Unsettled weather continues to plague local fishermen. The fog and rain have kept all but the hardy ones off the lake. The water temperature is holding at about 50 degrees in the late afternoon and most of the fishermen report catching from five to 10 fish for a full day on the lake. This is typical for winter fishing. Overall the water color is good throughout the lake with a few exceptions. Rodman Slough is muddy from the recent rains.
The lake is loaded with bait fish and the successful fishermen have been targeting the bait fish and casting various types of lures. Drop-shotting a plastic worm has been very effective. Without question the top fish catcher has been live jumbo minnows. They can be rigged beneath a bobber or rigged on a drop-shot.
The better areas have been near Rocky Point in the north end of the lake, Henderson Point, Long Tule Point and the Nice-Lucerne shoreline. Bass are also being caught near Shag Rock.
The annual Lake County Chamber of Commerce team bass tournament takes place March 16-17. This is the 32nd annual tournament. Early sign-ups open at 9 a.m. on Jan. 25 at the chamber office in Lakeport. The blast-off numbers for the first day will be issued in the order teams sign up. The entry fee is $200 per team and that includes big fish. The tournament features a 100-percent payback of entry fees. It is one of the largest and most popular bass tournaments held on Clear Lake.
Bluegill/catfish
Bluegill action continues to astound nearly everyone. Those fishermen who are targeting the bluegill using nightcrawlers report catching up to 100 fish a day and some have been huge, weighing more than a pound. Just about every dock is holding bluegill.
Catfish action is starting to improve as well. A few fishermen have been targeting catfish at Lakeside County Park and have been catching some decent fish ranging between 8-10 pounds.
Water safety
Fishermen venturing out onto the lake during the winter months are cautioned to always wear their life preservers when in the boat. When the water temperature drops below 50 degrees, you will only last about 10 minutes in the water before hypothermia sets in. Decks of bass boats and docks often have a sheet of ice on them early in the morning, which makes for slippery conditions, so be careful. Use extra caution if fishing alone.
Other lakes
Trout action at Upper Blue Lake has been good. George Brawley of Middletown fished the lake earlier this week from his kayak and caught a limit of trout. He said he used nightcrawlers with no weight and fished near Pine Acres Resort. The lake was scheduled to be stocked this week with trout.
Plenty to do
Winter is an ideal time to spend some time hiking and bird watching. Recently I spotted two bald eagles at Lakeside County Park. The lake also has a large population of white pelicans as well as egrets and other waterfowl. Clear Lake State Park and Anderson Marsh are both great areas to plan a winter hike. If the weather is nice, then a hike up to the summit of Mount Konocti, which offers a great view of the lake and surrounding hills.
Seasons close
Hunters are closing out their seasons. The pheasant season closes Sunday and bear season closes on Dec. 30. Turkey season is already closed. Bear hunters have bagged 1,207 bears to date.
