Record cold temperatures greeted fishermen at Clear Lake this week. In fact, the water temperature at Library Park in Lakeport was a bone-chilling 38 degrees on Tuesday and the air temperature was in the 23-degree range. On Thursday morning the water temperatures varied between 40 and 43 degrees.
Despite the cold, a few fishermen ventured out onto the lake and did catch a few bass. Most of the successful fishermen said the best action has been in the afternoon when the water temperature warms up by a few degrees. The key to success is a super slow retrieve. Typically a fisherman can expect to catch from three to five bass for a day’s outing.
The best areas remain in the north end of the lake. The docks along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline have been proving decent action as have the docks in the Lakeport area. What is surprising are the number of bass being caught by dock fishermen at Library Park. On Monday I observed an angler haul in three nice-sized bass within a period of less than an hour. He was using live jumbo minnows.
What is surprising is the lack of action in the south end of the lake. The waters south of the Narrows have been giving up few bass.
The top lure remains drop-shotting a plastic worm and working it very slowly. Jigs are another good option. Of course, by far the best technique is to use a live jumbo minnow. You can rig it either beneath a bobber or allow it to swim freely. Just about all the local fishing guides use jumbo minnows during the colder parts of the winter because they produce fish. Normally a bass will slowly take the minnow in its mouth and swim away. Fishermen should watch their bobber carefully for any unusual movement and give the bass plenty of time to swallow the minnow before setting the hook.
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce team bass tournament is only three weeks away and to date 33 teams have signed up. There is normally a rush during the final week of sign-ups. Last year the tournament drew 116 teams and about the same number are expected his year. Fishermen will be hoping to break the current lake record of 17.52 pounds and pocket a $10,000 bonus.
The good news is the crappie action continues to improve. Just about every dock in the north end of the lake has been holding crappie and bluegill. The State Park is another good area as is Shag Rock in the Narrows. Bluegill action has also been good throughout the lake. Most of the successful fishermen are using a nightcrawler suspended beneath a bobber. Some of the bluegill have been huge, exceeding a pound. Fishermen are being warned that if they exceed the daily limit of 25 crappie and bluegill combined they can expect a visit from the local game wardens. On Tuesday I observed several game wardens patrolling Clear Lake State Park and checking fishermen for fishing licenses as well as overlimits of fish.
Trout action at Upper Blue Lake has slowed because of adverse weather conditions. The good news is the lake will be stocked with trout during the week of March 4. The lake hasn’t been stocked in more than a month.
Bass are still being caught at Lake Mendocino. Smallmouth bass are making up most of the catch. The best action has been near the dam. Fishermen are reminded it’s illegal to use live minnows as bait at Lake Mendocino.
