritious food supply.
Longtime bass fisherman Joe Pool, 72, passed away on Monday in Nyssa, Oregon. Pool previously lived in Lower Lake and was a well-known tournament angler. Through the years he won a number of major bass tournaments and in 2009 he teamed with Mike Rothstein to win the annual Clear Lake Triton Boat Owners Team Tournament. He once held the Oregon State record for largemouth bass with a 12-pounder.
Pool”s family would like donations in his name to go to the Kelseyville High School Future Farmers of American (FFA). The address is 5480 Main Street, Kelseyville, CA, 95451.
