Clear Lake has been known as a trophy bass lake for years, a place where an angler could catch that once-in-a-lifetime fish. Bass weighing more than 10 pounds were a common sight. The lake record of 17.52 pounds was caught back in 1990.
A number of fishermen are wondering what has happened to these double-digit bass. This year the bass fishing has been exceptional in regard to the number of fish caught. A typical day will see an angler boat 20-50 fish. In fact, one local fishing guide and his two clients caught a grand total of 107 bass last week. That’s unheard of in any lake in the country.
On the reverse side, many anglers are commenting on the small size of the bass they are catching. Best Bass Tournament (BBT) held a team tournament Saturday and out of 110 teams the winning weight was 22.16 pounds. It took only 15 pounds to get in the money. The big fish of the tournament weighed 7.51 pounds. Most one-day bass tournaments held on Clear Lake require 30 pounds or more to win. The big fish in those tournaments generally weighs from 8-10 pounds.
Fishermen don’t like to hear this but one of the problems at Clear Lake could be too many bass. This year bass of all sizes are in the lake by the millions. Along with the bass are millions of bait fish such as the threadfin shad. For every 10-pound bass there are several thousand small bass weighing less than 2 pounds. These small bass are extremely aggressive feeders. I know when I drop my underwater camera down alongside a dock I see dozens of small bass and only one or two larger bass. The big bass are sitting tight and the smaller bass are constantly on the move.
A few years ago I was fishing along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline and the water was exceptionally clear. Beneath one dock I spotted a school of at least 20 bass. They ranged in size from 8 inches to several pounds. I cast a jig into the middle of the school. The big bass ignored the jig but the smaller fish swarmed around it and a small bass picked up the jig and spit it out. I made at least a dozen casts with the same results. The bigger bass would completely ignore the lure but the smaller bass aggressively attacked it. Typically a larger bass will stare at a lure for several seconds before biting it. There are several reasons for this. The larger bass are 4 to 5 years old, or older, and experience has taught them to be careful when feeding. Many of them have been caught and released so they develop a caution against lures and even live minnows swimming around them. It other words, they didn’t get big and old by being careless.
One technique experienced tournament fishermen use to attract the larger bass is to cast larger lures such as swimbaits. The smaller bass will ignore the larger lures but the larger bass often attack them. Of course, there is a downside to using the larger lures. It usually takes dozens of casts before you get a strike. For tournament anglers that’s OK because they are looking for quality, not quantity.
The good news is that the lake’s bass fishery is in excellent condition and will only get better with time. In two years these 1-pounders will be 4- and 5-pounders. There are not many lakes in the country that can produce bass fishing like Clear Lake. That’s why it’s rated the No. 3 bass lake in the nation by Bassmasters. As for me, I would rather catch a dozen 2-pounders instead of a single 5-pounder.
