Whereas the bass fishing on Clear Lake has improved a little, it’s still a long ways from what it was a few years ago. Most of the fishermen are happy to catch three or four bass for a full day on the lake. The other factor is the lack of big fish. Anything weighing more than 5 pounds is considered a trophy fish. The good news is the bass are in excellent condition and that is because of the millions of baitfish in the lake. All an adult bass has to do is open its mouth for a meal.
The hot lure this past week was a square-billed crank bait. Most of the fish are being caught in the south end of the lake in the deeper water. The best times to fish are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For some reason very few fishermen have been going out after dark. A few years ago dozens of fishermen went out on the lake at night and they caught a lot of fish, especially the larger bass.
Large bass are more active after dark. This is especially true for the larger bass weighing between 5-8 pounds. On Wednesday, a fisherman reported catching seven bass, the largest weighing 5 pounds.
The other major factor is a lack of fishermen. Even on weekends the parking lots at the boat ramps are pretty much absent of boat trailers. You would think that with most of the public ramps now closed because of the low lake level that the Fifth Street ramp in Lakeport, the only public ramp still open, would have a lot of boat trailers, but that is not the case.
Gasoline cost
Several fishermen told me that the high price of gasoline has cut their fishing time considerably. Whereas a few years ago a fishing partner would give the boater $20-$30 to help with the gas money, now that price has climbed to $90 or even $100. Several boaters told me they feel guilty asking for that much money but they have no choice.
Catfish bite
While the bass fishing has slowed, it’s just the opposite for catfish. Several anglers are targeting catfish and have been catching some monsters. A number of catfish caught in the past two weeks have topped 20 pounds. The successful fishermen are using nightcrawlers, cut chicken and bottled catfish bait, They are fishing in the deeper water in the south end of the lake. The bait is rigged on a hook with a sinker attached about a foot up the line from the bait. The bait is allowed to sit on the bottom for five to 10 minutes. You should have at least 15-pound test line because the catfish are so strong.
Dropping lake
The lake level continues to decline and it stood at minus-2.3 feet on the Rumsey Gauge as of Thursday. It is falling at about one-half inch a day. No water is being released at the dam but the local water companies are drawing water from the lake for domestic use.
Deer hunting
On the hunting scene, the Zone A season is closed but the B zones are open and hunters have been doing well in the national forests. One area where hunters have been successful is the area from Hull Mountain to Covelo
