Trophy-sized bass have been far and few between at Clear Lake since the massive fish die-off of two months ago, but that situation changed last weekend during the Sonoma County Belly Boat Club tournament. Binih Phi of Santa Rosa caught two huge bass, the largest weighing 10.13 pounds as well as a 8.21-pounder. Binih’s winning weight was 32.27 pounds for eight bass, better than a 4-pound average per fish.
While the tournament drew only 10 fishermen, most weighed in limits both days.
Overall the bass fishing has definitely improved on the lake and there are several reasons. The water temperature has dropped and the water clarity throughout much of the lake has considerably improved. The brown algae that had many people upset is called Diatom and it is a natural part of Clear Lake. Blooms occur every summer. The big difference this summer was that conditions were perfect for it to grow. It will disappear as we move into the winter months.
The only negative part about the fishing is the lack of fishermen. The bass fishermen are staying away from the lake in droves. On any given day there are only two or three boat trailers in the parking lots at the public ramps.
Some of the better areas for bass fishing have been the docks north of Lakeport, the shoreline from Lakeside County Park to the State Park, the area along Highway 20 from Lucerne to Clearlake Oaks, and the rockpiles near Rattlesnake Island. Gary Hill of Kelseyville has been catching from 15-20 bass per day while fishing from his float tube off Highway 20. He said the bass at Henderson Point are ranging in size from 1-3 pounds with the occasional 4- or even 5-pounder. Earlier this week Hill fished with Mike Rothstein of Lakeport and they caught and released more than 30 bass. The water temperature has been as cold as 46 degrees in the mornings and warming up to 55 degrees by late afternoon.
Most of the successful fishermen are drop-shotting a plastic worm or a Senko. Crankbaits also have been successful. Live jumbo minnows have been effective as well. There are no major bass tournaments scheduled on the lake until late December.
The excellent bluegill action continues all around the lake. For some reason this has been a fantastic year for bluegill. The successful fishermen have been using nightcrawlers rigged below a bobber. The bluegill range in size from small to as large as your hand. The few fishermen after catfish are also doing well. The top baits are anchovies and cutbait. Shag Rock has been holding a lot of catfish.
Trout action has been decent at Upper Blue Lake. The lake was stocked earlier this week and both bank fishermen and boaters have been doing well.
Lake Mendocino has been kicking out some good-sized smallmouth bass. The lake is in perfect condition although the lake level is dropping as water is being released.
The cool and clear weather makes for ideal conditions to take the family hiking at Clear Lake State Park. The park is nothing short of gorgeous and it’s a great opportunity see birds and other wildlife.
Gary Hill of Kelseyville recently picked up a gray fox that was sitting alongside the road at the state park and appeared to be in distress. Hill saw the fox as he was driving out of the park. He actually picked up the fox and placed it in the cab of his truck and returned to the park where he turned the fox over to park personnel. The park rangers released the fox back into the woods. A lot of people don’t know this, but a gray fox is the only fox that can actually climb a tree. One of its claws is reversed so that it has the ability to grasp the tree trunk.
