Despite the cool and freezing weather this week, the bass fishing on Clear Lake remains very good. Typically during the winter months the key to success is to keep on the move until you locate active fish. That was true for Troy Bellah of the Clear Lake Outdoors Tackle shop in Lakeport. He fished on Tuesday and didn’t get a bite for more than three hours, but he kept moving along the shoreline in Lakeport. Finally he approached one dock and made four casts and caught four bass. He continued to fish the area thoroughly and ended up with more than 15 quality fish. His top lure was the LV500 lipless crankbait. Bellah said the trick to success was a slow retrieve, which allowed the lure to bump the bottom. The water temperature was a chilly 50 degrees.
Gary Hill of Kelseyville fished Henderson Point on his float tube earlier this week and caught a couple of good-sized bass. He used Senkos and said the fish barely picked up the lure.
Jumbo minnows also have been very effective on bass and some of the better areas have been north of Lakeport in the Rocky Point area. Square-billed crankbaits have been effective. A few fishermen are having success casting the A Rig and retrieving it slowly.
The Sonoma County Belly Boat Club is hosting a Tournament of Champions out of the Skylark Motel in Lakeport on Saturday and Sunday. The tournament is expected to draw approximately 50 boats. Weigh-in time is 2:30 p.m. both days.
Well- known national bass fishing pro Skeet Reese has been out on Clear Lake filming a video. Reese has won a number of BassMaster tournaments and is rated as one the top professional fishermen in the nation.
Bluegill fishing has been excellent off Henderson Point and at Shag Rock. Some of the bluegill are weighing up to a pound. Nightcrawlers have been the top bait. A few large catfish are being caught at Shag Rock and at Clear Lake State Park.
A few fishermen are having success catching bass at Highland Springs Reservoir. Jigs and plastic worms have been the top lures.
Trout action at Upper Blue Lake has been slow but should improve next week when the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DWF) stocks the lake. The best action will be for boaters trolling a variety of lures. Bank fishermen should have success using Power Bait.
Bears are being spotted throughout Lake County although hunters have bagged only a few. One area in Lake County that has seen a jump in the bear population is Scotts Valley. Turkey hunters report seeing an abundance of bears there. The season closes on Dec. 25 and to date only 904 bears have been taken statewide by hunters.
Pheasant season runs until Dec. 25. To date the season in the Sacramento Valley has been nothing short of terrible. The problem is the wild pheasant population in the Sacramento Valley is at a low point because of loss of habitat. Hunters report they are only flushing one or two birds a day and have been lucky to bag even a single bird. Clean farming is being blamed for a lack of habitat. The only success has been on the licensed pheasant clubs where birds are released each day for the hunters.
The fall wild turkey season is in full swing and most of the local hunters report seeing plenty of birds. The success rate has been high. The fall season runs until Dec. 11.
This is the time of the year when the mountains in the Mendocino National Forest receive snow and people often venture into the national forest to ski or play in the snow. If you decide to go, be sure and let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. That act could save your life if you run into trouble and get stranded.
