Bass fishing on Clear Lake remains slow as most fishermen are struggling to catch two or three fish for a day on the water. For example, Bob Myskey guided two experienced tournament anglers on Wednesday and they caught only three bass after being on the lake for nearly seven hours. Myskey said the anglers caught their fish using swimbaits and deep-running crankbaits. He said they fished the north and south ends of the lake.
According to Myskey, gulls and grebes were feeding heavily on baitfish in the middle of the lake near the Narrows. Another example of the slow fishing came from guide Richard Pounds, who also was on the lake with a companion on Wednesday. They were using minnows and didn’t get a single bite. They fished the north end of the lake near Rocky Point.
Dave Brabec, owner of Clear Lake Outdoors Tackle Shop in Lakeport, feels confident the fishing will improve. He said February is normally the month when the bass start to feed on live minnows and that type of fishing could kick things into high gear.
What is surprising is the lack of action in the north end of the lake. The water is a perfect color and the weather has been perfect but the popular areas such as Rocky Point and the docks around Nice and Lucerne just aren’t producing any fish. For example, last year at this time the lake level was a foot lower than it is this year and it was much colder. Despite those conditions, fishermen were catching 10-20 bass per day in the north end.
There are no bass tournaments scheduled on the lake until mid-February.The Clear Lake Team Bass Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 1. Twenty teams have signed up to date. The entry fee is $200 per team, which includes the big-fish option. The payback is 100 percent. The tournament operates out of the Konocti Vista Casino in Lakeport. Entry forms are available at the local tackle shops and at the Lake County Chamber of Commerce office in Lakeport. For more information call 263-5092.
Catfish action remains good for the few anglers out after them. Shag Rock and Henderson Point have been two of the better areas. Nightcrawlers and live jumbo minnows are taking most of the catfish. One angler reported catching three nice crappie near Kono Tayee. He said the largest weighed nearly 3 pounds.
Local bass pro Wayne Breazeale of Kelseyville won the California Tournament Trail (CTT) pro-am tournament held at Lake Oroville last weekend. Breazeale had a two-day weight of 21.96 pounds and won $5,400. Bob Higgins (owner of Limit Out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks) was the winner in the amateur division with 21.65 pounds. He collected $2,100. The tournament drew 83 boats.
Whereas the bass fishing may be slow at Clear Lake the action has been good at Lake Berryessa. Ross England guided a pair of fishermen there earlier this week and he said the action was excellent for spotted bass and smallmouths. He said they used live minnows and drifted along the shoreline.
Trout action at Upper Blue Lake is still rated slow with very few limits. The only good news is the trout being caught are large, most weighing close to 2 pounds. The lake is still not scheduled for stocking in the near future.
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 belong to the private duck clubs say that with a few exceptions there just weren’t that many ducks in the Sacramento Valley this year. Quail season in Lake and Mendocino counties also closes Sunday. Most of the hunters rated the season as good, especially in the Mendocino National Forest.
